By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
What a game in Sofia!
Around 5.000 Greek fans traveled to the Bulgarian capital to support Panathinaikos on the road against Hapoel Tel Aviv, but the hosts still prevailed 92–88.
It all came down to the final minutes at Arena 8888, where Chris Jones made the difference from the free-throw line. He first hit two with 26 seconds left for a 90–88 lead, then added two more after Kendrick Nunn missed and committed a foul, sealing the win. Panathinaikos had ten seconds left for a miracle, but couldn’t even get a shot off.
For Hapoel Tel Aviv, Antonio Blakeney led the way with 19 points, while Elijah Bryant added 18. Vasilije Micic contributed 14 points and 4 assists, and Tai Odiase chipped in with 12 points in his return from injury. Chris Jones finished with 6 points, including 4 crucial free throws down the stretch.
On the other side, Juancho Hernangomez posted 17 points and 7 rebounds for Panathinaikos, while Kostas Sloukas had 14 points and 8 assists. Kendrick Nunn finished with 15 points but struggled from beyond the arc (1/5). Cedi Osman added 12 points, and Nigel Hayes-Davis recorded 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Hapoel improved to 21–13, with one game in hand, while Panathinaikos fell to 20–15, as the Israeli side took an important step toward securing a Top 6 finish and a direct ticket to the playoffs.