Panathinaikos AKTOR delivered a commanding performance against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz at OAKA, securing a 104-69 win in Round 17 of the EuroLeague regular season. Kendrick Nunn led the Greens with a stellar 26-point performance.
The home team started strong, taking a 12-5 lead by the 4th minute. By the 6th minute, the gap reached double digits (19-8), and soon after, Panathinaikos pulled away to 23-8 in the 7th minute. A late surge in the first quarter extended their advantage to +21 (29-10), concluding the period at 33-12. Baskonia attempted a response, narrowing the score to 33-18 in the 12th minute, but Panathinaikos regained control, pushing the lead to 48-27 by the 17th minute.
At halftime, the Greens maintained an 18-point lead (53-35). The third quarter saw Panathinaikos extend the gap beyond 30 points (68-37 at the 25th minute), while their defensive intensity remained unyielding, reflecting in a +28 lead (92-64) by the 35th minute. The game concluded with a resounding +35 victory (104-69).
Quarters: 33-12, 53-35, 76-55, 104-69.
Panathinaikos AKTOR (Ataman): Kalaitzakis 8, Brown 18 (2), Sloukas 5, Osman 8 (2), Samontourov 1, Grant 4, Nunn 26 (6), Lessort 10, Antetokounmpo 2, Hernangómez 11 (3), Mitoglou 7 (1), Yurtseven 4.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (Laso): Howard 5 (1), Raieste 8 (2), Savkov 3 (1), Sedekerskis 8, Forrest, Rogkavopoulos 7 (1), Diop 4, Baldwin 13 (1), Hall 5, Ndiaye, Moneke 16 (1).
Ataman: "Mathias is a lion"
Panathinaikos AKTOR head coach Ergin Ataman spoke to the press after the game, reflecting on the shocking injury of Mathias Lessort:
"It was a very strange night. It’s hard to talk about the incredible basketball we played when Mathias suffered such a serious injury. It shocked all of us. I want to thank Pablo Laso and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz for agreeing to stop the game for ten to fifteen minutes.
For the first time in my 35-year career, after such an incident, I was informed that nine fans fainted, and one might have suffered a heart attack. There weren’t enough ambulances. I’ve never seen such anxiety from a crowd—the emotions were overwhelming.
We are waiting for good news about Mathias. He will undergo a CT scan. Doctors confirmed a leg fracture, and we’ll determine the exact nature of the injury.
This is basketball—things like this can happen. I’ve witnessed many injuries in my career, but I’ve never seen such a reaction from the stands.
Mathias is a lion. Even in a situation like this, he refused assistance to leave the court and walked off limping. I’m confident he’ll return soon, no matter the injury.
I also hope he remains a part of Panathinaikos for many, many years".
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