Panathinaikos secured a 43-24 halftime lead against Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Telekom Center during the third round of the Euroleague on October 2, 2026. Zeljko Obradovic’s squad entered the match aiming for their third victory in the competition, facing an Israeli side that opened their campaign with two losses.
The Greek team started the evening with their known lineup featuring Kalaitzakis, Grant, Mantzoukas, Mitoglou, and Yabusele. Early on, Panathinaikos faced a brief concern when Rogkavopoulos felt discomfort during the warm-up, making his participation unlikely. Despite this setback, the hosts established early control.
Mitoglou opened the scoring with a basket before Sorkin tied it at 2-2 with a dunk. Grant and Sorkin traded baskets again before Mitoglou added a dunk following defensive pressure from Kalaitzakis. Yabusele then contributed a basket and a foul, making his free throw to bring the score to 9-4. Colson answered, but Mantzoukas hit a three-pointer to push the lead to 12-6 at the fifth-minute television timeout.
The first quarter closed with Panathinaikos ahead 25-10, fueled by contributions from Hayes-Davis—who returned to action at the “3” position—and Bonga. Francisco added three free throws after earning an unsportsmanlike foul, while Madar chipped in with two free throws.
During the second quarter, the Athens side maintained defensive intensity, limiting Maccabi’s scoring opportunities. Francisco, Clark, Sorkin, and Brisset found occasional points for the visitors, but Panathinaikos extended their advantage. Lesor contributed a dunk, Bonga hit a three-pointer, and Lundberg scored with a basket and a foul. Hayes-Davis added another three-pointer to make it 38-21, and Yabusele followed with a triple to stretch the margin to 41-21.
Grant added a basket inside the final minute of the half, and Reiman converted one of two free throws to finalize the halftime score at 43-24 in favor of the hosts.
Match Timeline and Quarter Progression
The first half unfolded with distinct scoring runs from the home side:
- First quarter ended: Panathinaikos leads 25-10.
- Second quarter scoring surge pushes the margin to 43-24 at halftime.
- Key contributors in the opening twenty minutes included Mitoglou, Yabusele, Bonga, and Hayes-Davis.
Squad Status and Roster Updates
Zeljko Obradovic managed the rotation carefully after Rogkavopoulos was sidelined during pre-match warm-ups due to discomfort. The integration of Hayes-Davis into the “3” position provided an immediate spark for the Greek side on both ends of the floor.
Maccabi Tel Aviv, coached by Kattas, struggled to find offensive rhythm against tight perimeter defense during the second quarter, leading to the sizeable halftime deficit.
