The reigning EuroLeague champion came out on top in a pulsating see-saw encounter
Fortune favored Panathinaikos in a titanic clash against Fenerbahce
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Regular Season
Round 25 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens got the rub of the green in a captivating Rivalry Series matchup against the visiting Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to prevail 91-90 and snap the Turkish team’s six-game winning streak, while also boosting its own hopes of a top-four finish in the regular season.
The result lifted the Greens into fourth place in the standings on a 15-10 record, with Fenerbahce dropping to 16-8 and staying second, behind leader Olympiacos Piraeus (17-7), as the battle for top spots intensified in what is shaping up to be a dramatic home stretch.
The home team’s veteran guard Kostas Sloukas was well worthy of the player of the game accolade as the 35-year-old racked up a game-high 23 points to go with 5 boards, 3 assists and a solitary steal.
But what a crucial steal it was, as it came in the final minute of a matchup which kept fans on the edge of their seat throughout and ultimately enabled Panathinaikos to turn a looming defeat into victory.
A slice of luck played a part, too, as Fenerbahce’s top performer Nigel Hayes-Davis committed a clumsy foul on Kendrick Nunn with just 1.1 seconds left on the clock, before the home team’s guard sank one of two free throws to delight a fervent home crowd inside OAKA.
In his postgame comments, Sloukas stressed that the Greens must quickly shift their focus to the upcoming clash with the other Turkish heavyweight, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which visit Athens on Thursday and is aiming to keep alive its postseason hopes after beating Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
“It’s a great win against Fenerbahce who came here after six wins in a row,” said Sloukas. “I tried to do whatever the team needed me to and we had to make the extra effort because of the injured guys we missed.
“I tried to lead by example and the most important thing now is to keep our feet on the ground ahead of the very important game against Efes, as we want to finish in the top four [of the regular season].”
Coach Ergin Ataman admitted his side was fortunate to emerge as the winner, highlighting that Panathinaikos is forced to keep adjusting in the absence of long-term injury casualties Mathias Lessort and Omer Yurtseven. Wenyen Gabriel and notably Juancho Hernangomez stepped up to fill the void in the paint, but Panathinaikos ultimately prevailed thanks to sound perimeter shooting, as the hosts nailed 10 of 22 from downtown.
“The lead changed hands many times as both teams took turns in controlling the game,” Ataman said. “On that last play, we decided to apply aggressive defense and in the end we got a little bit lucky as they committed a foul.”
“They had a chance to win the game, they punished us with some three-point shots but it’s not easy to play against us in this kind of atmosphere. We are missing power in the paint but we found a way to win.”
Fenerbahce head coach Saras Jasikevicius was visibly frustrated as he found it hard to stomach seeing victory slip away through his team’s fingers, with the Turkish side looking the more likely winner heading into the final minute of the game.
“We didn’t do our job today and it’s a tough loss, no question” said the Lithuanian tactician. “Panathinaikos was more aggressive and whenever we found what was working for us, we couldn’t continue. We scored 90 points with very limited ball movement because we made some tough shots, but we didn’t play good offense. We need to get back to what we’ve been doing in the last five or six weeks.”