The reigning champion snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a dramatic finish
Panathinaikos edges Fenerbahce, 91-90, in a colossal tussle

Defending Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ground out a thrilling 91-90 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Tuesday to improve to 15-10, while the visitors slipped to 16-8 after a pulsating Rivalry Series clash in the Greek capital.
The magnificent Kostas Sloukas paced the Greens with 23 points to go with 5 boards and Kendrick Nunn chipped in with 17 points of which he netted 13 in a rip-roaring second half, and 7 assists. Juancho Hernangomez came up big with 15 points and 8 rebounds and Jerian Grant scored 10 points as Panathinaikos shot 10 of 22 from deep to compensate for the long-term absence of injured big men Mathias Lessort and Omer Yurtseven.
At the other end, Nigel Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahce on 21 points but the visiting team’s hero turned villain in the last few moments of the game, when he missed a three-pointer and then fouled Nunn at the halfway line with 1.1 seconds remaining and put him on the foul line, with the game tied 90-90.
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Nunn made the first free throw to send a fervent home crowd into raptures as Fenerbahce missed a golden opportunity to earn what would have been a precious road win in the battle for top spots in the standings. Errick McCollum netted 18 points, Devon Hall scored 14 and Sertac Sanli added 12 for the visitors, who shot 12 of 32 from downtown.
Panathinaikos was in the driving seat throughout the opening 10 minutes before Fenerbahce conjured a 0-8 run to draw level 24-24 at the end of the first quarter, setting the scene for a rugged and physical battle in the second. The home team thrived on Nunn facilitating the offense with timely assists as the Greens pulled away to 37-28, only for Fenerbahce to hit back and nose ahead 39-40, before Nunn netted a late layup to give the home team a slender 41-40 lead at halftime.
The rollercoaster continued in the third quarter as Hayes-Davis and Hernangomez traded blows from downtown while Hall caught fire for Fenerbahce, netting 12 points to propel the visitors into a 61-64 lead ahead of the final 10 minutes.
The fourth quarter produced masterclass offense on both sides, with the rivals dishing out three-pointers to each other like confetti. Nunn, who looked jittery and agitated all night, finally found his range from downtown as he sank a couple of shots to give Panathinaikos an 83-78 lead. Fenerbahce stormed back to turn the tide, 88-90, in the final minute of the captivating matchup and looked the more likely winner.
Sloukas then came up with a huge steal and sank a pair of free throws to tie the score, before Hayes-Davis made a mess of Fenerbahce’s last play and enabled Nunn to force the final twist.