ASVEL suffer heavy EuroLeague defeat at Panathinaikos

ASVEL’s strong start to the EuroLeague lasted only one game after a heavy defeat at Panathinaikos left the French side 12th in the early standings. The Villeurbanne team had opened the competition by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv, but could not build on that result in Athens.

Panathinaikos won 102-79 after taking control before half-time. ASVEL briefly moved ahead in the opening quarter, yet the hosts finished it 25-13 in front. The gap reached 22 points at the interval, with Panathinaikos leading 56-34, and stood at 24 points entering the final period at 80-56.

Sylvain Francisco led the Greek side with 19 points, along with two rebounds and three assists. The French guard had signed a three-year deal with ASVEL in June, but left the club the following month as it faced financial difficulties. Lefteris Mantzoukas added 16 points, six rebounds and one assist for the winners. Nate Sestina’s 14 points, two rebounds and three assists were not enough for ASVEL.

Panathinaikos moved to the top of the table after also beating Paris 91-72 in the opening round. ASVEL will try to respond on Friday when Valencia visit Villeurbanne, while Panathinaikos host Maccabi Tel Aviv.