On the afternoon before the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game is played, the head coaches and a player from each team met at Uber Arena in Berlin for the official press conference. Representing Real Madrid were Coach Chus Mateo and forward Dzanan Musa. From Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, it was Coach Ergin Ataman and All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort. Here’s what you need to know from the press conference.

Best moments from the championship game press conference

On the afternoon before the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game is played, the head coaches and a player from each team met at Uber Arena in Berlin for the official press conference. Representing Real Madrid were Coach Chus Mateo and forward Dzanan Musa. From Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, it was Coach Ergin Ataman and All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort. Here’s what you need to know from the press conference.

### Back-to-back talk

Surprisingly, there wasn’t a whole lot said about Real Madrid’s chance to defend its crown. The first to bring it us was Musa in his opening statement.

“We are excited to be in a position to go back to back, We know it won’t be easy, but we will do our best give everything that we have to do that. I am excited for tomorrow’s game,” Musa said.

Ataman later brought it up, too, without being asked about it: “He wants to be back-to-back coach,” Ataman said referring to Mateo. “I don’t want to give him. The last record is that I am the back-to-back coach in the EuroLeague, so that is another motivation for me.”

### Coach Mateo, master of cliches

Coach Mateo once again proved to be a master of cliches, whom you must listen carefully to get a feel for his opinions. Among his quotes, Mateo said: “the most important thing is to take care of details”, “we are going to try our best and show our character”, “the most important thing is to never retreat”, "in a final can happen too many things”, “every game is totally different”. And then he said this gem, which takes puts several cliches together to make a masterful point.

“I think the details are sometimes not always small details. Sometimes rebounding is not such a small detail. Sometimes defense is not a small detail. Sometimes scoring from the outside is not a small detail. Sometimes to look for a good shot is not a small detail. We have to look for these important details to make a big difference. But sometimes you don’t know how it’s going to go.”

### Ataman on the fans

“I am very happy for the city Athens and for Panathinaikos fans. They believed in us all season. And now they enjoy this atmosphere. Yesterday they made a great atmosphere. They supported us, they made it fun. And as a team we like this. Actually, now this atmosphere is too strong for us. C’mon, we made the EuroLeague finals. We need to enjoy. After, we will see the results. I am happy all of our fans respect me and my players.”

### Musa on the fans

“We will only see in the arena our fans. Having fans in the stands is important, but when we go out onto the court it’s five against five and that’s our plan, to win the game on the court and not worry about the fans.”

### Mateo on the fans

“We like this ambience very much. This is basketball where the other teams’ fans want you to lose. And ours, even though they are a minority, we know they are here and we get messages from those at home watching. So we felt it very close even though they are not present. For people in basketball, if there is something that we love it’s that people from another team are against us always with fair play. They should scream and yell and make noise and try to make us lose our concentration. And for our fans to support us. I love this atmosphere.”

### Respect among the big men brotherhood

Upon being told that Real Madrid’s star center Walter Tavares heaped praise on him and called Lessort the best center in Europe this season, Lessort responded: “We have a mutual respect with Edy. It’s humbling for me to have a guy like this consider me the best big man in Europe. It’s an opinion and everybody has different opinions. To have your peers say something like this about you is always pleasing. I am happy to hear it from him… After the game, we will show respect. But during the game there will be a battle on the field.”

### The last time they met

In Round 27 in February, Panathinaikos defeated Real Madrid in the Spanish capital and Coach Ataman was asked about that game.

“For sure the regular-season game was not a game to compare because it was immediately after national team break, so both teams were not 100% ready,” he said. “The game that we won was not something to compare to the EuroLeague final.”

But later Ataman referenced the same game when asked about when he felt his team was going to make the Final Four.

“When we beat Real Madrid there,” he responded. “It was maybe their first loss on the season in the EuroLeague on their home court. This victory gave us big confidence and after that we understood well our capacity and we started to think we could be in the Final Four.”

