BallinEurope

Valencia refuse to blink and reach Euroleague Final Four

Emmet Ryan — Wed, 13 May 2026 21:58:34 +0000

Valencia took the best punches Panathinaikos could throw and asked them to hit harder. In only their second ever trip to the playoffs, they are headed to the Euroleague Final Four. Emmet Ryan on how hockey subs, an unselfish attitude typified by Jean Montero, and a refusal to let fear creep in guided them to victory.

They never blinked. Not when they couldn’t make a shot nor when Panathinaikos made a run. Valencia stared into the bright lights of Game 5 of the Euroleague playoffs and smiled. While the score may have tightened at points, this was rarely close.

In a game that was certain to test their nerves like none prior, Valencia’s players held theirs with room to spare. Pedro Martinez’s approach has been thoroughly vindicated as the hockey subs approach worked yet again.

Jean Montero didn’t even have much of a shooting night yet he was still invaluable while Brancou Badio went 5 of 13 from the field yet was unquestionably the killer when it mattered. These guys were ready and it showed.

Seriously, Jean Montero

Jean Montero, who is somehow still being talked about in terms of jumping to the NCAA, was vital. That part was expected. What wasn’t expected was how he proved to be the man Valencia needed most in the biggest Euroleague game in their history.

Montero only took 5 shots from the field all night, making just two. The Dominican also only made 3 assists and had zero steals. Considering his season averages are over 10 FGAs and 4.7 assists, you’d have expected this to be a down night just looking at his routine big stats.

Of course, watching the game told a different tale. Montero committed to shutting the Panathinaikos offensive game down. The Euroleague Rising Star had 3 blocks to go with his 5 rebounds. That Game 5 display accounted for a quarter of all the blocks Montero made in 37 Euroleague games this season. That was sacrifice right there.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

They settled and stood tall

I don’t need to tell anyone who watched the game that the first 5 minutes of that game was ugly. With a place in the Euroleague Final Four at stake, both sides were far more concerned about stopping each other than actually constructing a decent offensive set.

Yet, despite a roster loaded with championship experience, it was Panathinaikos who stayed static longer. Valencia eased into the game much better as Pedro Martinez stuck to his plan (dude must have NHL pass with these hockey subs). After a low-scoring first, it was the hosts who pressed hard in the second quarter.

Brancou Badio was the obvious scoring outlet while Jean Montero was happy as a pig in you know what doing the hard grafting. There was a sense of inevitability at the break. Surely Panathinaikos would make them falter.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

About that

Yes the Athens club rallied to a degree but they never truly rocked Valencia. Defensively, the hosts were still making Panathinaikos work awfully hard for every bucket. This was not a case of the Greens revving up and Valencia blinking.

Moreover, Brancou Badio had exceptional timing. Just when it felt like there was a real opening for Panathinaikos to worry Valencia, he was there to get a big bucket and force the visitors to start over.

It was Valencia who looked like the team that was used to scenarios like this. Much as I have harped on about the impact of Jean Montero, big plaudits should also go to the likes of Kam Taylor, Sergio De Larrea, and Braxton Key who lived the workrate that Pedro Martinez demanded. That’s what got them to the final weekend of the Euroleague season.

Who could they fear now?

There will be a proper look ahead to Valencia in the Euroleague Final Four but this series will stand to them in Athens. We all knew about Jean Montero being the key guy going into this series and the radical brilliance of Pedro Martinez on the sidelines.

The series with Panathinaikos, especially coming back from 2-0 down, showed that this approach can survive the harshest of tests. While Brancou Badio will go down as their other key guy from this series, and arguably the season as a whole, Valencia knows they have guys that will step up.

The psychological ceiling that a team otherwise new to the Euroleague Final Four (think Fenerbahce in 2015) has been truly shattered. If they fall, it won’t be because of nerves or a lack of understanding what’s needed. They have lived through all that and come out stronger.

The post Valencia refuse to blink and reach Euroleague Final Four appeared first on BallinEurope.

Panathinaikos and Valencia have turned Game 5 into theatre

Emmet Ryan — Mon, 11 May 2026 21:01:53 +0000

They are the two greatest words in European basketball; Game 5. Wednesday’s battle between Panathinaikos and Valencia is already historic for a range of reasons but it’s the drama behind this burgeoning Euroleague rivalry that has got a continent salivating. Emmet Ryan on what promises to be an extraordinary night.

The first two games teed everything up so well while leaving us all fearing it wouldn’t last long. Panathinaikos taking both of the opening clashes in Valencia in dramatic fashion had everyone’s attention.

Of course, it felt like we wouldn’t get to see this series come back to the Roig Arena. Surely the 7 time Euroleague champions would close out the deal? We all know what happened next and how the reactions from those involved have poured oil on the fire of this rivalry.

Characters welcome?

The quick recap of the not actually basketball bits. Dimitrios Giannakopoulos got suspended by Euroleague for three games for his actions in Game 2. The Panathinaikos owner said he was taking an indefinite leave from social media afterwards.

