Panathinaikos BC beat Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 88-95 in Game 4 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Playoffs to force a Game 5 at OAKA next week.

Panathinaikos downs Maccabi 88-95 to set up Game 5

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens lives to fight another day as the Greek side defeated Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 88-95 in Game 4 on the road, therefore setting up a Game 5 back at OAKA next week.

The battle of six-time EuroLeague champs was decided by Kendrick Nunn scoring 27 points and Kostas Sloukas recording up 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for the Greens. Lorenzo Brown tallied 17 points to lead Maccabi.

Game Videos

The game tipped off with Wade Baldwin back in the Maccabi starting lineup after coming back from a hamstring injury, while Ioannis Papapetrou was a starter for the Greens for the first time this season. Sloukas started the game with a layup to give him more points than he had in Game 3, when he was scoreless for the first time since Round 21 of the 2017-18 season. He scored the guests' first five points. The score was deadlocked 10-10 when Panathinaikos went on a 2-10 surge to pull ahead 12-20. Maccabi fought back thanks to the long ball with four three-pointers – two from John DiBartolomeo – and the home side led 29-26 after 10 minutes.

Maccabi twice pushed the advantage to five points, including 34-29, only to see the Greens go ahead 35-36. There was bad news for Maccabi, though, as Baldwin was forced to leave the game midway through the second quarter and did not return. Maccabi answered with the next five points but the rest of the second quarter was tight and Maccabi went into the break 50-49 ahead.

Game News

Papapetrou and Sloukas opened the second half with triples but Panathinaikos could not pull away, with Bonzie Colson hitting twice from deep to make it 63-63. Tamir Blatt’s second triple of the quarter put Maccabi back up 66-65. Panathinaikos answered with two three-pointers and a Sloukas three-point play had the guests ahead 68-74. And the score was 69-74 after 30 minutes.

Maccabi opened the fourth quarter with a 13-1 run for an 82-75 cushion. Panathinaikos was not done yet with two triples and closed to within 86-85 and two free throws by Sloukas and Mathias Lessort put the Greens back up 88-91 with under 2 minutes to play. Sloukas followed with a big jumper and Panathinaikos was up five points with 61 seconds remaining. 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's Mathias Lessort has possession against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Game 4 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

The Greens leveled the series with an impressive end to the contest

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-05-02T18:45:00.000Z)

From the night he scored 22 points in his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague home debut to beat Panathinaikos 81-78 in the Greek Derby on March 3, 2020, there has been a love affair between Shaquielle McKissic and the Olympiacos Piraeus faithful at Peace and Friendship Stadium.

 Big-game Shaq McKissic was everything Olympiacos fans have come to expect 

From the night he scored 22 points in his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague home debut to beat Panathinaikos 81-78 in [the Greek Derby on March 3, 2020](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2019-20/olympiacos-piraeus-panathinaikos-opap-athens/E2019/237/#boxscore), there has been a love affair between [Shaquielle McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) and the Olympiacos Piraeus faithful at Peace and Friendship Stadium.

On Thursday, in his 143rd EuroLeague game in the same jersey, that love affair grew even deeper.

McKissic led Olympiacos to t[he second-biggest survival win in EuroLeague Playoffs history](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/olympiacos-piraeus-fc-barcelona/E2023/323/), dismantling FC Barcelona 92-58 and force a do-or-die Game 5 in their series next week in Spain.

"I've got an amazing coach, an amazing team, an amazing staff, an amazing city, amazing country," McKissic gushed after the season-saving win.

"And amazing fans. That's who we are fighting for, so when you keep that in mind, you want to go out there and play as hard as you can."

Nothing was certain when McKissic entered the game with 3:26 left in the first quarter and Barca ahead 14-19. He didn't leave again until Olympiacos was leading 53-37 at halftime behind the club's highest-scoring first half in a postseason game this century. By then, McKissic had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists and was well on his way to game highs of 21 points, 28 PIR and a plus-minus of +36. 

