By Niki Bakouli
In this season’s Euroleague play offs series, only Barcelona Regal and CSKA Moscow protected 100% their home court advantage. It’s not by coincidence that these two are the teams with the best qualification record to the Euroleague final, getting to the last game of the season with just two loses since the implementation of the play offs series in the Euroleague. And now, they have the chance to beat… themselves.
Till now, they have lost just one game. Barcelona Regal at Palaestra from Montepaschi Siena (77-74) at December 15th for the Game 9 of the Regular Season and CSKA Moscow to Galatasaray Medical Park (68-64) at Abdi Ipekci Sports Hall for the Top 16 (Game 4). Now, let’s see their best record and if they lived happily ever after or not.
Barcelona Regal got all way through to the crown
Three seasons ago (2009-2010), Barcelona Regal lost only two games. The first one was at February 3rd of 2010 at Hala Pionir (67-66 to Partizan) for the Top 16 (Game 2) and the second one was for the playoffs (Game 2), when Real Madrid escaped from Palau Blaugrana with a 63-70 win (25th of March, 2010).
But Barcelona got to be at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy for the Final Four by beating twice Real at Palacio Vistalegre (73-84 and 78-84). In the first semifinal in Paris they topped CSKA Moscow 64-54 and in the final they won their second Euroleague crown -their first in 7 years- by downing Olympiacos 86-68.
CSKA Moscow got so close, but yet so far from the top
The Russians had the chance to be the first team (in Euroleague’s history) to become champion, by losing just two games through out the final. Unfortunately, third time wasn’t a charm, because they lost to Panathinaikos at the final. Way before the big night at OAKA, in Athens, the European Champion of 2006 lost just to two teams. Pau Ortez was the first one to beat CSKA Moscow at Game 3 of Regular Season (November 8th 2006), when the French team provided the biggest surprise by shutting down “army’s team” 72-67, at Palais Des Sports De Pau.
CSKA Moscow reached the play offs, where they had to take care Maccabi Tel Aviv in what -back then- was a best of three series. They won at Moscow, but they lost at Nokia Arena (68-56), at April 5th 2007, before they got the ticket for the Final Four (92-71), at their home court arena, the Universal Sports Hall. In the first semifinal of the Final Four they overcame Unicaja (62-50) and after a thrilling final against Panathinaikos they lost 93-91 before 20.000 Green Fans.