Panathinaikos edge past Fenerbahce behind closed doors 
 

EUROLEAGUE REGULAR SEASON - ROUND 14

Panathinaikos produced a strong performance to defeat struggling Fenerbahce 81-78 in the EuroLeague regular season inside an empty OAKA Indoor Hall.

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The Athenians had long been selling tickets for this match, however, on Monday, the EuroLeague ordered Panathinaikos to host Fenerbahce behind closed doors as a result of their fans’ actions during the recent game against Olympiacos. Panathinaikos have since offered full refunds to those who purchased tickets for the fixture.

Nevertheless, even without their noisy fans inside the OAKA, Panathinaikos still managed to produce a strong performance and clinch an important win against a stuttering Fenerbahce side.

Rick Pitino’s men now boast a 9-5 record in the competition. Fenerbahce, however, only have five wins in 14 games.

The impressive Jimmer Fredette tallied 22 points, while Nick Calathes registered 15 points and eight assists. Kostas Sloukas gave a solid showing for Fenerbahce with 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

On Thursday, Panathinaikos will take on Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel, while Fenerbahce host fellow strugglers Zenit Saint Petersburg.

THE MATCH

In a evenly-matched duel, there was very little to choose between the teams in the first half, with Panathinaikos taking the first period 22-21 before Fenerbahce responded with a five-point win in the second.

Calathes (0/4 from the three-point line) notably reached fifth position in the all-time EuroLeague assist rankings:

Ioannis Papapetrou (eight points, five rebounds, one assist) later gained his 1000th EuroLeague point:

Panathinaikos, eager to get back to winning ways after their loss in Barcelona last week, took charge of proceedings by winning the third quarter 23-11. In the fourth frame, Fenerbahce came close to forcing overtime, but the Prasini clung on for dear life.

The fact that Panathinaikos claimed 37 rebounds compared to Fenerbahce’s 27 was crucial.

HIGHLIGHTS

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: sportfm.gr

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