Basketball, Euroleague Playoffs: Pana Takes Over Istanbul and Barça Spoils Monaco's Party

Barcelona (Spain), 30 April 2025 – The most exciting and spectacular events are becoming more and more Euroleague Playoffs 2025: at the PalauBlaugrana, with a roar of pride, Barcelona cancelled out Monaco's first match point, after the 2-0 win on Monegasque soil, and were defeated 100-89 by the Catalans, who played an excellent game, especially in the offensive phase.. The Blaugrana in fact closed with 62% in two-point shooting, 46% in three-point shooting and 80% in free throw shooting and had five players in double figures. The ones who shone in coach Penarroya's team were above all Willy hernangomez, who finished the game with 19 points scored and 10 rebounds captured for an overall rating of 31, and Jabari Parker who scored 16 points. Hernangomez himself, well supported by Abrines and Parra, left his unmistakable signature on the 15-0 partial that allowed the Catalans to take off at the dawn of the second quarter (41-27). Led by Alpha Diallo (16 points), Monaco tried not to lose ground and after the break relied on Blossongame and Mike James's threes (20 points with 3/5 two-pointers and 4/8 three-pointers) to get back to -5 before Parker's bomb that put the exclamation point on the third quarter, which ended with the home team leading by 8 (74-66). Despite their efforts, however, the Monegasques were no longer able to catch up with Barcelona, ​​who in the fourth quarter kept their opponents at bay and then gave the decisive boost with the plays of Hernangomez, Punter and Parker.  

Panathinaikos conquers Istanbul thanks to Mitoglou and Nunn

In Istanbul, instead, Panathinaikos immediately regained the advantage of the factor in the series with Anadolu Efes who, after the coup at OAKA in the match, was defeated at home 81-77. A victory on which there are the signatures of the "usual" Kendrick Nunn, author of 25 points with 9/13 from two and 7/7 from the free throw line, and of Dinos Mitoglou, who scored 18 points with a surgical 4/5 from beyond the 6.75 meter line. After a first quarter played on the edge of balance, Pana tried to raise the intensity and took it up to +7 scored by Cedi (34-41) and then returned to the locker room with two full possessions of advantage thanks to the last ring by Nunn (39-45). Prelude to the real attempt at a breakaway that came in the third quarter, when the former Olimpia Milano Mitoglou took the baton from Nunn and warmed up his hand with two close triples worth the +11 away (46-57). A gap that did not dampen the determination of coach Luca Banchi's men, capable of putting together a great comeback culminating in the tie at 68 signed by Oturu (a great protagonist in the moment with his muscular plays) less than 5' from the final siren. At that point, a head-to-head began that the “Greens” were able to resolve thanks to the extraordinary precision at the free throw line by Sloukas and Nunn and the last, very heavy three-pointer by Mitoglu, 6” from the fourth siren.