It was a brief interlude that ended in the best possible way for Panathinaikos. Although the Greens had to enter the (for them) unknown process of the Play-In, they didn't let a depleted Monaco block their path to the Playoffs.
With T.J. Shorts delivering arguably his best game with the clover (21 pts, 8/11 2-pointers, 1/2 3-pointers, 2/2 FTs, 3 rebs, 2 asts) and the Telekom Center Athens igniting with 18,000 fans, Panathinaikos was the absolute boss of the game and secured their ticket to the Euroleague Playoffs, where they will face Valencia with a home-court disadvantage.
- WON BECAUSE… on the one hand, they relied on their defense, which gave them the impetus to control the match and consistently maintain a double-digit lead, and on the other hand, because Monaco had no solutions, no strength, and with only Mike James, they couldn't contend with the full and determined Panathinaikos.
- THE DIFFERENCE MAKER WAS… T.J. Shorts (21 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts) who made his presence felt from the very start of the game, earning him the title of the game's MVP.
- WORTHY SUPPORT CAME FROM… Kenneth Faried who delivered one of his best performances in green, scoring 13 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 20:30 minutes of play.
- DEFEATED BUT… Mike James was phenomenal and did everything for his team, with 25 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.
- COULD HAVE DONE BETTER… Elie Okobo, who didn't help his team at all.
Quarter scores: 23-14, 49-34, 66-57, 87-79.