Name: Hezonja dunks off the baseline! Motorola Magic Moment
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Hezonja dunks off the baseline! Motorola Magic Moment

Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-05-01T19:00:00.000Z)

Peters’s dunk on the break! Motorola Magic Moment

Fernando rocks the rim! Motorola Magic Moment

Fernando dunks in transition! Motorola Magic Moment

Fall monster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

Joan Penarroya’s team delivered a determined performance on Wednesday to seal a high-scoring victory, with the key role played by backup big man [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/) as he recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds.

With [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/)’s status uncertain, that kind of presence from Hernangomez will again be crucial for the *Blaugrana*, while visiting coach Vassilis Spanoulis will hope that his own centers [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/) and [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) will offer better protection of their backboard after allowing Barca to claim 14 crucial offensive rebounds in Game 3.

Another statistic to concern Spanoulis is the fact that his team failed to snare a single steal in Game 3, and visiting backcourt stars [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) will look to recover their usual defensive intensity to complement their ever-present offensive threat.

Having scored 89 points in defeat on Tuesday (led by James with 20 points and Okobo with 19), Monaco will not particularly concerned by its offense, which has performed with fluidity and efficiency throughout the series.

Instead, the key to the game is likely whether the visitors can stop Barca’s key scorers [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/), [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) and [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) – who all scored in double figures in Game 3 – from forcing a series decider next week.

### FC Barcelona

**Streaks**

Kevin Punter has had a PIR of 10 or more in 10 of his last 11 games.

Punter has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 games.

Punter has at least 1 steal in 15 straight games.

Punter has made 22 consecutive free throws.

Jabari Parker has scored 10 or more points in six of his last seven games.

Dario Brizuela has made at least 1 three-pointer in nine of his last 10 games.

Willy Hernangomez has had a PIR in double figures in four of his last five games.

Nico Laprovittola has made at least 1 three-point shot in 19 straight games.

Chimezie Metu has scored 10 or more points in 13 of his last 14 games.

**Season rankings**

Kevin Punter finished the regular season ranked seventh in scoring with 16.9 points per game.

Punter finished the regular season ranked third in steals with 1.3 per game.

Jan Vesely finished the regular season ranked ninth in steals with 1.1 per game.

Punter finished the regular season ranked eighth in free-throw shooting at 93.1%.

Punter finished the regular season ranked ninth in three-pointers made with 2.2 per game.

Tomas Satoransky finished the regular season ranked seventh in assists with 5.3 per game.

Youssoupha Fall finished the regular season tied for eighth in two-point shooting at 68.4%.

Barcelona ranks first in scoring with 88.0 points per game.

Barcelona ranks third in assists with 19.8 per game.

Barcelona ranks first in steals with 7.3 per game.

Barcelona ranks third in three-point shooting at 38.6%.

**Records/Milestones**

Tomas Satoransky ranks fourth all-time with a 2.8-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Jan Vesely is the all-time leader in two-pointers made with 1,567.

Vesely ranks third all-time with 5,123 index rating points. Mike James of AS Monaco is second with 5,360 and counting.

Vesely is seventh all-time with 4,047 points scored. Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is sixth with 4,068.

Vesely is tied with Rudy Fernandez in third place all-time with 367 steals. Dimitris Diamantidis is second with 434 steals.

Vesely ranks fifth all-time with 1,780 rebounds. Felipe Reyes is fourth with 1,799.

Vesely is in fifth place all-time with 657 offensive rebounds. Bryant Dunston of Zalgiris Kaunas is fourth with 671.

Vesely ranks ninth all-time with 216 blocks. Vincent Poirier of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is eighth with 220 and counting, and Tibor Pleiss of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is seventh with 229 and counting.

Vesely ranks eighth all-time with 799 free throws made. Juan Carlos Navarro is seventh with 853.

Kevin Punter ranks eighth all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.5%.

Youssoupha Fall ranks 12th all-time in two-point accuracy at 65.2%.

Nico Laprovittola needs 3 three-point shots made to reach 300 for his career.

Alex Abrines needs 5 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

Game Videos

### AS Monaco

**Streaks**

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 straight games.

James has had more than 5 assists in five of his last six games.

Elie Okobo has scored 11 or more points and made at least 1 three-pointer in nine of his last 10 games.

Georgios Papagiannis has made 15 consecutive free throws.

Matthew Strazel has made at least 1 three-pointer in nine straight games.

**Season rankings**

Mike James finished the regular season ranked fourth in assists with 5.7 per game.

Georgios Papagiannis finished the regular season as the league leader in blocks with 1.4 per game.

Monaco has committed 10.4 turnovers per game, the second-lowest in the league.

Monaco ranks third in blocks with 2.9 per game.

Monaco has forced a league-high 13.4 turnovers per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Mike James is the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer with 5,206 career points.

James is second all-time with 5,360 index rating points. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is first with a PIR of 5,473.

James is in second place all-time in free throws made with 1,144. De Colo is the all-time leader with 1,181.

James is in fifth place all-time with 1,501 career assists. Vassilis Spanoulis is fourth with 1,607 assists.

James has moved into fifth place all-time with 604 three-pointers made. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is fourth with 608, and Sergio Rodriguez is third with 609 three-pointers made.

James is fifth all-time in two-point shots made with 1,125. Ante Tomic is fourth with 1,137.

James is in seventh place all-time with 326 career steals. Theo Papaloukas is sixth with 335 career steals.

Nick Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in assists with 2,130.

Calathes set the EuroLeague single-season assists record in 2018-19 with 286.

Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in steals with 459.

Calathes ranks second all-time in games started with 318, behind only Kostas Papanikolaou, who has 337 and counting.

Calathes ranks eighth all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Calathes is eighth all-time with 4,295 performance index rating points. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid and Kyle Hines are tied in sixth place all-time with 4,299 performance index rating points apiece.

Calathes is ranked 16th all-time in scoring with 3,282 points. Kyle Hines is 15th with 3,339 points.

Georgios Papagiannis is ranked fourth all-time with 252 blocks. Kyle Hines is third with 320 blocks.