Ergin Ataman and Pedro Martinez both got ejected from Game 3, in the OAKA which Valencia won. A dramatic photo of the contrasting emotions in the moment led to fierce debate online about it being doctored.

Turns out the photo was real but slightly doctored. AI changed the number on the jersey of Nigel Hayes Davis and slightly adjusted the hair of others but all of this seemed to be to remove the watermark from Getty. Here’s the Getty original, no I’m not linking to the doctored pic.

After Valencia won Game 4, Giannakopoulos had one game left in his suspension. He ended his social media hiatus and now he wants Valencia to help him get Euroleague to lift that game from his ban. All normal stuff.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

So about the basketball

The narrative through this from just the on the court action has been incredible. There was Valencia’s extraordinary comeback that came up short in Game 1. The Nigel Hayes Davis moment capped an amazing Game 2.

Then, in Athens, Valencia came out swinging in Game 3, only for the Greens to just come up short in their fightback. Game 4 was a glorious hot mess when Jean Montero was just too much on the night for Panathinaikos.

There has been so little time to catch your breath in this series. No lead has been safe and, more importantly, no dreadful spell has proven completely fatal to either side. These are two heavyweights that are throwing everything at each other. In a fight like that, both sides are going to stumble.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

So we await Wednesday

My mother doesn’t know it yet but her dinner is going to be early on Wednesday. I’ve got to get back to mine in time for the start of this one. This series already had all-time potential after the first two games. With Valencia now matching Real Madrid’s feat by becoming the first side to go 0-2 down and then win twice on the road, business has gone up a level.

Anything barring a 20+ pasting and this series is in the books as a contender for the greatest in Euroleague history. The sheer amount of tension and just plain dislike that these two teams and fanbases have for each other add to it more.

Sport is nothing and that makes it mean everything. Panathinaikos want to qualify to play a Final Four at home. Valencia just want to make one for the first time ever. A roaring sea of orange will be faced down by an opposing head coach who feeds off their dislike. Everything about this screams chaotic nonsense and I’m awfully excited for it. You should be too.

The post Panathinaikos and Valencia have turned Game 5 into theatre appeared first on BallinEurope.

Rytas complete the impossible to win Basketball Champions League

Emmet Ryan — Sat, 09 May 2026 21:24:34 +0000

This was over. It was done. Until it wasn’t. Rytas came into Badalona with house money and they bet big on themselves to pull off the greatest comeback in Basketball Champions League history. Emmet Ryan on a stunning night that left AEK in tatters.

Basketball is a 40 minute game. The game isn’t over until the final horn sounds. Never has that truism been more worth stating than tonight in Badalona. Rytas had brought the bodies with them from Vilnius but looked certain to be leaving disappointed.

They were simply awful for more than half the final of the Basketball Champions Leage. Then Simonas Lukosius decided that he wasn’t going down without a fight. That rallied the red and black army around him as Rytas recorded one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport to stun AEK.

Terms of engagement

This one started with both sides happy to go deep in the shot clock. Both AEK and Rytas were more than willing to bide their time to create the best scoring opportunity. The key difference came on how each addressed the defensive side of the game.

For Rytas, it was a case of trying to contain space and reduce the quality of opportunities for the Athens club. AEK meanwhile started the Basketball Champions League final looking to take out some bodies. The sheer physicality on D was obvious from the off and the shutdown of Arturas Gudaitis at the basket emphasised the point.

As with their semi-final win over Unicaja Malaga, AEK were happy to spread the ball when it came to scoring opportunities. So long as it made life painful for Rytas, they were happy. With Rytas unquestionably in need of second-chance opportunities more in this game, AEK made sure the Vilnius club paid a heavy price for each of them.

Frank Bartley starts cooking

There has been a simple rule for AEK in the Basketball Champions League this season. If Frank Bartley has a good scoring night, they win. Bartley wasted little time getting to work, with a three to open AEK’s account in the game.

After a bit of a lull for the Athens club following a first quarter timeout by Rytas, the season MVP stepped things up a notch. He had 8 points on the board inside of 8 minutes and he was finding multiple ways to hurt Rytas.

Whatever hope Rytas had going into this one heavily depended on containing Bartley. While AEK were unselfish bullies in their win on Thursday, they were getting the best of both worlds in this. Bartley was a great first option and he drew enough attention to ensure there was always someone else open if he didn’t like the look.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

Devastating depth

Lukas Lekavicius and James Nunnally both decided they wanted this to be an easy night. The duo came off the bench and went to work with authority. Lekavicius opened the second quarter scoring right in the faces of the core support of Rytas.

Then Nunnally decided he wanted a lot of the same. Within 6 minutes of his introduction, the well-travelled American had 11 points including making a trio of shots from deep. The result was the lead ballooning to 15 points early in the second quarter and AEK could taste a second Basketball Champions League crown already.

