Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C. vs Paris: Panathinaikos Open EuroLeague with 91-72 Statement Win

Panathinaikos AKTOR B.C. began their EuroLeague campaign with a commanding 91-72 victory over Paris at the OAKA in Athens on September 25, 2026. In a game that paired the league’s traditional heavyweight atmosphere with Paris’s modern, fast-paced style, the Greek giants pulled away after halftime and never allowed the visitors back into the contest. The final score reflected Panathinaikos’s control on both ends: a balanced offensive performance, a decisive third-quarter run, and a defensive effort that turned a competitive first half into a one-sided result.

For Panathinaikos, the win was more than just a positive start to the EuroLeague season. It was a statement that the Athens club intends to be among the teams setting the pace in the standings from the opening rounds. For Paris, the defeat offered an early lesson in how unforgiving the EuroLeague can be on the road against a contender, especially when turnovers and missed defensive assignments begin to pile up.

Match Overview

The opening quarter had the feel of a track meet. Paris came out with energy, pushing the ball after makes and misses, while Panathinaikos looked to establish Mathias Lessort inside and create open looks for Kendrick Nunn on the perimeter. The hosts led 22-18 after ten minutes, but Paris stayed within striking distance thanks to quick transition baskets and a few early three-pointers from Nadir Hifi.

The second quarter was where Panathinaikos began to separate. Kostas Sloukas controlled the tempo, finding shooters in rhythm and delivering the ball to Lessort in deep positions. A 10-2 run midway through the period forced Paris into a timeout, and by halftime the home side had built a 47-37 advantage. The 10-point cushion felt fragile only because Paris had shown the speed to score in bunches, but Panathinaikos’s half-court defense was already beginning to slow the French club’s preferred pace.

The third quarter removed any doubt. Panathinaikos opened the second half with a 12-0 surge, mixing defensive stops with efficient offense. Nunn hit from deep, Juancho Hernangómez knocked down a corner three, and Lessort finished an alley-oop that brought the OAKA crowd to its feet. By the end of the third, the score was 71-53, and Paris’s offense had been reduced to contested jump shots and late-clock isolations.

The fourth quarter was largely about game management. Paris never stopped competing, and TJ Shorts found some success attacking the rim, but Panathinaikos answered every mini-run with a composed possession. The hosts emptied the bench in the final minutes, and the 91-72 final score accurately captured the gap between the two teams on the night.

Key Moments

• First-quarter pace: Paris came out running and briefly matched Panathinaikos shot for shot, with Hifi scoring in transition and from beyond the arc.
• Second-quarter separation: A 10-2 Panathinaikos run, sparked by Sloukas’s playmaking and Lessort’s interior finishing, turned a tight game into a 47-37 halftime lead.
• Third-quarter knockout: The 12-0 start to the second half was the defining stretch. Panathinaikos’s defense forced Paris into tough shots, and the offense converted stops into quick, demoralizing points.
• Late resilience from Paris: Shorts and Hifi kept attacking, but the deficit was too large and Panathinaikos’s lead never dipped below 15 in the final period.

Tactical Story

Panathinaikos’s game plan was built on controlling the paint and making Paris earn everything in the half court. Lessort and Dinos Mitoglou gave the hosts a physical inside presence, while Hernangómez stretched the floor from the forward spots. That inside-out balance forced Paris’s defense into difficult choices: help inside and concede open threes, or stay home and risk being punished at the rim.

On defense, Panathinaikos prioritized transition containment. Paris thrives when the game becomes chaotic, but the hosts did an excellent job of getting back after misses and building a wall at the top of the key. Sloukas and Jerian Grant navigated screens well, and the big men rotated with discipline. Paris finished the night with too many turnovers and too few second-chance opportunities, two areas that usually fuel its best performances.

Paris’s best moments came when Shorts broke down the defense off the dribble and Hifi found space on the wing. But those moments were isolated rather than part of a sustained run. The visitors struggled to generate clean looks when Panathinaikos switched and pressured the ball, and their half-court offense became predictable as the game wore on.

Standout Players

Kendrick Nunn led Panathinaikos with 21 points, mixing pull-u