Panathinaikos claimed a 91-82 victory over Partizan in front of thousands of Greek fans at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena, opening the 7th Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament, held for the first time in Australia.
Despite missing key players, including Osman, Shorts, Lesor and Grigonis, the “greens” were lifted by strong support from the Greek diaspora.
Omer Yurtseven led with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Kendrick Nunn added 21. Dwayne Washington (19 points), Jabari Parker (18) and Dylan Osetkovski (16) stood out for Partizan.
Greek singer Maria Maroulis, now based in Australia, stirred emotion with a moving rendition of the national anthem before tip-off.
At halftime, Greek and Serbian community dance groups united with live ensembles, celebrating the cultural ties between fans.
The night also carried a moment of deep sentiment as Partizan coach Zeljko Obradovic embraced Despina Giannakopoulos, widow of the late Pavlos Giannakopoulos, for whom the tournament is named.
After trailing at halftime (37-44), Panathinaikos surged in the second half with improved defence and contributions from Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Panagiotis Toliopoulos and Juancho Hernangomez. A dominant final quarter secured the win.
Panathinaikos will next face the Adelaide 36ers at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday.