### Mateo on his post-game celebration

The Real Madrid boss was asked about his habit of drinking a nice cold beer after games.

“I used to do it. Once we would finish a game and we won, I used to share a beer with my staff. I like beer.”

### Winning one more for Real Madrid’s vets

Coach Mateo was asked about coaching the trio of stars from hos old guard: Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Llull and Sergio Rodriguez.

“The time that I have been with them both as an assistant as well as head coach, I can only say good things about them. About how they convey things in the locker room, how they convey the desire to win, how they push their teammates when necessary and how they have encouraging words when they need it. How they are able to practice despite the thousands of battles that they have in their legs and little injuries that they have here and there. And how they are always there in key moments to help the team. How they have adapted to such a demanding calendar of 90 games. How they have transformed their bodies. Because Sergi Llull and Rudy had a very powerful body, they had to adapt their games to not having those physical abilities.

“I think we can take our hats off to all three of them. I would love for us to win for all of our players, but I would be especially happy for Rudy who is going to retire after this season. I would like him to have these back-to-back titles. And of course, for Deck, who is not here. Gaby Deck is an essential player on the team and we would not be there without him. And the players are going to do their best to compensate for his loss.”

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-05-26T18:00:00.000Z)

Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to really be part of the action of a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four game? 

Well, feast your eyes and ears on what a revolutionary MindFly AI ultralight-powered bodycam embedded in the referee's jersey sees and hears! 

See the semifinals from inside the court! 

Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to really be part of the action of a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four game? 

Well, feast your eyes and ears on what a revolutionary MindFly AI ultralight-powered bodycam embedded in the referee's jersey sees and hears! 

Game officials Ilija Belosevic and Carlos Peruga wore MindFly's POV Cam during the first semifinal between Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Friday at Uber Arena in Berlin. Now, you may not only seethe game action from closer than ever through their bodycams, but also hear them speaking with the players, coaches and each other during the game. It's a fascinating look at the professionalism that is at the very heart of the EuroLeague game experience.

Euroleague Basketball and MindFly started their collaboration during the last Final Four held in Kaunas, where all fans had the possibility to re-live some of the best moments of the EuroLeague's final phase as if they were inside the court. This season's debut of the same technology let fans experience *El Clásico* between [Real Madrid and FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/experience-el-clasico-like-never-before/) and since then a true winning streak of derby rivalries: [AS Monaco and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/go-right-on-court-with-monaco-and-asvel/) in France, [Virtus Segafredo Bologna and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/join-virtus-bologna-olimpia-milano-on-the-floor-euroleague-derby-ditalia/) in Italy, [Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce Beko](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mindfly-referee-cams-went-inside-the-istanbul-derby/) in Turkey, [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/go-inside-the-belgrade-derby-with-mindflys-referee-cams/) in Serbia, and Panathinakos and Olympiacos Piraues in Greece.

Go inside the court on the first night of the Final Four with the POV CAM from MindFly!

See the first semifinal from inside the court! 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-05-24T16:00:00.000Z)

The head coach and a star player from this season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague finalists, Real Madrid and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, share the stage to discuss the championship game live from Uber Arena. 

Watch the championship game press conference live on YouTube 

Real Madrid started its semifinal matchup against Olympiacos BC on fire, opening a 28-10 lead that set it up to secure the win.

Perfect first quarter underlined Real Madrid’s status as favorite

If anyone headed to Berlin this weekend doubted Real Madrid’s status as the favorite for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title, it only took 10 minutes of action for *Los Blancos* to emphatically show exactly why they are still the team to beat.

Having won last season’s championship, dominated the regular season to comfortably claim top-seed status, and then become the only team to breeze through the playoffs with a 3-0 series sweep, there was no real reason to think that Chus Mateo’s men are anything other than the main candidates to lift the trophy on Sunday.

And in the opening quarter of Friday’s semifinal meeting with Olympiacos Piraeus, the Spanish team issued a serious statement of intent by showing exactly how good it is with a near-perfect basketball exhibition at both ends of the floor.

