Name: Evan Fournier: 'We're getting closer to our goal'
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Olympiacos Piraeus forward Evan Fournier spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Real Madrid in Game 4 of their 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs series to reach the Final Four.

Evan Fournier: 'We're getting closer to our goal'

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

Real Madrid-Olympiacos Piraeus | Playoffs Game 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Olympiacos Piraeus has secured its fourth straight passage to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four after beating Real Madrid 84-86 at Movistar Arena on Thursday night. 

Olympiacos books Final Four ticket with 84-86 Game 3 win over Real Madrid

Olympiacos Piraeus has secured its fourth straight passage to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four after beating Real Madrid 84-86 at Movistar Arena on Thursday night. The hosts started strong and led throughout the first half, but a 2-11 surge to start the third quarter gave the Reds a cushion that they maintained until the final buzzer, despite Real Madrid’s comeback attempt in crunch time.

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.

Game Videos

Alberto Abalde and Hezonja netted a triple each to get Real Madrid going before a basket from the latter made it 8-4 early in the game. Then, inside scores by Walter Tavares, Abalde and Andres Feliz allowed *Los Blancos* to secure a 14-8 cushion. Fournier and Hezonja traded triples, with Bruno Fernando netting back-to-back buckets for a 19-11 lead. Yet, Moustapha Fall and Nikola Milutinov opened their accounts, cutting the difference to 21-16 after 10 minutes.

Alec Peters opened the second quarter with 5 straight points, but Llull and Hugo Gonzalez drilled a triple each to maintain a 31-25 advantage. Then, Facundo Campazzo nailed one from downtown before 5 points in a row by Hezonja opened a 43-34 lead. Moses Wright connected with the basket off the bench before baskets from Fournier and Saben Lee brought Olympiacos within 45-40. Musa nailed a hard-fought layup, but Fournier responded on the other end, as Real Madrid took a 47-42 cushion into halftime.

Game News

Olympiacos hit the ground running in the second half, with Fournier inspiring the visitors to a 2-11 run. Hezonja slammed home a dunk, but a Fall basket was followed by a triple from Kostas Papanikolaou, who made it 51-58. Feliz replied from inside, but a Fournier three-pointer allowed the guests to maintain a 53-60 lead. Hezonja and Feliz netted back-to-back buckets, but Sasha Vezenkov woke up by scoring his first 7 points of the night, 62-67. Then, Feliz responded with a corner triple that brought Real Madrid within 65-68 heading into the closing quarter.

It rained triples in the opening stages of the fourth, as Papanikolaou nailed two and Vildoza drilled one of his own to make it 65-77. Olympiacos’s 0-11 surge was put to an end by Musa, who made 2 of 2 from the line, 67-79. Papanikolaou drained another three, but the hosts responded with a 9-0 surge inspired by Campazzo, who nailed a triple that brought his team within 78-82. Vezenkov replied with one from way downtown, but Musa and Abalde scored inside, trimming the deficit 82-85. Then, Campazzo hit a couple of free throws, however Abalde missed from three-point distance as Olympiacos clinched the victory.

A solid third quarter allowed the Reds to escape from Movistar Arena with the series-clinching victory

Vezenkov hits a crucial three! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

Olympiacos BC has booked its ticket to the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four, which is the fourth year in succession that the Reds have made it to European basketball's showpiece event.

Olympiacos reaches Final Four for fourth straight year

A memorable season for [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) keeps getting better.

While the club’s 100th anniversary celebrations continue, the basketball team is doing its best to make a historic year even more memorable, having beaten Real Madrid 3-1 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs to reach the 2025 Final Four, the fourth year in succession that the Reds will be playing at European basketball’s showpiece event.