That’s what this side has been able to show all season. Dragan Sakota has built an unselfish but aggressive monster. The combination of size and shooting depth is unmatched in this competition. Sakota can keep rolling in serious threats to ramp up the tempo at will.

Winning time?

The last 4:58 of the first half felt crucial to deciding the outcome of this game. AEK led by 12, a margin that no team had come back from in a Basketball Champions League final. To buck history, Rytas needed something really special before they went to the locker rooms.

While the AEK offensive game got a little bit sidetracked, they locked down defensively, reducing Rytas to some poor looks. The 2018 champions felt like they were one bucket away from truly blowing this game open.

Nobody scored more than Rytas in the first half of games in the BCL this season, averaging 46.1 entering the final. AEK stuffed them and kept them to just 25, including going scoreless for the final 5.57 of the half. The bucket AEK needed came on a RaiQuan Gray put back with 24 seconds left in the half. Nunnally added another pair from the free throw line to put this one beyond doubt at the half.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

Yet they couldn’t make it easy on themselves

Well, that fourth quarter was really something. Rytas finally found something offensively as both Speedy Smith and Jerrick Harding hit form at the same time. That created more room on the outside and the ultimate comeback was on.

Having led by as much as 20 in the third quarter, AEK’s lead was down to 5 points with 3:50 left on the clock. The game nature of Rytas had got them back in the fight and there were shades of Istanbul 2012, when Olympiaco overcame CSKA Moscow.

Rytas tied it up late and had a Speedy Smith prayer shot to potentially win it in regulation. Yet they couldn’t quite close out the comeback there. Still, Rytas had already done the unthinkable by coming back into it. Overtime was there for the taking.

Even when their team was in a big hole, the Rytas fans who made the trip from Vilnius kept believing until the end.
Photo: Basketball Champions League.

Five minutes of fury

No team in Basketball Champions League history had ever come back from the types of deficits Rytas faced in this final. Rytas had never played so poorly in the first half of any BCL game they’d every played. They looked done and dusted before the final quarter started.

Yet here they were, rocking out to an 8 point lead without reply to start the first ever overtime in a BCL title game. The red and black horde that had made the trip from Vilnius was in full song with AEK feeling the pressure.

Simonas Lukosius was writing himself into Rytas lore with every play. this was there for Rytas. The Vilnius club was rising to the occasion in unreal style.

Think of the context

This is a Rytas team that has been the peak team for drama in the Basketball Champions League ever since it joined the competition. They were going up against a team that had been able to take control and maintain it against so many top sides all season.

Yet Rytas simply never stopped believing. They embraced the underdog spirit like few could and claim a first ever Basketball Champions League title, in a final that will not so much live long in the memory as it will be etched there permanently.

Sport is made better by miracles and that’s what we saw in Badalona on Saturday night. In an arena where Lithuania won Olympic bronze in 1992, Rytas wrote another extraordinary chapter in the history of basketball on Saturday night.

The post Rytas complete the impossible to win Basketball Champions League appeared first on BallinEurope.

AEK bring the hammer down on Unicaja’s three-peat dream

Emmet Ryan — Thu, 07 May 2026 21:22:57 +0000

AEK controlled every aspect of their Basketball Champions League Final Four clash with Unicaja Malaga in a statement win. The three-peat chasing Unicaja couldn’t handle the Athens club in any aspect of the game. Emmet Ryan on a most impressive display.

This was a true team effort. Everyone in a yellow jersey had one goal and that was to make life hell for Unicaja Malaga. AEK were bullies that played unselfish basketball to utterly dominate Unicaja.

Having come to Badalona seeking a Basketball Champions League three-peat, Unicaja instead face the ignominy of a third place game with Tenerife. For AEK, this huge night was bigger than even their most die-hard supporters expected.

An opening for the purists

The best chance AEK had coming into this game was to make it uncomfortable for Unicaja Malaga. That they would make it uncomfortable for the neutral viewer was irrelevant. The Athens side was brutally effective in its first quarter strategy.

Unicaja were limited to just 4 of 17 from the field as AEK went all-out to disrupt everything. They were five menaces in yellow determined to prevent anything approaching a basketball game breaking out.

This was not pleasant basketball but, my word, it was brilliantly effective. AEK’s 5 point lead at the end of the first also worked to drain Unicaja. A quarter with just 23 points total scored isn’t exactly a good product but basketball on this continent is more than that. It’s a sport where everything is on the table when it comes to finding a way to win.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

Sharing the load

An actual basketball game broke out in the second quarter but it was still very much played on AEK’s terms. That they were able to build a 10 point lead by the middle of the second quarter without anyone over 5 points proved telling.

The willingness to change the point of attack and be unselfish ensured a well-maintained grip on the tone of play. David Kravish was the only player with any joy offensively for Unicaja Malaga as the Athens club continued to frustrate them.

