Final score: Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C. 81, Hapoel Tel Aviv 91

Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C. suffered a home defeat in the EuroLeague on October 17, 2026, falling 81-91 to Hapoel Tel Aviv at OAKA in Athens. The Israeli club delivered one of the early statement results of the EuroLeague season, using a balanced offense and a disruptive defensive performance to silence the home crowd. Hapoel Tel Aviv led for most of the night and answered every Panathinaikos run with timely shot-making, earning a road win that will resonate across the standings.

Match Overview

From the opening tip, Hapoel Tel Aviv looked comfortable in the road environment. The visitors moved the ball sharply, attacked closeouts, and forced Panathinaikos into contested jumpers. Panathinaikos had moments of brilliance behind Kendrick Nunn and Mathias Lessort, but the Greek giants never sustained a run long enough to take full control. Hapoel’s half-court execution and transition defense kept the game on its terms.

• First quarter: Panathinaikos 20, Hapoel Tel Aviv 24
• Second quarter: Panathinaikos 19, Hapoel Tel Aviv 22
• Halftime: Panathinaikos 39, Hapoel Tel Aviv 46
• Third quarter: Panathinaikos 22, Hapoel Tel Aviv 21
• Fourth quarter: Panathinaikos 20, Hapoel Tel Aviv 24

Key Moments

Panathinaikos made its loudest push late in the third quarter. A Nunn three-pointer and a powerful Lessort dunk cut the deficit to 58-61, and OAKA rose to its feet. Hapoel responded immediately with a 6-0 burst, capped by a Yam Madar step-back jumper, to restore a nine-point cushion entering the final period.

The home side threatened again in the fourth. Kostas Sloukas found Juancho Hernangomez for a corner three that made it 72-76 with just over six minutes remaining. That was as close as Panathinaikos would get. Hapoel answered with a decisive 9-0 run: Johnathan Motley scored inside, Bruno Caboclo buried a three from the top of the key, and Madar converted a tough floater. The lead never dropped below eight points in the final four minutes.

Standout Players

• Yam Madar (Hapoel Tel Aviv): 22 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, shooting 4-of-7 from three-point range. He controlled pace and delivered the biggest shots of the night.
• Johnathan Motley (Hapoel Tel Aviv): 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists. He punished Panathinaikos on the offensive glass and scored consistently around the rim.
• Bruno Caboclo (Hapoel Tel Aviv): 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks. His length changed shots at the rim and stretched the floor on offense.
• Tomer Ginat (Hapoel Tel Aviv): 10 points off the bench, providing energy and timely cuts.
• Kendrick Nunn (Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C.): 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists. He kept the home side within striking distance but had little help in the closing minutes.
• Mathias Lessort (Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C.): 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks. He was physical inside but was neutralized by Hapoel’s help defense.
• Kostas Sloukas (Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C.): 12 points, 7 assists. He orchestrated well in spurts but was pressured into four turnovers.

Tactical Breakdown

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s game plan centered on disrupting Panathinaikos’ pick-and-roll rhythm. The visitors switched screens aggressively, crowded the paint, and dared Panathinaikos’ role players to beat them from the perimeter. The result was a difficult shooting night for the hosts: Panathinaikos finished just 7-of-28 from beyond the arc and committed 15 turnovers.

On offense, Hapoel shared the ball beautifully. The visitors racked up 22 assists on 34 made field goals, constantly finding the open man against Panathinaikos’ rotating defense. Motley and Caboclo controlled the interior, while Madar and Ginat kept the offense flowing. Hapoel also won the rebounding battle 38-33, including 11 offensive boards that led to 14 second-chance points.

EuroLeague Standings Impact

The result lifts Hapoel Tel Aviv to 2-1 in the early EuroLeague regular-season standings and drops Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C. to 1-2. It is a valuable road win for Hapoel, not only for the standings but also for confidence in a competition where away victories are notoriously hard to secure. For Panathinaikos, the loss adds pressure ahead of a demanding stretch of fixtures and highlights the need for more consistent perimeter shooting and secondary scoring.

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s head-to-head advantage could matter later in the season if both clubs are fighting for the same playoff position. The EuroLeague table remains crowded in the opening rounds, but this performance signals that Hapo