Houston we have a problem.
Dinamo have gone astray: only one victory in their last five games. And the defeats in Treviso and tonight's in Thessaloniki (88-68 for Paok) show that reflection is needed to avoid complicating the season. Already after the -20 in Greek soil, it will be difficult to get back on track to hit at least the play-ins. And if fatigue emerges for Bendzius, the listless and uninvolving Robinson leaves open some doubts.
Sleepy start of the dynamo that in attack messes a lot with Robinson (0/3 and two lost) and in the first seven minutes scores on action only with Onuaku, while on the other side the Paok is not only Franke: 12-5. The Banco is shaken by the sap changes: Nikolic in the direction and Diop who does not make a mistake. It is the Senegalese pivot who launches the break with 4/4 shooting and 5/5 from the line. With the newfound confidence, the manora becomes fluid even when the owners return and the Banco reaches +11 with Jones (30-41) before the half-way part: 35-43.
Upon returning, the starting quintet is still too soft and exalts the hosts who, with Riley and Renfroe, place a 16-2 break that changes the face of the race. The last set says +11 for Thessaloniki and in the last fraction very few signs of mental awakening by a team in obvious involution that suffers a heavy passive.
The scores
Paok Mateco Thessaloniki: Franke 13, Darko-Kelly 7, Riley 19, Tsiakmas 3, Hands 17, Margaritis 5, Polley 12, Slaftsakis, Kamperidis, Renfro 12, Christidis, Saloustros. Herds Lykogiannis.
Banco di Sardegna Sassari: Jones 3, Robinson 10, Kruslin 9, Gandini, Bendzius 7, Gentile, Raspino ne, Onuaku 13, Chessa ne, Nikolic 11. All. Bucchi.