Olympiacos made history last year by advancing to its third Final Four in a row, having previously only reached two successive Final Fours three times before (1994, 1995; 2009, 2010; 2012, 2013). Now coach Georgios Bartzokas’s squad will be eager to lift its first EuroLeague title since 2013.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here we come Abu Dhabi!!!!!!!!!! <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/AnBfwSbc9q">pic.twitter.com/AnBfwSbc9q</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1918048265418723839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Olympiacos’s Final Four history

In the modern EuroLeague era, this is the 10th time that Olympiacos has advanced to the Final Four. Its previous Final Four appearances came in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Olympiacos has tied Real Madrid for the third most trips to the Final Four in the modern EuroLeague era, but it still trails CSKA Moscow (17) and FC Barcelona (12).

Coach Bartzokas’s men ended a five-year wait to return to the Final Four in 2022, with Olympiacos coming ever so close ever since. A Vasilije Micic three-pointer at the buzzer sent Anadolu Efes Istanbul into the 2022 championship game at the Reds’ expense in 2022, then Sergio Llull broke the hearts of Olympiacos’s supporters with his game-winning jumper in 2023 title decider. Last year, Real Madrid returned to haunt Olympiacos at the 2024 Final Four, this time winning in less dramatic circumstances in the semifinals.

### How many EuroLeague titles have Olympiacos won?

To date, Olympiacos has lifted two EuroLeague titles in the modern era, which came in 2012 and 2013 when it became just the second team to go back-to-back after Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2004, 2005). Since then, Anadolu Efes Istanbul is the only team to go back-to-back, doing so in 2021 and 2022.

Prior to the modern EuroLeague era, Olympiacos also became the European champion in 1997.

### Which Olympiacos players have won the EuroLeague before?

Team captain [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/) was a part of Olympiacos’s two successive title triumphs in 2012 and 2013, while [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) lifted the 2023 title with Real Madrid, and [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) hoisted the 2024 trophy as a member of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/) also became a EuroLeague champion with CSKA Moscow in 2019.

### Who is heading to their first Final Four?

Olympiacos has a roster that knows what to expect at the Final Four, but it has three players who have never been here before in [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/), [Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/) and [Saben Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/saben-lee/013389/).

Never before have the Reds made it to four Final Fours in a row

Hezonja monster block! Motorola Magic Moment

Hezonja dunks off the baseline! Motorola Magic Moment

Peters’s dunk on the break! Motorola Magic Moment

Fernando rocks the rim! Motorola Magic Moment

Fernando dunks in transition! Motorola Magic Moment

Fall monster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

Joan Penarroya’s team delivered a determined performance on Wednesday to seal a high-scoring victory, with the key role played by backup big man [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/) as he recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds.

With [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/)’s status uncertain, that kind of presence from Hernangomez will again be crucial for the *Blaugrana*, while visiting coach Vassilis Spanoulis will hope that his own centers [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/) and [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) will offer better protection of their backboard after allowing Barca to claim 14 crucial offensive rebounds in Game 3.

Another statistic to concern Spanoulis is the fact that his team failed to snare a single steal in Game 3, and visiting backcourt stars [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) will look to recover their usual defensive intensity to complement their ever-present offensive threat.

Having scored 89 points in defeat on Tuesday (led by James with 20 points and Okobo with 19), Monaco will not particularly concerned by its offense, which has performed with fluidity and efficiency throughout the series.

Instead, the key to the game is likely whether the visitors can stop Barca’s key scorers [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/), [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) and [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) – who all scored in double figures in Game 3 – from forcing a series decider next week.

### FC Barcelona

**Streaks**

Kevin Punter has had a PIR of 10 or more in 10 of his last 11 games.

Punter has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 games.

Punter has at least 1 steal in 15 straight games.

Punter has made 22 consecutive free throws.

Jabari Parker has scored 10 or more points in six of his last seven games.

Dario Brizuela has made at least 1 three-pointer in nine of his last 10 games.

Willy Hernangomez has had a PIR in double figures in four of his last five games.

Nico Laprovittola has made at least 1 three-point shot in 19 straight games.

Chimezie Metu has scored 10 or more points in 13 of his last 14 games.

**Season rankings**

Kevin Punter finished the regular season ranked seventh in scoring with 16.9 points per game.

