Panathinaikos had dragged themselves within a point. Then Anadolu Efes slammed the door. A 14–0 fourth-quarter burst turned a nervy 66–65 lead into an 80–65 cushion, and Efes finished Friday’s EuroLeague Round 9 clash with an 83–68 win over the visitors from Athens.
The Anadolu Agency match report traces the late swing: Kendrick Nunn’s five straight points helped bring Panathinaikos back into the contest, but Efes answered decisively. It was the visitors’ lowest-scoring game of the campaign and only their second defeat in nine EuroLeague outings. For a team that had arrived at 7–1, the last few minutes were an uncomfortable reminder that one good run does not settle a road game.
Cameron Payne did considerably more than hit shots. The game box score credits him with 14 points, eight assists and three steals in 25 minutes, including four made three-pointers. Nine of his points came in the final quarter. When Efes needed an organiser and a scorer in the same possession, Payne gave them both.
Dario Šarić supplied the sturdier foundation: 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists across 32 minutes. His rebounding mattered against a Panathinaikos side trying to manufacture extra chances during its comeback. Bruno Fernando added 15 points in 23 minutes, converting all six of his two-point attempts, while Collin Malcolm also scored 15. It was a spread of contributions rather than a one-man rescue mission.
The response had particular bite after Efes were beaten 118–88 by Hapoel Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Two nights later, they held Panathinaikos to 68 and improved to 4–5. That does not erase the midweek defensive collapse, but it does give coach Pablo Laso a much more convincing performance to build around.
For EuroLeague fantasy managers, Payne’s eight assists and Šarić’s 32-minute double-double are the actionable details. The guard was involved as both distributor and perimeter scorer; the forward stayed on court long enough to influence the glass and passing game. Fernando’s perfect two-point shooting was excellent, although his 23 minutes offer a different kind of role signal from Šarić’s extended shift. Those distinctions matter more than simply chasing Friday’s highest point total.
Efes host Paris Basketball on Thursday, 5 November, according to the Round 10 fixture list. Panathinaikos have an earlier assignment at Real Madrid on Wednesday. Efes now have a short window to show that their late-game control was a repeatable improvement rather than just one very sharp response.
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