Panathinaikos Survives Monaco's Rally to Seize Playoff Lifeline

A Must-Win Under the Athenian Lights

For Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Tuesday night's playoff opener carried the weight of a season teetering on the edge. Seventh in the regular-season table with a 22-16 record, the Greens needed a statement victory to stave off elimination against eighth-seeded AS Monaco, a squad that had posted an identical mark but entered with momentum from a late-season surge. The winner would edge closer to advancing; the loser would face a near-insurmountable deficit in the best-of-five series. TELEKOM CENTER ATHENS became a pressure cooker, where every defensive stop and transition bucket magnified the stakes of postseason survival.

Shorts Engineers the Verdict

The home side ultimately prevailed 87-79, with TJ Shorts orchestrating the Greek attack through a blend of mid-range efficiency and timely playmaking. The American guard converted 8-of-11 from two-point range and added 21 points, threading the needle against Monaco's switching schemes. On the opposing bench, Mike James poured in a game-high 25 points—hitting four triples and going a perfect 5-for-5 inside the arc—but his heroics couldn't counteract Monaco's collective shooting woes. The visitors managed just 38.6 percent from the floor and coughed up 12 turnovers, leaving AS Monaco chasing the scoreboard for the final ten minutes. The eight-point margin belied the tension; this was a grind-it-out affair decided by Panathinaikos's ability to protect the paint and convert in crunch time.

Paint Presence and Second-Chance Points

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens built its victory on interior dominance, where Kenneth Faried and Mathias Lessort combined for 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Faried's eight rebounds—three of them offensive—translated into second-chance opportunities that Monaco's smaller frontcourt couldn't contain. The home side's two-point field-goal percentage hovered near 55 percent, a byproduct of relentless drives and cuts that exploited gaps in the visitors' defensive rotations. Meanwhile, Monaco's Jaron Blossomgame and Juhann Begarin labored through a combined 8-of-15 inside, unable to match the physicality. When Cedi Osman added three steals and a pair of triples for the Greens, the supporting cast ensured Monaco never found a clean path to the rim.

The Fourth-Quarter Stranglehold

Monaco clawed to within seven early in the final period, but a three-minute stretch midway through the quarter sealed their fate. With the score 73-65 at the 5:13 mark, Panathinaikos unleashed a 10-2 burst anchored by TJ Shorts's back-to-back buckets and Kenneth Faried's putback off an offensive rebound. The visitors' offense stalled; Mike James misfired on a contested three, and Elie Okobo turned the ball over under ball pressure. By the time Kendrick Nunn drilled a dagger triple at 1:25 to push the lead to 86-74, the rout was on. Monaco's inability to generate clean looks against Panathinaikos's switching defense—paired with careless passing in the half-court—allowed the hosts to control tempo and bleed the clock. A late Juhann Begarin putback with 32 seconds left provided cosmetic mercy, but the outcome had long been decided.

Series Shifts to the Principality

The victory vaults Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens into the driver's seat, needing just one more win in the next four games to advance. Their interior size and Shorts's ability to dissect zone defenses give them a clear blueprint for the road ahead. AS Monaco, meanwhile, must regroup quickly; their perimeter shooting—a season-long strength—deserted them when it mattered most, and Mike James cannot shoulder the offensive load alone. Game Two in the Principality becomes a must-win for the visitors, who now face the unenviable task of stealing one back on hostile ground or watching their postseason dreams evaporate. For Panathinaikos, the path to the next round has never looked clearer.