Olympiacos BC star Sasha Vezenkov enjoyed an MVP-like performance as his team beat Real Madrid in Game 1 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs.

Sasha Vezenkov shined again with statement outing in Game 1

The [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) fans sent [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) a clear message ahead of [Game 1 against Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-takes-care-of-real-madrid-84-72-in-game-1/) on Wednesday evening. Chants of “MVP, MVP” rained down from the stands before and throughout the contest, with the Olympiacos forward responding by producing an MVP-caliber performance on the floor.

A couple of days after missing out on the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP award, won by Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard Kendrick Nunn, Vezenkov hit the ground running in the first quarter.

Walter Tavares scored the game's opening basket for Real Madrid, but Vezenkov tied it before later drilling a triple for a 12-2 lead. Olympiacos never looked back, with their star man ending the first half on 13 points, having gone 3 for 4 on two-pointers and 2 for 2 from deep for a PIR of 18.

Vezenkov added 10 more points to his tally in the second half to end the game on 23, which he paired with 7 rebounds for a PIR of 31. The Bulgaria international also contributed on defense, recording 3 steals, one of which he turned into an open layup in transition before the break.

“Quality players like Sasha Vezenkov don’t need to prove anything individually,” Georgios Bartzokas said in the post-game press conference. “He came back after this experience in the NBA to go with Olympiacos until the end. And now it’s time for us to step up and win the titles. I’m happy that he played the game the way he’s supposed to play these kinds of games.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a> of the game, <a href="https://twitter.com/SashaVezenkov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SashaVezenkov</a>! <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/iixxSUXnc9">pic.twitter.com/iixxSUXnc9</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1915146023443329508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A locked-in Vezenkov responded with a blunt “no comment” when asked on EuroLeague TV after Olympiacos’s win over Real Madrid about the MVP chants from the crowd. Eyes set on the prize, he has repeatedly stressed that for him collective success is above individual accolades. 

As Bartzokas noted, his player returned to Europe looking to lead Olympiacos all the way to glory. And Vezenkov’s outing on Wednesday night allowed his team to take an important first step towards its ultimate objective.

Game News

The Olympiacos forward ended the series opener with 23 points and a PIR of 31

Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2025-04-23T18:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus made the most of a bouncing Peace and Friendship Stadium and opened its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoff series against Real Madrid with an 84-72 victory on Wednesday night

Olympiacos takes care of Real Madrid, 84-72, in Game 1

Olympiacos Piraeus made the most of a bouncing Peace and Friendship Stadium and opened its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoff series against Real Madrid with an 84-72 victory on Wednesday night. The Reds led from start to finish, with their defense strangling *Los Blancos*, which scored just 29 points in the first half. Real Madrid fought back and won the last two quarters, but the hosts maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.

Sasha Vezenkov combined his game-high 23 points with 7 rebounds for a PIR of 31. Evan Fournier netted 13 points, Nikola Milutinov scored 11 and Alec Peters added 10. Sergio Llull paced Real Madrid with 16 points, Mario Hezonja recorded 13 and Dzanan Musa bagged 11.

Game Videos

Walter Tavares opened the scoring with a trademark hook bucket, but 5 points from Vezenkov, 4 by Fournier and a three-point play from Nigel Williams-Goss gave Olympiacos a 12-2 lead. Inside scores from Kostas Papanikolaou, Fournier and Vezenkov made it 21-6. Milutinov netted back-to-back baskets off the bench, but Andres Feliz and Alberto Abalde scored on the other end, cutting the deficit to 27-14 after 10 minutes.

Buckets by Williams-Goss, Milutinov and Shaquielle McKissic allowed the hosts to maintain a 33-18 cushion. Serge Ibaka responded with a triple and Gabriel Deck scored inside, but Saben Lee and Milutinov dunked in transition before a Vezenkov corner three established a 42-25 lead. Then, Musa netted 4 straight points from the charity stripe, but Peters nailed one from deep to make it 47-29 at halftime.

Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo was ejected with a second technical foul before Vezenkov and Campazzo traded triples to open the third quarter. Hezonja drilled one of his own before baskets from Tavares and Feliz brought Real Madrid within 58-43. Llull connected from downtown and Feliz went coast-to-coast for a layup, but Fournier replied from inside for a 64-51 cushion heading into the closing quarter.

