Name: Top 10 Plays | Playoffs Game 1 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Top 10 Plays | Playoffs Game 1 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Make sure to take a look at the best plays of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs Game 1!

Playoffs Game 1: Top 10 Plays

CFI Named Official Online Trading Partner of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four

CFI, the MENA’s leading online trading provider, is proud to announce its new designation as the Official Online Trading Partner of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This collaboration, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), marks a significant milestone for CFI, further strengthening its association with world-class sporting events and expanding its global brand presence. This agreement underscores the group’s commitment to connecting with broader audiences through high-impact platforms and celebrating values of performance, excellence, and unity.

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four is the final stage of the most prestigious club basketball league in Europe, bringing together the top four teams from across the continent to compete for the championship. As the Official Online Trading Partner, CFI will benefit from widespread brand visibility across broadcast, digital, and on-ground platforms.

“We are delighted to welcome CFI as a new partner for our signature event, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four,” said Gawain Davies, Chief Commercial Officer of Euroleague Basketball. “Partnering with CFI, the leading online trading platform in the MENA region, perfectly aligns with our ambition to grow the EuroLeague brand and business across the Middle East. The Final Four in Abu Dhabi presents a unique opportunity to showcase the true spirit of EuroLeague Basketball to new audiences and markets.”

The partnership will also allow CFI to engage with fans through various experiences that reflect the brand’s values of innovation and excellence. From interactive moments to exclusive experiences for selected guests, CFI aims to contribute to the overall excitement of the Final Four.

"We are proud to support the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi, a global celebration of sport, unity, and excellence," said Hisham Mansour, Co-Founder and Managing Director of CFI Financial Group. "This partnership reflects our values and aligns with our strategy to connect with the communities where our audiences live and engage—through moments that inspire, unite, and create lasting impact."

This collaboration is yet another step in CFI’s broader strategy to align with platforms that amplify its presence and impact. With Abu Dhabi, the capital of CFI's headquarters country, as the home of several key initiatives, CFI aims to build deeper connections with its audiences by participating in cultural and sporting events that resonate with the values of ambition, discipline, and achievement—core principles shared by traders and athletes alike.

The Reds rarely looked troubled after taking control with an early 12-0 run in the series opener, benefitting from another great performance by Sasha Vezenkov – 23 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals – to enjoy a surprisingly comfortable win for Georgios Bartzokas’s men.

Real, on the other hand, needs to play with better control – both of the ball and its emotions – with 19 turnovers making a significant contribution to the Game 1 defeat.

The Spanish side would also be well advised to focus on playing the game rather than the referees after racking up 3 technical fouls on Wednesday – a common occurrence throughout the season for Los Blancos – including an early expulsion for coach Chus Mateo.

Real will hope to get more out of center Walter Tavares after early foul trouble restricted him to just 7 points and 2 rebounds in the opener, and the long-range shooting skills of Dzanan Musa and Mario Hezonja must resurface following a bad night with a combined total of 1-of-10 three-pointers.

But with Olympiacos strengthened by the return of backcourt general Thomas Walkup following a three-month injury absence, the Reds will feel fully confident of its ability to move within one win of the Final Four.

Game Videos

\- Olympiacos ran away with an 84-72 win in the opening game of this series by making a season-best 27 two-pointers.

\- Olympiacos swept the regular season series against Real Madrid, including an 86-96 win in Madrid in Round 22 behind Even Fournier's personal-best 28 points.

\- Olympiacos beat Real 79-69 in Round 6 in Piraeus with Sasha Vezenkov scoring 23 points, while Shaquielle Mckissic pulled down a career-high 9 rebounds.

\- In the 2024 Final Four semifinal in Berlin, Real beat Olympiacos 87-76 behind 20 points from Dzanan Musa.

\- This is a rematch of the 2023 championship game in which Sergio Lull made a game-winning jumper with 3.1 seconds to go for a 79-78 win in Kaunas for Real to win its 11th EuroLeague championship.

\- Real swept Olympiacos during the 2023-24 regular season, including a 71-77 win in Piraeus as Dzanan Musa scored 23 points and tied a career-best with 5 triples made.

\- Last season in Madrid, Real held off Olympiacos 90-85 with Facundo Campazzo collecting 12 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.

\- Real Madrid downed Olympiacos in the 1995 EuroLeague championship game, 73-61, behind Arvydas Sabonis, who was chosen as the 1995 Final Four MVP.

