The Greens erased a 20-point deficit to end a two-game losing streak
Kendrick Nunn’s momentum-changer sparked historic comeback for Panathinaikos
Article
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 23 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Heading towards the halftime interval of Thursday’s all-greens showdown between Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Zalgiris Kaunas, it seemed certain that the reigning champs were heading towards a third straight victory while their Lithuanian counterparts were preparing to reignite their playoff challenge with a statement road win.
Zalgiris had dominated the first half at both ends of the floor, leaning on an unstoppable interior offense and a smothering defense. The lead grew to 20 points, 29-49, when Deividas Sirvydis scored 7 points in a row to cap a 0-11 run.
Even when the second half started with an inevitable initial Panathinaikos comeback, Zalgiris was still able to reassert its advantage. Lonnie Walker and Sirvydis scored in a 0-6 run that grew the lead to 55-69 with just 12 minutes left, just after home team coach Ergin Ataman underlined his team’s frustration by being hit with a second technical foul for dissent, consigned to the locker room for the rest of the game.
Then the madness ensued.
The third quarter’s final play was seemingly under Zalgiris’s control, trying to extend a 57-70 lead. But then Wenyen Gabriel denied the driving Dovydas Giedraitis with a powerhouse block, the loose ball was picked up by Kendrick Nunn, who immediately raced down the floor before pulling up to drain a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
That momentum-changer was followed by an electric start to the final quarter, as Nunn scored another trio of baskets and Cedi Osman scored at the rim. Juancho Hernangomez joined the fun, Gabriel continued his stellar second half with the go-ahead score, Kostas Sloukas added free throws, Hernangomez hit a triple and Gabriel scored again. In the space of just over 4 minutes, a 21-0 run had turned the game on its head, and shellshocked Zalgiris had no answer as the home team continued to dominate until the final buzzer.
Game Videos
- 01:10
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Wenyen Gabriel: 'Coach challenged me to step up'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/iwIr28zeA8Q/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 23 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:22
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/ca1ed3a5-9901-4f15-b587-b3c3df0979b6.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A126%3A237]()
Gabriel’s huge rejection! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:31
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d503473b-a5af-4368-b0a9-e57a193b5971.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A126%3A68]()
Nunn beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:23
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/8fcb4970-fc4f-437b-8efc-8ee08d82772b.jpg?crop=1276%3A718%3Anowe%3A37%3A36]()
Francisco and Birutis light it up! Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3d36482a-eae2-41ff-ac8e-04f91d1d4901.jpg?crop=1920%3A1080%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
EuroLeague & Friends Episode 13: It's an Italian thing!
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The Fantasy Challenge Podcast welcomes Arale Weisberg to discuss unlimited trades
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 22 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/irJYaVXjUhw/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 22 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:19
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/eeaf9f03-e094-440f-8f92-2c9b65e6ff47.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A135%3A146]()
Sloukas to Yurtseven alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:29
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9ba88a30-a74f-47fb-965b-b9914f63a093.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A138%3A12]()
Francisco beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/f41f4055-3c9f-4312-a8c5-c121a554bfa0.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 21 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/eeaf9f03-e094-440f-8f92-2c9b65e6ff47.jpg?crop=1263%3A711%3Anowe%3A87%3A146]()
Yurtseven's put-back slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:44
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/15/oA5ni2hhFjfUX24pQhQXc4HhLfuuLvlZ-1736979506682.jpg]()
Sylvain Francisco: 'We fixed what we're supposed to do'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/WKlEGDGTAk0/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 21 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/b07b7062-578a-45dd-a9cf-a55120ae6bcf.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A102%3A122]()
Butkevicius does it at both ends! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e93d6651-b591-4b2c-af6e-9b69106926ed.jpg?crop=612%3A344%3Anowe%3A520%3A168]()
Butkevicius shows his range! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/W6VLMl5LSsc/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-Real Madrid | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
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Smailagic's put-back dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:59
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/09/23obAQSJt6GZD3VH0iZyuAGmdaI3KLjm-1736459857134.jpg]()
Jerian Grant: 'Guys were hurt, we had to step up'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/oxuI9-UkmrA/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3573fbc6-b406-4c22-ad00-7e4fa583d598.jpg?crop=1205%3A678%3Anowe%3A71%3A59]()