Papagiannis ranks 17th all-time in two-point accuracy at 64.3%.

Donatas Motiejunas set the EuroLeague single-game record with 18 defensive rebounds on December 7, 2011, while playing for Asseco Prokom Gdynia against Union Olimpija Ljubljana. In that game, Motiejunas pulled down 21 rebounds, the most rebounds in a single game by any active player.

Game News

This week’s action concludes with FC Barcelona seeking another home win to keep the series alive against AS Monaco.



Game Facts: Barcelona vs. Monaco

FC Barcelona v AS Monaco (2025-05-02T18:45:00.000Z)

\- Barcelona beat Monaco 100-89 in Game 3 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs behind Willy Hernangomez's double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, including a career-best 7 offensive rebounds, and a career-high 31 PIR which earned him co-MVP of the Round honors.

 

\- In Game 2, Monaco topped Barcelona 92-79 while dishing a club-record 28 assists. Mam Jaiteh tied his career highs in scoring (20) and PIR (27), and he set a career best with 9-of-9 two-pointers made. He earned his first MVP of the Round honor in the process.

 

\- Monaco beat Barcelona 97-80 in Game 1 behind a career-high 22 points from Daniel Theis.

 

\- Monaco guard Matthew Strazel tied his career-high PIR of 21 in Game 1 after he set that mark earlier this season, also against Barcelona, in a Round 20 loss.

 

\- Barcelona guard Dario Brizuela had a career-best game in an 84-98 win in Monaco in Round 20. Brizuela posted career highs in scoring (27), PIR (25), and minutes played (28:46), and tied his career best with 6 three-point shots made.

 

\- Monaco center Georgios Papagiannis set the club's single-game record when he blocked 4 shots in Round 20 against Barcelona.

 

\- Barcelona beat Monaco 86-71 in Round 3 behind 21 points from Kevin Punter, snapping Monaco's three-game winning streak in this series.

 

\- Monaco beat Barcelona 78-66 in their third-place game at the 2023 Final Four.

 

\- The two teams met for the first time in the 2021-22 season.

 

\- Nick Calathes spent two seasons at Barcelona, from 2020 to 2022, and helped it reach two Final Fours, including the championship game in 2021.

 

\- Monaco forward Petr Cornelie was a teammate of Barcelona's Youssoupha Fall at Le Mans during the 2015-16 season.

 

\- Barcelona forward Joel Parra pulled down a career-best tying 5 offensive rebounds in Game 2 of this series.

 

\- Barcelona's Jabari Parker had a career-high 6 assists in Game 2 of this series.

 

\- Barcelona’s injured big man Chimezie Metu tied his personal high with 8 rebounds in a Round 20 win over Monaco.

 

\- Barcelona guard Kevin Punter made a career-high 11 free throws while playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against Monaco in January 2024.

Game Notes: Barcelona vs. Monaco

The MVP of the Round honor for Game 3 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs is shared between FC Barcelona’s Willy Hernangomez, who is a first-time winner of the award, and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s Kendrick Nunn, for whom this is his fifth MVP of the Round prize.

Playoffs Game 3 co-MVPs: Willy Hernangomez, Kendrick Nunn

The MVP of the Round honor for Game 3 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs is shared between [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/)’s [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/), who is a first-time winner of the award, and [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/)’s [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), for whom this is his fifth MVP of the Round prize.

Both Hernangomez and Nunn finished with a 31 PIR, the highest among winning players in Game 3. In the case of Hernangomez, his 31 PIR is a career high. The Spaniard posted 19 points on 8-of-9 two-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 5 fouls drawn as Barcelona beat AS Monaco 100-89 to reduce the series deficit to 2-1. Nunn, meanwhile, amassed 25 points on 9-of-13 two-pointers and 7-of-7 free throws, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 6 fouls drawn in Panathinaikos’s 77-81 win at Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which gave the Greens a 2-1 series lead.

The highest PIR recorded in Game 3 belonged to Monaco’s [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), who had a 33 PIR, but it came in a losing effort. James recorded 20 points on 3-of-5 two-pointers, 4-of-8 three-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws, 5 rebounds, 12 assists and 4 fouls drawn.

In fourth place is Olympiacos Piraeus’s [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), who had a 26 PIR in the Reds’ 80-72 defeat at Real Madrid. Vezenkov finished with 21 points on 7-of-11 two-pointers, 2-of-7 threes and 1-of-1 free throws, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 fouls drawn.

Rounding out the list of top performers from Game 3 is Panathinaikos forward [Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/), who had a season-high 25 PIR in his team’s win at Efes. Mitoglou posted 18 points on 3-of-6 two-pointers and 4-of-5 threes, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 3 fouls drawn.

### Individual highs: Dan Oturu, Efes, 5 blocks

[TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball led all scorers in Game 3 with 29 points. Panathinaikos star Kendrick Nunn averages a league-best 20.8 points per game.

Barcelona’s Willy Hernangomez pulled down 10 rebounds in Game 3, the most of any player. His brother, [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) of Panathinaikos, leads the league in rebounding with 6.9 boards per game.

Mike James of Monaco dished 12 assists in Game 3, the most in this round of the playoffs. [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) is top of the assists charts with 7.3 dimes per contest.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul’s [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) led the way with 3 steals in Game 3. FC Bayern Munich’s [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) averaged 1.5 steals per night this season.

[Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) of Efes blocked 5 shots in Game 3, the joint most of any player in the 2025 playoffs. Monaco’s [Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) averages a league-high 1.4 blocks per game.

Mike James (20 points, 12 assists) and Willy Hernangomez (19 points, 10 rebounds) were the only players to record a double-double in Game 3.

FC Barcelona v AS Monaco (2025-04-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-04-30T17:45:00.000Z)

It was inevitable that [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) would recover from a slow start to the series at some stage, and the season MVP proved decisive in Game 3 with 25 points. So Efes will focus its defensive efforts on attempting to prevent Nunn from staying hot, but the Greens will feel that it also possesses plenty more weapons which are waiting to spring into life – just as the previously quiet [Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/) did on Wednesday with 18 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting.