Starting from the moment when [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) opened the scoring by finishing a flowing fastbreak with a fierce flush, right until [Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/) rose with perfect timing to block a shot from [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) as the first quarter expired, Real was totally dominant in every aspect of the game to establish a dominant 28-10 advantage that set the scene for [an eventual 87-76 triumph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/semifinals-live-real-madrid-vs-olympiacos/).

The protagonists in the first Euroleague Basketball game of the modern era, Real Madrid and Olympiacos have a rich history together. In addition to the 22/23 final, Real bested the Greeks in the 1995, while the Reds triumphed in the 2013 and two years later. What does this chapter have in store?

Real Madrid-Olympiacos Piraeus | Semifinals Highights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Real’s first quarter numbers speak for themselves: 5 of 8 shots converted from two-point range, 6 of 8 from beyond the arc, 8 assists, 10 rebounds against just 5 for Olympiacos, and 3 blocked shots. That all added up to a staggering difference in team PIR of 42-1, accurately reflecting the dominance of the reigning champion and the helplessness of the Greek challenger in the face of such brilliance.

Real then maintained that scoring pace to reach the interval with a 56-37 advantage, tying the Final Four record for the most points scored in the first half (alongside Montepaschi Siena in the 2004 third-place game against CSKA Moscow). And remarkably, that total was achieved despite no individual player reaching double digits in scoring, typifying the collective mentality championed after the game by Mateo.

“Nobody is the star,” the Real coach said. “The team is the star. This is something the players know perfectly. The most important thing is the team. They fight together, rebound together, run together, play defense together. This is what they did today.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">👌 ¡A la final de la Euroliga! 👌</p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1794121338057056373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Veteran point guard [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/) did not seem particularly surprised as he reflected on his team’s sensational start, noting: “You always want to make a statement at the start of the game. We were ready. We were very focused, we felt that during the week when we were preparing for the game. We were a little nervous, a little anxious, but in a good way, and we showed it from the beginning. We were making baskets, rebounding the ball, we had energy and everybody was focused. It was very good.”

Real’s big men dominated the latter stages of the opening period, as Tavares scored twice close to the basket and [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/) added the last 5 points for a 9-0 run in the last 3 minutes, with aggressive team defense totally shutting down Olympiacos at the other end.

And Yabusele admitted his team made a special effort to start the game strong, saying: “We knew this was a tough Olympiacos team, so we had to set the tone. Our fight in the first half set us up for the second half. Even though we made some mistakes, we had so many points in advance.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Winning, it&#39;s in their DNA 🧬 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/26sI5KCddn">pic.twitter.com/26sI5KCddn</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1794133519804895389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Although Olympiacos did indeed battle hard to reduce the deficit to single digits in the final quarter, the lead established by Real’s early perfection proved too much to overturn.

The leading scorer in the opening quarter blitz was [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) with 9 points, and he believed establishing an early double-digit margin was an important factor in the victory: “It gave us a cushion, a little bit of comfort,” he said, also reflecting the confidence in the Real ranks as he added. “There is never any doubt in our team. We have heart, we have experience, we have a hunger for these games, and we are going for another trophy.”

Hezonja and his teammates certainly are going for another trophy, and if they can repeat their first quarter performance in Sunday’s title decider, they will have a great chance of succeeding.

Game News

Los Blancos started the game on fire, which put them in a great position to advance to the championship game

Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-05-24T19:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos BC's impressive start was even more notable for the fact that the team has very little prior experience at the Final Four.

Final Four inexperience didn’t bother focused Panathinaikos 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens blasted past Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, 73-57, in the opening semifinal on Friday, looking like a group of seasoned champions rather than a roster full of Final Four rookies. 

The Greek team raced to a 12-0 lead inside the opening 5 minutes thanks to a perfect blend of poised offense and intense defense. And although Fenerbahce bounced back to keep on competing until the fourth quarter, Panathinaikos never trailed and used its early advantage as the firm foundation for a convincing win. 