Milutinov added 2 points to his tally and Peters scored back-to-back baskets for a 77-53 lead. Llull netted 8 straight points on the other end, but Thomas Walkup replied with a triple on his return to action after three and a half months sidelined through injury, 75-61. After Musa netted a floater off the glass, Fournier responded with a triple for a 78-64 lead. Llull drained a corner triple, but Peters answered with one of his own to make it 82-67, practically putting the game to bed.

The Reds' defense limited the visitors to just 29 points in the first half

After a balanced first half in Game 1 against FC Barcelona, AS Monaco Basket returned to the floor in the second half ready to roll. What happened next? 


Monaco's second-half focus led to Game 1 victory over Barcelona

After three consecutive Game 1 losses in as many years, [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) finally opened a playoff series with a victory, [downing FC Barcelona 97-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-downs-barca-in-series-opener-97-80/) to lead a 1-0 lead.

It was not as easy as the final scoreboard shows, as Barca led 44-45 in the opening minute of the second half. That is when Monaco's defense finally clicked, which led to higher percentages on offense. 

Three-point defense after the break was one of the biggest keys to this game. After both teams hit 6-of-13 three-pointers (46.2% 3FG) in the first half, Monaco kept hitting long-distance shots after the break, downing 6-of-15 triples (40% 3FG), whereas Barca was limited to just 1-of-9 makes from downtown (11.1% 3FG).

Monaco took excellent care of the ball, getting more steals (9) than turnovers (8). It also finished the game with 21 assists, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.63. On the other hand, Barca had 18 turnovers, 9  in each half, and only dished 11 assists, a new season-low. It previously dished 12 assists against Real Madrid in a 96-91 loss in Round 27.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗣️ 𝟏–𝟎 That&#39;s what we like!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://t.co/Em9UFhTwQj">pic.twitter.com/Em9UFhTwQj</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1915123027622117520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Monaco had 13 second-half assists, which allowed coach Vassilis Spanoulis's team to improve its two-point shooting percentage. Monaco hit just 7-of-18 two-point shots before the halftime interval (38.9% 2FG), and went on to down 16-of-22 shots inside the arc (72.7% 2FG) after the break. Steals and better ball circulation allowed Monaco to win the game.

"In the second half, I think we played incredible defense at the level that my players and our team can play, and at the level that I wanted against a super talented team, one of the best offensive teams in Europe," Spanoulis said after the game. "It's important that we played good basketball and took the lead in the series, but this doesn't mean anything. We've already started to prepare the second game."

After a balanced first half, Vassilis Spanoulis's side returned to the floor in the second half ready to roll

AS Monaco v FC Barcelona (2025-04-23T17:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco struck first in its best-of-five series with FC Barcelona by grabbing a 97-80 victory in Game 1 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs at Salle Gaston Medecin on Tuesday night. 

Monaco downs Barcelona in Game 1, 97-80

AS Monaco struck first in its best-of-five series with FC Barcelona by grabbing a 97-80 victory in Game 1 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs at Salle Gaston Medecin on Tuesday night. Monaco has a 1-0 lead in the series and hosts Game 2 on Thursday. 

Mike James and Daniel Theis led the winners with 22 points apiece. Elie Okobo added 19, Matthew Strazel had 13 while Mam Jaiteh got 10 for Monaco. Kevin Punter led Barca with 16 points. Dario Brizuela and Youssoupha Fall each added 13 for the guests. Fall also grabbed 14 rebounds for a double-double.

Punter got Barca going with a three-pointer, then he erased Mike James's triple with an off-balance shot from beyond the arc. Theis and Fall traded layups before James's second three-pointer tied it at 8-8. Punter insisted from downtown and Justin Anderson's wild three-point play boosted the visitors' lead to 8-14. Alpha Diallo joined the three-point shootout. Anderson made a highly-contested jumper before Okobo drew Monaco within 13-16. After Theis struck from beyond the arc, Jan Vesely found his first points and Brizuela's driving layup established a 16-20 Barca lead. Vesely kept pushing and Alex Abrines improved on Jaiteh's put-back layup with a triple. Terry Tarpey and Okobo got Monaco within 21-25 after 10 minutes.