Against such a potent opponent – Panathinaikos ranks second in the league in scoring with 87.8 points – Efes knows it will have to improve its offensive output from the 77 points mustered last time out. The hosts definitely needs big man [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) to overcome an injury which restricted him to just 2 points and 3 rebounds in Wednesday’s loss, although [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) stepped up with his best game of the series and could have to reach those standards again.

As always, though, the key player for Efes will be [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/). The star guard has averaged nearly 33 minutes on the floor during the series and delivered well with 18.0 points and 4.3 assists. If Panathinaikos can slow down Larkin, a ticket to Abu Dhabi will be within reach.

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul

**Streaks**

Shane Larkin has had a PIR of 11 or more in nine of his last 11 games.

Larkin has scored at least 11 points in nine of his last 10 games.

Larkin has made at least 1 three-point shot in 19 straight games.

Larkin has made at least 1 steal in nine straight games.

Elijah Bryant has made at least 1 three-point shot in nine of his last 10 games.

PJ Dozier has made at least 1 three-point shot in 11 of his last 12 games.

Dozier has made 15 consecutive free throws.

Darius Thompson has made at least 1 three-pointer in seven of his last eight games.

Vincent Poirier has had at least 1 block in five straight and six of his last seven games.

**Season rankings**

Vincent Poirier finished the regular season ranked third in blocks with 1.1 per game.

Dan Oturu finished the regular season ranked fifth in two-point shooting at 70.8%.

Oturu finished the regular season ranked seventh in offensive rebounding with 2.1 per game.

Elijah Bryant finished the regular season ranked fourth in steals with 1.2 per game.

Shane Larkin finished the regular season ranked fifth in steals with 1.2 per game.

Ercan Osmani finished the regular season ranked third in free-throw shooting at 94.7%.

Rolands Smits finished the regular season ranked seventh in two-point shooting at 69%.

Rodrigue Beaubois finished the regular season ranked eighth in three-point shooting at 45.9%.

Efes leads the league in blocks with 3.9 per game.

Efes ranks third in average PIR with 101.1 per game.

Efes ranks second in two-point shooting at 58.7%.

Efes allows the fewest total rebounds, 31.3 per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Shane Larkin is ranked 10th place all-time in scoring with 3,623 points. Sergio Rodriguez is ninth with 3,772 points.

Rodrigue Beaubois is in 19th place in career scoring with 3,113 points. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is 18th with 3,179 points and counting.

Larkin is in eighth place all-time in three-pointers made with 561. Rudy Fernandez is seventh with 594 three-pointers. Milos Teodosic is sixth with 595.

Beaubois is in 10th place all-time in three-pointers made with 513. Vassilis Spanoulis is ninth with 518 three-pointers made.

Larkin is in ninth place all-time with 798 free throws made. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is eighth with 799 career free throws made and counting.

Larkin is in ninth place all-time with 4,283 PIR points. Nick Calathes of AS Monaco is eighth with 4,295 and counting.

Larkin is tied with Facundo Campazzo of Real Madrid in 11th place all-time with 1,122 assists. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 10th with 1,204.

Larkin is in 13th place all-time with 285 steals. Nicolo Melli of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is in 12th place with 286 steals and counting.

Vincent Poirier ranks eighth all-time in blocks with 220. Tibor Pleiss of Panathinaikos is seventh all-time with 229 and counting.

Poirier is in 10th place all-time with 478 offensive rebounds apiece. Ante Tomic is ninth with 520 career offensive rebounds.

Darius Thompson ranks 11th all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

**Streaks**

Kendrick Nunn has made at least 1 three-point shot in 41 of his last 42 games.

Nunn has scored 14 or more points in 14 of his last 15 games.

Nunn has posted a PIR of 11 or more in seven of his last eight games.

Nunn has dished at least 5 assists in six of his last seven games.

Nunn has made 27 consecutive free throws.

Juancho Hernangomez has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in 19 straight games.

Mathias Lessort has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 11 straight and 23 of his last 24 games.

Lessort has had a PIR of 10 or more in 25 of his last 26 games.

Jerian Grant has made at least 1 three-point shot in seven of his last eight games.

**Season rankings**

Kendrick Nunn finished the regular season as the league leader in scoring with 21.1 points per game.

Nunn finished the regular season as the league leader in three-pointers made with 3.1 per game.

Nunn finished the regular season ranked fifth in average index rating with 20.3 per game.

Juancho Hernangomez finished the regular season ranked third in rebounding with 6.7 per game.

Wenyen Gabriel finished the regular season ranked ninth in offensive rebounding with 1.9 per game.

Gabriel finished the regular season ranked fifth in blocks with 1.1 per game.

Kostas Sloukas finished the regular season ranked ninth in assists with 4.8 per game.

Sloukas finished the regular season ranked sixth in free-throw shooting at 93.5%.

Panathinaikos leads the league in average PIR with 104.0 per game.

Panathinaikos is second in the league in scoring with 87.8 points per game.

Panathinaikos ranks second in defensive rebounding with 24.1 per game.

Panathinaikos ranks third in steals with 7.0 per game.

Panathinaikos ranks third in two-point shooting at 58.3%.

Panathinaikos has allowed 10.2 offensive rebounds per game, the third-lowest this season.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Sloukas is in third place all-time with 423 games played.

Sloukas ranks third all-time with 1,870 assists. Sergio Rodriguez is second with 1,874.

Sloukas is in fourth place all-time with 1,007 free throws made. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 1,131.

Sloukas is eighth all-time with 4,031 career points. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is seventh with 4,047 and counting, and Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is sixth with 4,068 career points.

Sloukas is ranked fourth all-time with 5,026 index rating points. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is third with 5,123 and counting.

Sloukas is 12th all-time with 508 three-point shots made. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 11th with 510, and Rodrigue Beaubois of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 10th with 513 and counting.

Marius Grigonis ranks seventh all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.6%.

Sloukas ranks 15th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 89.1%.

Sloukas is in 18th place on the all-time charts with 268 career steals. Vassilis Spanoulis is 17th with 273 steals.

