Panathinaikos opened its 2025-26 EuroLeague campaign with an 87-79 victory over FC Bayern at home in Athens. Kendrick Nunn led the Greens with 21 points and 10 assists, maintaining Panathinaikos’ perfect home record against the German side at 9-0.
Nikos Ragkavopoulos added 15 points, while Omer Yurtseven contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks. TJ Shorts struggled for the hosts, finishing scoreless in 10 minutes of play. For Bayern, Isiaha Mike and Xavier Rathan-Mayes each posted career-high 18 points, with Wenyen Gabriel scoring 13 against his former team.
The game started competitively, with Bayern taking an early 4-8 lead. Ragkavopoulos responded with a four-point play, while Nunn’s early scoring kept Panathinaikos tied at 12-12 after the opening exchanges. Eleven lead changes marked a close first quarter, with the Greens leading 23-22 after ten minutes.
In the second quarter, both defenses tightened, limiting Bayern to just one field goal in the first four minutes. Kamar Baldwin hit consecutive three-pointers for Bayern, creating multiple lead changes before Panathinaikos regained momentum through Alexandros Samodurov and Nunn, heading into halftime with a 47-41 lead.
Bayern drew within 47-46 early in the third, but Panathinaikos went on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a Nunn dunk, to lead 58-48. Nunn added more points, with the Greens ahead 62-50. Bayern narrowed the margin to 68-61 after three quarters, but the hosts regained control in the fourth.
Yurtseven and Samodurov helped Panathinaikos open a double-digit lead at 72-61, while Kostas Sloukas’s three-pointer pushed the advantage to 77-65. Nunn extended the gap to 81-68 with four minutes remaining, and Bayern could not recover.
Panathinaikos showcased balanced scoring and efficient shooting, while Bayern struggled from three-point range, making only 8 of 28 attempts.
