Name: Top 10 Plays | Playoffs Game 2 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

The 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season will be remembered not only as the most competitive regular-season campaign on the court, but also as the most followed in history. For the fourth consecutive year, in-arena attendance set a new record with a remarkable 3,039,060 spectators. Off the court, the League’s digital and social media performance continued to break new ground, cementing the EuroLeague’s status as a global leader in sports engagement.

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season shatters digital and social media records

- **Double digit growth on platforms' engagement, followers and views**
- **A record 1.5 billion impressions reached**

The 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season will be remembered not only as the most competitive regular-season campaign on the court, but also as the most followed in history. For the fourth consecutive year, in-arena attendance set a new record with a [remarkable 3,039,060 spectators](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/news/euroleague-regular-season-attendance-sets-new-record/). Off the court, the League’s digital and social media performance continued to break new ground, cementing the EuroLeague’s status as a global leader in sports engagement.

**SOCIAL MEDIA: UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH ACROSS ALL CHANNELS**

The EuroLeague’s social media platforms saw double-digit growth in all key metrics, with total impressions reaching a record-breaking 1.5 billion. Total video views surged by 56%, totaling 816 million, while engagement raised by 21%, showing just how passionate the EuroLeague fan base is.

- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/euroleague/#) emerged as the top-performing platform with 1.34 million followers, marking a 22% increase. The platform drove 559 million views (+58%) and 918.6 million impressions (+33%), solidifying its status as the EuroLeague fan base’s favorite social network.

- [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@euroleague) was the standout growth platform, with triple-digit gains across the board. Impressions soared by 126% to 149.4 million, views hit 149.5 million (+126%), and engagement doubled (+105%) to reach 11.2 million. A highlight was the exclusive [*Hoop District* live stream collaboration](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/hoop-district-goes-live-on-tiktok-a-groundbreaking-global-first/), aligning perfectly with the disruptive and innovative spirit of the tournament.

- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/euroleague), [X](https://x.com/Euroleague) (formerly Twitter) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheEuroLeague/) also posted significant growth. [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/euroleague) engagement increased by 92% to 676,732, and views climbed 63% to 32.1 million, driven by popular series like the [EuroLeague & Friends](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcjy-GNBj1yVF3i2kWIseta5qBjEJSmP) and [Fantasy Challenge](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcjy-GNBj1xiCJQa4EM2lCMCqXSVxLr7) podcasts. On [X](https://x.com/Euroleague), engagement rose by 13%, with a 4% increase in views, now totaling 51.2 million, while [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheEuroLeague/) registered 173.2 million impressions.

[**EUROLEAGUE.TV**](http://EUROLEAGUE.TV) **AND FANTASY GAME: FAN ENGAGEMENT REIMAGINED**

[EuroLeague.TV](http://EuroLeague.TV), the League’s official OTT platform, saw a 37% increase in subscriptions. Key upgrades - such as seamless integration with [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net) and expanded streaming coverage, including the 2025 LBA Final Eight - enhancing the fan experience and broadening its reach.

Meanwhile, the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/login?from=/) game continued its meteoric rise, with a record 290,000 players (+101%) and 541,000 teams created (+63%). With high engagement across key markets like Serbia, Greece, Italy, Turkiye, Spain and Germany, and successful partnerships with leading media outlets, the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/login?from=/) has truly become a global phenomenon.

Javier Gancedo offers his recommendations in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge for Games 3 and 4 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs.

Fantasy tips for Games 3 and 4: Rising to the moment

What a way to start the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs! 

Olympiacos Piraeus, AS Monaco and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul made the most of their home-court advantage to take 2-0 leads in their series, while Anadolu Efes Istanbul edged Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in Game 2 to level things up heading back to Turkiye. 

Anything can happen this week – from sweeps to comebacks. As always, I have some recommendations to make your EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge teams even better. 

### Terry Tarpey, AS Monaco (4.2 credits)

[Terry Tarpey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/terry-tarpey/012515/) has earned a reputation for always being ready when his number is called. Coach Vassilis Spanoulis surprised Barca with a very small lineup featuring Tarpey at power forward, which worked well. No player under 5.0 credits has been more effective in the playoffs: 3.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.0 PIR.

### Tarik Biberovic, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (8.2 credits)

Tarik Biberovic is coming off a career-best night, reaching 20 points for the first time in his EuroLeague career. He was effective from beyond the arc but also attacked the rim and was really active on offense. Paris's run-and-gun style suits him well, and Biberovic is ready to keep shining in Game 3.

### Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid (11.9 credits)

Dzanan Musa struggled in Game 2 against Olympiacos, finishing the night with 2 points on 1-of-7 shooting and a PIR of 0. He already bounced back in Spanish League action, getting 22 points on 6-of-7 three-pointers. Real Madrid plays at home this time and it is hard to imagine that Musa has such a sub-par performance again. He could be your X-factor in Game 3.

