Name: Olympiacos Piraeus-AS Monaco | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

The Mike James-led AS Monaco made history at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena on Friday night by beating Olympiacos Piraeus 65-75 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifinals to advance to the EuroLeague Championship Game.

Mike James leads Monaco past Olympiacos and into championship game, 68-78

AS Monaco made history at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena on Friday night by beating Olympiacos Piraeus 65-75 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifinals to advance to the EuroLeague Championship Game. Monaco led for the final two and a half quarters to reach its first-ever championship game and condemn the Reds’ to a fourth successive Final Four heartbreak.

Mike James had a fantastic all-round performance with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, while Alpha Diallo led Monaco in scoring with 22 points. Jaron Blossomgame, who played a game-high 37 minutes, netted 12 points and Mam Jaiteh added 11. For Olympiacos, Evan Fournier set a semifinal record this century with 31 points, and Nigel Williams-Goss scored 12 points. Sasha Vezenkov was restricted to just 7 points.

Game Videos

Williams-Goss got the passionate Olympiacos crowd to roar even louder by scoring the first two baskets of the game, 4-0, but Diallo and Jaron Blossomgame ensured Monaco stayed calm by tying the score at 4-4. James then gave the visitors their first lead at 4-7, before Vezenkov and particularly Fournier combined to give Olympiacos a 15-11 edge. But Monaco responded every time with James and Diallo levelling it at 15-15. It was 17-17 after 10 minutes.

Monaco continued its momentum at the start of the second as Nick Calathes and Elie Okobo put the Monegasques 17-21 ahead, their biggest lead of the night to that point. The swings continued, though, as Nikola Milutinov scored twice in a row before Thomas Walkup netted to give Olympiacos a 23-21 advantage. James moved to 11 points in the game with 3 foul shots made and a three-pointer as Monaco took a 26-27 lead, then Blossomgame and a wonderfully worked team move capped by a Daniel Theis dunk swelled the advantage to 26-31. Fournier pulled it within one point, 30-31, then Moustapha Fall dunked to respond to Diallo’s score, 32-33, but James ensured it was 32-35 at halftime.  

Game News

Kostas Papanikolaou converted inside with the first score of the second half, 34-35, then Theis’s three made it 34-38. Diallo’s off-balanced jumper kept it at a four-point game, 36-40, then Blossomgame responded to a Fournier floater by scoring five points in a row, 38-45. Diallo and Okobo joined forces as the lead grew to 40-52, the first time either side had been up by double digits. Fournier then led an Olympiacos fightback by scoring nine points in an 11-5 run, but Monaco led 51-57 entering the final frame.

Jaiteh gave Monaco a big boost by netting five points to start the final frame, 51-62, to put his team in a great position. Williams-Goss struck from long range and Fournier converted a mid-range jumper, 56-64, but Elie Okobo and Diallo kept it at a double-digit margin, 58-68. A wonderful assist by James for Jaiteh made it 58-70, but Fournier wasn’t going to give up without a fight, draining two threes either side of a Diallo three-point play, 63-75. Yet it was a turnover by Fournier that led to a Diallo dunk, 65-75, which proved to be one of the final baskets of the game as the Monegasques went on to grab a 68-78 victory.

On just its second Final Four appearance, the Monegasque side will take part in the title decider for the first time in its history

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco (2025-05-23T18:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus-AS Monaco | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Follow the post-game press conference after the game between Olympiacos BC and AS Monaco Basket in the 2025 EuroLeague Semifinals.

Follow the Olympiacos-Monaco semifinal post-game press conference

Showtime by Monaco! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

James with a sublime dish! Motorola Magic Moment

Fall with a monster slam! Motorola Magic Moment

Diallo skies for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment

It has taken a while, but Errick McCollum has finally reached the greatest stage of European basketball: the EuroLeague Championship Game.

Errick McCollum excels after finally reaching the biggest stage

It has taken a while, but [Errick McCollum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/errick-mccollum/005216/) has finally reached the greatest stage of European basketball.

The [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) guard is now 37 years old, coming towards the end of a nomadic journey which has seen him represent 13 clubs in five different countries since starting out his professional career with Elitzur Netanya in Israel back in 2010.

McCollum’s scoring ability saw him quickly climb up the ladder, and he first enjoyed success on the continental stage by playing a starring role in Galatasaray Istanbul’s BKT EuroCup triumph in 2016, named the competition’s MVP after a series of spectacular displays for the team coached by Ergin Ataman.

He continued to travel far and wide, appearing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2017-18) and Khimki Moscow Region (2020-21), before returning to Turkiye to seemingly finish his career with Karsiyaka Izmir.

However, fate then intervened. An early-season injury to scoring star [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/) left Fenerbahce short of numbers in the backcourt, and a couple of months later Sarunas Jasikevicius swooped to add depth and experience to his roster by snapping him up in January.

The results have surely far outweighed even the most optimistic of expectations, with McCollum making light of his age to withstand a grueling schedule and play a key role in his new team’s march to the Final Four – his first – by averaging 12.5 points during 13 regular season appearances.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE MAN. THE SHOT. ERRICK MCCOLLUM 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/ErrickM3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ErrickM3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/hzsZrmStYc">pic.twitter.com/hzsZrmStYc</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1925976178285781274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And in Friday’s semifinal, McCollum rose to the occasion once again by scoring all 13 of his points in the last 15 minutes to help his team secure [an 82-76 victory over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-downs-panathinaikos-82-76-advances-to-championship-game/) – and his former coach Ataman – for a place in Sunday’s title decider.

