By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Before a must-watch Game 5 of an intense EuroLeague Playoffs series between Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv, away teams – without home-court advantage – were 0-18 since 2009 when it comes to advancing to the Final Four in the fifth game of the series.
Well, make it 0-19. After what will come down as one of the most anticipated games in modern EuroLeague history, Panathinaikos managed to win 81-72 to eliminate a Wade Baldwin-less Maccabi Tel Aviv, getting to the Final Four 12 years after the last time in Istanbul.
As done in Game 4 as well in Belgrade, Kendrick Nunn dragged his team by leading in scoring with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, shooting 6/10 from deep.
“I feel great, it’s a huge win for us. Maccabi gave us a hard series. [EuroLeague] has been crazy, I’m embracing everything”, he commented.
Kostas Sloukas had another huge night with 15 points and 6 rebounds for his 1oth Final Four. “We deserve to be in the Final Four, Maccabi is a great team. We gave our soul. Bringing the best scorer in the EuroLeague Kendrick Nunn was a great move”, the Greek playmaker said.
Mathias Lessort went close to a double-double of 9 points and 11 rebounds despite shooting 3/14 at the line. Juancho Hernangomez and Ioannis Papapetrou combined for 21 points. “We lost Wade Baldwin in the first game. I’m really proud of the players”, Oded Kattash said after the defeat.
On Oded Kattash’s side, Lorenzo Brown was the team’s leader as expected, ending with a losing effort of 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists in Athens. Without Wade Baldwin, nobody else in the backcourt provided a huge scoring night, while Josh Nebo tried his best with 14 points and 7 rebounds.
Chronicle of a 12-year comeback to the Final Four
After Mathias Lessort opened things up on the scoreboard at 8:33 on the clock, the Israeli powerhouse quickly took control of the game, going up 13-8 at 4:30 minutes in the first quarter. Maccabi Tel Aviv stayed ahead until the end of the first quarter, closing the opening ten minutes up 21-19.
With a long-two at 4:51 in the second, Kostas Sloukas brought Panathinaikos up by two points (32-30) once again, hyping the crowd in OAKA and forcing Maccabi Tel Aviv’s timeout.
Antonius Cleveland took flight later on for one of the craziest dunks of the season, but later on, Panathinaikos’ pride emerged.
Ioannis Papapetrou tied at 39-39 with a three-pointer from the right corner when 1:09 minutes were missing before halftime. “Score”, Lorenzo Brown said when asked what he needed to do more in the second half when teams were tied at 41-41 heading to the locker rooms.
He immediately did so, followed by Bonzie Colson’s first three-pointer of the night. After charging an offensive foul, Maccabi’s playmaker was punished by a clutch Kendrick Nunn from deep at 6:40 in the third to keep it tied at 46-46. Leaders Kostas Sloukas and John DiBartolomeo did the same afterward.
Josh Nebo’s dunking putback after Jasiel Rivero’s miss gave Maccabi the four-point lead (53-49) later on, but Panathinaikos replied with a 5-0 run. The yellow-and-blue team had the shot to turn things around once again, but Bonzie Colson missed and Panathinaikos entered the fourth on a 58-56 lead.
Opening the last ten minutes, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis had two huge plays, stealing the ball twice to dunk in transition. John DiBartolomeo received a technical foul for flopping at 8:26 left, giving the home team its first five-point lead (61-56). With 7:04 on the clock, Kendrick Nunn extended it from three.
Bonzie Colson’s airball at 5:16 minutes on the clock seemed to be Maccabi’s flag of truce, as Kendrick Nunn brought his team up by 10 points (71-61) off the dribble later on. However, Lorenzo Brown had two straight daggers to keep his team alive again.
Mathias Lessort restored the 10-point lead (77-67) after fighting under the rim later on and also made peace with the free throws converting at least one at 1:35 left. After Kendrick Nunn banked in from three under the last minute, Panathinaikos secured the qualification to the EuroLeague Final Four.