Okobo made a three-pointer early in the second quarter and Jaiteh's jump hook gave Monaco its first lead, 26-25. After Abrines sank free throws, Monaco took control. Strazel started a run from the foul line and Okobo struck again from beyond the arc. Jaron Blossomgame scored around the basket and got help from Theis to make it a double-digit game, 37-27. Okobo's fast-break dunk continued a 15-0 run that Theis capped with free throws, 41-27. Fall rescued Barca with a three-point play and Brizuela added a three-pointer in transition that prompted Monaco to stop the game at 41-33. Fall scored again and Punter got Barca even closer, 42-37. Jaiteh downed a jump hook, which Brizuela bettered with a three-pointer. Fall's put-back layup fixed the halftime score at 44-42.

Brizuela helped Barca regain the lead, 44-45, immediately after the break. Okobo banked in a floater that James followed with an off-balance triple, which gave Monaco fresh air at 49-45. Okobo sank a step-back jumper that Theis followed with a three-pointer. James added a floater before Tarpey's fast-break slam caused Barca to call timeout at 56-47 after a 14-2 run. Jabari Parker scored in the paint and erased Theis's floater with a turnaround jumper. Tomas Satoransky stepped up with a backdoor layup that Theis improved on with consecutive dunks for a 64-53 Monaco lead. Strazel ignited the crowd with a huge three-point play and fed Jaiteh for a fast-break dunk that broke the game open, 69-55. James struck twice from beyond the arc to boost the hosts' lead to 76-59 after three quarters.

Anderson made a layup in transition early in the fourth quarter. Strazel matched that with a layup off a steal, which Jaiteh followed with a close basket for an 80-61 Monaco lead. James stepped up with a one-handed floater in the lane before Joel Parra and Fall brought Barca a bit closer, 82-68, with over 6 minutes left. After James scored again in penetration, Brizuela and Strazel exchanged three-pointers before Okobo's backdoor layup sealed the outcome, 90-71, midway through the fourth quarter. Barca kept trying, but eventually it waved the white flag as it chose to rest its best players for Game 2, giving the Monaco fans plenty of time to celebrate a well-deserved win.

Daniel Theis and Mike James led the Roca Team to a convincing victory

### Wednesday, April 23, 2025

#### [AS Monaco 97-80 FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/as-monaco-fc-barcelona/E2024/311/)

Monaco struck first in its best-of-five series with Barcelona by grabbing a 97-80 victory in Game 1 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs at Salle Gaston Medecin on Tuesday night. Monaco has a 1-0 lead in the series and hosts Game 2 on Thursday. Mike James and Daniel Theis led the winners with 22 points apiece. Elie Okobo added 19, Matthew Strazel had 13 while Mam Jaiteh got 10 for Monaco. Kevin Punter led Barca with 16 points. Dario Brizuela and Youssoupha Fall each added 13 for the guests. Fall also grabbed 14 rebounds for a double-double.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🇲🇨 𝗗𝗔𝗚𝗛𝗘 ‼️ <br><br>🚫 Irrésistible, la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> prend ce match 1️⃣ à la maison ! 🔥<br><br>On remet ça vendredi pour défendre notre terrain 😤🛡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/oZux1b2mXD">pic.twitter.com/oZux1b2mXD</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1915122046662799494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

#### [Olympiacos Piraeus 84-72 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/olympiacos-piraeus-real-madrid/E2024/310/)

Olympiacos made the most of a bouncing Peace and Friendship Stadium and opened its playoff series against Real Madrid with an 84-72 victory on Wednesday night. The Reds led from start to finish, with their defense strangling *Los Blancos*, which scored just 29 points in the first half. Real Madrid fought back and won the last two quarters, but the hosts maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. Sasha Vezenkov combined his game-high 23 points with 7 rebounds for a PIR of 31. Evan Fournier netted 13 points, Nikola Milutinov scored 11 and Alec Peters added 10. Sergio Llull paced Real Madrid with 16 points, Mario Hezonja recorded 13 and Dzanan Musa bagged 11.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">FINAL 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> - Real Madrid 84-72 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</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://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYRMB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYRMB</a> <a href="https://t.co/yKmIc0Bmeu">pic.twitter.com/yKmIc0Bmeu</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1915138371208319469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Tuesday, April 22, 2025

#### [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 83-78 Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-paris-basketball/E2024/313/)

Fenerbahce edged out Paris, 83-78, in a very closely contested encounter featuring 15 lead changes to start the playoff series with home-court advantage intact. Paris made a fast start, but Fenerbahce soon responded to take a 49-42 halftime advantage. The second half was back and forth until the final possessions, which Fenerbahce controlled to grab the win.

