FC Bayern Munich lost its EuroLeague opener against one of the title favorites, Panathinaikos Athens. Despite a committed performance and strong showing from its new signings, Munich ultimately had to admit defeat, losing 79-87.
In front of 18,500 spectators at the OAKA, Munich got off to a decent start. New signings Isiaha Mike (16 points, 7/11 FG) and Stefan Jovic (4, 5 assists) brought energy early on, while Wenyen Gabriel (11) scored effectively against his former club. Panathinaikos, who were without Mathias Lessort and Cedi Osman due to injury, relied on their stars Kendrick Nunn (21, 10 assists) and Richaun Holmes (9). The home team found the better answers shortly before the buzzer and took a narrow 23-22 lead into the second quarter.
Baldwin and Rathan-Mayes provide important momentum
In the second quarter, Gordon Herbert’s team initially played very well as a unit, racking up ten assists in the first eleven minutes. However, a scoring drought lasting several minutes allowed the Greeks to take a five-point lead. Kamar Baldwin (6) responded with two important three-pointers from the right side, briefly restoring the lead. When Xavier Rathan-Mayes (16, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) got hot and scored eight points in quick succession, Munich seemed to have finally found its footing. But shortly before the break, Pana pulled away again thanks to center Ömer Yurtseven (14, 5 rebounds). With ten points in the second quarter, he sent the hosts into the locker room with a 47-41 lead.
Jessup impresses, three-point percentage breaks Bayern’s neck
After halftime, Bayern quickly closed the gap with a three-pointer from Rathan-Mayes and more points from Mike. But carelessness in finishing and easy turnovers allowed Panathinaikos to pull away again by double digits. On the positive side for Munich, EuroLeague debutant Justinian Jessup (9, 5 rebounds) made a strong impact and helped keep the deficit at 61-68 going into the final quarter.
In the final ten minutes, however, coach Ergin Ataman’s team picked up the pace once again. Munich got into foul trouble early on and couldn’t keep up offensively, especially from the outside, with a poor three-point shooting percentage (8/28). Andreas Obst also failed to capitalize on a chance to cut the deficit to five points. In the end, Panathinaikos celebrated a deserved 87-79 home win, even without any points from new signing TJ Shorts II, while Bayern remained unrewarded despite some good approaches.
Bayern’s next tough test is already on the schedule for Thursday (8:30 p.m.): on the second matchday of the EuroLeague, Munich will host Red Star Belgrade. On Sunday, the team will continue with its third game of the week at home against the Towers from Hamburg in the BBL.