Athens, Wednesday 28 January — The London Lions suffered a heartbreaking 79–78 road loss to Panionios Athens on Wednesday night, falling at the hands of Matt Lewis’ late free throws in the dying seconds.It marked the second consecutive EuroCup game London has been defeated on a last second basket, serving a blow with the team now looking to pick up their first piece of silverware on the season with the domestic SLB Trophy Final on Sunday in Birmingham.

With both London and Panionios already eliminated from EuroCup playoff contention, the contest was for pride, which delivered a high-intensity finish that saw London fail to execute down the stretch.

London produced balanced scoring across the backcourt, led by Shavar Reynolds Jr., Tarik Phillip, and Chaundee Brown Jr., who each finished with 16 points. Ethan Price added a strong all-around performance with 11 points and eight rebounds, while the Lions moved the ball effectively for long stretches but were ultimately hurt by 15 turnovers.

For Panionios, Brandon Taylor delivered a standout performance with 20 points, seven assists, and three steals, while Joe Thomasson added 13 points in just 14 minutes before being ejected after two technical fouls in the third quarter. Lewis sealed the result at the line in the final seconds.

“I am very proud of the guys. We really fought all the game. We made mistakes — you know, basketball is normal — but we always showed the will to win the game,” said Panionios Head Coach Nenad Marković.

London started sharply, flowing offensively and pushing tempo early. Deane Williams knocked down an early three, while Reynolds and Phillip attacked in transition as the Lions built a 24–17 lead after the opening quarter. Brown’s perimeter shooting and Phillip’s activity on both ends kept London in control through much of the second period, before a late Panionios push trimmed the margin to 41–38 at halftime.

The third quarter remained physical and emotionally charged, featuring multiple technical fouls and momentum swings.

Panionios stayed aggressive behind Taylor’s playmaking and Nate Watson’s interior finishes. London answered with timely buckets from Brown, Phillip, and Price to regain separation, closing the quarter up 62–57.

The fourth quarter tightened dramatically. Panionios cut into the deficit through back-to-back threes and aggressive transition play, while London countered with strong offensive rebounding from Deane Williams and downhill drives from Phillip.

With just over two minutes remaining, Phillip powered through traffic to extend the lead to five, before Taylor answered again to keep Athens within striking distance.

After London forced a late turnover with 1:13 remaining and held a five-point advantage, the door remained open when the Lions were unable to convert on consecutive possessions. A jumper from Jackson Krueser cut the margin to three before Taylor attacked coast-to-coast to pull Panionios within one at 78–77, setting up a tense finish.

A costly five-second violation on the ensuing inbounds gave Panionios possession, and Lewis was fouled inside while securing the offensive rebound on his own miss.

He calmly converted both free throws to put Athens ahead 79–78 with under one second remaining. With no timeouts left, London’s desperation heave could not find a clean look, sealing the outcome.

Despite the loss, Lions Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis praised his group’s effort in difficult circumstances.

“My guys fight, so I’m happy for that.”

Attention quickly shifts back to domestic silverware. The Lions now prepare for the SLB Trophy Final this Sunday at 3:30 PM in Birmingham, where they will face the Newcastle Eagles with a championship on the line.