By Artem Komarov
This is also the same day when Basketball Champions League crowns its champion, so the Victory Day will actually become victorious.
But for whom? This is a question that will be answered this evening. Turkish karsiyaka can grab it first trophy, or Spanish Burgos can become the first back-t-back champion on the BCL and the first club with two titles under its belt.
You can prepare for the evening with the previous Final Eight Blog texts, here they are:
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Interview with Andrey Vorontsevich
Andrey Vorontsevich to @art_basket: “I understand that there are not enough places in Euroleague and Eurocup for all the teams which want to play there. But I would say that these BCL Final Eight teams can play in both of those tournaments” #Final8https://t.co/d5uMKlEwrM
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 9, 2021
If you take a look at the tickets’ availability before the game, you could still find some. But not many! The biggest fear after Nizhny has been eliminated was that the fans will not come to watch the teams they do not know. But it seems like they will come in the end.
Who you had no doubts about are the fans of Zaragoza. Their team faced Strasbourg in the 3rd place game, and though there were just two of them, they were the first people to come to the arena. I tried to talk to them, but they guys did not speak English, so I can only show you their excitement.
Although their number decreased significantly.
There were around 10 Zaragoza fans in the beginning of #Final8. The strongest survived ?? #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/draLzqPvHB
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
As for Strasbourg, it seems like the French team did not have any people coming to root for them in Russia. But they did have some kind of a fan sector consisted of… Russians. Some Nizhny Novgorod fans could not leave Strasbourg without support.
Fans’ battle – 2:2!
Strasbourg has supporters, too! But with Nizhny’s logo on their coats. Guys are Russian, and this is the only fan sector of the French team at this #Final8 ?? #BasketballCL @Eurohoopsnet pic.twitter.com/u1ZJJCuSy9
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
It was quite a tough game for Strasbourg as they played without their star guard Brandon Jefferson who was injured in a semifinal game. It meant other players should stay in shape pretty much all the time.
BCL Season MVP Bonzie Colson was taking it too literally.
#BasketballCL Season MVP Bonzie Colson is trying to outdistance Zaragoza with as many ways as he can #Final8 pic.twitter.com/ScSuqCRRxi
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
But it was not enough. Zaragoza grabbed the win and became the bronze medalist of the Basketball Champions League season.
Between two games there was a chance to talk to Russian Basketball Federation president Andrey Kirilenko. He was more than satisfied with the level of the organizing the Final Eight tournament and said all the good words about the BCL.
One of the main ideas of his speech was that Russian regions can host big basketball events, too, it is no longer exceptionally about Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
RBF president Andrey Kirilenko on #Final8 of the #BasketballCL in Nizhny:
— It’s a pleasure to see big tournaments in Russian regions. I hope that the foreign fans — there are not a lot of them because of all the restrictions, and still — will come back yo their countries… pic.twitter.com/sbN3U64d71
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
But let’s finally go directly to the game we have all gathered for.
Burgos and Karsyaka had on-site the biggest amount of fans behind them (well, except for Nizhny, of course). So, it is fair to say that fans themselves brought their teams to the final game.
Turkish guests started right away! And I doubt they are are going to stop cheering…
Turkish place of power at the #basketballcl #Final8 pic.twitter.com/TxxnDwqZjU
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
Though, Burgos was not far behind. These guys were screaming through the whole tournament, and they did not stop doing so in the very end.
Two quarters to go, Burgos’ fans are ready ?? #basketballcl pic.twitter.com/IviKcK2ZFF
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
I hope you are enjoying this Final Eight just as much as I am. I am sitting in the press zone and witnessing the history, but there is an opinion that the broadcasting here is at the highest level. Patrick Comninos said yesterday that the BCL is very pleased with what Match TV is doing here in Nizhny, and I think this is fair to say there was never such a level of broadcasting.
It is also fair that the crucial game of the season went down to the wire! With 5 minutes to go the score was 54:54.
59:60 with 100 seconds to go.
And with 60 seconds to go, too.
Do you feel the nerve?
I bet you do. But Alex Renfroe did not! He scored, and after this Karsiyaka could not come back.
The defence of the champions? #basketballcl @Eurohoopsnet pic.twitter.com/vkkDh6kPpk
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
San Pablo Burgos are the first back-to-back champions and the first team to win Basketball Champions League more than once!
What about some applause to the #BasketballCL champions? ??@SanPabloBurgos @Eurohoopsnet pic.twitter.com/wrcIJhIZXm
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
Vitor Benite has been chosen as an MVP of the final. Did you have some other candidates?
When you’re just too good!
Yesterday Vitor Benite said they’re gonna give Burgos’ fans an opportunity to drink some vodka. Well… pic.twitter.com/yADTJclzxP
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
Burgos went high with this title, so is the winning coach Joan Penarroya!
Be careful with the winning coach, guys! @SanPabloBurgos pic.twitter.com/ZIbPlUlCnB
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 9, 2021
I hope you guys enjoyed this blog as much as I did! And I definitely DID!