Intro:

Barcelona beat Panathinaikos 64-53 on Thursday night to win the quarter-final series 3-2 and book their place in the final four.

Script:

It was win or bust for both Barcelona and Panathinaikos when they met at the Palau Blaugrana.

With their quarter-final series tied at 2-2, the winners would advance to the final four in London.

Barca had picked up a vital ten-point win in game four to keep the series alive and carried that momentum into game five - taking an early 9-5 lead.

They dominated the opening quarter, outscoring their opponents 28-14, and led by 19 points in the second quarter.

Panathinaikos, who were seeking a fourth Euroleague title in seven seasons, fought to trim the deficit.

But trailing 44-33 at half-time, it was always going to be tough.

The Greek side tightened their defence in the second half and outscored Barcelona in the third quarter 10-7.

They closed the gap to six points in the fourth quarter, but Marcelinho Huertas ended the visitors' hopes of a dramatic comeback.

The Spaniards went on to win the game 64-53 and took the series 3-2.

Next up a tasty tie - Barcelona will take on rivals Real Madrid in the semi-finals.