Tibor Pleiss is ranked seventh all-time with 229 career blocks. Alex Tyus is sixth with 238.

Pleiss is in 11th place all-time with 470 offensive rebounds. Vincent Poirier of Efes is in 10th place all-time with 478 offensive rebounds and counting.

Pleiss is tied with Nick Calathes of AS Monaco for 11th place all-time with 1,009 two-pointers made. Paulius Jankunas is 10th with 1,011.

Pleiss is ranked 16th all-time with 1,400 rebounds. Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos Piraeus is 15th with 1,415 and counting.

Grigonis needs 4 steals to reach 100 for his career.

Jerian Grant is the all-time leader with a 3.2-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

After relinquishing home-court advantage with a narrow loss on Wednesday, Anadolu Efes Istanbul needs to bounce straight back against reigning champ Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Game Facts: Efes vs. Panathinaikos

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-05-02T17:30:00.000Z)

\- Panathinaikos took a 2-1 series lead in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with a 77-81 win in Game 3 as Kendrick Nunn scored 25 points and earned co-MVP of the Round honors with a 31 PIR.

 

\- In Game 2, Efes rallied to edge Panathinaikos 76-79 as Shane Larkin earned co-MVP of the Round honors thanks to his PIR of 27.

 

\- Panathinaikos rallied to beat Efes 87-83 in Game 1 behind Juancho Hernangomez, who set career highs in points (20), rebounds (16) and PIR (40) and tied his career best with 3 steals. His 16 rebounds tied the EuroLeague Playoffs record. Hernangomez earned MVP of the Round honors for his performance.

 

\- Efes center Dan Oturu tied a playoff record and set a career high with 5 blocks in a Game 3 loss. Vincent Poirier became the first player in EuroLeague Playoffs history to have 5 blocked shots when he did so in Game 1.

 

\- Panathinaikos beat Efes 104-89 in Round 26 behind Kendrick Nunn, who erupted for 30 second-half points and finished with 36 after going 7 for 10 on two-pointers, 5 for 11 on three-pointers and a perfect 7 for 7 from the free-throw line. Nunn also posted 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn for a 37 PIR, earning MVP of the Round honors.

 

\- Efes thrashed Panathinaikos 93-67 in Round 15 in Istanbul and in the process set a club record with 8 blocks.

 

\- Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman was in charge of Efes between 2017 and 2023 and guided the team to back-to-back EuroLeague championships in 2021 and 2022. He was named the EuroLeague Coach of the Year in 2021, too.

 

\- Panathinaikos center Tibor Pleiss, who hasn’t yet played yet in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs, will face Efes for the first time since leaving the club last summer. He spent six seasons there and helped the team win the EuroLeague in 2021 and 2022.

 

\- Panathinaikos forward Cedi Osman came through at Efes and made his EuroLeague debut there in the 2013-14 season. Efes's former head coach and now assistant Tomislav Mijatovic was also an assistant coach during Osman's entire time with the club.

 

\- Daryl Macon scored 34 points and made a club-record 9 three-point shots for Panathinaikos in a 95-69 victory over Efes in October 2021.

 

\- Efes set its EuroLeague club record this century with 33 made free throws against Panathinaikos in April 2005.

 

\- Panathinaikos recorded 51 total rebounds, which is the most by the Greens in EuroLeague play this century, against Efes in March 2014.

 

\- Panathinaikos beat Efes 81-71 in the 2000 EuroLeague Final Four semifinals and 74-66 in the 2001 FIBA SuproLeague semifinals.

 

\- Panathinaikos ousted Efes 2-1 in their best-of-three EuroLeague playoff series in 2005.

 

\- Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort and Efes center Vincent Poirier have been teammates on the French national team. Together they won bronze medals at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

 

\- Efes's Dogus Ozdemiroglu, Shane Larkin, Ercan Osmani and Erkan Yilmaz all played under Coach Ataman on the Turkish national team and alongside Panathinaikos players Cedi Osman and Omer Yurtseven.

 

\- Panathinaikos center Omer Yurtseven had a career-high 3 steals in a Game 2 loss against Efes in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs.

 

\- Efes guard PJ Dozier had career highs in PIR (28) and steals (6) while playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against Panathinaikos in January 2024.

 

\- Efes's Jordan Nwora grabbed a personal-best 8 rebounds in Round 15 against Panathinaikos this season.

 

\- Marius Grigonis made a career-high 7 triples and had a career-best PIR of 28 to lead Panathinaikos past Efes, 83-76, last season in Athens.

 

\- Efes guard Rodrigue Beaubois set a career high with 4 blocks against Panathinaikos in November 2018.

 

\- Efes center Vincent Poirier set a career high in steals with 4 while playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Panathinaikos in November 2017.

Game Notes: Efes vs. Panathinaikos

The Spanish team will hope that [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) can again avoid foul trouble to allow him to exert the same kind of influence that allowed him to record 15 points and 5 rebounds in Game 3.

That's especially important because backcourt efficiency has been an issue throughout the series for *Los Blancos* with [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) and [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) struggling to make an impact against an excellent Olympiacos defense, although [Alberto Abalde](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alberto-abalde/003733/) did step up by contributing 9 points and 6 assists on Tuesday.

Olympiacos will hope to welcome back [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) after missing Tuesday's game with an ankle injury, and his presence would remove some of the scoring burden from [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) – the only Reds player other than Fournier to average double-digit scoring in the series so far.

In a series so far dominated offensively by [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) at one end and Vezenkov at the other, it could be time for another hero to step up. And one X-factor in a game where fatigue will play a part is [Shaq McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/), who has endured an extremely quiet series so far – averaging just 2.0 points per night and a negative PIR – but should have enough energy reserves to unleash his frustrations with a more telling contribution in Game 4.

### Real Madrid

**Streaks**

Mario Hezonja has made at least 1 three-pointer in 17 straight and 47 of his last 48 games.

Facundo Campazzo has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 of his last 11 games.

**Season rankings**

Facundo Campazzo finished the regular season ranked eighth in average index rating with 18.0 per game.

