By Dimitris Minaretzis / info@eurohoops.net
The longest regular season in EuroLeague history came to an end after a 38-game marathon, and now it’s time for the playoffs, which rightfully carry a different kind of prestige. This is the stage where every game counts for double, as teams fight for a spot in the Final Four – this year hosted at Telekom Center Athens.
With the play-in phase also completed, we are now entering the rhythm of the top eight, with four matchups set for the opening of the postseason (April 28/29).
And by the end of the playoffs, these eight teams will give everything they have – and more – to reach the Final Four.
Logic – and history – suggest that at least one of these matchups will stay in our memories for a long time.
Since 2001, when the EuroLeague entered its modern era, we have seen numerous playoff formats. Still, there has always been something to remember.
Eurohoops is here to remind you of the greatest playoff series in EuroLeague history – the clashes that defined an era.
Olympiacos – Siena 1-3
Season: 2010-11
Results: 89-41, 65-82, 81-72, 88-76
Looking back at Olympiacos, the journey begins with a clash that no one will ever forget – not in a positive way for the Reds.
A few months after the lost final in Paris, Olympiacos wanted to return to a Final Four and finish what it had started. Standing in its way was Siena.
The beginning was spectacular. Dominant. And much more. How else could you describe the surreal 89-41 (Mavrokefalidis 15, Bourousis 14 / Lavrinovic 12) in Game 1 at SEF?
What followed, however, showed that Ivkovic’s players never moved on from that first game. The Italians picked up the pieces and, with a 65-82 win (Mavrokefalidis 16 / Hairston 19), made it clear that nothing was over, despite what many may have thought.
The action moved to Italy, where Pianigiani’s team took the lead with an 81-72 win (Jaric 24 / Nesterovic 16, Spanoulis 15) before finishing the job with 88-76 (Hairston 25, Lavrinovic 19 / Bourousis and Gordon 16).
Siena secured its fourth Final Four appearance and eventually finished third in Barcelona after losing to eventual champions Panathinaikos in the semifinals.
Barcelona – Panathinaikos 1-3
Season: 2010-11
Results: 83-82, 71-75, 76-74, 78-67
Panathinaikos features here in a memorable encounter against Barcelona in 2010-11. Just like then – and now – the Greens entered the playoffs with a home-court disadvantage against a Spanish team.
Their task was anything but easy. The Spaniards were the defending European champions and had home-court advantage.
Things got even harder when Barcelona made it 1-0 with an 83-82 win (Navarro 13, Lakovic and Lorbek 12). However, Obradovic‘s team had the answers and the mental strength to respond, tying things up with a 71-75 victory (Navarro 19 / Sato 18, Diamantidis 17).
The action moved to OAKA, where the atmosphere was electric and the home crowd pushed Panathinaikos toward triumph. Diamantidis, with two clutch free throws, made it 76-74 (Diamantidis 18 / Rubio 16) before the comeback was completed two days later.
OAKA was packed, and after approximately two hours, it celebrated Panathinaikos’s qualification to the Final Four. The 78-67 win (Calathes 12, Diamantidis and Fotsis 11 / Vazquez 14) sent the Greens to Barcelona, where they would go on to claim their sixth star against Maccabi.
Real Madrid – Partizan 3-2
Season: 2022-23
Results: 87-89, 80-95, 80-82, 78-85, 98-94
For the first – and so far only – time, a team came back from 0-2 down to win a playoff series and reach the Final Four.
Partizan stunned Madrid with a last-second three by Punter in Game 1 (87-89) and followed it up with a dominant Game 2 (80-95) to take a 2-0 lead.
Then everything changed.
With 1:40 remaining in Game 2, a major brawl broke out after Llull fouled Punter. What followed was chaos – players fighting, Yabusele grabbing Exum in a headlock, and multiple suspensions handed out.
Real Madrid seized the momentum, winning Games 3 and 4 to level things up.
In Game 5, Musa (20 points) and Rodriguez (19) led Madrid to a 98-94 win, completing an incredible comeback that went down in EuroLeague history.
Panathinaikos – Maccabi 3-2
Season: 2011-12
Results: 93-73, 92-94, 65-62, 69-78, 86-85
When talking about playoffs and Panathinaikos, everyone remembers the epic showdown against Maccabi in 2011-12.
Home-court advantage belonged to the Greens, and it paid off in Game 1 with a dominant 93-73 win (Diamantidis 15, Calathes 13 / Langford 21).
That joy lasted only two days, as the Israelis broke Panathinaikos’s home-court advantage with a 92-94 overtime thriller (Kaimakoglou 20 / Langford 17), highlighted by Blu’s big three-pointer with 31 seconds left, while Jasikevicius and Diamantidis both missed chances to win it.
The momentum shifted in Maccabi’s favor after a 65-62 win in Tel Aviv (Ohayon 12 / Batiste 13), but Panathinaikos showed championship character in Game 4, winning 69-78 (Langford and Smith 14 / Calathes 15) to bring things back to Greece.