AEK kept piling it on. They were simply too strong for Malaga in every department. Then came the exclamation point. A Greg Brown III dunk in transition moved the lead to 17 points. The three-peat attempt was being dismantled in dominant fashion.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

This was workrate

Obviously AEK have serious talent on their roster. You don’t get to this stage of the Basketball Champions League without it. What we saw on Thursday night was much more than that. It was an obsessive belief in the whole.

By the time the second half started, James Nunnally was the only player with more than 2 field goals. They were the living embodiment of Al Pacino’s speech from Any Given Sunday, tearing themselves apart for that inch.

It’s not that Unicaja Malaga weren’t trying, they simply didn’t have it in them on the day to be this ruthless. Even after getting the first three buckets of the third quarter, it didn’t feel like a comeback was in the offing. There was no reason to think they could outlast, let alone overhaul, this AEK side.

A different challenge but the same task

The one area where AEK know Rytas Vilnius will match them is workrate. The question for this side ahead of the final is one of control. If they can set the terms on which the final is played, they should have more than enough for the Lithuanian club.

They should still be wary. Rytas enter this game as underdogs and will have the crowd on their side. Once more, they are playing with house money. That’s a risky foe on any given night.

Yet, seeing AEK this comprehensive makes it hard to look past them. How often can you call bullying unselfish? That’s what we really saw in Badalona on Thursday night. A repeat of this, and there are few of the prior 9 championship teams in Basketball Champions League history that could live with them.

The post AEK bring the hammer down on Unicaja’s three-peat dream appeared first on BallinEurope.

Rytas outsmart Tenerife to reach BCL title game

Emmet Ryan — Thu, 07 May 2026 18:27:01 +0000

Rytas arrived from Vilnius playing with house money, having reached the Basketball Champions League final four for the first time ever. La Laguna Tenerife were more than familiar with both the stage and the venue in Badalona. The freedom from pressure felt decisive, writes Emmet Ryan, as even the heroics of Marcelinho Huertas weren’t enough to save Tenerife.

Basketball is a simple game. If you get to do what you want more often than the other team, you’ll probably win. Rytas entered their Basketball Champions League semi final with La Laguna Tenerife as underdogs. Yet they dictated the terms of engagement for the bulk of this encounter.

There were individual heroics, most notably for Marcelinho Huertas, but it was the ability to get more from second and third options proved decisive here. This was a cerebral one to kick off the festivities in Badalona.

Huertas vs Everybody

The first quarter saw Rytas deploy an obvious and smart strategy. The Lithuanian club was just plain ageist. That meant lots of movement in the offensive half court and physicality on the other end. While that meant the foul count racked up fast, it played into their strengths.

Speedy Smith in particular benefited from the work of his youthful colleagues. Yet for all the pressure to force second chance opportunities, they couldn’t slow down the oldest man on the floor. Marcelinho Huertas came to play.

Huertas scored 8 points in the opening quarter, while also recording 1 rebound and 1 block. He didn’t need to be creator in chief against this style of Rytas D. So he picked his spots and made the energy-sapping approach of the Lithuanian club hit a clear ceiling.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

Tempo control

Rytas changed things up in a good way to start the second quarter. They forced the game to take up more of the floor, with broken play the norm. This allowed Martynas Paliukenas and Jerrick Harding, amongst others to take full advantage.

It was all too familiar of the prior year, even if it was a different opponent, for Tenerife. In a one-off situation, it’s possible to wear down these old legs. Outside of Marcelinho Huertas, who continued to deliver, there wasn’t anyone getting it done offensively.

When Giorgi Shermadini made a put-back with just under 4 minutes left in the second, it felt like a necessary one. The Islanders just weren’t looking where they needed to be. Aaron Doornekamp and Tim Abromaitis picking up their third fouls only compounded the problems. With Rokas Giedraitis picking up a bad injury late in the half, it was getting ugly. In truth, Huertas was the reason this was still a contest at the half.

Rytas fans travelled in big numbers from Vilnius to watch their team reach the title game of the Basketball Champions League. Photo: BCL
BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

Shrugging off the beast

It took long enough but Marcelinho Huertas finally started to get some help out there come the middle of the third quarter. Fran Guerra, Joan Sastra, and Patty Mills began to bounce back from woeful opening halves for Tenerife as the Islanders slowed the pace down enormously.

Yet Rytas found a way to keep ahead. The Lithuanians grabbed more offensive rebounds in the third quarter than they had in the entire first half. Tenerife briefly had it back to a possession between them before the Vilnius club stretched it out again.

Rytas took Tenerife’s best shot and shook it off. The fourth quarter felt controlled as the Vilnius club simply took care of business. In their first ever trip to the big dance, the Vilnius club had earned a title shot. A sea of red is sure to sweep Badalona on Saturday.

The post Rytas outsmart Tenerife to reach BCL title game appeared first on BallinEurope.

Achille Polonara leaves basketball beloved and unbowed

Emmet Ryan — Tue, 05 May 2026 15:23:14 +0000

This is not a time to be sad. It is one of celebration. Achille Polonara has announced his retirement from basketball. Obviously we’ll miss him but he won’t be far away. Emmet Ryan on a man whose approach on the court led to so much love when he needed it away from it.

