By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Since altering the competition format of the Basketball Champions League, teams with no room for error colliding in a winner-takes-all Game 3 changed the overall approach to any series once and for all.
The tradition continues with five more Game 3 fixtures set up this week by balancing efforts in as many Play-In series. Only three teams completed a sweep to reach the Round of 16. The remaining second-chance tickets will be punched in next week, raising Game 3 encounters from 15 to 20.
Previous Champions League meetings to break a 1-1 tie in a best-of-three series have favored teams playing at home by a rate of 66.7%.
List of do-or-die Game 3s in the Basketball Champions League
|
Stage |
Final Score |
|
| Iberostar Tenerife – Filou Oostende |
Round of 16 (19-20) |
62-54 |
| JDA Dijon – Nizhny Novgorod |
Round of 16 (19-20) |
75-67 |
| Igokea m:tel – Filou Oostende |
Play-In (21-22) |
77-83 |
| Hapoel UNET Holon – Besiktas Icrypex |
Play-In (21-22) |
74-68 |
| Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Prometey |
Play-In (21-22) |
75-85 |
| Hereda San Pablo Burgos – Darussafaka |
Play-In (21-22) |
68-80 |
| Lenovo Tenerife – Pinar Karsiyaka |
Play-In (21-22) |
74-71 |
| U-BT Cluj-Napoca – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg |
Quarterfinals (21-22) |
73-79 |
| Bahcesehir Koleji – Filou Oostende |
Play-In (22-23) |
87-81 |
| JDA Dijon – Peristeri bwin |
Play-In (22-23) |
89-82 |
| MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Limoges CSP |
Play-In (22-23) |
94-96 |
| Rytas – PAOK mateco |
Play-In (22-23) |
82-63 |
| Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – AEK |
Quarterfinals (22-23) |
91-51 |
| Lenovo Tenerife – BAXI Manresa |
Quarterfinals (22-23) |
84-72 |
| Telekom Baskets Bonn – SIG Strasbourg |
Quarterfinals (22-23) |
83-77 |
The Play-In theme
Moving from a home-and-away to best-of-three series to settle one-on-one meetings in the BCL is completely merged with the addition of a Play-In stage to the format. Therefore, Play-In and Game 3 share a common bond stretching to a third consecutive season and matching a league-high for the most series going the distance.
Over the first two years, the 2021-22 campaign featured five Game 3s, and the 2022-23 campaign followed with four Game 3s. Five more Game 3s to decide which teams will be granted last-minute access to the Round of 16 are coming up next week.
Homecourt advantage
Teams playing the deciding game of any series at home naturally means a better seed in the previous stage of the competition. Of course, the same applies to the Champions League. However, a do-or-die contest serving home is not always the case. Reviewing the list of Game 3s, ten out of the 15 games were won by the home side, including 5-3 for the hosts in Play-In action.
Repeat performances on such a demanding occasion pit MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg and Darussafaka, and Hapoel Holon and Filou Oostende directly against each other. Pinar Karsiyaka and PAOK mateco are returning to Game 3 as well but with different opponents. Tofas, Cholet, Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari, and Tofas are the rookies eager to advance to the next round at the first attempt.
Play-In Gameday 3 schedule
| Date | |
| PAOK mateco – Tofas | 16/1 |
| MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Darussafaka Lassa | 16/1 |
| Hapoel Holon – Filou Oostende | 16/1 |
| Pinar Karsiyaka – Rio Breogan | 17/1 |
| Cholet – Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari | 17/1 |
The Game 3 story
Resuming the 2019-20 season after the coronavirus pandemic marked the introduction of a deciding Game 3 to the league. With lasting originals Iberostar Tenerife and Filou Oostende plus JDA Dijon and Nizhny Novgorod stuck at 1-1 in respective best-of-three series from March, they played in September with the home sides prevailing to clinch a berth in the Final Eight.
Game 3 encounters resurfaced in the 2021-22 campaign as the format featured best-of-three series to decide the newly-introduced Play-Ins and Quarterfinals. Established in the annual schedule for a third year in a row, mostly close games with intense moments have been attached to the competition.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League