### Vincent Poirier, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (14.6 credits)

[Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) has been simply sensational so far, dominating the paint and finding a lot of advantages against Omer Yurtseven and Wenyen Gabriel. In Games 1 and 2 in Athens, Poirier averaged 16.5 points on 73.7% shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and a PIR of 26.0. It will be hard to find a better center in the game.

### TJ Shorts, Paris Basketball (20.2 credits)

If you think Paris won't fight until the very end, think again. Paris hosts Game 3, where [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) feels comfortable, and he should be his usual, unstoppable self. He has been playing well in the series, averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 assists and a PIR of 19.0. If Paris needs a monster game from Shorts to force Game 4, he will be ready to deliver.

Javier Gancedo gives his recommendations for this week's playoff action

Paris Basketball v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-04-29T18:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-04-29T19:00:00.000Z)

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

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

Paris Basketball v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-05-01T18:30:00.000Z)

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

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

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

The reigning champs threw away a double-digit lead in [Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/anadolu-efes-beats-panathinaikos-76-79-to-even-the-series/) as they allowed Efes to score 29 fourth-quarter points and the Greens know they must work harder defensively to limit the influence of home team talisman [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), who averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 assists and a PIR of 23 in the first two games.

Another huge presence for the Turkish team has been center [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/), who has dominated the paint with averages of 16.5 points and 9 rebounds. So visiting big men [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) and [Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/) need to do more to stand their ground - and Coach Ergin Ataman could give a first appearance of the series to fellow former Efes man [Tibor Pleiss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tibor-pleiss/lhk/).

Panathinaikos needs scoring star [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) to rediscover his regular season form, especially from three-point range after only making 25% of his attempts from deep so far in the playoffs.

And on a collective level, the Greens need to avoid the inconsistency that has been prevalent in many of their performances throughout the season, while Efes head coach Luca Banchi will hope the perimeter defense of [PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/) and [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) is enough to prevent the power-packed Panathinaikos guard rotation from taking over.

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul

 

**Streaks**

Shane Larkin has had a PIR of 11 or more in nine of his last 10 games.

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

Larkin has made at least 1 three-point shot in 18 straight games.

Larkin has at least 1 steal in eight straight games.

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

PJ Dozier has made at least 1 three-point shot in 10 of his last 11 games.

Dozier has made 15 consecutive free throws.

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

Vincent Poirier has at least 1 block in four straight and five of his last six 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 3,606 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 558. Rudy Fernandez and Monaco's Mike James are tied for sixth place with 594 three-pointers apiece. Milos Teodosic is fifth 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 794 free throws made. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is eighth with 799 career free throws made.

Larkin is in ninth place all-time with 4,266 PIR points. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid is eighth with 4,279 and counting.

Larkin is in 12th place all-time with 1,118 assists. Facundo Campazzo of Real Madrid is 11th with 1,120, and Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 10th with 1,204.

Larkin is in 13th place all-time with 284 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 219. Tibor Pleiss of Panathinaikos is seventh all-time with 229 and counting.

Poirier is in 10th place all-time with 476 offensive rebounds apiece. Ante Tomic is ninth with 520 career offensive rebounds.

Darius Thompson ranks 10th all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Game Videos

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

 

**Streaks**

Kendrick Nunn has made at least 1 three-point shot in 41 straight games.

Nunn has scored 14 or more points in 13 of his last 14 games.

Nunn has posted PIRs of 11 or more in six of his last seven games.

Nunn has dished at least 5 assists in six straight games.

Nunn has made 20 consecutive free throws.

Juancho Hernangomez has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in 18 straight games.

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

Lessort has PIRs of 10 or more in 25 of his last 26 games.

Jerian Grant made at least 1 three-point shot in six of his last seven 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 leads the league in scoring with 88.0 points per game.

Panathinaikos ranks second in defensive rebounding with 24.2 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 422 games played.

Sloukas ranks third all-time with 1,867 assists. Sergio Rodriguez is second with 1,874.

Sloukas is in fourth place all-time with 1,004 free throws made. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 1,131.

Sloukas is eighth all-time with 4,021 career points. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is seventh with 4,047, and Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is sixth with 4,068 career points.

Sloukas is ranked fourth all-time with 5,017 index rating points. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is third with 5,123 and counting.

Sloukas is 12th all-time with 507 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 476 offensive rebounds.

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 1,412 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.

Game News

Anadolu Efes Istanbul will attempt to keep hold of the homecourt advantage it grabbed in Athens on Thursday against a Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens team thirsting for immediate revenge.

Game Facts: Efes vs. Panathinaikos

\- 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 Vincent Poirier became the first player in EuroLeague Playoffs history to block 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 the Efes bench 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 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 grew up with 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 playoffs 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.

\- Efes forward Derek Willis and Barcelona's Joel Parra were teammates at Joventut Badalona during the 2021-22 season.

