Name: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

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

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

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.

Game Videos

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.

Game News

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.

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

U18 Pole France INSEP secured its first win in the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals by crushing U18 Overtime Elite 75-110 on Friday. François Peronnet’s side led from start to finish, pulling away in the third quarter to all but seal it. INSEP improved its record to 1-1, with OTE dropping to 0-2. Meanwhile, U18 Zalgiris Kaunas secured top spot in Group B, qualifying for its first Championship Game since 2011.

Meissa Faye paced INSEP with 19 points, which he paired with 13 rebounds. Nathan Soliman netted 17, with Hugo Yimga Moukouri completing a double-double of 16 points and 16 boards. Cameron Houindo had 15 points, Noa Kouakou-Heugue scored 13 and Jonas Boulefaa added 10.

Adam Oumiddoch registered a team-high 18 points, Collin Paul bagged 13, Taylen Kinney netted 12 and Kole Grandison had 10.

INSEP hit the ground running, taking an early 5-16 lead. OTE fought back, with Paul taking his tally to 7 points, but 6 straight points by Nathan Soliman gave INSEP a 17-25 cushion after 10 minutes. What followed was an entertaining, high-tempo exchange of blows in the second quarter, with INSEP maintaining a 41-45 cushion at halftime.

INSEP opened the second half with a 2-9 run to establish a double-digit lead, taking a 55-74 advantage into the closing quarter. The French side didn’t take their foot off the gas, outscoring OTE 20-36 in the fourth to seal the outcome.

The French side led from start to finish, grabbing its first victory in the finals

INSEP thrashes Overtime Elite, 75-110

U18 Overtime Elite v U18 Pole France INSEP Paris (2025-05-23T12:45:00.000Z)

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four takes flight with the excitement of Friday's semifinals, where four fabulous teams will give everything to keep their title hopes alive. Here's your guide to the action.

Game Center: Final Four week has arrived!

## Friday, May 23, 2025

### [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 82-76 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/E2024/328/)

Fenerbahce advanced to the Championship Game by downing Panathinaikos in the opening semifinal, after leading 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.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For the first time since 2018, <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> will be competing in a Championship Game 👏<br><br>Sunday, they have a chance to win it ALL <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/rkbyhLLs6Q">pic.twitter.com/rkbyhLLs6Q</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1925959761284989036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Olympiacos Piraeus 68-78 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/olympiacos-piraeus-as-monaco/E2024/327/)

Monaco made history at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena on Friday night by beating Olympiacos 65-75 in the semifinals to advance to the 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.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">History made. Final bound. 🇲🇨👏<a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASMonaco_Basket</a> are heading to their first-ever Championship Game! 🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/XrhHSvctUX">pic.twitter.com/XrhHSvctUX</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1926003133081088006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Olympiacos and Monaco face off in the other semifinal

Semifinals: Monaco will take on Fenerbahce in the championship game!

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

Olympiacos BC and AS Monaco Basket meet in the EuroLeague Semifinals at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, so which team do the Euroleague.net writers think will come out on top?

Semifinals predictions: Olympiacos vs. Monaco

Later tonight, Olympiacos Piraeus and AS Monaco face off in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifinals at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In a repeat of their 2023 semifinal matchup, Monaco is aiming to reach its first-ever championship game whereas the Reds are hoping that this is the season they end their 12-year wait for EuroLeague glory.

With that in mind, which team do the [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) writers think will come out on top?

