Since the current Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs format was established back in 2005, it has become a showcase for the biggest players to bring out their best basketball for the most decisive stage of the season. Whether by leading their teams to many Final Fours, stepping up against all odds, or just being consistently solid at such a critical time, many players fortified their status as EuroLeague stars in the playoffs. Here are some of our favorite playoff legends. 

Legends of the EuroLeague Playoffs!

Since the current Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs format was established back in 2005, it has become a showcase for the biggest players to bring out their best basketball for the most decisive stage of the season. Whether by leading their teams to many Final Fours, stepping up against all odds, or just being consistently solid at such a critical time, many players fortified their status as EuroLeague stars in the playoffs. Here are some of our favorite playoff legends. 

[Dimitris Diamantidis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dimitris-diamantidis/jko/)

When it comes to being a playoffs legend, Diamantidis checks all the right boxes. In 2011, he led Panathinaikos to a 3-1 series win past defending champion Barcelona without home-court advantage on the way to that season's title. The next spring, he had 25 points, 12 fouls drawn and a PIR of 34 in a Game 5 win against Maccabi. A year later, he buried a three-pointer to win Game 1 on the road, 65-66. Although Barcelona would go on to take revence in that series, Diamantidis had already won five consecutive playoffs with the Greens in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012. He is still the all-time playoffs leader in steals, with 45, and also amassed 328 points, 119 rebounds and 147 assists in 37 games. 

[Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/)

No-one has most playoffs experience than Llull, who has played 42 games in this stage since 2005, all with Real Madrid, with whom he will start his ??th series on Wednesday against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Since his first playoff appearance in 2011, Llull has helped Los Blancos win eight series. In 2018, Llull returned to action midway through a series against Panathinaikos to help his team reach the Final Four and go on to lift the trophy. His overall record in the playoffs is ??-?? in series and 24-18 in games (57.1%). Among playoff performers all-time, he ranks second in both scoring (465 points) and assists (160). He now has a chance to increase those numbers and help Real win its 11th EuroLeague title. 

[Victor Khryapa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/victor-khryapa/bcq/)

Khryapa holds the record for most Final Four appearances, 12, all of them with CSKA Moscow. After helping his team reach the Final Four in 2003 and 2004 from the Top 16, Khryapa went on to win 10 playoff series without a loss for CSKA, from 2005 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. Khryapa boasts a phenomenal winning record of 23-7 (76.7%) in games. He had 190 points, 147 rebounds and 82 assists in 10 playoffs series. If Khryapa was in the playoffs for CSKA, victory was certain. 

[Luis Scola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luis-scola/ajg/)

Scola played just two playoffs series with Baskonia but he made sure he was forever remembered at this stage. In the first year of the new playoffs format, he led Baskonia to the 2005 Final Four by sweeping Benetton Treviso without the home-court advantage. In Game 1 of the series, Baskonia thrashed Benetton 59-98 behind 34 points on 15-of-16 two-point shooting from Scola. His PIR of 43 from that game is still a playoffs record. In 2006, Baskonia became the first (and so far, only) team to win a do-or-die showdown on the road, defeating Panathinaikos 71-74 to reach the Final Four as Scola contributed 11 rebounds and 4 assists.

[Chris Singleton](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chris-singleton/006614/)

Singleton is the ultimate Game 5 hero, putting together two of his best-ever EuroLeague performances in this do-or-die situation. In 2016, he led Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar to the Final Four with 16 points, 12 rebounds and a PIR of 27 in an 81-67 win over FC Barcelona that was worth a trip to the Final Four. It was Singleton's first EuroLeague double-double and would remain his only one through his first 66 games. Then, in 2021, he exploded again in another Game 5, posting career highs of 26 points and 38 PIR as Anadolu Efes Istanbul outlasted Real Madrid in a classic, 88-83, on the way to the first of its back-to-back EuroLeague titles.

[Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) 

Sloukas's main playoff moment came in Game 4 of the 2017 series between Olympiacos and Barca, when his no-look pass allowed Georgios Printezis to hit a game-winning three-pointer that sent the Reds to the Final Four. Sloukas is a playoffs specialist, advancing to the Final Four eight times in nine playoffs series. His only loss came in 2014, when Real beat Olympiacos 3-2. Sloukas is tied with Andrey Vorontsevich for the most playoff games won, 26, which means he will take over first place with the first victory by Olympiacos in its series against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, which starts on Wednesday. He has a playoffs record of 26-11 (70.3%). 

[Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vassilis-spanoulis/juo/)

Spanoulis took part in eight playoffs series, winning five of them. Despite ranking just fourth in games played (38), Spanoulis is the all-time playoffs leader in scoring (531) and assists (189). He averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 assists, 5.0 fouls drawn and a PIR of 13.2 . He had 22 points, 6 assists and 10 fouls drawn in Olympiacos's come-from-behind victory against Efes in Game 5 of the 2017 playoffs. His playoffs heroics led to even bigger accomplishments: Spanoulis won three EuroLeague titles, earning Final Four MVP honors each time.

This week at a glance: The EuroLeague playoffs are here!

[AS Monaco vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2022/308/)

The playoffs get going with a bang on Tuesday evening as dynamic Monaco (21-13) hosts a Maccabi (20-14) team which enters the series hotter than anyone after winning seven of its last eight games. Monaco can take confidence from a thumping 86-67 home victory when the teams met less than two months ago and will look for Donta Hall – who had a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in that game – to again provide physical dominance, while Maccabi’s hopes rest on the scoring ability of backcourt stars Wade Baldwin (16.7 points per game) and Lorenzo Brown (16.5 points per game).

[Real Madrid vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/real-madrid-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/309/)

Zeljko Obradovic returns to take on the team he led to title glory in 1995 as Partizan (20-14) travels to Real Madrid (23-11). The coaching master’s priority will be finding a way to limit the influence of Real giant Walter Tavares, who leads the league in blocked shots (2.3 per game) and ranks third in rebounding (6.5). Partizan’s main man for that task is Mathias Lessort, the competition’s top rebounder with 7.3 per night. Lessort’s 16 points and 8 boards powered Partizan to victory, 104-90, when then the teams last met four weeks ago. Tavares was restricted to just 7 points, so Obradovic will look to repeat that formula on Tuesday.

Playoffs Game 1 at a glance: FC Barcelona vs. Zalgiris Kaunas

[FC Barcelona vs. Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-zalgiris-kaunas/E2022/310/) 

Sarunas Jasikevicius faces the team of his life as Barcelona (23-11) welcomes Zalgiris (19-15) on Wednesday. The home team coach’s play-calling abilities and attention to detail will be a key part of this series, but Zalgiris chief Kazys Maksvytis has also done a great job in guiding the Lithuanian team to the playoffs in his first full season in charge. Maksvytis has created a defensively outstanding team that won its last four regular season games and will be especially alert to Barca’s long-range shooting abilities after the Spanish team led the league with an average of 40.3% three-point conversions.

Playoffs Game 1 at a glance: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

[Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2022/307/) 

Regular season standings leader Olympiacos (24-10) will look to underline its status as title favorite by protecting its homecourt against visiting Fenerbahce (19-15). The Turkish team stumbled into the playoffs despite losing three of its last four games and needs to tighten up its defense after allowing more than 90 points in three of those contests. Olympiacos led the regular season in assists with 21.8 per game and will look for its usual ball movement to punish Fenerbahce’s vulnerable defense, especially by creating good looks for the league’s leading scorer Sasha Vezenkov (17.6 points per game). 

This week at a glance: The playoffs are here!

Real Madrid v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-04-25T18:45:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-04-25T18:15:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-04-26T18:45:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-04-26T18:00:00.000Z)

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs have arrived. Before the best-of-five action begins, it is worth noting what this group of teams has gone through to get here. Of the 306 regular season games played this season, 42% of them were decided by two possessions or fewer – the highest percentage of all-time. This season has been historically competitive and the group of teams that has risen above and into the playoffs has had to survive a truly unrelenting gauntlet.

