By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos AKTOR held an open practice before the trip to Istanbul for Games 3 and 4 of the EuroLeague Playoff series against Anadolu Efes, and fans flooded the OAKA Arena, with an estimated 12,000 fans coming to show support for Ergin Ataman’s team.
The gates opened shortly after 12:00 PM, and even before practice started, fans were already in the stands, chanting for a spot in the Final Four.
“It feels like game day, but it’s not!” wrote the Panathinaikos Basketball Club on social media.
🤯☘NO, THIS IS NOT A GAMEDAY. It’s a Sunday morning that Panathinaikos fans filled the stadium to boost their team during an open practice!pic.twitter.com/RutGBpz9ZN
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) April 27, 2025
Panathinaikos saw Efes steal home-court advantage with a win at OAKA in Game 2, and now the quarterfinal series moves to Istanbul for the next two games with a 1-1 score.
“A big thank you not just for today, but for the entire year, for all your support. The promise we make to you is that we’ll go there and fight, starting on Wednesday. Thank you once again for your support. Let’s bring the series back home,” Kostas Sloukas said.
Panathinaikos having an open practice before the trip to Istanbul for Game 3 and 4 vs Anadolu Efes and the MVP LOVES IT pic.twitter.com/CnHRwUo3pN
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) April 27, 2025
More good news came out of Panathinaikos’ open practice, as Greek forward Ioannis Papapetrou was cleared to play in the upcoming matches.
Papapetrou had been dealing with an ankle issue since the game against Alba Berlin in Round 30 of the EuroLeague regular season, where he was forced to exit after just 11 minutes. As a result, he missed the first two games of the series at OAKA.
However, he has now completed a full practice session and will travel with Panathinaikos for the road games in Turkey.