Panathinaikos Fall as Fenerbahce Find Their Moment

Panathinaikos came to Abu Dhabi looking to go back-to-back at the Euroleague Final Four for the first time ever. Fenerbahce came out to crush the narrative. The Big Yellow Machine weathered the storm to decisively book their place in Sunday’s final.

This was always going to be tense. The first game at every Euroleague Final Four has that extra touch of nerves. Still, it was Fenerbahce’s ability to hold theirs when under the greatest of pressure that got them over the line against Panathinaikos.

Tempo tells a tale

For Fenerbahce to win this, control of the pace and flow of the game was critical. They wanted half-court basketball with fast breaks only occurring on their terms. The natural tension that comes with being the opening game of the Euroleague Final Four helped them in this regard.

Save for a couple of deep shots by Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos were struggling to get their offensive game flowing early. This was full-possession basketball, forcing poor options. That didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard but it suited Sarunas Jasikevicius.

Then came the moment. Willis Reed, El Cid, and now Mathias Lessort. With 2.58 left in the first quarter he entered the floor. His first basketball in five months was coming on the grandest stage of all. We got the answer early as he blocked a Tarik Biberovic drive cleanly. Fener held a clear lead at the end of the first quarter but Lessort showed that Pao were in the fight.

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Facts don’t care about your narratives

Tarik Biberovic is a very good basketball player. Khem Birch is a very strong basketball player. Nigel Hayes Davis is both. The trio made their presence felt as the remarkably consistent Fenerbahce machine kept rolling.

While there was a big dunk by Lessort early in the second quarter, the biggest issue of his absence was obvious. He may have fully recovered from his injury but the Euroleague Final Four was a tough place to make his first return to the floor. Lessort was breathing heavily as the lack of game time in the past five months quickly began to show.

Omer Yurtseven stepped in for him and the difference in energy was immediately obvious. The Greens looked much more up to the pace and movement of the game with him on the floor. Still, the Big Yellow Machine was rolling with Devon Hall in the driver’s seat. This was not a fun half for Pao. They went into the break only trailing by 5 but in need of answers.

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You’ve got to take the breaks you get

While visibly the better side in the first half, Fenerbahce had to be annoyed. While it was a far better display than how they began last year at the Euroleague Final Four, it looked like a missed opportunity.

The Big Yellow Machine had outclassed Panathinaikos in every aspect yet only had a 5 point lead to show for it. As the second half began, it was the side that had impressed that looked under more pressure than the defending champions. It was a nervy start to the third quarter all the same. Neither side was exactly creating an ocean of opportunities.

Nicolo Melli went to work for Fener on the inside. The Italian veteran, who won the title with this side in 2017, realised his team was in a funk and focused on the basics. A mid-range two followed by a pair from the line settled the nerves a touch.

Fenerbahce always found a way to stay in control, dictating tempo and stifling Panathinaikos at key moments of the Euroleague Final Four clash.

Was this Kendrick Nunn’s moment?

After a rotten playoff series performance, Kendrick Nunn was expected to come out angry in the Euroleague Final Four. Instead he was restricted heavily by Fenerbahce through the first two and a half quarters.

While reasonably efficient on the inside, Nunn could get nothing done from deep and struggled to create. Panathinaikos needed more from the MVP. A converted and-1 opportunity felt like it could be a turning point.

Instead the chance at him riding that momentum in the third was wasted. Nunn quickly picked up his third foul. Ergin Ataman had to sit him and see what else could work to close out the penultimate frame.

Cedi Osman fought to keep Panathinaikos alive late, but even his heroics couldn’t stop Fenerbahce’s march to the Euroleague Final.

The time for grit

Panathinaikos suffered a huge blow early in the fourth, with Nunn picking up his fourth foul. Having the MVP in that situation with 9 minutes remaining of a game they were trailing by 8 was far from ideal.

Stick and move. Jab, bob, weave. These were the championship rounds of the fight and Fenerbahce were playing smart. After the disappointment of their previous trip to the Euroleague Final Four, they were knuckling down now.

Cedi Osman kept the fight going for Panathinaikos but every time it felt like Fener were under pressure, they had an answer. Nunn fouled out with 5.45 left. Moments later, Devon Hall from deep.

There was half a quarter left but enough of the job was done. There was a wobble but the will didn’t break. Fenerbahce had advanced to the championship game for the first time since 2018. The champs had fallen.

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