Armoni Brooks delivered a decisive performance at the Unipol Forum on Thursday, lifting EA7 Emporio Armani Milan to a 96-89 win over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in Round 15.
The guard missed his first two long-range attempts, but his response changed the rhythm of the night.
Panathinaikos opened the game with a 0-14 run and held a 26-21 edge after the first quarter, with Kostas Sloukas scoring 8 points in his opening stint.
Kendrick Nunn added a three early in the second, but Milan countered with improved offensive flow and leveled the score on Marko Guduric’s perimeter shot.
Brooks then took control, hitting 5 of his next 6 threes and scoring 17 points in a dominant second quarter that helped the hosts outscore the Greens 33-18 for a 54-44 halftime advantage.
Shavon Shields added five straight points after the break, and Zach LeDay boosted the lead to 65-46 as Milan maintained its momentum.
Panathinaikos responded behind Nunn’s scoring, but Brooks halted their push with his seventh triple, slowing the visitors’ attempt to climb back.
Juancho Hernangomez kept Panathinaikos within reach at 83-69 with a corner three, yet Brooks answered again with his eighth make from deep, a shot that kept Milan in control.
Milan’s passing game fueled many of those looks, as reflected in the team’s 20 assists and balanced ball movement.
Quinn Ellis contributed 8 points, 8 assists, 2 steals, and a key block on Konstantinos Mitoglou during a critical third-quarter sequence.
Panathinaikos cut the gap by winning the fourth quarter 30-16, but the margin built through the first three periods held.
Brooks finished with a career-high 26 points on 8-for-14 shooting from beyond the arc, anchoring Milan’s return to the win column.
Milan (8-7) now prepares for a demanding double-round week against Real Madrid and defending champion Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
Panathinaikos (9-6) shifts focus to a road matchup with Fenerbahce before hosting Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv.