McCollum certainly didn’t look like a man appearing at the Final Four for the first time, and he explained his calmness under pressure by revealing words of encouragement from his loved ones.

“This is a different stage, but the ball is the same and the rim is the same – you do what do you,” he said. “My wife and my brother \[NBA star CJ McCollum\] told me to be aggressive, that’s the only way to make an impact in the game. Trust yourself.

“My team needed me to get in the paint and create things, and space it with shooting from the three-point line.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">CJ McCollum pulled up to the Final Four to support his brother Errick and show some serious sibling pride 💪<br><br>Brotherly love runs deep — especially when there&#39;s a trip to the EuroLeague Final at stake 🏀💙💛<a href="https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CJMcCollum</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ErrickM3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ErrickM3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/XYQAqdhLop">pic.twitter.com/XYQAqdhLop</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1925967682609807725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

McCollum’s scoring was by no means his only contribution, as he also played a strong part in a team-wide defensive effort which held Panathinaikos to just 48 points in the first three quarters.

One of the Greens to suffer the most was regular season league MVP [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), whose frustration saw him foul out midway through the final period, and McCollum admitted that was a key to his team’s triumph.

“Kendrick’s a great player, he still had 19 points,” he said. “A guy like that, you can’t stop him, you’ve just got to slow him down, make it difficult and make him work for everything. I think we did a good job as a team collectively and [Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/devon-hall/011205/) was excellent on him – everywhere he went, he put a body on him.”

So now McCollum’s unlikely late-career story continues all the way to the championship game, and he’s already looking forward to making a major impact.

“I try to do whatever the teams needs and today I’ve seen the three-point opportunities,” McCollum smiled. “But you never know, maybe the mid-ranger will be there on Sunday!”

Maybe… and maybe that kind of confidence will lead one of the Final Four’s oldest-ever debutants all the way to title glory.

Fenerbahce’s veteran shooter delivered a strong performance in his first Final Four appearance

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-05-23T15:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul advanced to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game after downing Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 82-76 in the opening semifinal, having led for more than 38 minutes with a dominant display.

Fenerbahce downs Panathinaikos 82-76, advances to championship game

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul advanced to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game after downing Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 82-76 in the opening semifinal, having led for more than 38 minutes with a dominant display.

The Turkish team took early control for a double-digit first quarter lead and stayed ahead, 38-33, until halftime. Panathinaikos came back to within 1 in the third period, but Fener stayed strong in the fourth to seal the win. Devon Hall led the way with 18 points, with Tarik Biberovic netting 15, Errick McCollum scoring 13 and Wade Baldwin contributing 10. Cedi Osman paced Panathinaikos with 22 points, while Kendrick Nunn added 19 but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, and Jerian Grant scored 15.

Osman struck first with a steal and slam, but Fenerbahce raced ahead as Hall scored twice, with Marko Guduric also netting from deep in a 10-0 run for a 13-5 lead. Grant’s three-ball and Wenyen Gabriel’s tip-in pulled the Greens closer, and Nunn’s jumper completed a 0-7 run to make it 13-12. Hall stayed hot with another triple to spark a 9-0 run culminating in buckets for Biberovic and Nigel Hayes-Davis, before Osman made it 22-14 after ten minutes.

Hayes-Davis rattled home a three before fit-again Mathias Lessort threw down a dunk, but Fener stayed in control with two triples from Biberovic, 31-18. Inside scores from Nunn and Omer Yurtseven reduced the gap, but Dyshawn Pierre and Hall restored a double-digit lead, 35-23. Nunn’s floater was the only field goal in more than four minutes, before Grant’s layup and Juancho Hernangomez’s tip-in boosted Panathinaikos. Biberovic struck from mid-range and Nunn did the same on the buzzer, making it 38-33 at the break.

Gabriel’s close-range finish started the second half scoring, and Nunn’s floater made it 38-37 as Fener stayed scoreless for three minutes before Nicolo Melli netted 4 points straight. Nunn kept firing with a three-point play, but McCollum answered from deep for a 45-40 lead. Nunn’s floater was equalled by Melli’s dunk, and McCollum netted 6 points straight to keep the Turkish team ahead before Baldwin added a dunk, and it was 55-48 after three quarters.

Melli’s three-pointer made it a double-digit lead, but Osman hit back with 5 straight points, making it 59-53. Baldwin’s jumper was bettered by another Osman three, but Hall also struck from deep and Nunn fouled out as Fener led 65-56. Hall’s stretched the gap, before tough buckets from Grant and Osman made it 67-62 with three minutes left. Hall settled Fener with his fourth triple, but another deep ball from Osman gave the Greens hope. McCollum’s sidestep three made it 73-66, before Baldwin’s jumper and Biberovic’s triple sealed the win.

The Turkish team will play for the title on Sunday after a convincing win in the opening semifinal

Follow the post-game press conference after the game between Fenerbahce Beko and Panathinaikos BC in the 2025 EuroLeague Semifinals.

Olympiacos Piraeus-AS Monaco | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Follow the Olympiacos-Monaco semifinal post-game press conference

Showtime by Monaco! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

James with a sublime dish! Motorola Magic Moment

Fall with a monster slam! Motorola Magic Moment

Diallo skies for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Follow the Fenerbahce-Panathinaikos semifinal post-game press conference

Hall on the highlight reel! Motorola Magic Moment

Baldwin feeds Melli for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment

Baldwin drives to dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

Nunn beats the halftime buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment

Yurtseven slams it home! Motorola Magic Moment

Lessort is back! Motorola Magic Moment

Osman’s steal and slam! Motorola Magic Moment