EuroLeague Matchday 6 Recap: Panathinaikos' Unbeaten Run Ends

EuroLeague loses its last unbeaten team on Matchday 6. Panathinaikos AKTOR, which had won its first five games, fell at home to Hapoel Tel Aviv (81-91) and opened the door to a three-way tie at the top of the standings. Fenerbahçe and Olympiacos took advantage to match them at 5-1. It was a difficult matchday for Spanish teams, who managed just one victory from four possible: Real Madrid's win over ASVEL.

Hapoel breaks Greek perfection

The game of the matchday was played Friday at the Telekom Center. Dimitris Itoudis' Hapoel attacked the paint from the opening tip and led for most of the contest, with a maximum advantage of ten points already in the fourth quarter. Juancho Hernangómez and Jerian Grant led an 11-0 run that turned the score around, but in the closing moments Elijah Bryant, Nick Leday, and Vasilije Micic appeared. Panathinaikos, which played without Sloukas and Nunn, remains the team with the best point differential in the competition.

Olympiacos wins Palau overtime thriller

Barcelona played its best game of the season and still lost (100-105). They rallied from eleven points down in the fourth quarter and Justin Robinson forced overtime with a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining. The Blaugrana got ahead in the extra period (95-92), but ran out of gas and conceded a decisive 0-11 run. Sasha Vezenkov, with 25 points, and Jean Montero in the final minutes kept Olympiacos afloat, improving to 5-1.

Record-breaking Fenerbahçe

Fenerbahçe opened the matchday Thursday with a 74-65 win over Partizan in a low-scoring affair. They built it on defense: the Turkish side set a record with 14 blocks. With this victory they tie the 5-1 record of the two Greek teams, while Partizan drops to 3-3.

Read also:

• Panathinaikos-Fenerbahçe 92-74: EuroLeague recap
• Real Madrid debuts against Partizan (86-76)
• EuroLeague Matchday 4 Recap: Valencia keeps pace with Panathinaikos

Valencia stopped at Roig Arena

Valencia Basket, which entered the matchday in the upper tier with a 4-1 record, lost at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv 88-91. It was an unexpected defeat against a team that had won just one game. The Valencia side drops to 4-2 and falls out of the top group, while Maccabi breathes easier with their second win.

Andrés Feliz powers Real Madrid

Real Madrid was the only Spanish team to win on the matchday. They dominated ASVEL at Movistar Arena (111-92) thanks to a stellar Andrés Feliz, with 26 points and 8-of-11 from three-point range. With this victory, the Whites restore balance at 3-3 and have the second-best point differential in the middle tier, behind only the top teams.

Perasovic debuts with a loss

Velimir Perasovic's return to the Kosner Baskonia bench started poorly. Jaume Mumbrú's Virtus opened the game with a 12-0 run and led by as much as 17 (57-40). Baskonia rallied to tie it at 74 with 3:23 remaining, but a decisive 10-0 run late sealed it (86-78). Marcus Carr scored 20 points for a Virtus side that has won four straight. The Vitoria team has lost five in a row and sits at the bottom of the table with a 1-5 record.

Ibon Navarro keeps rolling

The other Spanish coach on the matchday, Ibon Navarro, continues his hot streak with Crvena Zvezda, which has won four straight. His team played without a true center due to injuries to Izundu and Motley, but beat Paris 90-81. They led by 20 in the third quarter and held on in a fourth quarter where the French got within five, until Jared Butler sealed it. Chima Moneke scored 23 points. Paris, without Hifi and Warren, is sinking with a 1-5 record.

Laso breathes in Kaunas

Pablo Laso's Anadolu Efes snapped a three-game losing streak with an authoritative road win at Žalgiris (70-85). They started with a 2-14 run in five minutes and never trailed. Matthew Strazel scored 19 points, and Dario Šarić posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Efes dominated the paint, shooting 25-of-41 from two-point range.

Besiktas survives its own collapse

The strangest game of the matchday was played in Istanbul. Besiktas led Bayern Munich by 28 (69-41) midway through the third quarter and let them tie it at 75 with a 6-34 run. Scottie Wilbekin led a 6-0 run that restored the Turkish side's lead, and they held on to win 95-87. Jaylen Nowell, with 21 points, and Wilbekin, with 20, gave Besiktas its first home victory.

Dubai wins in Milan

Dubai Basketball won 97-101 on the road at Olimpia Milano. With this victory they improve to 4-2 and enter the chasing pack, while the Italian side sinks to 1-5 and sits second-to-last.

EuroLeague standings after Matchday 6