Greek Basketball Giants Ousted from EuroLeague Final Four

10:22 24/5/2025 - Πηγή: iEfimerida

Greek basketball powerhouses Olympiacos and Panathinaikos AKTOR saw their EuroLeague title aspirations dashed in disappointing semi final defeats, as both clubs were eliminated from the Final Four in Abu Dhabi.

Defending

champions Olympiacos failed to reach a second consecutive final, losing 82-76 to Fenerbahce in a hard-fought semifinal.

Their struggles continued in the third-place game, where they fell 78-68 to Monaco, a team now coached by Greek basketball legend Vassilis Spanoulis and featuring Greek stars Nick Calathes and Giorgos Papagiannis.

Despite entering the tournament as regular season leaders and favorites, Olympiacos could not overcome what some fans now call the “curse of first place.”

Olympiacos displayed little of the dominance that characterized their regular season.

The team struggled offensively against Monaco’s tight defense.

Sasha Vezenkov was held to just 7 points, shooting 0-for-6 from beyond the arc, while French international Evan Fournier fought valiantly with a EuroLeague career-high 31 points.

Diallo, with 22 points, and Mike James, with 17 points, powered Monaco to the final. Mr. Fournier, emotional after the match, was consoled by Mr. Spanoulis after breaking down in front of heartbroken Olympiacos fans. Coach Giorgos Bartzokas expressed his disappointment, citing “pressure” and “sky-high expectations” from fans.

“We needed to be more aggressive and patient,” Mr. Bartzokas said. “Besides Fournier’s threes, our team shot 1-for-19 from distance. We came here with the will to win, but if you don’t play your game, your opponent will.”

Panathinaikos AKTOR also fell short in their semifinal clash, losing to Sarunas Jasikevicius’s Fenerbahce in a performance marred by missed shots and a lack of intensity.

Despite the long-awaited return of star center Mathias Lessort after a five-month absence, Panathinaikos struggled to find rhythm and were punished by hot shooting from Nigel Hayes-Davis, who scored 18 points with 4 of 5 from three-point range, supported by Bibberovic with 15 points and McCollum with 13 points.

For Panathinaikos, Cedi Osman stood out with 22 points, while Kendrick Nunn scored 19 before fouling out with six minutes remaining. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

Club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos did not mince words after the loss, calling the team’s performance “a failure” but vowed a strong comeback.

“We don’t celebrate just making it to a Final Four like others do,” Mr. Giannakopoulos said. “We are Panathinaikos—we don't sugarcoat failure. Everyone underperformed today. We will come back stronger. Congratulations to Fenerbahce.”

With both Greek powerhouses eliminated, the EuroLeague title will be decided between Fenerbahce and Monaco on Sunday night.

Fenerbahce will look to cap off a strong campaign with their second EuroLeague title, while Monaco will aim to make history with their first-ever championship win, led by a trio of familiar Greek faces in Mr. Spanoulis, Mr. Calathes, and Mr. Papagiannis.

For Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, the dream of a EuroLeague title is deferred until next season.

While the passion from their fans remains, Abu Dhabi will be remembered as a weekend of frustration, near-misses, and renewed motivation for the future.

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