Fifteen years after his first stint with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, head coach Oded Kattash has taken the team back to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, thus fulfilling one of his childhood dreams.

Oded Kattash, Maccabi: 'You do basketball for the fans' 

Fifteen years after his first stint with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, head coach Oded Kattash has taken the team back to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, thus fulfilling one of his childhood dreams.

"Sitting at home, watching the games with my family, getting excited with Maccabi's wins," Kattash remembers, "I mean, if I had a dream, it is winning the EuroLeague."

Kattash had a stellar career as a player, including four seasons with Maccabi from 1995 to 1999. Now, he's back on the bench after having already coached Maccabi from 2007 to 2008.

"We know the history of Maccabi. It's never easy. You always need a little bit of luck," he says. "You need to handle the pressure when you play or coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv. They want to make it to the Final Four. But in a way, I grew up like that, I'm used to it, and I like it."

For Kattash, the pressure and aspirations, what he calls "the spirit of Maccabi", are something that is fueled by the fans.

"You do basketball for the fans, and special fans like Maccabi's, and special atmosphere on EuroLeague nights," he said. "I think they deserve good basketball."

Oded Kattash, Maccabi: 'You do basketball for the fans'

Game 4 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs delivers a trio of games which could see Final Four tickets secured…or series pushed to the limit and a decisive Game 5. Here's a look at what's at stake.

Game 4: Three teams aim for Final Four tickets

Game 4 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs delivers a trio of games which could see Final Four tickets secured…or series pushed to the limit and a decisive Game 5. Here's a look at what's at stake.

### [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-real-madrid/E2022/321/)

After keeping the series alive with a battling 80-82 road win on Tuesday, Real will continue its quest to become the first team ever to recover from a 0-2 series deficit by again facing Partizan at Stark Arena in the Serbian capital. Partizan leads the series 2-1. Control of the backboards could be crucial after Real won that battle 40-34 on Tuesday, including a career-high 14 rebounds from the versatile forward Mario Hezonja. The return from suspensions of Mathias Lessort for Partizan and Gabriel Deck of Real will play a major role in the adjustments from Game 3. Partizan will also need better defense against Nigel Williams-Goss after he netted 22 points in Game 3, but will not have injured Aleksa Avramovic or suspended Kevin Hunter in the backcourt to help in that effort.

Playoffs Game 4 at a glance: Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Real Madrid

### [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-as-monaco/E2022/320/)

Maccabi needs to bounce back from a rare home loss in Game 3 against Monaco, which now leads 2-1, if it wishes to take this series to a do-or-die decider in the principality next Wednesday. The backcourt trio of Mike James, Elie Okobo and Jordan Loyd proved decisive for Monaco in Game 3, scoring a combined 48 points. Maccabi's star guards Lorenzo Brown and Wade Baldwin suffered a tough night shooting from long range, converting just 1 of their 8 combined three-point attempts. And the home team needs better accuracy from deep in general after making just 6 of 25 three-point shots (24%) on Tuesday. Monaco has won two games in a row after dropping the opener at home and now stands on the brink of a history first qualification to the Final Four, should it win on Thursday in Tel Aviv.

Playoffs Game 4 at a glance: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. AS Monaco

### [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/319/)

A pulsating series between Fenerbahce and Olympiacos heads to Game 4 after the Greek giant took a 2-1 series lead and reclaimed home-court advantage with a thrilling 71-72 victory in Game 3 on Fenerbahce's court. Long-range shooting could prove vital. Olympiacos endured a terrible shooting night for 36 minutes in Game 3, making just 3 of its first 20 attempts. But then Sasha Vezenkov and, on the final buzzer, Kostas Sloukas, stepped up to sink last-minute triples and win the game. If the Reds can find their accuracy from the start on Friday, Fenerbahce will have to find a way to match or stop them in what is a do-or-die elimination game for the hosts. Fenerbahce hosts will certainly hope for more from usually dependable duo Nigel Hayes-Davis and DyShawn Pierre, who combined for just 11 points on Wednesday.

Playoffs Game 4 at a glance: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2023-05-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2023-05-04T18:05:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-05-05T17:45:00.000Z)

Sloukas made history with game-winning heroics

[Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) has made game-winning three-pointers a personal specialty over the last few years, but even by his standards, the veteran playmaker’s strike to give Olympiacos Piraeus [a 71-72 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/315/) – and a 2-1 series lead – over his former club Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Wednesday night was something pretty special.

With just 3.8 seconds on the clock and his team trailing by 2, Sloukas received the inbounds pass, came off a perfect pick from Sasha Vezenkov, went one on one against the good defense of Nigel Hayes-Davis and, nearly two meters from the three-point line, released a tough jumper that briefly rattled the rim before dropping perfectly through to give Olympiacos a sensational victory.

