Panathinaikos are the new European champions, adding a sixth star to their crescent, after beating Macabbi Tel Aviv (78-70) in the Euroleague final.
The Greek club, by far Europe’s most successful in the last 20 years, won its sixth European crown, and the third in the last five years.
Throughout the match, Panathinaikos was the better team, thanks both to its strength under the basket and its diverse attacking strategies that destroyed the Tel Aviv club’s zone defense.
Panathinaikos used a strong third quarter to build a double-digit lead and then withstood a late run from the Israeli team in the fourth.
Point guard Dimitris Diamantidis scored 16 points. Mike Batiste scored 18 points for Panathinaikos, and Drew Nicholas added 14.
It is Panathinaikos’ third title in five years and puts it level with CSKA Moscow in second place on the all-time list behind Real Madrid’s eight continental crowns. It was coach Zeljko Obradovic’s eighth European title and fourth with Panathinaikos.
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