Olympiacos - Panathinaikos

Greece - A1 Playoffs, Final

It was only a matter of time before Olympiacos experienced their first domestic defeat after their remarkable winning streak, and that moment arrived on Thursday night at OAKA. After an impressive run of 61 consecutive wins, they suffered a 67-65 loss. The absence of Slukas due to an infection weakened the team, and they also lost Vezenkov towards the end of the third quarter. Despite remaining competitive until the end, Ponitka's decisive three-pointer sealed their defeat. Papanikolaou was the top scorer with 15 points, followed by Walkup with 14 and Fal with 11. Slukas is expected to return after recovering from the virus, while Vezenkov's participation is uncertain due to bone swelling. Olympiacos expressed complaints about the hosting and refereeing of Game 2 through an official announcement.

Panathinaikos Breakdown: What Panathinaikos couldn't achieve in the first S.E.F. final, they accomplished in Game 2 at a packed OAKA. Ponitka's three-pointer, scored 17 seconds before the end, secured a 67-65 victory, ended their 14-game losing streak against Olympiacos, and tied the series at 1-1, injecting new excitement into the finals. Ponitka and Li were the leading scorers with 12 points each. Overall, Christos Serelis' team displayed a determined spirit and justified their victory. Now, they head to Piraeus aiming for another win, having gained confidence from their victory in the previous game as well as their regular-season encounter. Panathinaikos does not face any competition-related issues for Game 3 and approaches the match with a strong mentality, which is a rare occurrence this year when facing Olympiacos.

After Panathinaikos' draw, tonight's winner will gain a significant advantage in the race for the championship. The momentum seems to be in favor of Panathinaikos, but Olympiacos possesses the experience and quality to mount a comeback.