Panathinaikos disrupts Valencia Basket’s plans and takes the lead in the series

Valencia Basket, which had been plugging all its holes in the second half, had managed to cut Kendick Nunn’s scoring streak and leave him with only five points in the second half. But in the last play, Panathinaikos looked for him to decide the first quarter-final match, and the American forced a foul with 2.1s remaining, giving him a point that left Pedro Martínez’s team without a response (67-68). In the other two quarter-final matches of the day, Fenerbahçe defeated Zalgiris Kaunas (89-78) and Olympiacos defeated Monaco (91-70).

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Panathinaikos achieved its objective in the first half and went to the locker room after leaving Valencia with 32 points, a misery for this season in which they have often scored 100 points, and 21 missed three-pointers (5/26). The good news for Pedro Martínez is that, despite these figures, his team saved its skin in those first 20 minutes after being 11 points down (17-28).

Kendrick Nunn’s accuracy (15 points in 15 minutes in the first half) and Mathias Lessort’s energy in the paint or coming out to clear the perimeter play like a snowplow, with providential blocks for Nunn, marked these first two quarters. Valencia did not collapse, and Jean Montero came out to lead a struggling taronja team because Panathinaikos was taking the game where Ataman wanted it, an expert in the EuroLeague, the competition he has won three times this decade.

Valencia and Panathinaikos took the game where no one expected: a defensive duel in which the taronja felt uncomfortable because the Greek defenders conceded shots to the worst shooters, and that ruined their percentages. The locals, moreover, could not get below a six-point disadvantage.

Valencia Basket did not get impatient and gradually chipped away at the disadvantage, point by point, until leveling the match (67-67 with 24.5 seconds remaining). But then came the foul on Nunn and his decisive point. Panathinaikos delivers a blow and, after playing on Thursday, will return to Athens with at least one victory, which will allow them to think about not returning to the Roig Arena to seal their pass to the Final Four.

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