By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
Another year of basketball comes to an end. Another year full of memories on the court to be shared, highlights to be watched and rewatched, and games we won’t forget easily.
From the beginning to the end of 2022, we’ve been enjoying amazing basketball moments. Just to name a few honorable mentions: Vasilije Micic sending Olympiacos home – we will come back to that later -, Lauri Markkanen pushing Finland against Croatia, and Luka’s historic 60 points triple-double.
As we approach the last days of the year, Eurohoops presents its Top 10 best basketball moments of 2022. But don’t worry: 2023 won’t disappoint as well.
Bursaspor eliminating Partizan
When the 2021-22 Regular Season started, there were two certainties among the European basketball community. First, Valencia, Virtus Bologna, and Partizan Belgrade would have been the clear favorites to win it all and book a ticket for the following EuroLeague. And second, the fact that the change of format in the playoffs would have brought some surprises. Well, both ended up being winning predictions, but not on the Serbian black-and-white side. Right after the group stage, Zeljko Obradovic‘s team fell apart against Bursaspor, losing 103-95 in OT with an outstanding Andrew Andrews, who went close to a double-double with 24 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. Early shock.
Manresa’s miracle in the BCL
What’s the secret to a great fairytale? A tortuous path that is full of difficult obstacles to overcome, a hero who grows as time passes, and finally a happy ending, the one that sent the children to sleep. The 2021-22 version of BAXI Manresa had all the ingredients to write the perfect cinderella story. The Catalan team was coming off years of ups and downs between Liga ACB and LEB Oro, and they hadn’t reached a European playoff stage since 1998 when they played in the semifinals of the Korac Cup. Dragged by “Nobody” Chima Moneke and followed by thousands of red fans for the BCL Final Four in Bilbao, Pedro Martinez’s team got an amazing silver medal. Their moment of the year? Joe Thomasson eliminating Unicaja.
Nikola and Giannis’ show
On August 25, almost everybody had their mind already set for EuroBasket 2022, ready to begin after a few days. But a showdown was coming in the 2023 World Cup European Qualifiers Window, between Serbia and Greece in a full-packed Stark Arena in Belgrade. No disappointments, from the beginning to the end, since the two teams equally shared the stage: the home side started hot in the first quarter, while Dimitris Itoudis’ team fought back in the fourth period, forcing OT with a dagger by Tyler Dorsey. There, Vladimir Lucic sent the Greek hopes away with a thunderous block. This game had everything: Giannis (40 p, 8 r, 5 a) and Jokic (29 p, 8 r, 6 a) being the leaders of their respective national teams, some of the best EuroLeague starts, and basketball drama at its best.
Jokic MVP (again)
The two European superstars were amazing in their run with Serbia and Greece, but most importantly they captured the world’s attention for four straight years. It never happened that a European got the NBA MVP twice, and Giannis Antetokounmpo did it in back-to-back fashion. Nikola Jokic, after winning it in the 2020-21 Season, decided to cosplay the Greek Freak becoming the second European player ever to bring the NBA MVP home in consecutive years. Dragging the Denver Nuggets to the 6th seed in the Western Conference averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, while shooting 58.3% FG and 81% FT was enough for the Serbian to become the best player in the league, just before heading back home to have fun riding.
The Polish upset against Doncic
In probably the most balanced EuroBasket 2022 Round of 16 matchups, Poland beat Ukraine 94-86 with a fourth-quarter push. With Slovenia’s 88-72 victory against Belgium the day before and the two teams meeting in the quarterfinals, nobody would have given the red-and-white team any chance. However, a miracle happened. With Luka Doncic struggling with back pain and shooting poorly from the field, Igor Milicic’s team got the advantage, trying to contain the rest of the Slovenian squad, while being dragged by Mateusz Ponitka, who had his best career game with the fourth-ever triple-double in the history of the competition: 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. The craziest EuroBasket 2022 moment, by far.
Virtus Bologna is back
In the end, the new 2021-22 EuroCup format brought surprise after surprise. Not only Partizan lost against Bursaspor, but also Ulm got the away upset against first-seeded Joventut Badalona, the soon-to-be relegated Andorra got through beating both Buducnost and Gran Canaria, and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana didn’t get the upper hand once again in the Turkish team’s win, with the famous John Holland’s half-time interview. The early-season prediction, though, saw one of the powerhouses lifting the trophy at home, coming back to the EuroLeague twenty years later. Virtus Bologna brought joy to the Segafredo Arena by winning 80-67 with a classic performance by Milos Teodosic. Basket City’s statement of 2022.
Tenerife wins the BCL in Bilbao
If Manresa got the silver medal in Miribilla, somebody else had to go home with gold around its neck. Despite the red army pushing Moneke, Bako, Thomasson, and teammates in the Basketball Champions League Final, Lenovo Tenerife came out on top for the second time in the club’s history. In the first-ever final clash in the competition between two Spanish teams, the black-and-yellow Canary side won thanks to the experience of its qualified and well-organized core, with players such as Giorgi Shermadini and Sasu Salin leading the way. Everything, of course, was under “MVP” Marcelinho Huertas’ control.
The Efes back-to-back
If this shot by Vasa Micic was considered an honorable mention, it’s because another Anadolu Efes 2022 moment had to be included in the Top 10. After winning the 2020-21 EuroLeague against Barcelona and Ergin Ataman constantly repeating they were going for the back-to-back despite a slow start in the Regular Season, Anadolu Efes made it for real. In a thrilling atmosphere in Belgrade, the Turkish team managed to get the 58-57 win in a tough game against Real Madrid, with Tibor Pleiss stepping up, scoring 19 points. The Serbian playmaker had another great night, and put the blue-and-white Istanbul side in the modern history of the EuroLeague, becoming the second team ever to end the season on top after Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2004 and 2005.