Shaquielle McKissic's Game 4 highlights vs. Barcelona

That PIR total was the second highest of McKissic's career, but was nothing the Olympiacos fans hadn't come to expect.

Two seasons ago, in Game 5 of his first playoff series, he led Olympiacos with 18 points and 24 PIR in a [94-88](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-as-monaco/E2021/326/#boxscore) home win over AS Monaco that meant the team's first Final Four visit in five seasons. This time last year, his 11 points and 14 PIR in Game 5 helped the Reds surpass Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul [84-72](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2022/323/#boxscore) and return to the big dance.

Thursday's encore was nothing McKissic hasn't come to expect from himself, either. 

"Back against the wall, it's war time," he said. "That's when I like to have the most fun."

The hero for Olympiacos Piraeus in its blowout Game 4 win over FC Barcelona was already looking ahead to the deciding fifth game next week in Spain.

Shaquielle McKissic: 'One more game; let's go do it'

McKissic's latest heroics mean that Olympiacos, last season's runner-up for the title by a hair's breadth, will try to make history in Barcelona next week by being the first road winner in Game 5 history.

One player everyone can assume will be ready for the moment is McKissic.

"We came out and proved why I think we deserve to be in the Final Four," McKissic said of the Game 4 win.

"We've still got one more game, but let's go do it. If they beat us, hats off to them."

Time and again, it has been a Shaq Attack for Olympiacos in the biggest showdowns, and Game 4 on Thursday was no exception.





Big-game Shaq McKissic was everything Olympiacos fans have come to expect

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Barcelona (2024-05-02T16:45:00.000Z)

The series is now set to go to Game 5 after a dominant Olympiacos Piraeus cruised past FC Barcelona at Peace And Friendship Stadium. 

Reds blow out Barca 92-58 in Game 4

Olympiacos Piraeus responded to its Game 3 home defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona by thrashing the visitors 92-58 on Thursday to take their best-of-five playoff series to the do-or-die limit next week in Spain. 

The visitors started strong and took a 21-23 lead into the second quarter, but the hosts went on a 17-0 run and never looked back. They outscored Barcelona 32-14 in the second quarter to take a 53-37 lead into the second half, where they finished the game off without further drama. It wound up being Barcelona's worst-ever road loss, playoffs or not, in the EuroLeague this century.

Shaquielle McKissic led all scorers with 21 points. Moustapha Fall added 12, Nigel Williams-Goss and Isaiah Canaan 11 each, and Filip Petrusev 10 for the Reds. For Barcelona, Jabari Parker was the only double-digit scorer, with all of his 10 points coming in the first half.

Both teams' big men strong, with Barca's Jan Vesely netting 7 points and Fall responding with 10 of his own as the visitors grabbed a 12-14 lead. Ricky Rubio's triple was followed Parker scoring inside for Barca, but Alec Peters took his tally to an early 4 points to bring  Olympiacos within 14-19. Canaan downed three-pointer and Fall detonated his fourth dunk already to make it 19-21. When Oscar Da Silva and McKissic traded baskets, Barcelona took a 21-23 lead into the second quarter.

The Greek side surged into the second quarter as Petrusev hit free throws, McKissic drove for layup, Giannoulis Larentzakis added 4 points and Nikola Milutinov dunked to catapult the into a 31-23 lead. But they weren't done yet. Nigel Williams-Goss and Parker exchanged triples before Petrusev extended Olympiacos's lead to 38-26. McKissic added triple that Petrusev followed with consecutive baskets to make it 47-28, a 35-9 swing since the middle of the first quarter. Willy Hernangomez responded for Barcelona with an inside bucket and Parker's triple cut the deficit to 49-35. But when McKissic netted 4 unanswered points, Olympiacos preserved a 53-37 cushion heading into the second half. Those were the most points scored by Olympiacos in the first half of any postseason game this century.