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

\- Efes guard PJ Dozier had career highs in PIR (28) and steals (6) 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.

\- 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 his career-high with 4 blocks against Panathinaikos in November 2018.

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

Game Notes: Efes vs. Panathinaikos

Vassilis Spanoulis's team showed great depth and efficiency to score 97 and 92 points in the first two games, with seven different players delivering double-digit scoring nights. In doing so, Monaco had great shooting percentages (64.6% from two-point range, 37% for three), whilst averaging 24.5 assists on just 8 turnovers.

[Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) has been the star, averaging 15 points and 7.5 assists, with [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) also delivering from the backcourt. And with [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) and [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/) providing a perfect one-two punch in the paint, Monaco has proved near impossible to stop.

That has to change on Wednesday when Joan Peñarroya’s team will look to feed off the energy of the Palau Blaugrana crowd and start strong through the scoring skills of [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) (15 points average in the first two games).

Barca would also love veteran big man [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) to step up after a modest series so far following a long injury absence, while [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) (12 points per game on 6-of-7 three-point shooting) needs to maintain his excellent scoring form whilst taking better care of the basketball after committing 7 turnovers in the first two games.

### FC Barcelona

 

**Streaks**

Kevin Punter has PIRs of 10 or more in nine of his last 10 games.

Punter has scored in double figures in 12 of his last 13 games.

Punter has at least 1 steal in 14 straight games.

Punter has made 17 consecutive free throws.

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

Dario Brizuela has made at least 1 three-pointer in eight of his last nine 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 second in scoring with 87.6 points per game.

Barcelona ranks third in assists with 19.7 per game.

Barcelona ranks first in steals with 7.4 per game.

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

Barcelona's defense has held opponents to 34.1% three-point shooting, which is the third-lowest in the league.

 

**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 5,327 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 219, 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 90.4%.

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.

### AS Monaco

 

**Streaks**

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 12 straight games.

James has at least 1 steal in six of his last seven games.

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

Daniel Theis has blocked at least 1 shot in eight of his last nine games.

Georgios Papagiannis has made 15 consecutive free throws.

Matt Strazel has made at least 1 three-pointer in seven 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 13.6 turnovers per game.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Mike James is the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer with 5,186 career points.

James is second all-time with 5,327 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 1,142. De Colo is the all-time leader with 1,181.

James is sixth in place all-time with 1,489 career assists. Milos Teodosic of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade is fifth with 1,491 assists.

James has moved into fifth place all-time with 600 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 1,122. 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 336 and counting.

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

Calathes is seventh all-time with 4,295 performance index rating points. Kyle Hines is in sixth place all-time with 4,299 performance index rating points.

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.

FC Barcelona needs to find defensive solutions against a rampant AS Monaco to prevent the Roca Team from sweeping its way straight into the Final Four.

Game Facts: Barcelona vs. Monaco

\- 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 set a career-best with 9-of-9 on 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 playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against Monaco in January 2024.

Game Notes: Barcelona vs. Monaco

The Spanish giant will take confidence from the fact that its home form has been a huge contrast to its troubles on the road throughout the season - but one of its few home losses came against Olympiacos, [86-96, in January](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-dominates-real-in-statement-making-win-86-96/).

*Los Blancos* needs its leaders in the backcourt and the paint to recover their usual high standards, with dynamic guard [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) averaging more turnovers (4.5) than assists (4) in the first two games, while giant center [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) has mustered an average PIR of just 6.

Tavares's struggles have been exploited by the Reds to enjoy inside dominance, with big men [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) and [Moustapha Fall ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/)combining with star performer [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) to grab 11 offensive rebounds in Game 2. The numbers also show that Olympiacos has dominated defensively, forcing Real into 37 turnovers in the first two games, with Milutinov and [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) both snaring 4 steals.

Olympiacos has, however, perhaps been a little too reliant on Vezenkov for its offensive production, and if Real can find a way to contain the [2023 league MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/2022-23-turkish-airlines-euroleague-mvp-sasha-vezenkov-olympiacos-piraeus/), the visiting team will need the likes of [Saben Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/saben-lee/013389/) and [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) to improve their output to complete a series sweep.

### Real Madrid

 

**Streaks**

Mario Hezonja has made at least 1 three-pointer in 16 straight and 46 of his last 47 games.

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

Capmazzo has double-digit PIRs in four of his last five games.

Gabriel Deck has made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six 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 36.9 per game.

Real leads the league in defensive rebounding with 26.5 per game.

Real leads the league in two-point accuracy at 59.5%.

Real has held opponents to a league-low 51.7% 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 68.5%.

Tavares ranks second all-time with 1,870 rebounds. Paulius Jankunas is the all-time leader with 2,010 rebounds.

Tavares is in second place all-time with 706 offensive rebounds. Kyle Hines is the all-time leader with 824 career offensive rebounds.

