Mathias Lessort was the star of the show as Panathinaikos B.C. ended its 11-year wait to beat Real Madrid Baloncesto at WiZink Center in the EuroLeague.

Lethal Lessort helped Panathinaikos end pain in Spain

If you watch the top 10 plays of the week video clip after Round 27 comes to its conclusion, you might see a lot of [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/).

In fact, you might only see Mathias Lessort.

The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center was a human highlight reel during [his team’s stunning 86-97 victory over Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-panathinaikos-bc/) on Thursday night, producing dunk after dunk after dunk to silence the home fans and propel a memorable win.

In fact, it was truly memorable because it comes as the first success in Madrid that many Greens fans will remember at all, having last seen their team triumph in the Spanish capital as long ago as March 2013 and suffer 12 straight losses since then.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight’s battle is over! PAO WINS!!! ☘️💚<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://t.co/SdBsFGW3V7">pic.twitter.com/SdBsFGW3V7</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1763322175329591650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Using his past experiences to good effect

Even though he is only in his first season with the club, Lessort was well aware of that dismal road record against Real and appeared almost stunned at the end of the game as he reflected on the fact that Panathinaikos had actually finally ended its losing streak at the home of the reigning champions.

“I had PTSD \[Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder\] when I came here, but we stayed strong,” he joked, with particular reference to his last trip to the WiZink Center. That came at the end of last season when Lessort represented Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, which was defeated in Game 5 of a momentous playoff series despite leading 41-59 in the third quarter.

“Me and Ioan [\[Ioannis Papapetrou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ioannis-papapetrou/005161/), who was also with Partizan last season\] told the guys: it was the same situation here last year and we’ve got to learn from our mistakes. That's a big win, we know how hard it is to win against this team. They’re playing amazing right now and it’s great for us to come back after the break like that.”

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here’s the MVP! 🙌🏾💚<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://t.co/PemG21uy6L">pic.twitter.com/PemG21uy6L</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1763324347471774000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nobody made a bigger contribution to the victory than Lessort, who led his team by throwing down a remarkable total of eight dunks in his career-high tally of 26 points, also providing 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot for a PIR of 33.

### A poster dunk on Poirier

There were so many spectacular dunks to choose from, you could rewatch them all night without getting bored. But the pick of the bunch – narrowly edging out a ridiculous one-handed alley-oop – was a brutal hammer in the face of fellow Frenchman [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) midway through the fourth quarter, while he also brought the game to a fitting conclusion by scoring the last basket with another runaway slam.

Mathias Lessort's dunk show against Real Madrid

And Lessort admitted that hitting the hosts with rapid transitions was all part of the game plan, revealing: “We watched video and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses. In the first quarter we let them run a lot, we were rushing our shots a little. 

“But we fixed that \[in\] the rest of the game. We were taking our time to read their coverage on defense, and we were the ones running at the end. That was the key.”

Nobody was running the floor as much as Lessort, and the results will be seen on this week’s highlight reels... again and again and again.

More Panathinaikos News

Mathias Lessort screams with delight during Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's win at Real Madrid in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Greens center helped his team end an 11-year wait for a win at WiZink Center

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-02-29T19:45:00.000Z)

Despite Toko Shengelia suffering an injury in the first quarter, Virtus Bologna responded perfectly en route to an 87-74 win against Valencia Basket in the EuroLeague.

Virtus Bologna overcame injury to Toko Shengelia, sent a message

Having lost three of its last four games coming into [Thursday’s contest against Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-valencia-basket/), Virtus Segafredo Bologna was in need of a response that would get the team back on track. However, things didn’t look good early as Valencia got off to a great start on both ends, with the guests taking an 18-20 lead into the second quarter. Virtus’s defense struggled to cope with Valencia’s ball circulation and its offense looked shaky.

What’s more, entering the second quarter, head coach Luca Banchi had to create a game plan that did not include Virtus star [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/). With 3:45 left in the opening period, the Georgian suffered an injury that would force him to the locker room – and he didn’t return during the rest of the contest.

“It’s hard to see my brother go down like that,” [Jordan Mickey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-mickey/008847/) said after the game. “\[But\] we had good players who stepped up. We were looking to bounce back after a couple of losses before the break and tonight we showed that we can play basketball.”

