[lptitle title=”Start the countdown”]
[lpcontent]
By Stathis Trapezanlidis/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Which are the games that have stayed in everyone’s memory because of two players’ excellent performances? In which games did one player from each team dominate to such an extent that the confrontation turned into a personal duel? Eurohoops remembers and looks back on recent EuroBasket competitions.
The selection was made based on two criteria:
a. The game has to be a knockout game.
b. The contribution and influence of the rest of the players on the game has to have been the smallest possible, as much as someone can say that about a basketball game, especially when we’re speaking of great teams with many stars on their roster.
As is expected, not everyone could fit in the top 10 and this is why the criticalness of the game played an important role in the selection. This is how truly great confrontations were left out, like the epic battle Sabonis (34 points) – Petrovic (30 points) in 1985, Navarro (35 points) – Valters (28 points) in 2005, Szanyiel (29 points) – Galis (38 points) in 1983, Herreros (28 points) – Jasikevicius (22 points) in Paris and many others.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”10. Dirk Nowitzki (43 points) – Pau Gasol (31 points)“]
[lpcontent]
Germany – Spain 90-99
Bronze medal game 2001
In 2001 in Istanbul we witnessed the first big duel between the two, then upcoming, super stars that would dominate in the next fifteen years. Dirk Nowitzki versus Pau Gasol, with the bronze medal of the EuroBasket in the background. The German scored 43 points and got 15 rebounds, one of the best offensive performances in the history of the EuroBasket, while the Spanish center scored 31 points and got 10 rebounds. However, Gasol is the one who won the bronze medal, since the Bulls center had greater assistance from his teammates.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”9. Milos Teodosic (32 points) – Erazem Lorbek (25 points)“]
[lpcontent]
Serbia – Slovenia 96-92
Semifinal 2009
The EuroBasket has a long tradition in great semifinals that were decided in the last shot. One of those games was between Serbia and Slovenia in an awesome show by Milos Teodosic in 2009 in Katowice. The Serbian playmaker for CSKA Moscow scored 32 points with 6 three-pointers, while he also had 3 rebounds, 4 assists and one steal. Erazem Lorbek was the counterweight, and even though he had a double-double (25 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals) in one of his best appearances with the national team, he didn’t manage to prevent the defeat from Dusan Ivkovic’s team.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”8. Andrei Kirilenko (29 points) – Ramunas Siskauskas (30 points)“]
[lpcontent]
Russia – Lithuania 86-74
Semifinal 2007
Two traditional basketball nations faced each other in the semifinal in Madrid. One of the best personal duels that we’ve seen from two forwards, Andrei Kirilenko and Ramunas Siskauskas. The Lithuanian player for CSKA Moscow (he had just gotten transferred from Panathinaikos) won this informal battle scoring 30 points (4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals) compared to the Russian’s 29 (8 rebounds, 1 assists, 3 steals), but Kirilenko was the one who rejoiced in the end as coach Blatt’s team not only went through to the final but also won the trophy against Spain.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”7. Dirk Nowitzki (27 points) – Navarro (27 points)“]
[lpcontent]
Germany – Spain 74-73
Semifinal 2005
Germany and Dirk Nowitzki took revenge for the defeat in the third-place playoff in Istanbul in 2001. Pau Gasol is absent this time but the opposing force to the German is Juan Carlos Navarro, who scored 27 points (4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), just as many as Nowitzki (27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal). In fact, Nowitzki and Navarro battled it out at the end of the dramatic game as well. Barcelona’s player, with his famous “bombita,” gave Spain a one-point lead, but the Mavericks’ super star had the last word. In the very next offense and with 4 seconds left he scored a tough shot and Germany got the qualification to the final after 12 years.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”6. Arvydas Sabonis (26 points) – Dino Radja (25 points)“]
[lpcontent]
Lithuania – Croatia 90-80
Semifinal 1995
Two of the best European centers of all time faced each other in the semifinal between Lithuania and Croatia in 1995. Arvydas Sabonis scored 26 points (7/14 two-point field goals) and got 17 (!) rebounds, while Dino Radja scored 25 points (10/14 two-point field goals) and got 5 rebounds. The Lithuanian was the one that celebrated in the end, having greater assistance from his teammates (Marciulionis, 27 points). But he didn’t manage to win the trophy too, as he was defeated by Djordjevic’s Serbia in the eventful final.
[/lpcontent]
[lptitle title=”5. Kresimir Cosic (23 points) – Wayne Brabender (22 points)“]
[lpcontent]
Yugoslavia – Spain 78-67
Final 1973
Wayne Brabender led Spain to the final having knocked out the Soviet Union in the semifinal, putting a stop to their unbelievable streak of 8 trophies in a row. There, he faced Kresimir Cosic and the Yugoslavs. The game turned into a show for the two players, with Cosic scoring 23 points and Brabender 22. Yugoslavia deservedly won the trophy since they were better, while Brabender emerged as the MVP of the tournament.
[/lpcontent]