PAOK defeated EuroLeague club Olimpia Milano 89-77 in a preseason friendly played in Italy on Saturday, with four players scoring in double figures for the Greek side.
Osman finished as PAOK's top scorer with 19 points. Hutchins and Mitrou-Long each added 15, while Alexander contributed 12 as PAOK built a lead of as much as 20 points, 60-80, early in the fourth quarter before closing out the win.
The result was PAOK's sixth straight preseason victory, following five wins from five earlier friendlies. This match, however, came against a EuroLeague opponent, and it was Olimpia Milano's final tune-up before the start of its official season. PAOK is coached by Italian Andrea Trinchieri and plays in the Greek Basket League.
How the Game Unfolded
PAOK opened with Kalathis, Foster, Osman, Hougaz and Alexander, while Olimpia Milano read the visitors' offense well early on, particularly through Peters and Mathews. Early three-pointers from Foster and two more from bench player Mitrou-Long kept the score level at 15-15 before PAOK tightened its defense. Trinchieri's side gradually found its rhythm and closed the first quarter ahead 24-28.
PAOK continued to dictate the pace in the second quarter. Omoruyi came off the bench with energy to make it 29-32, and Hutchins reached 7 points as the visitors pushed on. A fast break finished with a dunk from Alexander extended the lead to 33-37, though Wright answered for the home side to cut it to 37-39. With Hutchins in form and Osman reaching 11 points, PAOK moved to 42-49, and a Osman free throw helped close the half at 43-52.
Second-Half Surge
PAOK opened the third quarter by pushing into double digits, 46-58, on a shot from Alexander, maintaining a high defensive intensity to stretch the gap to 50-63. Olimpia Milano responded with tougher defense to trim the margin to 57-63, but Osman came back onto the floor to help make it 58-70 at the end of the quarter.
Mitrou-Long took over in the fourth quarter as PAOK opened it with a 17-point lead, 58-75. The guard hit another three-pointer before a further push made it 60-80. Olimpia Milano tried to claw back into the game, with Flaccadori reaching 13 points to cut the deficit to 71-84, and the home side briefly got within single digits at 75-84. Osman answered immediately to make it 75-86, and Hutchins added a three-pointer to seal the 77-89 final score.
The quarter-by-quarter scoring read 24-28, 43-52, 58-70 and 77-89.
What's Next for PAOK
PAOK will play its next preseason tests at the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Arena, first against Partizan and then against either Panathinaikos or Bourg.