A truly battle-tested playoff field

The graph below depicts the league efficiency landscape in terms of how far above and below the league average each playoff team has performed on both ends of the floor. The proximity of many of these teams to the league average, combined with some mismatching between efficiency differential and records, suggests that this group had to bring postseason-level urgency to the regular season just to get here and, therefore, is quite possibly the most battle-tested playoff field in recent history.

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Catching fire in January to surge to the top of the standings and ultimately hold onto the league's best efficiency differential, [Olympiacos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2022-23) has had a magical season. Much of its success is rooted in the rise of Sasha Vezenkov, who did not just lead the EuroLeague in scoring but did so while posting one of the five most-efficient offensive seasons of all-time. How Fenerbahce approaches guarding him in a best-of-five series will be a point of interest. Earlier this season, [Fenerbahce](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2022-23) was the class of the league on the defensive end, allowing just 0.93 points per possession over a 9-1 start. But the same team finished the season allowing a 12th-ranked 1.01 points per possession. After doing a terrific job limiting opportunities in transition and along the three-point line to start the season, Fenerbahce will need to regain that edge against an Olympiacos team that led the league in Synergy Shot Quality and finished third in offensive efficiency. 

### FC Barcelona vs. Zalgiris Kaunas

Despite finishing just sixth in offensive efficiency, Barcelona has been one of the most consistent teams on that end of the floor this season, spacing the floor well and leveraging its ability to create out of pick-and-rolls and post-ups alike to score as steadily as anyone. Reliable offense has established a very good baseline, but [Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/?season=2022-23) has been great when its defense has risen to the occasion. That defense has allowed 0.93 points per possession in half-court situations when winning as compared to 1.01 in losses – the difference between ranking third and third-to-last in defensive efficiency. [Zalgiris](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/?season=2022-23), one of the league's streakiest teams, is an interesting matchup for Barcelona in that regard. Posting an efficient differential of +0.10 in wins and -0.19 in losses – higher than the league's top team and below its worst, respectively – Zalgiris has thrived on momentum. How well Zalgiris can establish a rhythm early in these games could provide revealing insight into how things play out.

### Real Madrid vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

This is the best strength-on-strength matchup of the quarterfinals, with [Partiza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/partizan-nis-belgrade/roster/par/?season=2022-23)n's top-ranked offense taking on [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2022-23)'s top-ranked defense. After starting the year 4-9, Partizan scored 1.10 points per possession the rest of the way, which is on par with the juggernaut offenses that Efes rode to back-to-back titles. What makes Partizan's explosive play on the offensive end unique is that this is by far the league's most aggressive midrange scoring team. While a league-high 88% of Real Madrid's jump shots come from beyond the arc, a league-low 66% of Partizan's are three-pointers. Partizan's shooters have thrived on the very shots that defenses are often hoping for opposing offenses to take. That element of this matchup is of particular interest as Real has routinely anchored Walter Tavares inside and forced more midrange jumpers than any team in the EuroLeague this season. Whether this series is won or lost from five meters away will be fascinating to track.

### AS Monaco vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Finishing the season with the ninth-highest point-different but the fourth-best record, no team had timing as impeccable as [Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2022-23)'s this season. While some teams live and die by three-pointers, Monaco survived to earn home-court advantage while ranking last in both points-per-jump shot scored and allowed. The latter of those rankings will be an important consideration against a [Maccabi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2022-23) team that has heated up over the last 12 games and generated more of its half-court offense out of pick-and-rolls than any other team this season. With Wade Baldwin playing the best basketball of his career, how Monaco looks to guard the perimeter could go a long way in dictating the trajectory of this series.