\- Olympiacos defeated Real Madrid 100-89 for the 2013 EuroLeague championship in London. Vassilis Spanoulis scored 22 points in that game and was named Final Four MVP.

\- Real Madrid routed Olympiacos 78-59 in the 2015 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game in the Spanish capital. Jaycee Carroll led a balanced Madrid attack with 16 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting and Andres Nocioni was named Final Four MVP.

\- Olympiacos and Real Madrid have faced each other three times in the EuroLeague Playoffs. Real advanced to the Final Four in 1996 with a 2-1 win in the best-of-three series and Olympiacos ousted Real 3-1 in 2009's best-of-five series. Real eliminated Olympiacos in the 2014 EuroLeague Playoffs 3-2. Rudy Fernandez led Los Blancos with an average of 17.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and Sergio Llull starred with 20 points in the decisive fifth game.

\- Olympiacos guard Nigel Williams-Goss spent two seasons with Real, from 2021 to 2023, helping it reach the 2022 EuroLeague championship game and win the 2023 EuroLeague crown.

\- Williams-Goss scored a career-high 23 points in an 88-83 Olympiacos win against Real in November 2018.

\- Real swingman Mario Hezonja and Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou were teammates at FC Barcelona during the 2013-14 season.

\- Olympiacos point guard Luca Vildoza has been a teammate of Real forward Gabriel Deck and guard Facundo Campazzo on the Argentinian national team. Together they won the silver medal at the 2019 Basketball World Cup.

\- Olympiacos guard Luca Vildoza and Real point guard Facundo Campazzo were teammates at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade during the 2022-23 season.

\- Real Madrid guard Andres Feliz had a personal-best 4 steals in his team's Game 1 loss.

\- Olympiacos forward Alec Peters grabbed a career-high 6 offensive rebounds in the 2024 Final Four semifinal loss against Real Madrid.

\- Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou posted a career-high 25 points and tied a career-high with 6 triples made in a 90-85 loss against Real in January 2024.

\- Olympiacos guard Naz Mitrou-Long dished a career-high 7 assists against Real in January 2024.

\- Olympiacos guard Tyler Dorsey had a career game while playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against Real in January 2021, posting a career-high PIR of 36.

\- Hezonja posted his career high with 4 steals while playing for UNICS Kazan against Olympiacos in December 2021.

\- Real’s All-EuroLeague center Walter Tavares had a career-best 4 steals in an overtime win over Olympiacos in April 2021.

\- Real's Facundo Campazzo collected a career-high 5 steals while playing for Crvena Zvezda against Olympiacos in April 2023.

\- Olympiacos center Nikola Milutinov recorded a career-best 3 blocks twice against Real Madrid, in December 2017 and November 2018.

Game News

A clash of giants will see Olympiacos seek another strong performance to double its advantage over Real Madrid in Piraeus.

Game Notes: Olympiacos vs. Madrid

Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2025-04-25T18:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus’s defense recorded 7 steals in the first 20 minutes alone and scored 21 points off of Real Madrid's turnovers, which translated into one-fourth of the team’s points on the night (84) to win Game 1 of their EuroLeague Playoffs series

Olympiacos’s defense set the tone from the off against Real Madrid

A drop in form saw [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) win just two of its last five regular-season games, having conceded 81, 81, 80, 92 and 93 points. In the meantime, heading into Wednesday’s clash, a galloping [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/games/mad/?season=2024-25) had won seven of its last eight games, netting 105, 91 and 93 points in their last three victories.

Injuries paid their toll on the Reds, with the aforementioned outings raising concerns ahead of the playoffs. Yet, in the first game of the season where Georgios Bartzokas had all his players at his disposal, Olympiacos showed defensive strength from the off to strangle Real Madrid’s offense.

*Los Blancos* ended the first half with a season-high 13 turnovers, finishing the game with 19 - the most in club history in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoff game. Olympiacos’s defense recorded 7 steals in the first 20 minutes alone and finished the game with 9. More importantly, Bartzokas’s side made the most of those errors by netting 21 points off turnovers, which translated into one-fourth of the team’s points on the night (84).

Olympiacos’s defense set the tone against Real Madrid

Olympiacos's defense set the tone against Real Madrid

Olympiacos kept Real Madrid to just 29 points in the first half, laying the foundation for [a hard-fought Game 1 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-takes-care-of-real-madrid-84-72-in-game-1/) by taking an 18-point lead into the third quarter.