Punter finished the regular season ranked third in steals with 1.3 per game.

Jan Vesely finished the regular season ranked ninth in steals with 1.1 per game.

Punter finished the regular season ranked eighth in free-throw shooting at 93.1%.

Punter finished the regular season ranked ninth in three-pointers made with 2.2 per game.

Tomas Satoransky finished the regular season ranked seventh in assists with 5.3 per game.

Youssoupha Fall finished the regular season tied for eighth in two-point shooting at 68.4%.

Barcelona ranks first in scoring with 88.0 points per game.

Barcelona ranks third in assists with 19.8 per game.

Barcelona ranks first in steals with 7.3 per game.

Barcelona ranks third in three-point shooting at 38.6%.

**Records/Milestones**

Tomas Satoransky ranks fourth all-time with a 2.8-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Jan Vesely is the all-time leader in two-pointers made with 1,567.

Vesely ranks third all-time with 5,123 index rating points. Mike James of AS Monaco is second with 5,360 and counting.

Vesely is seventh all-time with 4,047 points scored. Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is sixth with 4,068.

Vesely is tied with Rudy Fernandez in third place all-time with 367 steals. Dimitris Diamantidis is second with 434 steals.

Vesely ranks fifth all-time with 1,780 rebounds. Felipe Reyes is fourth with 1,799.

Vesely is in fifth place all-time with 657 offensive rebounds. Bryant Dunston of Zalgiris Kaunas is fourth with 671.

Vesely ranks ninth all-time with 216 blocks. Vincent Poirier of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is eighth with 220 and counting, and Tibor Pleiss of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is seventh with 229 and counting.

Vesely ranks eighth all-time with 799 free throws made. Juan Carlos Navarro is seventh with 853.

Kevin Punter ranks eighth all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.5%.

Youssoupha Fall ranks 12th all-time in two-point accuracy at 65.2%.

Nico Laprovittola needs 3 three-point shots made to reach 300 for his career.

Alex Abrines needs 5 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

### AS Monaco

**Streaks**

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 straight games.

James has had more than 5 assists in five of his last six games.

Elie Okobo has scored 11 or more points and made at least 1 three-pointer in nine of his last 10 games.

Georgios Papagiannis has made 15 consecutive free throws.

Matthew Strazel has made at least 1 three-pointer in nine straight games.

**Season rankings**

Mike James finished the regular season ranked fourth in assists with 5.7 per game.

Georgios Papagiannis finished the regular season as the league leader in blocks with 1.4 per game.

Monaco has committed 10.4 turnovers per game, the second-lowest in the league.

Monaco ranks third in blocks with 2.9 per game.

Monaco has forced a league-high 13.4 turnovers per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Mike James is the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer with 5,206 career points.

James is second all-time with 5,360 index rating points. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is first with a PIR of 5,473.

James is in second place all-time in free throws made with 1,144. De Colo is the all-time leader with 1,181.

James is in fifth place all-time with 1,501 career assists. Vassilis Spanoulis is fourth with 1,607 assists.

James has moved into fifth place all-time with 604 three-pointers made. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is fourth with 608, and Sergio Rodriguez is third with 609 three-pointers made.

James is fifth all-time in two-point shots made with 1,125. Ante Tomic is fourth with 1,137.

James is in seventh place all-time with 326 career steals. Theo Papaloukas is sixth with 335 career steals.

Nick Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in assists with 2,130.

Calathes set the EuroLeague single-season assists record in 2018-19 with 286.

Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in steals with 459.

Calathes ranks second all-time in games started with 318, behind only Kostas Papanikolaou, who has 337 and counting.

Calathes ranks eighth all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Calathes is eighth all-time with 4,295 performance index rating points. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid and Kyle Hines are tied in sixth place all-time with 4,299 performance index rating points apiece.

Calathes is ranked 16th all-time in scoring with 3,282 points. Kyle Hines is 15th with 3,339 points.

Georgios Papagiannis is ranked fourth all-time with 252 blocks. Kyle Hines is third with 320 blocks.