The climax was worthy of such a contest. Game 5 became a heart-stopper: Panathinaikos led by 10 (73-63), but Maccabi tied it at 85-85 with seven seconds left. Diamantidis (25 points) stepped up by making 1-of-2 free throws before making a defensive stop on the final possession.
Panathinaikos advanced to the Final Four in Istanbul, marking its last appearance with Zeljko Obradovic on the bench. It finished fourth after losses to CSKA and Barcelona.
Barcelona – Panathinaikos 3-2
Season: 2012-13
Results: 72-70, 65-66, 65-63, 60-70, 64-53
One of the most classic matchups in EuroLeague history could not appear on this list just once.
In 2012-13, it was Barcelona’s turn to come out on top against Panathinaikos. Once again the Spaniards had home-court advantage, and once again they took a 1-0 lead with a 72-70 win (Navarro 14 / Gist-Lasme 14).
The Greens, coached by Pedoulakis, responded and secured a crucial road win with 65-66 (Navarro 20 / Gist 14) – a game no one will forget. The victory came courtesy of Diamantidis’ unforgettable step-back three-pointer past Jawai.
Panathinaikos kept the momentum going. Back at OAKA, it took a 2-1 lead with a 65-63 win. Barcelona had been ahead until the 38th minute but didn’t score again, with Diamantidis once again making the difference while Jasikevicius, Navarro and Tomic all missed crucial shots.
The Spaniards, however, were not done. Facing elimination, the Blaugrana responded with a comfortable 60-70 win (Bramos 15 / Navarro 17) to force a decider back in Barcelona.
There, they had little trouble closing things out with a 64-53 victory (Navarro 15 / Lasme 16). Despite reaching the Final Four, Barcelona settled for fourth place.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan – Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-3
Season: 2013-14
Results: 99-101, 91-77, 75-63, 86-66
The Milan–Maccabi clash in 2014 got off to a spectacular start. In Game 1 in Milan, the two teams went toe-to-toe, and after 45 minutes the Israelis stole the win 99-101 (Langford 18 / Hickman 26), with Hickman sealing it from the free-throw line with six seconds remaining.
The Italians responded in Game 2 with a convincing 91-77 win (Jerrels 17 / Tyus 16), but Maccabi still held the upper hand after splitting the road games and heading back home.
At Yad Eliyahu, the atmosphere was fiery, as expected. Maccabi took control with a 75-63 win (Blu 16 / Hackett 14) to make it 2-1 before turning its match point into a celebration with an 86-66 victory (Hickman-Tyus 16 / Langford 28).
The qualification carried double significance, as Milan missed a golden opportunity to play a Final Four at home. Maccabi, on the other hand, went all the way – lifting the trophy in Milan after an epic final against Real Madrid.
Barcelona – Olympiacos 1-3
Season: 2014-15
Results: 73-57, 63-76, 73-71, 71-68
Olympiacos‘s next appearance is a triumph – against Barcelona, despite having no home-court advantage.
The Spaniards had no trouble taking Game 1 at home with a 73-57 win (Navarro and Nachbar 10 / Agravanis 9), while Olympiacos seemed to be biding its time for Game 2. And that’s exactly what happened.
The 63-76 win (Navarro 16 / Printezis 22) tied things up at 1-1 and brought the action to Piraeus, with the initial goal – a road win – achieved.
At SEF, the home crowd made the difference. Barcelona missed consecutive possessions, and Spanoulis and Printezis (15 and 19 points) sealed a 73-71 win from the free-throw line.
Then came the unforgettable Game 4.
With six seconds left, Navarro went to the line but made only one of two free throws (68-68). Olympiacos had just seconds to respond. Mantzaris inbounded, Spanoulis passed to Sloukas, and he found Printezis, who hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer!
Saint Giorgos Printezis for Olympiacos…
The Piraeus-based side advanced to its ninth Final Four, but in Madrid it fell to Real in the final and settled for second place.
Lokomotiv Kuban – Barcelona 3-2
Season: 2015-16
Results: 66-61, 66-92, 82-70, 80-92, 81-67
If you thought surprises only came from traditional EuroLeague powerhouses, Lokomotiv Kuban’s 2015-16 run proved otherwise.
Bartzokas’ team, featuring Delaney, Singleton, Randolph, Claver, Janning and Broekhoff, shocked Europe by finishing second in their Top 16 group.
The incredible run didn’t stop there. Facing Barcelona in the playoffs, they not only held their own but came out alive from a hard-fought five-game battle.
It started with a 66-61 win in Russia (Randolph 17 / Ribas 13), closing the game with a 6-0 run in the final two minutes. Game 2, however, felt like a statement from Barcelona, who responded with a dominant 66-92 (Delaney 19 / Navarro 18) to level things up.
Barcelona then took a 2-1 lead with an 82-70 win (Abrines 25 / Randolph 16), and many expected the inexperienced Lokomotiv – only in its second EuroLeague season – to fold.