Achille Polonara tried. He had resumed individual training with a goal of making it back from cancer to the top level of basketball for a second time. That he opted against returning to play because, at 34, he felt he couldn’t be the player he wanted to be should be lauded. As a player, he always held himself to a high standard to inspire those around them. Even in retirement, he’s doing the same.

This is a man who has been through the kind of hell that none of us want to ever deal with. Polonara has made it out the other side twice and he’s always found a way to smile.

“I’ll miss you basketball” was his final line in the announcement. Not as much as we’ll miss you big guy.

A wandering winner

Achille Polonara’s career was a journey but he would never be confused with a journeyman. First there was the tour of Italy through Teramo, Varese, Reggio Emilia, and Sassari. Then he took his talents to Baskonia, Fenerbahce, Anadolu Efes, and Zalgiris Kaunas, before a final Italian swing at Virtus Bologna and Sassari again.

All the way he learned to adapt and find a way to help his team win. With Sassari there was the FIBA Europe Cup in 2019. A year later, in the pandemic shortened season, he won the ACB title with Baskonia, then came titles in Turkiye and Lithuania. His last crown, a Scudetto, was won by Virtus the day after it was announced he was being treated for cancer a second time.

Wherever Polonara went, he was plug and play. The more variety he experienced in the basketball world, the easier it became for him to adapt. Moreover, that breadth of experience gave him a level of understanding that enabled him to make even the players better than him deliver more efficiently. He was a coach’s dream for productive harmony.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

The modern template

That run to the FIBA Europe Cup with Sassari followed by the ACB crown with Baskonia told a lot in the stats. His average night across those runs, at all levels, was 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal, while shooting comfortably over 40 per cent from deep.

It was the ideal set-up for a fourth or fifth option on a top tier team in Europe, especially one mindful of efficiency. Career wise in Euroleague the stats don’t hold up to the same degree but, when usage rate is factored in, that is largely remedied.

Achille Polonara’s game wasn’t about being the superstar but making the collective work of the five guys on the floor better. That meant doing what was needed to find that extra half metre of space for a shooter, switching tighter to force steal opportunities for others, and generally seeing the court at the broad level. Stars make headlines, Polonara wanted to make possessions.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

A national team fighter

When Italy named him to their provisional roster for EuroBasket 2025, it was a touching moment but one rooted in his contribution over the years. He fought and scrapped whenever called upon to wear the jersey. Marco Spissu wearing his number 33 in tribute was the perfect tribute through the tournament.

Sassari, with whom he was sadly unable to ever lace up formally in a competitive game, made sure he was part of the family. Every time he made an appearance, across Europe, we as fans and journalists were thrilled to see him and that big smile.

Achille Polonara has survived, twice, to see how much people love what he gave them through basketball. We in Europe love to take digs at each other, sometimes a bit too far, yet I remember the reaction when he made his first comeback. Everyone was overjoyed to see him on the court.

Have a healthy life Achille. I’ll raise a glass to you on my travels this week.

The post Achille Polonara leaves basketball beloved and unbowed appeared first on BallinEurope.

European basketball is wasting its biggest nights

Emmet Ryan — Sun, 03 May 2026 03:00:26 +0000

It’s a great time of year if you’re a basketball fan. All four of the pan-continental competitions have either reached or are hitting their climaxes. Yet all involved with the Euroleague, the Basketball Champions League, Eurocup, and the FIBA Europe Cup missed opportunities. Emmet Ryan on why scheduling collaboration is needed.
It’s a simple problem and one that fans have been vocal about. On too many big nights, time slots are far too crowded for committed European basketball fans. When they should be encouraged to watch more games, they are being forced to make tough choices.

Last week had playoff games in the Euroleague stacked against each other in overlapping time slots. The coming week isn’t a lot better. Meanwhile the FIBA Europe Cup finals were, once again, up against impossible competition. Throw in the Basketball Champions League Final Four in Badalona clashing with potential Game 4s in Euroleague and it’s a right mess.

It’s also one that is reducing the overall broadcasting revenue pie for everyone involved. This is not just a calendar issue, it’s a value one too.

Splitting the audience

Let me tell you something you already know, European basketball’s four competitions aren’t serving entirely separate viewing bases. Yes, an Olympiacos basketball fan will prioritise Olympiacos football over any other basketball team but football already eats enough of the pie without hoops helping it.

It’s also impossible to give absolutely every event its own window. It’s still worth trying to create space when it can be done. The Basketball Champions League Final Four is going up against potential Game 4 action in the Euroleague this coming Friday. Had Barcelona beaten AS Monaco in the play-in, there’d have been games in both a short metro ride from each other on the same night.

Then we drop down to the FIBA Europe Cup. It had a real event feel on site. The crowds in Thessaloniki and Bilbao absolutely brought it. Yet it wasn’t able to be amplified to any degree due to the obvious dominance of the Euroleague’s loaded playoff schedule.

