Hapoel Tel Aviv beats Panathinaikos 91-81, ending its unbeaten Euroleague start

A first defeat in Athens

Hapoel Tel Aviv beat Panathinaikos 91-81 at the Telekom Center Athens in Marousi on Friday, 16 October, in round 6 of the Euroleague. It was Panathinaikos's first loss in the competition this season, ending an unbeaten run over its first six games. The result leaves the Greek side at 4-1, while Hapoel moved to 3-3. Hapoel had already lost early in the season to Bayern Munich, and this win came from a side still searching for consistency, in the words of its own coach as reported in the match coverage.

How the first half turned

Hapoel started quickly, with Dan Oturu scoring ten points in the first quarter, which ended with the visitors ahead 29-25. Panathinaikos gave away possessions early, and Hapoel scored nine points off four Panathinaikos turnovers in the first period. The visitors also hit 5 of 8 three-pointers in the first half, while Panathinaikos had made only 4 of 16 from distance through the 30th minute. Silvén Francisco came off the bench and scored eight points of his own in the opening period, keeping the hosts in the game. Panathinaikos pushed harder on defence in the second quarter and briefly drew level at 29-29, before the teams went into the break with Hapoel ahead 48-46.

Third quarter and the late push

Panathinaikos's ball movement slowed in the third period, and its attacks often ended in individual efforts. Francisco kept the hosts afloat and reached 20 points by the end of the quarter. Hapoel used the stretch to build its lead, and the visitors led 68-61 at the end of the third period. Early in the fourth quarter a three-pointer lifted Hapoel to 71-61, its first double-digit advantage of the night. Panathinaikos answered with an 11-0 run that briefly gave it the lead, but it could not complete the comeback.

Coaches' reactions and what comes next

Željko Obradović spoke to Euroleague TV after the game and acknowledged that Hapoel deserved to win. He said Panathinaikos played better in the second half and changed the momentum, but that his side made poor decisions in attack. Dimitris Itoudis said he was happy with the result and pointed to his players' understanding of momentum. He also said Hapoel had found ways to win with different lineups, and he described Panathinaikos's supporters and club in warm terms. Panathinaikos returns to Marousi to host Baskonia on 22 October.