TJ Shorts walked off the court having played 22 minutes. He had scored 21 points. Nine of thirteen from the field. The game was already over by the time he sat down.
Panathinaikos are through. They beat Monaco 87-79. Next stop: Valencia Basket, quarterfinals, best-of-five.
It was not the scoreline that told the full story. Monaco shot 48% from the field — almost identical to PAO. They made 18 of 21 free throws. Mike James put up 25 points and seven assists. None of it was enough. The game was won on the glass and at the turnover line. Panathinaikos grabbed 37 rebounds to Monaco’s 30. They forced 13 turnovers from the visitors and gave up only seven. You do that in a knockout game, you go through. Simple.
Ergin Ataman brought Shorts off the bench. That decision changed the match.
The moment Shorts got on court the tempo shifted. A drive. A finish. A pull-up from the elbow. The OAKA crowd rose. Monaco had no answer — not in the second quarter, not when they tried to respond in the third. Nine-of-thirteen shooting in a Play-In game. The number is almost absurd. He looked completely comfortable.
Kenneth Faried did not get the same attention. He never does. Thirteen points, eight rebounds, a block. He was the reason PAO had sixteen offensive boards on the night. Monaco had ten. Those six extra possessions — that is a game in itself.
Nikos Rogkavopoulos hit 11. Two weeks ago he put up 24 against Efes. The form has not dipped. Kostas Sloukas — eight points, five assists, captain — made the right call every time it mattered. In knockout basketball, that is what captains are supposed to do.
Monaco came to Athens with eight fit players. Eight. That includes Mike James, who was brilliant. Alpha Diallo, who scored 12. After that? Nobody else in double figures. The squad depth difference was always going to be decisive if the game was close. It never really got close.
James had one spell in the third quarter where he dragged the deficit down to single digits. The OAKA crowd felt it for a moment. Then Shorts came back on. Then it was over again.
The numbers quarter by quarter: 23-14 after one. 49-34 at half. That fifteen-point gap at the break was not built through shooting. It was built through physicality and pressure. Monaco trimmed it to 66-57 heading into the fourth. PAO held firm. Final score 87-79.
Panathinaikos led for 33 minutes and 35 seconds of game time. Monaco led for five minutes and 41 seconds. That stat tells you everything about how one-sided the control was beneath the surface.
PAO finished the regular season 22-16. They needed a strong run at the end to get there — the Efes demolition a fortnight ago, then this. Back to back. The momentum is real.
Giannis Vardinogiannis sent a message to the squad before tip-off. The contents were not made fully public. The tone was understood by everyone inside the building.
Valencia away in the quarterfinals is not an easy draw. Second seed, home court advantage. But PAO have beaten harder opponents this season in worse moments. Shorts off the bench, Faried on the glass, Sloukas in control — that combination is good enough to cause problems for anyone in this competition.
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Panathinaikos 87-79 AS Monaco EuroLeague Play-In | Tuesday, 21 April 2026 | OAKA Arena, Athens
Quarter Scores: Q1 23-14 | Q2 49-34 (HT) | Q3 66-57 | Q4 87-79
Top Scorers — Panathinaikos: TJ Shorts 21 pts (9/13 FG, 22 mins) | Kenneth Faried 13 pts, 8 reb | Nikos Rogkavopoulos 11 pts | Cedi Osman 9 pts, 6 reb | Kostas Sloukas 8 pts, 5 ast | Mathias Lessort 8 pts
Top Scorers — Monaco: Mike James 25 pts, 7 ast, 5 reb | Alpha Diallo 12 pts
Key Stats: Rebounds PAO 37-30 (offensive 16-10) | Turnovers Monaco 13 — PAO 7 | Steals PAO 9 — Monaco 3 | FG% PAO 49% — Monaco 48% | 3PT: 7-7 | FT: Monaco 86% (18/21) — PAO 71% (10/14)
Next: Panathinaikos vs Valencia Basket — EuroLeague Quarterfinals (best-of-five, Valencia home court)