Wade Baldwin led six Fenerbahce players in double digits with 15 points, followed by Nigel Hayes-Davis (14), Devon Hall (13), Tarik Biberovic (11) Errick McCollum (11) and Bonzie Colson (10). Nadir Hifi paced Paris with 21 points including 5 triples, with Tyson Ward netting 19 and TJ Shorts pairing 17 points with 7 assists

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Huge home W for Fenerbahçe! ✅<a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> takes the 1-0 lead in the series! 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/a0asicx2ux">pic.twitter.com/a0asicx2ux</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1914767694475485417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

#### [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 87-83 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2024/312/)

Panathinaikos took the lead in its playoff series against Efes with an 87-83 home win in Game 1 on the back of an impressive fightback in the last 10 minutes of an absorbing contest. Juancho Hernangomez paced defending champs Panathinaikos with career-highs of 20 points and 16 boards in an epic battle against Efes big man Vincent Poirier. Kendrick Nunn, who was awarded his EuroLeague MVP Trophy by EuroLeague president Dejan Bodiroga prior to the game, struggled from the floor all night but still netted 15 points on 4-of-15 shooting while Omer Yurtseven racked up 14 points and 7 boards. Kostas Sloukas scored 13 points for the Greens and Cedi Osman chipped in with 11 against his boyhood club. At the other end, Shane Larkin and Poirier poured in 17 points apiece for Efes.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paobcgr</a> W after an intense game in OAKA! ✅<br><br>Panathinaikos takes the 1-0 lead in the series! 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/ViWgjoutw7">pic.twitter.com/ViWgjoutw7</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1914778776212324544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fenerbahce and Panathinaikos were victorious on the opening night of the playoffs

Game Center: Olympiacos, Monaco triumph to take Game 1 victories

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-04-22T18:30:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Paris Basketball (2025-04-22T17:45:00.000Z)

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Pregame quotes hub: Playoffs, Game 1

## Wednesday, April 23, 2025

### AS Monaco vs. FC Barcelona (19:00 CEST)

**Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach**

"The playoffs are a new story, a new beginning for all the teams. It's up to us to make everything possible. Everything will come down to defense and our ability to make the right decisions. Barcelona has size, they're an excellent defensive team and dangerous in many ways. We'll need the best Monaco. We hold the cards."

**Mam Jaiteh, AS Monaco center**

"The goal is to win all three matches as soon as possible… Match by match. Barcelona is a strong team. As in any series, there will be moments that are harder than others, but we will know how to stay united each time. It will be a question of intensity; we will have to respond to the physical challenge posed by Barça."

**Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach**

"Logically, seeing the talent of both teams, the way both teams played during the regular season and the players of both sides, it would be logical to see high-scoring games rather than low-scoring ones. But this is the playoffs and we will see how the series unfolds. We know that they have a lot of talent, but we know that we can't only think about our offense. We are talking about a team that has always made it to the playoffs in each of the last four years and has played in the Final Four, with a roster that, at the beginning of the season, unlike ours, everyone thought it was a clear candidate to play in the Final Four. There are other teams that people may like or not, but there is no doubt that when it comes to depth and quality, Monaco is a clear candidate to become champions. Daniel Theis is a very important player, knowing that they already had \[Georgios\] Papagiannis, \[Donatas\] Motiejunas and \[Mam\] Jaiteh. We are talking about very experienced players in the EuroLeague. With Daniel Theis, some of them have played very few minutes. We are talking about a player who knows the game very well. He is an experienced, solid player who knows what he has to do in every moment, and it's clear that he has given them a quality leap and he makes them even more dangerous. It is a team which main strengths, especially on offense, are its perimeter players. It is a team full of stars. Mike James is obviously the most relevant but you have \[Elie\] Okobo, Jordan Loyd, \[Matthew\] Strazel, Nick Calathes, \[Alpha\] Diallo... There are not enough minutes in a game to fit so many star players. It is a team full of talent, with a lot of individual skills to play one-on-one. If we want to be in the Final Four, we have to play against these teams. This is what we wanted. We will have problems, but I am sure he will also have problems against our offense."