Papagiannis ranks 17th all-time in two-point accuracy at 64.3%.

Donatas Motiejunas set the EuroLeague single-game record with 18 defensive rebounds on December 7, 2011, while playing for Asseco Prokom Gdynia against Union Olimpija Ljubljana. In that game, Motiejunas pulled down 21 rebounds, the most rebounds in a single game by any active player.

This week’s action concludes with FC Barcelona seeking another home win to keep the series alive against AS Monaco.



Game Facts: Barcelona vs. Monaco

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

\- Barcelona beat Monaco 100-89 in Game 3 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs behind Willy Hernangomez's double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, including a career-best 7 offensive rebounds, and a career-high 31 PIR which earned him co-MVP of the Round honors.

 

\- In Game 2, Monaco topped Barcelona 92-79 while dishing a club-record 28 assists. Mam Jaiteh tied his career highs in scoring (20) and PIR (27), and he set a career best with 9-of-9 two-pointers made. He earned his first MVP of the Round honor in the process.

 

\- 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 forward Joel Parra pulled down a career-best tying 5 offensive rebounds in Game 2 of this series.

 

\- Barcelona's Jabari Parker had a career-high 6 assists in Game 2 of this series.

 

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

 

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

Game Notes: Barcelona vs. Monaco

The MVP of the Round honor for Game 3 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs is shared between FC Barcelona’s Willy Hernangomez, who is a first-time winner of the award, and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s Kendrick Nunn, for whom this is his fifth MVP of the Round prize.

Playoffs Game 3 co-MVPs: Willy Hernangomez, Kendrick Nunn

The MVP of the Round honor for Game 3 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs is shared between [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/)’s [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/), who is a first-time winner of the award, and [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/)’s [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), for whom this is his fifth MVP of the Round prize.

Both Hernangomez and Nunn finished with a 31 PIR, the highest among winning players in Game 3. In the case of Hernangomez, his 31 PIR is a career high. The Spaniard posted 19 points on 8-of-9 two-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 5 fouls drawn as Barcelona beat AS Monaco 100-89 to reduce the series deficit to 2-1. Nunn, meanwhile, amassed 25 points on 9-of-13 two-pointers and 7-of-7 free throws, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 6 fouls drawn in Panathinaikos’s 77-81 win at Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which gave the Greens a 2-1 series lead.

The highest PIR recorded in Game 3 belonged to Monaco’s [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), who had a 33 PIR, but it came in a losing effort. James recorded 20 points on 3-of-5 two-pointers, 4-of-8 three-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws, 5 rebounds, 12 assists and 4 fouls drawn.

In fourth place is Olympiacos Piraeus’s [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), who had a 26 PIR in the Reds’ 80-72 defeat at Real Madrid. Vezenkov finished with 21 points on 7-of-11 two-pointers, 2-of-7 threes and 1-of-1 free throws, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 fouls drawn.

Rounding out the list of top performers from Game 3 is Panathinaikos forward [Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/), who had a season-high 25 PIR in his team’s win at Efes. Mitoglou posted 18 points on 3-of-6 two-pointers and 4-of-5 threes, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 3 fouls drawn.

### Individual highs: Dan Oturu, Efes, 5 blocks

[TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball led all scorers in Game 3 with 29 points. Panathinaikos star Kendrick Nunn averages a league-best 20.8 points per game.

Barcelona’s Willy Hernangomez pulled down 10 rebounds in Game 3, the most of any player. His brother, [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) of Panathinaikos, leads the league in rebounding with 6.9 boards per game.

Mike James of Monaco dished 12 assists in Game 3, the most in this round of the playoffs. [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) is top of the assists charts with 7.3 dimes per contest.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul’s [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) led the way with 3 steals in Game 3. FC Bayern Munich’s [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) averaged 1.5 steals per night this season.

[Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) of Efes blocked 5 shots in Game 3, the joint most of any player in the 2025 playoffs. Monaco’s [Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) averages a league-high 1.4 blocks per game.