The Reds kept it going with an 8-0 burst to open the third quarter as Canaan and Williams-Goss drilled back-to-back triples to take the lead to 61-37. It took Barcelona 4 minutes score, with Vesely nailing a mid-range jumper before Alex Abrines drilled a triple to cut the difference to 61-42. Da Silva and Williams-Goss soon exchanged baskets before Kostas Papanikolaou knocked down consecutive triples to make it 69-45. Papanikolaou came back for another three-pointer that meant a 72-47 Olympiacos lead after 30 minutes.

Neither team found the bottom of the basket for the first 2 minutes of the final quarter before McKissic nailed a triple at 75-47. Nikola Kalinic and Petrusev traded baskets before McKissic's next layup made it 81-50. Olympiacos kept its the foot on the gas as Williams-Goss netted a triple, McKissic added 3 points the hard way and Canaan finished his tally from deep to make the final margin 34 points, matching the fourth-biggest win in EuroLeague Playoffs history.

The series is now set to go to Game 5 after a dominant Olympiacos cruised past Barcelona at Peace And Friendship Stadium. 



An acclaimed violinist and pyrotechnics came together to deliver a spectacle for the ages

Fenerbahce's Game 3 pre-game show goes viral!

Before Game 3 of its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoff series against AS Monaco, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul treated a sellout crowd of 12,780 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall to an outstanding pre-game show that instantly went viral on social media.

Last week, Fenerbahce claimed home-court advantage in the series against Monaco with a 91-95 overtime victory in Game 1. Once the series moved to Ulker Sports and Event Hall on Wednesday, Fenerbahce made sure that the home crowd got involved even before it started.

Shortly before the player introductions, the lights went out in the arena and fans were asked to use their cell phones as flashlights. As thousands of lights shined all over the arena, the logo on center court was illuminated and violinist Ayca Torunoglu started to play Promentory's Last of the Mohicans to the accompaniment of the Rhythm Arena percussion team and majorettes waving light sticks. A special banner was raised that covered an entire section of the stands. It depicted a race car driven by Yellow, the team's mascot, and in the back seat, a driver holding aloft the EuroLeague trophy.

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As the music speeds up to Linkin Park's 'Hit the Floor', the choreography accelerates and a video screened on the jumbotron. Then, the MC takes the mic and - with Metallica's 'Wherever I May Roam' playing, the Fenerbahce players are introduced.

When posted on the EuroLeague's Instagram account, the Fenerbahce pre-game show immediately went viral, reaching 2.5 million views, and counting, in less than 16 hours. A quick look at the comments says it all about how much people loved the show.

"One of the greatest introductions in basketball," Antonis Doumas said. "Goosebumps", "stunning" and "perfect" were some of the words used by Instagram users from around the world.

"As someone who has performed in front of large crowds many times throughout my career, I can say that I have never experienced the synergy that was there that day," Torunoglu said. "13.000 people around me, millions behind me, one heart on the field and Fenerbahçe Club, one of the biggest communities in Turkey (from the fans to the managers) who organized it perfectly! Going viral is the natural result!"

Fenerbahce used the opportunity of the EuroLeague Playoffs to celebrate Turkish tradition, local pride and elite basketball, putting it all together to create a pre-game show for the ages!

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v AS Monaco (2024-05-01T17:45:00.000Z)

Real Madrid’s stalwarts delivered for the defending champions big time when the chips were down

Unsung heroes Rodriguez and Campazzo pulled the strings in crunch time

Guerschon Yabusele produced a majestic fourth-quarter performance that helped reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Real Madrid complete a 3-0 playoff sweep of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Wednesday, thus sealing a 2024 Final Four berth. 

The big man racked up 23 points and 7 boards in a 98-102 road win as Real became the first team to reach this year’s showpiece event, but it was the Old Guard personified by veterans Chacho Rodriguez and Facu Campazzo that masterminded an impressive Game 3 comeback. 

