Lessort makes his mark with 20 points

Panathinaikos defeated Baskonia 85-79 at OAKA in Week 7 of the Euroleague. The green-and-whites kept their lead with this win, while Baskonia are still looking for their first victory in six games.

French center Mathias Lessort reached his highest scoring total of the season. The 31-year-old scored 20 points in 24 minutes and stood out with a 9-of-10 shooting mark. He also added 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block.

After the win, Lessort pointed to the composure shown at the end of the game. He admitted his team did not play particularly well, but stressed that winning the game was what mattered. In his view, the team has to find a way to win even on days when they are not playing well.

The player said that before the match, teammates Jerian Grant and Juancho Hernangomez told him something about himself, and that these words gave him extra motivation. Lessort also said part of his points came from plays created by assists, and he thanked his teammates.

Lessort was critical of his rebounding. The player said six rebounds were not enough for him, and that the game could have been easier to win had he grabbed more boards. Still, he repeated that the win is what matters most, and said the team will keep moving forward.