Pregame breakdown
After Xavi Pascual was fired Panathinaikos played one EuroLeague game with the assistant coach at helm. This week the club’s management named Rick Pitino, well-known American specialist, as the team’s new head coach.
The Army Men followed their normal schedule during the preparations. The team has no injuries, so all 15 active players went for the double trip. The red-blues will stay overnight in Athens after the game and then they will fly directly to Tallinn for the VTB League game vs Kalev.
Referees
Ilija Belosevic (crew chief, Serbia), Matej Boltauzer (Slovenia), Olegs Latyshevs (Latvia).
Pregame quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
We close out the first part of the regular season in Athens. Panathinaikos is a good team, they went through coaching changes recently and they will be play even more enthusiastic in front of their amazing crowd as usually. We work good this days, we are ready and we have to keep our full composure to play another tough road game.
Daniel Hackett, CSKA guard:
It’s another road game for us, which means that the level that we have to sustain is going to be high. It is always difficult to win on the road in EuroLeague, especially on the court like OAKA, where fans get into it and the team plays with a lot of energy. Now they had a change of coach so we expect them to be aggressive. We got to prepare and stay focused for a tough game.
“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.
Coach Darryl Middleton played for Panathinaikos for 5 years (2000-05) winning two EuroLeague titles with the Athenians.
Daniel Hackett and Keith Langford played for Olimpia Milan in the 2013-14 season.
Giannis Papapetrou crossed his ways with Othello Hunter (2014-16) and Hackett (2015-17) in Olympiacos.
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.
Sergio Rodriguez has made at least 1 three-point shot in 20 of his last 21 EuroLeague games.
Last week Rodriguez became the fifth player ever to deliver 1,000 assists in the EuroLeague. He now has 1,002 for his career. Barcelona point guard Thomas Heurtel is fourth with 1,079 career assists and counting.
Cory Higgins has scored in double figures in 20 of his last 21 EuroLeague games.
Higgins has made at least 1 three-pointer in nine straight EuroLeague games.
Cory Higgins is ranked third in scoring this season with 15.9 points per game.
Higgins leads the EuroLeague in three-point accuracy at 55.6%; Alec Peters is second at 54.9%.
Alec Peters has made at least 1 three-pointer in 11 of his last 12 EuroLeague games.
Will Clyburn has scored at least 10 points in 10 straight EuroLeague games.
Clyburn has collected at least 1 steal in 10 of CSKA’s last 11 EuroLeague games.
Clyburn is fifth in average PIR with 19.4 per game and ranks fourth in rebounding with 7.1 per game.
Nando De Colo ranks first in free throw accuracy this season with 94.6%. He is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.71%.
Kyle Hines is ranked fourth in EuroLeague history with 191 blocked shots. Ioannis Bourousis is third with 194.
Hines is ranked 12th in competition history with 1,068 rebounds. His former CSKA teammate Victor Khryapa is 11th with 1,070.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 21-17
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)
2017-18 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 70-75 (+5)
Short dossier
Panathinaikos Athens, Greece
Founded: 1908
Colors: green, white
Home court: O.A.K.A (18,700)
President: Emmanuel Papadopoulos
Head coach: Rick Pitino
Website: www.paobc.gr
Trophy case:
- 6-time Euroleague champion (1996, 2000, 02, 07, 09, 11),
- International Cup winner (1996),
- 36-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),
- 18-time Greek Cup winner (1979, 82, 83, 86, 93, 96, 2003, 05-09, 12-17)
