Two historic clubs meet again to revive a postseason rivalry with unmatched pedigree.
Breakdown: Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
Two of the winningest teams in continental basketball history go against each other with a chance to return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time in a very long time. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (23-11) won five of its six EuroLeague titles from 2002 to 2011, but has not been to the Final Four since 2012. Likewise, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv won EuroLeague titles in 2004, 2005 and 2014 and finished as runner-up in 2006, 2008 and 2011. Maccabi's last Final Four appearance was in 2014. One of the two will now break that spell and punch its ticket to Berlin.
History lesson
It's been a long wait, 12 years, but Panathinaikos and Maccabi go at each other again in the postseason to revive what had been an electric rivalry at the very top of the stport.
Despite their long Final Four absences, these teams belong to the very elite of European basketball. All told, since 1988, both teams have combined for 23 Final Four appearances. Last century, Maccabi won its first continental crown in 1977 and another in 1981. Panathinaikos got its first two in 1996 and 2000, beating Maccabi in the championship game of the latter. In the next season's 2001 FIBA SuproLeague final, Maccabi prevailed.
Next, Maccabi and Panathinaikos faced off the 2002 EuroLeague Semifinals. Panathinaikos prevailed 83-75 behind 26 points from current EuroLeague Basketball president Dejan Bodiroga, and went on to win that season's title. In 2005, Maccabi topped the Greens 91-82 in the semifinals with 20 points from Derrick Sharp and ended up winning its second consecutive EuroLeague title. In 2011, Panathinaikos and Maccabi squared off in another championship game, with Dimitris Diamantidis combining 16 points and 9 assists to lead the Greens to a 70-78 win.
A year after that, in 2012, Panathinaikos and Maccabi played an unforgettable playoffs series that went down to the final play. Both teams won at home and on the road, and three of the games were decided by 3 points or less. In Game 5 in Athens, Panathinaikos edged Maccabi 86-85 on 25 points and a career-high PIR of 34 from Diamantidis.
Peaking at the right time
This season, Panathinaikos and Maccabi are playing their best basketball when it matters most. The Greens won eight of their last nine games, including four on the road, including 86-97 at first-place Real Madrid, to finish second in the regular season standings. In those nine games, Panathinaikos shot 41.3% on three-pointers as opposed to its 36.6% rate in the previous 25 games. Kostas Sloukas (54.3%) and Kendrick Nunn (49.1%) led that three-point improvement over the last nine games. Sloukas had been shooting 34.1% and Nunn 32.6% from downtown until then. When their shot started falling more, Panathinaikos soared.
Maccabi has also recorded eight wins in the last nine games, counting its Play-In Showdown romp against Baskonia-Gasteiz. During that time, Maccabi has led the competition in scoring (94.3 ppg.), two-point shots made (26.2) and assists (20.8), ranking second in rebounds (36.8) and fewest turnovers (10.6). Wade Baldwin took center stage in Maccabi's current run, earning the MVP of the Month honor for March. Over his last nine games, Baldwin is averaging 19.3 points on 89.7% free throws shooting, 3.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a PIR of 21.9. With Baldwin playing at near-MVP level, Maccabi has reached 89 or more points in each of its last six games, downing Baskonia by a near-record score of 113-85 in the play-in showdown to lock up seventh place.
The big battle in the middle
There are a lot of outstanding matchups in this series. Jerian Grant is set to test his defensive skills against Baldwin; Sloukas and Lorenzo Brown go against each other in a tactical battle to dominate the game tempo; Panathinaikos's Juancho Hernangomez faces a tough challenge against Maccabi's Bonzie Colson. But let's face it, the biggest matchup is expected at center. Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort is one of 18 players to wear the jerseys of both of these teams in the 21st century. Lessort was with Maccabi for five games in the 2021-22 season, averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds before joining Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Lessort went on to become one of the best centers in the EuroLeague, earning All-EuroLeague First Team honors last year. He is averaging 13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and a PIR of 19.1 this season.
Lessort has been using his physicality to outpower opponents, but that will not be the case with Maccabi center Josh Nebo, who is in outstanding shape lately. Nebo has been rock-solid all season, averaging 10.9 points, a league-best 7.3 rebounds and a PIR of 16.6. Just like his team, Nebo has taken his game up a level lately, boosting his numbers to 15.0 points on 36 of 44 two-pointers (81.8% 2FG), 9.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and a PIR of 23.2 in his last six games of the regular season. In his only game against Panathinaikos this season, Nebo had a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds, limiting Lessort to 4 points and 6 rebounds. The stage is set for a great matchup in the paint: don't miss it!