Panathinaikos performed better compared to their match against Paris, but it wasn’t enough against the “wounded” Real Madrid.
Although they received high marks offensively, their defense fell far short of the standard. Madrid’s players scored at will, and despite strong offensive performances from Nunn (23 points), Hernangómez (16 points), Osman (13 points), and Papapetrou (12 points), Panathinaikos paid the price for their poor defense.
Real Madrid’s performance speaks for itself. With this loss, Panathinaikos wraps up their “devil week” with a 0-2 record, bringing their overall record to a negative 2-2.
Match Recap: Real Madrid vs. Panathinaikos
Real entered the match with a fierce mentality, gaining confidence from their excellent defense, which allowed their players to shoot confidently from beyond the arc. This resulted in the hosts starting the game with 5 out of 6 three-pointers, taking an early lead of 19-5 within the first six minutes. The “Greens” were slow to respond, prompting Ataman to drastically change his game plan.
The entry of Juancho Hernangómez provided offensive solutions (8 points, 2/2 three-pointers, 1/2 two-pointers), and the Greek team ended the first quarter trailing 28-19, with 5/10 two-pointers, 3/8 three-pointers, 0/2 free throws, 6-1 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 turnover. Meanwhile, Real had a stellar Campazzo (10 points, 2/2 two-pointers, 2/3 three-pointers, 2 assists) and recorded 4/6 two-pointers, 6/10 three-pointers, 2/3 free throws, 9-1 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 turnovers during the same period.
The Greek team managed to reduce the deficit to six points (32-26) at the 24-minute mark and again to (37-31) at 27 minutes, showing signs of recovery, especially on defense. However, two three-pointers from Llull and Deck pushed the score back into double digits (35-26 and 40-31, respectively). Once again, the impressive Juancho (11 points, 1/3 two-pointers, 3/3 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 1 assist) kept Panathinaikos “alive” until the difference was narrowed to 4 points with 1:08 remaining (40-36).
The first half of the game at the WiZink Center concluded with a 43-38 lead for Madrid, with Panathinaikos making a comeback and scoring 20 of their 38 points from Papapetrou and Juancho, who combined for 4/7 two-pointers, 4/5 three-pointers, and 5 rebounds. Overall, the “Greens” had 9/19 two-pointers, 6/13 three-pointers, and 2/7 free throws, along with 15-2 rebounds and 10 assists against 4 turnovers in the first half. Real, on the other hand, had 8/15 two-pointers, 8/16 three-pointers, 3/5 free throws, 14-2 rebounds, and 6 assists against 4 turnovers.
At the start of the second half, Panathinaikos reduced the lead to a basket (43-41 and 47-45), but defensively, they struggled against Dzanan Musa, who became a problem, keeping his team at a distance from the visitors. After Nunn’s three-pointer made it 50-48, Real went on a 9-0 run, spearheaded by Alberto Abalde, extending their lead to 59-48 at the 25-minute mark. During this stretch, the “Greens” lost several rebounds, allowing Real to pull ahead once again by 11 points.
In hindsight, this was the turning point of the match, as Panathinaikos lost touch with the score. The score shifted to a staggering 16-1 in favor of Madrid, with Abalde becoming a key player, scoring 10 points during this period. Real quickly extended their lead to +17 (66-49 at 28 minutes), effectively beginning to close out the game. The third quarter ended with a +12 lead for Real (70-58), while the “Greens” appeared to be running out of steam, particularly on defense.
Kendrick Nunn had a strong performance, helping Panathinaikos reduce the score to 78-71 at the 35-minute mark, applying pressure on the hosts. Nevertheless, Real was never in danger and secured the victory.
KEY MOMENT: Real Madrid’s explosive third quarter, where they turned a tight match (50-48) into a comfortable lead, extending the gap to 17 points (66-49). Despite Nunn’s efforts, it was not enough.
MVP: Musa and Campazzo share the MVP honors, with Musa starting the game strong and Campazzo maintaining momentum at the start of the second half, putting Real in a position of strength.
DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE: Mathias Lessort had one of his worst nights with Panathinaikos, finishing with only 4 points and failing to make an impact.
X FACTOR IN THE WIN: Alberto Abalde was crucial for Real, transforming the score from 50-48 to 56-49 by scoring 10 of the team’s 16 points during that critical moment.
UNDERPERFORMING: Juancho Hernangómez (16 points, 4/5 three-pointers) started well but lacked consistency, while Kendrick Nunn tried to keep Panathinaikos afloat amid Real’s runs, finishing the match with 23 points on 7/11 two-pointers, 2/6 three-pointers, 3/4 free throws, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.
STATISTIC OF THE GAME: Real’s 15 successful three-pointers and their excellent assist-to-turnover ratio of 16-4.
NEXT UP: Panathinaikos faces AEK in the Stoiximan GBL (October 21) at OAKA, while Real will host Girona for the ACB (October 20).
Quarter Scores: 28-19, 43-38, 70-58, 90-86.
Round 4 Schedule:
Thursday, October 17
Alba Berlin – Fenerbahçe 71-78
Maccabi Tel Aviv – Partizan 79-91
Olimpia Milano – Žalgiris Kaunas 82-85
Real Madrid – Panathinaikos 90-86
Bayern Munich – Paris
Friday, October 18
20:00, Monaco – Virtus Bologna
20:30, Anadolu Efes – Olympiacos
21:00, Red Star – Barcelona
21:30, Villeurbanne – Baskonia
Standings:
Red Star 3-0
Fenerbahçe 3-1
Žalgiris 3-1
Barcelona 2-1
Olympiacos 2-1
Monaco 2-1
Baskonia 2-1
Partizan 2-2
Maccabi 2-2
Real 2-2
Panathinaikos 2-2
Anadolu Efes 1-2
Paris 1-2
Villeurbanne 1-2
Bayern Munich 1-2
Olimpia Milano 1-3
Alba 1-3
Virtus 0-2