Tavares is eighth on the all-time list with 4,279 PIR points. Nick Calathes is seventh with 4,295 and counting, and Kyle Hines is sixth with 4,299.

Sergio Llull is the all-time leader in games played with 445 EuroLeague appearances.

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

Llull ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 4,201 points. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 4,455.

Llull is in seventh place all-time with 1,477 assists. Mike James of AS Monaco is sixth with 1,489 and counting, and Milos Teodosic of Crvena Zvezda is fifth with 1,491.

Facundo Campazzo is in 11th place all-time with 1,120 assists. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 10th with 1,204.

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 double-digit PIRs in 37 straight games.

Vezenkov has posted a PIR of 14 or more in 33 straight games.

Vezenkov has made at least 1 three-pointer in 22 straight and 31 of his last 32 games.

Vezenkov has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 13 straight games.

Alec Peters has made at least 1 three-pointer in six of his last seven 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 102.0 per game.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Papanikolaou is the all-time leader in games started with 336.

Papanikolaou is in eighth place all-time in steals with 324. Mike James of AS Monaco is seventh with 326 and counting.

Papanikolaou is ranked 13th all-time with 1,427 career rebounds. Johannes Voigtmann of FC Bayern Munich is 12th with 1,430.

Nikola Milutinov is ranked 15th all-time with 1,412 career rebounds. Othello Hunter is 14th with 1,424.

Milutinov is ranked sixth all-time in offensive rebounds with 648. 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 166 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.

Sasha Vezenkov needs 3 assists to reach 300 for his career.

Thomas Walkup ranks 17th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Walkup is ranked 14th all-time in assists with 1,005. 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 Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 13th with 284 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 46.8%.

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

Regular season standings leader Olympiacos Piraeus needs one more win to advance to another Final Four at the expense of 2023 champion Real Madrid.

Game Facts: Madrid vs. Olympiacos

\- 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 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 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 Basketball 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

The Turkish team set a modern playoff record in Game 2 by draining 61 points in the first half, so it's clearly vital for the hosts to make a strong start and avoid Fenerbahce from feeling too comfortable.

Paris has been over reliant on three players during the series so far, with nobody other than [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/), [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) and [Tyson Ward](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyson-ward/012610/) averaging more than 7 points per game. The likes of big man [Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/) and deep threat [Mikael Jantunen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mikael-jantunen/012613/) will therefore be determined to make more impact, especially from three-point territory where the team has made just 28.3% of its attempts so far in the series.

Fenerbahce has benefitted from several strong individual performances so far, including sharpshooter [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) who netted 3 triples in both games in Istanbul, while [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) has been delivering at both ends of the court with averages of 15 points and 6.5 rebounds.

But the greatest strength for Saras Jasikevicius's team has been its collective play, and home team boss Tiago Splitter needs his players to match that with 40 full minutes of hustle to prevent Fenerbahce from marching straight into the Final Four.

### Paris Basketball

 

**Streaks**

TJ Shorts has scored in double figures in all but one of his 36 EuroLeague appearances – including the last 29.

Shorts has posted a PIR of at least 10 in 29 straight games.

Shorts has dished at least 7 assists in seven of his last eight games.

Tyson Ward has made at least 1 three-pointer in 16 of his last 17 games.

Ward has posted a PIR of at least 12 in seven of his last eight games.

Ward has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games.

Ward has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in four of his last five games.

Mikael Jantunen has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 straight games.

Jantunen has posted a PIR in double figures in eight of his last nine games.

Yakuba Ouattara is perfect in 13 trips to the foul line this season.

Nadir Hifi has scored 13 or more points in nine of his last 10 games.

Hifi has made at least 1 triple in seven straight games.

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

 

**Season rankings**

TJ Shorts finished the regular season ranked second in average index rating with 23.1 per game.

Shorts finished the regular season as the league leader in assists with 7.5 per game.

Shorts finished the regular season ranked fourth in scoring with 18.7 points per game.

Nadir Hifi finished the regular season ranked eighth in three-pointers made with 2.5 per game.

Paris has committed 10.4 turnovers per game, the fewest in the league.

Paris ranks third with 10.5 three-pointers made per game.

Paris has allowed a league-high 12.0 offensive rebounds.

Paris has allowed a league-high 37.6 total rebounds.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Maodo Lo needs 1 rebound to reach 400 for his career.

Yakuba Ouattara needs 3 three-point shots to reach 100 for his career.

Kevarrius Hayes needs 5 steals to reach 100 for his career.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

 

**Streaks**

Nigel Hayes-Davis has made at least 1 triple in 41 straight games.

Hayes-Davis has posted a PIR of 10 or more in 11 of his last 12 games.

Wade Baldwin has posted a PIR in double figures in six straight games.

Baldwin has scored 10 or more points and made at least 1 three-pointer in five straight games.

Bonzie Colson has made at least 1 three-pointer in six straight games.

