MUNICH (Germany) – Surne Bilbao Basket will square off against PAOK BC in this season’s FIBA Europe Cup Finals in a repeat of last season’s showpiece.
Bilbao lifted the FIBA Europe Cup title in a thrilling series last April, and will aim to become the first team to retain the title, having kept a crucial core group that helped win it all.
However, with an almost entirely new group, PAOK make a return to the Finals and will look to right the wrongs of the previous season.
The first leg takes place in Thessaloniki, Greece, on April 22, before the return leg is played on April 29, in Bilbao, Spain, to crown the 2025-26 champions.
Form guide
The holders, Bilbao, head into the Finals in scintillating form, and the proof isn’t just in the results, but in the stats.
They recovered from a Gameday 1 blip - losing 84-81 at home to Peristeri Betsson - to reel off 15 straight victories, winning by an average of 26.4 points. Bilbao lead the competition with 94.7 points per game and 50.2 percent from the field. They rank third in three-point percentage; shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc.
As a team, Bilbao traditionally has multiple weapons that can do damage in various ways, and this season, it’s no different. Justin Jaworski leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points, while Melwin Pantzar dishes out 6.9 assists, which is good enough for fourth in the competition, while Tryggvi Hilnason is third in blocks, swatting away 1.6 attempts per game.
They got to the Finals by beating Falco Vulcano Energia KC Szombathely 193-169 over the two legs in the last four.
A frightening statistic for PAOK to realize. But they beat Bilbao in the home leg of the Finals last season and will need all of their pride and determination, along with their loyal, vocal support, again this season.
They used that pride and determination in the Semi-Finals, by edging UCAM Murcia 164-162 on aggregate in a thriller.
PAOK boast an 11-5 record in the FIBA Europe Cup this season and, rank fourth in scoring, putting up 86.9 points per game, so they have the tools to hurt teams.
But out of those five defeats PAOK have suffered this season, only one of them came at home. That team: Bilbao. More recently, they have won their last two home games but lost their last two on the road. So, the Greek side will need to utilize their home court more than ever now.
Previous meetings
The last four meetings between these two teams don’t make for good reading if you’re a PAOK fan, as Bilbao have scored three wins out of the last four games.
The Spanish side secured a 72-65 win in the first leg of last season’s Final, with PAOK bagging an 84-82 success in the second leg, but ultimately not enough to win the title.
This season, Bilbao and PAOK met twice in the Second Round. Thanks to 24 points on 8-for-9 shooting from Aleix Font, Bilbao won 95-73 at home, which was followed by an 88-87 victory in Thessaloniki, thanks to a game-winning free throw from Justin Jaworski.
Key matchup
Melwin Pantzar (Bilbao) vs. Breein Tyree (PAOK)
It will be an interesting and exciting battle between two of the competition’s premier guards. Pantzar prefers to facilitate but can score when needed - averaging 8.8 points, 6.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game - whereas Tyree is more offensive-minded and posts 17.4 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting from three-point land.
An interesting fact that will surely motivate Tyree is that in his nine games for PAOK in the FIBA Europe Cup this season, he has failed to score in double figures only twice. Both games were against Bilbao, where he scored 9 points in their first meeting in Spain, followed by 7 points in the return game at home.
Reasons why Bilbao can win
Been there, done that: Bilbao are the reigning champions and know what it takes.
Home advantage: This time the second leg will be played in Bilbao. The Spanish club are 8-0 at home this season, following on from their 10-0 effort last campaign.
Winning momentum: Bilbao are unbeaten in 15 FIBA Europe Cup games, and perhaps pivotally, they have the edge over their opponents in big game situations - with two wins already this season.
Reasons why PAOK can win
Revenge is sweet: PAOK have the chance to make history of their own and will be driven on the opportunity to not let it slip this time around.
The roster runs deep: PAOK have loaded up on this season's roster, in particular with mid-season acquisitions and they are starting to peak at the right time with Tyree and Cleveland Melvin among the top 15 scorers in the league.
Performing under pressure: The Greek side had to get past Braunschweig to make the Second Round, and overcame domestic rivals Peristeri in the Play-Offs before taking down one of the title favorites UCAM Murcia in the Semi-Finals.
Did you know
Bilbao and PAOK join 2022 champions Bahcesehir College in reaching the Final for a second occasion.
Bilbao aim to become the first team to win the title twice. And, Melwin Pantzar, could become the first player to win the Finals MVP award twice.
PAOK would become the first side from Greece to lift the trophy if they win - joining teams from Germany, Italy, France, Türkiye, Israel, Poland and Spain to win the competition since its inception in 2016.
FIBA