The Greens’ impressive start was even more notable for the fact that the team has very little prior experience at the Final Four, with only Ioannis Papapetrou and Kostas Sloukas appearing in the big event before this weekend. 

With Sloukas in his usual role off the bench, Panathinaikos started with four players – Kendrick Nunn, Jerian Grant, Konstantinos Mitoglou and Mathias Lessort – who were tasting the unique atmosphere of the Final Four for the first time, and were faced with the further mental challenge of a delayed tipoff. 

However, one man who certainly doesn’t lack experience in breathing the rarefied Final Four air is Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman, who won the trophy in consecutive seasons with Anadolu Efes (2021 and 2022) and has already fulfilled his preseason pledge of guiding the Greek giant back to the big stage for the first time in 12 years. 

Game Videos

Ataman revealed that he handled the Final Four inexperience among his players by instructing them to treat the semifinal like any normal night. “I told the guys in the locker room not to think that this is a Final Four game,” he said. “This is just a single game that we must win. That’s all. 

“Just play like we have all season. We were the best defensive team in the EuroLeague this season. So put this aggressiveness on the court, and offensively just play our game. For me, it’s very important to not think before about the results of the game. Focus on the game, play the game.” 

The team’s most impressive statistical performance came from big man Lessort, who registered a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. And the French powerhouse insisted that his team’s rookie status at this event was not a major issue. 

“We don’t have much experience in the Final Four, but we have guys who have experience,” noted Lessort. “Like Kendrick \[Nunn\], he hasn’t been in Europe for long but you can see how quickly he adjusted. He’s played in the NBA Finals, so he’s got experience.” 

Lessort also underlined coach Ataman’s emphasis on the importance of defense, saying: “The Final Four is not about who has the most talent or the best tactics – they are four great rosters, so it’s going to be about hustle. Fighting and playing defense. Taking care of the ball, rebounding.” 

That same focused mindset also allowed Panathinaikos to overcome the disruption of the delayed tipoff, with Lessort adding: "It was tough because we didn’t know when we were going to start, but we focus on the court and what we can control. You've got to come out ready, you've got to come out focused. You can’t come out sloppy, you’ve got to play hard and give your all, and that's what we did.” 

It wasn’t only the starting five who dealt calmly with the pressure – a notable aspect of the win was the contribution across the roster as Panathinaikos showed collective discipline and determination to hold onto its lead throughout the game, with everyone contributing. 

A prime example was another Final Four rookie Kostas Antetokounmpo, who didn’t score any points but showed all the hustle and defensive energy that Lessort claimed were vital. And after the game, the Greek center revealed his mindset in a unique courtside interview with none other than his brother, superstar Giannis. 

“Before the game I was excited, a little bit nervous,” Kostas told his sibling on EuroLeague TV. "But when the clock started everything went away. I was ready to play, come in and give an edge. The biggest key was the defense. Fener is a very good defensive team, but we played really hard defense and that’s why we won the game.” 

Giannis himself then took the microphone to analyze what had impressed him about his brother’s performance, mirroring Lessort’s comments as he said: "You cannot control the outcome of the game but you can control your effort and your attitude. Kostas was out there doing whatever he could for his team to win. Rebounding the ball, setting screens, rolling, bringing energy off the bench. This is what you’ve got to do. Sometimes you’re not going to score 20 points but you can control those things, and his effort and attitude was A-Plus.” 

And the same can be said about the entire Panathinaikos team, showing that with an A-Plus attitude, inexperience doesn’t necessarily matter. 

Despite having only two players to have previously played at European basketball's premier event, the Greens from Athens had a fine showing on Friday night

On Friday night, the Real Madrid center duo of Walter Tavares and Vincent Poirier completely dominated on both ends of the floor, setting the foundation for Los Blancos' 87-76 victory over Olympiacos Piraeus

Real relied on its total dominance inside

Coming into the Final Four, one of the main narratives was whether Olympiacos's quartet of big men could match Real Madrid's twin towers of Walter Tavares and Vincent Poirier.

