Panathinaikos win at Fenerbahce Beko in pulsating Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game

Kostas Sloukas, Mathias Lessort score vital points near end of game to give Greek team 81-76 victory in Istanbul

By Can Erozden

Defending champions Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens beat Fenerbahce Beko 81-76 Friday in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague round five thriller in Istanbul.

Visitors led 46-35 by the end of the second quarter and carried the lead in the third, which ended 62-54.

But Fenerbahce fought back in the fourth after the Istanbul club's Devon Hall hit a 3-pointer to make it 67-65 for the hosts at the Ulker Sports and Event Hall.

Panathinaikos' Greek guard Kostas Sloukas, a former Fenerbahce player, put the visitors ahead after a critical 3-pointer with a minute to go to make it 75-73.

Sloukas' teammate, Mathias Lessort, also played a key role in the away win as the French player scored five points in the clutch.

Turkish basketball head coach Ergin Ataman's Panathinaikos secured the 81-76 win.

US guard Kendrick Nunn led Panathinaikos with 15 points. Lessort scored 14 while Sloukas added 13 for the Greek giants.

Fenerbahce's Tarik Biberovic scored a game-high 16 points in Istanbul. Wade Baldwin put in 14 points and Bonzie Colson racked up 11 for the hosts.

Panathinaikos moved to the fourth spot in the EuroLeague standings as they improved to 3-2 in the regular season.

Ninth-place Fenerbahce Beko were handed their second defeat in the 2024-25 EuroLeague campaign.

- Barcelona fight to beat France's ASVEL

Barcelona fought to sink their French opponents LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 90-83 in a home game at Palau Blaugrana for their fourth consecutive win.

Serbian guard Kevin Punter scored 20 points to lead Barcelona. Czech center Jan Vesely had 14 points for the Spanish powerhouse. Jabari Parker scored 12 and Alex Abrines added 11 for Barcelona.

French guard Theo Maledon scored 21 points for ASVEL.

Neal Sako amassed 17 points for the visitors, while ASVEL duo of Nando De Colo and Charles Kahudi each added 14 points.

EuroLeague leaders Barcelona are 4-1 this season.

ASVEL dropped to the 14th spot after they were handed their third loss in five games.

- Friday's results in EuroLeague

Fenerbahce Beko - Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens: 76-81

Barcelona - LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne: 90-83

Bayern Munich - Olympiacos: 84-80

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