Pregame breakdown
The Army Men received a day off upon return from Zielona Gora and had two practices after. Mikhail Kulagin (foot surgery) stays out for CSKA.
It is interesting that the Army Men start a tough series of 8 games, where they will face 6 teams who defeated CSKA earlier in the season.
Referees
Matej Boltauzer (crew chief, Slovenia), Emin Mogulkoc (Turkey), Jakub Zamojski (Poland).
Pregame quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
Panathinaikos added players in comparison to our last game, they are playing better right now, they score almost 100 points on average in recent games. They have size, they have different ways to score. We know that we have tough opponent in front of us so we expect a difficult game.
Cory Higgins, CSKA guard:
It’s going to be very tough, physical game. We have to have a better showing than the way we played against them in Athens, to take care of the ball, limit our turnovers, be physical on both sides of the ball.
“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 Itoudis has used 11 different players in CSKA’s starting lineups this season; no player has started in every EuroLeague game.
Will Clyburn has recorded a performance index rating in double figures in 20 of his last 21 EuroLeague games.
Will Clyburn is tied for fourth in the EuroLeague in average performance index rating with 18.7 per game this season.
Clyburn is ranked fourth in the league in rebounding this season with 7.0 per game.
Nando De Colo has made at least 1 three-pointer in 12 of his last 13 EuroLeague appearances.
De Colo has made 28 straight free throws in EuroLeague games. He ranks second in free-throw accuracy this season with 96.0% and leads the EuroLeague career ranks in free-throw accuracy at 93.92%.
Andrey Vorontsevich has made 11 straight free throws in EuroLeague games.
Cory Higgins has made 12 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague action.
Higgins leads the league in three-point accuracy this season at 54.84%.
Cory Higgins ranks second in the league in scoring this season with 15.0 points per game. De Colo is third with 14.8.
Sergio Rodriguez is tied for fourth in the league in assists this season with 5.1 per game.
Kyle Hines ranks fourth all-time with 201 blocked shots. Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv big man Alex Tyus is third with 207 and counting.
Hines is third in EuroLeague history with 487 offensive rebounds.
Hines is 11th in competition history with 1,099 rebounds. Mike Batiste is 10th with 1,117.
Sergio Rodriguez ranks fifth on the EuroLeague all-time charts with 1,057 assists for his career; Milos Teodosic is fourth with 1,126 career assists.
Rodriguez is 10th all-time with 355 three-point shots made; Dimitris Diamantidis is ninth with 372.
Daniel Hackett needs 4 assists to reach 500 for his EuroLeague career.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 21-18
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)
2018-19 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 96-84 (-12)
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),
- 19-time Greek Cup winner (1979, 82, 83, 86, 93, 96, 2003, 05-09, 12-17, 19)
