Ex-Celtics Giddens, O’Bryant leave Greece

Former NBA first-round draft picks J.R. Giddens and Patrick O’Bryant — both of whom played for the Boston Celtics — have left their Greek clubs. Giddens had surgery in the United States to repair his injured left wrist. O’Bryant plans to play in Puerto Rico.

Giddens, 27, averaged 8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for PAOK in Thessaloniki. Like Maroussi, PAOK has major financial problems. Giddens almost left the team earlier this winter in a payment dispute, but the sides patched things up.

The swingman, selected 30th overall by the Celtics in the 2008 NBA draft, tweeted that he had surgery on his left wrist last Friday. The Celtics traded Giddens, a New Mexico alum, to the New York Knicks in February 2010.

O’Bryant left Kavala to take more money ($14,000 per month, according to www.basketnet.gr) in Puerto Rico, where he plans to sign with Mayaguez. The 7-footer was the Greek league’s top shot-blocker (1.5 per game) and averaged 9.6 points and 6 rebounds per game.

After playing Sunday, he tweeted: “Just played my last game as a Greek. Love this country. Except the refs. Takin my talents to Puerto Rico now.”

The Celtics signed O’Bryant to a 2-year, $3 million contract before the 2008-09 season. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors in February 2009. O’Bryant was the 9th overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, selected by the Golden State Warriors. He’s an alum of Bradley University.

Kommatos scores 40 points in Maroussi loss

Nestoras Kommatos had such a good game today, he probably could have solved Greece’s debt crisis, just on sheer willpower. Maroussi lost 86-82 to PAOK, extending its season-long losing streak to 16 games. But his display of blood — literally; he elbowed a defender in the mouth — and guts leadership was instant-classic worthy.

Nestoras Kommatos

Kommatos scored 40 points, and added 7 rebounds and 3 assists. He found his inner Kobe Bryant — probably more Paul Pierce, actually — by scoring on spin moves in the paint, mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers (seven), and from the foul line, not to mention a dunk. All this from a veteran who turns 35 in May. He played 38:19 minutes, getting just a quick breather in the third quarter.

Fatigue may have been a factor in the fourth quarter, however. Kommatos scored 8 points in the quarter, but he went 0-5 on 3-point attempts. PAOK outscored Maroussi 14-6 in the final three minutes.

The outburst was all the more impressive considering Kommatos, the league’s second-leading scorer (20 ppg) entering the game, was Maroussi’s only real scoring threat. Point guard Yannis Gagaloudis (15 ppg) didn’t make the trip, because of a long-running dispute with PAOK, his former team, over money owed to him. Frank Elegar, a center, and Dimitris Haritopoulos, a power forward, recently left the team, which has been underpaying its players all season.

Only in the fourth quarter did PAOK find a way to slow Kommatos, a two-time Greek league All Star. The Thessaloniki club switched to full-court presses to disrupt Maroussi’s offensive flow — which largely amounted to ‘get the ball to Nestoras and set some picks,’ and with great effectiveness. Gagaloudis’ absence was more evident at this point.

Still, Lefteris Akepsimaidis performed well at the point. He scored 13 points and had three assists, playing all but 30 seconds of the game. Three-point specialist Prodromos Nikolaidis scored all 12 of his points from behind the arc. And Maroussi’s pair of 17-year-old centers — Lampros Tsontzos and Dimitrios Agravanis — played with increasing confidence. They combined for 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 9 fouls.

The game paralleled other Maroussi losses: lots of hustle, a late lead, but then something goes wrong. PAOK led 80-78 when Kommatos sank a long jumper with 45 seconds remaining. Giannis Kalambokis, who led PAOK with 16 points, put his team ahead 82-80 on two free throws.

Kommatos then missed a 3-point attempt with 15 seconds remaining and Serbian forward Milutin Aleksic (15 points) was fouled and hit both free throws, giving PAOK a 4-point lead, which effectively sealed the win. Kommatos and Kalambokis traded free throws to end it.

J.R. Giddens, a Boston Celtics draft pick in 2008, sat out with a wrist injury while his PAOK teammate Aaron Pettway had a quiet night — 2 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes.

Maroussi staggers into next game; ex-Celtic Giddens questionable

Possibly the best news for winless Maroussi heading into its next game is players will be spared the indignity of two six-hour bus rides. Maroussi travels to Thessaloniki, where it faces PAOK (6-10) on Saturday. The cash-strapped club considered renting a bus to save a few bucks. Instead, it will fly, although departure from Athens is the morning of the game — hotels aren’t free, after all — rather than the night before.

Buzzkill alert: starting point guard Yannis Gagaloudis is not expected to make the trip, club officials said. Gagaloudis played two seasons for PAOK and claims the club still owes him 50,000 euro. That well-publicized dispute seems to be at the center of Gagaloudis’ preference to remain home. Because of Maroussi’s financial position — underpaying players all season — it has no leverage to force him to play. So Maroussi will send just five professionals — and a handful of amateurs from the junior team. Gagaloudis, a savvy but hot-tempered (see video ‘The Reaction’ below) veteran, has expressed his desire to leave Maroussi this season if he gets a good offer to play abroad.

That means more work for Lefteris Akepsimaidis, who played very well (12 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds) with increased minutes last Saturday in an 89-81 loss to Ilysiakos.

PAOK topped Maroussi 71-69 back in November, led by Rashad Wright, who scored 17 points and sank clutch free throws late in the game. But he’s now playing in France.

J.R. Giddens, drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2008, scored 15 points for PAOK in that game, including a key dunk late in the fourth quarter. Giddens is averaging just over 8 points and nearly 6 rebounds per game.

Giddens missed one game in late January, reportedly sitting out because he hadn’t been paid — a common problem with many Greek clubs, including Maroussi. The dispute seems to have been resolved. Giddens played last weekend. However, a lingering wrist injury may limit his minutes against Maroussi.

PAOK’s top scorer is big man Dimos Dikoudis, who averages 15 points per game. Like Maroussi’s go-to guy Nestoras Kommatos (20 ppg), Dikoudis is 34 years old. He’ll be a handful for Maroussi’s teenaged centers, who have been forced to play significant roles because of recent departures (Frank Elegar, Dimitris Haritopoulos).

PAOK doesn’t like shooting 3-pointers, averaging just 11 attempts per game in its past five matches. Maroussi launched 21 attempts last Saturday.