Barcelona came back from a 14-point deficit to beat Panathinaikos 76–74 away from home in a game from the 11th round of the EuroLeague. The Catalans trailed 43–57 before the start of the final quarter, but won the last 10 minutes 33–17. As a result, both teams remained with eight wins and three losses in the tournament.
The hosts started better, but the first half ended with a narrow lead for the Greek team – 33–32. Panathinaikos extended its advantage in the third quarter, which it won 24–11, and appeared close to another victory in front of its home crowd.
Barcelona gradually began to cut into its deficit in the final quarter. Tyrese Martin hit two three-pointers, and after another long-range shot by him, the score was 66–63 for the hosts. Justin Robinson tied the game at 66–66 with a three-pointer 2:21 before the end.
In the final seconds, Panathinaikos took the lead again at 74–73 after a basket by Nigel Hayes-Davis. The final attack, however, ended with a three-pointer by Robinson, whose shot bounced off the backboard and rim before going in to make it 76–74. The American finished with 24 points, while Martin added 13. For the hosts, Kendrick Nunn scored 19 points, while Sylvain Francisco had 17.
Bulgarian national team player Umoja Gibson returned to Barcelona’s lineup after recovering from an injury. He played 11 minutes and recorded two assists.
After the game, Barcelona coach Aleksandar Sekulic said he was proud of the team. “It is not easy to play such a game on such a court,” the Slovenian coach told “Mundo Deportivo”, also highlighting the importance of strong defense and accurate shooting down the stretch.
Wins for Anadolu Efes and Beşiktaş
In the other games from the round, Anadolu Efes defeated Virtus Bologna 103–91. Jordan Loyd was the Turkish team’s top scorer with 22 points, making six of his seven three-point attempts.
Beşiktaş beat ASVEL 95–91 in France after overcoming a 10-point deficit in the third quarter. Scotty Wilbekin scored 16 points for the winners, while Tremont Waters was ASVEL’s top scorer with 26.
Anadolu Efes and Beşiktaş have five wins and six losses each, while Virtus Bologna and ASVEL have four victories and seven defeats apiece. All four teams remain outside the playoff zone.
Sources: bta.bg, mundodeportivo.com