They proved otherwise, winning Game 4 80-92 (Navarro 19 / Randolph 28) to force a decider.
This one had been full of suspense from the start, and the ending was no different. Lokomotiv delivered a stunning fourth quarter (23-5) to eliminate Barcelona with an 81-67 win (Delaney 17 / Perperoglou 13).
In its first – and only – Final Four, it finished third.
Olympiacos – Monaco 3-2
Season: 2021-22
Results: 71-54, 72-96, 83-87, 78-77, 94-88
Another memorable Olympiacos postseason clash came in 2021-22, against Monaco in its debut EuroLeague season.
Those who expected Monaco to be a tough opponent were proven right. The team from the Principality came just one quarter away from reaching the Final Four in its first appearance.
Olympiacos dominated Game 1 (71-54), but Monaco responded emphatically with a 72-96 win in Piraeus to level things up.
Olympiacos regained the advantage with an 83-87 road win (Sloukas 21 / Bacon 23), but Monaco equalized again in a dramatic Game 4 (78-77).
In front of Kevin Durant and a packed arena, Monaco led 66-70 at the end of the third quarter in Game 5. However, Olympiacos had the final say, winning 94-88 (McKissic 18 / James 24) to advance.
Olympiacos – Fenerbahce 3-2
Season: 2022-23
Results: 79-68, 78-82, 71-72, 73-69, 84-72
Once again Olympiacos, once again a victory.
Despite finishing first in the regular season, the Reds faced a very tough opponent in Fenerbahce, and this matchup proved just how difficult it would be.
Game 1 went to Olympiacos (79-68), but Fenerbahce responded with a 78-82 win in Game 2.
Then came one of the defining moments of the encounter: Guduric made it 71-69 with just three seconds left, only for Sloukas to hit a buzzer-beater to give Olympiacos a 71-72 win.
Fenerbahce responded again, winning Game 4 (73-69) to force a deciding Game 5 back in Piraeus.
There, Olympiacos left no room for doubt, dominating 84-72 (Sloukas 22 / Guduric 26) to advance.
Panathinaikos – Maccabi 3-2
Season: 2023-24
Results: 87-91, 95-79, 84-85, 95-88, 81-72
This particular showdown didn’t just deliver drama – it produced the EuroLeague champion.
Panathinaikos lost home-court advantage in Game 1, and Maccabi took a 2-1 lead after games in Belgrade, where it played due to the situation in Israel.
Even in Game 4, Maccabi led late, but Panathinaikos turned things around with its quality.
The Greens forced a Game 5 and secured their spot in the Final Four in Berlin, where they went on to claim their seventh EuroLeague title.
Monaco – Fenerbahce 2-3
Season: 2023-24
Results: 91-95, 93-88, 78-89, 65-62, 79-80
A historically significant encounter.
Fenerbahce became one of the first two teams to win a Game 5 on the road – something that had never happened before.
Monaco leveled things at 2-2 with a home win in Game 4, but Fenerbahce responded with clutch overtime three-pointers from Nick Calathes to secure a spot in the Final Four.
Barcelona – Olympiacos 2-3
Season: 2023-24
Results: 75-77, 77-69, 80-82, 92-58, 59-63
Another unforgettable postseason clash, with the Reds doing exactly what Fenerbahce also achieved, getting a Game 5 win on the road.
Despite a difficult season, Olympiacos showed its resilience, advancing to its third consecutive Final Four.
After trading wins, the Reds dominated Game 4 (92-58) before heading to Barcelona for a decisive Game 5.
In a defensive battle, key three-pointers from Papanikolaou and McKissic secured a 63-59 win, sending Olympiacos through.
Bonus: Tau, Bogdanovic and Doncic at OAKA
Beating Panathinaikos, while the Greeks having home court advantage, is not a small feat and in two out of three historical series, winning there means also capturing the title.
Back when the format was best-of-three in the 2005-06 season, Panathinaikos had home-court advantage, but Tau – now Baskonia – led by Scola, Prigioni and Erdogan, came back to win.
Game 3 in Athens was decided in the final moments, with Erdogan sealing the 74-71 win from the free-throw line. Tau advanced to the Final Four and eventually finished third.
More than a decade later during the 2016-17 season, Bogdan Bogdanovic led Fenerbahce to an even bigger feat, as the Turkish side and eventual champions, got a 3-0 sweep despite Panathinaikos having the home court advantage. Bogdanovic scored 23 points in Game 1 and 25 in Game 2, as Fener got two wins (71-58, 80-75) on the road and made things simple.
Luka Doncic had a similar experience before winning the EuroLeague in the 2017-18 season, his last in Europe. Panathinaikos had the home court advantage and won Game 1 by 28 points (95-67), only for Real Madrid to get three straight wins after that (89-82, 81-74, 89-82), qualify for the Final Four and win the trophy.
!8-year-old Doncic had a mediocre series by his standards, but sealed the deal in Game 4 finishing the night in Madrid with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, after averaging 8.5 points in the first three games.
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