### Igor Petrinovic: Olympiacos

Monaco has a massive edge in terms of coach Vassilis Spanoulis really knowing Olympiacos well. He was not only a teammate with many players there, but he played under Coach Bartzokas and has coached against him and Olympiacos many times during his time coaching in Greece. However, I believe Olympiacos has the deepest roster. They might be under the most pressure, now in their fourth straight Final Four after coming up short, and unlucky, the previous three times, but I don’t think that will play a role. I'd rather think Olympiacos will use that experience to get past Monaco. It will be a tight game, but I believe Olympiacos pulls away late in the game. **My prediction: Olympiacos by 12.**

### Geoff Gillingham: Monaco

Unlike my colleagues, I am trusting Mike James and co. in this one. James has had an incredible EuroLeague career, earning a spot on the All-25 EuroLeague Team and leading the league all-time in scoring, and he knows that a EuroLeague title would further cement his legacy. This feels like a game for James to dictate the offense, focusing as a playmaker, and readying himself for the clutch moments when they arrive. It'll be another frustrating night for Olympiacos as its former son, Vassilis Spanoulis, gets one over the love of his life. **My prediction: Monaco by 2-4 points.**

### Javier Gancedo: Olympiacos

It is Time for Piraeus, as Olympiacos fans' T-shirts state. Olympiacos has the perfect mix of experience and energy to reach the championship game. Nigel Williams-Goss and Luca Vildoza are good on-ball defenders to help Thomas Walkup against Mike James and Elie Okobo. Saben Lee and Shaquielle McKissic are set to bring loads of energy, plus the Reds are extremely deep at power forward and center. In that sense, Sasha Vezenkov and Alex Peters should make the difference against Jaron Blossomgame and Alpha Diallo. All that without mentioning Evan Fournier, who is ready to deliver in his first-ever Final Four game. **My prediction: Olympiacos by more than 7 points.** 

### Frankie Sachs: Olympiacos

Fans of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast may be surprised to see me picking Olympiacos after I spoke so strongly about Mike James, who I will use as my team captain. I also will have Nikola Milutinov and Sasha Vezenkov in my lineup and Georgios Bartzokas as my coach. With all due respect to Monaco – and there is much respect – I believe that Olympiacos is the better team and is laser focused on the prize. **My take: Olympiacos wins by 8-12 points.** 

The Euroleague.net writers explain who they think will reach the championship game

Fenerbahce Beko and Panathinaikos BC meet in the EuroLeague Semifinals at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, so which team do the Euroleague.net writers think will come out on top?

Semifinals predictions: Fenerbahce vs. Panathinaikos

In just a few hours' time, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens meet in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifinals at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. While Fenerbahce is attempting to advance to its first championship game since 2018, the Greens are looking to defend the title they won in Berlin last year.

With that in mind, which team do the [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) writers think will come out on top?

### Geoff Gillingham: Panathinaikos

I'm sorry, Fenerbahce fans. I liked a lot of the things Fenerbahce did this year, but I think Panathinaikos's stars will rise to the occasion – just like they did in Berlin one year ago. For starters, Kendrick Nunn is ready to put on a show in Abu Dhabi. I'm also predicting big games from Juancho Hernangomez and Konstantinos Mitoglou. Mathias Lessort could even get called upon, although he's well aware that he doesn't "want to come in and just f\*ck up everything that they’re doing". But do you want to know I think will be the key to it all? Jerian Grant. Anyway, I'm going with the Greens in this one. **My prediction: Panathinaikos by 8+ points.**

### Javier Gancedo: Fenerbahce

I had to think this through as it is a very unpredictable game. I like Fenerbahce's chances due to the fact that there are a lot of hungry players on the team, just Panathinaikos during its run to the title last season. Nigel Hayes-Davis, Wade Baldwin, Errick McCollum, Bonzie Colson and Nicolo Melli are some of the Fenerbahce stars that have never won the EuroLeague, and you never know when chances like that can present again. Saras Jasikevicius is also looking for an elusive first title as head coach. Granted, Panathinaikos features the reigning MVP (Kendrick Nunn), last season's Final Four MVP (Kostas Sloukas) and a three-time coaching champion (Ergin Ataman), but if Fenerbahce keeps its eyes on the prize it should win the game. **My prediction: Fenerbahce by 4-6 points.**

