Regular Season Game 1 - October 23, 2008 CET: 20:45 Local time: 20:45 - PALACIO VISTALEGRE

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
0-0 Regular Season 0-0
0-0 Overall 0-0

Referees

Crew Chief
PUKL,SASA, Slovenia
Referee
VYKLICKY, ROBERT, Czech Rep.
Umpire
MARICIC,SASA, Serbia

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
0 Points 0
0 Rebounds 0
0 O. Rebounds 0
0 D. Rebounds 0
0 Assists 0
0 Steals 0
0 Blocks 0
0 Turnovers 0
0 2PT 0
0 3PT 0
0 FT 0
0 Index 0

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
0 Points 0
0 Rebounds 0
0 OR 0
0 DR 0
0 Assists 0
0 Steals 0
0 Blocks 0
0 Turnovers 0
0 2PT 0
0 3PT 0
0 FT 0
0 Index 0

THE TAKE

Real Madrid, the winningest team in European club basketball history, makes its debut in the 2008-09 Euroleague season by hosting difficult Panionios On Telecoms in the Spanish capital on Thursday at 20:45 CET. Both teams are facing injury problems at point guard, as Real Madrid starting playmaker Raul Lopez is very questionable for this week's game while Ivan Zoroski stayed in Greece. As such, Aaron Miles is set to see extended playing time on court in his Euroleague return after one-year absence. Ioannis Kalampokis is set to have him in the point guard duties. Meanwhile, Pepe Sanchez and up-and-coming combo guard Sergio Llull will share the playmaker duties for Madrid if Lopez does not step on court. Madrid is also having other injury problems in other positions, as small forward Marko Tomas is out for two weeks. With Tomas sidelined, scoring ace Louis Bullock is set to play an even bigger role in the game against Panionios, with Alex Mumbru see more time at small forward. Madrid also counts on Quinton Hosley, a force of nature, to play solid minutes at either forward spot. Kalampokis is set to test his defensive skills against Bullock, while Panionios will try to get Branko Cvetkovic involved. Panionios has a nice battery of big men to use against Madrid and its star forward, Felipe Reyes, who has been unstoppable in the Spanish League so far. Goran Nikolic and Miroslav Raicevic will see most minutes at power forward, offering deep range and experience. Veteran center Giannis Giannoulis and solid big man Lonny Baxter will make sure that Panionios can face Reyes and Lazaros Papadopoulos in the low post. Perhaps the biggest mismatch in this game may be Axel Hervelle, who can give Panionios trouble due his athleticism and quickness. Raicevic may become the right man to stop him due to his power and experience. Madrid also counts on power forward Jeremiah Massey, who teamed up inside with Giannoulis when he made his Euroleague debut with Aris two years ago. Even when Venson Hamilton is already healthy, coach Joan Plaza does not play to make him play big minute after several months sidelined. If Madrid runs the floor and gets its frontcourt involved, Panionios will be in trouble. The guests need to slow down the game tempo and get Baxter involved in the low post, so Miles will be the key player for that. Expect an interesting battle, as Panionios head coach Aleksandar Trifunovic lost a ULEB Cup final against Madrid in 2006 and will be looking for revenge.