Mike James (20 points, 12 assists) and Willy Hernangomez (19 points, 10 rebounds) were the only players to record a double-double in Game 3.

FC Barcelona v AS Monaco (2025-04-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-04-30T17:45:00.000Z)

It was inevitable that [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) would recover from a slow start to the series at some stage, and the season MVP proved decisive in Game 3 with 25 points. So Efes will focus its defensive efforts on attempting to prevent Nunn from staying hot, but the Greens will feel that it also possesses plenty more weapons which are waiting to spring into life – just as the previously quiet [Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/) did on Wednesday with 18 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting.

Against such a potent opponent – Panathinaikos ranks second in the league in scoring with 87.8 points – Efes knows it will have to improve its offensive output from the 77 points mustered last time out. The hosts definitely needs big man [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) to overcome an injury which restricted him to just 2 points and 3 rebounds in Wednesday’s loss, although [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) stepped up with his best game of the series and could have to reach those standards again.

As always, though, the key player for Efes will be [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/). The star guard has averaged nearly 33 minutes on the floor during the series and delivered well with 18.0 points and 4.3 assists. If Panathinaikos can slow down Larkin, a ticket to Abu Dhabi will be within reach.

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul

**Streaks**

Shane Larkin has had a PIR of 11 or more in nine of his last 11 games.

Larkin has scored at least 11 points in nine of his last 10 games.

Larkin has made at least 1 three-point shot in 19 straight games.

Larkin has made at least 1 steal in nine straight games.

Elijah Bryant has made at least 1 three-point shot in nine of his last 10 games.

PJ Dozier has made at least 1 three-point shot in 11 of his last 12 games.

Dozier has made 15 consecutive free throws.

Darius Thompson has made at least 1 three-pointer in seven of his last eight games.

Vincent Poirier has had at least 1 block in five straight and six of his last seven games.

**Season rankings**

Vincent Poirier finished the regular season ranked third in blocks with 1.1 per game.

Dan Oturu finished the regular season ranked fifth in two-point shooting at 70.8%.

Oturu finished the regular season ranked seventh in offensive rebounding with 2.1 per game.

Elijah Bryant finished the regular season ranked fourth in steals with 1.2 per game.

Shane Larkin finished the regular season ranked fifth in steals with 1.2 per game.

Ercan Osmani finished the regular season ranked third in free-throw shooting at 94.7%.

Rolands Smits finished the regular season ranked seventh in two-point shooting at 69%.

Rodrigue Beaubois finished the regular season ranked eighth in three-point shooting at 45.9%.

Efes leads the league in blocks with 3.9 per game.

Efes ranks third in average PIR with 101.1 per game.

Efes ranks second in two-point shooting at 58.7%.

Efes allows the fewest total rebounds, 31.3 per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Shane Larkin is ranked 10th place all-time in scoring with 3,623 points. Sergio Rodriguez is ninth with 3,772 points.

Rodrigue Beaubois is in 19th place in career scoring with 3,113 points. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is 18th with 3,179 points and counting.

Larkin is in eighth place all-time in three-pointers made with 561. Rudy Fernandez is seventh with 594 three-pointers. Milos Teodosic is sixth with 595.

Beaubois is in 10th place all-time in three-pointers made with 513. Vassilis Spanoulis is ninth with 518 three-pointers made.

Larkin is in ninth place all-time with 798 free throws made. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is eighth with 799 career free throws made and counting.

Larkin is in ninth place all-time with 4,283 PIR points. Nick Calathes of AS Monaco is eighth with 4,295 and counting.

Larkin is tied with Facundo Campazzo of Real Madrid in 11th place all-time with 1,122 assists. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 10th with 1,204.

Larkin is in 13th place all-time with 285 steals. Nicolo Melli of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is in 12th place with 286 steals and counting.

Vincent Poirier ranks eighth all-time in blocks with 220. Tibor Pleiss of Panathinaikos is seventh all-time with 229 and counting.