Olympiacos Piraeus v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-04-28T18:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-04-28T18:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-04-27T18:45:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-04-27T18:15:00.000Z)

When Olympiacos Piraeus faces Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, it will be a repeat of the 2017 championship game in Istanbul, Turkiye, which Fenerbahce won to secure its first and only EuroLeague title. Fast-forward six years and the Reds closed the 2022-23 regular season with the best record in the league, going 24-10 and earning the No. 1 seed in the process. Fenerbahce, meanwhile, had a rocky end to the campaign and dropped to 19-15, securing the No. 8 seed

This season's precedents: Olympiacos vs. Fenerbahce

Olympiacos Piraeus's matchup against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs will be a repeat of the 2017 championship game in Istanbul, Turkiye, which Fenerbahce won to secure its first and -to date - only EuroLeague title. Fast-forward six years and the Reds closed the 2022-23 regular season with the best record in the league, going 24-10 and earning the No. 1 seed in the process. Fenerbahce, meanwhile, had a rocky end to the campaign and dropped to 19-15, securing the No. 8 seed courtesy of its inferior head-to-head record against Zalgiris Kaunas. While Olympiacos and Fenerbahce have a 13-13 all-time record against one another, Georgios Bartzokas's squad destroyed Dimitris Itoudis's charges in the regular season, winning both games by a combined score of 47 points. Let's see how those two games unfolded.

Shaquielle McKissic has totalled 14 points and 4 assists combinning both games against Fenerbahce this season.

Nigel Hayes-Davis and Sasha Vezenkov hustle for the possession.

Big man Johnathan Motley just played once against the Reds this season. He scored 6 points and pulled 5 boards.

Big man Joel Bolomboy combined 10 points and 7 rebounds in the two games against Olympiacos this season.

This is the kind of hustle that can be expected in the series between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce.

Marko Guduric scored 33 points against the Reds this season, including 24 in Round 22 behind 5 of 11 threes.

Big man Moustapha Fall is a dominant force in the league and he will be a key piece in the Olympiacos puzzle also in the series.

Olympiacos and Fenerbahce have faced each other 26 times in the EuroLeague since the turn of the century. Their record stands at an even 13-13.

Veteran guard Kostas Sloukas has won EuroLeague titles with both teams: 2012 and 2013 with Olympiacos and 2017 with Fenerbahce.

Nick Calathes is in his debut season with Fenerbahce, but he's one of the most experienced players in the series. He won the 2011 title with Panathinaikos Athens.

Thomas Walkup has had his best EuroLeague season yet. He leads the league in steals (1.9 spg.) and is a top contender for the Best Defender award.

Since 2015, either Olympiacos or Fenerbahce have been in the Final Four (sometimes even together). The only exception was in 2021.

In Round 13, Olympiacos showed its teeth to the rest of the EuroLeague with a [dominant 94-67 triumph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2022/111/) against Fenerbahce at Peace and Friendship Stadium. That victory, at the start of a two-round week, gave a huge boost of confidence to the Reds, whereas Fenerbahce learned the hard way that it still had a way to go before cementing itself once again as one of Europe's most feared clubs. MVP frontrunner Sasha Vezenkov lit up Fenerbahce, scoring 21 points, of which 13 came in a first-quarter blitz that allowed Olympiacos to close the opening 10 minutes 20 points ahead, 31-11. The Reds kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter, outscoring Fenerbahce 27-20 to take a 58-31 lead into the break. The two sides won a quarter each, but the second-half scoreline of 36-36, didn’t tell the true story, as Olympiacos coasted to a huge win. Giannoulis Larentzakis and Alec Peters added 12 points apiece for the Reds. Carsen Edwards finished with 13 points and Ismet Akpinar 11 on the losing side. 

Olympiacos Piraeus - Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Round 13 | Highlights

There was the chance for Fenerbahce to exact some revenge back at Ulker Sports and Events Hall, but Olympiacos made sure to take care of business, [winning 73-93](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/190/). Another lightning-quick start by the visitors, led by 9 points by Isaiah Canaan, allowed them to end the first quarter in control, 10-24. Olympiacos bettered Fenerbahce's scoring in the second and third quarters – 20-27 and 21-26, respectively – which allowed it to enter the fourth quarter up 51-77. Fenerbahce outscored Olympiacos 22-16 in the final period, but by that point, the damage had been done. Kostas Papanikolaou scored a team-high 21 points for the Reds, followed by Canaan with 20. Vezenkov, Thomas Walkup and Shaquielle McKissic all contributed 12 each. Fenerbahce guard Marko Guduric finished with a game-high 24 points in the loss and Melih Mahmutoglu had 14.

