Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens overpowered Dubai Basketball 103-82 on Thursday night at Telekom Center Athens, turning a shaky first half into a commanding EuroLeague win behind a decisive defensive turnaround and a balanced offensive attack.
The hosts lost Cedi Osman to an early ankle injury and entered halftime with three key contributors—Kostas Sloukas, Kendrick Nunn and Juancho Hernangomez—in foul trouble, while Dubai’s McKinley Wright repeatedly broke down their coverage to deliver 6 first-half assists.
Panagiotis Kalaitzakis did not play before halftime but changed the game immediately, applying pressure on Wright and sparking a defensive shift that held Dubai to just 14 third-quarter points after a 48-point first half.
The guard scored only 2 points in 11 minutes, yet his impact defined the momentum swing that vaulted Panathinaikos back into control.
Sloukas, Jerian Grant and Nunn carried the scoring load after the interval, igniting a 16-1 run to close the third quarter and a 10-0 burst to open the fourth that pushed the lead into double digits for good.
Sloukas finished with 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds, guiding the offense with veteran poise in front of a sold-out home crowd.
Nunn delivered 22 points, including 18 in the second half, while Grant posted 15 points and went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to keep the tempo in Panathinaikos’s favor.
The Greens shot 29-for-39 inside the arc and 40.7% from deep as they outscored Dubai 58-34 in the second half, reaching the 100-point mark for the second time in three games.
Dubai struggled to maintain its early rhythm, finishing 4-for-23 from three-point range and losing control once Panathinaikos increased its pressure on the ball.
Mfiondu Kabengele led the visitors with 18 points, and Boogie Ellis added 15, but the team’s defensive lapses after halftime erased its strong start.
Panathinaikos improved to 8-4 at the end of a four-game road stretch and now enters a two-game home stand that could further solidify its position near the top of the standings.
Dubai fell to 5-7 and will look to regroup when it hosts Paris Basketball next Tuesday, while Panathinaikos welcomes Partizan on the same night.
