Nikola Milutinov was the standout player for Olympiacos in the final game of the season, achieving a ranking of 28. He scored 17 points, making him the fourth highest foreign scorer in Olympiacos' history with 1,047 points, surpassing Milos Teodosic (1,043 points). The top foreign scorers for Olympiacos are:
Žarko Paspalj: 1,573 points (1992-94) David Rivers: 1,480 points (1995-97, 2000-01) Matt Lojeski: 1,159 points (2013-17) Nikola Milutinov: 1,047 points (2015-19, 2023-24) Milos Teodosic: 1,043 points (2007-11)
Milutinov set a record for Game 5 with a ranking of 28, surpassing Jamel McLean's 25 in 2018. He also became the second foreign player in Olympiacos' history to exceed 400 successful two-point shots in the Basket League, with 402/625 (64.32%) in 137 games, following Žarko Paspalj's 518.
Milutinov joined an exclusive group of six players with over 700 rebounds in Olympiacos' professional league history. He also recorded the tenth double-double of the playoffs with 17 points and 12 rebounds, his fifth of the season, ranking him among the top players for double-doubles.
With his 137th appearance in the Basket League, Milutinov now ranks 30th among foreign players in the professional league, surpassing Juan Antonio Morales, who had 136 games.
Thomas Walkup's Achievements
Thomas Walkup set a record for Game 5 with 10 assists, the first player to achieve double-digit assists in such a game, surpassing Dimitris Diamantidis' seven assists in 2014. His 10 assists were the second double-digit assist performance for Olympiacos this season, following Moustapha Fall's 11 assists against PAOK.
Walkup's +8 assist-to-turnover ratio (10/2) was the best in the finals and the second-best in the playoffs, only behind Kostas Papanikolaou's +9 (9 assists/0 turnovers) in the second semifinal against Peristeri. Walkup also achieved a +11 efficiency rating, the highest of the season, surpassing the previous +10 held by Fall, Nigel Williams-Goss, and Papanikolaou.
Alec Peters' Achievements
Alec Peters was Olympiacos' top scorer with 21 points, reaching nine 20+ point games in the season, tying for second place with Hunter Hale of Promitheas, behind Andrew Goudelock's 10 for Kolossos.
Other Olympiacos Records
Olympiacos' second-quarter performance of 28-17 was the second-largest deficit of the season, following a -17 in the second quarter of the second semifinal against Peristeri. The team was limited to single-digit offensive rebounds (6) for the first time in the series, resulting in a season-low for second-chance points (6).
Kostas Sloukas' Records
Kostas Sloukas had an incredible first half with 25 points, setting a career-high in the Basket League. His previous best was 23 points, achieved three times with Olympiacos. Sloukas finished the game with 29 points, tying the highest score by a Panathinaikos player in finals history, matching Nikos Oikonomou's 29 points in 1996.
Sloukas also became the first Panathinaikos player to score at least 20 points in a game this season, with seven different players achieving this feat. He also reached milestones of 500+ successful free throws and 500 total rebounds in his career.
Other Individual Green Records
Jerian Grant's 5/5 two-point performance was close to the historical record of 6/6 by Stojan Vrankovic in 1995. Kendrick Nunn attempted 10 three-pointers, the highest in Game 5 history, tying the record for the most missed three-pointers (1/9) in a single game this season. Nunn also had the longest playing time in the series, with 39:53 minutes in Game 5.
Panathinaikos' Team Performance
Panathinaikos' two-point shooting percentage improved significantly over the series, from 45.16% in Game 1 to 62.85% in Game 5, averaging 62.42% across the series. The team scored an average of 37.6 points in the paint, compared to 35.09 in the regular season. Panathinaikos made significant comebacks from 11-point deficits in consecutive games, finishing the season with five comebacks from such deficits.
Coach Records
Ergin Ataman became the eighth coach to win the title in a five-game series. Giorgos Bartzokas faced his second Game 5 loss, the first being in 2014.
Panathinaikos BC has returned to the pinnacle of Greek basketball, clinching the championship title after a dramatic 3-2 series victory over Olympiacos. The "Greens" completed their comeback in the finals with a thrilling 87-82 win, marking their first championship in three years.
Series Recap
The championship series between Panathinaikos AKTOR and Olympiacos was fiercely contested: Game 1: Panathinaikos - Olympiacos 84-89 Game 2: Olympiacos - Panathinaikos 92-86 Game 3: Panathinaikos - Olympiacos 83-76 Game 4: Olympiacos - Panathinaikos 85-88 Game 5: Panathinaikos - Olympiacos 87-82
Game 5 Recap
In a fiercely contested final, Panathinaikos AKTOR emerged victorious with Kostas Sloukas leading the charge, scoring 29 points (25 in the first half). Supported by Grant, Juancho, and Lessort, Sloukas propelled the team from a 0-2 series deficit to a 3-2 triumph, securing the championship.
Olympiacos, relinquishing their crown after two consecutive titles, fought valiantly with standout performances from Milutinov, Peters, and Papanikolaou. However, critical errors in the closing moments, including a time violation with 7.1 seconds remaining, thwarted their comeback efforts.
Olympiacos started strong with an 11-0 run, leading 13-2 and extending to 15-4 within the first four minutes. Panathinaikos responded by focusing their offense on Lessort, narrowing the gap before Sloukas took over. In just 12 minutes of play in the first half, Sloukas scored 25 points, helping Panathinaikos to a 48-39 halftime lead after building an 11-point advantage (48-37).
The game's dynamics shifted as the teams returned from halftime. Olympiacos, led by Milutinov and Papanikolaou, went on a 13-2 run, tying the game at 50-50 by the 24th minute. Despite finding offensive solutions through Grant, Panathinaikos struggled to contain Milutinov near the basket. The hosts regained the lead, 65-64, by the end of the third quarter and extended their run to 9-0, pulling ahead 70-64 early in the fourth quarter.
Sloukas and Nunn, despite the latter losing three teeth from a hit, contributed to a 5-0 run, pushing Panathinaikos to a 75-66 lead by the 35th minute. Olympiacos stayed in the game thanks to a three-pointer by Williams-Goss, reducing the difference to 75-69. Despite their poor free-throw shooting, Panathinaikos maintained a safe lead, 79-72, by the 38th minute. Peters and Papanikolaou hit crucial three-pointers, bringing Olympiacos within striking distance at 81-78 with 1:25 remaining. McKissic narrowed the gap to one point (81-80) a minute before the end.
With 34 seconds left, Nunn missed a three-pointer, and Williams-Goss failed to score, allowing Juancho to grab a crucial rebound and draw a foul. Mitoglou, stepping in for the injured Juancho, hit two free throws, making it 83-80 with 11.7 seconds left. Williams-Goss responded with two free throws, reducing the gap to 83-82 with 7.8 seconds remaining. Nunn then hit two crucial free throws, making it 85-82. Olympiacos committed a 5-second violation on the inbound pass, giving possession back to Panathinaikos. Grigonis sealed the victory with two more free throws, concluding the game at 87-82.
Panathinaikos AKTOR's victory marks a triumphant return to dominance in Greek basketball, capturing the Basket League title after a thrilling and hard-fought series.