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.
#7 MILOS TEODOSIC
2009-10
Olympiacos Piraeus-Asseco Prokom 3-1
15.5 pts | 3 reb | 8 ast | 2.3 stl | 0 blk | 2 tov | 33:28 min | 23.3 PIR
In 2010, Olympiacos had one of the best rosters in their history. Milos Teodosic was one of those that stood out with everything he did on the court, in the regular season and all the way up to the Final Four in Paris, where the Reds were runners-up. His best performances were in the playoffs, which he completed with the third-highest PIR average by a winning player in a series of four or more games, leading a 3-1 victory over Asseco Prokom.
#6 FACUNDO CAMPAZZO
2018-19
Real Madrid–Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 3-0
12.3 pts | 4.7 reb | 8.3 ast | 3 stl | 0 blk | 2.3 tov | 27:56 min | 24.3 PIR
A sweep in the playoffs is not the easiest thing to do at this level, especially in a best-of-five series (2009-present). In 2019, Real Madrid pulled off one of only 11 sweeps in a total of 44 series. Facundo Campazzo’s performances in a 3-0 win over Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (including a double-double in Game 3) were the highlights on the way to Real’s third-place finish in Vitoria and produced the second-highest PIR average by a winning player in a best-of-five series.
#5 EKPE UDOH
2015-16
Fenerbahce Istanbul-Real Madrid 3-0
14.3 pts | 7.7 reb | 1.3 ast | 1 stl | 2 blk | 1.7 tov | 32:47 min | 23.7 PIR
Ekpe Udoh only played for two seasons in the EuroLeague, but they were enough for him to leave an indelible mark. He already set the stage in the first season in 2016, when he got to second place in the Final Four in Berlin. Few have filled up their stat sheets in a playoff series like he did, as he registered the third-highest PIR average in a near perfect series that ended in a sweep to dethrone reigning champs Madrid.