A EuroLeague quarterfinal series. A game-winning shot by an American star silencing the opposing arena. An intense rivalry with key ejections. A road trip with extra security due to tension. One team falls behind 0-2, then fights back to level the series on the road. Sound familiar? This is the Valencia-Panathinaikos battle, heading to a decisive Game 5 on Wednesday—already one of the most thrilling series in EuroLeague history. But it also mirrors the unforgettable 2023 clash between Real Madrid and Partizan Belgrade, where everything happened.
Kevin Punter’s dagger to beat Madrid in Game 1 echoes Nigel Hayes-Davis’ buzzer-beating triple in overtime at the Roig Arena in Game 2 this season. The brawl in Game 2 in Madrid led to a five-game suspension for Guerschon Yabusele, two for Punter, and one for Mathias Lesort. After that, Madrid traveled to Belgrade under extraordinary security measures—just as Valencia did to Athens. Escaping Greece alive seemed impossible for the “taronjas,” just as it had for Real Madrid in Serbia three years ago. Yet both teams managed to reclaim home-court advantage in a stunning, hard-fought manner.
Back then, heading into Game 5 at the Palacio de los Deportes, no team had ever overcome an 0-2 deficit and won a decisive fifth game on the road. Both milestones were eventually broken: Madrid achieved the first, while the second was matched the following year by Fenerbahçe winning in Monaco and Olympiacos winning in Barcelona. Now a path exists. Who will walk it this time? Will Valencia replicate Madrid’s feat, or will Panathinaikos prove they can win away from home again?
In that 2023 series, coach Chus Mateo emerged massively strengthened. Down 32-19 in Game 3, he switched to a 2-3 zone that short-circuited Partizan’s attack. Similarly, Pedro Martínez has overcome a dire situation with his tactical adjustments. First, he brought the game back to a pace favoring his team after a low-scoring opener. Then, at the OAKA, he employed a double-team pressure on Kendrick Nunn’s dribble, limiting the star guard for long stretches in Athens.
It’s fair to say PAO was the better team in Game 1 in Valencia, dictating the tempo. But from that point, especially in Games 3 and 4, Valencia showed greater strength and clearer ideas for longer periods. Even Madrid, who ultimately prevailed, was never as dominant as Valencia has been against its rival. In fact, Madrid trailed 41-59 in the third quarter of the decisive game before the “Old Guard” (Chacho, Rudy, and Llull) rescued them and propelled the team to the Final Four.
Valencia has a different style. They prefer to chase rather than be chased. Panathinaikos is undoubtedly one of the few teams that can keep up with the torrid scoring pace Valencia imposes, led by Jean Montero, who has fully emerged as a superstar in the competition. The path may differ from Madrid’s (or maybe not), but what matters is that this team has shown the personality and quality to erase a 0-2 deficit at the OAKA. That should be enough reason to believe Madrid’s feat from three years ago can be repeated once more.