Pedro Martinez Leads Valencia Past Panathinaikos to Force Game 5

pedro martinez got the result he needed: Valencia Basket beat Panathinaikos 89-86 in Athens to force a decisive fifth game in the EuroLeague series. Jean Montero drove the win with 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Valencia now returns home with a chance to reach the first Final Four in its history.

Montero Controls OAKA

Montero finished with 45 credits of valuation, the kind of line that turned a road elimination game into a season-extending result. He kept Valencia in front early, steadied them when Panathinaikos briefly moved ahead, and closed the night with the ball in his hands as the pressure rose in the final seconds.

Valencia led 26-15 after the first quarter and 44-37 at halftime before Panathinaikos answered in the third quarter and went up 49-48. That swing set up a tight finish, with the lead changing hands after the break and neither side able to create separation before the final possession.

Osman and Nunn Keep Pace

Cedi Osman scored 26 points for Panathinaikos, while Kendrick Nunn added 19 points, four rebounds and four assists. Those numbers kept the hosts alive late, but Valencia still found enough scoring to hold the margin to three points at the final buzzer.

Hayes-Davis had the last look for Panathinaikos and missed a three-pointer that would have forced overtime. Before that shot, Costello had made a free throw, leaving Valencia one stop away from finishing the job in Athens.

Roig Arena Decider

The series now shifts back to Valencia’s Roig Arena, where the fifth game will be played Wednesday at 21.00 h. The winner reaches the Final Four, and Valencia is trying to get there for the first time in club history.

For Valencia, the road win changed everything in one night. The margin was thin, but the reward is simple: one game at home for a place in the last four.