Reignging EuroLeague champion Real Madrid (12-1) enjoyed a perfect double trip to Greece after a resounding 78-90 win at Panathinaikos Athens (6-7) which came on the back of a narrow 73-77 victory at Olympiacos Piraeus on Tuesday.
The Round 13 Regular Season clash in the OAKA Arena produced a spectacular first half in which home center Mathias Lessort lit up the crowd with some spectacular dunks and Kendrick Nunn paced the hosts with 20 points, but Real found two extra gears after the break and prevailed comfortably.
Former PAO forward Mario Hezonja, who was given a rising ovation from the home crowd after the game, paced Real with 19 points. Gabriel Deck added 16 and Dzanan Musa netted 14, while Sergio Llull scored 11 and Walter Tavares chipped in with 10 to underline a balanced Real effort.
At the other end, Nunn finished with a game-high 24 points but the guard slowed down in the second half after he shined in the first. Lessort added 18 and Mitoglou netted 15, but the rest of the Panathinaikos cast was subdued by Real's ironclad defense, especially in the second half.
After a rollercoaster first half, Real hit top gear with a 22-1 run which turned a 51-48 deficit into a 52-70 lead which by and large silenced a fervent home crowd. The visitors shot the lights out of the gym by sinking 13 of 23 from downtown, while they also racked up 36 rebounds against the home team's 28.
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