ANKARA
Olympiacos played to a thrilling 84 – 81 overtime win Friday against Türkiye’s Fenerbahce Beko and will play Barcelona in the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs.
Isaiah Canaan-led Greek powerhouse finished the regular season in the fifth position and will take on fourth-place Barcelona in the knockout phase. Already-qualified Fenerbahce finished sixth to play against Monaco in the playoffs.
The French club came third in the standings after Round 34, which was the final match week of the regular season.
Canaan from the US scored 27 points, including nine in the overtime last minutes, to be the key player at Piraeus’ Peace And Friendship Stadium.
Fenerbahce Beko were led by Nigel Hayes-Davis, who racked up 21 points for the Istanbul club.
Following Round 34, the EuroLeague’s playoff tree was almost shaped. The best-of-five playoff series will begin April 23.
Prior to the playoffs, there will be a play-in stage as the two survivors will join the playoffs.
On April 16, Israel’s Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will face Spanish club Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Play-in A in Belgrade.
On the same day, Istanbul’s Anadolu Efes will host Italian opponents Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Play-in B.
The play-in games will be played in a single game format.
The winner of Play-in A will pair with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the playoffs. Panathinaikos finished the regular season in the second position.
The losing team of Play-in A will have a second chance as it will face the winner of Play-in B; either ninth place Anadolu Efes or 10th place Virtus Segafredo Bologna in a Play-in C game, a single-leg knockout contest that will give the final ticket to the playoffs.
Whoever wins Play-in C will face Real Madrid in the last eight of the tournament. Real Madrid have already secured the 2023-24 EuroLeague regular season’s top spot.
So, Panathinaikos and Real Madrid are waiting for opponents in the playoffs.
The 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four will be held at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin in May.
Friday’s results:
Olympiacos – Fenerbahce Beko: 84-81
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade – Valencia Basket: 79-66
Virtus Segafredo Bologna – Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz: 91-95
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne – Barcelona: 76-72