The 37-year-old Rodriguez came off the bench and dished out 9 assists, in addition to the 6 points he scored from a pair of shots from downtown. Even more crucially, the 33-year-old Campazzo racked up 13 points and 8 assists, shinning in the home stretch as he kept feeding the lethal Yabusele in the paint.

Rodriguez also served up a magical assist to the towering Frenchman in the process while Campazzo scored Real’s last 5  points in an enthralling contest, as the champs twice rallied from a 10-point deficit to force the final twist.

Real Madrid came from behind in the fourth quarter

Although Rodriguez and Camapzzo are both in the lions-in-winter stage of their illustrious careers, it is hardly surprising they propelled Real when it mattered most, with a combined wealth of experience the duo has under their belts. Both have won two EuroLeague titles each with the club and are now gunning for a third in Berlin. 

Rodriguez, who also won Europe’s premier club competition with CSKA Moscow, was calm and composed after a rip-roaring battle with Baskonia, though he was also clearly elated. 

“We knew we were playing a talented team after having two good games in Madrid,” Rodriguez said in his post-game comments. “This one was always going to be more difficult but we showed that we can compete at the highest level, like we have done throughout the season. It’s a big accomplishment for us to be in the Final Four again.”

Sergio Rodriguez, Real Madrid: 'The season starts with the playoffs'

Having largely cruised to 90-74 and 101-90 wins in the opening two games on home court, Real trailed for the lion’s share of Game 3 but turned the tide with a 0-13 streak in the fourth quarter which gave the champs the lead for good, 80-88.

Croatian forward Mario Hezonja was also instrumental with 16 points, as was center Walter Tavares who racked up 12 points and 13 rebounds. Gabriel Deck added 13 points to underline a deep roster which made light of a poor night endued by the normally prolific Dzanan Musa, who finished on a mere 3 points. 

With Vincent Poirier and another veteran, Sergio Llull, adding 8 points each, head coach Chus Mateo was purring with delight after the game knowing his team would head to the Final Four in top gear for a semifinal clash with either perennial Spanish rival Barcelona or Olympiacos Piraeus. 

“We knew we were going to have bad moments in the game but we were able to recover,” said the 55-year-old tactician who guided Real to last year’s record-extending 11th EuroLeague title. “We came back from losing by 10 and I am very proud of the team because they keep fighting until the end. It was important to complete the sweep because you never know how a playoff series is going to pan out. We got the job done against a team which always has a lot of points in their hands.”

Guerschon Yabusele: 'It's time for the Final Four'

Yabusele was also beaming with delight after putting Baskonia to the sword with 11 fourth-quarter points. 

 “It was a really tough game,” he said. “We didn’t want to give it away and give them confidence for \[another game here\] on Friday, we wanted to finish the series.” 

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Real Madrid (2024-05-01T18:30:00.000Z)

The Fenerbahce playmaker continues cementing his legacy with another fine playoff performance at age 35.


Veteran Calathes rose to the occasion again in Game 3

When the playoffs arrive, teams need their leaders. And Nick Calathes has been steady at the wheel for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, which after his strong performance against AS Monaco on Wednesday night is now just one win away from a ticket to the 2024 Final Four in Berlin.

Calathes rose to the occasion with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 18 in an 89-78 Game 3 victory. Through the first three games of the series, he has averaged 12.3 points on outstanding shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for a PIR of 15.7, which are all similar to or better than his regular season averages: 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists for a PIR of 10.0.

Even though all three games have come under the bright lights of the playoffs against a championship contender while dealing with intense defensive responsibilities, Calathes has stood out.

Nick Calathes highlights from Game 3

“Calathes is doing a very good job, putting all his power to limit Mike \[James\] as much as we can,” Fenerbahce head coach – and a man who knows a thing or two about playoff pressure – Sarunas Jasikevicius said after Game 3. “The responsibilities put on point guards are very difficult. The highest standards are for the point guards because they're the ones who run the team and this is the most difficult position in basketball.”