This isn’t an attack on the Euroleague

The last paragraph certainly read like it was. This wasn’t a matter of Euroleague benefiting from clearing the decks so PAOK and Bilbao Basket could have their moment. It’s a sign of the wider challenges with effectively zero calendar cooperation.

The game in Bilbao tipped 45 minutes before Real Madrid’s Game 1 against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Every single viewer that would have been open to watching both, had to make a call. That has a knock-on financial impact.

When a broadcaster buys sports rights, they’re buying appointment viewing. Basketball fans may be a niche but they are a clear one. The potential revenue from ad sales, sponsorship, and broadcast rights on both games dropped as a result. With one game, that may not look like a lot but it is a compounding process.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

Cannibalising your own product

If this were just a matter of the lack of collaboration between FIBA and the Euroleague it would be one thing. Yet the internal decision making at both merits some serious questions. Having three games each Tuesday and Thursday in the first week of the playoffs was just a terrible look for the Euroleague.

It, of course, was worse than that as less than an hour separated the three tipoff times. That basically nuked the potential for lead-in audiences from one game to another. Furthermore, Game 2 of the Eurocup finals overlapped as well. That meant the secondary competition of the Euroleague had no hope of gaining any kind of casual audience.

Considering the rivalry between Fenerbahce and Besiktas in all sports, that was just a poor call. Not that FIBA gets off scott free here. Its premier 3×3 event in Europe, the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup was held the same weekend as the round of 16 at EuroBasket 25. That ruined any hope of an obvious casual viewer boost for the former event.

Again, this leaves money on the table

The calendar cramming at this stage of the season highlights a year-long issue. Decisions on when games start are excessively localised. Obviously the core local market will always be the biggest single earner but you grow the pot by maximising your revenue sources.

That means clear windows and a sensible schedule designed to get the most out of both sides, local and non-core fan viewers. Suppose FC Barcelona had made the playoffs and there was collaboration between the Euroleague and the Basketball Champions League?

They could have turned Wednesday through Sunday of this coming week into a loaded basketball festival across 4 of 5 nights. Barcelona and Badalona, separated by 45 minutes on public transport, both shining a spotlight on the sport. Instead, had Barcelona qualified, it would have been a direct clash.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

It’s about what’s best for business

It’s rare when idealism and mammon are on the same page. When there are, those with decision-making power should take note. The vast bulk of the constraints to a more viewer-friendly schedule are self-made. The hurdles that are there with domestic broadcast deals can be overcome if those broadcasters. Broadcasters like making money and they will see the potential to benefit from a better structured schedule.

There is no need for Europe’s top basketball events to fall directly on top of each other so much. The Euroleague and FIBA/Basketball Champions League don’t even have to like each other to see the financial benefit in collaborating. Even without collaboration, each can do more to better package the calendars they directly control.

The status quo isn’t just leaving money on the table by making fans choose. It’s limiting the potential to grow the audience by reducing ease of access for potential new fans. That reduces the appeal to those willing to spend commercially on every aspect of the product. That’s just not good business.

The post European basketball is wasting its biggest nights appeared first on BallinEurope.

Real Madrid turn crisis into control

Emmet Ryan — Fri, 01 May 2026 22:05:03 +0000

No Edy, no problem. Real Madrid reminded us just how capable they are of adapting, even without Walter Tavares. On Friday night, missing arguably their most important player, they just plain decided they would beat Hapoel Tel Aviv in Game 2 of the Euroleague playoffs. Emmet Ryan on the sheer inevitability of Los Blancos.

Losing Walter Tavares, for what looks to be a long time, should have been a huge blow to Real Madrid. Yet, here they sit, 2-0 up in the Euroleague playoffs. This, after Hapoel Tel Aviv delivered a great first half of basketball, felt inevitable. When Edy goes down, someone else steps up.

Los Blancos extended their already ludicrous home record this season to 20-1 in Euroleague and 31-3 in all competitions. Facundo Campazzo, Theo Maledon, and Usman Garuba all showed next man up mentality.

They took the hit

Hapoel Tel Aviv came to play and had a good plan. So often this season, Real Madrid have stepped on the gas in the second quarter to put their opponents in a hole. On both Wednesday and, moreso, Friday, Hapoel fought to stay with them. Indeed, the visitors held the lead at the break.

Yet everything looked smooth for Real Madrid. Walter Tavares is arguably the most important piece on their roster. Only Facundo Campazzo can compare when it comes to on-court impact. Yet they just rolled with it. Alex Len and Usman Garuba effectively combined to fill the Edy-shaped hole in the team.

More importantly, it was the aggregate product that made a difference. Len isn’t Tavares and Real didn’t shy away from that. When he needed help D that Edy wouldn’t, Mario Hezonja or someone else in white was there to pick up the slack.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

Resistance is futile

Just when Hapoel Tel Aviv thought they had the answers, Real Madrid went and changed the question. The run that Los Blancos had to start the third quarter, effectively taking charge of the game, was defined by variety.

