Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has moved a step closer towards its ultimate goal of repeating as Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion by booking its place in the EuroLeague Playoffs, becoming the third team to do so after Olympiacos Piraeus and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Coach Ergin Ataman’s squad rubber-stamped their spot in the playoffs with a 76-88 road win at AS Monaco in Round 33 to improve to 21-12 on the season.

### Responding well to adversity

Injuries have been the story of the season for Panathinaikos, particularly at the center position. Marius Grigonis was the first to go down with a long-term injury, last playing in Round 4. All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort has been sidelined since Round 17 and Omer Yurtseven went down in Round 22 and only returned against Monaco. 

More Panathinaikos News

The reigning champion is the third team to confirm that it will be playing playoff basketball in April

Panathinaikos books its place in the EuroLeague Playoffs

Mario Hezonja loves to watch Paris Basketball. The All-EuroLeague forward led Real Madrid past Paris in Round 33.


Mario Hezonja shined against Paris with the style of play he loves

The stage was set for a big-time showdown as [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/?season=2024-25) and [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/?season=2024-25) came in with 18-14 records. The winner was a guaranteed a postseason berth.

It developed into a back-and-forth, fun-to-watch battle, which is exactly the type of game Real forward [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) enjoys watching - and playing in. Hezonja  made sure Real punched its postseason ticket with a strong all-around performance and a critical play in the final minute.

Hezonja came off the bench and immediately made things happen with 5 quick points. He soon added a reverse two-handed slam but despite Hezonja providing instant offense, Paris held on to lead 23-28 at the end of the first quarter. He barely returned to the bench in the last three quarters and that allowed him to showcase his offensive skills, especially from beyond the arc. The fact that Hezonja made at least one three-pointer in each quarter speaks wonders about his consistency.

Paris stayed in the game until the final minutes when [Tyson Ward](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyson-ward/012610/) buried a three-pointer to bring his team within 98-96. Hezonja grabbed the ball outside the three-point line, Euro-stepped in the paint, drew a foul and buried an off-balance jumper plus the and-one free throw that sealed the outcome with 38.0 seconds left. Paris only got closer once [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to fix the final score at 105-104.

Mario Hezonja led Real Madrid to a 105-104 home win over Paris Basketball in Round 33 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Hezonja has season-high 26 points against Paris

Hezonja finished the game with a season-high 26 points on 4-of-4 two-point shooting, 5-of-9 on three-pointers and 3-of-3 on free throws, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn.

After the game, Hezonja compared Paris to one of his former teams, praised the opponent and made sure once again that everyone knows what his favorite style of basketball is: run and gun.

"Yeah, that's the game. I know a lot of people \[that think\] defense, defense, defense, but they probably weren't able too much to put the ball in the basket, so that's why they say that. But I'm telling you, this is a wild team. We are wilder, definitely," Hezonja said. "They remind me a lot of my [UNICS Kazan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/unics-kazan/games/unk/) team, so I know how it is, and I respect them a lot. I love to watch them. I watched them a lot this year, and I wish them the best going forward.

"I think now things are starting to work. We understand where we are and know how to play these type of games. We understand in which moment and where we are in the season. Every time there is a challenge, we respond. We have to shut up, focus, and keep going like this."

With the win, Real has a chance to finish the regular season in a top-six spot, which would send it directly into the playoffs. That will depend on other results and necessitate a win over [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/?season=2024-25) in the Serbian capital in Round 34 next week.

Game Videos

Game News

The All-EuroLeague forward led Real Madrid past the debutants with 26 points

Real Madrid v Paris Basketball (2025-04-03T19:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich suffered a major setback in its hopes of grabbing home-court advantage in the playoffs in wasting a 16-point fourth-quarter lead as well as a night for the ages by star guard Carsen Edwards in losing at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. 

Edwards's record night, strong third quarter not enough as Bayern slip up 

[FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/roster/mun/?season=2024-25) suffered a major setback in its hopes of grabbing home-court advantage in the playoffs in wasting a 16-point fourth-quarter lead as well as a night for the ages by star guard [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) in losing at [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2024-25).

Bayern was trailing at halftime before Edwards drained 8 three-pointers and scored 26 points in the third quarter. Both marks established EuroLeague records for a single quarter. Still Maccabi fought back to record [a 93-90 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-survives-historic-edwards-explosion-rallies-to-upset-bayern-93-90/). 

