Lorenzo Brown and Josh Nebo were also key factors in an impressive road win
Armoni Brooks helps Milan sting Panathinaikos again
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 20 of 38
Regular Season
Panathinaikos AKTOR AthensPAO
7487
EA7 Emporio Armani MilanEA7
Overview
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With six players unavailable, Peppe Poeta knew EA7 Emporio Armani Milan would be up against it at Telekom Center Athens on Tuesday night. What he described pregame as “a huge emergency” instead revealed the character of his roster, as Milan earned a 74–87 road victory over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.
Both teams entered this Round 20 matchup coming off derby losses. Milan was defeated 97–85 by Virtus Bologna, while Ergin Ataman’s Panathinaikos side fell 82–87 to Olympiacos Piraeus. Pressure was heavier on the Greens following comments from owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos, and the result marked an unwelcome milestone: Panathinaikos has now lost consecutive EuroLeague home games for the first time since Ataman arrived in the summer of 2023. The last time the club dropped back-to-back home games in the competition came in Rounds 24 and 26 of the 2022–23 season, when the Greens finished 17th.
The victory also allowed Milan to sweep the season series against Panathinaikos for the first time since 2021–22. Just as he was in Round 15, Armoni Brooks proved decisive. In that earlier meeting, he scored 26 points and knocked down 8 three-pointers as Poeta earned his second win as full-time head coach. This time, at the home of the eight-time champs, Brooks finished with 24 points and 5 threes, with former Milan coach Ettore Messina – now the club’s president of basketball operations – watching on.
Brooks was far from alone. Josh Nebo delivered his best performance of the season with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Lorenzo Brown added 17 points and 5 assists in his first game back at Telekom Center Athens since leaving Panathinaikos last summer. With Milan missing Shavon Shields, Quinn Ellis, Leandro Bolmaro, and rotation players Nate Sestina, Ousmane Diop, and Stefano Tonut, contributions from Nebo and Brown were essential for an undermanned group.
“That’s just our next-man-up mentality,” Brooks said afterward. “We had some big minutes from [Diego] Flaccadori, [Nico] Mannion, and [Pippo] Ricci, and Lorenzo stepped up in his moment. It’s good that we’ve got such a deep roster. We trust each other, we play hard, and we’ve just got to keep this momentum going.”
Panathinaikos led for much of the first half, but Milan consistently found ways to stay within striking distance. Brown scored 11 of his points after halftime, while Brooks and Nebo each had 12 in the second half. Milan pulled away in the fourth quarter, keeping its foot on the gas and silencing a stunned home crowd.
“Tough crowd – it’s always a tough environment here,” Brown said. “Sticking together as a team, executing late, taking our time, and making big shots and defensive stops helped us win the game.”
After three straight EuroLeague losses, the win was an ideal way for Milan to steady itself entering the second half of the season. It was a statement result, underlining that even shorthanded, Milan remains a serious contender to reach the postseason.
“I’m so happy for the guys because they deserve it,” Poeta said. “We came in on the road after three straight EuroLeague losses and wanted to show how tough we are. We want to compete for the playoffs until the end. The guys really showed up. Winning on this court against such a great team and coach is very difficult.”
Milan hosts Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday night to close out the double-round week, beginning a stretch in which five of its next six games are at home. Sitting 12th at 10–10, Poeta’s team has a good chance to now strengthen its playoff push and climb into the top 10. Panathinaikos, meanwhile, will look to respond when it hosts Virtus Bologna on Thursday night.
