EuroLeague 2024/2025, Part II: In the top European club competition, the second half of the regular season begins just after the holidays, and for FC Bayern Basketball, it kicks off with the toughest challenge imaginable. The defending champions from Athens will visit the once-again sold-out SAP Garden on Friday evening. The clash with the Greek champions, Panathinaikos, begins at 8:30 PM and will, as always, be broadcast on MagentaSport.
In a somewhat surprising fashion, Gordon Herbert's team has remained undefeated in their eight home games during the first half of the season (8–0, with an overall record of 11–6). Can the Munich team maintain this streak against Panathinaikos (10–7) with the support of 11,200 fans? The visitors are aiming for back-to-back victories, and their All-Star team has recently bounced back into the top tier with two decisive home wins following a brief slump in away games: 103–74 against Milan and 104–69 against Vítoria.
However, the team of coach Ergin Ataman lost their center, Mathias Lessort (13.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG), in the game against the Basques. The former Munich player suffered a fibula fracture and is likely out for the rest of the season. Panathinaikos quickly reacted by acquiring big man Wenyen Gabriel (5.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG) from Tel Aviv. The U.S. center is expected to make his debut on Friday.
Top Scorers Clash: Edwards vs. Nunn
Panathinaikos is the favorite in virtually every game, thanks to a star-studded roster. With players like Lorenzo Brown, Finals MVP Kostas Sloukas, and longtime NBA professionals Cedi Osman and Juancho Hernangómez, the Greek champions remain stacked with talent. The standout attraction, however, is U.S. guard Kendrick Nunn, signed during the previous season. Nunn is currently the second-highest scorer in the EuroLeague, averaging 20.2 points per game with impressive shooting stats (42% from three-point range).
This means Friday evening will feature the two top scorers of the competition on the court. Nunn is only surpassed so far by FC Bayern guard Carsen Edwards, who averages 20.7 points per game.
"Panathinaikos has assembled a very intriguing team. Coach Ataman is an excellent trainer and a prominent personality," said Bayern's head coach about the opponents. "With a healthy Lessort and Nunn, they had the best combination in the EuroLeague up to now. They’ll make adjustments but still have an incredible amount of talent. We need to show that our defense continues to improve, as it has looked lately. I’m excited that we’ll play again in the SAP Garden in front of our amazing fans."
The Bayern team trained on both Christmas Day and the following day. Oscar da Silva, who was rested in the game against Oldenburg, is ready to play.
The game against Athens will be Bayern’s last home fixture for three weeks. Four consecutive away games follow, starting with the final match of 2024 on Sunday against the Skyliners Frankfurt.