Anadolu Efes fought back from a 15-point deficit to defeat Panathinaikos 79-76 in Game 2 of their EuroLeague playoff series, tying the best-of-five matchup at 1-1. The dramatic win came on the road in Athens and was marked by a stellar performance from Shane Larkin, who led all scorers with 20 points, including eight crucial points down the stretch.
Efes, after trailing for most of the game, found themselves in a tough spot heading into the final quarter. Panathinaikos had built a 60-50 lead with just 10 minutes to go, fueled by strong performances from Cedi Osman (16 points) and MVP Kendrick Nunn (14 points), despite a rough shooting night for Nunn (6-of-17 from the field). However, Efes’ defense began to stifle the defending champions, and a 1-10 run in the second quarter cut their deficit to 42-36 by halftime.
Vincent Poirier was a key contributor for Efes, finishing with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. PJ Dozier added 14 points, and Dan Oturu chipped in 11, making significant plays when the game was on the line.
The game’s turning point came in the final moments. After Efes had slowly chipped away at the Panathinaikos lead, Larkin hit a stunning reverse layup to tie the game at 73-73, then buried a contested three-pointer to give Efes their first lead since early in the first quarter. Poirier added a free throw to extend the advantage to 77-73 before Nunn answered with his only three-pointer of the night to pull Panathinaikos back to within one point at 77-76.
Despite the momentum shift, Larkin’s composure at the free-throw line, coupled with a pair of missed three-point attempts by Nunn in the final seconds, sealed the win for Efes.
Panathinaikos struggled with turnovers, committing 14 while dishing out just 17 assists. The Turkish squad’s defense was key, especially limiting Nunn’s impact in the fourth quarter.
With the series now tied 1-1, Efes has put themselves back in contention to advance to the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four. Panathinaikos will look to regroup and regain control of the series in Game 3.
