By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The defending champions, especially at home, want to put on a show for the fans, and since the opponent was Real Madrid, last season’s finalists, the motivation was even bigger.
In the end, Panathinaikos prevailed by 15 points (85-70), with the Greens satisfying the hunger of OAKA with the ninth straight home win.
With 18 points and two thunderous dunks over Edy Tavares, Kendrick Nunn stole the show. Kostas Mitoglou had 15 points in one of his best games of the season, and Juancho Hernangomez added 12.
Meanwhile, Jerian Grant, with 11 points and nine assists, plus Kostas Sloukas with 10 points and seven assists, put on a masterclass in creating for their teammates.
Mario Hezonja, with 18 points, and Edy Tavares, with 16, couldn’t save Madrid’s day. Madrid dropped to a 14-14 record and remains 10th in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings for the moment.
On the other side, Panathinaikos, at 18-10, remains third.
Nunn early on
Panathinaikos set the tone early with Nunn scoring nine points in the opening quarter and the Greens building a 24-13 lead.
Still, Real Madrid managed to react and closed the first half trailing by seven (40-33), turning up their defensive pressure. However, Panathinaikos opened the third period with eight unanswered points, five of them by Wenyen Gabriel, and got a solid 15-point advantage (48-33).
Madrid again had an answer with their own 9-0 run (48-42), only for Panathinaikos to turn the heat on, Nunn to dunk over Tavares and the Green lead to return to 13 points (61-48).
There was no going back after that. Panathinaikos entered the last period leading by 10 (63-53), and Madrid couldn’t get closer than six points; on the contrary, the hosts pushed their advantage back to 17 (85-68).
PHOTO CREDIT: Eurokinissi