FC Barcelona avoided elimination with a 79-72 home win over AS Monaco in Game 4 of their best-of-five series. Joan Penarroya's team improved in several key aspects of the game to get the win.

Halftime adjustments proved crucial as Barcelona tied series with Monaco

[FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) avoided elimination with [a 79-72 home win over AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-beats-monaco-in-game-4-to-tie-the-series-79-72/) in Game 4 of their best-of-five series. Joan Penarroya's team improved in several key aspects of the game to get the win.

At halftime, Monaco led 35-38, making the most out of Barcelona's poor foul management. Monaco excelled at that, as it picked up 10 fouls and only sent the *Azulgrana* twice to the foul line. On the other hand, Monaco drew 13 fouls before the break, hitting 18-of-21 free throws. In other words, Barca got 0.2 free throws per foul and Monaco had 1.62 per foul, going to the free-throw line way too often.

Barcelona also struggled to circulate the ball well, finishing the first half with 7 assists and as many as 13 turnovers. Despite not having great shooting percentages (36.4% 2FG, 28.6% 3FG), Monaco managed to build a three-point lead based on points off turnovers and free throws. All of that changed in the second half, in which Barca improved its foul management and took much better care of the ball.

After the break, Barcelona picked up just 8 fouls and only sent Monaco once to the free-throw line compared to its 21 attempts before the break. That's 0.13 free-throw attempts allowed per foul. On the other hand, Barcelona drew 17 fouls in the second half, taking 23 free throws (1.35 per foul drawn). The hosts ended up hitting 24-of-25 free throws (96%), hitting all 10 of its attempts in the final 5 minutes. [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) and [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) each buried all 6 of their free-throw attempts.

FC Barcelona beat AS Monaco 79-72 in Game 4 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playofs.

Barca turns things around after the break

Barcelona had 9 assists and just 6 turnovers after the break, hitting 8-of-13 two-pointers (61.5% 2FG). Monaco shot the ball much better inside the arc (12 of 20, 60%) but not from three-point territory (3 of 18, 16.7% 3FG), getting 10 second-half turnovers.

"The series is over when a team reaches three wins, and that is what we will try to do in Monaco," head coach Joan Penarroya said after the game. 

"It has been a much closer game but I think we deserved the win. We will not play Game 5 to go to the Final Four, so we have to be physically and mentally ready. We have to be ready for any scenario and any kind of game: low-scoring, high-scoring, with a lot of contact or not, it doesn't matter. We have to be calmed enough to face an extremely difficult game. It could not be any other way."

Game News

It all comes down to Game 5 in Monaco next Tuesday evening

FC Barcelona v AS Monaco (2025-05-02T18:45:00.000Z)

It took a monumental team effort from Anadolu Efes to grind out an 85-82 home win over Panathinaikos BC in Game 4 of their EuroLeague playoff series, with guards Elijah Bryant and Shane Larkin taking center stage.

Efes leaned on Elijah Bryant, Shane Larkin in Game 4 to keep series alive 

It took a monumental team effort from [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) to grind out [an 85-82 home win over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-beats-panathinaikos-85-82-to-force-game-5-in-athens/) in Game 4 of their Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoff series, with guards [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) and [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) taking center stage.

Bryant, who had struggled from long range in the opening three games of the series and made just 3 of 14 long-range shots, went 4 of 9 from deep on Friday as he paced Efes on 19 points.

In turn, Larkin drew on his wealth of experience and garnished a mature performance with 9 points and as many assists, setting up his teammates with a barrage of open shots in the wake of aggressive defense he faced from Panathinaikos guards.

In his post-game comments, Bryant emphasized that he never lost his confidence as he fought through patchy form on offense throughout the series, having hit some crunch shots in Game 4 with the Turkish side’s survival in the series on the line.

“It’s a good win and we’ll enjoy it tonight but the job is not finished and we’ve got one more thing to do,” Bryant said. “Some days the ball goes in and some days it won’t but I’ll keep shooting regardless. I trust my teammates and they trust me.”

The versatile guard acknowledged that ball handling played a pivotal role as Efes racked up 24 assists and 10 steals against 12 turnovers, adding that he fancied his team’s chances in Game 5.

“Taking care of the ball against an explosive offensive team like this is very important and we did that today. Regarding our chances in the tiebreaker, I’ll choose us any day, we are ready to go there and bring it back to Istanbul.”