Bayern came into the game in fifth place and could have secured a playoff spot (top 6) with a victory if [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/?season=2024-25) beats [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/?season=2024-25) on Friday. But Bayern could not finish the deal in falling to 19-14.

All of Carsen Edwards's record 26 points in the third quarter

The most deflating aspects of the loss were that Bayern had last week pulled off a big double round sweep [at FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-rallies-for-101-102-victory-in-barcelona/) and against [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-beats-partizan-89-74-books-postseason-berth/), and that Maccabi has already been eliminated from contention for the post-season.

“We had a good third quarter and fought our way back. Then we had some turnovers at the offensive end and they hit some threes and they got back into the game. They made some big plays,” said Bayern head coach Gordon Herbert, who watched his team commit 7 turnovers in the final 10 minutes.

Bayern had been feeling good after three quarters, especially after watching Edwards put in an otherworldly performance in the third stanza. He had just 2 points in the first half but hit first first three-point attempt after the break. He added 2 more threes and Bayern was starting to roll - up 50-57.

Edwards finally missed from long range, but Maccabi couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief because he knocked down 5 triples in a span of 76 seconds and added a layup as Bayern went up 57-71. Edwards added triple No. 8 to make it 59-74 for 26 of his 33 points in the game.

Edwards broke the record of [7 three-pointers in a single quarter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/kendrick-nunn-enjoyed-record-night-at-oaka/), set by [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) for [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) in [December 2024](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nunns-39-points-leads-panathinaikos-past-milan-103-74/) against [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25). And the Bayern star’s 26 points in the frame set a mark for most points in a quarter, besting the 21 points by Nunn against Milan and by [Toney Douglas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/toney-douglas/008152/) for [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/?season=2024-25) in [January 2018](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2017-18/anadolu-efes-istanbul-fenerbahce-dogus-istanbul/E2017/149/#boxscore) against [Fenebahce Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2024-25).

The Bayern star drew the praise of Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash, who said: “Carsen Edwards hit some crazy shots. It was a great performance by him. He had a crazy 5-6 minutes. He couldn’t miss a shot.”

But in the end, Bayern failed to come up with the win, putting itself behind the eight ball in terms of home-court advantage. Herbert’s team will finish the regular season at home against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. And in the end, the German side might be left wondering what if.

Bayern was unable to take advantage of a historic night by Carsen Edwards 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v FC Bayern Munich (2025-04-03T18:30:00.000Z)


Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade failed to keep alive its hopes of reaching the postseason after Alen Smailagic put his former club to the sword with an inspired performance that helped Zalgiris Kaunas to a 70-66 home win in Round 33 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Zalgiris prodigy Alen Smailagic came back to haunt inconsistent Partizan 

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-nis-belgrade/roster/par/?season=2024-25) failed to keep alive its hopes of reaching the postseason after [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) put his former club to the sword with an inspired performance that helped [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/?season=2024-25) to [a 70-66 home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/partizan-out-of-postseason-after-70-66-loss-at-zalgiris/) over the Serbian outfit in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Having already lost any chance of making the Play-In Showdown, Zalgiris gave its fans a fitting farewell in its last home game of the season, but more importantly, the hosts ended Partizan’s bid to earn a stay of execution.

Written off at the end of last term much like the rest of the roster after Partizan missed out on the play-in games, Smailagic came back with a vengeance and tormented the Serbian team with a rock solid performance.

The big man, who donned Partizan’s jersey for three years before moving to Zalgiris last summer, finished on 14 points and 4 boards, shooting 5 of 6 from the floor and 3 of 4 from the line while also putting in an impressive defensive shift.

The 24-year-old revealed that his heart was still very much in Belgrade but made it clear in no uncertain terms where his loyalty was after his monumental all-round effort lifted Zalgiris.  

“I feel bad about it, but I play for my team and for the colors I wear now,” Smailagic said in his postgame comments. “I love Partizan and even if they had won it would have been a win-win situation for me, but we won so we’re going home to relax and prepare for the next EuroLeague game. We were down by 5 at halftime, but we stayed together, kept our concentration and came out on top.”

Alen Smailagic came back to haunt Partizan 

The victory was just as bittersweet for Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri, who coached Partizan 2018-2020, winning two Serbian Cups with the team before he made way for the club’s incumbent coach Zeljko Obradovic, the winner of a record nine EuroLeague titles. In fact, this was Trinchieri's first head-to-head win over Obradovic after eight consecutive defeats. 

