Zalgiris Kaunas battled until the final minutes at OAKA but came up short, falling to Panathinaikos 88-92 in a hard‑fought road matchup. Both teams now stand at 17-14 in the EuroLeague standings.
Panathinaikos gained an additional boost with Mathias Lessort returning to action, as the center contributed 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, and a key late assist in 23 minutes. The main scoring threat for the hosts, however, came from Cedi Osman and Kendrick Nunn, who combined for 46 points. Kostas Sloukas added 8 of his 12 points late in the third quarter, helping Panathinaikos build a lead that grew to 14 points early in the fourth.
Zalgiris responded with a strong final push, led by Sylvain Francisco’s 23‑point performance, narrowing the gap in the closing moments. Despite the spirited rally, the comeback ultimately fell just short.
Zalgiris answered Panathinaikos’ quick 2-7 start with scoring from Moses Wright, Nigel Williams‑Goss, Maodo Lo and Laurynas Birutis, before Sylvain Francisco’s free throws and assists kept the team close at 24-27 after the first quarter.
Early in the second, Williams‑Goss, Tubelis, Francisco and Ulanovas maintained the rhythm, but a seven‑point burst from Cedi Osman and a prolonged scoring drought allowed the hosts to take a 40-44 halftime lead.
In the third, Zalgiris cut the gap several times as Brazdeikis, Francisco and Wright led a strong response, yet Panathinaikos closed the quarter ahead 59-65.
The deficit soon grew to double digits, but Brazdeikis, Wright and Francisco sparked another rally that brought Zalgiris within one possession late, before a decisive Panathinaikos three-pointer sealed the 88-92 result.