Larkin, who was instrumental in helping Efes to consecutive EuroLeague titles in 2021 and 2022, hailed a concerted team effort which limited the visiting team’s star player [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) to a mere 12 points on 3 of 12 shooting from the floor.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">📢 <a href="https://twitter.com/Migros_Turkiye?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Migros_Turkiye</a> ile Panathinaikos Aktor karşılaşmamızın en iyisi Shane Larkin!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Larkinile%C4%B0yisin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Larkinileİyisin</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MigrosHepimize%C4%B0yiGelecek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MigrosHepimizeİyiGelecek</a> <a href="https://t.co/7dVwq3X4YJ">pic.twitter.com/7dVwq3X4YJ</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1918399200989245859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nunn, who enjoyed a flawless Game 3 after enduring a torrid time in the opening two contests of the knife-edged series, was scoreless from the floor in the first half when he managed only three points from the foul line.  

“Everybody contributed and gave minutes, fought with everything they had and we protected our home court to give ourselves the chance to go back to Athens and reach the Final Four,” said Larkin.

“They tried to prevent me from shooting my pull-ups so I focused on kicking it out to my guys and making the assists. They were able to knock down some shots so kudos to the team,” he added.

Although Panathinaikos won the battle of the boards 41-28, the Greens were undone by 16 turnovers as well by poor shooting from inside as they netted a modest 19 of 40. In addition, thy were stunned by the x-factor impact of Efes role players [Rolands Smits](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rolands-smits/007109/) and [Ercan Osmani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ercan-osmani/012710/), who combined for 29 points.

The home team’s head coach Luca Banchi praised his men’s valiant defense and focus in the face of adversity, as defeat would have clinched the series for Panathinaikos and sent the defending champs through to the May 23-25 Final Four in Abu Dhabi.

“I am so proud of the guys as they never lost focus although we had our backs against the wall,” the Italian tactician said. “Once again it was a one-possession difference between the two teams and the fans deserve to see Game 5. This win came as a result of our defensive effort and intensity, while taking care of the ball was also very important.”

The backcourt duo stepped up for the home team in a crunch win against champs Panathinaikos 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-05-02T17:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona rallied from a 0-2 deficit in its best-of-five playoff series to level the series at 2-2, having edged AS Monaco 79-72 in Game 4 at Palau Blaugrana on Friday.

Barcelona beats Monaco in Game 4 to tie the series, 79-72

FC Barcelona rallied from a 0-2 deficit in its best-of-five playoff series to level the series at 2-2, having edged AS Monaco 79-72 in Game 4 at Palau Blaugrana on Friday. Monaco hosts Game 5 at Salle Gaston Medecin on Tuesday. 

Jabari Parker led the winners with 22 points. Dario Brizuela added 17 while Kevin Punter had 11 for Barca. Mike James led Monaco with 16 points. Alpha Diallo added 13 while Matthew Strazel had 10 for the guests.

Game Videos

Punter got Barcelona going with a driving layup that James bettered with a three-pointer for a 2-3 Monaco lead. Parker answered from downtown before Justin Anderson's put-back slam gave the hosts a 7-3 lead. Parker kept pacing Barcelona with a driving layup and followed Tomas Satoransky's triple with his own shot from beyond the arc to make Monaco call a timeout at 15-3 after a 12-0 run. Parker nailed his third three-pointer but Mam Jaiteh and Jordan Loyd gave the guests fresh air at 18-6. Brizuela and Strazel traded three-pointers, then Vitto Brown got Monaco within 21-11. Loyd capped an 0-8 run with a three-pointer before Youssoupha Fall's put-back layup restored a 23-14 Barca lead after 10 minutes. 

 

Daniel Theis buried a mid-range jumper early in the second quarter. Fall copied that at the other end before Elie Okobo sank a shot for a 25-18 score. Joel Parra drained a jump hook, but James made it a six-point game, 27-21. Theis struck from beyond the arc and James's wild Euro-step driving layup brought his team within 27-26. Jaron Blossomgame drew Parker's third foul and hit free throws to complete Monaco's comeback, 27-28. Diallo scored in transition to cap a 0-12 run. Brizuela rescued Barcelona with back-to-back bombs from beyond the arc, good for a 33-30 lead. James stepped up for the guests and Strazel put Monaco back ahead, 35-38, at halftime.

