Gist leads Greens to first win with monster game

Panathinaikos Athens registered its first win of the 2015-16 Turkish Airlines Euroleague season by downing Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir 85-73 in the Greek capital on Thursday. Both teams are now tied in Group C, each with a 1-1 record. James Gist paced the winners with 27 points on 8-of-10 two-point shooting and 3-of-3 three-pointers. Dimitris Diamantidis added 12 points and 8 assists, while Nick Calathes dished 11 assists for Panathinaikos. Kenny Gabriel led Karsiyaka with 17 points, Juan Palacios added 14, Joe Ragland had 12 while Josh Carter got 10 for the guests. Gist and Calathes took over early to give Panathinaikos a 30-15 lead after 10 minutes, which the hosts extended to 42-24. Karsiyaka managed to get within 47-34 at halftime and even closer, 47-40, right after the break. Diamantidis and an outstanding Gist stepped up to boost the Greens' lead to 65-52 and even though Karsiyaka never gave up, the hosts kept a safe lead from that moment until the final buzzer.

First quarter: Calathes and Greens roll

Sasha Pavlovic got Panathinaikos going with a driving layup, but Gabriel improved on that with 3 free throws and added a wild fast break slam for a 2-5 Karsiyaka lead. Calathes found Ognjen Kuzmic for an alley-oop layup and Gist nailed a catch-and-shoot triple from the right wing for a 7-5 Panathinaikos edge. Colton Iverson scored down low, but a free throw by Kuzmic and a jump hook by Mioslav Raduljica kept the Greens ahead, 10-7. Gist took over with a high-flying alley-oop slam, before Raduljica scored again and a tip-in by Calathes capped a 9-0 run and gave the Greens a 16-7 margin. Kenan Sipahi and Calathes traded baskets and a free throw by Josh Carter kept Karsiyaka within 18-10. After Diamantidis buried a three-pointer, Josh Carter hit free throws, but Raduljica restored a 23-13 Panathinaikos edge. Calathes and Kerem Gonlum exchanged layup and Antonis Fotsis struck from downtown for a 28-15 score. Calathes found Vladimir Jankovic for a layup that gave the Greens a 30-15 lead after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Panathinaikos stretched lead to 18 and cruises

Gabriel shined with a put-back basket early in the quarter, but Diamantidis answered with a bomb from way downtown that broke the game open, 33-17. Calathes fed Kuzmic for an alley-oop layup, which resulted in a Karsiyaka timeout at 35-17. Gabriel tried to change things with a three-pointer, but Gist answered from beyond the arc off a timeout to keep Panathinaikos way ahead, 38-20. Gabriel kept pacing the guests with a big dunk off the baseline and a put-back slam, but Gist shined with a fallaway jumper and soon added an alley-oop dunk for a 42-24 score. Juan Palacios buried a three, but didn't find much help around. Gist sank a big triple that Josh Carter matched at the other end. Kuzmic stepped up with a second-chance basket off a Panathinaikos timeout, but Palacios quickly answered with a mid-range jumper. A tip-in by Muhammed Baygul fixed the halftime score at 47-34.

Third quarter: Karsiyaka fights back

Gabriel buried a corner three-pointer immediately after the break, as Panathinaikos was held scoreless for more than two minutes. Meanwhile, a free throw by Iverson brought Karsiyaka within 47-38. Iverson scored around the basket, but Diamantidis fed Gist for his third alley-oop dunk and soon added a reverse layup to give Panathinaikos plenty of fresh air, 51-40. Justin Carter hit free throws - his first points - but Pavlovic did better with a three-pointer and free throws by Gist restored a 56-42 Panathinaikos lead. Joe Ragland took over with a driving layup, which Gist matched with a power basket. Karsiyaka tried to speed up the game tempo, which belonged to Diamantidis and Calathes. After Vasilis Charalampopoulos dunked, Palacios nailed his second three-pointer. A layup by Raduljica gave Panathinaikos a 62-47 margin. Justin Carter hit foul shots before Jankovic and Ragland exchanged three-pointers to make it 65-52.

Fourth quarter: Panathinaikos seals win early

Palacios dunked off a steal early in the quarter to give Karsiyaka hope at 64-54. Panathinaikos quickly called timeout and James Feldeine stepped up with a six-meter jumper, which Diamantidis followed with a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off a screen that sealed the outcome, 69-54, with over seven minutes left. Karsiyaka did not give up though. Ragland hit free throws and a fast break dunk by Fotsis ignited the crowd at 72-57. Sipahi and Ragland stepped up for Karsiyaka, but Gist dunked again for a 74-60 Panathinaikos lead with four minutes left. Pavlovic hit another three-pointer before Ragland took over with an acrobatic layup. By the time Fotsis buried one from beyond the arc, the outcome was clear and the Greens could high five for a nice win.