Tarik Biberovic has made at least 1 three-pointer in six of his last seven games.

 

**Season rankings**

Nigel Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked ninth in average index rating with 17.8 per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked eighth in scoring with 16.8 points per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked eighth in steals with 1.1 per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season tied for sixth in three-pointers made with 2.5 per game.

Fenerbahce ranks third in free-throw shooting at 82.0%.

Fenerbahce ranks third in rebounding with 35.6 per game.

Fenerbahce ranks third in offensive rebounding with 11.8 per game.

Fenerbahce ranks second with 11.3 three-pointers made per game.

Fenerbahce has held opponents to 10.1 offensive rebounds, which is the second-lowest in the league.

Fenerbahce has allowed 80.8 points per game, which is third-fewest in the league.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Nigel Hayes-Davis set the EuroLeague single-game scoring record with 50 points in a victory over ALBA Berlin in Round 32 last season.

Nicolo Melli is in sixth place all-time in rebounds with 1,637. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is fifth with 1,780 and counting.

Melli is in second place all-time in defensive rebounds with 1,221. Paulius Jankunas is the all-time leader with 1,453 defensive rebounds.

Melli is tied with Victor Khryapa for 15th place all-time with 161 career blocks. Mirza Begic is 14th with 163 blocks.

Melli is in 12th place all-time with 286 steals. Kyle Hines is 11th with 287.

Scottie Wilbekin ranks fourth all-time with 608 three-pointers made. Sergio Rodriguez is third with 609.

Marko Guduric ranks 20th all-time with 382 three-pointers made. Gianluca Basile is 19th with 421.

Wilbekin is in 14th place all-time with 282 steals. Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 13th all-time with 284 career steals and counting.

Melli needs 33 points to reach 2,500 for his career.

Scottie Wilbekin needs 16 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

Dyshawn Pierre needs 8 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Sertac Sanli needs 7 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

Devon Hall needs 7 rebounds to reach 300 for his career.

In its first-ever home playoff game, Paris Basketball will attempt to keep its season alive by stopping the flow of red-hot Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Game Facts: Paris vs. Fenerbahce

\- Fenerbahce and Paris had never played before March 3; this will be their fifth meeting in 57 days.

\- In Game 2, Fenerbahce scored a playoff record 61 first-half points and route to an 89-72 win. Tarik Biberovic scored a career-high 20 points and tied his career-best with 21 PIR in that win.

\- In Game 1, which was Paris's first-ever EuroLeague game, Fenerbahce pulled out an 83-78 win with Wade Baldwin leading five double-digit scorers with 15 points.

\- Fenerbahce edged Paris 101-100 in Round 31 on a game-winning buzzer-beating triple by Nigel Hayes-Davis. That is the only time Fenerbahce has scored more than 100 points in a game this season.

\- Fenerbahce defeated Paris 83-87 in the French capital in early March in a postponed Round 17 game. It was the first-ever official meeting between the two teams.

\- Fenerbahce's Nicolo Melli and Devon Hall were teammates of Paris guard Maodo Lo at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan last season.

\- Melli and Lo and Paris big man Leon Kratzer were teammates at Brose Bamberg during the 2016-17 season.

\- Paris big man Mikael Jantunen grabbed a personal-best 8 rebounds in Round 31 against Fenerbahce.

\- Paris center Kevarrius Hayes grabbed a career-best 9 rebounds for Zalgiris Kaunas against Fenerbahce in March 2023.

\- Paris's Yakuba Ouattara posted career highs in points (19), three-pointers made (5) and PIR (19) for AS Monaco in a 98-94 overtime road loss at Fenerbahce in January 2023.

\- Fenerbahce guard Devon Hall pulled down a career-high 5 offensive rebounds in Round 17 against Paris.

Game Notes: Paris vs. Fenerbahce

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Playoffs Game 1 and 2 by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Playoffs: Games 1 and 2

Olympiacos BC grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in its Game 2 victory against Real Madrid, and now it will look to close the series by winning Game 3 in the Spanish capital next week.

Olympiacos showed grit and desire in Game 2 – qualities it will need in Game 3

A defensive sequence cannot be labeled successful if the rebound is not captured at the end of the play. Boxing out and protecting the boards is considered as important as whatever may have occurred before the ball was released by the hands of the opposition player on offense. Hence, pulling down as many as 16 offensive rebounds in a tight game where neither team managed to score more than 77 points clearly has a huge impact on the game.

Doing so against the team with the best defensive rebounding average in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season (26.5 rpg) is one of the keys that can lead to a victory.

On Friday night, [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) managed to [beat Real Madrid 77-71 in Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-outlasts-real-madrid-77-71-for-a-2-0-lead-in-the-series/), where the hosts secured 16 second-chance opportunities through offensive boards. Six players grabbed at least 1 each, with [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) recording a game-high 5 offensive rebounds.

