EuroLeague - Quarter finals

Panathinaikos – Maccabi Tel Aviv: Very equal teams
Panathinaikos has achieved three more wins than Maccabi Tel Aviv in the regular season. However, it should be noted that Maccabi, due to the war in Israel, did not play their home games in Tel Aviv but in Belgrade. The fact that they entered the top 8 under such circumstances deserves respect. And they will definitely have something to offer in this best-of-five series against Panathinaikos.

Looking at the concept, both teams are very evenly matched. Mathias Lessort and Josh Nebo represent dominant centers on both sides, and we will see many duels between them. Both have great quality, and inspiration will be crucial. Lorenzo Brown played his best game of the season against Baskonia, and if he shows up like that in Athens, the visitors will have even greater offensive quality in the backcourt than Panathinaikos. Wade Baldwin will almost certainly be a member of the All-EuroLeague team this season, which probably won't be the case with Kendrick Nunn and Kostas Sloukas on the other side, although both have played brilliantly lately. Bonzie Colson also won't be inferior to Marius Grigonis; on the contrary. Maccabi has what it takes to respond even from the bench, as players like Tamir Blatt, John DiBartolomeo and Antonius Cleveland can always sink multiple three-pointers.

All in all, the fact is that Maccabi has a team that can meet the challenge. After all, they are the only team Panathinaikos hasn't defeated this season, and that's not a coincidence. The great advantage for the Greens will be the home court in Athens. They'll have 17 thousand passionate fans behind them, giving them a boost. In the EuroLeague playoffs, this is always an extremely important factor. But it also carries a certain pressure because Panathinaikos hasn't played at this stage of the competition for several years, and expectations are at their highest this time. This could lead to a slower start and lower shooting percentages, which Maccabi could exploit to take an early lead. In the end, we expect one or two balls to decide the winner here. Panathinaikos has the advantage in that regard, but it will be a surprise if they achieve a convincing win by a double-digit margin.

Real Madrid – Baskonia: A strong start is expected
Real Madrid had a perfect regular season. It was clear as early as February that they would clinch the first spot, and since then, they have played in varying forms. Head coach Chus Mateo has given opportunities to younger players while veterans like Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Llull and Sergio Rodriguez have skipped many games. The idea was to find their best form in April and May, and this game will show whether they have succeeded. In terms of individual quality, they are by far the best team in Europe, although certain players haven't reached the level of the previous season. Walter Tavares and Guerschon Yabusele contributed more in the previous campaign, and even Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa haven't consistently shined despite being significant parts of the success. However, Real Madrid has such depth and so many good players that someone always steps up.

Baskonia managed to defeat Real Madrid at road a few weeks ago, which is the main reason they qualified for the playoffs. However, that game had no significance for Los Blancos, while it meant everything for the visitors. And that approach was evident on both sides. Now we'll see a much more engaged Real Madrid, and it's hard to believe that the visitors have the physical strength to match them. They will rely on Markus Howard and his three-point shooting. If he doesn't perform, this could turn into a blowout. His excellent performance is the only way Baskonia can stay close for most of the game. Chima Moneke didn't play against Virtus due to injury, and even if he's in the lineup, he's definitely not 100% fit. Baskonia's idea will be to draw Tavares out of the paint with Matt Costello and open up space for backdoor cuts by Vanja Marinkovic and Tadas Sedekerskis. With good three-point shooting, that's the recipe for competing against Real Madrid. In theory, this sounds good, but in practice Real Madrid will show why they are the best team in Europe by securing most likely double-digit win in the opening game of the quarterfinal series.