Campazzo finished the regular season ranked third in assists with 6.4 per game.

Walter Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in rebounding with 7.1 per game.

Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in offensive rebounding with 2.8 per game.

Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in blocks with 1.3 per game.

Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in two-point shooting at 75.3%.

Usman Garuba finished the regular season ranked fourth in two-point shooting at 71.1%.

Real leads the league in rebounding with 36.8 per game.

Real leads the league in defensive rebounding with 26.4 per game.

Real leads the league in two-point accuracy at 59.4%.

Real has held opponents to a league-low 51.8% two-point shooting.

Records/Milestones

Walter Tavares blocked 88 shots in the 2022-23 season to set the all-time single-season record.

Tavares is the competition's all-time leader in blocks with 472.

Tavares is in fourth place all-time in two-point accuracy at 68.6%.

Tavares ranks second all-time with 1,875 rebounds. Paulius Jankunas is the all-time leader with 2,010 rebounds.

Tavares is in second place all-time with 707 offensive rebounds. Kyle Hines is the all-time leader with 824 career offensive rebounds.

Tavares is tied with Kyle Hines in sixth on the all-time list with 4,299 PIR points. Nikola Mirotic is fifth with 4,844 and counting.

Sergio Llull is the all-time leader in games played with 446 EuroLeague appearances.

Llull is the all-time leader in three-point shots made with 684.

Llull ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 4,205 points. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 4,455.

Llull is in seventh place all-time with 1,479 assists. Milos Teodosic of Crvena Zvezda is sixth with 1,491 and counting.

Facundo Campazzo is tied with Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 11th place all-time with 1,122 assists and counting. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 10th with 1,204 and counting.

Llull ranks 12th all-time with 737 free throws made. Paulius Jankunas is 11th with 748.

Llull ranks fifth all-time with a 2.7-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Facundo Campazzo is tied for 14th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

### Olympiacos Piraeus

**Streaks**

Sasha Vezenkov has scored in double figures and posted a double-digit PIR in 38 straight games.

Vezenkov has posted a PIR of 14 or more in 34 straight games.

Vezenkov has made at least 1 three-pointer in 23 straight and 32 of his last 33 games.

Vezenkov has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 14 straight games.

Alec Peters has made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six games.

Evan Fournier has made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six games.

Keenan Evans has scored at least 10 points in 10 straight and 21 of his last 22 games.

Evans has posted a double-digit PIR in nine of his last 10 games.

Evans has made at least 1 three-pointer in 17 straight games.

Evans has made 21 consecutive free throws.

**Season rankings**

Sasha Vezenkov finished the regular season as the league leader in average index rating with 24.5 per game.

Vezenkov finished the regular season ranked third in scoring with 20.2 points per game.

Evan Fournier finished the regular season ranked 10th in scoring with 15.8 points per game.

Vezenkov finished the regular season ranked fourth in rebounding with 6.6 per game.

Nikola Milutinov finished the regular season ranked fifth in offensive rebounding with 2.6 per game.

Moustapha Fall finished the regular season as the league leader in two-point shooting at 77.2%.

Alec Peters finished the regular season ranked second in three-point shooting at 54.4%.

Peters finished the regular season ranked fourth in free-throw shooting at 94.1%.

Evan Fournier finished the regular season ranked fifth in three-pointers made with 2.6 per game.

Olympiacos leads the league in assists with 21.1 per game.

Olympiacos is second in the league in team PIR with 101.4 per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Papanikolaou is the all-time leader in games started with 337.

Papanikolaou is in eighth place all-time in steals with 325. Mike James of AS Monaco is seventh with 326 and counting.

Papanikolaou is ranked 13th all-time with 1,429 career rebounds. Johannes Voigtmann of FC Bayern Munich is 12th with 1,430.

Nikola Milutinov is ranked 15th all-time with 1,415 career rebounds. Othello Hunter is 14th with 1,424.

Milutinov is ranked sixth all-time in offensive rebounds with 650. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is fifth with 657 and counting.

Moustapha Fall ranks second all-time in two-point accuracy at 73.1%.

Fall is ranked 13th all-time with 168 career blocked shots. James Gist is 12th with 167 and Stephane Lasme is 11th with 174.

Milutinov is tied with Ante Tomic for 18th place all-time with 155 blocked shots. With his next block, he will tie Jordan Mickey for 17th place.

Thomas Walkup ranks 16th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Walkup is ranked 14th all-time in assists with 1,011. Vasilije Micic is 13th with 1,097 assists.

Walkup is in 15th place all-time in steals with 279. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is in 14th place with 282 steals and counting, and Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 13th with 285 and counting.

Alec Peters ranks 11th all-time in free-throw shooting accuracy at 90.0%.

Peters ranks third all-time in three-point accuracy at 46.7%.

Keenan Evans needs 2 steals to reach 100 for his career.

After winning on Tuesday to narrow the series deficit to 1-2, Real Madrid will look to continue its comeback against Olympiacos Piraeus.

Game Facts: Madrid vs. Olympiacos

\- Real Madrid rallied to beat Olympiacos 80-72 in Game 3 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs behind a season-high 11 steals.

 

\- Olympiacos won the first two games of this series in Piraeus, including an 84-72 victory in the opening game by making a season-best 27 two-pointers.

 

\- Olympiacos swept the regular-season series against Real Madrid, including an 86-96 win in Madrid in Round 22 behind Even Fournier's personal-best 28 points.

 

\- Olympiacos beat Real 79-69 in Round 6 in Piraeus with Sasha Vezenkov scoring 23 points, while Shaquielle Mckissic pulled down a career-high 9 rebounds.

 

\- Olympiacos and Real Madrid have faced each other three times in the EuroLeague Playoffs. Real advanced to the Final Four in 1996 with a 2-1 win in the best-of-three series and Olympiacos ousted Real 3-1 in 2009's best-of-five series. Real eliminated Olympiacos in the 2014 EuroLeague Playoffs 3-2. Rudy Fernandez led Los Blancos with an average of 17.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and Sergio Llull starred with 20 points in the decisive fifth game.