James scored around the basket soon after the break and Blossomgame's two-handed dunk boosted the guests' lead to 35-42. Parker erased Theis's wild dunk with a jumper which Anderson followed with a three-point play to keep Barca as close as 41-44. Blossomgame scored down low, Parker and Diallo traded three-pointers before Fall's dunk got the hosts within 46-49. Strazel buried a big three-pointer, Jaiteh followed it with a dunk before Okobo's step-back jumper restored a 50-56 Monaco lead. Brizuela hit a one-handed floater in the lane, and got help from Punter to keep Barca within 54-56. Blossomgame scored in the low post, Punter made free throws and Anderson's fastbreak layup tied it at 58-58 after 30 minutes.

Okobo swished a jumper early in the fourth quarter. Brizuela matched that with a fadeaway jumper and soon added a wild three-point play to give Barca back ahead, 64-60. Diallo briefly silenced the crowd with a huge dunk and improved Hernangomez's layup with a powerful three-point play, keeping Monaco as close as 66-65. Parker made free throws and added a three-pointer that sent the crowd to their feet at 71-65. Diallo answered from downtown, Hernangomez hit foul shots and James's fast-break layup made Barca call a timeout, 73-70, with 3:06 remaining. Parker kept pacing Barca, Loyd hit a floater and Punter made it a five-point game, 76-72, with 14.9 seconds left. Parra sealed the outcome from the free-throw line.

Jabari Parker led the Blaugrana to a crucial victory that takes the series to do-or-die Game 5

Anadolu Efes Istanbul made sure that its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoff series against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens will go down to the wire after beating the competition’s reigning champion 85-82 in Game 4 to force a do-or-die Game 5 in the Greek capital next Tuesday night.

Efes beats Panathinaikos, 85-82, to force Game 5 in Athens

Anadolu Efes Istanbul made sure that its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoff series against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens will go down to the wire after beating the competition’s reigning champion 85-82 in Game 4 to force a do-or-die Game 5 in the Greek capital next Tuesday night.

Elijah Bryant paced Efes on 19 points, while Rolands Smits turned out to be a trump card as he came off the bench to add 15. Ercan Osmani was also instrumental with 14 points while Shane Larkin racked up 9 points and as many assists for the home team.

At the other end, former Efes prodigy Cedi Osman led Panathinaikos with a joint career-high 22 points and Juancho Hernangomez netted 15. Kostas Sloukas scored 14 points while Kendrick Nunn was limited to 12 points after shooting 3 of 12 from the floor.

It was yet another enthralling battle between the two teams and Efes came out on top to level the series at 2-2 after a huge team effort, with the hosts overcoming a slow start as Panathinaikos raced into a 4-9 lead. The hosts hit back with a 9-0 run with Erkan Ylimaz also featuring as an early factor on offense, netting 5 of his team’s opening 10 points.

With Nunn totally subdued much like in the opening two games, Osman pulled all the strings for the visitors and having trailed 21-18 at the end of the first quarter, Panathinaikos played catch-up throughout a rugged first half. Efes thrived on ironclad defense and was able to take a 38-33 advantage into the locker room at halftime thanks to a balanced workload at both ends of the court. In contrast, a flat-looking Nunn was held to a mere three points in the opening two quarters and all of them came from the foul line. 

Efes engineered a 45-35 lead early in the third but the Greens hit straight back with a 0-10 run which tied the score, setting the stage for a pulsating contest until the very end. Hernangomez hit some big shots from the right corner for Panathinaikos but Bryant was just as lethal at the other end, while Larkin and Sloukas locked horns in dishing out assists like confetti for their respective units.

Efes headed into the fourth 60-59 up on the back of a pair of Bryant’s layups and the home team kept nosing ahead down the stretch, with Bryant netting a three off the dribble before Nunn returned the favor to slash the deficit to 77-76 in the home straight.

Smits then came up with a pair of big plays and PJ Dozier sank two free throws after Efes grabbed an offensive board, also resulting in a technical foul for Osman and an angry outburst from Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman, who walked back to the locker rooms after being taunted by fervent home fans.

The sequence left Efes 83-76 ahead in the final minute and gave Panathinaikos with a mountain to climb, hence a Sloukas three-pointer from the halfway line at the buzzer was immaterial and amounted to scant consolation for the champs.

The Turkish team edged out the reigning champs with a strong finish in another epic battle

All the latest injury news surrounding all registered players ahead of Game 4 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs.