The visitors simply didn’t know who was going to hurt them next. Real Madrid has a diverse cast of players. Theo Maledon, Garuba, Hezonja, Facu, and Gabriel Deck gel together brilliantly while having wildly different forms of attack. Deck’s relatively limited usage, only four shots but three of them made, showed the unselfish approach taken by this side.

The team with the most to worry about was a sea of cool heads. Hapoel meanwhile had Vasilije Micic losing his and fouling out on second technical. The difference was staggering. It felt like it didn’t matter who was wearing a white jersey, everyone played with the attitude of those who had done it all before and knew what was needed to do it again. Of course, most of them had done it before in the Euroleague playoffs and it showed.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

The safest 2-0 lead?

Considering Fenerbahce utterly outplayed Zalgiris in both of their games and Olympiacos were even more emphatic against AS Monaco, that may seem a stretch. Yet at least with both of those series, there’s enough of a mix in terms of volatility that while extremely unlikely it’s not entirely unthinkable they would go to a Game 5.

After witnessing Real Madrid’s adjustment tonight, it feels even less plausible that this series will make it back to Madrid. Hapoel Tel Aviv got handed an opportunity, looked ready to take it, then it just vanished. Experience matters in the Euroleague playoffs and Los Blancos made theirs count.

Maybe, maybe, this series lasts until Friday. I doubt it. Even without Walter Tavares, there are match-up issues everywhere for Hapoel. You remove a top 2 player from most contenders and it’s a cause for panic. For Real Madrid, it’s at most a minor inconvenience.

The post Real Madrid turn crisis into control appeared first on BallinEurope.

Nikola Jokic is right: the Denver Nuggets need changes

Emmet Ryan — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:37:22 +0000

It was a grim exit from the NBA Playoffs for the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic knew it too. While he urged against panic, the greatest player in the game today said change is needed. That’s easy to say but making it happen, necessary as it is, won’t be easy, writes Emmet Ryan.

The Denver Nuggets crashed out of the NBA Playoffs in ignominious style on Thursday night. A beaten up and battered Minnesota Timberwolves was still able to take care of business comfortably.

The question, naturally, is what comes next. Nikola Jokic didn’t hold back in his postgame comments. Change is required. What the Nuggets can do to improve their chances in a stacked Western Conference is the big question.

The Timberwolves exposed Denver

Nikola Jokic spoke harshly but truly after the game. “They were just better in basically every aspect of the game…we are far away. If we were in Serbia, we would all get fired.” The Denver Nuggets haven’t reached the Western Conference Finals since winning the championship in 2023.

Now, they’ve exited in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and look on a downward trend. There was no Anthony Edwards available for Minnesota and the Timberwolves essentially worked off a six man rotation. Yet the Denver Nuggets couldn’t take advantage. Even allowing for the absence of Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, this was still a very winnable situation.

Jamal Murray’s rotten shooting night will get most of the blame but none of the Nuggets could make a field goal in the closing stages. Plus, this was Murray’s best ever regular season. The issues go much deeper. This series was a referendum on the roster that has been constructed.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

The flaws were already visible

While the regular season record was an improvement on last year, it’s not like we couldn’t see Denver’s issues. All the offensive strengths were obvious yet there were warning signs around the Denver Nuggets on D all season. They simply weren’t amongst the elite all season. A first round exit in the NBA Playoffs was always a risk with that flaw.

Denver’s vulnerabilities became most clear when opponents made games about athleticism and physicality. These were previously core strengths for the Nuggets but the Minnesota Timberwolves put an exclamation point on the issues in Game 6.

It comes from what isn’t there after the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray connection. If an opponent can use length to disrupt Murray, there’s simply not a viable option to adjust. Meanwhile Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon all bring continuity but that’s not enough. The Nuggets sorely need added creativity offensively and disruption on D.

Game 6 in context

The performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night highlighted these issues. The TWolves managed to get 32 points from Jaden McDaniels and 24 from Terrence Shannon Jr. Minnesota also outrebounded Denver 50-33.

Minnesota have Plans C and D, Denver has at best a Plan B right now. In the regular season, you can get a pretty good record with just Plan A and B. That’s doubly true when Plan A is Nikola Jokic.

In the NBA Playoffs, with rare exceptions like Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks getting to the West finals a couple of seasons back, that just doesn’t cut it. It’s frustrating and hardly a new issue. Mike Malone arguably lost his job over a year ago because of this. David Adelman inherited a roster with these problems and the front office still hasn’t fixed them.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

Denver can’t spend its way out

Change is needed but it won’t be easy. The Denver Nuggets aren’t entering the summer with meaningful cap space. They’re already close to the second apron, which limits flexibility in roster building and trades only become tougher to make.

