Panathinaikos wins its seventh European crown

Panathinaikos has added a seventh European crown to its glorious history as it came back from 14 points down to beat Real Madrid in Berlin's final on Sunday.

The Greens won 95-80 in a match that will go down in history as one of the examples of the never-say-die approach that any finalist ought to have even against the holder, Real Madrid.

This is because despite an abysmal defensive performance in the first quarter, after which Real led by 11 (36-25) and then stretched their advantage to 41-27, the Greeks regrouped and improved their defense while maintaining their offensive flair that had them constantly devise new ways to overcome Real's defense.

The 36 points that Panathinaikos conceded in the first 10 minutes of the game were its worst defensive performance in one quarter all season in the Euroleague. Yet as the Greens improved their game, Real appeared...