EuroLeague Playoffs injury report: Game 4

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 4: Friday, May 2

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:30 CEST)

#### Efes

- **PJ Dozier is on Efes's 12-man roster for Game 4,** while **Rodrigue Beaubois remains unavailable**.
- Rodrigue Beaubois, who suffered an injury in Round 33, is [expected to be out for at least another two weeks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/rodrigue-beaubois-out-for-at-least-six-weeks-with-calf-tear/).

#### Panathinaikos

- **Mathias Lessort and Marius Grigonis are ruled out for Game 4.**
- Ioannis Papapetrou, who was sidelined with an injury in Games 1 and 2, travelled with the team to Istanbul but did not feature in Game 3.
- [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.

### FC Barcelona vs. AS Monaco (20:45 CEST)

#### Barcelona

- **Jan Vesely, Nico Laprovittola, Chimezie Metu, Juan Nunez and Dame Sarr are all out for Game 4**, the club has confirmed.
- Jan Vesely, who returned to action in Games 1 and 2, missed Game 3.
- Nico Laprovittola, Juan Nunez and Chimezie Metu are all out long-term.
- Dame Sarr will not be part of Barcelona's roster for the remainder of this season, [the club has announced](https://x.com/FCBbasket/status/1912872378666807417).

#### Monaco

- **Nick Calathes is ruled out for Game 4**.
- Nick Calathes missed the first three games of the series.
- Georgios Papagiannis and Juhann Begharin did not dress in the first three games of the series, but both played in a French League game last Sunday.

## Game 4: Thursday, May 1

### Real Madrid vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (21:00 CEST)

#### Real Madrid

- **Gabriel Deck and Serge Ibaka are unavailable for Game 3,** [according to Pilar Casado](https://x.com/pilarcasado/status/1918011003075440791).
- Eli Ndiaye, who last played in Round 28, [has been dealing with a shoulder issue](https://x.com/pilarcasado/status/1909957418328502603).

#### Olympiacos

- **Evan Fournier is available to play in Game 3 while Keenan Evans and Tyler Dorsey are ruled out**, the club confirmed.

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

Playoffs injury report, Game 4: Dozier on 12-man roster, Vesely out again

Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-05-01T19:00:00.000Z)

With three more places at the Final Four still available, Game 4 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs will see three road teams seeking the victory they need to secure their progression. Here’s your guide to Thursday and Friday’s games.

Game Center: The drama continues in Game 4

## Friday, May 2

### [Anadolu Efes Istanbul 85-82 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/anadolu-efes-istanbul-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/E2024/324/)

Efes made sure that its playoff series against Panathinaikos will go down to the wire after beating the competition’s reigning champion 85-82 in Game 4 to force a do-or-die Game 5 in the Greek capital next Tuesday night. Elijah Bryant paced Efes on 19 points, while Rolands Smits turned out to be a trump card as he came off the bench to add 15. Ercan Osmani was also instrumental with 14 points while Shane Larkin racked up 9 points and as many assists for the home team. At the other end, former Efes prodigy Cedi Osman led Panathinaikos with a joint career-high 22 points and Juancho Hernangomez netted 15. Kostas Sloukas scored 14 points while Kendrick Nunn was limited to 12 points after shooting 3 of 12 from the floor.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">👊 Seride durumu 2-2’ye getiriyoruz!<br>Anadolu Efes 85 - 82 Panathinaikos Aktor | Maç Sonucu<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/FWWKXxj3ES">pic.twitter.com/FWWKXxj3ES</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1918389124710486450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [FC Barcelona 79-72 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fc-barcelona-as-monaco/E2024/323/)

Barcelona rallied from a 0-2 deficit in its best-of-five playoff series to level the series at 2-2, having edged Monaco 79-72 in Game 4 at Palau Blaugrana on Friday. Monaco hosts Game 5 at Salle Gaston Medecin on Tuesday. Jabari Parker led the winners with 22 points. Dario Brizuela added 17 while Kevin Punter had 11 for Barca. Mike James led Monaco with 16 points. Alpha Diallo added 13 while Matthew Strazel had 10 for the guests.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎̀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐀. AIXÒ ÉS EL FACTOR PALAU!!!! 😤 <a href="https://t.co/bO3COU8aPk">pic.twitter.com/bO3COU8aPk</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1918410353505124609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Thursday, May 1