“Our defense in the first half was solid and we set the tone by winning by 18 points at halftime and then we managed to win the game without being really in danger,” Bartzokas told EuroLeague TV after the game.

Indeed, Olympiacos maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half despite Real Madrid winning each of the last two quarters (17-22, 20-21).

“When we played with really good speed and physicality, things really worked well for us,” [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), who returned from a three-and-a-half-month absence, said in the post-game press conference. “We played with good physicality on defense. They ended with 72 points, that’s a great number for such an offensively talented team.”

Yet, history has proved that a win in Game 1 anything but seals qualification to the Final Four. In fact, Olympiacos won its first games against [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/?season=2024-25), [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/?season=2024-25) and [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/?season=2024-25) in each of the last three season’s playoffs but lost all three Game 2s, with each of the series going to a nail-biting Game 5.

“A five-game series is short,” Walkup added. “So, to start off well… we’ve done it. We had really good energy from the crowd tonight. The challenge is Game 2. Game 1 was great, we won it and now it’s behind us already. The last three years, we won Game 1, but we’ve lost Game 2.”

And Real Madrid is no newcomer in the EuroLeague. The Spanish powerhouse has been there before and bounced back in style against Panathinaikos Athens in the 2017-18 Playoffs. The Greens thrashed *Los Blancos* [95-67](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2017-18/panathinaikos-superfoods-athens-real-madrid/E2017/242/#boxscore) at OAKA in Game 1, but Pablo Laso’s team hadn’t said the last word. Not only did Real Madrid prevail in Game 2, but they won three in a row to clinch a spot in the Final Four and then went all the way to the trophy led by a certain [Luka Doncic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luka-doncic/005929/).

“The playoffs are always a battle,” Bartzokas said in the press conference. “It’s about the day, the approach, the physicality you present to the court.”

With Game 2 scheduled for Friday, Olympiacos’s first-half defense could serve as a springboard in its bid to make the most of its home-court advantage.

“\[In Game 2\] we have to impose our rhythm, especially in front of these amazing fans, and then we can make it 2-0,” [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) told EuroLeague TV after the game.

Real Madrid showed in the second half of Wednesday’s game that it has what it takes to fight back and upset the Reds. But the hosts also demonstrated that they boast the defensive prowess to contain any opponent, especially at a buzzing Peace and Friendship Stadium.

The Reds forced Los Blancos into 19 turnovers in Wednesday night's win

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

Vassilis Spanoulis's team performed with great efficiency to score 97 points on Wednesday, delivering 21 assists with just 8 turnovers. That process was led by star guards as Elie Okobo netted 19 points with 7 assists and Mike James added 22 points plus 4 helpers, so disrupting the Roca Team's backcourt is a clear defensive focus for Barça.

Conversely, the Spanish team needs to take better care of the basketball after committing 18 turnovers on Wednesday, and needs more productivity from veteran leader Tomas Satoransky after he posted just 2 points and 2 assists.

The Blaugrana is also looking for Jabari Parker to regain his usual standards after he only scored 7 points in Game 1, as well as hoping that giant Youssoupha Fall delivers another strong performance in the paint after pairing 13 points with 14 rebounds.

But the basis of Barca’s approach must be defense. Monaco big men Daniel Theis and Mam Jaiteh combined for 11 two-point conversions on just 16 attempts in Game 1, so breaking up the home team’s rhythm and forcing tougher shots will be crucial for Joan Penarroya’s men.

\- Monaco beat Barcelona 97-80 in Game 1 behind a career-high 22 points from Daniel Theis.

\- Monaco guard Matthew Strazel tied his career-high PIR of 21 in Game 1, after he set that mark earlier this season, also against Barcelona, in a Round 20 loss.

\- Barcelona guard Dario Brizuela had a career-best game in an 84-98 win in Monaco in Round 20. Brizuela posted career-highs in scoring (27), PIR (25), and minutes played (28:46), and tied his career best with 6 three-point shots made.

\- Monaco center Georgios Papagiannis set the club's single-game record when he blocked 4 shots in Round 20 against Barcelona.

\- Barcelona beat Monaco 86-71 in Round 3 behind 21 points from Kevin Punter, snapping Monaco's three-game winning streak in this series.

