Olimpia fought, competed and tied up the score 65-65, entering the final stretch when Kendrick Nunn off a couple of isolation plays punished the defense’s last effort. A three made by Shavon Shields that reduced the margin to three points one more time represented the last glimmer of hope. Panathinaikos won 76-68, after a tough, close game in which the defenses gradually took control of the game. Panathinaikos had more weapons at the end, Olimpia struggled to make up for the missing players, but they tried until the end, showing that even the less experienced players at this level can be very competitive, like Giordano Bortolani and Diego Flaccadori. Billy Baron, who had damaged his right arm in the previous against Asvel, wanted to play and help the team despite everything suggesting the contrary. He scored a couple of field goals at the rim, but he didn’t have the three-point shot to rely on. He acted as a decoy. Olimpia, which is second in the EuroLeague from beyond the arc, shot 8-for-31 tonight, perhaps settling too much for outside shots in the second half. During the first, Olimpia really used its defense to generate fastbreak opportunities that Panathinaikos struggled to contain. Against a strong and healthy team, doing more was perhaps impossible. “It is not a step back because we competed. When we tied the game one more time, the next two or three offensive possessions could have changed the outcome, but that doesn’t change my feeling that this was a good game for us, despite the loss. With Shabazz Napier back, hopefully we can get some players back and will improve again,” Coach Ettore Messina said.

Shavon Shields made three threes extending his incredible streak of eight games with at least three three-pointers, added seven rebounds, but scored 13 points, didn’t see much light because Panathinaikos defense was organized around him. “Jerian Grant – Messina pointed out – was on a basketball mission, to try to contain him.” Other players had more freedom to operate. Johannes Voigtmann took advantae of this scoring 12 first half points and Diego Flaccadori played with great aggressiveness in the second half. He made three consecutive field goals, on jumpers, to keep the hope alive. “He struggled in the first half and came back stronger in the second. That was great personality,” Messina pointed out.

Olimpia had foul trouble to overcome too, especially with the big men. Nicolò Melli fouled out when the game was still within reach. Kyle Hines too. Devon Hall. In the fourth Olimpia tied the game with Giordano Bortolani, with Diego Flaccadori, with Shavon Shields. Then missed some opportunities to get ahead and maybe put pressure on Panathinaikos. When Lessort, Nunn and Sloukas opened up a six-point lead, Shields made a three. Olimpia’s defense prevent the opponent from scoring and Shields attacked the rim again against Mitoglou to get a quick two. There was a lot of contact on that play that was not sanctioned and essentially closed the game off.