By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid with a sweep (3-0) and CSKA Moscow (3-1) have booked their flights to London, but the other two Final Four teams will be known after Game 5 of the play offs with Barcelona hosting next week Panathinaikos and Olympiacos facing Anadolu Efes in Piraeus. So, here this week’s story…
Eurohoops ΜVP
Yes, there were some questionable calls in Game 4, but also we can’t overlook the monster game of Khryapa against Caja Laboral. He stayed almost 36 minutes on the court and there is a reason for that. He had 19 points on 3/4 threes, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and also 3 turnovers. He is the glue of his team, a versatile player that he can do almost everything and proved it once again.
Best five
- Thomas Heurtel: He had 21 points in the Game 3 93-72 win over CSKA and 17 in Game 4, including five straight that cut the Russians’ lead to 3 (85-82)
- Jaycee Carroll: He scored 16 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 22 minutes of action in the win of Real which completed the “sweep” of Maccabi Tel Aviv
- Jamon Gordon: He kept alive with his tip in Anadolu Efes in Game 4 and he flirted with a triple double in Game 3. Nuff said..
- Viktor Khryapa: One more big night for him
- Ante Tomic: He had two good games in OAKA, despite losing the first. The center of Barcelona was just great (16 p., 5 r. 3 st.) in the second
Biggest win: Barcelona
Many had written off the Catalans after their defeat in Game 3. However the story of Game 4 was different than any other in the series. The comfortable 70-60 win was a change from the usual scenario of games decided by a last second shot and can be the foundation for the qualification to the Final Four. Unless, of course, Diamantidis has some more aces – and threes – up his sleeve.
Biggest suicide: Olympiacos
After a 10-0 run, Olympiacos was leading 70-62 in Istanbul and the trip to London was less than three minutes away. But this time, the miracle come back was made by Anadolu Efes, which beat the Reds thanks to a tip in of their former player Jamont Lucas (74-73). The defending champions had the victory and their hands, but they let it slip like a rebound. The hosts had 17 offensive boards, a huge number, considering the fact that Olympiacos had 20 defensive rebounds.
The sweep: Real Madrid
The win in Tel Aviv has a special meaning for the team of coach Laso. Sweep aside, the most important fact of this game was its final score (69-57), a proof that Real Madrid can also play controlled basketball and win a game also by its defense and not by its offensive talent. That will be useful in London.
The (unofficial) record: Panathinaikos
How many fans were in OAKA on Thursday? The gym has 18.000 seats, but the estimated numbers are somewhere between 23.000 and 30.000 spectators. You don’t believe that? Just see this photo in order to understand that seats and spectators can mean two very different things.
The last word: Caja Laboral
Last week it was Panathinaikos’ turn to dispute the calls made by the referees in Game 1 against Barcelona. Caja Laboral has also big complains for Game 4 against CSKA Moscow. Coach Zan Tabak said in the press conference: “CSKA doesn’t need this kind of help, but it got it”. The technical foul given to Fernando San Emetario 30 seconds before the end of the game was crucial to the final result and can be disputed. However, the point is that after this season’s play offs and the accusation that have been addressed towards to Euroleague referees, they seem to be sitting ducks for everyone, no matter if they have a solid basis for their complains, or not. This situation is a problem for the competition and it must be addressed.
Euroleague 2012-2013 – Play offs Game 3
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Olympiacos |
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Caja Laboral |
CSKA Moscow |
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Panathinaikos |
F.C. Barcelona |
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Real Madrid |
Euroleague 2012-2013 – Play offs Game 4
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Anadolu Efes |
Olympiacos |
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Caja Laboral |
CSKA Moscow |
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Panathinaikos |
F.C. Barcelona |