GAME NOTES

Real Madrid
  • Forward Jeremiah Massey led the Euroleague in rebounding last season with 8.5 per game. He was the rebounding runner-up the season before.
  • Louis Bullock will make his 100th career Euroleague Basketball appearance in Real Madrid’s Week 1 game against Panionios. To date he has played 11 Euroleague games for Verona, 32 for Unicaja and 56 for Madrid. Bullock is also only 4 baskets away from reaching 500 for his career.
Panionios On Telecoms
  • Panionios On Telecoms returns to the major European competition after 11 years of absence. They played only once in that high lever, during the 1996-97 season, as they took the third place in the Greek League, under the guidance of Dusan Ivkovic. Then “Duda” left Panionios to take over the bench of Olympiacos and led the Reds to the European throne. Former coach of the Greek national team Efthimis Kioumourtzoglou succeeded him, but the team didn’t manage to have a good course and they finished with 4 wins and 8 losses in 12 games.
  • Giannis Giannoulis is ready to mark an historic achievement, since he is the only Greek player who has a Euroelague’ s flavor with four different teams. The 32-year old center has participated in the major European competition under the jersey of PAOK Thessaloniki (2000-01) Panathinaikos (2001-02), Aris (2006-07) and now (2008-09) he appears with Panionios On Telecoms. Giannoulis was a member of the Euroleague winner Panathinaikos in the season 2001-02, but he didn’t make the Final Four, held in Bologna, due to some problems.
  • Eight of the Panionios On Telecoms 14 players have already experienced the Euroleague. Goran Nikolic leads his teammates with 42 games, all played with Efes Pilsen, while Giannis Kalambokis comes second with 34 (Olympiacos 21, AEK 13) and Giannis Giannoulis third with 33 (PAOK 8, Panathinaikos 13, Aris 12). Aaron Miles has played 20 Euroleague games, Ivan Zoroski 13, Lonny Baxter, 11, Miroslav Raicevic 2 and Vassilis Xanthopoulos 1.
  • Coach Aleksandar Trifunovic makes his second Euroleague appearance, since he coached Lietuvos Rytas during the 2007-08 season and had 13 wins and 7 losses in 20 games. Trifunovic led the Lithuanian team to the 2006-07 ULEB Cups’ final in Charleroi, where they lost to Real Madrid, 75-87.
  • Panionios On Telecoms has played 201 games in seven different European competition with an overall record of 108 victories and 93 losses, including a 4-8 in their 1996-97 Euroleague participation. In two previous match-ups against Real Madrid at the 1991-92 European Cup Winners Cup, they lost twice, 74-88 at home and 71-87 on the road.
  • Panionios on Telecoms has played 13 games in Spain, with a 4 wins-9 defeats record.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

PLAZA, JOAN
Real Madrid
"We are facing a team with quality and experienced players, among them several that have played in the Spanish League. I would highlight Lonny Baxter, who for me is the most dangerous player in their team. He is their franchise player, the one other teammates look for on court and we will have to be careful with him in pick and roll situations. In general they have a solid block, they commit very few mistakes and they play long systems that look for the 24 seconds every time. They are ordered on court and they always try to grab control of the game soon. Panionios is back in the Euroleague this season and they will be really excited to start their way well, but for us it is a very important game, too. It will be our first home game in the Euroleague and we want to win to start with the right foot and to show that we are a strong team in Palacio Vistalegre."
TRIFUNOVIC, ALEKSANDAR
Panionios On Telecoms
"Our mission is one of the toughest we could have on the opening night of the Euroleague. Real Madrid is famous all over the world, one of the most powerful and popular teams in the competition. Meanwhile, we will test our skills and fight for the chances we deserve. Our opponents have quality and a deep roster to go far in this Euroleague. I can't say we are afraid of their home court or their name. Actually, we are afraid of nobody and this is what we want to show in the court, respecting our work at practice first and then the opponents. They played together for many years, but we have our goals and definitely the motivation of playing in Madrid is high."

Players

MUMBRU, ALEX
Real Madrid
"The team is highly motivated for this game, in which we know we will face a rival that will do everything to win in our home. We want to start with a win and playing well for our fans. We know that in the Euroleague you cannot afford mistakes at home. It won't be an easy game, since they have quality and experienced players and we have some players with physical problems and Marko Tomas won't be able to play. This game will require that we all step up and play with concentration for the whole 40 minutes, and be ready to face a tough duel."
KALAMPOKIS, IOANNIS
Panionios On Telecoms
"At long last the Euroleague begins. It is something my teammates and I were waiting for a long time. Three years ago I had the chance to compete in the Euroleague and now I am very happy to return. Participating in the top European competition consists a unique experience for every athlete. For Panionios' players, especially for those who were in the team during 2007-08, participating in the Euroleague is a reward for the accomplishment of the third place in the Greek League. Concerning the opening game, I can't say that we are completely ready in terms of the rhythm, since Real Madrid has played three official games, two more than our team. The similarity is that both teams didn't have a match during the weekend. We know Real is strong, we analyzed their game and we are ready to give and to take the best we can from this game."
Felipe Reyes - Real MadridReal Madrid confirmed its status as one of the teams to beat in the 2008-09 Euroleague by thrashing Panionios On Telecoms 87-66 in the Spanish capital in Group D on Thursday. Madrid faces Partizan in Belgrade, Serbia, next week, while Panionios welcomes Euroleague defending champion CSKA Moscow. Quinton Hosley paced the winners with 17 points. Felipe Reyes added 16 in just 17 minutes while Jeremiah Massey had 10 for Madrid. Goran Nikolic and Ioannis Georgalis each had 12 points and Levon Kendall had 10 for the guests. Hosley and Reyes combined for 17 points in the opening quarter to give Madrid a 26-21 edge after 10 minutes. Panionios used a 0-7 run to get a brief 28-29 edge, but Reyes and Sergio Llull stepped up to help Madrid regain a safe 44-37 halftime margin. Madrid improved its defense after the break and got its frontcourt involved to break the game open, 63-47, late in the third quarter, enough for the hosts to cruise to a well-deserved win.