The drama of the moment was intensified by the fact that it was merely the latest in a long line of big shots made by big players during the final two minutes. Nick Calathes started it with a three-pointer to make it 69-66, which was soon answered by a three from Vezenkov to tie it up. Then came Marko Guduric pump faking and dropping in a mid-range jumper to give Fenerbahce victory…or so they thought, but Sloukas had other ideas.

Immediately after the game, a visibly and understandably pumped Sloukas typically tried to make light of his heroics, saying: "I had 3 seconds at the end, and I said I’d take the responsibility because I was feeling good. Sasha set a good down pick and after that, I played one on one, I shot and I scored. I could have missed, but with 3 seconds we couldn’t do anything different."

He makes it sound so simple but these moments of magic don’t happen by accident, and a grateful Vezenkov summed it up well by observing: "Some could say it’s lucky but I’ve seen Kostas practice this shot every day."

‘The final minute between Fenerbahce and Olympiacos was CRAZY ’

The more you practice, the luckier you get, indeed.

Sloukas was the hero for Olympiacos not only because of THAT shot, but also because he was the main reason the Reds were even close in the scoreboard. The Greek team really struggled for offensive fluidity throughout the game, with only Sloukas and Vezenkov – who scored 8 of his 17 points in the last 4 minutes – reaching double digits.

Three-time champion Sloukas was initially pivotal off the bench in the second quarter, scoring 13 points in 8 minutes to turn an 11-point deficit into a 3-point interval lead. And when Olympiacos again fell flat in the third period, he was again on hand to lift the momentum with his ability to drive and finish with reverse layups, particularly prominent.

He finished the game with 25 points (just 1 point short of his career high) – going an impressive 6-of-6 from two-point range, 3-of-6 for three-pointers and 4-of-4 from the foul line – along with 6 assists, 4 rebounds and even a blocked shot for a PIR of 34. That also allowed him to get very close to the top 10 in the competition’s all-time scoring chart, now trailing former teammate Kyle Hines (3,226 career points) by just 1 point – which he will surely surpass in Game 4 on Friday.

More importantly, of course, he has moved within one victory of yet another appearance at the Final Four. After already appearing in six championship games and winning the title in 2012, 2013 (both with Olympiacos) and 2017 (with Fenerbahce), his status as a modern-day great is already assured. But on Wednesday night, his legend grew even greater.

Kostas Sloukas with 25 Points vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, 05/03/2023

Kostas Sloukas scored 25 points against Fenerbahce in Game 3

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-05-03T17:45:00.000Z)

[Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid was Game 3's top scorer with a career-high tying 26 points. [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos Piraeus leads the EuroLeague in scoring with 17.7 points per game. Real forward [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) led all players with a career-best 14 rebounds. [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) of Partizan remains EuroLeague's top rebounder with 7.2 per game. Three players had 6 assists in Game 3: [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) of Olympiacos, [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz playmaker [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) leads the league with 6.7 assists per night. [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) of AS Monaco and [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) of FC Barcelona each had 3 steals, the most in Game 3. Olympiacos guard [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) tops the charts averaging 1.9 steals. Tavares led all players in Game 3 with 3 blocks, as he improved on his season-best 2.2 block per game. There were two double-doubles in Game 3, both by Real Madrid players, with Tavares collecting 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Hezonja 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Individual highs: Mario Hezonja, Real, 14 rebounds

Playoffs Game 3 MVP: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

A career-best performance from a perennial All-EuroLeague candidate in a must-win game for his team was more than enough for [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid to walk off with the MVP honor for Game 3 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs. Tavares dominated to the tune of 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks for a performance index rating of 41, the second-best ever in the playoffs since 2005, as Real Madrid stared down elimination with [an 80-82 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-real-madrid/E2022/317/) at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. While his PIR was a club record in the playoffs, he tied two others with his point total and 11 made two-pointers in 14 attempts.

A career-best performance from a perennial All-EuroLeague candidate in a must-win game for his team was more than enough for Walter Tavares of Real Madrid to walk off with the MVP honor for Game 3 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Walter Tavares | Playoffs Game 3 MVP | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

[Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), the buzzer-beating hero as Olympiacos Piraeus downed host Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 71-72, followed with a PIR of 34 based on his 25 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. The next-best PIR of 26 belonged to Fenerbahce center [Tonye Jekiri](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tonye-jekiri/009733/), who scored 15 points and had 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in his team’s home loss. [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv posted a PIR of 24, collecting 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, despite a 78-83 home loss to AS Monaco. Rounding out the list of Game 3's top performers is [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) of Real, who collected 12 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists for a PIR of 22.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2023-05-02T18:30:00.000Z)

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge: Playoffs Game 2 winner!

