He finished with 21 points in 24 minutes
Kendrick Nunn overcame foul trouble to shine when it mattered
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Things looked far from good for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens after 10 minutes of the championship game against Real Madrid. Down 11, and just having allowed a new Final Four record 36 points in the first quarter, the Greens also found themselves without Kendrick Nunn, who committed 3 personal fouls in the opening quarter, in which he scored 8 points.
Nunn played just 24 seconds in the second quarter and was supporting on the bench as his teammates cut the deficit and were down just 54-49 at the break.
Going into the third quarter, Nunn knew he was soon coming back into the game, but also knew his team needed him. His mindset going into the second half?
"To stay composed", Nunn said among all the confetti on the floor of Uber Arena after the championship game win.
"I've been here before. I'm a rookie in the EuroLeague, but I am not a rookie player. I've been in this type of environment, I've been in this type of pressure before. I mean, it's not pressure. Staying composed and letting my teammates know. Staying aggressive. And that's exactly what I did", the 29-year-old explained.
He re-entered the game after 2 and a half minutes of play in the third and 68 seconds later nailed a three-pointer that gave Panathinaikos a 56-58 lead.
"That is definitely what I needed", Nunn admitted. "I did not have a typical hot night that I usually have, so seeing that one go in definitely gave me some spark."
He proceeded to score 13 second-half points, including 8 in the fourth quarter.
Nunn finished with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field and also had 3 rebounds and 3 assists. His contribution was crucial in an 80-95 win that got the Greens their first EuroLeague title in 13 years, and Nunn's first in his first EuroLeague season.
"This is unbelievable. It is my first year in Europe, this is the first year about 10 of us played together, new coach. Top to bottom it's been new. So we were stacking days, encouraging each other, giving each other confidence. And this is what happens when you buy in and believe", Nunn said.