The Greens pulled out a win in a dramatic game in Bologna
Jerian Grant, 'amazing hustle' lifted Panathinaikos to victory in Bologna
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Regular Season
Round 10 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens won its seventh game of the season on Friday night, and sixth in the last seven games, after edging Virtus Segafredo Bologna 77-82 in Round 10. In a game where both teams displayed a great deal of energy, it was the reigning champs who were the ones celebrating at the end.
"Both teams had an amazing hustle," Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman said in a post-game EuroLeague TV interview. "Virtus played very aggressive, the atmosphere was incredible. So it was [good] to take a victory."
Ataman also added: "We played smarter in the last 3 or 4 minutes."
The Greens were particularly able to rely on Jerian Grant and Mathias Lessort stepping up, two players who are known for the energy and hustle they bring to the floor.
Jerian Grant scored 8 of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and 6 in the final 2 and a half minutes. Lessort scored 6 over the last 3:30 of the contest.
Especially big was the role of Grant. Although he is not one of the reigning champs' primary scoring options, he delivered on both ends of the court.
First, with the Greens up 68-71 and 2:22 to go, he stole the ball while defending Toko Shengelia in the low post and then went on to split free throws. Soon after, with the score tied at 72-72, Grant hit a step-back three that beat the shot clock with just over 1 minute left in the game.
After Virtus scored on the next possession, Grant perfectly fed Lessort with a backhanded bounce pass for Lessort's easy reverse dunk with 26 seconds remaining. Panathinaikos made a defensive stand on the ensuing possession, and Grant was the one to pull down a defensive rebound before sinking both foul shots to make it 74-79.
Virtus still had a chance thanks to a triple from Will Clyburn, but Juancho Hernangomez grabbed the offensive board after Kendrick Nunn split free throws with 6 seconds left, sealing the deal.
Panathinaikos had just 8 offensive rebounds for the night but two in the final 3 minutes, and both resulted in put-back baskets. Just more proof that it was Friday night hustle that won a tough road game for the reigning champions.