This one will go the distance
by Frank Lawlor
Two proud, long-starved and entertaining teams full of players chomping for their Final Four opportunity – only Kostas Sloukas and Ioannis Papapetrou have made it that far before – make this as compelling a series as any. Maccabi's two victories this season over Panathinaikos, which holds home-court advantage, make it unpredictable, too. Matchup edges are hard to pinpoint and solid pros in their primes dot the landscape. This will be very much a question of who is ready to seize the moment. I expect close outcomes that could go either way, but in all likelihood, it will take five games to solve. We know that home teams are 18-0 all-time in Game 5s, so much as I like Maccabi's team and its chances, with a full OAKA, I'd have to see the first do-or-die road win in a Game 5 to believe it. My prediction: Panathinaikos 3-2.