**Dario Brizuela, FC Barcelona guard**

"Monaco is a team that invests a lot of their game on its backcourt. We know that: Monaco has players like Mike James, who has marked an era in the last few years of EuroLeague with his way of playing, his ability to score and to lead teams to win. He's a reference for those like me who come from behind in his position or with his way of understanding basketball. It's exciting to be able to play against him, but I love to compete. He loves it, too, just like everyone else. As much as I like him as a player, I want to try to win and make things hard for him. From my own experience, having won both regular season games doesn't have much of an impact. In the regular season, there are many factors that can influence a game: The schedule, how you get to that game, many things. And now the playoff is completely different. It's 40 new minutes, each game. They come with a player they didn't have before \[Daniel Theis\] and we come without players we had before, so the picture changes a lot. Every game is different, so we won't care at all about winning those \[previous\] two games, but more about how we played and what we did well so they won't feel comfortable. That's what we are going to try to replicate as much as possible, knowing that it's going to be a completely new game from Wednesday to Friday. We are two teams very focused on scoring a lot of points. If both teams have a hood day on offense, we easily get to 90 or 100 points. I think the key will be on the other side of the court, being able to make the opponent uncomfortable, not finding the situations they want to look for, not feeling comfortable. I think both teams are very good in transition."

Dario Brizuela: 'It's exciting to be able to play against Mike James, but I love to compete'

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CEST)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach** 

"Τhe experience at this stage of the competition definitely helps . Not so much for me - we’re not talking about me - but mainly for the players; it helps to have experience in big games. Of course, the same can be said about Real. The fact is that this is a moment we all wish to be part of. We worked hard all season to finish first. Our opponent is Real, no complaints about bad luck, that we could have had an easier draw. Every opponent has its value and its talent. All eight teams are very talented. I expect four very exciting series in all the matchups for a place in the Final Four. Ours is one of them. These are two teams with experience in such situations. The good thing for us is that we have home-court advantage; if it goes to five games, we’ll play three at home. We worked a lot for that all season. It’s important we take advantage of it as quickly as possible.”

**Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos Piraeus forward** 

"We’re talking about a team with history, with the most EuroLeague titles. They were last year’s finalists and there haven’t been many major changes to their roster. The same players who played in the final last year are essentially still the core this year. The fact that they had a poor regular season doesn’t mean we should be complacent or think it will be an easy task. We’re going into a playoff series where you have to be focused and give everything to reach the Final Four. That’s our only goal, regardless of opponent; that’s what we’d pursue either way. With the seriousness and work we need to show on the court, if we are who we’re supposed to be, we can achieve what we want. We certainly face a very worthy opponent, but I don’t think any of the top eight, or even the top 10, teams played bad basketball this season or didn’t deserve to be here. Even the 10th-placed team deserved to fight for a playoff spot. It’s a process where a lot can change from game to game, momentum plays a huge role. That’s why we’ve been working all week, to be in the best possible shape and present our best possible version. Our goal is to reach the Final Four and win the EuroLeague. To reach that goal, we have to overcome any obstacle in our path, whether it’s considered easy or hard by public opinion. The goal has been clear since the beginning of the season. That’s what we’ve all focused on. The coach has said it many times. And as I said before, as long as we’re focused on what we need to do on the court, we’ll be fine, we’ll have the upper hand and control. We don’t have anything to fear, nor do we envy anything from any team. I believe we’re ready to fight for the wins we need to reach the Final Four." 

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"We face the best team in the playoffs. Olympiacos comes off an extraordinary regular season in which it was able to get a well-deserved top spot. It played automatically, being really solid at both ends of the court. It was able to choose the shots it took really well, with two reference on the offensive end like \[Evan\] Fournier and \[Sasha\] Vezenkov, but counting on other players who are able to score at ant given time. Defensively speaking, Olympiacos is really solid and is very well-coached, with a coach that always makes the most of a team that really plays like that, as a team. It is a big game and a big playoff series."

