Richaun Holmes delivered a dominant performance on his 32nd birthday to help Panathinaikos secure a 91–85 win over ASVEL in Round 4 of the EuroLeague regular season on Wednesday night.
The American center, who joined Panathinaikos this summer from the Washington Wizards, produced his best game yet in Europe. After averaging just 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds across his first three outings, Holmes erupted for 24 points and 10 boards to push the Greek champions to 3–1 on the season.
Holmes was nearly unstoppable in the paint, shooting 11 of 12 from the field and grabbing seven offensive rebounds. His effort provided the perfect birthday gift as he stepped up in the absence of Mathias Lessort, who continues to recover from a long-term ankle injury.
Kendrick Nunn backed him up with another strong showing, following up his buzzer-beating heroics against Baskonia by scoring 26 points, including 18 in the first half. The reigning EuroLeague MVP also contributed five rebounds and six assists as Panathinaikos maintained control for much of the contest.
ASVEL stayed within striking distance by hitting 15 three-pointers, with veteran Nando De Colo leading the visitors with 18 points. David Lighty and Zac Seljaas added 13 and 11 respectively, but ASVEL struggled on the glass, losing the rebounding battle 38–24.
Despite ASVEL’s late push, Panathinaikos held firm, closing the game with key free throws and back-to-back alley-oops from Nunn to Holmes that reignited the OAKA crowd. The win keeps the Greek side among the early contenders in the EuroLeague standings.
Panathinaikos will travel to face Anadolu Efes on Friday, while ASVEL looks to regroup ahead of a home clash against Virtus Bologna.