Poirier is in 10th place all-time with 478 offensive rebounds apiece. Ante Tomic is ninth with 520 career offensive rebounds.

Darius Thompson ranks 11th all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

**Streaks**

Kendrick Nunn has made at least 1 three-point shot in 41 of his last 42 games.

Nunn has scored 14 or more points in 14 of his last 15 games.

Nunn has posted a PIR of 11 or more in seven of his last eight games.

Nunn has dished at least 5 assists in six of his last seven games.

Nunn has made 27 consecutive free throws.

Juancho Hernangomez has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in 19 straight games.

Mathias Lessort has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 11 straight and 23 of his last 24 games.

Lessort has had a PIR of 10 or more in 25 of his last 26 games.

Jerian Grant has made at least 1 three-point shot in seven of his last eight games.

**Season rankings**

Kendrick Nunn finished the regular season as the league leader in scoring with 21.1 points per game.

Nunn finished the regular season as the league leader in three-pointers made with 3.1 per game.

Nunn finished the regular season ranked fifth in average index rating with 20.3 per game.

Juancho Hernangomez finished the regular season ranked third in rebounding with 6.7 per game.

Wenyen Gabriel finished the regular season ranked ninth in offensive rebounding with 1.9 per game.

Gabriel finished the regular season ranked fifth in blocks with 1.1 per game.

Kostas Sloukas finished the regular season ranked ninth in assists with 4.8 per game.

Sloukas finished the regular season ranked sixth in free-throw shooting at 93.5%.

Panathinaikos leads the league in average PIR with 104.0 per game.

Panathinaikos is second in the league in scoring with 87.8 points per game.

Panathinaikos ranks second in defensive rebounding with 24.1 per game.

Panathinaikos ranks third in steals with 7.0 per game.

Panathinaikos ranks third in two-point shooting at 58.3%.

Panathinaikos has allowed 10.2 offensive rebounds per game, the third-lowest this season.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Sloukas is in third place all-time with 423 games played.

Sloukas ranks third all-time with 1,870 assists. Sergio Rodriguez is second with 1,874.

Sloukas is in fourth place all-time with 1,007 free throws made. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 1,131.

Sloukas is eighth all-time with 4,031 career points. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is seventh with 4,047 and counting, and Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is sixth with 4,068 career points.

Sloukas is ranked fourth all-time with 5,026 index rating points. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is third with 5,123 and counting.

Sloukas is 12th all-time with 508 three-point shots made. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 11th with 510, and Rodrigue Beaubois of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 10th with 513 and counting.

Marius Grigonis ranks seventh all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.6%.

Sloukas ranks 15th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 89.1%.

Sloukas is in 18th place on the all-time charts with 268 career steals. Vassilis Spanoulis is 17th with 273 steals.

Tibor Pleiss is ranked seventh all-time with 229 career blocks. Alex Tyus is sixth with 238.

Pleiss is in 11th place all-time with 470 offensive rebounds. Vincent Poirier of Efes is in 10th place all-time with 478 offensive rebounds and counting.

Pleiss is tied with Nick Calathes of AS Monaco for 11th place all-time with 1,009 two-pointers made. Paulius Jankunas is 10th with 1,011.

Pleiss is ranked 16th all-time with 1,400 rebounds. Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos Piraeus is 15th with 1,415 and counting.

Grigonis needs 4 steals to reach 100 for his career.

Jerian Grant is the all-time leader with a 3.2-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

After relinquishing home-court advantage with a narrow loss on Wednesday, Anadolu Efes Istanbul needs to bounce straight back against reigning champ Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Game Facts: Efes vs. Panathinaikos

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

\- Panathinaikos took a 2-1 series lead in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with a 77-81 win in Game 3 as Kendrick Nunn scored 25 points and earned co-MVP of the Round honors with a 31 PIR.

 

\- In Game 2, Efes rallied to edge Panathinaikos 76-79 as Shane Larkin earned co-MVP of the Round honors thanks to his PIR of 27.

 

\- 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. Hernangomez earned MVP of the Round honors for his performance.