\- Monaco beat Barcelona 78-66 in their third-place game at the 2023 Final Four.

\- The two teams met for the first time in the 2021-22 season.

\- Nick Calathes spent two seasons at Barcelona, from 2020 to 2022, and helped it reach two Final Fours, including the championship game in 2021.

\- Monaco forward Petr Cornelie was a teammate of Barcelona's Youssoupha Fall at Le Mans during the 2015-16 season.

\- Barcelona’s injured big man Chimezie Metu tied his personal high with 8 rebounds in a Round 20 win.

\- Barcelona guard Kevin Punter made a career-high 11 free throws playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against Monaco in January 2024.

After a strong display at both ends of the court in Game 1, Monaco will again look to dominate visiting Barcelona to take a 2-0 series lead.

Game Notes: Monaco vs. Barcelona

AS Monaco v FC Barcelona (2025-04-25T17:00:00.000Z)

The Turkish team ended Game 1 greatly frustrated after losing the final quarter 23-11 to suffer a narrow defeat, but mounting that kind of late comeback has become a Panathinaikos speciality this season and Ergin Ataman’s men will certainly not suffer from a lack of self-belief.

Efes will again rely on its usual suspects Shane Larkin and Elijah Bryant, who respectively scored 17 and 14 points on Tuesday, and has one of the league’s best big men in top form with Vincent Poirier recording 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in the series opener.

But visiting coach Luca Banchi probably needs more productivity from other players to down this deep Panathinaikos squad, which could even afford a relatively quiet night from league MVP Kendrick Nunn (15 points on 4-of-15 field goal shooting) in the opener.

Juancho Hernangomez was the undoubted star on Tuesday with 20 points and 16 boards, but the contribution of Omer Yurtseven (14 points, 7 rebounds) was also vital. And with much more to come from the likes of Lorenzo Brown, Dinos Mitoglou and Wenyen Gabriel – who all had limited minutes in Game 1 – the Greens will believe they possess the weapons to outscore Efes again.

\- Panathinaikos rallied to beat Efes 87-83 in Game 1 behind Juancho Hernangomez who set career-highs in points (20), rebounds (16) and PIR (40) and tied his career-best with 3 steals. His 16 rebounds tied the EuroLeague Playoffs record.

\- Efes center Vincent Poirier became the first player in EuroLeague Playoffs history to block 5 blocked shots when he did so in Game 1. 

\- Panathinaikos beat Efes 104-89 in Round 26 behind Kendrick Nunn who erupted for 30 second-half points as he finished with 36 after going 7 for 10 on two-pointers, 5 for 11 on three-pointers and a perfect 7 for 7 from the free-throw line. Nunn also posted 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn for a 37 PIR, earning MVP of the Round honors.

\- Efes thrashed Panathinaikos 93-67 in Round 15 in Istanbul and in the process set a club record with 8 blocks.

\- Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman was in charge of the Efes bench between 2017 and 2023 and guided the team to back-to-back EuroLeague championships in 2021 and 2022. He was named the EuroLeague Coach of the Year in 2021, too.

\- Panathinaikos center Tibor Pleiss will face Efes for the first time since leaving the club last summer. He spent six seasons there and helped the team win the EuroLeague in 2021 and 2022.

\- Panathinaikos forward Cedi Osman grew up with Efes and made his EuroLeague debut there in the 2013-14 season. Efes's former head coach and now assistant Tomislav Mijatovic, was also an assistant coach during Osman's entire time with the club.

\- When Panathinaikos beat Efes 95-69 in October 2021, Daryl Macon scored 34 points and made a club-record 9 three-point shots.

\- Efes set its EuroLeague club record this century with 33 made free throws against Panathinaikos in April 2005.

\- Panathinaikos recorded 51 total rebounds, its most in EuroLeague play this century, against Efes in March 2014.

\- Panathinaikos beat Efes 81-71 in the 2000 EuroLeague Final Four semifinals and 74-66 in the 2001 FIBA SuproLeague semifinals.

\- Panathinaikos ousted Efes 2-1 in their best-of-three EuroLeague playoffs series in 2005.

\- Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort and Efes center Vincent Poirier have been teammates on the French national team. Together they won bronze medals at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

\- Efes's Dogus Ozdemiroglu, Shane Larkin, Ercan Osmani and Erkan Yilmaz all played under Coach Ataman on the Turkish national team and alongside Cedi Osman and Omer Yurtseven.