The Italian tactician offered some interesting analogies to describe his dismay with a disjointed first half from Zalgiris, which trailed 35-40 at the interval before stifling Partizan out with physical second-half defense.

Partizan still looked the more likely winner when it nosed ahead 59-62 in the fourth quarter but the visitors went ice cold from the floor in the home stretch as Zalgiris closed shop, while [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) and Smailagic did the damage at the other end.

“The first half was like a hot dog without mustard but we were good in the second,” Trinchieri said. “We played without the right intensity in the first half against a good team and it was a must-win game for them. It’s like you miss one penny to be a millionaire on every play and in the second half we found that penny. The thing that I liked the most was that despite struggling on offense, we never gave up on defense.”

Francisco, who paced Zalgiris on 15 points despite shooting 1 of 9 from downtown, added: “We managed to make a lot of stops in the second half. We put more pressure on [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) to wear him down, he had a good game as he finished on 23 points and 16 of them in the first half. The collective effort on defense in the second was crucial though.”

Obradovic tried to put on a brave face after a tough loss, which made Partizan’s final regular season game at home to Real Madrid next week competitively meaningless for the Serbian team. However, Obradovic admitted that he had expected more from his team, which paid the price for a dreadful start and an equally poor finish to this term’s campaign.

Having opened its account with a 2-8 start, Partizan recovered superbly and appeared to be cruising into the postseason after a 13-4 streak lifted the club into eighth place on a 15-12 record, with a top-six finish and an automatic playoff berth beckoning.

Partizan then faded away when the chips were down, losing five of its last six games and will be reduced to being mere spectators when the business end of Europe’s premier club competition commences.

“We were very slow in the second half. Slow decision making, we failed to adjust when they switched on defense,” Obradovic said at the postgame press conference. 

“Congratulations to Zalgiris, small details decided the game and their offensive rebounding was crucial in the second half. I am disappointed because I believed this team was going to make the top eight or at least the top 10, but we didn’t find a way. Especially not in the last few games when we needed to most and there are no excuses.” 

The big man shined against his former club to help the Lithuanian side eke out a gratifying home win

Zalgiris Kaunas v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-04-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv survived a historic outburst by Carsen Edwards to rally and shock FC Bayern Munich 93-90 to continue its strong close to the season. Edwards broke the records for most three-pointers and points in a quarter - 8 and 26 respectively in the third quarter 

Maccabi survives historic Edwards explosion, rallies to upset Bayern 93-90

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv survived a historic outburst by Carsen Edwards to rally and shock FC Bayern Munich 93-90 to continue its strong close to the season. Edwards broke the records for most three-pointers and points in a quarter - 8 and 26 respectively in the third quarter - and helped Bayern lead by 16 points early in the final frame. But Maccabi surged back to win the game, the Israeli champ’s fifth victory in the last seven games for an 11-22 record.

In the team’s final home game of the season, Jimmy Clark paced six Maccabi scorers in double figures with 20 points while Levi Randolph scored 17 points - including 4 free throws in the waning seconds, Rokas Jokubaitis had 12 points, Omer Mayer 11 and Rafi Menco and Roman Sorkin both chipped in 10 points. Bayern suffered a tough loss in its fight for home-court advantage in the playoffs in falling to 19-14 after sweeping the double-round last week. Edwards finished with 9 triples and 33 points in the loss and Shabazz Napier tallied 17 points.

Bayern started the game with Devin Booker in the first five, a welcome return for the big man who had not played since Round 24 due to a knee problem. And the big man hit a triple to open the scoring. Bayern’s defense held Maccabi to one score in the first 3 minutes and led 2-6. The hosts played a good stretch of defense in their own right with a 12-3 run in nearly 7 minutes to lead 14-9. Bayern showed its explosiveness though with 10 points in 71 seconds - 8 of them by Napier - and led 17-22 after the opening quarter.

Randolph had 5 points as Maccabi opened the second stanza with a 7-0 spurt to reclaim the lead 24-22 in holding Bayern scoreless for more than 2 minutes. The cushion grew to 29-24 thanks to a triple from Maccabi’s young talent Mayer. Bayern was back in front 33-34 after three-pointers by Andi Obst, who drained another long ball to make it 38-39. Clark was the main man at the other end with back-to-back triples and a big dunk to give him 14 points in the second quarter and give Maccabi a 48-44 cushion at the break.

