Panathinaikos lose unbeaten run 81-91 as Itoudis outfoxes Obradovic in Athens

By the Data Desk · Published 17 OCT 08:30

For 13 years Dimitris Itoudis sat next to Željko Obradović on the Panathinaikos bench; on Friday night he walked into the Telekom Center and took away his old boss's perfect start. Hapoel Tel Aviv won 91-81, the first EuroLeague defeat of the season for Panathinaikos, and Obradović said it plainly: "Η Χάποελ άξιζε να κερδίσει", Hapoel deserved to win.

• Hapoel closed the game on a 15-5 run from 76-76 with 3:33 left; Zach LeDay led them with 17, Elijah Bryant had 14 and Dan Oturu 13 (EuroLeague box score).
• Sylvain Francisco scored 22 for Panathinaikos, but the team made 5 of 21 threes, and the 91 points they conceded are the most of their season, after a previous high of 79.
• Panathinaikos are 5-1, level at the top with Fenerbahçe and Olympiacos; Hapoel move to 4-2. Next for Obradović: Baskonia at home on Thursday.

The game had two swings. Hapoel led 29-25 after the first quarter and 71-61 early in the fourth, then Panathinaikos ran off 11 straight points and Jerian Grant put them 72-71 up with 5:34 to play. It was their last lead. Oturu's three-point play, a Bryant three, LeDay inside and a Vasilije Mičić three from 76-76 settled it, and Hapoel won the rebounds 34-27 and the assists 22-16.

Both coaches saw the same night. Obradović: "Στο δεύτερο ημίχρονο καταφέραμε να παίξουμε καλύτερα, αλλάξαμε το μομέντουμ του παιχνιδιού" (in the second half we managed to play better, we changed the momentum of the game), and "Δεν πήραμε καλές αποφάσεις στην επίθεση" (we did not make good decisions in attack). Itoudis remembered the same stretch from the other side: "Όταν περάσαμε μπροστά με 10, δεχθήκαμε σερί 11-0" (when we went 10 up, we took an 11-0 run). He began with "Θέλω να συγχαρώ την ομάδα μου που συνέχισε να πιστεύει" (I want to congratulate my team, who kept believing), and added: "Οι οπαδοί του Παναθηναϊκού είναι τρομεροί" (the Panathinaikos fans are tremendous), all as reported by Fosonline.

The history makes it sharper. Itoudis was Obradović's assistant in Athens from 1999 to 2012, the years of five EuroLeague titles in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011 (Eurohoops). "Έχουμε πολύ καλή σχέση με τον προπονητή τους, ανταλλάσσουμε ιδέες, μιλάμε", Itoudis said on Friday: we have a very good relationship with their coach, we exchange ideas, we talk. Hapoel's official X account kept it short after the buzzer: "Nobody's Perfect 🤷🏻‍♂️" (Gazzetta).

What happens next: Hapoel host Virtus Bologna on Wednesday, 21 October. Panathinaikos host Baskonia on Thursday, 22 October, at 21:15 Athens time (20:15 CEST). Baskonia are last at 1-5 after losing 86-78 at Virtus on Friday in Velimir Perasović's first game back, and they concede 94.0 points a game.