Olympiacos's two main bigs, [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) and [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/), chipped in with 3 apiece, giving the Reds extra possessions and dealing constant blows in the morale of Real Madrid’s players, all while pulling off an extraordinary outing on the defensive end.

“We had 16 second chances from offensive rebounds and finally we managed to beat this great team,” Georgios Bartzokas told EuroLeague TV after Friday’s clash. “The game was full of tension, a typical playoff game. Real Madrid played excellently, with their talent, their experience.”

Despite heading into Game 2 as only the 13th-best team in total rebounds (33.4, rpg) so far this campaign, Olympiacos secured 36 boards which prevented the visitors from dictating the tempo on both ends. In a game where the hosts struggled to connect with the basket, missing 17 two-pointers and 23 triples, finding extra possessions played a key role in the outcome.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗣️ Coach Georgios Bartzokas: &quot;Nothing finished. One game at a time&quot;.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/a66SDTXwmg">pic.twitter.com/a66SDTXwmg</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1915890669672898607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yet, Real Madrid has proved in the past that it should not be underestimated under any circumstances. And Vezenkov was quick to remind everyone that there has been only one team in EuroLeague history to turn a series around from 2-0 down.

“\[In Game 3\] we have to play better on offense, make better decisions and be very concentrated,” Vezenkov said in the post-game press conference. “Because if you remember, Real Madrid came back from 2-0 two years ago in very difficult circumstances.”

In fact, Real Madrid was trailing Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 2-0 in the 2023 EuroLeague Playoffs after the Serbian side grabbed back-to-back victories in the Spanish capital. *Los Blancos* not only turned the series around but they also went all the way to win the trophy after beating Olympiacos in the championship game.

“We have to keep believing because we are going to fight until the end,” Chus Mateo said in the post-game press conference. “We’re not going to stop. It would be very difficult to beat Olympiacos on the road because they are a very good team with experienced players, a great coach and a great atmosphere of basketball.”

Meanwhile, the remarks of Bartzokas, Milutinov and Vezenkov after the game had one common denominator: the Reds may have won all its four games against Real Madrid this season, but nothing is over until a third playoff victory is officially clinched.

Olympiacos will travel to Spain next week, with Game 3 scheduled to take place on Tuesday night. Protecting the boards will be the key to controlling the tempo in yet another game, and if the visitors manage to do so they would have taken an important step towards sealing their place at the Final Four for the fourth season in a row.

The Reds recorded 16 offensive rebounds against the team with the best defensive rebounding average in the league

Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2025-04-25T18:30:00.000Z)

After another dominant playoff victory, AS Monaco and its backcourt of Mike James, Elie Okobo and Matthew Strazel are on the cusp of taking the team to the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four.

Monaco's ‘luxury’ backcourt flipped the script on Barcelona in Game 2

When the playoff pairings were finalized a week ago, few would have thought that the series between fourth-seeded [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) and fifth-placed [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) would be the most lopsided of the four in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs. But, it is not even close after two games in each series have been played.

Monaco dominated Games 1 and 2, winning them by a combined 31-point margin, including [a 92-79 win on Friday night](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-blows-past-barcelona-92-79-to-take-2-0-series-lead/). And Game 2, as intense as it was, did not seem as close as the final 13-point margin would suggest.

“I think we are just playing well,” [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/), one of the main protagonists of Game 2, said. “We are playing defense, nitty-gritty, and we are helping each other as well. When we play like that, it's really hard to beat us. Especially with the offensive talent we have.”

While Diallo says it all starts with defense, with Monaco playing with a visible energy and physicality, what caught everyone’s eye is Monaco offense and how impressive it has been looking. And that is a bit of a surprise.

Barcelona was the team that finished the regular season ranked second in scoring (88.1 ppg.) and second in assists (20.1 apg.). Monaco was not too far behind with 86.3 points and 18.7 assists, but it was middle-of-the-pack in both categories.

But after two opening games of this playoff series, this script has been flipped.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Home court protected! 🔒<a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASMonaco_Basket</a> 👏 <a href="https://t.co/jies5S6xEX">pic.twitter.com/jies5S6xEX</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1915862826280771705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Monaco has scored at least 92 points in both games to start the series, while no other team in the other six playoff fixtures has so far managed to score 90.

This offensive rhapsody was especially on display in Game 2 as Monaco went 28 for 39 (71.8%) on two-pointers and dished a club-record 28 assists.

“I think we were even better than in the first game,” Monaco head coach Vassilis Spanoulis said after his team took a 2-0 series lead, before stressing why he thinks everything is clicking: “We have guards who have willingness to create for their teammates, and this is big for me.”

Monaco has a total of 49 assists in two playoff games, which is 12 more than the next best team (Efes with 37), and an incredible 21 more than Barcelona.

In Game 2, what might be the most impressive part is that Monaco had 25 assists in the first three quarters, along with 80 points and a 16-point lead.