Bayern came out of the locker room with better defense, forcing four turnovers in the first 4 minutes. Then started the Carsen Edwards show! He drained 2 three-pointers in a 0-10 start to the third quarter to lead 48-54. Five more Edwards triples extended the Bayern cushion to 57-71. And Edwards was not done yet with his record-breaking eighth three-pointer of the quarter for a 59-74 advantage, which was 61-74 after 30 minutes.

Three Niels Giffey free throws extended the lead to 61-77 to start the final frame. Rafi Menco exploded for his first 7 points for the hosts. Bayern still seemed in control after 2 three-pointers to remain up 70-83. But Maccabi was not ready to give up with 11 straight points to pull within 81-83 with 4 minutes to go. The hosts kept charging and Clark converted 2 free throws with 61 seconds left to tie the game 87-87. After an Edwards turnover, Trevion Williams scored inside with 26 seconds remaining. And Randolph sandwiched 4 free throws in the final 5.7 seconds around another Edwards triple to give Maccabi the win.

Maccabi grabs its fifth win in the last seven games

Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa combined for 46 points in Real's 19th win.


Real gets go-ahead win against Paris, 105-104! 

Real Madrid qualified for the postseason by topping Paris Basketball 105-104 at Movistar Arena in Round 33 on Thursday. Real improved to 19-14 in the standings, locking up a top-10 finish at the end of the regular season. Paris dropped to 18-15 and could also qualify to the postseason at the end of this round if other results go its way.

Mario Hezonja led the winners with 26 points. Dzanan Musa added 20, Andres Feliz and Walter Tavares each scored 15 while Serge Ibaka posted 11 for Real. TJ Shorts paced Paris with 24 points and 10 assists. Nadir Hifi added 23 points, Tyson Ward had 18 and Mikael Jantunen 13.

Shorts got Paris going with a floater. Tavares matched it with a layup and Gabriel Deck's corner triple gave Real its first lead, 5-2. After Sebastian Herrera answered from downtown, Usman Garuba and Bandja Sy traded layups. Deck insisted from beyond the arc for a 10-7 Real lead. Ward joined the three-point shootout and Hifi bettered Deck's layup with a triple for a 12-13 Paris edge. Hezonja stepped up with 5 quick points. Collin Malcolm struck from downtown before Musa'a driving layup set a 19-16 Real edge. Hifi scored in penetration and Sy added a three-pointer in a 0-7 run that Leopold Cavaliere capped with a layup. Hezonja ignited the crowd with a reverse slam and Ibaka added a put-back basket, but Jantunen singlehandedly kept Paris ahead, 23-28, after 10 minutes.

 

Shorts buried a jumper and erased Feliz's off-balance basket by hitting another mid-range shot. Hezonja tried to change things with a triple, but Ward banked in a close shot and matched Musa's layup with a jump hook. Ibaka scored in the paint before Musa's three-pointer got Real within 35-36. Ward stayed hot for Paris, though Hezonja and an outstanding Ibaka helped Los Blancos to a 42-40 lead. After Hifi and Feliz traded three-pointers, Tavares added a put-back layup. Hezonja's backdoor basket boosted Real's lead to 49-43. Shorts struck from beyond the arc and Malcolm followed with a driving layup. Shorts improved on Tavares's jump hook with a triple that tied it again, 51-51. Musa scored off the baseline but Jantunen's buzzer-beating jumper fixed the halftime score at 53-53.

Shorts scored in penetration soon after the break and improved on Garuba's dunk with 3 free throws. Jantunen struck from downtown to give Paris a 55-61 lead. Tavares stepped up with a jump hook that Yakuba Ouattara improved on with a bomb from beyond the arc. Hezonja and Hifi each buried a triple and so did Musa to make it 63-67. Malcolm joined the three-point shootout, getting help from Cavaliere to boost Paris's margin to double digits, 65-75. Feliz rescued Real with a driving layup that Musa bettered with a three-pointer. Shorts took over with an acrobatic layup that Hezonja bettered with a triple in transition. Shorts answered from beyond the arc for a 74-80 Paris lead after three quarters.  

 

Hezonja sank a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Feliz added a driving layup before Ibaka completed Real's comeback, 81-80. Musa took over with a three-point play that capped a 10-0 run. Ward dunked and Hifi erased Facu Campazzo's layup with an off-balance jumper. Hifi soon tied the game at 86-86 with a driving layup. Campazzo rescued Los Blancos with a bomb from beyond the arc, which Feliz followed with a fastbreak layup to make Paris stop the game at 89-84. Tavares dunked and made 3 free throws to cap a 10-0 run, giving Real a 96-86 lead with less than 3 minutes left. Shorts stepped up with a driving layup and Jantunen added a three-pointer before Hifi gave Paris hope at 98-93. Ward struck from downtown, but Hezonja's three-point play sealed the outcome with time to spare, as Paris only got within striking distance right at the buzzer.

Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa combined for 46 points in pivotal victory


Real gets go-ahead win against Paris, 105-104

Just a few days after reportedly agreeing to extend his contract with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens through 2028, Kendrick Nunn decided to celebrate this huge news for the Greens fans with an unreal outing away at AS Monaco on Thursday evening.

Panathinaikos enjoyed another one-Nunn-show in win over Monaco

Just a few days after reportedly agreeing to extend his contract with [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) through 2028, [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) decided to celebrate this huge news for the Greens fans with an unreal outing away at [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25) on Thursday evening.

Panathinaikos took to the Salle Gaston Medecin with their backs against the wall after a [98-101 home loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/paris-stuns-panathinaikos-in-thriller-98-101/) to [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/roster/prs/?season=2024-25) last week. Ergin Ataman’s side needed a victory in their bid to clinch home-court advantage and Nunn delivered on the floor from the off.

He scored 9 of his team’s 32 points in the first quarter and finished the first half on 18 points. Panathinaikos were leading by as many as 17 (32-49) with 4 minutes left in the second quarter, but Monaco responded with a 16-0 surge that saw the hosts cut the deficit to 48-49 midway through the third.

Kendrick Nunn with 37 Points vs. AS Monaco, 04/03/2025

Kendrick Nunn scored 37 points at AS Monaco

Enter a red-hot Nunn, who scored 9 points and set up [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) for a slam, restoring a 48-60 lead for the reigning champion. The Panathinaikos guard went on to finish the game with 37 points and a career-high PIR of 43.

“Amazing teamwork, but also amazing performance by Kendrick Nunn,” Ataman told EuroLeague TV. “He played a final game for us to get the home-court advantage, \[scored\] 37 points and these field goals. Kendrick Nunn’s performance today is one of the best performances I’ve seen so far in the EuroLeague.”

Nunn went 9-for-12 from inside the arc and 5-for-5 from deep, also making 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. To his impressive stat-line he added 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal to grab the spotlight for yet another night.

“An MVP performance by Kendrick Nunn,” his teammate, [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/), told EuroLeague TV. “He’s our MVP. In a game like this, on the road, when you need to win to get third or second place, MVPs step up and that’s what he did.”

A tireless Nunn missed only 45 seconds of action, staying on the floor for a season-high 39:15. Asked about his decision not to rest his star, Ataman joked about Nunn’s game time.

“He was lucky because he rested for 45 seconds,” he added. “If you talk with [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), he understood \[when I coached him at [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/?season=2024-25)\] that many games he’d play for 40-45 minutes. It’s basketball. Your player is playing well, letting him play. He didn’t feel tired. He was on an amazing day. Why should I make rotation and lose time?”

Nunn demonstrated (again) why he’s rightfully in the conversation for the EuroLeague MVP award. When it mattered most, the 29-year-old guard almost single-handedly led Panathinaikos to a huge victory for yet another time.

The Greens' superstar the game with 37 points and a career-high PIR of 43

AS Monaco v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-04-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas ground out a rugged 70-66 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the penultimate round of the Turkish Airlines regular season and vanquished the Serbian team’s hopes of sneaking into the postseason picture.

Partizan out of postseason after 70-66 loss at Zalgiris 

Zalgiris Kaunas ground out a rugged 70-66 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the penultimate round of the Turkish Airlines regular season and vanquished the Serbian team’s hopes of sneaking into the postseason picture.

With Zalgiris already eliminated and having only pride to play for, Partizan needed a win to keep alive an outside chance of making the top 10 but the visitors went ice cold from the floor when the chips were down, while the home team prevailed thanks to ironclad defense.

Sylvain Francisco paced Zalgiris on a team high 15 points and Partizan’s former big man Alen Smailagic chipped in with 14, with the duo instrumental at both ends in a strength-sapping finish when baskets were extremely difficult to come by.

At the other end, Carlik Jones led Partizan on a game high 23 points, including 16 in a blistering first half when the South Sudan playmaker toyed with his markers, lighting up the contest with a series of spectacular layups and mid-range jumpers.

