Panathinaikos wins; Maroussi teen scores 15 points (Videos)

Dimitrios Agravanis

This was a slightly more interesting game than I expected. For the record, Panathinaikos easily defeated Maroussi, 96-56, in a game that was pretty much over in the first quarter.

But no one was playing for today. Panathinaikos (18-2) was tuning up for Saturday’s Greek Cup final against bitter rival Olympiakos — think Celtics and Lakers, but add hooligans. Maroussi (1-19) was gaining experience in hopes of pulling off another victory this season.

For Maroussi, backup center Dimitrios Agravanis had a breakout game. He came off the bench and led Maroussi with 15 points and 7 rebounds. He was 3 of 11 from the field but sank 9 of 11 free throws. Not bad for a kid who turned 17 years old in December.

Fellow 17-year-old Lampros Tsontzos picked up his third foul just seven minutes into the first quarter, forcing Agravanis to eat up more minutes. He was aggressive on the offensive end (see video), which helped him get to the foul line.

Panathinaikos, the defending Euroleague champion, wasn’t going easy on Maroussi, pressing guards Lefteris Akepsimaidis and Giannis Demertzis the whole game.

In case anyone thought Panathinaikos wasn’t taking the game seriously, coach Zeljko Obradovic cleared things up just 39 seconds into the first quarter when he benched guard Nick Calathes. The 23-year-old had decided to ad-lib for a split second instead of methodically running the offense. Tsontzos stole the ball from Calathes at the foul line as he tried to drive.

Obradovic gave Calathes a talking to before the Florida alum sat on the bench. He returned after the first quarter, and led the team with 13 points. He also recorded 4 assists and 4 steals.

Obradovic, a Serb who is considered one of the greatest European coaches ever, also gave the business to Alexis Kiritsis after a turnover. He wasn’t pleased by much of anything (see video), even as the Greens shot 60 percent from the field and out-rebounded Maroussi 55 to 23.

Aleks Maric, 6-foot-11 and 275 pounds, had 9 points and 11 rebounds for Panathinaikos. Kostas Kaimakoglou, who played for Maroussi from 2004 to 2010, scored 8 points and added 5 rebounds. Sarunas Jasikevicius chipped in with 12 points.

Maroussi connected on just 5 of 25 3-point attempts and shot 28 percent inside the arc. Three-point specialist Prodromos Nikolaidis was 2 of 10 from downtown.

DIMITRIOS AGRAVANIS FINISHES:

 

COACH ZELJKO OBRADOVIC:

Preview: Panathinaikos pays a visit

Vagel Sakellariou

Maroussi didn’t have much time to celebrate its first victory of the season. It hosts Panathinaikos (17-2) tomorrow evening. Normally, it’s an NFL-style schedule, one game each week. But there are no league games this Saturday because of the Greek Cup final — between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos.

Panathinaikos is one of the best teams in Europe, not just Greece. It is the defending Euroleague champion. Basically, tomorrow’s game is a more or less a practice session for the big game Saturday.

So, what does that mean for Maroussi? If they can hang with Panathinaikos for a half, maybe even three quarters, that would be a huge accomplishment. Maroussi, of course, has a depleted roster, which includes several teenagers. Starting center Lampros Tsontzos is 17 years old.

Panathinaikos, historically one of the wealthiest clubs in Europe, has a ridiculously deep bench. Mike Batiste, Ian Vougioukas, and Stratos Perperoglou are unlikely to play because of injuries.

But it’s hardly a break for Maroussi. That means Aleks Maric will get more time in the middle. He’s 6-foot-11 and 275 pounds, and Maroussi doesn’t have the size nor experience to handle big men. Maric is an Australian-Serb and alum of the University of Nebraska.

It will be a homecoming for Kostas Kaimakoglou, who played for Maroussi during the good old days (2004-10). He scored 18 points Saturday in a 85-65 victory over PAOK.

We’ll see how much time the Panathinaikos regulars get, considering the Greek Cup final on Saturday.

Their roster is sprinkled with former NBA draft picks, some of whom have played in the NBA. Sarunas Jasikevicius, 36, played for the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors. Steven Smith of La Salle played briefly for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nick Calathes, 23, left the University of Florida after the 2008-09 season and signed a three-year deal with Panathinaikos. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft. Romain Sato was taken in the second round of the 2004 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, who released the Xavier alum in 2005.

Can Maroussi’s Big Two crack All Star roster?

Making the All Star team is a longshot for Maroussi stars Nestoras Kommatos and Yannis Gagaloudis, but stranger things have happened. After all, what’s the likelihood of a team going winless through 15 games, losing in almost every way imaginable?

Nestoras Kommatos

Kommatos and Gagaloudis, both Greek, are certainly deserving, as are players on other clubs. However, league powerhouses Panathinaikos and Olympiakos have huge fan bases, giving their players the inside track. Of course, they’re very good, too.

The March 4 game features ‘Greek Stars vs. Rest of the World.’ Fan voting is open through Feb. 22. So far, there have been 29,000 votes for Greek players and 17,000 for the league’s international players. Fans can vote at the league’s website, http://www.esake.gr. (Google Translate helps; Kommatos translates to ‘Party’).

Nine of 13 players on the Greek roster last year were from either Panathinaikos (six) or Olympiakos (three). The Greeks won the (no-defense) game 141-122.

Entering last weekend’s game, Gagaloudis was leading the league in assists, with 5.7 per game, although he had none in Saturday’s loss during which he was ejected for protesting a no-call (see ‘Maroussi falls short again’). His 15.5 points per game puts him in the top 10 of scoring. He was an All Star in 2006.

Yannis Gagaloudis

Kommatos averages just under 20 points per game, which is second to league leader Dionte Christmas (20 ppg), a Temple alum who plays for Reythmno. The 34-year-old Kommatos was an All Star in 2003 and 2004.

Maroussi’s players have performed under considerable stress, having been underpaid all season long. The financially strapped club — once a power like Panathinaikos and Olympiakos — is headed for relegation.

Christmas seems a likely choice for the ‘Rest of World’ team, especially after a 41-point output (eight 3-pointers) in a recent loss to Olympiakos.

Still, even the international team is typically heavy with Panathinaikos and Olympiakos players. Last year, the two teams had five of the 12 spots. Mike Baptiste (Panathinaikos) was the top vote-getter overall with 3,760 votes last year.

Other international candidates include Zack Wright and Brent Petway (Reythmno), Marcus “Mo” Hatten (Colossus Rhodes), Alex Stepheson and Jon Diebler (Panionios), Aron Baynes, Jimmy Baxter, and Romel Beck (Ikaros), Darryl Thompson and Nana Harding (Ilysiakos), J.R. Giddens (PAOK), and Kyle Hines (Olympiakos). Other Panathinaikos internationals include Steven Smith, Mike Logan, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Romain Sato.