Osman Scores 30 but Bahcesehir Edge PAOK 84-81 in EuroCup Thriller

By Taki Panos

Comebacks are exhausting. Two in one night is asking a lot of anyone. PAOK climbed out of a 14-point hole and then a 17-point hole in Istanbul on Tuesday, and came up exactly one shot short. Bahcesehir Koleji beat PAOK 84-81 at the Sinan Erdem Dome on October 27, 2026, in round 5 of the EuroCup, as Gazzetta and Eurohoops reported, with Breein Tyree's three for overtime missing in the final seconds. Cedi Osman scored 30 points for PAOK in a losing effort.

A bit of context for anyone just catching up. This was a top-of-the-table game in Group D, with both teams arriving at 3-1, per Ethnos. PAOK, coached by Andrea Trinchieri, have been flying at home, unbeaten in the Greek league after a gritty win over AEK last Saturday. Bahcesehir, coached by former Serbia star Sasha Djordjevic, are one of the favorites to win the whole competition, so a road loss here is no shame. It still stings.

The start was bright for the visitors. Tyree came in hot with two early threes and Osman followed, keeping PAOK level at 16-15, according to Gazzetta. Malachi Flynn and Marcquise Reed answered for the hosts, and Bahcesehir took a 26-23 lead after the first quarter, a score confirmed by Gazzetta, Ta Nea and Eurohoops. Nothing unusual yet. Just two good teams trading baskets.

PAOK even went in front early in the second quarter, with Tyree and Marcus Foster leading the way, per Gazzetta and Sportklub. Then the game turned. Threes from Sipahi and Tyler Cavanaugh sparked a big Bahcesehir run, and PAOK started giving the ball away. The hosts closed the half strong and led 52-40 at the break, with Flynn already on 17 points, Gazzetta and Sportklub reported. Twelve points down in Istanbul is a long way back.

The lead reached 14 in the third quarter, Ta Nea reported, but PAOK tightened up on defense and chipped away. Foster, who had 15 points by then, cut it to 62-56, and the quarter ended 63-58, per Gazzetta. Then Osman hit a three early in the fourth to make it 63-61. For a moment it felt like PAOK had done the hard part. They had not.

Bahcesehir hit back hard. Flynn drained two big threes against tired PAOK legs, and the hosts went on a 15-0 run, finished by a Reed three, to lead 78-61 in the middle of the fourth quarter, as Gazzetta and Ta Nea described it. A 17-point lead with about five minutes left is usually game over. PAOK clearly did not get that memo.

Kyle Alexander ended the run with a basket for 78-67, and then Osman went to work. Ta Nea reported that he scored ten straight points for PAOK in the closing stretch, and Foster added a three inside the final minute to make it 82-79, forcing a Bahcesehir timeout. After a Bahcesehir turnover, Osman scored again to make it 82-81 with about 25 seconds left, per Gazzetta and Sportklub. Seventeen down to one down. Remarkable stuff.

Bahcesehir kept their nerve. Mateusz Ponitka scored on the next possession for 84-81, and PAOK had one last look. Tyree took the tying three in the final seconds, and it did not drop, as Gazzetta, Eurohoops and Ta Nea all reported. Tyree, who scored 28 in the derby against AEK on Saturday, finished with 10 points here, with most of his impact coming in the first half, per Ta Nea.

Osman was the best player on the floor. He scored 30 points in 29 minutes, shooting 9 of 15 from the field, 5 of 11 from three and 7 of 8 from the free throw line, with 5 rebounds and 3 assists, according to Gazzetta and Eurohoops. That comes a little over a week after he scored 37 in Rhodes. Foster added 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and Alexander had 12 points on a perfect 6 of 6 inside with 7 rebounds, per Eurohoops.

There was an extra layer to Osman's night. Osman plays for Turkey's national team, and Turkey head coach Ergin Ataman was in the building watching, Sabah and Ta Nea reported. Ataman could hardly have asked for a better scouting report. On the other side, Flynn led Bahcesehir with 28 points, hitting 4 of 10 from three with 4 assists and 3 steals, per Eurohoops, while Reed scored 17 and Cavanaugh 11.

The table tells the story of the night. Bahcesehir moved to 4-1 and the top of Group D, while PAOK dropped to 3-2, behind Lietkabelis at 3-1, Eurohoops reported. PAOK opened the group with a home win over Manresa and a road win at Bosna, then lost at Lietkabelis before beating Ulm at home, per Eurohoops. With nine group games still to play, there is plenty of time. But head-to-head ties matter, and PAOK now need to win the return game in Thessaloniki on December 29.

My take: I came away more encouraged than worried. Losing on the road to a team built to win the EuroCup is normal. What bothers me is the third and fourth quarter stretch where PAOK lost the ball and their composure, which turned a two-point game into a 17-point hole. Good teams survive those spells. Great teams avoid them. The fight at the end shows the character is there. Now the focus has to be on not needing a miracle in the first place.

There is no time to dwell on it. PAOK visit Iraklis in the Greek league on Saturday, October 31, per Gazzetta, and then return to the EuroCup at home against BC Roma at the PAOK Sports Arena on Tuesday, November 3, according to Eurohoops. Keep an eye on our Greek Sports section for every Greek result from around the world. One shot short. Next time, maybe one shot better.

Sources: Gazzetta, Eurohoops, Ta Nea, Ethnos, Sportklub, Sabah.

Image: White and black flag with a double-headed eagle in PAOK colors by Sportingn, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).