After 13 years, they are once again on the throne of Europe. They defeated Real Madrid 95-80 and claimed the Euroleague title for the 7th time.
In 2009, they won it in Berlin, and in 2024, they sewed on the 7th star again in the German capital. The 6th title was won in 2011. With Kostas Sloukas as the top player and Kendrick Nunn as his co-star, Panathinaikos made history, mounting a second-half comeback to overwhelm Real and clinch the title.
The Game
The final began like the Real-Olympiacos semifinal, with Madrid’s offense being unstoppable. They scored 22 points in the first five minutes (22-16) with 6/7 two-pointers, 3/4 three-pointers, and 5 assists without turnovers. Despite the “Greens” performing well offensively (2/5 two-pointers, 3/5 three-pointers, and 3 assists for 1 turnover), their defense struggled, with Ndjai scoring his team’s first 8 points.
Real Madrid controlled the game (26-17), maintaining high accuracy and reaching a double-digit lead (32-22) just before the end of the first period (36-25). Real Madrid’s first-quarter stats were 8/11 two-pointers, 4/6 three-pointers, and 6/7 free throws, while Panathinaikos, led by Nunn (8 points, 3 fouls by the 8th minute), had 3/7 two-pointers, 4/7 three-pointers, and 7/9 free throws.
???????? ??? 3⃣ ! ⚡️
Quel shoot du Grec qui permet au Panathinaikos de prendre 6 points d'avance ! ?@paobcgr x @EuroLeague#SKWEEKLive #EveryGameMatters #SKWEEK #alwaysON pic.twitter.com/HTfjQrS8Hx
— SKWEEK (@skweektv) May 26, 2024
At the start of the 2nd period, Real extended their lead to +14 (41-27 at 12′). However, an 8-0 run by Panathinaikos cut it to six points (41-35 at 14′), thanks to their improved defense.
The difference narrowed to one point (46-45 and 48-47), but Real responded with a 6-0 run, restoring a +7 lead (54-47) before halftime (54-49). Panathinaikos’ top scorers were Sloukas (11 points) and Lesort (11 points), with the team shooting well overall. Real’s key players were Musa (13 points) and Campazzo (10 points), with the team having strong shooting stats and 11 assists to 3 turnovers, plus 4 steals.
Panathinaikos increased their defensive energy after the second half started and took their first lead at 56-58 with a 9-2 run by the 24th minute. This was followed by three minutes of scoreless play, with both teams struggling offensively, a stark contrast to the first half.
The “Greens” took a +5 point lead (59-64) just before the end of the 3rd period (61-64), holding Real to just seven points! With a 7-15 run in favor of the Greek team, by the 30th minute, they had 12/25 two-pointers, 8/16 three-pointers, 16/22 free throws, 20-6 rebounds, and 10 assists to 9 turnovers, while Real had 13/24 two-pointers, 8/25 three-pointers, 11/13 free throws, and 12 assists to 5 turnovers.
Panathinaikos regained a +5 lead (61-66 in the 31st minute), followed by an immediate 8-0 run for 65-73 in the 33rd minute despite Real’s 4-0 effort. Real then responded with a 6-0 run, including a three-pointer by Hezonja and another by Yule, narrowing the gap to 71-73. However, Sloukas scored again for Panathinaikos for 71-79 in the 35th minute. Sergio Yule added another three-pointer for Real (74-79), followed by a dunk by Tavares in a fast offensive transition, bringing Real within reach of another three-pointer (76-79) one minute later.
Two-pointer shoots by Nan and a three-pointer by Mitoglou led to an 8-0 streak for Panathinaikos, giving them their first double-digit lead at 2:29 before the end of the game.
Lesor’s free throws extended the streak to 10-0 for 76-88, which was enough for Panathinaikos to secure their 7th European trophy in their history!
Les larmes de Mathias Lessort ! ?
Bravo @ThiasLsf, tu as été grand ! ?#SKWEEKLive #EveryGameMatters #SKWEEK #alwaysON pic.twitter.com/N9nAOFguau
— SKWEEK (@skweektv) May 26, 2024
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