\- Efes forward Derek Willis and Barcelona's Joel Parra were teammates at Joventut Badalona during the 2021-22 season.

\- Efes guard PJ Dozier had career highs in PIR (28) and steals (6) playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade against Panathinaikos in January 2024.

\- Efes's Jordan Nwora grabbed a personal best 8 rebounds in Round 15 against Panathinaikos.

\- Marius Grigonis made a career-high 7 triples and had a career-best PIR of 28 to lead Panathinaikos past Efes, 83-76, last season in Athens.

\- Efes guard Rodrigue Beaubois set his career-high with 4 blocks against Panathinaikos in November 2018.

\- Efes center Vincent Poirier set his career high in steals with 4 for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Panathinaikos in November 2017.

A spectacular atmosphere is guaranteed in Athens as reigning champ Panathinaikos seeks a second win over visiting Efes.

Game Notes: Panathinaikos vs. Efes

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

The French team can take consolation from the fact that all its games against Fener have been very close, with Tuesday’s opener only decided in the last minute as Wade Baldwin’s smooth jumper sealed a home win.

Visiting coach Tiago Splitter will focus on two specific areas. Firstly, shooting from long-range, after Paris made just 11 of its 33 attempts on Tuesday, with 5 of those makes coming from Nadir Hifi. With TJ Shorts, Sebastian Herrera and Mikael Jantunen converting just 2 of their 13 combined attempts, there is clear room for improvement.

Secondly, Fenerbahce was allowed to snare 19 offensive rebounds in Game 1, with 3 apiece for Sertac Sanli and Nigel Hayes-Davis, so the visiting team needs to protect the glass much more effectively.

Fenerbahce’s team-based offensive approach – opposed to Paris’s strong reliance on Shorts and Hifi – was shown by the fact that six players scored in double digits on Tuesday, led by Baldwin with 15. And with Devon Hall – who posted 13 points and 4 assists two days ago – providing backcourt control, the host will look to play the game at its tempo and enjoy another night of physical dominance to take a big step towards the Final Four.

\- Fenerbahce and Paris had never played before March 3; this will be their fourth meeting in 52 days.

\- In Game 1, which was Paris's first-ever EuroLeague game, Fenerbahce pulled out an 83-78 win with Wade Baldwin leading five double-digit scorers with 15 points.

\- In Round 31, Fenerbahce edged Paris 101-100 on a game-winning buzzer-beating triple by Nigel Hayes-Davis. That is the only time Fenerbahce has scored more than 100 points in a game this season.

\- Fenerbahce defeated Paris 83-87 in the French capital in early March in a postponed Round 17 game. It was the first-ever official meeting between the two teams.

\- Fenerbahce's Nicolo Melli and Devon Hall were teammates of Paris guard Maodo Lo at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan last season.

\- Melli and Lo and Paris big man Leon Kratzer were teammates at Brose Bamberg during the 2016-17 season.

\- Paris big man Mikael Jantunen grabbed a personal-best 8 rebounds in Round 31 against Fenerbahce.

\- Paris center Kevarrius Hayes grabbed a career-best 9 rebounds for Zalgiris Kaunas against Fenerbahce in March 2023.

\- Paris's Yakuba Ouattara posted career highs in points (19), three-pointers made (5) and PIR (19) for AS Monaco in a 98-94 overtime road loss at Fenerbahce in January 2023.

\- Fenerbahce guard Devon Hall pulled down a career-high 5 offensive rebounds in Round 17 against Paris.

After winning all three meetings between the teams this season, Fenerbahce will look to take a 2-0 series lead against visiting Paris.

Game Notes: Fenerbahce vs. Paris

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

Monaco's backcourt stars led the way past Barca

[AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/?season=2024-25) made the most of its home-court advantage by opening its best-of-five playoff series against [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/?season=2024-25) with [a 97-80 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-downs-barca-in-series-opener-97-80/). Led by its guards, Monaco set a fast pace from the beginning and sealed the win minutes before the final buzzer.

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) finally found a way to be effective against Barca. After averaging 13.3 points in his first 18 career games against Barca, James had 23 points in the last regular season game against the club and went for 22 points and 4 assists for a PIR of 19 in Game 1. He was a constant threat on offense, making 5 three-pointers and going one-on-one to hit floaters in the lane. [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) only missed 3 field goal attempts on his way to 19 points and added 7 assists and 2 steals for a game-high PIR of 26.

