Nunn shines in overtime and Panathinaikos defeats Madrid

The Movistar Arena hosted a Euroleague event in round 10 with two title contenders facing off. Real Madrid welcomed Panathinaikos, one of the most powerful teams in the competition, in a duel where the hosts came in with nine consecutive victories and a record of 6-3, while the Greeks arrived with a record of 7-2. The Madrid arena had a good turnout, though it did not fully fill its stands.

A commanding Greek start

Pedro Martínez's team faced a demanding test hampered by several absences: Maledon, Deck, Campazzo, and JR Smith were all unavailable. Nevertheless, the Madrid players aimed to extend their winning streak against a Panathinaikos side with ample arguments to challenge the hosts. The match also featured a special incentive with Brancou Badio and Jaime Pradilla, both with pasts at Valencia Basket, facing off on the court.

Walter Tavares won the tip-off, but it was Mitoglou who opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Luwawu-Cabarrot scored the first basket for Madrid making it 2-3. Panathinaikos quickly took control, imposing a high tempo and finding good shooting opportunities against a Real Madrid team suffering from their absences. The Greeks showed effectiveness in their early actions, although Sergio Llull made a spectacular three-pointer at the buzzer to cut the deficit. Sylvain Francisco, with eight points, was the standout in the first quarter (18-24).

The Madrid response in the second quarter

The second period began with Panathinaikos maintaining the initiative. A three-pointer from Guerschon Yabusele, a former Madrid player, pushed the difference to 15 points (23-38), forcing the hosts to react. Andrés Feliz responded from beyond the arc, and Real Madrid began to find better footing. With five minutes left in the half, the hosts had cut the deficit to eleven points, prompting Obradovic to call a timeout.

The Greek team started to accumulate errors and turnovers on offense, while Real Madrid capitalized on the momentum to fully engage. During one of the last timeouts, Obradovic expressed anger towards Francisco for the turnovers. The Madrid response paid off with a great basket from Alberto Abalde at the buzzer, narrowing the score to just a three-point difference. Andrés Feliz, with ten points, was the leading scorer at halftime (48-51).

The second half opened with a front three-pointer from Brancou Badio, bringing relief to Panathinaikos. However, Real Madrid was determined not to let the game slip away. The whites began to grow as the minutes passed and pulled to within two points (61-63). Gabriele Procida tied the game at 63, prompting another timeout from Obradovic. The Greek team was experiencing confusion on offense, while the hosts, despite their absences, were competing toe to toe against one of the top favorites.

The final quarter of maximum tension

Movistar Arena began to believe in a comeback when Procida scored a three-pointer to put Real Madrid ahead for the first time (66-65). Panathinaikos reacted and regained the lead, but without creating a significant gap. Damian Jones found a valuable outside basket to keep the whites in the fight. Alberto Abalde appeared again at the buzzer with another three-pointer, leaving the game completely open for the last ten minutes (73-74).

The final quarter began with a three-pointer from Panathinaikos (73-77). Real Madrid needed to maintain the momentum and found an opportunity after an unsportsmanlike foul called against the Greeks. The whites pulled within a point (81-82) with favorable possession. Abalde made two free throws to tie the game (82-82), in a moment of maximum tension in the stands. The match had entered a dynamic of constant exchanges where each possession held enormous value.

Tavares put Real Madrid three points ahead (87-84) with five minutes remaining. The white team seemed to have found their way, but Panathinaikos responded once again. Kendrick Nunn scored a spectacular 2+1 against Llull's defense to tie it at 87. Shortly after, Mitoglou restored the advantage for the visitors (87-91), forcing Pedro Martínez to call a timeout with 3:50 to play.

Nunn steps up in critical moments

Alberto Abalde took responsibility with another 2+1, bringing Madrid within 90-91 with 2:42 remaining. But then Kendrick Nunn appeared. The American scored a spectacular 3+1 that returned the initiative to Panathinaikos (90-95) and raised his total to 27 points. The visiting point guard was crucial in the most delicate moment and still had time to add another basket of two points.

Real Madrid did not give up. Damian Jones hit a three-pointer to make it 95-97 with one minute left. Procida, from the free-throw line, managed to tie it at 99 with just 15.5 seconds remaining. Panathinaikos had the last possession, and Real Madrid committed a shooting foul on Nunn, who converted both free throws (99-101). With 7.2 seconds left and the last opportunity, Andrés Feliz took responsibility and made the basket that sent the game to overtime. A spectacular finish for a final quarter of maximum tension (101-101).

The overtime and the Greek victory

Overtime maintained the emotional intensity. Feliz scored the first basket of the extra period, and Sylvain Francisco responded to equalize at 103. Tavares again gave Real Madrid the lead (105-103), but Panathinaikos retaliated and went ahead (105-106) with two minutes remaining. It was then that Mathias Lessort pulled off one of the plays of the night: a basket at the buzzer of possession accompanied by an additional free throw, making it 105-109 and breathing life into the visitors.

The Greek team managed the final moments better and found in Nunn their great offensive reference. The American ended up with an extraordinary performance, scoring 33 points, to lead a Panathinaikos team that withstood the Madrid push and claimed a valuable victory in the Spanish capital. Real Madrid fought until the end, overcame a significant deficit, and forced overtime despite their many absences, but ultimately succumbed to the individual talent and cold blood of their rivals (112-115).

The result signifies one of the great nights of the ongoing Euroleague. Two top-level teams provided a spectacle of changes, comebacks, and decisive moments, with a final quarter and overtime meeting expectations. Panathinaikos leaves the Movistar Arena with a prestigious victory, while Real Madrid sees their consecutive winning streak halted after pushing the game to the limit.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nunn brilla en prórroga y Panathinaikos vence al Madrid