Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens closed the EuroLeague regular season with a commanding 97-62 win over Anadolu Efes on Friday at Telekom Center Athens.
The result secured seventh place for the Greek side and set up a play-in clash against Monaco with a playoff berth at stake.
While much attention centered on Kendrick Nunn’s pursuit of the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy, the guard prioritized team execution over individual scoring.
Nunn finished with 18 points and six assists, orchestrating the offense and helping Panathinaikos generate 29 assists on 38 made field goals.
The hosts built their foundation in the first half through ball movement, recording 14 assists against just three turnovers to take a 45-38 lead into the break.
Kostas Sloukas controlled tempo without taking a shot before halftime, contributing five assists in eight minutes while maintaining offensive flow.
The decisive stretch came in the third quarter, where Panathinaikos held Efes to just five points and created a 71-43 advantage entering the final period.
Efes struggled to execute offensively, shooting 1-of-6 inside the arc and 1-of-10 from three during the quarter while committing four turnovers.
Nikos Rogkavopoulos delivered a breakout performance with a career-high 24 points, shooting 3-of-3 from two-point range, 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and 6-of-6 at the line.
Mathias Lessort and Kenneth Faried anchored the interior, combining for 28 points and 13 rebounds while helping Panathinaikos win the rebounding battle 37-33.
Lessort emphasized the team-first approach after returning to form ahead of the postseason.
The Greek side also limited mistakes, finishing with only six turnovers while maintaining defensive pressure that forced Efes into 15 turnovers.
Anadolu Efes was led by Jordan Loyd’s 15 points, but the visitors shot just 20.0 percent from three-point range and failed to find rhythm against consistent defensive rotations.
The 35-point margin tied for the second-largest home victory in Panathinaikos history, underscoring the team’s two-way potential entering elimination play.
