In an incredible EuroLeague game, Anadolu Efes pulled off a major comeback to defeat Panathinaikos with a final score of 79-76.
The Athens-based “Greens” were once again without injured Mathias Lessort, Marius Grigonis, and Ioannis Papapetrou, while Anadolu Efes was missing Rodrigue Beaubois on the other side.
Despite the deafening noise in the OAKA arena, the home team started strong, sparked by two early three-pointers from Jerian Grant, which forced Luca Banchi to call a timeout just two minutes in, already trailing by eight. That timeout helped Efes stabilize, briefly bringing the game back to level terms. However, Panathinaikos quickly regained control, forcing turnovers and scoring in transition, led by the excellent Cedi Osman, who scored 11 points to push them to a 29-17 lead after the first quarter.
The pace dropped significantly in the second period. Both teams struggled offensively, particularly from long range. Panathinaikos maintained a solid lead until the final minutes of the half. With Efes unable to score from distance, PJ Dozier stepped up, creating shots and finishing around the rim. Dan Oturu provided an additional spark with easy buckets, and by halftime, the visitors had cut the deficit to just six—42-36.
Panathinaikos regained their energy to start the second half, once again leaning on Grant and Osman to rebuild a 12-point lead. Efes was struggling offensively, especially Elijah Bryant, who was effectively shut down. But Oturu once again ignited the visitors off the bench, and just as Efes seemed to be gaining momentum, Kostas Sloukas nailed a miraculous shot to close the third quarter, giving Panathinaikos a 60-50 lead heading into the final period.
Just when it looked like it was over, Anadolu Efes started to claw their way back. Dozier led the charge, attacking Sloukas and scoring at will. Shane Larkin followed up with a three-pointer that suddenly cut the deficit to just three midway through the quarter.
Panathinaikos held a narrow lead, but Larkin took over in the final minutes—first tying the game with a drive, then hitting a clutch three-pointer with 50 seconds left to give Efes their first lead of the night. Nunn missed a three out of a timeout, and although Poirier hit just one free throw, the EuroLeague MVP hit a wild three to bring Panathinaikos back within one. Larkin then calmly knocked down both of his free throws, while Nunn missed two final three-point attempts, sealing the dramatic win.
Larkin led the victors with 20 points, followed by Poirier with 16 and Dozier with 14. Osman topped Panathinaikos with 16 points, while Nunn added 14.
With this win, Anadolu Efes ties the series at 1-1, and the next game will be played in Istanbul next Wednesday.
Shane Larkin just being Shane Larkin👀@AnadoluEfesSK is up with less than 30 seconds to go⏰#MotorolaMagicMoments I @Moto pic.twitter.com/UZAfKuzbOc
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) April 24, 2025
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