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 37th winner in the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.100753345.1133629268.1683010644-884385655.1669721726)! Dimitris Mavrogiannis beat everyone else in Playoffs Game 3 as his team Tough guys! had a whopping Fantasy Challenge score of 227.45..

Dimitris used the following lineup: Walter Tavares (team captain) and Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid, Mike James of AS Monaco, Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus and Alec Baldwin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv all as starters. Kostas Sloukas of Olympiacos was his sixth man.

The bench featured Alen Smailagic of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Melih Mahmutoglu of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Jake Cohen of Maccabi and Tarik Black of Olympiacos. His coach was Sarunas Jasikevicius of FC Barcelona.

The prize for finishing first in Round 37 is a free subscription to EuroLeague TV for the 2023-24 season!

Christos Anatolitis stays atop the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge overall standings. Christos leads everyone else with a score of 6,408.75 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for Game 4 of the playoffs. Remember, unlimited trading is allowed before each round until the end of the season, throughout the playoffs and the Final Four!

The first game in this round is Maccabi vs. Monaco, scheduled on Thursday, May 4 at 20:05 CEST, making that the next round's deadline for trades.

Try to improve your teams and challenge for more prizes at the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge: Playoffs Game 3 winner!

FC Barcelona recorded just its third-ever sweep in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs on Wednesday night, as it defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 66-77 at Zalgirio Arena to win the series 3-0. Although Zalgiris put up a good fight, particularly in Games 2 and 3, Barca's overwhelming level of talent rose to the occasion time and time again.

Barcelona has every right to dream of Final Four success

FC Barcelona recorded just its third-ever sweep in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs on Wednesday night, as it defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 66-77 at Zalgirio Arena to win the series 3-0. Although Zalgiris put up a good fight, particularly in Games 2 and 3, Barca's overwhelming level of talent rose to the occasion time and time again.

Now, as one fairy-tale story comes to an end, another is set to begin. Zalgiris harbored dreams of playing in the Final Four on its home floor in a couple of weeks' time, but instead it will be a Kaunas-born hero – Barca head coach Saras Jasikevicius – who will look to write a storybook ending by lifting the EuroLeague trophy at Zalgirio Arena.

Since Jasikevicius arrived at Barca in the summer of 2020, having taken Zalgiris to its second-ever Final Four appearance two years earlier, the Blaugrana have gone on to reach European basketball's showpiece event in three successive years: 2021, 2022 and now 2023. Barca has a runners-up medal and a third-place finish to show for its efforts so far with Coach Saras at the helm, but a EuroLeague title would cap off an impressive three-year spell under his guidance.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🤷‍♂️ <a href="https://t.co/6P5xfiukN3">pic.twitter.com/6P5xfiukN3</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1653874574143131648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It's also worth bearing in mind that Jasikevicius's contract is up at the end of this campaign, so in some ways, it is now or never. Jasikevicius may sign a new contract and commit his future to Barca anyway, but a EuroLeague title – the Blaugrana's first since 2010 – would surely make that a formality.

Everything is set up for a fascinating end to the campaign for Coach Jasikevicius and his squad, particularly after sweeping its playoff opponent for the first time since 2014. Barca's only previous playoff sweeps came in 2012 against UNICS Kazan and in 2014 against Galatasaray Istanbul, so there is bound to be a lot of confidence among the players heading into the Final Four.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="et" dir="ltr">Fins aviat, Kaunas 😏 <a href="https://t.co/YLpQyokke7">pic.twitter.com/YLpQyokke7</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1653845380344303618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

One player who has every reason to be feeling confident right now is Jan Vesely, who posted team highs for points in Games 2 (26) and 3 (14). The 2019 EuroLeague MVP has saved his best performances for the most important time of the season, and he will be hoping to keep that momentum going when the team returns to Kaunas on May 19.

Tomas Satoransky, Vesely's teammate at both club and international level, also came to the fore in Game 3, as he matched his compatriot's total of 14 points. The Czech guard scored a combined 10 points across Games 1 and 2, but he stepped up when his number was called at Zalgirio Arena, scoring Barca's first 7 points of the second half to quell any hopes of a quick response by Zalgiris.