 

\- In the 2024 Final Four semifinal in Berlin, Real beat Olympiacos 87-76 behind 20 points from Dzanan Musa.

 

\- This is a rematch of the 2023 championship game in which Sergio Lull made a game-winning jumper with 3.1 seconds to go for a 79-78 win in Kaunas for Real to win its 11th EuroLeague championship.

 

\- Real swept Olympiacos during the 2023-24 regular season, including a 71-77 win in Piraeus as Dzanan Musa scored 23 points and tied a career best with 5 triples made.

 

\- Real held off Olympiacos 90-85 last season in Madrid with Facundo Campazzo collecting 12 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.

 

\- Real Madrid downed Olympiacos in the 1995 EuroLeague championship game, 73-61, behind Arvydas Sabonis, who was chosen as the 1995 Final Four MVP.

 

\- Olympiacos defeated Real Madrid 100-89 for the 2013 EuroLeague championship in London. Vassilis Spanoulis scored 22 points in that game and was named the Final Four MVP.

 

\- Real Madrid routed Olympiacos 78-59 in the 2015 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game in the Spanish capital. Jaycee Carroll led a balanced Madrid attack with 16 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting and Andres Nocioni was named the Final Four MVP.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Nigel Williams-Goss spent two seasons with Real, from 2021 to 2023, helping it reach the 2022 EuroLeague championship game and win the 2023 EuroLeague crown.

 

\- Williams-Goss scored a career-high 23 points in an 88-83 Olympiacos win against Real in November 2018.

 

\- Real swingman Mario Hezonja and Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou were teammates at FC Barcelona during the 2013-14 season.

 

\- Olympiacos point guard Luca Vildoza has been a teammate of Real forward Gabriel Deck and guard Facundo Campazzo on the Argentinian national team. Together they won the silver medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Luca Vildoza and Real point guard Facundo Campazzo were teammates at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade during the 2022-23 season.

 

\- Real Madrid guard Andres Feliz had a personal-best 6 steals in his team's Game 2 loss, which tied a club record. It also surpassed his previous personal high of 4 steals, which he set in Game 1 of this series.

 

\- Olympiacos forward Sasha Vezenkov tied a career-best with 5 offensive rebounds in Game 2 of this series.

 

\- Olympiacos forward Alec Peters grabbed a career-high 6 offensive rebounds in the 2024 Final Four semifinal loss against Real Madrid.

 

\- Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou posted a career-high 25 points and tied a career high with 6 triples made in a 90-85 loss against Real in January 2024.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Naz Mitrou-Long dished a career-high 7 assists against Real in January 2024.

 

\- Olympiacos guard Tyler Dorsey had a career game while playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against Real in January 2021, posting a career-high PIR of 36.

 

\- Hezonja posted his career high with 4 steals while playing for UNICS Kazan against Olympiacos in December 2021.

 

\- Real’s All-EuroLeague center Walter Tavares had a career-best 4 steals in an overtime win over Olympiacos in April 2021.

 

\- Real's Facundo Campazzo collected a career-high 5 steals while playing for Crvena Zvezda against Olympiacos in April 2023.

 

\- Olympiacos center Nikola Milutinov recorded a career-best 3 blocks twice against Real Madrid, in December 2017 and November 2018.

 

\- Milutinov tied his career best with 3 steals in Game 2 of this series.

Game Notes: Madrid vs. Olympiacos

Top 10 Plays | Playoffs Game 3 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Kendrick Nunn returned to form in Game 3 as Panathinaikos BC beat Anadolu Efes to take a 2-1 lead in their EuroLeague playoff series.

Coach Ataman hails mature Nunn performance ahead of Game 4 blockbuster

Reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champ [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) is on the cusp of sealing a return to the Final Four after the competition’s top performer [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) produced a vintage display to give the Greek giant a 2-1 lead against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in their quarterfinal playoff series.

The two teams meet again in Game 4 on Friday and after coming through a bruising encounter to grind out [a 77-81 road win in Game 3](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-beats-efes-77-81-in-game-3-to-edge-closer-to-final-four/), the Greens will be hopeful of punching their ticket for the May 23-25 showpiece event in Abu Dhabi.

Having endured a pair of torrid tests of his credentials in the opening two games when the rivals shared the spoils, Panathinaikos guard Nunn finally caught fire in Game 3 as he poured in 25 points, drawing praise from his head coach Ergin Ataman.

“Nunn is a great player and he understands that he needs to move the ball when he’s got two or three players marking him aggressively. In critical situations he attacked the basket superbly and was able to score 25 points,” Ataman told the postgame press conference after seeing his team fend off a fierce Efes onslaught in the fourth quarter.

“Once again, it was a great game between these two teams. Our offense started to work much better when [\[Kostas\] Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) came on to the court in the second quarter as we scored 25 points in that period and gained confidence. In the third, Efes kept playing aggressive defense on Nunn but this time he found a way to move the ball and we were able to take control of the game,” the Turkish tactician added.

Panathinaikos looked in trouble after Efes found another gear in the final 10 minutes to wipe out a 13-point deficit, but the holders showed the mettle and resolve akin only to the royalty of European club basketball as they weathered the storm.

The visitors thrived on a huge contribution from power forward [Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/), who buried a clutch three-pointer to give Panathinaikos a 74-79 lead before Nunn sealed victory with a pair of free throws in the dying seconds.

Ataman acknowledged his team would take nothing for granted ahead of Game 4 with Efes showing the ability to bounce back from any kind of adversity.  

“In the last quarter we gave away some turnovers, offensive rebounds and last-gasp shots, putting the game on the line,” Ataman said. “Ultimately, we were able to find points through Nunn and win the game. Still, it’s only 2-1 and we know that Efes will continue to fight as they are a great team playing outstanding basketball.”

It was a tough loss for Efes head coach Luca Banchi, who hoped that his team would turn the series on its head after rallying from a similar deficit to win Game 2 in Athens, 76-79, levelling the series after Panathinaikos had won the opening clash 87-83.

