By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Eurohoops presents the complete review of the playoffs in the best European leagues (Spanish, Turkish, German, Italian and French) this weekend highlighting the Top scorer, the top win, the worst loss, the biggest fall and a tip during the last four days.
Top Scorers
Bobby Dixon (Karsiyaka, Turkey)
28 points (2/2 free throws, 4/5 2ps, 6/10 3ps) in Karsiyaka’s victory vs Efes (86-85)
Loukas Mavrokeefalidis (Panathinaikos, Greece)
28 points (4/4 free throws, 12/16 2ps, 0/1 3p) in Panathinaikos defeat by Olympiacos (76-69)
The biggest win
Very close to making history
Olympiacos defeated Panathinaikos in the OAKA for the second year in a row in a finals series, but this time they have the chance to win the Greek championship with a sweep for the first time in their history. The “greens” likewise, have never lost a championship with a sweep.
The worst defeat
It won’t be easy for Efes in Smyrna
Efes thought they’d have an easy task against Karsiyaka, but they… slipped up. They won in overtime in the first game (95-92) and lost 86-85 at home in the second. The worst thing is that they will try to win at least one game in Smyrna without Thomas Heurtel who got suspended for two games.
The biggest fall
Milano returned to failed seasons
Milano made the… difficult, easy after Sassari’s 3-1. They took the series back home for a seventh game and there they were defeated (86-81) continuing the streak of failed seasons, a run which was “interrupted” only last year, when they won the title against the shattered Siena. In the finals of the Italian championship R. Emilia and Sassari are going to battle it out.
The tip
Will Malaga break the tradition?
Malaga lost the first two semifinals to Barcelona with an overall deficit of 52 points! They stayed alive in the series by winning in overtime in the third game (89-84), but managed to overcome themselves in the fourth game by winning 77-66. Tradition though, in the semifinals of the Spanish championship, has only five visitors in a total of 19 pairs that qualified with a win in the fifth game.