The good news is that Jonas Valanciunas and his $10 million salary will almost certainly come off the books. He seems certain to go to Euroleague after a woeful season in Denver. The worst of the bad news is that Peyton Watson is a restricted free agent. The Nuggets would appear to rather keep him so that’s going to take some work.

The goal is to add at least one guard worthy of real playoff minutes to the roster, ideally strong on D. Even if they pull that off, at least one more reliable defensive presence is needed. It’s hardly a deep market and options are already limited.

Finding practical fixes

There will be no shortage of voices amongst Denver Nuggets fans clamouring for Jamal Murray to depart. An early exit from the NBA Playoffs finishing with a rotten night for him will do that. Yet, from my perspective, his importance remains clear and this feels like an aberrant night.

The first look should be a guard who can manage the minutes without Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray. A Tyus Jones or Monte Morris type is one to look at. Depending on how the remainder of his summer goes, Dennis Schröder might be available. Granted, that may cause panic in Mile High city.

The second need is someone to add to Peyton Watson style wise defensively. Think Gary Payton II or Nickeil Alexander-Walker in profile. Again, these options are thin on the ground and will likely involve trading a beloved player or two. It’s tough but 2023 is getting further in the rear view mirror. Some adored pieces have to be let go if Denver wants to learn from their exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The post Nikola Jokic is right: the Denver Nuggets need changes appeared first on BallinEurope.

This is why Panathinaikos signed Nigel Hayes Davis

Emmet Ryan — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:20:35 +0000

Has a 2-0 lead ever been so hard-won? Nigel Hayes Davis had an all-timer moment in a brilliant performance as Panathinaikos took full control of their series with Valencia in the Euroleague playoffs. Emmet Ryan on a second straight classic.

Let me tell you something you already know. That was awesome. The only thing standing between this Euroleague playoffs series between Valencia and Panathinaikos not being on course for being the greatest ever is the risk of a sweep.

After the dramatic and drawn out comeback of Valencia on Tuesday night, Thursday was a more balanced brawl. Both teams had their runs. Each of them had moments where it looked like they could take charge. Only one had Nigel Hayes Davis on the ball with the clock about to hit zero in overtime.

We start with the finish

You’ve seen the play. You’ve seen replays and you’ve probably seen alternate angles. Nigel Hayes Davis knew he was going to be the man getting the ball for Panathinaikos. Valencia, by and large, knew he was getting it. Yet even with well-structured D, there was nothing they could do about it when he decided to win the game.

In the post-game, Ergin Ataman was rightly asked if it was tough to decide who was getting the ball for that shot. Panathinaikos had, after all, plenty of guys who had made huge shots under pressure during the game. When your options include Kendrick Nunn, Juancho Hernangomez, and Cedi Osman, it’s possible for the decision to be challenging.

Yet Ataman was equally right when he said it was an easy call. Nigel Hayes Davis was signed for a reason. Panathinaikos, especially while Mathias Lessort was injured, needed something, someone, to turn their season around. Hayes Davis was signed to be it. He was signed for moments like this in the Euroleague Playoffs. He proved his worth in the moment.

BallinEurope is ramping up its YouTube game this season. Subscribe to our channel now for player exclusives, analysis videos, and much more.

He also proved his worth before that

The shot is what everyone will remember from Game 2. Yet it didn’t come out of nowhere. Nigel Hayes Davis was downright brilliant in this game. His final line of 27 points on 8/17 shooting, to go with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal, somewhat distracts from his game.

This wasn’t a case of him being a volume shooter in the normal sense. Panathinaikos needed him to keep firing, essentially as a space threat at will. If Valencia didn’t excessively cover him, Hayes Davis was ready to make them pay at will.

The willingness of Hayes Davis, an extraordinarily calm figure to talk to, to be so aggressive in pushing it freed up those around him. In the Euroleague playoffs, efficiency is a team affair not an individual one. The American worried less about his to help raise the whole of Panathinaikos.

BallinEurope has a book, a real life actual book called I Like it Loud, and you can buy it on Amazon now. It’s here as a book and here in Kindle form.

Please give us more of this

This site is, by its nature, neutral. Yet every neutral will tell you honestly that few things would please them more than this being a full 5 game series in the Euroleague playoffs. We want three more chances for moments like the one delivered by Nigel Hayes Davis on Thursday night.

To do that, Valencia will have to somehow win twice on the road against Panathinaikos. That seems a bit too much to ask. Yet I’m confident if you catch a fan of the Greens in private, they’ll tell you this series isn’t over yet. Over two games, they have won by a combined 3 points. That said, I’m equally confident those same fans will tell you they expect PAO to progress.

The Euroleague playoffs have been a bit of a damp squib through three nights. Fenerbahce and Olympiacos are taking care of business. Real Madrid look poised to do the same. Yet these two games in Valencia have been special. If you offered me a 7, 9, 11, or even 13 game series between these two I’d take it. So too would psychiatrists in Valencia and Athens, they’d make a fortune.

The post This is why Panathinaikos signed Nigel Hayes Davis appeared first on BallinEurope.