Euroleague – Final

Real Madrid – Panathinaikos: Ataman's tricks against indisputable quality

Real Madrid finished the job in the EuroLeague semifinals within the first quarter. Mario Hezonja hit his first three shots from beyond the arc, Dzanan Musa made his opening two, and Sergio Rodriguez followed suit. In the first half, it seemed like nobody could miss from distance, and Olympiacos simply couldn’t keep up. Scoring 56 points in the first half against the best defense on the continent says it all. Walter Tavares completely locked down the paint, Facundo Campazzo found his teammates in good positions, and Guerschon Yabusele and Sergio Llull had answers every time Olympiacos cut the deficit to under 15 points. Real Madrid once again confirmed their dominance, solidifying their status as one of the best teams in European basketball in the 21st century.

Panathinaikos was also surprisingly dominant against Fenerbahce. For 30 minutes, the game was tight and evenly matched, but Panagiotis Kalaitzakis hit a tough three-pointer at the end of the third quarter, killing Fenerbahce morale. Panathinaikos allowed only seven points in the final quarter and easily closed out the game. Mathias Lessort was unstoppable in the paint, Kendrick Nunn played fearlessly against Nick Calathes, and Ioannis Papapetrou, as in the quarterfinals, hit from distance whenever his team needed it. Every player who stepped on the court contributed something to head coach Ergin Ataman. Marius Grigonis and Juancho Hernangomez made important three-pointers off the bench, Kostas Antetokounmpo had an impressive block, and Jerian Grant made several good plays on both ends of the court. Undoubtedly, Panathinaikos enters the final with a lot of confidence.

Besides confidence, Panathinaikos will need to find a way to outplay Real Madrid. Coach Ataman managed to do it two years ago with Anadolu Efes and will surely have a few tricks up his sleeve. Quality and depth are absolutely on the side of Los Blancos. The problem for Panathinaikos is their lack of a quality backup center, which Real Madrid is well aware of. If they get Lessort into foul trouble, it could be game over for the Greens. Hence, Ataman might start the game with Aleksander Balcerowski, who didn't play in the semifinals, or he might consistently double-team Tavares and risk Real Madrid's outside shooting. The latter seems more likely, meaning Panathinaikos will need a bit of luck. Sloukas and Nunn undoubtedly form a much stronger backcourt than Olympiacos', and the Greens can keep pace with Real Madrid in a high-scoring game if their shooting holds up. History teaches us not to bet against Ataman's teams at the Final Four. Nevertheless, defeating this Real Madrid team would be a significant achievement. But the Turkish coach has pulled off even bigger surprises in the past. Panathinaikos has character, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the final shot decides the winner.