**Mario Hezonja, Real Madrid forward**

"We all have waited for this moment of the season, the key moment. We had a lot of ups and downs to get here, but the most important is getting to this point. The team is ready to face this playoff series. In the last years, the games between Real and Olympiacos, in Madrid and Piraeus, have been really important even in regular season action. Both teams always have very good players and coaches, and every time we face each other, you can feel both clubs' pride, which makes these games even bigger. Olympiacos has been the best regular season team by far, but we are in good form and with good rhythm because we have played many do-or-die games lately. I think that can help us. We have to carry on playing this way."

Mario Hezonja: 'We all have waited for this moment of the season, the key moment'

## Tuesday, April 22

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Paris Basketball (19:45 CEST)

**Saras Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach**

"We're very excited to start the playoffs. We understand the difficulties of Paris; obviously and more importantly, their speed, their transition game, try to make it as difficult as possible for their main players. We understand that it's gonna be a long and difficult series and understand that we're gonna have to suffer."

**Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward**

"Tough game. First game of the series. We need to defend our home-court advantage. They've been playing great all season long. They have a very specific identity. We will try to impose our rhythm, our style of basketball. It's not gonna be easy. It's the EuroLeague Playoffs, so it's gonna be a tough matchup, but we will try everything to keep the home-court advantage and advance. The fans whenever we need them this year, they've showed up. I know how Ulker Arena can be. For sure, it will be an extra push for us with them supporting us."

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CEST)

**Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach**

"They have big potential. They didn't start the season well, but after that, after injured players came back to the team, they found their rhythm and played good basketball. Of course, now it's the playoffs. Both teams will put their power onto the court. It's the first game and we will be ready to win the game. Efes has great offensive players and they very well on offense, with good organization. Defense will be key in this series. I have great respect for Efes. Many players are my players, and we made history in European basketball. But now we are on separate paths and I will do everything on the court to send my team to the Final Four."

**Lorenzo Brown, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard**

"\[We can stop Efes by\] just being us. That's the way we can do it, coming out and being physical from the start of the game. Doing what we need to do win the rebounding game, and also points as well. Two very experienced teams, high-level players. It's going to be a battle, for sure. I'm always ready for what's coming. This league is full of great players and Efes is one of those teams with a number of great players on their team, so it's not going to be an easy matchup. Elijah Bryant has been playing tremendous this year and Shane \[Larkin\] is always going to be Shane. They have many other pieces, too. Just got to pay attention to the details on our end, study film and play our game."

**Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach**

"We are very excited to approach this playoff series against the defending champion, Panathinaikos. There are many reasons that make the playoffs special. Of course, Anadolu Efes is back in the playoffs after two years. We arrive after eight wins in a row that made our path unique and we will face a basketball icon of Anadolu Efes and in general Turkish basketball, Coach Ataman, and a team full of talent. Starting from the best scorer in the competition Kendrick Nunn, but having so much talent and so much possibility to represent a danger for every team. Panathinaikos - despite finishing third in the regular season - still represents probably the main candidate for the title. But on the other hand, we want to approach this series conscious and confident that what we've built, especially in the last month, is something that has to represent a point of reference for our performances. So I really hope our players arrive at this appointment healthy and confident because we would like to transform this series at the peak of our season in terms of the quality of basketball we will show on the court starting from the first two games in such a special atmosphere like OAKA. Tickets are sold out since the day Panathinaikos qualified for the playoffs. But I'm pretty sure that we will respond in the right way in such a special atmosphere."

**Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard**

"Panathinaikos is obviously a great team with championship pedigree, champion coach and experienced players. They also have one of the best fan bases in the league. If we want to compete at a high level and give ourselves a chance to win there, we have to remain focused and disciplined. Hustle plays and winning the small details will be the key."

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs

Playoffs pregame quotes, Game 1: 'We hold the cards'

All the latest injury news surrounding all registered players ahead of Game 1 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs.

EuroLeague Playoffs injury report: Game 1

Follow all the latest injury information for registered players in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, as reported by the clubs, and get your [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home?_ga=2.101462721.1199459303.1696273873-903329349.1669636775) teams up to date!

## Game 1: Tuesday, April 22

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Paris Basketball (19:45 CEST)

#### Fenerbahce

- Scottie Wilbekin, who went down with an injury in the first game of the regular season, remains out, the club has confirmed.