At age 35, Calathes is no spring chicken. But his experience is serving him well, while his longevity is allowing Calathes to further cement his legacy as one of the best playmakers in competition history. Already the EuroLeague all-time leader in assists (2,068) and steals (443), on Wednesday he leapfrogged two former MVPs – Vassilis Spanoulis and Nikola Mirotic – to climb into sixth place in the all-time PIR count with 4,199.

He is also within striking distance of the all-time lead in the EuroLeague Playoffs in both assists and steals. Calathes enters Game 4 in third place with 184 playoff assists. Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is second with 186, though he plays on Thursday against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. The leader, with 189, is Spanoulis.

When it comes to steals, Calathes trails the all-time playoff leader, his former teammate Dimitris Diamantidis with 45, by just 3. He is also among the playoff leaders in points (368, tied for 7th), two-pointers made (105, tied for 5th) and defensive rebounds (106, tied for 5th).

While the legacy numbers emphasize how great Calathes has been since he first provided a spark for Panathinaikos as a 20-year-old, his high level of play and consistency against Monaco are the reasons Fenerbahce fans are looking up prices for flights to Berlin later this month.

Team leader Nick Calathes of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul spoke about his team moving to within one victory of the Final Four right after they took Game 3 away from AS Monaco.

Nick Calathes: 'Defense was crucial for us'

Fenerbahce has been able to outperform Monaco so far in the series even though center Johnathan Motley has yet to dress for a game due to injury. While Georgios Papagiannis has seen an uptick in minutes to compensate, Fenerbahce has also played stretches with smaller lineups seen infrequently in the regular season.

Calathes’s play has been pivotal in making such lineups work. He is one of two Fenerbahce players (the other is Nigel Hayes-Davis) with a PIR of at least 10 in all three playoff games. And all eyes will be on the veteran playmaker as Fenerbahce looks to finish off the series at home in Game 4 on Friday.

After an impressive first stint at the head of the bench, Mijatovic will remain there through 2026

Efes extends Coach Mijatovic for two more seasons

Anadolu Efes Istanbul reached an agreement with Tomislav Mijatovic for him to remain the club's head coach for two more years, the club announced Thursday. Mijatovic, 44, was appointed as Efes's head coach in January, replacing Erdem Can. Before that, Mijatovic was an assistant coach for Efes for over a decade. He joined the club in 2010 along with head coach Velimir Perasovic. In more than 13 years as an assistant, Mijatovic also worked under the likes of Oktay Mahmuti, Dusan Ivkovic and Ergin Ataman. He was on Ataman's coaching staff when Efes won consecutive Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championships in 2021 and 2022. Mijatovic also helped Efes win three Turkish League crowns and three Turkish Cup titles. He has also been an assistant coach for Cibona Zagreb and the Croatian national team.

This season, Mijatovic stepped in as head coach before Round 25. He led Efes to eight victories in the last 10 regular season games to climb into ninth place and qualify for the Play-In Showdown. Prior to his promotion, Efes was 9-15 in the standings. Mijatovic also helped Efes reach the Turkish Cup final.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">✍️ Tomislav Mijatovic 2024-2025 ve 2025-2026 sezonlarında Başantrenörümüz olarak görev yapacak! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/hJKaqGpH7F">pic.twitter.com/hJKaqGpH7F</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1785975872115077620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Game 3 MVP: Josh Nebo, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Big man [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) did big-man things on Tuesday night in leading Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv to a dramatic 85-83 victory over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and thus helping his team to a 2-1 series lead while also earning MVP of the Round honors for Game 3 of the EuroLeague Playoffs.

The high-flying center shined, tying his career-high with 22 points, making 10-of-13 two-point shots and 2-of-5 free throws. Those 10 two-pointers made, 8 of which were dunks, tied a Maccabi playoff record. Nebo also grabbed 9 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive end. He also had 2 steals, 1 block and drew 5 fouls, accumulating a PIR of 31, tied for the highest among all players in Game 3, earning Nebo his third MVP honor this season.

