By John Rammas/ irammas@eurohoops.net
Most may not have made it to the end of the journey – in fact, only two out of these 10 were crowned EuroLeague Champions – however, everything they did then has a special place in the annals of the competition.
#10 BRANDON DAVIES
2017-18
Olympiacos Piraeus-Zalgiris Kaunas 1-3
17 pts | 4 reb | 1 ast | 1.3 stl | 1.3 blk | 2.3 tov | 25:54 min | 19.8 PIR
Nineteen. That’s how many years Zalgiris Kaunas had to wait to get back to the Final Four after winning the trophy in Munich in 1999. Brandon Davies didn’t do any waiting at all. His performances in the series against Olympiacos Piraeus in 2018 – starting with the break in Game 1, which he dominated (season-high 21 points @ 78-87 OT) – were enough to flip the home court and get the historic qualification in 1-3 and finish in third place in Belgrade, all in his very first season in the EuroLeague.
#9 JAKA LAKOVIC
2004-05
Panathinaikos Athens-Efes Pilsen 2-1
22.7 pts | 2.3 reb | 2.3 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 3.7 tov | 32:50 min | 18 PIR
The journey may not have ended with winning the trophy in Moscow, however Jaka Lakovic has a lot to remember from his course with Panathinaikos Athens that led to third place in 2005. His 22.7 points in the playoffs still place him among the best in history in a postseason (11th highest scoring average or third in a series of three or more games). They were more than enough to overcome the hurdle of Efes Pilsen (2-1).
#8 SERGIO RODRIGUEZ
2017-18
CSKA Moscow-Khimki Moscow Region 3-1
19.3 pts | 3 reb | 6.5 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 2.3 tov | 30:06 min | 22.8 PIR
Confrontations between teams from the same country always hold a special interest, even more so in the playoffs. Sergio Rodriguez was fated to leave his mark on the series between CSKA Moscow (4th place in the Final Four in Belgrade) and Khimki Moscow Region in 2018. “El Chacho” was unstoppable, scoring in double digits (with as many as 26 points) in all four games and adding a double-double with assists (10). He finished with the fourth-highest PIR average by a winning player in a series of four or more games.