“Our guards were amazing, creating for the others,” Spanoulis also said.

“When you have such talented guards who have a willingness to play for the team, for the win, to read the defenses and to not overdo it, it’s a luxury. When they understand this, we are a different team.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Job not finished!” 🗣️ <a href="https://twitter.com/mrjloyd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mrjloyd</a> <br><br>LOCKED IN on Game 3 👀🔒 <a href="https://t.co/dPVlMjMtXN">pic.twitter.com/dPVlMjMtXN</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1915864758105895319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The center of this all is, of course, [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/). He had just 5 points on 1-of-6 field-goal shooting, with 6 assists and 4 turnovers. But the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer received nothing but praise from his coach.

“He takes so much attention of the defenses, so he makes everybody’s life easier,” Spanoulis said after Game 2.  “This is the chemistry of this team, they play for each other. We do not want to play selfish, we want to play good basketball, and to take what the game gives us. 

"Mike had a lot of good looks in the first game, and he was our best scorer, and now he was our great creator. Somebody else did the job because we trust each other, we share the ball and we are ready to always take the right decision. I am very happy for this and I am very proud of our creators, Mike and [Elie \[Okobo\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) and [Matthew \[Strazel\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/).”

The trio combined for 19 assists in Game 2, and the next task for Monaco is to carry its momentum into Game 3 and finish the job. The first chance comes next Wednesday at Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona.

Vassilis Spanoulis's side has showed out through Games 1 and 2 of the playoffs

AS Monaco v FC Barcelona (2025-04-25T17:00:00.000Z)

MVP of the Round honors for Game 2 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs are shared by Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s Shane Larkin, the all-time record-holder when it comes to this award, and AS Monaco’s Mam Jaiteh, who has never won this prize before.

Playoffs Game 2 co-MVPs: Shane Larkin, Mam Jaiteh

MVP of the Round honors for Game 2 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs are shared by Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), the all-time record-holder when it comes to this award, and AS Monaco’s [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/), who has never won this prize before.

Larkin led Efes in a come-from-behind 76-79 win at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens with 20 points, shooting 1 of 2 on two-pointers, 4 of 6 on three-pointers and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. He also had 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal, while drawing 5 fouls and accumulating a 27 PIR. Larkin earned MVP of the Round honors for the second time this season and the 19th time in his career, an all-time record.

Jaiteh had that same PIR, equaling his career high, in Monaco’s resounding 92-79 over FC Barcelona. He tied his career best with 20 points on 9-of-9 two-point shooting. He made both of his free throws, pulled down 4 rebounds, had 2 steals and dished 1 assist. This is the first time that Jaiteh has secured the MVP of the Round accolade.

The next-best PIR, 26, belongs to [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/), who led Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in an 89-72 win over Paris Basketball with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 5 fouls drawn.

Rounding out the list of top performers in Game 2 are Monaco’s [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) and Real Madrid’s [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/), each with a 24 PIR. Diallo had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block, while Hezonja posted 22 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists in a 77-71 loss at Olympiacos Piraeus.

### Individual highs: Andres Feliz, Real Madrid, 6 steals

Hezonja and [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos led all players with 22 points in Game 2. [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) of Panathinaikos is the league’s leading scorer with 20.7 points per game.

Efes center [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) had 10 rebounds, the most in Game 2. [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) of Panathinaikos leads the EuroLeague with 6.9 rebounds per game.

Monaco’s [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) dished 8 assists, more than any player in Game 2. [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball leads the league in this category, averaging 7.4 assists.

Real Madrid’s [Andres Feliz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andres-feliz/011247/) had 6 steals, tied for the second-most all-time in a playoff game. [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) of FC Bayern Munich tops the steals charts with 1.5 per game.

Poirer and Real Madrid’s [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) were the only players with 2 blocks in Game 2. [Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) of Monaco is the EuroLeague’s top shot-blocker with 1.4 per contest.

Poirier (16 points, 10 rebounds) was the only player to record a double-double in Game 2.

A first-timer and a record-holder share the award

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-04-24T18:30:00.000Z)

Top 10 Plays | Playoffs Game 2 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Playoffs Game 2: Top 10 Plays

Now streaming exclusively on EuroLeague TV, “The 7th Star” – the latest documentary produced by Euroleague Basketball Originals – follows Panathinaikos BC’s postseason journey towards winning the club’s seventh EuroLeague championship.

 Watch “The 7th Star” for free on EuroLeague TV! 

How does a team go from 17th in the standings one year to winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title the next? The [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) team of 2023-24 had the answer. 

Now streaming exclusively on EuroLeague TV, “The 7th Star” – the latest documentary produced by Euroleague Basketball Originals – follows the Greens’ postseason journey towards winning the club’s seventh EuroLeague championship. You can watch the documentary [for free on EuroLeague TV if you have a EuroLeague ID account](https://tv.euroleague.net/). 

