By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos secured a victory in the 25th Round of the Euroleague, defeating ASVEL away with a score of 79-78.
Kendrick Nunn was again absent from the Greek powerhouse’s lineup, but Kostas Sloukas took on the leading role.
The Athens playmaker finished the game with 26 points and nine assists, and was the primary architect of his team’s triumph. Alongside him, Jerian Grant scored 15 points, while Richaun Holmes added 11 with nine rebounds. On the other side, Braian Angola had 20 points, Melvin Ajinca scored 14, same as Bastien Vautier.
Panathinaikos achieved a hard-fought but crucial victory in France that returned them to winning ways and closer to the play-off zone. After a relatively inefficient first half, the visitors held a plus-six advantage (35-29), and although they never managed to pull away by a significant margin, they maintained their lead throughout.
It appeared that Panathinaikos had broken the French side with a fourth-quarter run, when after 12 consecutive points they reached a 69-54 lead, but ASVEL managed to complicate matters until the end. However, time ran out for a complete comeback.
Panathinaikos now has a record of 15-10, and in the next round will host Real Madrid in a spectacle. On the other hand, ASVEL remained at the bottom with six wins and 19 losses, and now face a matchup in Bologna against Virtus.