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Greek basketball club Panathinaikos AKTOR defeated Türkiye’s Fenerbahce Beko 81-77 in a tightly contested EuroLeague Week 16 match held Tuesday in Istanbul, halting the home side’s six-game winning streak in the tournament.
The win marked Panathinaikos’ 10th victory of the season, while Fenerbahce, which had enjoyed a strong run since late November, recorded its sixth loss overall.
Both teams struggled to score early, with Panathinaikos holding a narrow 17-16 lead after the first quarter. They extended the margin in the second, but Fenerbahce responded with stronger defense to stay within reach at halftime, trailing 41-37.
Fenerbahce took control after the break, starting the third quarter with an 11-0 run and entering the final period ahead 57-50. Panathinaikos, however, turned the momentum in the fourth, regaining the lead through key plays by Willy Hernangomez.
Fenerbahce closed the gap to one point in the final seconds, but Panathinaikos stayed composed. Kendrick Nunn’s late free throws secured the 81-77 victory for the visitors.
Speaking after the game, Fenerbahce head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius said his team failed to maintain consistency throughout the match.
"We couldn’t play our best basketball, but our fighting spirit was always there. At this level, putting together a winning streak is difficult," he said, praising his team’s efforts during recent fixtures despite the loss.
Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman, who is also in charge of the Turkish national team, described the victory as a result of strong first-half defense and late-game resilience.
"We played excellently in the first half. Although we committed many turnovers on offense, we managed to control the game. Fenerbahce found their rhythm early in the second half, but the momentum shifted again later and we secured the victory," Ataman told reporters.
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