The Greens are looking to become champions for the first time since 2011
Panathinaikos returns to the Final Four after 12 years
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Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is officially back on the path to its former glories. After more than a decade-long wait, the six-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions have returned to the Final Four for the first time since 2012 after ousting Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a dramatic best-of-five playoff series. Head coach Ergin Ataman's squad finished the job on Tuesday night with an 81-72 win in Game 5, prompting big celebrations in the Greek capital.
By qualifying for the Final Four, Panathinaikos has successfully completed a major turnaround, which seems to be Coach Ataman's specialty. A club that had not seen playoff basketball since 2019, and which had won a total of just 20 games over the previous two campaigns, put together a brand-new team that jelled in time to win 17 of its last 21 regular-season games. Panathinaikos followed that up by battling to register three playoff wins, thus earning the right to compete for glory in Berlin, Germany, later this month. The Greens will face the winner of AS Monaco and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul’s Game 5 clash, which takes place on Wednesday night.
Journey to the 2024 Final Four
Even though the season did not start as everyone in Athens had hoped, it did not take too long for Coach Ataman to steady the ship. Panathinaikos lost four of its first six games and had a 6-7 record in early December, only for the team to win eight of its next nine games. That winning run saw Panathinaikos shoot up the standings, and the Greek giant never ranked lower than fourth place after Round 18.
Panathinaikos did need a strong regular-season finish to clinch home-court advantage in the playoff – and the team delivered, winning its last five games. It required each one of those, including a dramatic 79-81 win in Bologna on Kendrick Nunn's buzzer-beating game-winner.
The ups and downs did not stop with the end of the regular season, however, as Panathinaikos lost that hard-earned home-court advantage with an 87-91 loss in Game 1 of its series against Maccabi. Led by Kostas Sloukas and Ioannis Papapetrou, the Greens bounced back with a 95-79 win in Game 2, but when the series moved to Belgrade, it was Maccabi that went back in front with a dramatic 85-83 win. Finding itself down 1-2 in the series, and with its backs against the wall, Panathinaikos leaned again on Sloukas, Nunn and Mathias Lessort in Game 4, pulling out an 88-95 victory to force a Game 5.
With a do-or-die game in front of their passionate fans, the Greens were not going to let the opportunity slip away. In Game 5, Panathinaikos defeated Maccabi 81-72 after strong showings by Kendrick Nunn, with 26 points, and Kostas Sloukas , with 15.
Final Four experience
Even though the club has not been at the Final Four since 2012, a trio of Panathinaikos leaders have plenty of Final Four experience. None more so than three-time EuroLeague champion Kostas Sloukas, who will be competing in his 10th Final Four, after reaching five with Olympiacos Piraeus and four with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Sloukas has played in all but two Final Fours since 2012 and has appeared in seven championship games in that time.
Another Panathinaikos player who knows the feeling of competing at the Final Four is Ioannis Papapetrou, who went twice with Olympiacos – but not since 2017 – and lost in the championship game on both occasions.
Last but certainly not least, Coach Ataman is a two-time champion with Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Ataman first took Efes to the Final Four in 2000 and did the same with Montepaschi Siena in 2003 before three more trips with Efes between 2019 and 2022. In 2021 and 2022, the Turkish tactician guided the club to their first-ever EuroLeague titles.
Final Four history
The Greens might have been missing from Final Four action over the past 12 years, but the Final Four was synonymous with Panathinaikos in the decade before its last appearance. The Greek giants went to six Final Fours between 2002 and 2012, winning on four occasions – in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011 – and also getting there in 2005 and 2012, when it lost in the semifinals.
Also, Panathinaikos won EuroLeague titles in 1996 and 2000, with two more appearances in 1994 and 1995. Panathinaikos also reached the SuproLeague Final Four in 2001, which also happens to be the only title game it lost.
The return to European basketball’s showpiece event marks a very familiar feeling to the army of Panathinaikos fans, albeit one they needed a lengthy wait to feel once again.