Monaco – Fenerbahce: Very bad matchup for the visitors
Monaco has made great progress in the EuroLeague. This is their third season in the competition, and the only goal is to go all the way. In the previous two years, they were eliminated by Olympiacos, first in the quarterfinals and then in the semifinals. Their big advantage is that the core team has been playing together for three years. Mike James was rightfully chosen as the MVP of the competition. His impact on the game is enormous, and he's capable of winning games for Monaco single-handedly. Elie Okobo and Jordan Loyd haven't consistently performed as well as last season, but James has made up for all of that, along with the occasional solid performances from backup Matthew Strazel. John Brown is still an elite defensive player who can stop anyone, and his role in this series could be crucial. The same can be said for centers Donta Hall and Donatas Motiejunas, who will have very important roles.

Fenerbahce hasn't been to the EuroLeague Final Four since 2019, and that's a big drought for them. Sarunas Jasikevicius took over the team from Dimitris Itoudis with the aim of changing that, but the task will be extremely difficult. There's no doubt that Fenerbahce has enormous individual talent. Scottie Wilbekin, Tyler Dorsey and Nick Calathes are excellent players, Nigel Hayes-Davis is one of the best power forwards in the competition and Johnathan Motley is a force in the paint. Dyshawn Pierre and Georgios Papagiannis can also be important factors, as well as young Tarik Biberovic, who is playing the basketball of his life. With players like these, Fenerbahce can destroy any defense on a good shooting night,. They showed this best against Valencia and Baskonia when they scored total of 43 three-pointers in two consecutive home games. However, all those brilliant offensive games came in Istanbul. Away from home, things are different.

The problem for Fenerbahce in this series is that Monaco, in theory, can neutralize all their weapons. Hayes-Davis might be their biggest threat, and he'll be guarded by Brown, who is the best defensive power forward in the EuroLeague. Motley will struggle to establish physical dominance in direct duels against Hall and Motiejunas, and players like Alpha Diallo, Jaron Blossomgame and Yakuba Ouattara have a physical advantage over their opponents. Fenerbahce lacks that defensive intensity and will have a hard time making a breakthrough in this series. The first game will set the tone for the rest, but Monaco has the edge, although there will be constant drama and battles.

Barcelona – Olympiacos: Experience, approach and defensive intensity make the difference
Olympiacos isn't the favorite on paper in this series, but it would be a real surprise if they're not the team qualifying for the Final Four. Their goal will be to make a break in one of the first two games in Barcelona, and that's likely to happen. Barcelona may have much greater individual quality, but everything else favors the visitors.

Throughout the season, Barcelona hasn't shown themselves to be a team capable of going all the way. They didn't win trophies in the Spanish Super Cup or Copa del Rey, currently sit in third place in the Liga Endesa, and were dismal on the road in the EuroLeague. They had a 7-10 record outside Catalonia, losing to teams like Alba Berlin and Asvel. Jan Vesely is probably the only player who performs better under Roger Grimau than he did when Sarunas Jasikevicius was the head coach. Tomas Satoransky is in very poor form, Nikola Kalinic doesn't have the same role as before, and even Nicolas Laprovittola doesn't seem convincing despite hitting the game-winning three-pointer against Maccabi Tel Aviv. Jabari Parker has brilliant moments but is capable of ruining everything with one or two mistakes.

Olympiacos is a team that has grown and matured throughout the season. With the departure of Sasha Vezenkov and Kostas Sloukas, they lost everything they had in offense in previous years. Head coach Georgios Bartzokas had to completely reorganize the offense, and it took time for everything to fall into place. And the progress is more than evident. Defense has never been questionable. Olympiacos is the best defensive team in the competition and will be able to match Barcelona. Nikola Milutinov has returned, and they also have Moustapha Fall and Moses Wright in the center. Barcelona often had an advantage in the paint, but that won't be the case in this series. For Olympiacos, it will be crucial to find at least a decent three-point shot. Isaiah Canaan and Alec Peters are the main weapons from downtown, and it will be enough for one of them to be in form. Their basketball is much more organized and meaningful than Barcelona's, and they have a clear idea. It's unlikely they'll succeed in making back-to-back breaks in Barcelona, but they inspire more confidence than the hosts here.