Levon Kendall - Panionios OT The game off to a slow, physical start, which Reyes took advantage of to draw a foul and score from the line. Nikolic had some early confidence scoring inside and from beyond the arc to give Panionios a 3-7 advantage. Pepe Sanchez soon took control of the Madrid offense, setting up Axel Hervelle and Reyes as the hosts tied the game. And a basket-plus-foul – Lonny Baxter’s second in less than five minutes – on the offensive glass by Reyes pushed Madrid in front, 10-8. A Baxter slam evened the score and the two big men traded baskets once more before Hosely’s three-point play started to get Madrid rolling. Hosley and Hervelle turned a broken play into a basket and Hosely followed with a steal and a layup to push the hosts’ cushion to 20-13. Georgallis answered from downtown only to see a Sanchez-to-Hosley alley-oop get the home crown involved. Panionios didn’t take notice and a Nikolic three and a basket by Yanis Giannoulis narrowed the gap before Jeremiah Massey’s first basket made it 26-21 after 10 minutes.

Ioannis Kalampokis and Georgallis set the stage for Kendall, who scored twice from close range to put Panionios ahead 28-29. Llull and Raul Lopez answered with threes that kept the momentum white. Kendall scored again to make it 36-33, however that’s when Madrid made its move. Reyes free throws started an 8-0 run that put the hosts up 11. A Llull slam and a Hosley layup with a minute left till halftime pushed Panionios to the wall. But the visitors kept their composure as baskets by Nikolic and Aaron Miles allowed Panionios to stay within 44-37 at the halftime break.

Like in the first half, the teams took time to feel each other out early in the third quarter. Louis Bullock’s runner and a Massey baskey off a spin move put Madrid up 11 again. Nikolic scored Panionos’s first points of the half after nearly three minutes only to see a Reyes basket-plus-foul – Baxter’s fourth! – push the lead to 51-39. Another Bullock bucket and Reyes free throws capped an 11-2 start to the period and put Madrid firmly in control. After a Panionos timeout, Kalampokis took over with a huge three-pointer and Branko Cvetkovic added a layup-plus-foul to give Panionios some hope at 57-45. Lazaros Papadopoulos scored inside and then followed Massey's follow-up layup with a big dunk that gave the hosts a 63-47 lead. Sanchez took over with a driving layup and soon added free throws and even when Miroslav Raicevic beat the buzzer with a layup, it only brought Panionios within 67-52 after 30 minutes.

Hosley showed his physical skills with a power layup early in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Panionios needed a quick comeback to get back in the game, but it didn't happen, as the guests struggled to score for more than three minutes. Llull fired in one from downtown, making Panionios call timeout at 72-52 with six minutes to go. The outcome was already clear, but both teams kept working hard to have the best situation in multiple-tie situations. Georgalis scored in penetration and Miles added a floating layup, but Lopez answered with a three-pointer to seal the outcome. Venson Hamilton was welcomed with a standing ovation in his first Euroleague game in almost a year. Bullock also his from downtown, Hosley added a monster dunk and Javier Perez found his first Euroleague points to round a perfect night for Madrid in its Euroleague opener.