### Igor Petrinovic: Fenerbahce

Panathinaikos beat Fenerbahce twice this season and in the semifinals last year. The Greens are the defending EuroLeague champions led by head coach Ergin Ataman, who has won the last three Final Fours he participated and the last four semifinal games he coached. Panathinaikos features MVP Kendrick Nunn, has a four-time champ in Kostas Sloukas and might even have help from big man Mathias Lessort. However, Fenerbahce has been clicking on all cylinders, not just in the playoffs but for months – ever since January. They overcame backcourt injuries without missing a beat, and I think they are in Abu Dhabi on a mission. **My prediction: Fenerbahce by 7.**

### Frankie Sachs: Fenerbahce

I can't say I feel too confident in the pick; I wouldn’t be surprised to see either team win. But forced to choose between them, I feel like Fenerbahce is in better form and a little hungrier. There are several players on the Fenerbahce roster who have been around the league for awhile and this may be their best chance to win. Meanwhile, Panathinaikos has not always played to its full potential and the Greens are doomed if they don’t have their A-game tonight. **My prediction: Fener in a game decided late.**

U18 Zalgiris Kaunas doubled their wins in the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals by edging U18 Real Madrid 70-69 on Friday. A back-and-forth affair saw Los Blancos lead until late in the third quarter, when the Lithuanian side established a cushion that they maintained throughout the fourth. Zalgiris has now reached the NextGen Championship Game, while Javier Juarez’s side dropped to 1-1, with everything in Group B set to be decided on Saturday.

Dovydas Buika paced Zalgiris with 14 points, Kajus Mikalauskas had 13, Ignas Stombergas scored 12, and Dominykas Grunkis added 11. Real Madrid center Sidi Gueye led all scorers with 19 points, which he combined with 13 rebounds for a double-double. Gildas Gimenez netted 11 in a losing effort.

Real Madrid got off to a solid start, dominating inside and taking an early 3-11 lead. Stombergas responded with 9 straight points, but Los Blancos remained in control, taking a 17-21 advantage into the second quarter. Six points in a row from Maksim Brnovic were followed by 5 straight points from Gildas Gimenez that allowed Real Madrid to maintain a 36-40 cushion at halftime.

A 2-8 run in the opening stages of the second half made it 40-48 for Real Madrid. Yet, Zalgiris replied with an 11-2 surge, taking a 54-52 edge after 30 minutes. Having imposed their game on Los Blancos, the Lithuanians dictated the tempo on both ends, maintaining a narrow lead until the final whistle despite Real Madrid’s late comeback attempt. This was Zalgiris's first win over Los Blancos since 2007-08, having lost all their last six games against the Spanish side.

Rock-solid defense contained Los Blancos’s offensive weapons

Zalgiris wins thriller against Real Madrid, 70-69

U18 Zalgiris Kaunas v U18 Real Madrid (2025-05-23T10:30:00.000Z)

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is one win away from securing participation in the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals Championship Game after beating U18 FC Barcelona 80-85 on Friday. The Italian side maintained a narrow lead for the majority of the game, managed to absorb Barcelona’s comeback attempts and recorded its second straight victory. Everything in Group A will be decided on Saturday, but a Milan (2-0) win over U18 Dubai Basketball (1-1) would be enough for Michele Catalani’s team to clinch a Championship Game spot.

Achille Lonati stood out with 28 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks for a PIR of 35. Diego Garavaglia netted 17 points and Omar Karem had 13 - 6 of which were scored down the stretch.

Lluc Pluvinet led Barcelona with 15 points and Mohamed Dabone had 11, with Daniel Gonzalez netting 10. Mohamed Dabone completed a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort.

Milan started strong and took an early 4-10 lead, with Garavaglia scoring half of his team’s points. Barcelona responded with a 7-0 surge before tying the game at 19-19 heading into the second quarter. A 0-6 run from Milan was followed by a 9-0 spurt from Barcelona, but the Italian side managed to secure a 36-41 advantage at halftime.

