By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos achieved a very important victory in the 34th round of the EuroLeague, defeating Monaco at home with a score of 107-97.
Kendrick Nunn led PAO to victory with 25 points and five assists, while Nigel Hayes-Davis and TJ Shorts added 12 each. On the other side, Elie Okobo was impressive again with 24 points and as many as 13 assists, Nemanja Nedovic had 15, and Jaron Blossomgame scored 14 points.
It should be noted that Monaco played again with nine players, this time with Nikola Mirotic in the team, but without Daniel Theis and with Mike James still missing.
The second quarter proved to be decisive in the Telecom Arena, where the EuroLeague Final Four will be played. After a somewhat slower start, Panathinaikos won this segment 37-19, gained a significant lead, which they maintained until the end to secure the victory. Also, it is important for Ergin Ataman’s team that they have won by a larger margin than they lost the first match – Monaco won the first encounter between these teams with a score of 92-84.
With their fourth consecutive victory in the EuroLeague, Panathinaikos reached a record of 20-14, the same as Zalgiris, and the winner of the match between Barcelona and Crvena Zvezda will also have the same record. The Greek team is tied for sixth place and will visit Hapoel Tel Aviv in the next round.
On the other hand, Monaco is now at 19-15, and they face a fight for a place in the continuation of the competition. They will seek a new victory against Dubai away, in a direct battle for the Play-In.