By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Mathias Lessort did pretty much everything with a career-high-tying 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals as Panathinaikos AKTOR defeated AS Monaco 88 – 63 at home to grab its third straight EuroLeague win and move to 13-8.
“It’s good to have numbers like that,” Lessort said. Thanks to the work he put on the floor, he registered a new career-high 43 in PIR.
“Coming back from an injury, I had games where I struggled a lot. I still try to get my rhythm back and get back healthy so games like this are good for my confidence.”
Kendrick Nunn added 21 points plus five assists for a Panathinaikos team that took a 27 – 12 lead in the first quarter and simply never looked back. The Greens closed halftime up 43 – 40 and then overpowered their opponents to go up 62 – 39.
Monaco tried but…
Monaco, which was without Jordan Loyd and still suspended Elie Okobo struggled to both keep up with Panathinaikos or defend sufficiently. Mike James was held to just 11 points on 4-15, courtesy of some fantastic defense by Jerian Grant, and had seven of his points in the fourth period.
James, who also had six rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers, and Matthew Strazel combined to cut the deficit to 64 – 52 but Panathinaikos responded to once again push the margin beyond 20+ figures.
“When you play great defense, like we did against James and Shane Larkin last week, you find more motivation on offense,” said Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman.
Strazel finished with 13 points as many as Donatas Motiejunas. “Panathinaikos outclassed us tonight,” Monaco coach Sasa Obradovic said. “Without any chance to get back in the game, without rhythm, under this atmosphere. We didn’t play good. They deserved to win.”
After the end of the game, Mike James via Twitter openly complained about not getting calls. As he wrote among other things: “EuroLeague sick of the disrespect. I been in this league ten years. Can’t get no calls all of the sudden. I get a technical every game bcuz of y’all fuck up. I work on my game in the summer. Work on yours”.