On Friday night, the Real duo completely dominated on both ends of the floor, setting the foundation for *Los Blancos*' 87-76 victory.

Real controlled the battle under the rims, making 15-of-19 two-point shots through the first three quarters before finishing 19-for-28 (67.9%), fifth-best accuracy in a single Final Four game this century.

Tavares and Poirier were the main figures, of course, combining to make 7 of 8 attempts around the rim. The lone miss came with 2:10 to go in the fourth quarter and Real up 83-73.

However, it is easy to argue that the two were even more dominant on the defensive end.

Olympiacos made just 6 two-pointers in the first half and 6 in the second half, on 29 attempts (41.4%). Real also had 7 blocks, including 3 by Tavares.

"Playing versus Tavares and Poirier, we should be more ready mentally to understand what exactly we need to do", Olympiacos coach Georgios Bartzokas said after the loss. "We were hesitating a little bit, and this is not the right approach."

His centers combined to score 7 points, but what might have been even more impressive when it comes to the defense by Tavares and Poirier is that Olympiacos's foursome of Nikola Milutinov, Moustapha Fall, Filip Petrusev and Moses Wright combined for just 2 two-point attempts!

"I am probably responsible our centers could not help us as much as we wanted", Bartzokas said.

It is hard to decide what was more impressive, the low numbers that Real's defense allowed or the number of shots that Olympiacos did not even take.

That defensive success really made Tavares happy.

"We did a great job", the Real center said. "We knew it was going to be tough for us to play against them. We knew they are big, they are strong, they are great on the offensive rebounds."

The offensive rebounds in the second half were probably the only segment where Tavares & co. had some trouble. The Reds caught 11 offensive boards in the second half, and 14 for the night, thanks to the great energy in trying to rally from a 25-point deficit.

But that's something Coach Chus Mateo and his players will have two days to think about and plan to improve as they get ready for their third championship game in the past three years.

Walter Tavares and Vincent Poirier played big roles for Los Blancos in the semifinal victory 

The second 2024 Final Four semifinal between Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus saw several Final Four records broken or tied in Los Blancos' 87-76 win on Friday night.

Real, Olympiacos made it a record-setting night

The second 2024 Final Four semifinal between Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus saw several Final Four records broken or tied in Los Blancos' 87-76 win on Friday night.

By scoring 56 points before halftime, Real tied a single-game Final Four record for points in the first half, matching Montepaschi Siena's output in the third-place game in 2004.

Real's 9 first-half three-pointers tied the mark set by FC Barcelona last season. Los Blancos added just 3 more after the break. It was Olympiacos that finished the night with 14 triples, tying the all-time single-game mark at the Final Fours.

The two teams combined, however, had 26 threes, which set the new Final Four mark, besting 25 triples made by CSKA Moscow and Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the 2019 championship game.

Walter Tavares and Sergio Rodriguez made sure to add to the record setting night.

Tavares had 3 blocks, which made him the sole Final Four leader in blocked shots, with 19 to his name.

Rodriguez is now the leader in three-pointers made at Final Fours this century with 32, after going 2-for-2 against Olympiacos. He also moved into second place on the Final Four scoring charts with 198 points, passing J.R Holden (194) along the way. Sergio Llull tops the list with 207. 

Olympiacos BC had a first quarter to forget against Real Madrid, before outscoring Los Blancos the rest of the way. Yet, it wasn't enough as Real won the game.

Olympiacos dug itself too big a hole to get out of against Real Madrid

For anyone who tuned in at halftime of Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus’s semifinal bout at the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, they will have seen a second half that featured a very impressive performance by the Reds.

The problem is that Georgios Bartzokas’s side had such a bad first half that the writing was already on the wall. Real Madrid erupted for 56 points in the first 20 minutes compared to just 37 for Olympiacos, as the Greek outfit found itself down by 19.

