Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv 99–85 at Telekom Center on Tuesday night, improving to 5–2 in the EuroLeague standings.
The Greek champions trailed 47–49 at halftime but completely turned the game around with a display of energy and discipline. They registered 23 assists, grabbed 41 rebounds — including 19 offensive — and forced 14 turnovers in what became a statement home win.
Omer Yurtseven anchored the interior with 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. The Turkish center stepped up after Richaun Holmes exited in the first half with a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for at least a month.
Kendrick Nunn led all scorers with 22 points, while Cedi Osman added 20. Both guards found their rhythm after the break, spearheading decisive runs of 13–2 in the third quarter and 12–0 in the fourth to break Maccabi’s resistance.
Yurtseven’s effort on the glass proved critical, with Panathinaikos converting 24 second-chance points. The center collected eight offensive rebounds, while Juancho Hernangomez added 11 boards in a strong all-around outing.
Maccabi’s Jaylen Hoard led his team with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jimmy Clark added 14, including a highlight shot from beyond midcourt to end the first half. However, Maccabi struggled to contain Panathinaikos’ frontcourt dominance after the interval.
The victory marked Panathinaikos’ sixth win in their last seven meetings with Maccabi and gave them a 21–20 edge in the all-time series. The Greens will travel to face AS Monaco on Friday, while Maccabi hosts Crvena Zvezda on Thursday in Round 8.
