Real Madrid moved to within one victory of the Final Four by outlasting Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens 81-74 at home in Game 3 on Wednesday. Jaycee Carroll's four-point play inside the final minute proved the difference after Panathinaikos had overcome a 13-point second-half deficit to tie down the stretch. Madrid leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 back in the Spanish capital on Friday. Carroll didn't miss a shot – hitting 3 of 3 two- and three-pointers plus both of his free throws – in getting 17 points as Madrid's only double-digit scorer. But the return of reigning EuroLeague MVP Sergio Llull, who came off the bench to a standing ovation with 2:45 left in the first quarter, had its intended effect, too. All of Llull's 8 points came during 2 minutes, 10 seconds late in the game and gave Madrid a 70-63 advantage. Mike James would soon tie it 70-70 on a triple, but Carroll proved the main shot-maker after that to keep the win in Madrid. Nick Calathes led Panathinaikos with 26 points on a career-high 4 three-pointers, while James Gist added 15 points and Mike James 14.
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