 

\- Efes center Dan Oturu tied a playoff record and set a career high with 5 blocks in a Game 3 loss. Vincent Poirier became the first player in EuroLeague Playoffs history to have 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 and 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 Efes 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, who hasn’t yet played yet in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs, 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 came through at 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.

 

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

 

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

 

\- Panathinaikos recorded 51 total rebounds, which is the most by the Greens 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 playoff 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 Panathinaikos players Cedi Osman and Omer Yurtseven.

 

\- Panathinaikos center Omer Yurtseven had a career-high 3 steals in a Game 2 loss against Efes in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs.

 

\- Efes guard PJ Dozier had career highs in PIR (28) and steals (6) while 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 this season.

 

\- 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 a career high with 4 blocks against Panathinaikos in November 2018.

 

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

Game Notes: Efes vs. Panathinaikos

The Spanish team will hope that [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) can again avoid foul trouble to allow him to exert the same kind of influence that allowed him to record 15 points and 5 rebounds in Game 3.

That's especially important because backcourt efficiency has been an issue throughout the series for *Los Blancos* with [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) and [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) struggling to make an impact against an excellent Olympiacos defense, although [Alberto Abalde](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alberto-abalde/003733/) did step up by contributing 9 points and 6 assists on Tuesday.

Olympiacos will hope to welcome back [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) after missing Tuesday's game with an ankle injury, and his presence would remove some of the scoring burden from [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) – the only Reds player other than Fournier to average double-digit scoring in the series so far.

In a series so far dominated offensively by [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) at one end and Vezenkov at the other, it could be time for another hero to step up. And one X-factor in a game where fatigue will play a part is [Shaq McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/), who has endured an extremely quiet series so far – averaging just 2.0 points per night and a negative PIR – but should have enough energy reserves to unleash his frustrations with a more telling contribution in Game 4.

### Real Madrid

**Streaks**

Mario Hezonja has made at least 1 three-pointer in 17 straight and 47 of his last 48 games.

Facundo Campazzo has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 of his last 11 games.

**Season rankings**

Facundo Campazzo finished the regular season ranked eighth in average index rating with 18.0 per game.

Campazzo finished the regular season ranked third in assists with 6.4 per game.

Walter Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in rebounding with 7.1 per game.

Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in offensive rebounding with 2.8 per game.

Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in blocks with 1.3 per game.

Tavares finished the regular season ranked second in two-point shooting at 75.3%.

Usman Garuba finished the regular season ranked fourth in two-point shooting at 71.1%.

Real leads the league in rebounding with 36.8 per game.

Real leads the league in defensive rebounding with 26.4 per game.

Real leads the league in two-point accuracy at 59.4%.

Real has held opponents to a league-low 51.8% two-point shooting.

Records/Milestones

Walter Tavares blocked 88 shots in the 2022-23 season to set the all-time single-season record.

Tavares is the competition's all-time leader in blocks with 472.

Tavares is in fourth place all-time in two-point accuracy at 68.6%.

Tavares ranks second all-time with 1,875 rebounds. Paulius Jankunas is the all-time leader with 2,010 rebounds.

Tavares is in second place all-time with 707 offensive rebounds. Kyle Hines is the all-time leader with 824 career offensive rebounds.

Tavares is tied with Kyle Hines in sixth on the all-time list with 4,299 PIR points. Nikola Mirotic is fifth with 4,844 and counting.

Sergio Llull is the all-time leader in games played with 446 EuroLeague appearances.

Llull is the all-time leader in three-point shots made with 684.

Llull ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 4,205 points. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 4,455.

Llull is in seventh place all-time with 1,479 assists. Milos Teodosic of Crvena Zvezda is sixth with 1,491 and counting.

Facundo Campazzo is tied with Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 11th place all-time with 1,122 assists and counting. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 10th with 1,204 and counting.

Llull ranks 12th all-time with 737 free throws made. Paulius Jankunas is 11th with 748.

