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abr 17 2026Panathinaikos closed out the EuroLeague regular season with a dominant victory over Anadolu Efes, 97-62, but the convincing win was not enough to avoid the play-in. The Greek side finishes seventh with a 22-16 record and will now face Monaco in the play-in at the OAKA on April 21 for a spot in the playoffs.
Ergin Ataman's team grew stronger as the game progressed, definitively breaking it open after halftime. Although Efes managed to stay close for much of the first half, Panathinaikos found answers through its bench unit and began pulling away before the break. At halftime, they led 45-38.
The major turning point came in the third quarter. The Greeks opened the second half with a 13-0 run that pushed their lead to 58-38 and effectively decided the game. From there, Panathinaikos maintained complete control and continued extending the margin past the 30-point threshold.
Nikos Rogkavopoulos delivered the best performance of his career with 24 points on a near-perfect shooting night: 3/3 from two-point range, 4/5 from three-point range, and 6/6 from the field. Kendrick Nunn added 18 points, while Kenneth Faried and Mathias Lessort contributed 14 each. For the Turkish side, Jordan Lloyd led the way with 15 points.
Panathinaikos was not affected by news coming from Kaunas and responded with a solid victory, but Zalgiris's win prevented them from securing a direct playoff berth. Now they have a first opportunity against Monaco: if they win, they will be seventh seed and face Valencia Basket with home-court advantage; if they lose, they will still have a second chance against the winner of the Barcelona vs. Crvena Zvezda matchup, though in that case the reward would be the eighth seed and a clash with Olympiacos.
The Athens-based team enters the play-in following one of their most convincing performances in recent weeks, with a well-balanced display and a devastating second half. However, their path to the Final Four becomes more complicated, and they must start on the more demanding route.
