Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens celebrated a remarkable triumph, securing their third consecutive win with a convincing 88-63 victory over AS Monaco. This achievement marked the first-ever home victory for the Greens against the Monagesque team in Athens.
Credit: Vangelis Stolis
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (13-8) demonstrated excellent form throughout the game, overpowering AS Monaco (11-10) with a dominating performance, resulting in a scoreline of 88-63 (27-12, 16-18, 21-14, 24-19).
Player of the Game: Mathias Lessort
- Efficiency (EFF): 42
- Points: 23 (Accuracy: 9-10)
- Rebounds: 9
- Assists: 5
This victory marked Panathinaikos’ most significant win in the EuroLeague since their impressive 2021-22 season, where they defeated Anadolu Efes Istanbul 95-69 at the OAKA.
From the onset, the Greens established their dominance, delivering an early blow to Monaco and amassing a 15-point lead in the first quarter. Despite being outscored in the second quarter, Panathinaikos maintained a comfortable lead throughout the game.
A pivotal moment occurred in the first quarter when Panathinaikos initiated an 11-0 run, led by contributions from Kendrick Nunn, Konstantinos Mitoglou, and Marius Grigonis between 5 minutes and 58 seconds remaining and 4 minutes and 3 seconds remaining.
The significance of this victory extended beyond the scoreboard, as it marked the first time Panathinaikos secured a home win against Monaco. Mathias Lessort played a crucial role, delivering a record-breaking performance with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and an impressive 42 Player Impact Rating (PIR). Lessort surpassed his previous assist record (4 with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade) and PIR record (37 with Panathinaikos), while also matching his highest-scoring performance with the team.
Despite a challenging offensive performance in the first half, with only 11 points on 2/12 from two-point territory, Mike James of Panathinaikos faced strong defensive opposition from Jerian Grant. Grant limited James to 5 assists but forced 6 turnovers.
With this triumph, Panathinaikos improved its record to 13-8, reinforcing its position in the playoff race. Currently sharing the fourth and fifth spots with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Panathinaikos aims to maintain its momentum after overcoming FC Bayern Munich in overtime on the same day.
Key Performances: Panathinaikos:
- Mathias Lessort: 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists (42 PIR)
- Kendrick Nunn: 21 points, 4 rebounds
- Konstantinos Mitoglou: 12 points, 3 rebounds
Monaco:
- Donatas Motiejunas: 13 points, 5/6 two-point shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
- Mike James: 11 points, 4/15 field goals, 5 turnovers
- Matthew Strazel: 11 points, 2 assists