Although the second quarter was closely fought, with Real outscoring Olympiacos 28-27, it was in the first quarter where the wheels fell off for the Reds as *Los Blancos* closed the opening 10 minutes with a 28-10 lead.

“We got down so big and against a lethal team like that, it’s going to be tough to come back,” [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) said in the mixed zone after the game. “You’ve got to give them a lot of credit with the way they started the game, I’m just disappointed with the way we came out and we didn’t really execute our game plan.”

Looking solely at the second half, Olympiacos increased its intensity and managed to outscore Real 31-39 in the final 20 minutes, but the [reigning EuroLeague champion still came away with an 87-76 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/semifinals-live-real-madrid-vs-olympiacos/). When Williams-Goss cut the deficit to eight points, 77-69, with 5:38 to go, it looked like a famous comeback was on. However, Real managed to raise its game again to secure its third straight championship game appearance.

For some of the Olympiacos players, they were left feeling frustrated at what could have been after Bartzokas’s men outscored Real 59-66 for the last three quarters.

“We proved there in that second half that we know what it takes, we just didn’t do it for the entirety of the game,” [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) commented in the mixed zone. “It’s a difficult one to swallow, just because we proved that we could do it \[in the second half\].”

“We cut it to like seven \[points\] and I think we had the opportunity for a split second,” [Shaq McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) noted. “But you can’t make any mistakes against this team.”

That’s something Olympiacos knows all too well.

Olympiacos Piraeus guard Nigel Williams-Goss (right) is guarded by Real Madrid playmaker Facu Campazzo in the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifinals.

The Reds were vastly improved from the second quarter onward, but they came up short against the reigning champion

After a season marked by injuries, the Panathinaikos veteran forward continues to be a key factor in the postseason.

Ioannis Papapetrou: 'I'm in the best shape of my life'

Ioannis Papapetrou returned to the Final Four for the first time since 2017, and made sure his presence was noticed when Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens topped Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 73-57 in the semifinals.

Papapetrou joked about his time away from the Final Four the day before the game. "It feels great. I hope it doesn't take another seven years because I will be too old for the next one!" he kidded.

Once he stepped on the court, Papapetrou was ready to deliver as he has done often lately. After averaging 3.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in nine regular season games, Papapetrou left his injuries behind, averaging 10.0 points on 57.9% three-pointers and 2.4 rebounds in the five-game playoff series against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

"Everybody understands that what I've been through and the situation, how it goes. But in moments like this, I understood that I had to run a marathon the fastest that I could. And this marathon was to come back to the best shape that I can," Papapetrou said after the game. "And I feel like I am now in a great shape. I said that before even the playoffs. I feel in good shape, I feel healthy, I feel that I'm giving everything that I can. I honestly feel like I'm in the best shape of my life and, I have sacrificed a lot."

Papapetrou got the ball rolling early with a mid-range jumper and didn't stop until that, being the Greens' X-factor again with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a PIR of 11.

Papapetrou makes things happen

Papapetrou got the ball rolling early with a mid-range jumper and didn't stop after that, serving as the Greens' s-factor again with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a PIR of 11. Down the stretch, he picked up a 50-50 ball and flexed his right arm to ignite the green sector in the crowd. He immediately drew an unsportsmanlike foul on Nick Calathes that allowed Panathinaikos to seal the outcome.

Papapetrou is now going to his third championship game, after previous experiences with Olympiacos Piraeus in 2015 and 2017, but he'll be looking for his first EuroLeague title. Of course, he believes that third time's a charm.

"I understand that I'm prepared. I understand that the team is prepared. I know that all that matters is to go in and give everything. If the shots fall, if the shots don't fall, it doesn't matter. You have to play hard and always the next play is more important in these games," he said. "If we give everything and we put our heart and soul in the game, I will be very proud with all the results.

"Having said that, let's go to win the EuroLeague."