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Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens secured the No. 7 seed in the EuroLeague playoffs with an 87-79 win over AS Monaco on Tuesday at Telekom Center Athens.
The Greek side will now face Valencia Basket in a best-of-five series, with the Spanish club holding home-court advantage after finishing second in the regular season.
TJ Shorts led the hosts with 21 points, matching his season high, while delivering a decisive impact after entering early in the first quarter.
Monaco opened the game on a 6-0 run, but the momentum shifted quickly once Shorts checked in, producing 11 points and three assists in the opening quarter.
Panathinaikos built a 23-14 lead after one period and extended it to 49-34 at halftime behind efficient interior scoring and transition execution.
Mathias Lessort anchored the paint, while Kenneth Faried added 13 points and eight rebounds, helping the home team control the physical battle.
Rebounding proved decisive, as the Greens finished with a 37-30 edge, including 16 offensive boards that created second-chance opportunities.
Ball security also tilted the game, with Panathinaikos committing just seven turnovers compared to Monaco’s 13, limiting transition chances for the visitors.
Monaco, limited to eight available players, stayed within range late as Mike James scored 25 points with seven assists and five rebounds.
The French side cut the deficit to seven points in the final minutes, but could not generate enough stops to complete the comeback.
Alpha Diallo added 12 points, while no other Monaco player reached double figures, underscoring the scoring imbalance.
Panathinaikos, which finished the regular season 22-16, now shifts focus to Valencia, emphasizing rebounding discipline and shot efficiency as key factors in the upcoming series.
Monaco will have another opportunity to reach the postseason, hosting Barcelona on Friday for the final playoff spot.