The Italian tactician revealed that towering center [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) got limited time on the court on Wednesday after picking up an injury in Game 2. Poirier did not feature in the second half of Game 3 as he only netted 2 points, both of them from the foul line in 16 first-half minutes, which allowed Panathinaikos to grab a barrage of offensive rebounds. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EFES vs PANATHINAIKOS Postgame conference is live now! 👀<br>Tune in here to hear from the coaches &amp; players of both teams <a href="https://t.co/2433Dnh9V5">https://t.co/2433Dnh9V5</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1917676601447256293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Banchi was adamant that his men would recuperate for the do-or-die Game 4, with [PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/) also nursing a sore hand as the grueling series takes its toll amid plenty of physical contact throughout. 

“Unfortunately, Vince suffered an injury during Game 2 which cost him in preparations for Game 3 and we saw during the game that he wasn’t moving as well as he normally does,” Banchi stressed.

“I am sure we will be able to compete again in 48 hours regardless of the fatigue, the level of our opponent and the frustration with the tough loss we suffered. We will bounce back.

“We want to grow and improve as a team in the series because we know we are facing the defending champions. They came into the Istanbul part of the series with great desire and focus to avenge the one defeat they suffered in Athens but I believe we are responding well to adversity. There is room for improvement and that’s why we have to stay calm,” added Banchi, whose team steamrolled into the playoffs after winning their last eight regular-season games to jump from bottom-half doldrums into the postseason.

In order to keep their Final Four hopes alive, Banchi’s men will have to show every bit of that resolve in order to tie the series and take it back to Athens for a Game 5 tiebreaker. 

The regular season’s top scorer and MVP lifted Panathinaikos to a crunch Game 3 victory against Efes

Injuries have not been an excuse for FC Barcelona, which downed AS Monaco Basket in Game 3 to breathe new life into their playoff series.

Barcelona keeps turning problems into opportunities – now its all to play for in Game 4

[FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) has had a troubled season when it comes to injuries. After playing less than 10 minutes in Game 2 of his team's playoff series against AS Monaco, former EuroLeague MVP [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) returned to Barca's injury list, joining [Nico Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/), [Juan Nunez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juan-nunez/010106/) and [Chimezie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chimezie-metu/013379/). Its only mid-season signing, playmaker Raul Neto, played just three minutes and 33 seconds this season.

In Game 3, head coach [Joan Penarroya](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/penarroya-joan?season=E2024) had three U18 players on his team's 12-man roster in [Raul Villar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/raul-villar/012317/), [Sayon Keita](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sayon-keita/012885/) and [Mathieu Grujicic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathieu-grujicic/012103/). Coach Penarroya managed to find the right response back at Palau Blaugrana, despite consecutive double-digit losses in Monaco, by doing what his team has done all season: turn problems into opportunities with a next-man-up mentality.

[Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) had never played point guard before this season and is now excelling at it. Since Nunez got injured ahead of Round 27, Brizuela has been able to distribute the ball better without losing his scoring punch, making the most out of his extended playing time. 

He had twice as many assists (24) than turnovers (12) in eight regular-season games without Nunez. In Game 3, Brizuela posted 14 points, 4 assists and just 2 turnovers in less than 17 minutes, missing just one shot, and had 10 of those points in the first half, with star guard [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) going scoreless.

FC Barcelona star guard Kevin Punter eventually found his scoring much, scoring all of his 14 points in the second half while also taking good care of the ball, finishing the game with five assists and just one turnover in Game 3 of his team's playoffs series against AS Monaco.

Punter steps up after the break

Punter eventually found his groove, netting all 14 of his points in the second half while also taking good care of the ball, finishing the game with 5 assists and just 1 turnover. After hitting 41.3% of his three-point shots in regular-season action, Punter is 4 of 17 from beyond the arc (23.5% 3FG) in the series against Monaco. 

That said, Punter is finding ways to help his team, hitting all 16 of his free-throw attempts while averaging 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 5.7 fouls drawn.

"First and foremost, we wanted to protect home court, and it was a must-win \[game\] for us, so I just wanted to be focused and locked in," Punter said. "We have to stay focused, take it one game at a time."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">GRÀCIES PEL VOSTRE SUPORT, PALAU!!! 💪💙❤️ <a href="https://t.co/Fo8nK2Gfbi">pic.twitter.com/Fo8nK2Gfbi</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1917665259135066610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Before Punter took matters into his own hands, Barcelona used a mammoth 17-0 run to get the lead early in the second quarter. Barca held Monaco scoreless for more than five minutes and with Vesely sidelined, [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/) proved why he is one of the best per-minute scorers in the competition. He had 6 points in that run, joining forces with [Joel Parra](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-parra/007464/) and [Alex Abrines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alex-abrines/003478/) to put Barca ahead for good, 41-27. Hernagomez had 19 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3, giving Barca the frontcourt threat it needed.

"We improved our energy and our rhythm and our defensive situations \[in the second quarter\], and I think we deserved to win the game," Coach Penarroya said after the game. "It is a good result but the most important thing for us tonight is to rest well and prepare for the next game. The playoffs are finished when a team arrives to three wins."

Injuries have not been an excuse for FC Barcelona, which continues to fight through adversity


Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 39th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! George Kleidonas beat everyone else in Game 3 of the EuroLeague Playoffs with his team 'PAO94', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 211.35.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Playoffs Game 3 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 39th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! George Kleidonas beat everyone else in Game 3 of the EuroLeague Playoffs with his team 'PAO94', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 211.35.

George had the following starting lineup: Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus as team captain, then Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Mike James of AS Monaco, Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, and Willy Hernangomez of FC Barcelona. His sixth man was Alberto Abalde of Real Madrid. The rest of the bench consisted of Barcelona's Kevin Punter, Real Madrid's Eli Ndiaye, Panathinaikos's Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, and Olympiacos's Tyler Dorsey. His team's head coach was Barcelona play-caller Joan Penarroya.

The prize for finishing first in Round 39 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, George!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 6,679.89 points.

Trades are now open for the 40th round of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/), which is Game 4 of the EuroLeague Playoffs, and there are an unlimited number of trades.