#### Paris

- Paris has not yet sent an injury report ahead of Game 1.
- Maodo Lo is out for 'several weeks' with a hamstring injury, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Daulton Hommes is out for 'several months' with a hand injury, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Leon Kratzer returned to action in the Play-In Showdown.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CEST)

#### Panathinaikos

- Panathinaikos has not yet sent an injury report ahead of Game 1.
- [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/all-euroleague-center-mathias-lessort-leaves-game-with-leg-injury/) suffered a broken fibula in Round 17 and is still working his way back from injury.
- Marius Grigonis (lower back surgery) has not played since Round 4.

#### Efes

- Rodrigue Beaubois, who suffered an injury in Round 33, is ruled out for Game 1, the club has confirmed.

## Game 1: Wednesday, April 23

### AS Monaco vs. FC Barcelona (19:00 CEST)

#### Monaco

- Monaco has no reported injuries ahead of Game 1.

#### Barcelona

- Nico Laprovittola, Juan Nunez, Chimezie Metu and Dame Sarr are all unavailable for Game 1, the club has confirmed.

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CEST)

#### Olympiacos

- All Olympiacos players are available for coach Bartzokas ahead of Game 1, the club confirmed.
- Olympiacos parted ways with Nathan Mensah on Wednesday.
- Moustapha Fall missed the last two games of the regular season, but returned to action in the Greek League.
- Nikola Milutinov missed the last four games of the regular season, but returned to action in the Greek League.
- Luca Vildoza missed the last four games of the regular season.
- Thomas Walkup last played in Round 20, meaning he missed the last 14 games of the regular season.
- Keenan Evans, who has recently returned from a long-term injury, is yet to make his season debut.

#### Real Madrid

- Real Madrid has not yet sent an injury report ahead of Game 1.
- Bruno Fernando, who last played in Round 30, [has been dealing with discomfort in his Achilles](https://x.com/pilarcasado/status/1914658668953354649).
- Eli Ndiaye, who last played in Round 28, [has been dealing with a shoulder issue](https://x.com/pilarcasado/status/1909957418328502603).
- Xavier Rathan-Mayes last played in Round 27 but has been fit and ready to play.

Stay up to date with the latest information provided by the EuroLeague clubs

Playoffs injury report, Game 1: Everyone available for Olympiacos

Both Ergin Ataman and Luca Banchi have high hopes for Game 2 of Panathinaikos BC and Anadolu Efes's playoff series, following an interesting Game 1.

Opening act leaves Ataman and Banchi wanting more

[Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) scraped [an 87-83 win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-beats-efes-87-83-in-game-1/) in Game 1 of their Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoff series, but the overall performance left the reigning champion's head coach Ergin Ataman largely unhappy.

Despite the victory which left the Greens on course to reach the 2025 Final Four in Abu Dhabi, Ataman demanded a more balanced display from his men in Game 2 on Thursday after they erased a 12-point deficit in the second half.

While hailing the heroic efforts of big man [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/), who posted career highs of 20 points and 16 boards in 39 minutes on the court, Ataman challenged his back-up [Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/) to do more and give the Spaniard some breathing space.

“Players like Mitoglou need to do more, so I hope he wakes up and enables Juancho to get some rest,” Ataman told reporters after an exhausting contest inside OAKA Arena.

“We were up by 10 points in the second quarter and then we stopped sharing the ball. We started taking hasty shots after five seconds of possession and that’s not our system. We lost offensive discipline and the control of the game.”

A 2-20 run saw Efes take the game by the scruff of the neck in the closing stages of the first half as it took a 32-40 lead, and the Turkish side was 60-72 ahead late in the third quarter before a 12-0 run by Panathinaikos eventually forced the final twist.

Ataman emphasized that despite a monumental defensive effort in the fourth quarter which saw Efes score a mere 11 points in the final 10 minutes of the contest, a more concerted team effort on offense will be required in Game 2.

“It wasn’t a good performance today,” he said. “We played great defense in the last quarter but we need to go back to playing like we did all season, which means to share the ball and be more patient. We need to play better in Game 2 because Efes is a very dangerous team.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paobcgr</a> take a series lead, 1-0! <br><br>A BIG comeback victory 👀 <br><br>Attention now turns to G2! <a href="https://t.co/dajWMi4lf6">pic.twitter.com/dajWMi4lf6</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1914782786143314296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Efes head coach Luca Banchi saw his team’s eight-game winning streak snapped after the Turkish side came agonizingly close to snatching home-court advantage away from the Greens, who were roared on by a fervent home crowd.