Mike James hit five three-pointers on his way to 22 points in AS Monaco's 97-80 win over FC Barcelona in Game 1 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs.

Mike James was unstoppable in Game 1

"It's all about showing effort. I think we showed great character today. We played hard defensively. Even though they had a few offensive rebounds, which we have to correct for Game 2, we just played as a team, sharing the ball. Everybody impacted tonight," Okobo said. "It's playoff time. We compete. Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to go all the way to the Final Four. We will do what it takes to make it happen."

[Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) and [Terry Tarpey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/terry-tarpey/012515/) were Monaco's X-factors in this game. Nearing the end of his breakout season, Strazel confirmed his potential with a strong performance: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn for a PIR of 21. Tarpey guarded anyone from shooting guard to power forward, allowing Coach Spanoulis to surprise Barca with a small-ball lineup around center [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/). Tarpey tallied 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks to lead his team's defense.

Terry Tarpey of AS Monaco had had six points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, leading his team's defense in Game 1.

Terry Tarpey's all-around game leads Monaco past Barcelona

"Terry was very good tonight, just like the other players. He was a star in his role. Having this kind of player is very important for a team, and he gave us a lot of energy. He was ready to play. I put him in the '4' position and he knew all the plays of the team at the '4' position without playing there, not even in practice," Coach Spanoulis said after the game. "It was my instinct to put him there and he knew everything. This shows how concentrated he was and how concentrated he is in basketball."

"I just wanted to help the team. I was in a good position to help the team tonight," Tarpey said. "I think it was possibly a statement victory. We really did well protecting our home court. Our fans came out and really pushed us to give us the extra 110% that we needed. But again, we have to watch the film tomorrow, see what we did good, what we did wrong, and try to recreate the same thing in two days."

Monaco hosts Game 2 at Salle Gaston Medicin on Thursday, April 25 at 19:00 CEST.

Monaco heavily relied on its backcourt players to take a 1-0 lead in the playoffs

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

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 37th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Kostas Ntzeremes beat everyone else in Game 1 of the EuroLeague Playoffs with his team 'Ntzery55', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 228.30.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Playoffs Game 1 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 37th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Kostas Ntzeremes beat everyone else in Game 1 of the EuroLeague Playoffs with his team 'Ntzery55', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 228.30.

Kostas had the following starting lineup: TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball as team captain, then his teammate Tyson Ward, Daniel Theis of AS Monaco, Vincent Poirier of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Juancho Hernangomez of Panathiniakos AKTOR Athens. His sixth man was Monaco's Elie Okobo. The rest of the bench consisted of Monaco's Matthew Strazel, Real Madrid's Sergio Llull, Alec Peters of Olympiacos Piraeus and Nicolo Melli of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. His team's head coach was Monaco play-caller Vassilis Spanoulis.

The prize for finishing first in Round 37 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Kostas!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 6,360.69 points.

Trades are now open for the 38th round of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/), which is Game 2 of the EuroLeague Playoffs, and there are an unlimited number of trades.

The first playoff game tips off on Thursday, April 24 at 19:45 CEST as Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul hosts Paris Basketball, marking the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

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.

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

Olympiacos Piraeus center Nikola Milutinov spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Real Madrid in Game 1 of their 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs series.

Nikola Milutinov: 'We have to stay humble'

Olympiacos Piraeus forward Sasha Vezenkov spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Real Madrid in Game 1 of their 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs series.

Sasha Vezenkov: 'Real Madrid will come ready to play in Game 2'

Olympiacos Piraeus-Real Madrid | PO Game-1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Olympiacos Piraeus-Real Madrid | PO Game 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Tarpey's big block! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

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.

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

Follow the post-game press conference after Game 1 between Olympiacos BC and Real Madrid in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs.

Top 10 Plays | Playoffs Game 1 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Nikola Milutinov: 'We have to stay humble'

Sasha Vezenkov: 'Real Madrid will come ready to play in Game 2'

Olympiacos Piraeus-Real Madrid | PO Game-1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Tarpey's big block! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

Follow the Olympiacos-Real Madrid post-game press conference

McKissic skies for a ferocious slam! Motorola Magic Moment