During the 50-minute documentary, some of the main protagonists from Panathinaikos’s run to the 2024 EuroLeague title take center stage in “The 7th Star”, including club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos, coach Ergin Ataman, [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/). 

The 7th Star | Trailer

After a manic summer in 2023, in which two-time champion Coach Ataman arrived, together with 10 new players, hopes were high for a Panathinaikos side hoping to lift its first EuroLeague championship since 2011. 

Sloukas’s decision to move across the Greek divide by changing the red of Olympiacos Piraeus for the green of Panathinaikos sent shockwaves across Europe, while All-EuroLeague center Lessort had already signed on the dotted line 11 days prior. But it was the addition of Nunn in late October that really put Panathinaikos on the right track towards achieving its ultimate goal. 

There were ups and downs for Panathinaikos in the playoffs and moments of adversity at the Final Four, but the Greens – led by Coach Ataman, Sloukas, Lessort and Nunn – wrote history by flipping the culture of the club and bringing a EuroLeague title back to Athens. 

[You can watch “The 7th Star” on EuroLeague TV now](https://tv.euroleague.net/)! 

More Panathinaikos News

The new documentary showcasing Panathinaikos’s 2024 EuroLeague title is available in ELTV with your EL ID account  

Watch “The 7th Star” for free on EuroLeague TV! 

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-05-26T18:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Playoffs Game 2 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 38th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Sarunas Neciunskas beat everyone else in Game 2 of the EuroLeague Playoffs with his team 'Dzookas', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 214.15.

Sarunas had the following starting lineup: Vincent Poirier of Anadolu Efes Istanbul as team captain, then his teammate Shane Larkin, Kevin Punter of FC Barcelona, Alpha Diallo of AS Monaco and Tarik Biberovic of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. His sixth man was Mario Hezonja of Real Madrid. The rest of the bench consisted of Monaco's Jordan Loyd, Wade Baldwin of Fenerbahce, Omer Yurtseven of Panathiniakos AKTOR Athens and Jabari Parker of Barcelona. His team's head coach was Fenerbahce play-caller Sarunas Jasikevicius.

The prize for finishing first in Round 38 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Sarunas!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 6,500.99 points.

Trades are now open for the 39th round of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/), which is Game 3 of the EuroLeague Playoffs, and there are an unlimited number of trades.

The first playoff game tips off on Thursday, April 29 at 20:30 CEST as Paris Basketball welcomes Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, 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. 

Of several important players for Olympiacos BC, Nikola Milutinov shined particularly bright in Game 2 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs against Real Madrid.

Nikola Milutinov stepped up in Game 2 to turn the tide in comeback win

After [winning Game 1](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-takes-care-of-real-madrid-84-72-in-game-1/) with a solid performance against [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/), the [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) players were aware that *Los Blancos* would react in the second battle of the series – and Chus Mateo’s side did so from the very tip. The visitors shared the ball well on offense, scoring more than one third of their 71 points in the first quarter and taking a 15-25 lead into the second frame.

Enter [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/). The Olympiacos center started the second quarter with a steal on defense and a bucket following an offensive rebound on the other end. He then scored 6 of Olympiacos’s next 9 points, keeping the hosts in the game while Real Madrid looked to establish a double-digit lead. The energy he brought from the bench was transmitted to his teammates, as the Greek side completed their comeback, tying the game 38-38 at halftime.

“If I have to mention something individually – something that I don’t usually do – I want to mention how Nikola Milutinov played today,” Georgios Bartzokas said in the post-game press conference. “It was an amazing performance, defensively and offensively, grabbing rebounds and playing for the team.”

Indeed, Milutinov netted all his 10 points in the crucial second quarter, preventing Real Madrid from pulling away before the break. He may not have added to his scoring tally in the second half, but the Olympiacos center ended the game with 6 rebounds, tied his season high of 3 assists and recorded a career-high 3 steals, contributing the most on defense.

When Bartzokas pulled him to the bench with 11 seconds left on the clock, Milutinov received a well-earned standing ovation, with a buzzing Peace and Friendship Stadium chanting his name.

“It’s always special when these amazing fans sing your name, but nobody’s personal performance matters,” a humble Milutinov told EuroLeague TV. “Now the only thing that matters is what the team is capable of, because it’s the playoffs and after that hopefully the Final Four.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a> of the game, Nikola Milutinov!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/RfwHEKrkMT">pic.twitter.com/RfwHEKrkMT</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1915874873819140464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Having made the most of its home-court advantage by taking a 2-0 lead against Real Madrid, Olympiacos will travel to the Spanish capital next week in its bid to clinch what would be a club record fourth straight Final Four participation.

And with Milutinov averaging 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the playoffs, the Reds are aware that they have a weapon that could make a huge impact off the bench.

Olympiacos now heads to Madrid with a 2-0 series lead