Valencia have excelled in the backcourt having conceded an average of just 76.0 ppg this term - the second best in the league, whereas Virtus may be lacking in confidence as they endure a streak of three defeats from four and hope Toko Shengelia can rediscover his exceptional standards.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna-Valencia Basket | Round 27 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### Veterans stepped up for Virtus

With Shengelia out injured, Banchi saw his veterans come to the fore to provide the team with a much-needed boost. [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/) netted 9 of his 16 points in what proved to be a crucial second quarter, with Virtus outscoring Valencia 26-12 to take a double-digit lead (44-32) into the second half. Meanwhile, Mickey contributed on both ends by recording 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks off the bench. In fact, Virtus’s bench scored 41 of their team’s 87 points, with players such as [Alessandro Pajola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alessandro-pajola/006739/) and [Achille Polonara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/) making a key impact.

Pajola finished the game with 9 points, 6 assists and 5 drawn fouls for a season-high PIR of 18, while Polonara filled in for Shengelia when his team needed him the most. The Virtus forward’s stat line may not have been eye-popping, but his hustle on both ends of the court allowed the hosts to dictate the pace. 

“We came into this game with many uncertainties, plus Toko’s injury at the very beginning, but we responded as a team with a common effort and had a very mature performance,” Banchi commented during the post-game press conference.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Con questa energia ⚡️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/7GI0qJpCOU">pic.twitter.com/7GI0qJpCOU</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1763317527814299694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After recording its second home defeat this season just before the break, Virtus bounced back by securing a home victory that was much needed given it has a couple of tough-looking games coming up. Next week, Banchi’s side will travel to Greece to face Olympiacos Piraeus before returning to Bologna, where they’ll host Turkish Airlines EuroLeague leader Real Madrid on March 15.

The extent of Shengelia’s injury is yet to be confirmed, but Banchi is aware that his Virtus is anything but a one-man team. Collective effort is what makes the difference in the EuroLeague and Virtus demonstrated once again on Thursday night that it has that in abundance.

More Virtus News

Achille Polonara (right) goes for a high-five with his Virtus Segafredo Bologna teammates during their side's win against Valencia Basket in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Several veterans ended up having pivotal roles in a come-from-behind victory against Valencia

Virtus overcame injury to Toko Shengelia, sent a message

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Valencia Basket (2024-02-29T19:30:00.000Z)

It has been a long and painful wait for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens fans to return to the pinnacle of European basketball, but now long-suffering Greens fans can start to seriously believe that their team’s overdue return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 2012 could well become reality in the next few weeks. 

Revived Panathinaikos on track for Final Four

It has been a long and painful wait for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens fans to return to the pinnacle of European basketball, but now long-suffering Greens fans can start to seriously believe that their team’s overdue return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 2012 could well become reality in the next few weeks.

Of course, there is still a long way to go in the regular season, never mind the playoffs. But if anything could ever instill genuine confidence, it’s surely becoming the first visiting team all season to win at the home of the reigning champ and current league leader.

That’s what happened on Thursday night as Panathinaikos delivered a dazzling display at both ends of the floor to down Real Madrid 86-97, strengthening Coach Ergin Ataman’s team’s position in a top four that, far more often than not, leads to a place at the Final Four.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight’s battle is over! PAO WINS!!! ☘️💚<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://t.co/SdBsFGW3V7">pic.twitter.com/SdBsFGW3V7</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1763322175329591650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The impressive win came after a strange preparation as most of the players, and Coach Ataman himself, returned from international duty just hours before the game, and the coach joked: “In the two-week break we didn’t see each other, we only met yesterday in Madrid! Maybe it’s better, maybe in the future we’ll prepare for road games like this.”

Reflecting more seriously on the action, Ataman singled out the contribution of a veteran leader who has plenty of experience in big occasions, playmaker Kostas Sloukas. The three-time EuroLeague champion has endured a tough first season with the Greens, missing the last four games with injury. But his 16 points and 6 assists were instrumental on Thursday night, especially during a 0-8 personal run midway through the final quarter that saw his team take control for good.

Game Videos

"For sure it was a very important contribution from Sloukas after a long injury,” said Ataman. "He's very important to control the game with his assists and his scoring.”