Llull ranks fifth all-time with a 2.7-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Facundo Campazzo is tied for 14th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

### Olympiacos Piraeus

**Streaks**

Sasha Vezenkov has scored in double figures and posted a double-digit PIR in 38 straight games.

Vezenkov has posted a PIR of 14 or more in 34 straight games.

Vezenkov has made at least 1 three-pointer in 23 straight and 32 of his last 33 games.

Vezenkov has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 14 straight games.

Alec Peters has made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six games.

Evan Fournier has made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six games.

Keenan Evans has scored at least 10 points in 10 straight and 21 of his last 22 games.

Evans has posted a double-digit PIR in nine of his last 10 games.

Evans has made at least 1 three-pointer in 17 straight games.

Evans has made 21 consecutive free throws.

**Season rankings**

Sasha Vezenkov finished the regular season as the league leader in average index rating with 24.5 per game.

Vezenkov finished the regular season ranked third in scoring with 20.2 points per game.

Evan Fournier finished the regular season ranked 10th in scoring with 15.8 points per game.

Vezenkov finished the regular season ranked fourth in rebounding with 6.6 per game.

Nikola Milutinov finished the regular season ranked fifth in offensive rebounding with 2.6 per game.

Moustapha Fall finished the regular season as the league leader in two-point shooting at 77.2%.

Alec Peters finished the regular season ranked second in three-point shooting at 54.4%.

Peters finished the regular season ranked fourth in free-throw shooting at 94.1%.

Evan Fournier finished the regular season ranked fifth in three-pointers made with 2.6 per game.

Olympiacos leads the league in assists with 21.1 per game.

Olympiacos is second in the league in team PIR with 101.4 per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Papanikolaou is the all-time leader in games started with 337.

Papanikolaou is in eighth place all-time in steals with 325. Mike James of AS Monaco is seventh with 326 and counting.

Papanikolaou is ranked 13th all-time with 1,429 career rebounds. Johannes Voigtmann of FC Bayern Munich is 12th with 1,430.

Nikola Milutinov is ranked 15th all-time with 1,415 career rebounds. Othello Hunter is 14th with 1,424.

Milutinov is ranked sixth all-time in offensive rebounds with 650. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is fifth with 657 and counting.

Moustapha Fall ranks second all-time in two-point accuracy at 73.1%.

Fall is ranked 13th all-time with 168 career blocked shots. James Gist is 12th with 167 and Stephane Lasme is 11th with 174.

Milutinov is tied with Ante Tomic for 18th place all-time with 155 blocked shots. With his next block, he will tie Jordan Mickey for 17th place.

Thomas Walkup ranks 16th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Walkup is ranked 14th all-time in assists with 1,011. Vasilije Micic is 13th with 1,097 assists.

Walkup is in 15th place all-time in steals with 279. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is in 14th place with 282 steals and counting, and Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 13th with 285 and counting.

Alec Peters ranks 11th all-time in free-throw shooting accuracy at 90.0%.

Peters ranks third all-time in three-point accuracy at 46.7%.

Keenan Evans needs 2 steals to reach 100 for his career.

After winning on Tuesday to narrow the series deficit to 1-2, Real Madrid will look to continue its comeback against Olympiacos Piraeus.

Game Facts: Madrid vs. Olympiacos

\- Real Madrid rallied to beat Olympiacos 80-72 in Game 3 of the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs behind a season-high 11 steals.

 

\- Olympiacos won the first two games of this series in Piraeus, including an 84-72 victory in the opening game 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.

 

\- 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.

 

\- 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.

 

\- Real held off Olympiacos 90-85 last season in Madrid 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 the 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 the Final Four MVP.

 

\- 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 FIBA 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 6 steals in his team's Game 2 loss, which tied a club record. It also surpassed his previous personal high of 4 steals, which he set in Game 1 of this series.

 

\- Olympiacos forward Sasha Vezenkov tied a career-best with 5 offensive rebounds in Game 2 of this series.

 

\- 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.

 

\- Milutinov tied his career best with 3 steals in Game 2 of this series.