Playoffs. Is there a better time for basketball than the playoffs? It’s money time for the players. It’s passion time for the fans. And for sportswriters, it’s the best time to babble on. 

Here's who will win Monaco vs. Maccabi and why

Playoffs. Is there a better time for basketball than the playoffs? It’s money time for the players. It’s passion time for the fans. And for sportswriters, it’s the best time to babble on. 

And boy is this assignment an easy one to babble about. [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2022-23) versus [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2022-23). The No. 4 team vs. the No. 5. In short, their cases are pretty easy. Monaco had the better season and has home-court advantage. Maccabi enters the series as one of the hottest teams in the league. 

Each has a legitimate shot to win the series and here's why.

### Why Monaco will beat Maccabi

For Monaco, it starts with Mike James. Yes, he's a perennial MVP candidate. Yes, he's one of the deadliest players in the league, blah, blah, blah. For this series, James is more than that. 

James was reportedly a candidate to join Maccabi over the summer. In a preseason interview with Shay Hausmann of Sport5 in Israel, Coach Oded Kattash was asked about it. You can see his response… and that of James, below. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First they offered me. Second even smart people can have dumb opinions and takes.</p>&mdash; Mike James (@TheNatural_05) <a href=https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05/status/1564965305012600832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>August 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset="utf-8"></script>

So, we have one of the best players in the league eager to show up the team and coach that passed on his services. Whether or not James had any interest in playing in Tel Aviv, no great player wants to hear that another coach doesn't want him. 

If that wasn't enough motivation, check out James's recent interview on the addias x EuroLeague colab, Remember The Why. Go to a little before the 8-minute mark and hear what he answers to the question, "What's left?" 

Remember The Why | Mike James | Adidas x EuroLeague

"Just a championship, really." That’s how James's answer starts. By the end, he ups the ante. “Two championships. I need two."

Of all the great players in the EuroLeague today, how many need a championship to cement their legacy? Most of the all-time greats have at least one. Two, by my count, do not. Nikola Mirotic and Mike James.

Only three teams and five wins stand in James's way of a first title. Beating Maccabi would account for the first of those teams and the first three wins. At age 32, you best believe James wants it now.

What's more. James has the highest scoring average in the playoffs among qualified players over the past decade with 16.8 points per game. Last season, he went for 17.6 points and 5.8 assists in a thrilling five-game series loss against Olympiacos Piraeus.

In short, we have a motivated superstar, who has come up big in big moments, and whose window to carry teams to championships won't last forever. Add to that the backcourt support around him, the blue-collar work ethic of small forward John Brown, the experience of Donatas Motiejunas, the explosiveness of Donta Hall…

Before we even look at the opponent, the case for Monaco winning this series is easy to make.

### Why Maccabi will beat Monaco

"Hold up!" a voice in the back of my head screams. "You live in Israel. You know this Maccabi team. You’ve seen them play. You've seen their potential. You know there is something special here. This is the year Maccabi returns to the Final Four!"

Hmmm… I need to think about this. Could it be true?

Maccabi won seven of its last eight regular season games. On the other hand, it collapsed in the fourth quarter in Monaco in the game before that. That was just over six weeks ago and Monaco won by 19. Can Maccabi win in Monaco?

A battle of backcourt stars awaits in a matchup loaded with postseason-implications. Maccabi's Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin shone against Bayern, but Monaco's trio of home guards in Mike James, Jordan Loyd and Elie Okobo could prove an even tougher duel.

AS Monaco vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv - Round 26 - Highlights

On the other hand, that game hardly matters. Jake Cohen did not play in that game and has played at least 10 minutes in every game since. Alex Poythress was sidelined and he will be back for this series. Maccabi was outrebounded by 11 and shot poorly. Cohen's passing and Poythress's athleticism make this a different Maccabi than the one that slumped in Monaco. 

