European champions Panathinaikos staged an incredible late-game turnaround to defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv 99-92 in a thrilling Euroleague Round 31 clash.
Despite trailing by 15 points (82-67) with just eight minutes remaining, the “Greens” unleashed a ferocious comeback, spearheaded by Kendrick Nunn and Juancho Hernangómez, to secure their 20th win of the season and keep their pursuit of second place alive.
Undeterred by absences and a shaky performance for much of the game, Panathinaikos flipped the script in the final stretch. Nunn dazzled with 26 points (2/2 two-pointers, 5/10 threes, 7/7 free throws), 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Hernangómez added 18 points and 8 rebounds. Lorenzo Brown (14 points), Wenyen Gabriel (13 points), and Dinos Mitoglou (12 points, 5 rebounds) also stepped up to lift the Greens to a 20-11 record.
For Maccabi, who suffered their 21st loss, Levi Randolph led with 21 points (8/8 free throws, 6 rebounds), supported by Jake Cohen (15 points, 6 rebounds), Roman Sorkin (12 points), Trevion Williams (11 points, 7 rebounds), Tamir Blatt (11 points, 4 assists), and John DiBartolomeo (10 points). Despite their efforts, the Israelis saw their four-game winning streak snapped.
Game Breakdown
Panathinaikos, coached by Ergin Ataman, started strong, hitting 7/7 two-pointers and jumping to a 13-22 lead. However, their offense stalled, relying solely on free throws for nearly eight minutes, allowing Maccabi to seize control with 7/10 three-point shooting. The tide turned briefly with a Nunn triple and a Brown and-one, but Maccabi led 47-42 at halftime after Randolph’s perfect 3/3 free throws.
The second half saw Panathinaikos struggle as Hernangómez and Brown picked up four fouls each, and Maccabi stretched the lead to 61-51. Randolph’s three-pointer pushed it to 78-67 by the end of the third, and Sorkin’s bucket made it +15 (82-67) at the 32-minute mark. But Panathinaikos switched to a dynamic defense, sparking an 18-0 run to take an 82-85 lead in under four minutes.
The final quarter turned into a nail-biter. Maccabi doubled Nunn, but Hernangómez’s clutch three-pointer at 92-97 with 46.2 seconds left sealed the deal. Nunn’s steal and Brown’s 2/2 free throws at 92-99 with 15.9 seconds remaining capped the Greens’ epic escape.
Quarters: 19-24, 47-42, 78-67, 92-99
Panathinaikos’ resilience keeps them in the hunt as the Euroleague regular season nears its climax.