Pregame breakdown
International sports competitions are the only events still permitted in Greece under the lockdown. Currently there are strict restrictions in the country, the domestic tournaments stopped, European games feature no fans.
The Army Men had three full training days to prepare for the game. The team has full roster available. With second team members Daniil Kochergin, Alexander Shashkov and Yuri Umrikhin, coach Dimitris Itoudis had 17 players for practices.
Just 13 players boarded the charter flight to Athens. Only Andrey Lopatin – the last one to recover after COVID-19 – stayed in Moscow.
Panathinaikos misses two team members due to COVID-19. Also the team parted ways with guard Keifer Sykes whose 1-month contract expired and wasn’t renewed.
Referees
Sreten Radovic (crew chief, Croatia), Carmelo Paternico (Italy), Seffi Shemesh (Serbia).
Pregame quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
We approach it as every EuroLeague game, especially the away one. We know the difficulties, we are in good mode, we are practicing altogether which is something we were looking forward since the start of the season. We have our ups and downs but we are slowly looking more and more like a team. We are ready to go and face all the obstacles that PAO will try to put ahead of us.
Daniel Hackett, CSKA guard:
We had time to work and prepare for this game. The team is getting better, we have the full roster finally after all problems with COVID, injuries, etc. We had some good practices so we look forward to go there, play our basketball, be strong and try to get the win. PAO is a team which is always difficult to play against on their home court. They will give us a good game, they are motivated, they are coming off a good win against Fenerbahce.
“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 Nick Calathes and Ian Vougioukas are with the club from that period. CSKA assistant Andreas Pistiolis was also a part of that successful team.
Coach Darryl Middleton played for Panathinaikos for 5 years (2000-05) winning two EuroLeague titles with the Athenians.
Mike James played for Panathinaikos for two seasons from 2016 to 2018. He led the team to back-to-back Greek League titles and a Greek Cup in that time.
Howard Sant-Roos made his EuroLeague debut with CSKA last season after joining the team mid-season.
Ioannis Papapetrou of Panathinaikos was a teammate of Daniel Hackett at Olympiacos for two seasons, from 2015 to 2017. They reached the EuroLeague championship game in 2017 together.
Nikita Kurbanov of CSKA and Panathinaikos big man Ian Vougioukas were teammates at Unics Kazan in 2013-14, when they reached the EuroCup Finals together.
Janis Strelnieks and Papapetrou were teammates with Olympiacos Piraeus in the 2017-18 season.
Vougioukas and Will Clyburn were teammates at ratiopharm Ulm for part of the 2014-15 season.
Ten different players have appeared in CSKA’s starting lineups so far this season. Only Nikita Kurbanov has started in every game.
Important numbers
Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 26 of his last 27 games.
James has scored in double figures in 31 of his last 32 games. He ranks fourth in scoring this season with 17.5 points per game.
Tornike Shengelia has recorded double-digit PIRs in 13 of his last 14 games.
Will Clyburn has recorded at least 1 steal in seven of his last eight games.
Clyburn has scored in double figures in five straight games. He ranks second in scoring this season with 18.5 points per game. Will needs 4 points to reach 1,500 for his career.
Clyburn has made a three-pointer in five straight games.
Daniel Hackett has made 17 consecutive free throws.
Hackett has made a three-pointer in eight of his last nine games.
Tornike Shengelia ranks fifth this season with 7.0 rebounds per game and is tied for fifth with 2.7 offensive rebounds per game.
Tornike Shengelia needs 5 more three-pointers to reach 100 in the EuroLeague.
Joel Bolomboy ranks third this season with 1.3 blocks per game.
Janis Strelnieks ranks seventh all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.9%.
Nikola Milutinov ranks 12th all-time with 382 offensive rebounds. Former CSKA great Mirsad Turkcan is 11th with 385.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 22-20
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)
2018-19 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 77-78 (-1)
2019-20 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Panathinaikos: 102-106 OT (-4)
2019-20 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Panathinaikos – CSKA: 66-97 (+31)
Short dossier
Panathinaikos Athens, Greece
Founded: 1908
Colors: green, white
Home court: O.A.K.A (18,700)
President: Panagiotis Triantopoulos
Head coach: Giorgios Vovoras
Website: www.paobc.gr
Trophy case:
- 6-time Euroleague champion (1996, 2000, 02, 07, 09, 11),
- International Cup winner (1996),
- 37-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),
- 20-time Greek Cup winner (1979, 82, 83, 86, 93, 96, 2003, 05-09, 12-17, 19, 20)