I have to give myself credit here. It's an excellent point I’ve made. And even in the loss in Monaco, Maccabi fell behind by double figures early and rallied to lead at the end of the third quarter. This Maccabi has heart. And this Maccabi has depth. And there has never been a question about talent. 

Two seasons ago, Wade Baldwin was the tragic hero for FC Bayern Munich in its five-game playoff loss to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Now he's partnering with Lorenzo Brown for what many are calling the best backcourt in the league. You know they want to prove that. 

Poythress has also been to and lost a five-game playoff series. And there's Bonzie Colson and Jarell Martin, eager to shine in their playoff debuts.

And deep on the bench – usually in street clothes – sits Guy Pnini. One of the last remaining links to Maccabi of old. In his ninth season with the team, a champion in 2014. When something needs to be said in the locker room, Pnini will not be afraid to say it. And the team will listen. 

But more than anything else, this Maccabi team has shown heart all season long. And because of that, they should not be written off. 

### My prediction

Maccabi in four. But as they say, that prediction is as valuable as the paper it's written on. (Of course, you are probably reading this on a digital screen of some sort, so that makes this a much more valuable prediction!) 

I think Maccabi steals one of the first two games in Monaco and closes it out at home. Either way, I believe the series will be decided in Monaco and if the hosts hold on to go up 2-0, they will, despite my prediction, probably make history by advancing to the Final Four. 

Is Panathinaikos Athens about to land the big fish that will turn things around for the Greens? The club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos more than hinted as such by releasing a photo of him and two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague winning coach Ergin Ataman via his Instagram Story over the weekend with the word “welcome" printed across the bottom. 

Greens owner sends hint about Ataman rumors

Is Panathinaikos Athens about to land the big fish that will turn things around for the Greens? The club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos more than hinted as such by releasing a photo of him and two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague winning coach Ergin Ataman via his Instagram Story over the weekend with the word “welcome" printed across the bottom. Underneath that, in Greek, it says "Ataman has signed".

Ataman is still under contract at Anadolu Efes Istanbul through the end of the season, but will be free to join the club of his choice once the season ends. It certainly seems that the flirtation between Giannakopoulos and Ataman is mutual. Will we see Ataman storming the sidelines in Athens next season? Only time will tell.

Do you like your playoff series with a little bit of extra spice? Well then welcome to FC Barcelona versus Zalgiris Kaunas. This series has plenty of extras to go alongside the main dish of two great basketball teams. Here's a look at their two meetings earlier this season.

This season's precedents: Barcelona vs. Zalgiris

Do you like your playoff series with a little bit of extra spice? Well then welcome to FC Barcelona versus Zalgiris Kaunas. This series has plenty of extras to go alongside the main dish of two great basketball teams. Care to view it as David vs. Goliath? Sure, there's that angle. What about Zalgiris's chance to join the exclusive list of teams to qualify for Final Fours on their home courts? And, of course, there is Kaunas's favorite son and one of Lithuania's best young players, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Rokas Jokubaitis, respectively, leading Barcelona against their former team, which features forward Rolands Smits, who helped Barcelona reach the last two Final Fours. Although Barcelona has won 80% of their games over the last two decades, Zalgiris has taken two of the last three – both in Kaunas. Here's a look at their two meetings earlier this season.

FC Barcelona and Zalgiris Kaunas face in a classic EuroLeague matchup. They have played each other 33 times since 2000, with the Catalan team leading for now, 26-7.

Veteran big man Jan Vesely won the EuroLeague in 2017 with Fenerbahce and will hope to lift the trophy one more time with Barcelona this season.

Arnas Butkevicius has scored 11 points against Barcelona in two games this season.

Cory Higgins has scored 13 points against Zalgiris combining both regular season games.

Zalgiris captain Edgaras Ulanovas averages 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists this season.