Also with a 31 PIR in Game 3 was Nebo's counterpart [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) of Panathinaikos, who collected 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block, while drawing an all-time EuroLeague Playoffs record 13 fouls.

Next on the list of standout players for Game 3 of the playoffs was [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) of AS Monaco with a PIR of 28. Diallo came within a single point of his career-high in scoring with 23 points and also corralled 7 rebounds in an 89-78 loss at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

A trio of Real Madrid players all had PIRs of 26 - [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/), [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/) and [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) – in a 98-102 series-clinching road win at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Campazzo compiled 13 points and 8 assists, Yabusele scored 23 and grabbed 7 boards and Tavares amassed 12 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Big man Josh Nebo did big-man things on Tuesday night in leading Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv to a dramatic 85-83 victory over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and thus helping his team to a 2-1 series lead while also earning MVP of the Round honors for Game 3 of the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Josh Nebo | Playoffs Game 3 MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

#### Individual highs: Thomas Walkup, Olympiacos, 4 steals

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

In his final game of the season, Baskonia’s Markus Howard went out with a bang, scoring 29 points, which led all players in Game 3.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

Real Madrid’s Tavares topped the Game 3 rebounding charts with 13 boards. He also led all players in Game 3 with 4 blocked shots.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

Game 3’s assists leader was Codi Miller-McIntyre of Baskonia with 11.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos had 4 steals, which were more than any other player in Game 3 action.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

The lone double-doubles in Game 3 were produced by Tavares and Miller-McIntyre.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-04-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul needs one more win to end a five-year absence from the Final Four as it hosts an AS Monaco team targeting a road win to keep the series alive.

Fenerbahce aims to clinch Final Four in showdown with Monaco

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-as-monaco/E2023/320/#roster) | [Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2324-po-g4-game-facts-ulk-mco/) | [Notes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2324-po-g4-game-notes-ulk-mco/) | [Quotes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2324-po-g4-prequotes-ulk-mco/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/tv-listings-el/) | [Predictions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/playoff-predictions-monaco-vs-fenerbahce)

The Turkish team produced a powerful performance to lead throughout the second half of Wednesday's Game 3, with solid contributions throughout the team leading to an 89-78 victory as [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) (14 points) led eight scorers with 8 points or more.

[Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) and [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) exerted control in the backcourt, combining for 11 assists on just 2 turnovers, and Fenerbahce's trademark three-point shooting again delivered with seven different players netting from deep.

Monaco must now find the defensive answers to disrupt that efficiency and also needs more production from its backcourt stars, with [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) and [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) restricted to a collective total of 24 points on 2-of-13 shooting from deep on Wednesday night.

The visiting team must also contend with the fabulous atmosphere at Ulker Sports and Event Hall, and overcome the pressure to avoid the kind of turnovers that derailed its challenge in the latter stages of Game 3.

[Fenerbahce Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/statistics/ulk/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Monaco Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/statistics/mco/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Their mix of shooting, attacking the rim and finding teammates will be crucial to their teams on Friday.

As so often this term, Nigel Hayes-Davis was the architect of a series-opener success for Fenerbahce, combining 19 points with 7 rebounds in nearly 40 minutes, whereas improved perimeter defense could be a priority for Monaco, who target greater accuracy in its own deep game after going just 8-for-27.

AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Playoffs Game 2 | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

A key aspect of this game could be control. Monaco has committed the fewest number of turnovers in the league (10.0 pg), contributing to a defense that's allowed just 79.4 ppg , yet Fenerbahce's efficiency offense ranks first in three-point shooting percentage (39.1%) and third in two-pointers (56.4%).

AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Playoffs Game 1 | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Monaco were able to snatch an exciting victory in Game 2 despite the first single-digit scoring this season from Mike James, who regain his high standards. They visit a Fenerbahce outfit fresh from that dramatic fourth quarter comeback and one that's scored at least 80 in nine consecutive home games.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul -AS Monaco | Playoffs Game 3 | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v AS Monaco (2024-05-03T17:45:00.000Z)