### [Real Madrid 84-86 Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/real-madrid-olympiacos-piraeus/E2024/322/)

Olympiacos has secured its fourth straight passage to the EuroLeague Final Four after beating Real Madrid 84-86 at Movistar Arena on Thursday night. Evan Fournier led all scorers with 23 points and Kostas Papanikolaou recorded 12, of which 9 came on three huge three-pointers early in the fourth quarter. Sasha Vezenkov and Nigel Williams-Goss netted 10 each. Mario Hezonja paced Real Madrid with 21 points, Mario Hezonja had 12 and Sergio Llull bagged 11.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">FINAL 🏀 Real Madrid - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> 84-86 <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/RMBOLY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMBOLY</a> <a href="https://t.co/esSFthK8LC">pic.twitter.com/esSFthK8LC</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1918048209282195753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Olympiacos joined Fenerbahce in booking its ticket for Abu Dhabi on Thursday night

Game Center, Game 4: Barça levels series with Monaco, Efes beats PAO to set up Game 5

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Game 4 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Playoffs pregame quotes: Game 4

## Friday, May 2

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:30 CEST)

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

"Game 3 was very tough, very tight. And this time we really wish to have the capacity to direct the game towards to us. There are some details to adjust and correct when you play such a level of basketball and such a level of opponents – every detail can really matter. So we really hope to offer a great performance and together with the support of our fans take the win. We really hope and need to extend the series to Game 5."

**Ercan Osmani, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward**

"We are going the play the fourth game of the series and unfortunately we lost our first home game in the series. But now we must forget this game and tie the series again. We have the power to do this, without a doubt. Both teams are so strong and know each other very well. The results of such high-level games are determined by small details. We must be very well concentrated for this game. We must not repeat the mistakes we made and must be ready to fight for 40 minutes. With the support of our fans, I believe that we will be the winning team at the end of the game."

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

"Now it's only 2-1 and we saw once again that Efes is a very dangerous team. They play very aggressive basketball, they play with double team, triple defense against our scorers – against \[Kendrick\] Nunn, against \[Kostas\] Sloukas. We need to find scoring from different players, like in Game 3 we found scoring from \[Konstantinos\] Mitoglou, but of course we need to score much better, also our perimeter players. It will be difficult, the series will continue. Nothing is guaranteed, just that we have the advantage to lead the series 2-1. Game 4 will be a tough game, we will try to win. Every game is very difficult against them."

**Omer Yurtseven, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center**

"We're aware that they're going to come out swinging – their backs are against the wall. But I think knowing that, we have been coming in really ready these last three games. We've had 10-point leads, 12-point leads going into the fourth quarter in all three games, I think. Once we figure out what that glitch is, the fourth quarters should be good for us as well."

### FC Barcelona vs. AS Monaco (20:45 CEST)

**Kevin Punter, FC Barcelona guard**

"Obviously it's a must-win for us. The only thing on our mind is to win on Friday. Staying focused and locked in, coming with a game plan, and just ready to go to war. It's going to be a dogfight, but we've got to be focused if we want to win the game."

**Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach**

"In Game 3, we had the wrong approach and the wrong mentality. That's not what I want. That's not what I like from my team, from my players. And we have to react, because it's not what we want. We've fought hard in a lot of games over the last four or five months. We've had some good moments, some not so good, and some bad. But now we're in a period of the season where we can't look back and we can't make the same mistake."

**Daniel Theis, AS Monaco center**

"After Game 3, it's not a question of tactics, it depends on ourselves and our desire, we just have to play harder. In a five-game series, home advantage is even more important, and we've kept it by winning twice in Monaco, so now we see Game 4 as a do-or-die game. We want this win, we want to go to the Final Four. That's the mindset."

**Jaron Blossomgame, AS Monaco forward**

"We need to win Game 4 and bounce back from our setback in Game 3. We were too soft in every aspect of the game. We watched the video to analyze what we needed to correct and be better this Friday. We knew what we had to do before Game 3, but we didn't implement it. Now it's up to us to correct that."

## Thursday, May 1

### Real Madrid vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (21:00 CEST)

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"Playing as a team always helps to better understand how to beat an opponent with as many weapons and as good players as Olympiacos. Our intention is to play a good game and that means improving, improving a lot more at all levels, defensively and offensively. We have to think that everything will be more complicated than on Tuesday and that we will have to show a level close to perfection to be able to get another victory."

**Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid forward**

"It's not easy to win two games in a row against Olympiacos, but we have the formula to play against them and be able to win. We are talking about a great team with a magnificent coach, but we also have our weapons. The way to get another victory is to be together, fight together and be ready to play another final. We want to keep fighting."

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"There are a few things we're thinking of changing. We need to be more aggressive on defense from the very first second, because afterward we had a good second quarter. It was a game with a lot of physical contact, a lot of basketball 'battles'. Real Madrid played in the second half in a way that pushed us out of our comfort zones. And we didn’t execute well offensively. We hope to have \[Evan\] Fournier with us as well. It was a game that was decided in the details. It's expected that Real would play for their lives. But the shooting percentages are usually similar in this type of game – what matters most is possessions. That means stealing the ball, getting more rebounds, avoiding turnovers, and executing the game plan with focus and self-control."

**Nikola Milutinov, Olympiacos Piraeus center**

"We have to play much better than we did in Game 3. We weren’t strong enough. They were much tougher than us; they played with a lot more physicality. We made mistakes, gave the ball away too many times, and they scored easy points from that. If you want to beat Real in Madrid, you have to play with more focus and be more physical, because they’re a very good team."

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Game 4 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs

Playoffs pregame quotes, Game 4: 'It's going to be a dogfight'

Olympiacos eliminated Real Madrid in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs, following back-to-back years of the Spanish side ending the Greek team's hearts at the Final Four.

Olympiacos lays ghosts to rest and now wants to finish the job

First came that Sergio Llull mid-range jumper over Moustapha Fall to clinch the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship for Real Madrid in Kaunas. Then an elimination at the hands of *Los Blancos* followed in last season’s semifinal in Berlin. This time, Olympiacos Piraeus had to deal with the ghosts of the past in an epic playoff matchup against the 11-time European champion, despite dominating the regular season and finishing top of the standings.

The series between the two EuroLeague powerhouses promised to be one for the ages, and both sides delivered on the floor in each of the four games.

“I think the series really embodies what EuroLeague basketball is all about,” forward [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/) said in the press conference after [Olympiacos’s win in Game 4](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-books-final-four-ticket-with-84-86-game-3-win-over-real-madrid/). “Great atmosphere, great basketball, unpredictable things happening. I think that this series had everything, apart from one more game.”

The series kicked off with a dominant Olympiacos taking a 47-29 lead into the second half of Game 1. Yet, Real Madrid showed what it’s made of and won both of the last two quarters. [*Los Blancos* lost the game, 84-72](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-takes-care-of-real-madrid-84-72-in-game-1/), but the message was sent loud and clear: this battle would not be over soon.

Real Madrid hit the ground running in Game 2 and led 15-25 after 10 minutes. An Olympiacos comeback [saw the hosts grab a 77-71 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-outlasts-real-madrid-77-71-for-a-2-0-lead-in-the-series/), but the Reds were up by just 3 points (67-64) heading into crunch time.

Having edged past Real Madrid in Game 2, the Greek side arrived in the Spanish capital looking to finish the series off. But it wouldn't be that simple.

Real Madrid’s defense suffocated Olympiacos in Game 3, with the hosts leading 72-62 midway through the fourth quarter. The visitors bounced back with a 0-8 run, but Chus Mateo’s team showed resilience in the closing stages, [grabbing an 80-72 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-beats-olympiacos-80-72-in-game-3-to-trim-series-deficit/).

“Honestly, they made it super tough,” Peters said. “Every time you look at your playoff matchup and you see that you’re playing Real Madrid for a five-game series, I don’t care who you are, you know it’s not going to be easy. And it wasn’t.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FINAL FOUR OLY! ⚪️🔴👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympiacos_BC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/qNdWMUXkJD">pic.twitter.com/qNdWMUXkJD</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1918078169506299940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And then came Game 4. With Real Madrid determined to take the series back to Piraeus and Olympiacos feeling confident that they can close it out, the first half of Thursday’s contest was a back-and-forth affair between two of the most historic teams in the competition.

Olympiacos dominated after the break and even secured a 67-82 cushion with six and a half minutes left on the clock. While many teams would have waved the white flag, Real Madrid resisted, bringing back those ghosts of the past.

