Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens defeated Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 85-79 on Thursday, October 22, as Kendrick Nunn made his season debut in the EuroLeague and Mathias Lessort scored 20 points to help the Greens secure a response to their first loss of the campaign.
Panathinaikos improved to 6-1 after surviving a late Baskonia comeback at Telekom Center Athens. Nigel Hayes-Davis added 18 points and seven rebounds, while Nunn finished with 11 points and five assists alongside Sylvain Francisco, who recorded 10 points and 11 assists.
The hosts trailed 21-20 after the opening quarter and entered halftime with a narrow 43-40 advantage. Neither team established sustained control until Panathinaikos strengthened its position in the third quarter, outscoring Baskonia 20-14 to take a 63-54 lead into the final period.
Lessort was central to the home team’s offense, making nine of his 10 two-point attempts and finishing with six rebounds. His scoring inside helped Panathinaikos withstand Baskonia’s attempts to close the gap, while Hayes-Davis contributed 18 points on six-for-nine shooting from the field.
Baskonia refused to go away. Matteo Spagnolo scored 16 points, Stefan Joksimovic added 13 and Cameron Frisch contributed 11 as the visitors continued to pressure the hosts in the fourth quarter.
The visitors eventually tied the game at 79-79 with 90 seconds remaining, putting Panathinaikos at risk of a second consecutive defeat. The Greens responded with two decisive three-pointers to close out the six-point win.
Nunn’s return was another important development for Panathinaikos after his absence from the opening weeks of the EuroLeague season. His partnership with Francisco offered an initial look at the team’s backcourt combination, with the two guards combining for 21 points and 16 assists.
However, Panathinaikos again struggled from long range, making just seven of 27 three-point attempts for a 25.9% conversion rate. The Greens had also shot only five-for-21 in their Round 6 defeat to Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv.
Baskonia, playing its second game under Velimir Perasovic following Markus Howard’s departure in mid-October, fell to 1-6 in the supplied standings. Panathinaikos remained first at 6-1.
Panathinaikos will host Armani Olimpia Milan on Tuesday, October 27, while Baskonia welcomes Real Madrid on the same day.
