On Friday, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos faced tough competition from Monaco and Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague Final Four semifinals. Despite their hopes of meeting in the EuroLeague final for the first time, the two Greek rivals will now compete for third place in the consolation match scheduled for Sunday (May 25) at 17:00.
Later that day, at 20:00, Monaco, under the guidance of Vassilis Spanoulis, will vie for the championship against Fenerbahçe, coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius. Both games will be available for live viewing on Novasports Prime.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME CONFIRMED 🏆
All eyes on Sunday night 👀#F4GLORY pic.twitter.com/xUwSjSHuHC
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 23, 2025
Olympiacos Falls Short of Expectations
Olympiacos, who finished the regular season in first place, aimed for their first title since 2013, marking their club’s centenary year. However, their plans were thwarted by Monaco, who pulled off an upset in the second semifinal, winning 78–68.
Giorgos Bartzokas’ team did not resemble the dominant squad that led the regular season. This match added to the trend of the top regular-season teams falling short of the championship. Olympiacos struggled offensively, with only Evan Fournier stepping up, scoring an impressive 31 points—a personal best in the EuroLeague.
Fournier excelled with a shooting percentage of 78% at the free-throw line, 67% for two-pointers, and 44% for three-pointers.
In contrast, Olympiacos’ MVP and leading scorer, Sasha Vezenkov, had an unusually off night, finishing with just 7 points—failing to reach double digits for the first time this season (2/4 two-pointers, 0/6 three-pointers, 3/5 free throws).
Coach Bartzokas reflected on the game, stating, “We shot only 18% from beyond the arc. Many players seemed eager to close the game too soon. We couldn’t manage the pressure or our emotions. With 68 total points, and just one player scoring 30, it’s clear things went wrong for us.”
Panathinaikos’ Title Defense Ends
Panathinaikos, finishing third in the regular season, entered the Final Four seeking to defend their title and make history with back-to-back championships. However, Fenerbahçe ended that pursuit with a 82–76 victory.
Despite the return of Mathias Lessort and strong performances from regular-season MVP Kendrick Nunn (19 points before fouling out) and Cedi Osman (20 points, 6 rebounds), Fenerbahçe’s clutch players like Devon Hall (18 points, 4/6 from three) and Erick McCollum, who contributed 13 points off the bench, proved too much to handle.
Coach Ergin Ataman offered brief comments, acknowledging Fenerbahçe’s performance: “They played better than us. Their defense was stronger. Congratulations to Fenerbahçe and good luck in the final.”
A Battle for Pride Ahead of Local Showdowns
While the EuroLeague third-place match does not offer a trophy, Sunday’s game will be a matter of pride for both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos—a precursor to the Greek Basket League playoffs. These “eternal rivals” will face off again on Friday, May 30, at OAKA in the first of several upcoming matches for the domestic title.
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