Brandon Davies added 10 points and 6 boards for Partizan but the rest of the visiting team’s roster struggled heavily on offense, as the Serbian outfit dropped to 16-17 after a fifth loss in its last six games. Zalgiris improved to 15-18 after clawing out the win in front of a fervent crowd in its last home game of the season.

Zalgiris took full advantage of big man Tyrique Jones’s absence from Partizan’s ranks to dominate inside early on, racing into a 6-0 lead before Jones took over and started pulling the strings for the visitors.

Having shot 5 of 5 from inside, the hosts engineered a 24-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter but Partizan ramped up its defense in the second. The Serbian team turned the tide with a 0-10 run and took a commanding 31-39 lead before Zalgiris closed the gap to 35-40 at the interval, setting the stage for a titanic second-half tussle.

A slow start in the third quarter cost Partizan again as Zalgiris netted 8 points without reply and kept the visitors scoreless for more than 5 minutes, with Aleksej Pokusevski ending the drought with a pair of free throws followed by a three-pointer.

The rivals were all square, 49-49, heading into the final 10 minutes and the contest which resembled a wrestling match was clearly headed for a dramatic climax, as Partizan nosed ahead 59-62 with the home straight around the corner.

Zalgiris then forced the final twist with a 7-0 run which gave the home team a 66-62 lead on the back of a Francisco three-pointer and the guard sank a tough floater soon after to make it 68-64.  

Isaac Bonga kept Partizan afloat with a pair of free throws but Smailagic delivered the killer blow at the other end to delight the home fans in the Zalgirio Arena and force his former club into submission.

Defeat by the Lithuanian giant left the 1992 EuroLeague champs with no chance of squeezing into the Play-In Showdown 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has secured home-court advantage in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs by defeating AS Monaco 76-88 at Salle Gaston Medecin  behind 37 points from Kendrick Nunn

Panathinaikos downs Monaco, 76-88, secures top-four spot

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has secured home-court advantage in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs by defeating AS Monaco 76-88 at Salle Gaston Medecin on Thursday evening. The Greens led for the majority of the game, with Kendrick Nunn pulling off an extraordinary display that inspired his team’s victory.

Panathinaikos also claimed head-to-head advantage over Monaco and improved its record to 21-12. The hosts saw their three-game winning streak come to a close and dropped to 20-13.

Nunn led all scorers with 37 points and a career-high PIR of 43, with Jerian Grant adding 14 points. Daniel Theis paced Monaco with 18 points, Alpha Diallo scored 16, Elie Okobo had 13 and Jaron Blossomgame netted 12.

An exchange of blows in the opening stages saw Monaco take a 7-4 lead, with Theis netting 5 points. Okobo and Nunn opened their accounts from inside before buckets from Blossomgame and Diallo made it 13-9. But Panathinaikos responded with a 0-7 run fueled by Cedi Osman, who scored 5 points in transition. Back-to-back baskets from Konstantinos Mitoglou were followed by a Grant triple that opened a 18-27 lead. Blossomgame responded from deep, but Nunn netted 5 straight points for a 21-32 cushion after 10 minutes.

Nunn hit the ground running in the second quarter, taking his tally to 13 points and extending Panathinaikos’s lead to 25-40. Okobo and Nunn traded triples before 4 points by Theis slightly cut the difference to 36-49. Mike James scored his first points of the game from beyond the arc and Okobo netted a buzzer-beating jumper that brought Monaco within 41-49 thanks to an 11-2 surge to finish the first half.

Okobo opened the third quarter with a three before buckets by Blossomgame and Diallo slashed the deficit to 48-49. Panathinaikos was held scoreless for 9 minutes across the second and third quarters before 9 points and an assist by Nunn restored a 48-60 lead. Blossomgame answered with a triple, but Omer Yurtseven’s second straight dunk allowed the visitors to maintain a 51-62 cushion. Then, an on-fire Nunn completed a three-point play to make it 53-65 heading into the closing quarter.

Buckets by Yurtseven sandwiched a Matthew Strazel triple before a Diallo layup in transition brought Monaco within 64-71. A three-point play from Kostas Sloukas was followed by a triple from Okobo, who made it 69-74. Grant and Nunn replied with back-to-back midrange jumpers, 69-78. Then, Nunn nailed another three and Grant made 2 of 3 from the charity stripe to finish the game off.

The Greens also claimed head-to-head advantage over Vassilis Spanoulis’s side