Thursday, October 23, 2008
Euroleague.net
Referees: PUKL,SASA (SLO), VYKLICKY, ROBERT (CZE), MARICIC,SASA (SRB)
Attendance: 0
By Quarter1234
Real Madrid26182320
Panionios On Telecoms21161514
End of Quarter1234
Real Madrid26446787
Panionios On Telecoms21375266
Head coach: PLAZA, JOAN
Real Madrid
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
6 SANCHEZ, PEPE 17:36 4 1/1   2/2   3 3 5 1         2 15
7 HOSLEY, QUINTON 24:39 17 7/9 0/2 3/4 1 2 3 2 1 2     3 4 17
8 PEREZ, JAVIER 1:45 2 1/1       1 1               3
9 REYES, FELIPE 17:26 16 6/9   4/7 1 5 6   1 1     3 6 19
14 PAPADOPOULOS, LAZAROS 17:29 6 3/4     3 3 6           1 1 11
15 MUMBRU, ALEX 12:29   0/1 0/3     1 1 2 1 4     3 1 -6
17 HERVELLE, AXEL 20:48 7 1/3 1/4 2/3 3 2 5   2 1     1 5 11
21 MASSEY, JEREMIAH 20:03 10 4/5   2/2 1   1 1 1       1 1 12
22 BULLOCK, LOUIS 29:31 9 3/4 1/5     2 2 1 1       2 2 8
23 LLULL, SERGIO 22:40 8 1/2 2/4   1 2 3 2 1       1 1 11
24 LOPEZ, RAUL 10:29 8 0/1 2/2 2/2   1 1 2 1 3       2 10
43 HAMILTON, VENSON 5:05   0/2     1   1 1     1   1    
Team             1 1   2           3
Totals 200:00 87 27/42 6/20 15/20 11 23 34 16 12 11 1 0 16 25 114
64.3% 30% 75%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: TRIFUNOVIC, ALEKSANDAR
Panionios On Telecoms
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
3FG
M-A
FT
M-A
Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
4 XANTHOPOULOS, VASILIS 15:57 4 1/2 0/1 2/2 2 2 4 2 1       4 1 6
5 CVETKOVIC, BRANKO 13:48 5 1/1 0/1 3/5 1 1 2   1 4     5 4  
7 GEORGALLIS, IOANNIS 25:36 12 2/4 2/3 2/2 1 2 3 1   4     2 3 10
9 PARAGYIOS, MICHAEL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 KALAMPOKIS, IOANNIS 26:44 5 1/2 1/2   2   2 3 1 2     4 2 5
11 MILES, AARON 34:37 8 3/8 0/2 2/4   4 4 5 3 2       2 11
12 RAICEVIC, MIROSLAV 4:33 2 1/1                     1   1
14 KENDALL, LEVON 20:42 10 5/8 0/1   1 5 6     1     2   9
15 GIANNOULIS, YANNIS 14:12 4 1/2   2/3   1 1 1   2     1 3 4
16 KANONIDIS, ANDREAS 3:18   0/1 0/1   1   1         1     -2
17 NIKOLIC, GORAN 25:44 12 3/5 2/4     2 2       1   1 1 11
18 BAXTER, LONNY 14:49 4 2/4       2 2   1 1     5   -1
Team             1 1     2         -1
Totals 200:00 66 20/38 5/15 11/16 8 20 28 12 7 18 1 1 25 16 53
52.6% 33.3% 68.8%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

PLAZA, JOAN
Real Madrid
"I am happy with this win, especially because we wanted to keep our intensity against a team like Panionios On Telecoms, which had not played the Euroleague for a long time and that came with high motivation to this game. I liked their three backcourt players, who are very different, so that each of them can set a different game rhythm. I have to highlight that Raul Lopez and Venson Hamilton are back in the team. Venson is once again one of us. Going back to the game, I am satisfied because my team managed to stay focused all game long and not only managed to keep its margin, but extended it to seal the outcome."
TRIFUNOVIC, ALEKSANDAR
Panionios On Telecoms
"First off, I would like to congratulate Real Madrid for this win, I think it was a well-deserved one. We hope that we use this loss as a lesson that allows us to reach higher in the Euroleague. I hoped my team to play a little bit better that we missed our injured players. We did not play well in transition and committed too many turnovers. We were not focused in the second half, allowing Madrid to seal the outcome."

Players

MASSEY, JEREMIAH
Real Madrid
"We played really well tonight. I feel good about the way I played, and also with the fact that we are doing better and better. We hope to keep on working in the right direction to play good basketball. If we keep playing like this, we will deserve to win more important games."
HOSLEY, QUINTON
Real Madrid
"We had a very good game tonight and I am happy, especially because we keep playing better every week. We managed to be really solid tonight. I am happy with the way I played tonight, especially because my last two games in Madrid have been good. We have to carry on improving and try to be readu for the tough opponents we still have to face."
KENDALL, LEVON
Panionios On Telecoms
"It was a good game. We did a good work in the first half but I think that physically we did not play at the same after the break. They managed to run the break and it is true that they have a really deep roster. It is tough to beat Madrid in its home court. We comitted some key turnovers. Even with that, I think this has been a good lesson for us, but we have to carry on working to face our other opponents in this group."
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