With the last shot of the game, Alberto Abalde was just a few inches away from netting a three-pointer that would have given EuroLeague fans a memorable Game 5, but it wasn’t to be. Olympiacos finally got the monkey off its back and has now clinched its fourth straight passage to the Final Four.

“Everybody who’s been with this group for the last few years understands that Real Madrid has ended our season and that sticks with you,” Peters continued. “You can try to let it go, you can move past it and get ready for the game. Every season is a new season, but I think we understand that this team has had our number the last couple of years and it feels really good to be on the other end of it and to have the circumstances of winning this game and going to the Final Four.

“I think with the history of the last couple of years, it feels good knowing that you had two of the biggest clubs in the EuroLeague going against each other in the playoffs. Whoever comes out of that is going to feel really rewarded and feel really good about themselves because I think that this is a matchup that everybody wants to see. And, of course, it had some really high-level basketball.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Presidents of Olympiacos BC, Panayotis and Georgios Angelopoulos, along with Sasha Vezenkov, were cheered by the fans waiting for the team outside the Movistar Arena in Madrid.<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/2dC9P5jxqG">pic.twitter.com/2dC9P5jxqG</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1918070677820641323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With this epic series having come to an end, Olympiacos can begin its preparations for the Final Four, which takes place in Abu Dhabi from 23–25 May. And as Peters stressed after Thursday’s clash, the Reds are ready to finally bring it home.

“There is a lot of time between now and the Final Four,” he said. “That’s the difficult part of the schedule. We’re so energetic right now that we wish it was next week. But that’s not reality. We have to regroup and get ready in a few weeks to go to Abu Dhabi and do what we haven’t done these last years and that’s finish up the job.”

The Reds edged past Real Madrid to seal its fourth straight Final Four participation

Olympiacos BC captain Kostas Papanikolaou stepped up late to ensure his team left Madrid with a series victory in the EuroLeague Playoffs, which booked the team's place at the 2025 Final Four in Abu Dhabi.

Red-hot Kostas Papanikolaou turned the tide for Olympiacos in closeout Game 4

Sasha Vezenkov and Evan Fournier might be the two superstars who have been stealing the limelight game in, game out, but [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/) showed on Thursday night why he is the true leader of [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/). 

The veteran forward struggled to rediscover his form in the first three games of the series, recording 4, 0 and 2 points, respectively. He made all his 3 attempts from inside but went 0 for 4 from beyond the arc and registered 4 turnovers, not being able to contribute on either side of the floor.

But then the moment came when Papanikolaou demonstrated his captain's credentials – and it was when Olympiacos needed him most. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final Four, here we come!<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/ThzdjtaKXJ">pic.twitter.com/ThzdjtaKXJ</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1918064381365047490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Real Madrid led throughout the first two quarters, taking a 47-42 cushion into the second half. Yet, Olympiacos kicked off the third quarter with a 2-11 run that gave them a 49-53 edge.

Papanikolaou made his first triple of the series for a 51-58 cushion but, boosted by the crowd, Real Madrid fought back and trimmed the deficit to 65-68 heading into the fourth. The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season leader was just 10 minutes away from securing the victory, and Papanikolaou did not seem willing to miss out on the opportunity of sealing his eighth Final Four appearance.

The Greek international stepped up big time, netting two three-pointers as the Reds went on a 0-11 surge to start the closing quarter. Dzanan Musa hit a couple of free throws in his bid to end Olympiacos’s momentum, but Papanikolaou drilled yet another three, this time in front of Musa, who fouled his Olympiacos counterpart.

“A huge performance from \[Papanikolaou\],” Georgios Bartzokas said in the postgame press conference. “Apart from the last one that was a three-pointer and foul, the other three shots that he made were a very good decision after ball movement, good execution and finding the open man. He’s really the leader of the team. He made this step-up in the third quarter to help the team come back and believe in ourselves more.”

Papanikolaou’s last triple gave the guests a 67-82 cushion and despite Real Madrid’s late comeback attempt, the visitors managed to secure a hard-fought victory at Movistar Arena.

Fournier netted a game-high 23 points and Vezenkov nailed a triple from way downtown in crunch time to offer his team a huge boost in morale, but it was Olympiacos’s captain general who blew the horn to summon the troopers for the last charge. 

The war against an unyielding Real Madrid was won, with Papanikolaou making sure that he played a key role in the last battle.

The Reds’ captain nailed some important triples when his team needed him most