And the veteran guard himself was in no mood to downplay the significance of the night, saying: “I can say this win is a like a double win, because Real Madrid will probably finish first and nobody will come to win over here.”

Until Thursday, indeed, nobody had conquered Madrid. But now that statistic has changed, and Panathinaikos looks every inch a genuine title candidate.

Game news

Aleksa Avramovic had a EuroLeague career high of 30 points as KK Partizan beat Anadolu Efes 100-90 in Round 27 of the 2023-24 season.

Aleksa Avramovic shined to steer KK Partizan past Anadolu Efes

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade playmaker [Aleksa Avramovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksa-avramovic/003983/) enjoyed the most stellar night of his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career as he registered personal highs of 30 points and a PIR of 32 to mastermind [a 100-90 home victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-anadolu-efes-sk/).

Fresh from producing a pair of rock-solid performances for Serbia in its EuroBasket 2025 qualifying wins over Finland and Georgia, Avramovic came off the bench to lead Partizan’s charge against Efes in a jam-packed Stark Arena in front of 20,000 or so fervent fans.

Aleksa Avramovic impressed with a career-best 30 points as Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 100-90 in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Avramovic scored 30 points as Partizan beat Efes

The 29-year-old guard shot 12-of-16 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from downtown, having hit top gear in the second half. Avramovic was especially outstanding in the fourth quarter, when he took the game by the scruff of the neck after Efes had turned the tide to nose ahead 72-73 early in the final period.

Avramovic acknowledged that good performances for Serbia gave him the energy to deliver for Partizan in a must-win game, as the Serbian side improved to 13-14 and kept alive its hopes of making the EuroLeague Playoffs.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">BRAVO CRNO-BELI!✊🏽⚫️⚪️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/fm1Bt1GKWF">pic.twitter.com/fm1Bt1GKWF</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1763315472399777969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“It’s always an honor to represent my country and Partizan, as well as to give my best every single minute on the court,” Avramovic said in a flash post-game interview.

“The season is up and down, sometimes you play well and sometimes you don’t, but the most important thing is to have the trust of your teammates and coaches. Congrats to these incredible fans, as well as to our staff. This is a very important win to get back into the post-season zone,” he added.

Galvanized by Avramovic, one of Serbia’s key players in last year’s impressive FIBA World Cup campaign which ended in a silver-medal finish, Partizan enjoyed an impressive shooting night as the hosts sank 12-of-24 shots from downtown and 25-of-37 from two-point territory.

### Others also shined in win against 'excellent' Efes

Zach Leday was also outstanding with 21 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 8-of-12 from the floor, while captain Kevin Punter and Danilo Andjusic contributed with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Two direct rivals just outside the playoff places go head-to-head. Serbian side Partizan needs to give its season fresh impetus after losing three in a row, while Efes gave a timely reminder of its awesome offensive potential by blasting 105 points against Maccabi in the last game before the break.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Round 27 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Head coach Zeljko Obradovic, who came under pressure from some fans after Partizan had lost four of its previous five EuroLeague games, coupled with a Serbian Cup final defeat to cross-city rival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, was delighted after his team bounced back in the face of adversity.

“It was a great basketball game and we beat an excellent team,” said the trophy-laden coach, who has won a record nine EuroLeague titles with five different clubs during his illustrious career. I need to thank the fans once again for another incredible night.

“They give us the energy and support and, like I said so many times, this club is great because of them. We can now look forward to the upcoming games and prepare for them. We played smart on the offensive end, as tiny details made the difference tonight despite a 10-point difference in the end.”

More Partizan News

Aleksa Avramovic sends a heart to someone in the crowd after Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade's win against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The guard came off the bench to post a EuroLeague career high of 30 points and lead his team to victory

Aleksa Avramovic shined to steer Partizan past Efes

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-02-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos B.C. beat Real Madrid Baloncesto 86-97, notching its first win in Madrid since 2013, in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Panathinaikos B.C. stuns Real Madrid on the road, 86-97

<incrowd-live-blog id="65e031f4968b99d27bca3f48" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Juancho Hernangomez of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens rises to dunk against Real Madrid in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Greens won in the Spanish capital for the first time since 2013

Panathinaikos stuns Real Madrid on the road, 86-97

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv came into Round 27 having lost three games in a row and six straight on the road. It ended those streaks with an emphatic 71-106 triumph over ALBA Berlin at Mercedes-Benz Arena in the German capital on Thursday, setting a club record for the largest margin of victory ever on the road. 

