Pregame breakdown
The team had just short tactical practice on the next day after the game in Moscow and went to Greece by Aeroflot charter flight.
Pavel Korobkov and Alan Makiev stayed in Moscow to practice individually.
Pregame quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
It will be a tough game, second in back-to-back set, against strong opponent. We need all our attention, concentration and motivation for this kind of game.
Othello Hunter, CSKA center:
It will be high-energy game. They will be pressing, playing at home after tough loss, I expect them to have crowd behind them, they have good fan base. It will be real loud and I expect them to play hard. We got to come out there and fight.
“Relativity” connections
CSKA head coach Itoudis spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach at Panathinaikos from 1999 through 2012. He helped the club win five Euroleague championships, 11 Greek League titles and seven Greek Cups during that span. Only one Panathinaikos player, Nick Calathes, remains from his time with the club. CSKA assistant Andreas Pistiolis was also a part of those successful team.
CSKA playmaker Sergio Rodriguez and Panathinaikos swingman K.C. Rivers played together at Real Madrid for parts of 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. They won the 2015 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title together.
Rivers was a teammate of Vitaly Fridzon at Khimki Moscow Region during the 2012-13 season.
Leo Westermann of CSKA and Lukas Lekavicius of Panathinaikos were backcourt mates at Zalgiris Kaunas last season.
Matt Lojeski of Panathinaikos and big man Othello Hunter of CSKA played together at Olympiacos Piraeus for two seasons from 2014 through 2016.
Nikita Kurbanov of CSKA and Panathinaikos big man Ian Vougiouskas were teammates at Unics Kazan in 2013-14, when they reached the EuroCup Finals together.
Vougioukas and Will Clyburn were teammates at ratiopharm Ulm for part of the 2014-15 season.
Important numbers
Coach Dimitris Itoudis has used 11 different players in the CSKA starting lineup so far this season. No player has started every game.
Nando De Colo has scored in double figures and posted a performance index rating in double figures in 14 of his last 15 EuroLeague games.
Nando De Colo is ranked second among qualified EuroLeague players this season in average performance index rating with 20.7 per game.
De Colo is third in the EuroLeague in scoring with 16.9 points.
He ranks second in three-point shooting, making triples at 50.9% accuracy.
De Colo has made 23 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague action. He leads the league in free-throw accuracy this season at 95.6%. De Colo is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.61%.
Sergio Rodriguez has made multiple three-pointers in 11 of his last 12 EuroLeague games.
Will Clyburn is tied fifth in rebounding this season with 6.1 per game.
Othello Hunter is fourth in the league in offensive rebounds with 2.8 per game.
Kyle Hines leads the league in true shooting percentage at 64.14%
Kyle Hines is fourth on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 422 offensive rebounds for his career. He needs 17 more to catch Ioannis Bourousis (439) for third place.
Sergio Rodriguez is second in the EuroLeague this season with 3 three-pointers made per game.
Sergio Rodriguez is eighth on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 849. Brose Bamberg’s Nikos Zisis is seventh with 858 and counting.
Victor Khryapa ranks 10th on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 1,064 career rebounds. Former Panathinaikos star Mike Batiste is in ninth place with 1,117.
Khryapa is ranked eighth on the all-time charts with 241 career steals. Juan Carlos Navarro of FC Barcelona Lassa is seventh with 246 and counting.
Khryapa is seventh on the all-time charts with 161 blocks for his career. He needs 1 more to catch Mirza Begic who has 162 in sixth place.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 20-17
1981-82 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 87-83 (-4)
1981-82 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 83-80 (+3)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 101-77 (-24)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 77-70 (+7)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 71-81 (-10)
2000-01 – SuproLeague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 69-57 (+12)
2000-01 – SuproLeague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 89-81 (-8)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 85-91 (-6)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 83-80 (-3)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 58-69 (+11)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 75-68 (+7)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 73-85 (+12)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 75-72 (+3)
2004-05 – Euroleague. 3rd place game: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 91-94 ÎÒ (-3)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 92-82 (-10)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 84-89 (-5)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Final: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 93-91 (-2)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Final: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 73-71 (-2)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 74-60 (-14)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 68-72 (-4)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 76-78 ÎÒ (+2)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 91-75 (+16)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Semifinal: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 66-64 (+2)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 86-69 (+17)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 63-69 (+6)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Panathinaikos: 77-74 ÎÒ (+3)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Panathinaikos: 77-51 (+26)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Panathinaikos – CSKA: 65-59 (-6)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Panathinaikos – CSKA: 73-72 ÎÒ (-1)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Panathinaikos: 74-44 (+30)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Panathinaikos: 93-66 (+27)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Panathinaikos: 100-80 (+20)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Panathinaikos – CSKA: 86-85 (-1)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Panathinaikos – CSKA: 55-74 (+19)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 81-77 (+4)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 85-80 ÎÒ (-5)
2017-18 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 81-63 (+18)
Short dossier
Panathinaikos Athens, Greece
Founded: 1908
Colors: green, white
Home court: O.A.K.A (18,700)
President: Emmanuel Papadopoulos
Head coach: Xavi Pascual
Website: www.paobc.gr
Trophy case:
- 6-time Euroleague champion (1996, 2000, 02, 07, 09, 11),
- International Cup winner (1996),
- 35-time Greek champion (1946, 47, 50, 51, 54, 61, 62, 67, 69, 71-75, 77, 80-82, 84, 98-2001, 03-11, 13, 14, 17),
- 18-time Greek Cup winner (1979, 82, 83, 86, 93, 96, 2003, 05-09, 12-17)
