Panathinaikos came from behind to win against Maccabi Tel Aviv in their EuroLeague match 93-87 at the Olympic Sports Hall.
The Israeli team led by 12 points (47-35) after 18 minutes, but the Greek team worked harder in defence.
They began closing gap and then finally midway through the final quarter hit the front and never looked back.
Greece had also heightened security for the basketball game on Tuesday after attacks on Israeli football fans in Amsterdam last week, police said.
A police source said around 1,500 police were assigned to security measures for the game in Athens.
Part of the force was assigned to Maccabi fans while anti-terror officers were to escort the team bus, the source told AFP.
The Israeli embassy in Athens will also be assigned additional security, the source said.
Last week, Dutch police said five people were hospitalised and 62 arrested in violence after a Europa League football match between Amsterdam club Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday.
Amsterdam’s mayor said “gangs of guys on scooters” had carried out “hit-and-run” attacks on fans of the Israeli club following rising tensions in the run-up to the game.
This came after sporadic incidents linked to both Maccabi supporters – accused of chanting and singing anti-Palestinian slogans and songs – and opposing groups of youths.
Amsterdam police said some Maccabi supporters had burned a Palestinian flag on the Dam central square, and vandalised a taxi.
Police said the attackers responded to calls on social media to target Jewish people.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Monday slammed the attacks as “unadulterated anti-Semitic violence”.
Maccabi’s basketball team on Friday played their previous Euroleague fixture against Virtus Bologna in Italy without incident.
Israeli authorities had earlier called on fans to stay home.
The Israeli side in May faced Panathinaikos in an ill-tempered Euroleague playoff series that went down to the wire in five games.
One of Maccabi’s best players, American-Spanish guard Lorenzo Brown, subsequently switched sides and now plays for Panathinaikos.
Meanwhile Olympiacos registered their fourth win in a row, this time beating Lyon-Villeurbanne 94-92 at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
The Reds survived a major scare from the French team, which led by up to 14 points in the second half (63-49), having notched up 50 points in the first half.
But the hosts were too good, staging a comeback and winning as the French missed their final shot that would have taken the game to overtime.
With AFP