Maccabi gets back on track with record win

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv came into Round 27 having lost three games in a row and six straight on the road. It ended those streaks with an emphatic 71-106 triumph over ALBA Berlin at Mercedes-Benz Arena in the German capital on Thursday, setting a club record for the largest margin of victory ever on the road.

The 25-point victory, which took Maccabi’s record to 14-13, improved on the [83–113 win over Baskoia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/stats/db/E2019/72/#boxscore) in November 2019. Two Maccabi players from that game, Jake Cohen and team captain John DiBartolomeo, also played for Maccabi this time.

While the record margin is nice, it was not at all what Maccabi was focused on. The key for the Israeli champs was getting back on track.

Wade Baldwin's highlights against ALBA

“We know what’s in front of us. We have a very tough March. We were sitting in 10th place after the break, so it was important to string along a good month of March to get ourselves in good playoff position,” Wade Baldwin said after the game.

Baldwin needed just 22 minutes to produce 16 points and 5 assists for a team-high PIR of 28, but he was more eager to talk about how Maccabi played defense on this night.

“We are one of the better teams offensively in the league. Our issue has been how we defend the ball,” he said. “We did a very good job holding a team that has very high possession, plays a fastbreak game, and we held them to 71 points on their home court. If we continue to do that in the remaining seven games, we’ll be in a good position.”

All the coaches in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague surely had some concerns about how their teams would look after a two-week hiatus, which saw many players travel to compete for their national teams last week. Coach Oded Kattash commented that he had only 48 hours with his full squad before this game.

“As a staff, we didn’t know what to expect from the team after the break, but I liked the way we played, I like the way we competed,” he said at the press conference. “We were ready. As we said before the game, every game until the end of the season in the EuroLeague, if we want to make the playoffs, we have to play that way, especially defensively. Most of the game we did a great job defensively.”

Maccabi outrebounded ALBA 29-37 and forced 15 turnovers. The Israeli champs were more aggressive on both ends, attacking the basket and getting to the foul line 21 times, which was three times as many as ALBA. The hosts avoided attacking the paint and settled for threes, tying a club record with 37 attempts, but only making 10 of them.

The end result is that Maccabi got the monkey off its back as it enters the critical stretch that Baldwin spoke about. It already moved up one spot in the standings on Thursday and will try to give trending up when it takes on Zalgiris Kaunas next week in Belgrade, Serbia.   

Game News

The Israeli champs snapped a pair of losing streaks by blasting ALBA by 35 in Berlin. 

ALBA Berlin v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-02-29T19:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna defeated Valencia Basket 87-74 in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Virtus Bologna powers past Valencia Basket, 87-74

<incrowd-live-blog id="65e0317d59f35bd260edbbad" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Marco Belinelli of Virtus Segafredo Bologna passes the ball against Valencia Basket in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Italian side managed to recover from the loss of Toko Shengelia to injury by coming away with the win

Virtus powers past Valencia, 87-74

KK Partizan beat Anadolu Efes S.K. 100-90 at Stark Arena in Round 27 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

KK Partizan overpowers Anadolu Efes, 100-90, to revive playoff hopes

<incrowd-live-blog id="65e031bf9fad5b85876dfbfb" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Kevin Punter of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade looks to get past Anadolu Efes Istanbul duo Justus Hollatz and Shane Larkin.

The Serbian club responded to a slow start by outscoring the visitors in each of the final three quarters

Partizan overpowers Efes, 100-90, to revive playoff hopes

Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. took care of business on Thursday night at Mercedes-Benz Arena in the German capital with a 71-106 victory to improve to 14-13 on the season. 

Maccabi romps past ALBA 71-106

<incrowd-live-blog id="65e0314659f35bd260edbba9" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Wade Baldwin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv is surrounded by ALBA Berlin players in Round 27 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The result marked Maccabi's largest ever margin of victory in a road game. 