Panathinaikos defeats Paris 91-72 in EuroLeague opener as Zeljko Obradovic returns

Obradovic returns in EuroLeague opener

Panathinaikos opened the 2026/27 EuroLeague regular season with a 91-72 home victory over Paris at the Athens Telecom Center. The fixture marked the official return of head coach Zeljko Obradovic to the Greek club's bench after 5,227 days, spanning 13 years since his previous tenure. The victory extended Obradovic's undefeated career record in EuroLeague opening fixtures while managing Panathinaikos. Despite missing four key rotation players, the Athens club established early control through defensive pressure and offensive rebounding. The starting lineup of Jerian Grant, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Lefteris Mantzoukas, Guerschon Yabusele, and Dinos Mitoglou built a 13-5 lead within four minutes, fueled by eight early points from Mantzoukas. Following substitutions that swapped four of the five starters, Yabusele sank a three-pointer to extend the advantage to 16-7. Panathinaikos closed the first quarter ahead 31-17, outrebounding the French side 17 to 3 and collecting 11 second-chance points in the opening ten minutes.

Paris response and halftime video review

The hosts maintained their defensive posture into the second quarter, expanding the margin to 36-19 and holding a 42-23 lead by the 16th minute. The starting five had mirrored the combination used during preseason preparation, but the bench saw active rotation early on. Paris responded during the final three minutes of the half with an 8-0 scoring run, capitalizing on a brief offensive stall by Panathinaikos. The French club narrowed the deficit to 42-31 at the halftime buzzer. An apparent buzzer-beating three-pointer by Yabusele was waved off by game officials after a video replay review confirmed the shot was released after the clock expired.

Interior control and second-chance scoring

Panathinaikos regained command directly after the break, executing a 6-0 run to push the advantage to 48-31. Strong interior presence and fast-break execution widened the gap to 57-35 at the 25-minute mark, before reaching a 26-point lead at 61-35. Yabusele scored 10 points in the third period, while the team's defensive rebounding limited Paris's offensive rhythm. By the end of the third quarter at 30 minutes, Panathinaikos had accumulated a 20-5 margin in second-chance points, entering the final frame with a 69-44 cushion.

Panathinaikos20

Paris5

Panathinaikos

20 points

Paris

5 points

Data from the article text

Fourth quarter closeout and individual scoring

Paris attempted a late rally at the start of the fourth quarter, scoring eight consecutive points to bring the score to 69-52. Obradovic called a timeout at the 1:40 mark of the final period to halt the momentum and reorganize the defense. Sylvain Francisco responded with a three-pointer, leading the team's overall scoring with 18 points, including 10 scored in the first half. Center Mathias Lessort anchored the closing stretch, recording two steals and six consecutive points to set the score at 83-63 with 35 minutes and 30 seconds played. Lessort finished the contest with 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, four turnovers, and three blocks, compiling a 28 Performance Index Rating to claim the game's most valuable player recognition as Panathinaikos sealed the 91-72 win.