Olympiacos claimed third place at the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi, defeating arch-rivals Panathinaikos 97-93 in a Greek derby on May 25, despite the emotional toll of their semifinal losses. The game lacked the usual intensity of an Athens showdown, with both teams resting key players—Kostas Sloukas and Juancho Hernangomez for PAO, and Nikola Milutinov and Nigel Williams-Goss for Olympiacos—while gearing up for the Greek League finals (per Basketnews.com). Alec Peters, after playing only 10 minutes in the semifinal loss to Monaco (78-68), erupted for 30 points and 6 rebounds, including 6-of-9 three-pointers, leading Olympiacos to a wire-to-wire victory despite Panathinaikos closing the gap to two possessions late.
The semifinal sparked debate among Olympiacos fans, particularly about Peters’ limited minutes against Monaco, even as Sasha Vezenkov struggled, raising questions about coach Georgios Bartzokas’ decisions (per prior recap). In the third-place game, Peters and Vezenkov (23 points) redeemed themselves, controlling the game against a Panathinaikos squad featuring second-unit players like Panagiotis Kalaitzakis and Lorenzo Brown from the start, while Omer Yurtseven (23 points, 7 rebounds) and young talent Aleksandar Samodurov (8 points, 4 rebounds) shone for PAO despite Samodurov’s fifth foul able-bodied fouling out early in the second half (per euroleaguebasketball.net). Olympiacos’ standard starting five proved too strong, fending off PAO’s comeback attempts.
The game’s relevance was overshadowed by ongoing discussions about the third-place match’s future, with EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas noting talks with ELPA to potentially cancel it next season, favoring alternatives like the NextGen Final over a EuroCup Final replacement (per prior web results). This could mark Olympiacos’ last third-place finish in the EuroLeague, adding a bittersweet note to their victory, especially with roster changes looming—TJ Shorts joining Panathinaikos and Tyson Ward signing with Olympiacos for 2025-26 (per Basketnews.com). As both teams shift focus to the Greek finals, this result sets the stage for a heated domestic showdown.
Posted on May 25, 2025