Jan Vesely and Tomas Satoransky scored 14 points apiece as FC Barcelona defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 66-77 at Zalgirio Arena in Game 3 of the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Best scoring plays of Vesely, Satoransky vs. Zalgiris

Barca could even afford an off night by Nikola Mirotic's standards in Game 3, as the reigning EuroLeague MVP had 9 points and attempted just 4 shots from the field, making 3. Mirotic netted 15 points in the 91-69 Game 1 victory over Zalgiris before scoring 22 in his team's 89-81 triumph in Game 2, but his mere presence at Zalgirio Arena caused headache after headache for Zalgiris on the defensive end, which helped other Barca players get better looks.

A sign of a good team is one that gets contributions from all of its players – not just the stars – and that was often the case for Barca in this series. In Game 3, it was the turn of Mike Tobey (13) and Rokas Jokubaitis (11) to combine for 24 points off the bench, while Game 1 also saw Sertac Sanli and Kyle Kuric come up with 17 and 10 points, respectively.

Yet, the most consistent bench contributor has been Jokubaitis, who averaged 10.7 points in this series after averaging 5.0 points in the regular season. In the postseason, when the lights shine brightest, Jokubaitis has shown that he has the ability and the confidence to make his mark.

Rokas Jokubaitis scored 11 points as FC Barcelona beat Zalgiris Kaunas 66-77 at Zalgirio Arena in Game 3 of the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Jokubaitis's made field goals vs. Zalgiris

There are more players that can be discussed, such as Nicolas Laprovittola, Alex Abrines and Nikola Kalinic, but the short version is that Barca has an array of talent that ultimately proved too much for Zalgiris to deal with, despite its best efforts. In addition to having a wealth of offensive firepower, Barca is arguably the best team in the EuroLeague defensively when everyone is locked in – and that is what saw it over the line in Games 2 and 3.

Everything seems to be pointing in the right direction for Barca, and this year feels increasingly like it is going to be the Blaugrana's year. But, fairy-tale endings do not always go to plan. Just ask Zalgiris.

Game Videos

Game News

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2023-05-05T17:00:00.000Z)

Point guard [Aleksa Avramovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksa-avramovic/003983/), who has been a major spark for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade of late, will miss the rest of the playoffs due to a hand injury, head coach Zeljko Obradovic said on Wednesday. Avramovic (1.92 meters, 28 years old) landed awkwardly during Game 2 on Tuesday after trying to block the shot of Real Madrid center Walter Tavares. He returned to action after that, but after the game tests confirmed he will need surgery. Avramovic had put up 6.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over the previous two games of the series. His injury added to the second of a two-game suspension for Kevin Punter will mean that Partizan's backcourt for Game 4 on Thursday will be missing two of its regular contributors.

Partizan's Avramovic out for the rest of playoffs

Towards the end of the third quarter of Wednesday’s Game 3 playoff battle between Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Olympiacos Piraeus, Sasha Vezenkov was struggling. 

Better late than never for Vezenkov

Towards the end of the third quarter of Wednesday’s Game 3 playoff battle between Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Olympiacos Piraeus, Sasha Vezenkov was struggling. Struggling badly.

The leading candidate for this season’s EuroLeague MVP award was suffering a bad night and asked to be substituted after throwing up an ugly and horribly off target long-range air ball as part of his Olympiacos team’s inability to score more than 8 points in the quarter. As he sat down on the bench, shouting angrily and pounding his hands against the advertising boards in a fit of frustration, it seemed like Vezenkov might be forced to endure a rare off night as his team fell behind in the series.

Sasha Vezenkov (17 points) Highlights vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, 05/03/2023

Sasha Vezenkov s top plays from Game 3 vs Fenerbahce

But great players don’t give up easily and, after cooling down, Vezenkov came back into the game in the fourth quarter to play a crucial role in his team’s remarkable 71-72 victory. His return to prominence started midway through the period, scoring consecutive baskets – his first points of the second half – to cap a 0-10 run and give Olympiacos control.

That wasn’t enough to secure victory, though, as Fenerbahce roared back with its own 9-2 run to take the lead, 69-66, in the final minute. Vezenkov again stepped up, netting a deep three with 48 seconds remaining to tie the game, meaning he scored 8 of his total 17 points in the last 4 minutes of the game. And when Marko Guduric then gave Fenerbahce a seemingly decisive lead with 3 seconds on the clock, Vezenkov’s last contribution was of a more selfless nature, setting a perfect pick to give Kostas Sloukas the necessary space to drain his sensational game-winning buzzer-beater.

After the game, Vezenkov acknowledged his mid-game dip and just how desperate he was to put that right, saying: "I was not good in the third quarter, I did not play good and that’s why I asked for a sub to relax my mind and see how I could help my team. I was ready, and I was thinking all this time that I have to help my team. I need to be there."

And when it truly mattered, he really was there.