PAOK Thessaloniki booked its place within the Greek Tremendous Cup ultimate with an 84-82 victory over Panathinaikos, as Cedi Osman delivered the decisive shot towards his former membership.
Panathinaikos appeared to have taken management within the closing seconds when Sylvain Francisco related from three-point vary to offer his workforce an 82-81 benefit.
PAOK had one ultimate alternative, nonetheless, and Osman responded by hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to finish the win for Andrea Trinchieri’s workforce.
“We had been enjoying towards a workforce that has dominated Europe lately, and it was a really robust sport,” Osman mentioned afterward. “Our objective was to remain within the sport and win it. We belief one another, we belief the system, and I’m very blissful that we managed to win the sport.”
Osman, who moved from Panathinaikos to PAOK in the course of the summer season, additionally mentioned what his new workforce is attempting to determine early within the season.
“We’re constructing one thing new,” he mentioned. “We wish our opponents to really feel uncomfortable once they play towards us. We are going to struggle in each sport.”
Requested about taking the game-winning shot towards his former workforce, Osman pointed to confidence as the important thing.
“I feel these photographs are the simplest photographs,” he mentioned. “You must take them with confidence. That’s what I did, and I’m very blissful it went in.”
Regardless of the dramatic end, Osman mentioned there have been no onerous emotions between him and his former Panathinaikos teammates.
“They’re my brothers,” he mentioned. “On the court docket we play as opponents, however afterwards we’re all the time pals. I congratulated them, they usually congratulated me. They performed a superb match too.”
Panathinaikos coach Zeljko Obradovic praised PAOK whereas figuring out poor capturing and rebounding as main issues for his workforce.
“Congratulations to PAOK on the win,” Obradovic mentioned. “I’m very proud of how my gamers fought. We continued in the identical approach we performed within the pleasant video games and originally of the season.”
“It was apparent that we shot very badly, and within the first half we gave them loads of alternatives to attain from second possibilities. They took 13 offensive rebounds, so I imagine the important thing was there.”
Obradovic additionally mirrored on the ultimate sequence that allowed Osman to determine the sport.
“On the finish of the sport, it’s totally different,” he famous. “We scored two robust photographs with excellent focus from my gamers, and on PAOK’s final offense, this stuff can occur. We didn’t management the rebound, they usually scored. As soon as once more, congratulations to PAOK.”
