Zalgiris Kaunas (7-4) defeated the EuroLeague champions in a packed Zalgirio Arena. Andrea Trinchieri’s team beat Athens Panathinaikos (7-4) by 84-77 (28-18, 21-24, 16-21, 19-14).
Zalgiris made an electric start for a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter and was up by 18 in the second, but Panathinaikos, with assistant coach Christos Serelis in charge instead of head coach Ergin Ataman, responded and it was 49-42 at the interval. The visitors kept pushing and briefly led in the third quarter, before Zalgiris found fresh resolve to pull clear again.
Lonnie Walker IV led the way with 24 points, Deividas Sirvydis had 5 triples in his 19 points, and Sylvain Francisco scored 12.
Kendrick Nunn paced Panathinaikos with 19 points, and Omer Yurtseven added 16.
Dovydas Giedraitis’ floater and Walker’s brutal dunk gave Zalgiris a fast start, and Nunn’s triple was answered by Sirvydis from deep for a 9-3 lead. Walker detonated another dunk and added a step-back three, and Sirvydis hit another pair of triples to make it 20-9. Jerian Grant’s deep strike and Dinos Mitoglou’s reverse slam pulled Panathinaikos closer, but a triple from Edgaras Ulanovas kept Zalgiris well ahead, 28-18, at the end of the first.
Yurtseven scored 6 points early in the second, including a towering alley-oop, but Walker’s triple and Francisco’s first field goal protected the hosts' lead. Arnas Butkevicius and Walker kept Zalgiris hot from long range for a 39-26 lead, which was further stretched by Brady Manek with another three-pointer. Yurtseven and Kostas Sloukas changed the momentum with all the points in a 0-7 run, and the unstoppable Yurtseven netted again to make it 46-35. Sirvydis hit back with his fourth three-ball, but Nunn also struck from deep and it was 49-42 at the break.
Nunn’s triple opened the second half, before Walker’s driving layup got Zalgiris moving. Mathias Lessort’s alley-oop, Lorenzo Brown’s transition score and Ioannis Papapetrou’s jumper tied it at 51-51, but Giedraitis rescued the hosts with a layup and Bryant Dunston added a trademark slam. Nunn’s three-ball kept it close and Brown’s corner three gave the visitors their first lead, 57-59. Dunston’s three-point play plus Sirvydis put-back pulled Zalgiris back ahead, before Yurtseven stayed strong at the rim to make it 65-63 with 10 minutes left.
Sirvydis started the final quarter with his fifth triple, and Zalgiris’ first of the half, before Alen Smailagic and Grant traded three-balls. Walker kept the three-point party going and added a steal and slam for a double-digit lead, 76-66. Nunn’s triple gave Panathinaikos hope, but Sirvydis and Francisco scored a big layup as the scoring otherwise dried up at both ends and Zalgiris kept control the rest of the way.
