By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
BERLIN – Real Madrid is back at the EuroLeague Championship Game! Chus Mateo’s side will defend the throne against Panathinaikos AKTOR after defeating last year’s finalists, Olympiacos Piraeus, 87-76, thanks to a record-breaking first-half performance.
Olympiacos fought back after being 23 points down in the first half and managed to trim the deficit to single digits, but they couldn’t recover completely after allowing 56 points in the first 20 minutes, and Real Madrid will fight for their 12th EuroLeague title in their 21st final.
It was definitely a team effort from the defending champions, but Dzanan Musa stood out with 20 points and a PIR of 23. Mario Hezonja impressed with 3/3 from the three-point line in the first quarter but stopped there, scoring a total of 12 points and grabbing six rebounds.
“We take pride in our defensive stance. We try to push each other in every practice in offense, defense… This is the final four; we have to bring it all. We are so tired, but we are proud. The defense brought us to the final. I hope I’ll help my team win the title on Sunday,” Musa said after the game.
Vincent Poirier scored 11 points after going 4/4 in dunks during the historic first 20 minutes, while Guerschon Yabusele added 11 points. Facundo Campazzo started with a turnover and finished with just three points, but the Argentinian was once again the motor behind Real Madrid’s success, with nine assists and five rebounds. Edy Tavares scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds, and made three blocks in 22 and a half minutes.
“We know that Olympiacos is a great team with a great heart, and we knew they would return. We were ready for their heat and held it. We defended together; Peters punished us a lot, but we reacted very well and kept the advantage in the fourth quarter,” said EuroLeague’s Coach of the Year, Chus Mateo.
As for Olympiacos, Shaquille McKissic was the only one up to the task in the first two quarters, scoring 13 points and adding four more in the second half for a total of 17 points.
Alec Peters eventually stood out, fighting with all his power to bring back the Piraeus side, and finished with a game-high 23 points and a PIR of 26. Nigel Williams-Goss contributed 15 points, while the rest of the team scored a total of 21 points.
Despite the loss, Olympacios coach Georgios Bartzokas is proud of his team, which fought against many problems this season but still managed to return to the Final Four.
“Big effort, but it wasn’t enough. We had to start the first half the same way. We let them find confidence, shooting wide-open threes… This is the team that when they find their rhythm and pace, it’s difficult to adjust. We came back, but they hit tough shots. We gave everything this season; it wasn’t enough for the final, but we are proud of our team,” Bartzokas said.
Real Madrid’s dominance, Olympiacos’ resilience, and Musa’s clincher
Real Madrid opened the game with a club Final Four record points in the first quarter, closing it with a 14-2 run for an astonishing 28-10 lead after 10 minutes. Even though Petrusev opened the second period with five straight points, the reigning champs took over with an authoritative 10-2 run. They didn’t stop there. McKissic was fighting for Olympiacos, but the Spanish side’s surplus kept growing to 55-32 in the final minutes, as Madrid went to the break leading 56-37.
The Regular Season leaders shot 12/16 for two and 9/13 for three after 20 minutes, outrebounding their rivals 19-6. Of course, they set a new EuroLeague Final Four record with 56 first-half points.
However, the Piraeus side refused to surrender. With their backs against the wall, Georgios Bartzokas’ players reacted and opened the second half with a 6-0 run. Then Alec Peters got hot and helped his team trim the deficit to 69-58 before Vincent Poirier sent the teams to the break with two free throws for a 71-58 lead after 30 minutes of play.
Olympiacos kept fighting, and after Nigel Williams-Goss’s three-pointer with six and a half minutes to go, they went under a double-digit deficit for the first time since the opening quarter – 76-67. However, Real Madrid stayed composed and defended their lead. After stealing the ball from former teammate Williams-Goss, Dzanan Musa improved the lead to 87-73 with 69 seconds to go, effectively sealing the win for his side.
In Real Madrid, “the team is the star”
Chus Mateo explained what happened in the second semifinal in Berlin. His team managed to have a record-breaking half and then push back Olympiacos in the third and fourth periods.
“Nobody in this team is the star; the team is the star. They know that perfectly. They fight, rebound, run together; they play defense together, which happened today.”
Real Madrid will play its third straight Championship Game, which they managed once before (2013-2015). They’ll try to go back-to-back against Panathinaikos.
“We have to prepare for the game. Now, we will celebrate, but we will fight to do it. We know our fans are watching us, and all will be for them. We will do our best; Panathinaikos is a great team, too. It’s an amazing moment for us to get a chance to win two titles in a row. It depends on us,” Mateo concluded.