Olympiacos beats Panathinaikos 89-85 in Game 5, clinches 16th Greek title and EuroLeague double

Olympiacos finished one of the strongest seasons in club history by beating Panathinaikos AKTOR 89-85 in the fifth and deciding final at a packed Stadio Eirinis kai Filias (SEF). The victory delivered the Stoiximan GBL title — the club's 16th Greek league crown — and completed a double with the EuroLeague trophy won earlier in the season.

Dominant start sets the tone

Olympiacos took control from the opening tip, leaning on Evan Fournier's playmaking and scoring. The hosts built a 9-2 lead inside three minutes, forcing Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman to burn an early timeout. Sasha Vezenkov added scoring punch and by the end of the first quarter the Piraeus club led 26-17. The advantage ballooned to 14 points at halftime (47-35), fuelled by 15-of-20 shooting from two-point range and a 22-12 rebounding edge.

Milutinov controls the paint

Nikola Milutinov dominated both ends of the floor, cleaning the defensive glass and creating extra possessions with offensive rebounds. His presence, along with Fournier's transition creation, helped Olympiacos stretch the gap to a game-high 20 points at 59-39 early in the third. Bartzokas' ball-movement system produced its best execution of the series, consistently finding cutters and open shooters.

Panathinaikos rally falls short

Panathinaikos responded with a 9-0 run that cut the margin to 61-52, with the contest growing physical after Kendrick Nunn and Carlik Jones came to blows and were both ejected. Vasilis Toliopoulos then took over offensively, hitting big shots to drag Panathinaikos within four points at 83-79 with one minute remaining. Olympiacos turned back the threat when Fournier stepped to the line and sank four consecutive free throws to restore an 87-79 cushion, effectively sealing the title.

Key performers

Fournier finished with 22 points and 7 assists, earning top honours. Vezenkov contributed 19 points and Milutinov posted 14 points, 7 rebounds and several crucial offensive boards. Cory Joseph added 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists as the X-factor. For Panathinaikos, Toliopoulos led all scorers with 21 points, TJ Shorts had 14 points and 6 assists, and both Nunn and Mathias Lessort chipped in 10 points each. Lessort also grabbed 7 rebounds but Panathinaikos lost the overall rebounding battle on the road.

Renovation marks end of an era

The SEF is set for renovation starting the morning after the title win, giving the championship an added layer of nostalgia for the home crowd. Olympiacos' season ends with the two biggest objectives achieved, while Panathinaikos closes the campaign with only the Greek Cup and enters a summer of roster decisions.