Panathinaikos conquers a monumental match against Madrid: 112-115

Almost a year later, the same executioner at home. Madrid lost at home in the Euroleague for the first time since November of last year and after 19 straight European victories at home. It was again against Panathinaikos, now coached by the wise Zeljko Obradovic, and after a monumental match, a clash between giants that Madrid only conceded in extra time when it had already burned all its ships. Without the injured Campazzo, Maledon, Jantunen, Deck and Garuba, Pedro Martínez's team fought until the last breath against the Greek artillery led by Nunn with 33 points (25 between the last quarter and overtime) and Lessort (20 points and nine rebounds). The white resistance was led by a great Abalde (23 points, 15 in the final quarter) and Feliz (27).

Abalde missed the first triple and Mitoglu hit it, taking Tavares out of the zone, a warning of where the shots would go. Juancho and Francisco also played on the outside in a green start with a lot of dynamite against a defense that did not press much. Obradovic had ordered Feliz to be tied up (4-13) and Madrid needed to use the agitator Llull, always ready for battle, to give another rhythm to their game. The guard lifted his team off the canvas with a triple in the last second of the first quarter (18-24) to reduce the lead that Obradovic's men had amassed.

The three-pointers that Madrid missed were celebrated on the opposite scoreboard by Panathinaikos. A great dunk from Jones and two distant bingos from Shulga encouraged the whites and led a reaction based on better ball circulation and some runs. Lessort was almost unstoppable inside and Badio was burning shoes. Llull's spirit still lit some fuse and a run of 20-8 sent the game alive at half-time (48-51).

Madrid resisted in hand-to-hand combat in a very physical clash that required every drop of sweat. The white team kept the distance short, supported by Tavares, while Panathinaikos only took three at a time: four triples and no two-pointers in more than seven minutes in the third quarter. Pedro Martínez's team had closed cracks near their rim and the men in green crashed into that wall, unable to get up in any comfortable position. Madrid smelled blood, accelerated and led the scoreboard for the first time that night. Obradovic's troops reacted but the last surge came from Madrid thanks to another triple at the buzzer, this time from Abalde (73-74).

He repeated the Galician twice more to stifle Nunn's distant successes. It was the moment of the Spanish forward, protagonist against the casualties. The losses punished a Panathinaikos disconcerted by the new white flood that Abalde symbolized, already the author of four triples in a row. The reply was the matter of the powerful and fast Nunn, who even took a triple plus a foul from Feliz. Damian Jones joined the party to send the match to a heart-stopping final in which the best Abalde once again emerged.

The clash of giants well deserved an extra time after the tie at 101. Wrapped in a fiery atmosphere, Madrid took some shots and Panathinaikos closed the rebound to win a monumental match.