Panathinaikos opened the new Obradovic era with an emphatic win over Paris, while Olympiacos began their title defense with a 100-point performance in Vitoria, as the first night of the new EuroLeague season delivered comebacks, big shots and games decided down the stretch.
The new EuroLeague season got underway with a night full of different storylines. Panathinaikos and Olympiacos made the starts they wanted, with the Greens comfortably beating Paris and the Reds coming away with a road win in Vitoria. Zalgiris, Bayern, Dubai, Barcelona and ASVEL also began their campaigns with victories.
Panathinaikos dominate!
Zeljko Obradovic’s return to Panathinaikos could hardly have started better. The Greens cruised to a 91-72 victory over Paris at Telekom Center Athens, controlling the game from the opening minutes through to the final buzzer despite missing Kendrick Nunn, Kostas Sloukas, Nigel Hayes-Davis and Moustapha Fall.
The French connection played an important role for Panathinaikos. Sylvain Francisco led the Greens with 18 points, while Guerschon Yabusele marked his debut with 13 points and 5 rebounds. Mathias Lessort, however, was the standout performer, finishing with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and 2 steals while making his presence felt at both ends of the floor.
Olympiacos make a record-breaking start!
Olympiacos put their loss to Real Madrid in the Super Cup Final behind them and opened their title defense with a 106-89 road win over Baskonia. The 106 points in Vitoria marked a EuroLeague record for Olympiacos, who scored the most points in a road game in the competition in club history.
Tyler Dorsey led the way with 25 points, while Sasha Vezenkov added 22. Jean Montero also enjoyed a positive EuroLeague debut, finishing with 15 points and 5 assists and underlining from the very start that he can become an important part of Olympiacos’ backcourt.
Zalgiris win in Belgrade
Zalgiris picked up an important road win, beating Crvena Zvezda 83-77 in Belgrade in a game that turned into a real battle after the Lithuanians’ strong start. Zalgiris led 21-11 after the opening quarter, but Crvena Zvezda fought back and turned the game into a possession-by-possession battle. The intensity increased after halftime and, with the score tied at 72-72, Nigel Williams-Goss knocked down a crucial three-pointer with 3:04 remaining. Zalgiris took control from there, with Jonas Valanciunas finishing his debut with 13 points and 8 rebounds.
Bayern hold on down the stretch
In Sofia, Bayern needed a big shot to hold off Hapoel Tel Aviv in an 86-84 thriller. The German side had led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter, but Hapoel fought its way back and took the lead on an Elijah Bryant basket. Johannes Voigtmann responded with a three-pointer with 34.3 seconds remaining to put Bayern back in front, and the Germans held on for the win. Andi Obst led the winners with 19 points, while Johannes Thiemann added 15 points and 7 rebounds.
Dubai BC claim a big win!
Dubai BC made an ideal EuroLeague debut by edging Real Madrid 78-77 in a game that featured 18 lead changes. The game stayed in the balance until the final seconds, with Real holding a 77-75 lead with 80 seconds remaining. McKinley Wright’s three-pointer turned the game around once again, while Filip Petrusev played effective defense on Andres Feliz on Real’s final possession. Dwayne Bacon led all scorers with 24 points.
Barcelona rally against Efes
In the opening night’s Class of the Titans matchup, Barcelona had to overcome a difficult start against Anadolu Efes before securing an 89-82 victory at Palau Blaugrana. Dario Brizuela led the Catalans with 20 points, while Kevin Punter finished with 18, scoring 10 of them in the fourth quarter. When the game reached its decisive stages, Justin Robinson hit a crucial three-pointer and Olek Balcerowski sealed Barcelona’s victory from the free-throw line.
Winning start for ASVEL
ASVEL defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 84-74 in France to open their EuroLeague campaign with a win. The French side did a good job of limiting Maccabi’s main offensive weapons and found the answers they needed on the other end. Jae Crowder led all scorers with 19 points, going 4-of-5 from three-point range.
