Now that the schedule for the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season has been unveiled, EuroLeague.net's staff is eyeing all the mouth-watering action.
Games I am looking forward to in February
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5 Mins read
Based on their initial reactions, there is one night in February that could be the most action-packed of the season! Here are the games staff members are most excited about in February. They already selected their must-see games for Round 1, October, November, December and January.
Round 25: A Final Four rematch to start the double-round week
Geoff Gillingham
The seventh of eight double-round weeks takes place in early February, with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens welcoming Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to OAKA in the first of two games in three days. By the time this Round 25 contest comes around, the standings will be looking very interesting ahead of the final stretch of the campaign – and both Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce should be in the upper echelons of the table. These two first go head-to-head in Round 5, but with more likely to be on the line in this bout, the significance of a win or a loss could be crucial.
Panathinaikos was able to defeat Fenerbahce 73-57 in the semifinals at the 2024 EuroLeague Final Four to advance to the championship game, aided by a strong first and fourth quarter, so the Greens already know what it takes to defeat the Turkish side in a must-win game. While Panathinaikos will largely have the same squad, having made just one major addition in Lorenzo Brown, Fenerbahce will have a very different look after bringing in Wade Baldwin, Bonzie Colson and Nicolo Melli to name just three. There will still be nine regular-season games after this contest, but the winning team could have a mental advantage looking ahead to the postseason, where their paths may cross again.
Round 27: Baldwin, Bonzie make their Tel Aviv returns
Frankie Sachs
Wade Baldwin and Bonzie Colson are coming off their best EuroLeague seasons to date in which they pushed Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv to a fifth-and-deciding playoff game against eventual champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. Then, after leading Maccabi to the Israeli championships, both players announced that they were leaving Maccabi due to family reasons and wound up with Fenerbahce. This Round 27 game in February will mark their first game back in Israel since winning the domestic crown in June.
They can expect to receive warm welcomes as fans show their appreciation for the two seasons each played for Maccabi. Baldwin and Colson also left on good terms with the handful of their former teammates – as well as Coach Oded Kattash. All of that should go a long way toward creating a fantastic atmosphere before the tip – and an intense battle once the ball goes up.
Round 27: A battle of MVPs at the Forum
Javier Gancedo
Round 27 brings a battle of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague superstars at the Forum, as EA7 Emporio Armani Milan welcomes AS Monaco on February 27, 2025. There are a several reasons why I am looking forward to this one. First, reigning EuroLeague MVP Mike James has had memorable performances against Milan since he parted ways with the team. In his three trips to Milan with Monaco, James has averaged 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and a PIR of 21.0.
This time, he will be sharing the backcourt with the EuroLeague's all-time assists leader, Nick Calathes. Milan relies on another former EuroLeague MVP, Nikola Mirotic, to make the difference at power forward. Mirotic has not played well against Monaco in recent years, only going once over the 15-point mark in three years, and that should be an extra motivation for him. Honestly, what's not to like?
Round 27: ‘El Clasico’ is a game not to be missed
Igor Petrinovic
I am not hiding it, I love big rivalry derbies… Especially late in the season. So, what could be a better return to EuroLeague action after the traditional February break due to cup and national team qualifiers then FC Barcelona visiting Real Madrid? It is hard to find a better game to get us right back into the thick of things and set us up for the final stretch of the regular season.
When it comes to El Clasicos, during the EuroLeague regular season, the teams have split home wins in each of the last two campaigns, but all four games were decided by 5 points or fewer. The last time a road team won in their head-to-head clashes was Barcelona in February 2022. So, I'd say the drama in this one is all but guaranteed. Then, add a little spice in the shape of Kevin Punter, as of now the lone Barcelona summer re-enforcement, who has had some monster performances at Real's Wizink Center in the past, and this has all the makings of another great one.