Kalaitzakis flushes it down on the break! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/4b49b0dd-9353-41c7-bf89-9c54769121e1.jpg?crop=1092%3A615%3Anowe%3A144%3A91]()
Fine dunk from Yurtseven! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/73e393ac-db8f-4f83-a540-b34777273df3.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A173%3A53]()
Big dunk from Hernangomez! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/982b5028-6056-4fc6-9fa3-97232885268c.jpg?crop=1920%3A1080%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
The Fantasy Challenge Podcast gang debates new topics in episode No. 15
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9300acdf-22a1-4517-b2e9-38626d352152.jpg?crop=1214%3A683%3Anowe%3A56%3A22]()
Lonnie Walker responds to EuroLeague fans in ‘Everybody Loves Lonnie’
- 01:25
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/01/03/EOErOpTO9x4rrH15tQRSEqKWvOpj2mpS-1735942453280.jpg]()
Kendrick Nunn: 'Omer Yurtseven's performance is not a surprise'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/h0ya5zSVphw/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 19 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:08
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2ad8f789-03a9-415b-af7d-cc0a9e17965b.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A123%3A62]()
Hernangomez steals and dunks! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:19
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/58d34036-d6b3-4b61-8b04-bc4f8b48a7bc.jpg?crop=1181%3A665%3Anowe%3A118%3A85]()
Yurtseven posterizes Akele Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/mIxfpti_duo/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 19 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:57
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/27/HCz74u36HyKyjompWZbIdif5jLaVLpPx-1735341244811.jpg]()
Kostas Sloukas: 'We dedicate this win to Mathias Lessort'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/c1ab31dc-6ad6-4c3c-9f0c-1b7b0461e7c7.jpg]()
FC Bayern Munich-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3a121f47-4ccb-4d40-9042-3d259ed78a28.jpg?crop=1322%3A743%3Anowe%3A0%3A35]()
Nunn hammers it home on the break! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3b41ad96-3937-4f44-8d85-e1141c8d0123.jpg]()
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 18 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6875c309-9b37-4866-b91a-5a1e7ea020cd.jpg?crop=923%3A520%3Anowe%3A123%3A30]()
Smailagic takes off! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/bc8882ff-a50a-4896-99e8-4b4a36c83544.jpg]()
Zalgiris Kaunas-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | RS Round 17 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:23
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6875c309-9b37-4866-b91a-5a1e7ea020cd.jpg?crop=757%3A426%3Anowe%3A230%3A91]()
Smailagic with a big two-handed slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/2f789458-60a5-4946-9981-3154d4f02d57.jpg?crop=806%3A453%3Anowe%3A320%3A65]()
Dunston's big swat! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:42
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/19/sx9FfUfl5lRXzvYG33fjC7J0EARBaCUx-1734638739035.jpg]()
Kendrick Nunn: 'We need everyone to keep Mathias in their prayers'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/qf9io_7AvuE/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 17 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6b1f426d-1d0b-46e6-b4d7-2689c0f48437.jpg?crop=885%3A497%3Anowe%3A266%3A65]()
Lessort rocks the rim in style! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:58
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/17/plgEdeiuLUVXVZ17ZgeXQyyIdgZCpuFJ-1734476988737.jpg]()
Lonnie Walker: 'When we're locked in on defense, I don't think there's anyone who can beat us'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d76b904a-40bf-4403-a9c1-b45d034e657e.jpg]()
ALBA Berlin-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:51
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/17/kL5IuyqLsptazN4hFGEB7bE1W3N4ZUVk-1734470445456.jpg]()
Kendrick Nunn: 'We needed that energy, that spark'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/vDMG2AlXBXM/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 16 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:29
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/12/17/J2HZT8BQZYUk1gWfEesF2SYIqMUDXPFm-1734476734149.jpg]()
Birutis skies for the dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/db9eca36-65ca-47f5-9a18-4c1a95eb9045.jpg?crop=1241%3A698%3Anowe%3A20%3A27]()
Samodurov's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:19
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/3a121f47-4ccb-4d40-9042-3d259ed78a28.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A109%3A59]()
Nunn with another ankle-breaker! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:24
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/a3ed0c28-8428-4695-980d-dc06e46bee07.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A51%3A73]()
Nunn breaks Ricci's ankles! Motorola Magic Moment
As the raucous celebrations of the fans attested, it was a big win for a Panathinaikos team that was desperate to avoid falling to a third straight defeat.
It was also historic, with the recovery from a 20-point deficit tying the biggest-ever comeback achieved by the Greens – alongside a 22-42 to 86-83 swing against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in April 2021.
Top scorer Nunn, who poured in 25 points, didn’t even seem surprised when he spoke to EuroLeague.TV after the game, explaining: “There’s a lot of character in our locker room, from top to bottom. Guys step up when everything is going wrong, just finding a way, every possession, not quitting.
“We could have easily given in, but there’s a lot of character in the dressing room and credit to all my teammates.”