The first game of Game 4 tips off on Thursday, May 1 at 21:00 CEST as Real Madrid hosts Olympiacos, marking the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

Kendrick Nunn and Konstantinos Mitoglou were the star men for Panathinaikos BC as it beat Anadolu Efes in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in its series in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Nunn and Mitoglou bounced back to carry Panathinaikos at Efes in Game 3

Harried and hustled out of his rhythm in the opening two playoff games against [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/), [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) came back with a vengeance in Game 3 to inspire reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/).

Nunn poured in a game-high 25 points to give the competition’s holder [a huge 77-81 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-beats-efes-77-81-in-game-3-to-edge-closer-to-final-four/) over the home team and a 2-1 lead in the series ahead of Friday’s potentially decisive Game 4, with a win guaranteeing the Greek giant a berth at the 2025 Final Four in Abu Dhabi.

Unlike in Game 1 and 2, when he was clearly rattled by relentlessly aggressive defense from his markers, Nunn did not force the issue from three-point range this time. Instead of firing a barrage of tough shots from deep, having made just 4 of 16 in the opening two acts, Nunn relied on his enviable ball-handling skills to hurt Efes from inside.

The livewire guard weaved his way through traffic to sink one layup after another as well as some sweet mid-range jumpers, complementing that with a perfect 7 of 7 from the foul line to drive the Greens to the verge of promised land.

In his postgame comments, Nunn – who shot 9 of 13 from two-point range – acknowledged the bruising encounter was set to produce more thrills and spills, with all three games played so far going down to the wire and keeping fans on the edge of their seats throughout.    

“The last stretch was tough,” said Nunn. “It was a battle, they made a run and it really came down to the last two minutes of the game. We didn’t get as many stops as we wanted but we converted on the offensive end and knocked down some crunch free throws.”

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[Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/), who netted a season-high 18 points after being scorned by his head coach Ergin Ataman that he needed to step up following a tough 76-79 home loss in Game 2, came up big as he drained a clutch three in the final minute which game the visiting team a 74-79 lead.

Mitoglou conceded that there was no room for error against an opponent as tenacious as Efes, with the home side rallying from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter before it was forced into submission in a heart-stopping finale.  

“We headed into the game aggressively and made all the right decisions to take a 13-point lead but Efes then came right back at us and one or two mistakes at our end was all it took for them to bounce back,” the power forward elaborated. “We expect the next game to be even tougher but our goal is to win it. I was confident taking those long-range shots, it’s something I work on every day,” added Mitoglou, who was 4 of 5 from downtown.

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Ataman, too, was pleased with his team’s valiant effort and the fact that the Greens stood firm in the wake of a ferocious Efes onslaught in the fourth quarter.

“We played a perfect game until the last quarter, but then again it’s not easy in the last quarter on the road,” said the Turkish tactician, who lifted back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Efes in 2021 and 2022.

“Efes played aggressive defense on the pick and roll so we made a lot of turnovers and they also hit some incredible shots. It’s a big win for us because Efes is an extremely good team and all the games in the series have been very tough. We are 2-1 up now but it’s not over and we’ll try to win on Friday again to qualify for the Final Four.”  

The home team’s head coach Luca Banchi was only too aware that simple errors in the home straight cost battling Efes, which must now win Game 4 to stay alive: “Another tough game in the series decided by fine margins and we know we have to be very demanding to ourselves because every single mistake can be punished,” he stated.

If the opening three chapters are anything to go by, Friday’s encounter is set to produce another epic clash between these two heavyweights.  

The duo recovered from poor performances in Game 2 to engineer a massive road win in Istanbul

Defending Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ground out a priceless 77-81 road win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Game 3 to move a step closer towards reaching the 2025 Final Four in Abu Dhabi.

Panathinaikos beats Efes, 77-81, in Game 3 to edge closer to Final Four

Defending Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ground out a priceless 77-81 road win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Game 3 of their quarterfinal playoff series to move a step closer towards reaching the 2025 Final Four in Abu Dhabi.

Player of the game Kendrick Nunn produced a monster performance, scoring 19 of his game-high 25 points to lead the Greens while Konstantinos Mitoglou chipped in with 18 points and 6 boards, including a clutch three down the stretch.

Kostas Sloukas netted 10 points as Panathinaikos won the battle of the boards 35-26, having racked up 15 offensive rebounds and shot 16 of 16 from the foul line. At the other end, Shane Larkin paced Efes on 17 points, Dan Oturu added 14 and Elijah Bryant netted 13 to go with 7 boards. Ercan Osmani scored 10 points for the hosts, all of them in the first quarter as Efes led 23-20 after 10 minutes.

Having trailed after the opening 10 minutes, Panathinaikos roared back with a 6-17 run which propelled the Greens into a 31-37 lead on the back of effervescent shooting from Sloukas and Mitoglou as Nunn was tightly marked and given no breathing space in the backcourt.

The regular season’s MVP, who struggled in the opening two games, beat the halftime buzzer with one of his many audacious layups to give the visitors a 39-45 lead at the interval before carrying on at full throttle in the third quarter.

Nunn scored his team’s opening 6 points after the break, firing Panathinaikos into a double-digit lead as Efes stalled on offense and looked bereft of ideas. With Mitoglou hitting yet another three and Nunn adding four more points to his tally, Panathinaikos romped away into a 50-63 advantage late in the third quarter and looked set for some plain sailing in the final 10 minutes.

However, Efes had other ideas. The home side closed the gap to 64-65 with a fierce 14-2 run prior to Nunn making a three-point play, briefly halting the Turkish giant’s charge. Moments later, however, a sublime Larkin floater made it 72-72 and with the rivals all square, the stage was set for a highly dramatic climax.

Mitoglou came up big with a massive spot-up three which allowed Panathinaikos to take a decisive 74-79 lead and although Thompson replied swiftly at the other end, Nunn sealed the contest with a pair of ice-cool free throws to silence a vociferous home crowd.   

The reigning champs prevailed in a tense finish to take a 2-1 lead in the series 