Ignas Brazdeikis will be playing his first playoff series in his EuroLeague debut season.

Nico Laprovittola has averaged 42.3% shooting from beyond the arc for Barcelona this season. 

Arnas Butkevicius is playing his second EuroLeague season, and first with Zalgiris. he made his debut in 2014 with Neptunas Klaipeda.

Tomas Satoransky is in his third EuroLeague season. He played two with Barcelona from 2014 to 2016 and he returned to lead his team to another playoffs appearance.

Tomas Dimsa is in his third EuroLeague season with Zalgiris. He has scored 7 points against Barcelona this season.

Alex Abrines is in his eighth season with Barcelona in the EuroLeague. Against Zalgiris this season he has scored a total 7 points before this series.

In a Round 4 thriller at Zalgirio Arena that saw seven lead changes in the fourth quarter alone, Zalgiris edged Barcelona 73-72. The hosts led by as many as 11 in the third quarter before Cory Higgins came alive with 8 points in a 0-10 Barca run late in the third quarter to lead 50-51. It would be close the rest of the way. Arnas Butkevicius's triple in the final minute gave Zalgiris the lead for good and Edgaras Ulanovas's defense denied Tomas Satoransky a chance to get off a game-winner at the buzzer. Keenan Evans paced the winners with 18 points and Smits and Ulanovas netted 15 apiece. Jan Vesely paced Barcelona with 12.

Zalgiris Kaunas rounded a perfect double-round week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing FC Barcelona in front of a sellout crowd at Zalgirio Arena.

Zalgiris Kaunas - FC Barcelona | Round 4 | Highlights

These teams last met in Round 26 at Palau Blaugrana where Barcelona romped to a 93-74 victory. A Nikola Mirotic triple to end the first quarter game Barca the lead for good, 19-17. Alex Abrines added a three to open the second quarter and the rout was on. The margin reached double figures by halftime and Barcelona blew the game open with a 31-18 third quarter. Mirotic dominated with 28 points and Satoransky tallied 12 points and 5 assists. Ignas Bradzeikis was Zalgiris's top scorer with 15.

FC Barcelona - Zalgiris Kaunas | Round 26 | Highlights

This season's precedents: Barcelona vs. Zalgiris 

On the eve of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv announced that it has agreed to a two-year contract extension with guard Wade Baldwin that will keep the sides together through the end of the 2024-25 season. 

Maccabi locks up Baldwin for two more seasons

On the eve of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv announced that it has agreed to a two-year contract extension with guard [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) that will keep the sides together through the end of the 2024-25 season. In his first season with Maccabi and fourth in the competition, Baldwin (1.93 meters, 27 years old) ranked second in the league in scoring with 16.7 points per game and fifth in assists with 5.0 per game. He was the EuroLeague MVP for March, too.

A native of New Jersey, Baldwin played college basketball at Vanderbilt University before entering the NBA as a first round draft pick of Memphis in 2016. He also played for Portland in the NBA before first coming to Europe for the first time to play for Olympiacos Piraeus in 2019. Baldwin has also spent a season each with FC Bayern Munich and Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. He joins backcourt mate Lorenzo Brown and big man Roman Sorkin as players Maccabi has already extended this year for the coming seasons.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">✒️ <a href="https://twitter.com/The_Fourth_Wade?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_Fourth_Wade</a> ⚡️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wade2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wade2025</a> <a href="https://t.co/2nM0m368k2">pic.twitter.com/2nM0m368k2</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabitlvBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabitlvBC/status/1650065083521814530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"It's been a very easy choice that I'll be spending the next two seasons here with Maccabi", Baldwin said in a release by the club. "It's been a great journey this year, we've had tremendous success. I want to continue that and grow. The family here is very taken care of, it's a top-notch club, it's a club I wanted to be part of for the past two years. I'm happy it's finally come to this and I'm able to extend two years on this contract to see how things go. We want to build a club that is competitive every year at the highest level, to win championships and bring banners, and I want to be a part of this cause."