An entertaining exchange of blows from inside and beyond the arc saw Milan maintain a 57-60 edge mainly thanks to Lonati, who scored 11 of his team’s 19 points in the third quarter. Offensive rebounds kept Barcelona in the game, but 6 straight points from Karem in crunch time sealed the outcome.

Achille Lonati shined with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists

Milan defeats Barcelona 80-85, for second straight win

U18 FC Barcelona v U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-05-23T08:15:00.000Z)

Tomislav Vuckovic etched his spot in the record books of Adidas NextGen EuroLeague history as he buried 9 three-pointers in U18 Dubai Basketball’s 84-102 upset win over U18 Mega Super Belgrade for the most triples made in a NextGen game in history. 

Tomislav Vuckovic sets new NextGen record with 9 threes made

[Tomislav Vuckovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/tomislav-vuckovic/013676/) etched his spot in the record books of Adidas NextGen EuroLeague history as he buried 9 three-pointers in [U18 Dubai Basketball’s 84-102 upset win over U18 Mega Super Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/news/jtf424-next-gen-dubai-report-mega-dubai/) for the most triples made in a NextGen game in history. 

Vuckovic knocked down his final three-pointer with 15 seconds left in the game to eclipse the previous mark of 8 made on two occasions. 

“It really means a lot to be with the all-time greats. It feels great. I feel awesome,” said Vuckovic, who finished with 39 points – making 9 of 15 three-point attempts – and a 38 performance index rating.

[Martino Criconia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/martino-criconia/006278/) hit 8 three-pointers for Umana Reyer Venice against Anadolu Efes in the 2015-16 season in the Rome qualifiers. And **David Geks** of VEF Riga drained 8 triples against Cibona Zagreb during 2012-13 season.  

The 2008-born Vuckovic struggled in Dubai’s opening loss to Dubai, scoring just 5 points and hitting 1-of-7 three-pointers. But that changed on Day 2. 

“This means a lot to me. Mega is a great club with a great academy for a lot of years now. To beat Mega by 22 points and yesterday, after the collapse, this is really great,” said Vuckovic, who plays full time with the Dubai club and played 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.2 steals at the Ulm qualifier. He shot 23 percent on three-pointers at that tournament.

But on Friday, he showed what he can do from long range – and made history in the process.

The Croatian starred in historic Dubai win over Mega

U18 Dubai Basketball bounced back from Thursday’s thrashing at the hands of U18 FC Barcelona by crushing U18 Mega Super Belgrade 84-102 a day later. Slaven Rimac’s side led from start to finish, grabbing its first victory in the 2024-25 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals. Dubai is still in the race for a Championship Game spot, but Mega has been eliminated after recording two straight defeats.

An outstanding Tomislav Vuckovic broke the record of most triples made in the history of the tournament by nailing 9 and led all scorers with 39 points. Meanwhile, Andy Huelves, Bacary Doucoure and Simon Gradin all recorded double-doubles. The former had 22 points and 10 assists, Doucoure bagged 10 points and 16 rebounds and the latter registered 11 points and 17 boards.

Ognjen Srzentic paced Mega with 20 points, Nikola Karalic scored 15, Vuk Danilovic netted 12 and Djordje Gnjato added 10.

Dubai hit the ground running with Vuckovic bagging 10 early points for a 6-14 lead. Doucoure took over with 7 points, as Dubai secured a 15-31 cushion after 10 minutes. Mega upped the intensity on the floor and responded with a 14-3 run to start the second quarter. Yet, Dubai rediscovered its groove through Huelves, who took his tally to 10 points for a 39-53 advantage at halftime.

Dubai opened the second half with a 0-8 surge that allowed them to maintain a 71-83 lead heading into the closing quarter. Then, Dubai tightened up its defense, with Huelves and Vuckovic cooking on the other end to clinch the victory.

The Dubai guard drilled an all-time best 9 triples, finishing the game on 39 points

Vuckovic fires on all cylinders as Dubai stuns Mega, 84-102

U18 Mega Super  Belgrade v U18 Dubai Basketball (2025-05-23T06:00:00.000Z)