With 8:30 remaining in the third quarter, Armoni Brooks knocked down a three-pointer to give Valencia a 62-34 lead over reigning European champions Olympiacos.
Inside Roig Arena, everyone must have been picturing a perfect 5-0 start to the EuroLeague season.
Instead, Evan Fournier sparked the comeback, and Valencia began to unravel.
After overtime, the scoreboard read: Valencia 97, Olympiacos 102.
By overturning a 28-point deficit, Olympiacos equalled the record for the biggest comeback in modern EuroLeague history. Until now, that distinction had belonged exclusively to Polish side Asseco Prokom.
Prokom Proved That Even 28 Points Wasn’t Enough
For nearly 14 years, the benchmark had been set by a Polish team with nothing left to play for.
Back in December 2012, Asseco Prokom, coached by Lithuanian Kestutis Kemzura, had already been eliminated from the competition when they travelled to face Montepaschi Siena in the final round of the regular season.
The hosts led 51-28 at halftime, and two minutes into the third quarter the margin had grown to 58-30.
What followed was extraordinary.
Prokom ripped off a 38-10 run, erasing the entire deficit and drawing level at 68-68 midway through the fourth quarter. They eventually forced overtime and completed the comeback with a 95-88 victory.
Jerel Blassingame led the way with 26 points, while Lukasz Koszarek added 20.
Partizan and Zalgiris Next in Line
Just behind the two record holders are a pair of 27-point comebacks.
In January 2026, Partizan somehow clawed their way back from 27 points down against Hapoel Tel Aviv before completing the job in overtime.
Zalgiris pulled off a similarly remarkable escape in October 2024, erasing a 27-point deficit against Olimpia Milano.
Bamberg also feature among the biggest comeback stories, having overturned a 26-point deficit against Barcelona in the 2017-18 season.
A year earlier, Olimpia Milano fought back from 25 points down to beat Darussafaka.
Partizan Have Made a Habit of Coming Back
Partizan fans will also remember January 2024.
Maccabi Tel Aviv raced into a staggering 39-15 lead at Belgrade Arena, and the home side looked completely out of answers.
But Partizan gradually chipped away at the deficit, took control of the game and eventually won 88-79.
From 24 points down to a nine-point victory – one of the most memorable turnarounds in recent EuroLeague history.
And it was hardly Partizan’s first appearance on such a list.
Back in the 2008-09 season, the Serbian club overturned a 23-point deficit against Olimpia Milano, meaning Partizan feature three times among the biggest documented comebacks in the competition.
Detailed game-by-game records of maximum deficits are available from 2007 onwards, while the EuroLeague confirms that the 28-point record is the largest since the modern competition began in 2000.
Olympiacos Know How to Come Back When It Matters Most
For Olympiacos, coming back from the dead is hardly a new experience.
In the 2012 final against CSKA Moscow, they trailed 53-34 before somehow winning 62-61.
Georgios Printezis hit the unforgettable game-winner, delivering one of the most dramatic finishes European basketball has ever seen.
A year later, Olympiacos did it again on the biggest stage.
They recovered from 17 points down against Real Madrid in the 2013 final, winning 100-88 to claim a second consecutive EuroLeague title.
Those comebacks were not the biggest in terms of points recovered, but the stakes could hardly have been higher.
Now Olympiacos have added another chapter to that history, this time at the very top of the statistical rankings.