"I wish to congratulate the club and Wade, it’s a big thing for both sides," head coach Oded Kattash said. "Apart from his known basketball abilities, Wade is also a leader. He is a central piece in what is being built here, and it’s another step towards securing the team’s continuity. You can feel and see that he feels part of this club. Wade has special character, is very charismatic, has great passion for the game and brings a lot of competitiveness - it brings me pleasure to coach him."

Over four seasons with four different clubs, do-it-all combo guard Wade Baldwin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv has proven to be one of the most dangerous players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Wade Baldwin, Maccabi: 'It's amazing to be here'

The greatest team vs. the greatest coach. Real Madrid's 10 continental titles – two more than any other club – vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic's nine – two more than any other individual. An oversimplification? Not really, because those are more than accolades.

Real vs. Partizan: G.O.A.T. vs. G.O.A.T.

The greatest team vs. the greatest coach. Real Madrid's 10 continental titles – two more than any other club – vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic's nine – two more than any other individual. An oversimplification? Not really, because those are more than accolades.

True, you won't see "tradition" or "excellence" across the back of any jersey in this series, but both play huge roles, beginning with the rosters themselves.

Players worldwide drop whatever they were doing when Real and Obradovic call, because both are seen as tickets to the kind success that starts with winning in the playoffs, nothing less. Their interest is the highest form of basketball flattery, and dressing in Real white or playing under Coach Obradovic transforms many players.

Being invited to walk through Real's door comes with an understanding that you are meant to win titles – now. Upside is what the club's junior teams are for.

"The objective is to compete for every possible title," Sergio Llull said after becoming team captain before last season. "It's a huge club, one of the greatest in the world, and when you come here, you have to accept this responsibility and this pressure."

Likewise, if Obradovic has called, it's because he has seen in you a capacity to win titles. To do so, you will go through his basketball masterclass and come out a smarter, tougher, more skillful and more confident player.

In 2004, few beyond Greek basketball insiders knew of Dimitris Diamantidis when Obradovic signed the shy 24-year-old. After a short time watching Diamantidis try to fit in, Obradovic told him: "We don't have time. You must to be a leader immediately; we signed you because of this." They would win three EuroLeagues in the next seven seasons with Diamantidis as Final Four MVP twice.

Obradovic's deep well of knowledge and experience let him change tactics on the fly. He's been known to scrap entire gameplans in a first-quarter timeout because he already read a better idea from the action. Extend that over a five-game series, when both sides are obliged to constantly adjust at every turn, and having Obradovic in charge is an undeniable advantage.

Though heading the bench for the first time in the playoffs, Chus Mateo is true Madrid stock. He started with Real in his 20s, left and became a EuroLeague head coach with Unicaja Malaga, then returned to assist Pablo Laso on the 2015 and 2018 EuroLeague title teams. He not only understands the imperative of success, but has been part of making it happen.

None of which is to ignore the players.

Real veterans Llull, Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez, Walter Tavares and Fabien Causeur, among others, have a 132-77 record in the playoffs over their careers and have all lifted the EuroLeague trophy. Their teammates Gabriel Deck, Guerschon Yabusele, Vincent Poirier, Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa came to Real because they want the same.

While Partizan's players have combined for just 50 playoff games played and 24 wins, they just might be even hungrier. Kevin Punter, Ioannis Papapetrou, Dante Exum have all been to the Final Four and come up empty-handed, unlike their teammate James Nunnally, who won it under Obradovic in 2017. The rest are just waiting for the chance to show they belong there, too.

But in this series, the players are part of something bigger, something they chose when joining Real and Obradovic.

The case for Real is that tradition truly matters, that wearing that white jersey means no excuses are even entertained, let alone accepted, a mindset that flips pressure into a great confidence-builder.

The case for Partizan is that Obradovic is pulling the strings and his players believe 100% in his instincts. About 18,000 diehards lifting Stark Arena off its foundations doesn't hurt, either.

Predictions are fun, and history tells you to go with the home team, even in this one.

But this series is less about fun than destiny.

These playoffs are the proving grounds.