Manresa Holds Strong for Three Quarters, Collapses in Fourth (93-78)

Manresa competed for thirty minutes in Thessaloniki. They led at halftime and trailed by just two points after the third quarter. Then it all fell apart: 93-78 for PAOK in both teams' EuroCup debut.

Three Quarters Neck and Neck

The game started with mistakes from both sides and was extremely tight from the opening tip. Cedi Osman and Nick Calathes each scored five points in the first five minutes, and Bazinas made his debut with the Greek team just seconds after entering the game.

The first quarter ended 21-20. In the second, the Catalan team took advantage of every slow PAOK transition and managed to tie at 36 before going ahead (36-38). Halftime arrived with 40-41 for Diego Ocampo's squad.

The third period didn't decide anything either: 58-56, with a two-point home advantage.

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The Fourth Quarter Changed Everything

Andrea Trinchieri asked his team to apply more pressure on the ball and the effect was immediate. PAOK put together a 9-0 run at the 33-minute mark that pushed the lead to eleven points, and they went almost four minutes without allowing a basket.

From there, Bryn Tyree took over. The shooting guard scored nineteen of his twenty points in the final ten minutes, with consecutive baskets that opened up a 70-56 lead and a three-pointer for 85-72 that sealed the game. Trevor Hudgins added five straight points for 82-71.

Manresa, which had done the simple things well for three quarters, ran out of gas and couldn't keep up with the home team's pace.

The Numbers

Osman led the way with 23 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Tyree finished with 20 on 4-of-5 from three-point range, and Calathes nearly recorded a triple-double with 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

A Record-Breaking Third Quarter

The game lasted more than two and a half hours for an unusual reason: the third quarter lasted more than forty minutes. A problem with one of the baskets forced the game to stop for more than twenty minutes while officials checked that both rims were at the correct height.

The stoppage came just as Manresa had mounted a comeback and taken the lead.