Poor long-range shooting in crunch time cost Efes, which went 9 of 31 from downtown and also committed 16 turnovers against 18 assists against a rock-solid Panathinaikos defense which closed shop when the chips were down.

“We still have to learn and minimize our mistakes because we are playing against the defending champions who know how to punish them,” the Italian tactician said. “Our performance was excellent for long spells but to win here you have to be perfect.”

Both head coaches stressed that their respective outfits needed to improve ahead of Game 2

Opening act leaves Ataman and Banchi wanting more 

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

Fenerbahçe Beko has gone 3-0 versus Paris Basketball this season, but the French side should still feel confident heading into Game 2 of their playoff series.

Fourth time lucky? Paris aiming to bounce back against Fenerbahce

Heading into Game 1 of their playoff showdown on Tuesday night, [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) and [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) had already sent a signal of how close this series might be.

Their first-ever matchup came in Paris in Round 17 of the regular season, when the Turkish team [sneaked away with an 83-87 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-overcomes-paris-83-87-to-strengthen-grip-on-second-place/) after overturning a double-digit first quarter deficit. Then, in Round 31, an even closer battle again saw Fenerbahce recover a big margin as [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/)’s buzzer-beating three-pointer [secured a dramatic 101-100 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-the-hero-as-fenerbahce-beats-paris-101-100-to-make-playoffs/).

Those two thrillers sparked hopes that we were in for a treat during this five-game quarter-final, and the opener certainly didn’t disappoint.

Paris started strong to lead by 6 midway through the first, but Fener fought back to take a 7-point lead into the halftime break. And then the second half was a constant source of momentum swings, with neither team able to take control and stamp its authority on the action.

Between [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nadir-hifi/012640/)’s three-pointer for a 54-55 Paris lead midway through the third quarter and [Errick McCollum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/errick-mccollum/005216/)’s triple to make it 74-72 for Fenerbahce nine minutes later, there were no less than 12 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than 3 points.

Heading into the final minute of regulation, Hifi’s fifth triple of the night to make it 80-78 ensured the outcome was anyone’s guess for the final few possessions. But Paris missed its last chance to go ahead when [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) was off the mark, then [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) sealed the deal with a coolly converted long two-point strike with just 10 seconds remaining for the final points of the night as [Fenerbahce wrapped up an 83-78 Game 1 triumph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-outlasts-paris-83-78-to-take-series-opener/).

That means now this season between the teams it’s Fenerbahce 3, Paris 0... but with a combined difference of just 10 points over those three contests. So anyone expecting Fenerbahce to simply roll its way into the Final Four over the next couple of games may be sorely mistaken, and Hayes-Davis certainly sees it that way.

“The mindset going into this is that it’s a best-of-five series,” he told EuroLeague TV after Tuesday’s showdown. “You’ve got to break it down into a season. Each game is one season. Make or break, do or die. We had one season today, the game’s over, we won it, but we have a new season that starts on Thursday. So we have to watch the film tomorrow, try to figure out how we can improve, do a little bit better and try to get the same result.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Bu fotoğrafa bir emoji bırak! 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/The_Fourth_Wade?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_Fourth_Wade</a> <br><br>Admin: 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/udrLkvUOrY">pic.twitter.com/udrLkvUOrY</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1914786504033149231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Visiting coach Tiago Splitter definitely isn’t in the mood to surrender, saying: “We saw some of the stuff that we prepared that worked, some that didn’t, and I think we’ve got to regroup, watch film, get to practice and walk through some of the stuff.

“Hopefully we’ll have a better shooting night – it feels like we had a bunch of open shots that our shooters didn’t make. We’re playing against a great team and we’ve got to be more prepared next time.”

One specific area where Paris definitely needs to be better prepared is protecting its backboard. Fenerbahce crashed the glass to the tune of 19 offensive rebounds on Tuesday, enabling it to score 21 second-chance points compared to just 8 for Paris.

Between two teams so closely matched, that’s clearly a significant statistic. So if Paris can rectify its defensive rebounding by Thursday night, don’t rule out the French team making it fourth time lucky in its battles with Fener.

The French club has suffered three very close defeats to Saras Jasikevicius’s team so far this season

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Paris Basketball (2025-04-24T17:45:00.000Z)