By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Playoffs of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season launch this week as the eight remaining contenders move into best-of-five series, all vying for a spot in the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens, presented by Etihad.
Tuesday action includes Roig Arena, where second-seeded Valencia hosts Panathinaikos Aktor. The visitors are monitoring Cedi Osman, whose participation remains questionable due to back issues that have limited him to individual workouts, but head coach Ergin Ataman is likely to have a full roster. For the Taronges, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui continues to manage a lingering hamstring ailment, but Omari Moore and Jaime Pradilla are available after recovering from recent shoulder and leg injuries, respectively.
In Istanbul, defending champion Fenerbahce Beko begins its postseason campaign at the Ulker Sports Arena against fifth-seeded Zalgiris, missing Jilson Bango, who is sidelined for the season following knee surgery, but the remaining players are expected to be available. Their Lithuanian opponents face uncertainty in the backcourt, as Maodo Lo is considered questionable for Game 1 due to a shoulder injury.
Also on Tuesday evening, top-seeded Olympiacos welcomes AS Monaco to the Peace and Friendship Stadium. While the Reds remain without Keenan Evans for the remainder of the season due to an Achilles injury, the visitors are seeking to reintegrate Nikola Mirotic, who has been sidelined for the past two weeks with a calf injury.
The series openers conclude on Wednesday at the Movistar Arena, where Real Madrid faces Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv in front of a home crowd following recent approval for partial attendance by local authorities. Madrid enters the series with a clean bill of health and all players available for selection. Conversely, Hapoel misses both Tyler Ennis and Tomer Ginat.