By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Another exciting season is in the books, with the Final Four wrapping up the 2023-24 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague between May 24 and 26.
Two teams from one country emerged as Panathinaikos Aktor and Olympiacos clinched a berth in 2024 Final Four. The Greek powerhouses share the court in the Final Four for the fifth time, but first over 12 years. Fenerbahce Beko and Real Madrid are also on track to compete for a championship on Sunday.
Before the season-ending tournament to crown the next EuroLeague champion in Berlin’s Uber Arena, Eurohoops selected the five best Final Four offerings. Choosing five was far from a simple task, especially considering a traditional lock in tight affairs and unforeseeable outcomes.
Final Four 2009 (Berlin)
When: May 3-5, 2009
Where: Berlin
1st: Panathinaikos (Greece)
2nd: CSKA (Russia)
3rd: FC Barcelona (Spain)
4th: Olympiacos (Greece)
MVP: Vassilis Spanoulis (15.5pts, 1ast, 1.5rbd, 11PIR)
Games: Olympiacos-Panathinaikos 82-84/FC Barcelona-CSKA 78-82/Olympiacos-FC Barcelona 79-95/Panathinaikos-CSKA 73-71
How can we overlook the Final Four in 2009? In Berlin, in the same venue as this year. Random. We will see. A semifinal between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos and a Greek triumph at the end.
These four teams presented enormous quality throughout the season. Huge names on all rosters.
Greens and Reds at O2 Arena shaped an epic battle. Panathinaikos edged out a win, 84-82, with Nikola Pekovic hitting the go-ahead bucket. Giannis Bourousis missed a game-tying shot, as did Josh Childress on the rebound.
The championship game was no exception. Panathinaikos collided with CSKA and ended up with a fifth EuroLeague title behind a 73-71 victory. Ramunas Siskauskas missing from beyond the arc sealed the win.
Final Four 2012 (Istanbul)
When: May 11-13, 2012
Where: Istanbul
1st: Olympiacos (Greece)
2nd: CSKA (Russia)
3rd: FC Barcelona (Spain)
4th: Panathinaikos (Greece)
MVP: Vassilis Spanoulis (18pts, 4.5ast, 1,5rbd, 12.5PIR)
Games: Olympiacos-FC Barcelona 68-64/CSKA–Panathinaikos 66-64/Panathinaikos-FC Barcelona 69-74/CSKA-Olympiacos 61-62
The next Final Four on our list was special. Not only for the supporters of Olympiacos but overall in EuroLeague history. The odds-on favorite creating a 19-point lead and then losing is far from normal.
From the top.
The Reds, guided by Dusan Ivkovic and with Vassilis Spanoulis in tremendous form, defeated FC Barcelona, 68-64, in Sinan Erdem Dome to advance from the Semifinals to the Final. Revenging the loss in the championship game of 2010.
CSKA rallying past Panathinaikos and prevailing, 66-64, clinched a berth in the Final for the Russian club.
Looking comfortable in the championship game, the Moscow outfit went up 53-34 late in the third quarter.
However, Olympiacos stormed back behind a solid defensive effort. Also, youngsters, Kostas Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou, and Vangelis Mantzaris took on key roles en route to a 61-60 lead.
Ramunas Siskauskas missed two free throws with 9.7 seconds on the clock, Papanikolaou grabbed the rebound, Spanoulis masterminded the play, finding open Giorgos Printezis. The rest is history.
The first European championship since 1997 for the Reds.
Final Four 2014 (Milan)
When: May 16-18, 2014
Where: Milan
1st: Maccabi (Israel)
2nd: Real Madrid (Spain)
3rd: FC Barcelona (Spain)
4th: CSKA (Russia)
MVP: Tyrese Rice (19.5pts, 2ast, 4.5rbd, 23PIR)
Games: CSKA–Maccabi 67-68/FC Barcelona-Real Madrid 62-100/CSKA-FC Barcelona 78-93/Maccabi-Real Madrid 98-86
In Mediolanum Forum, we witnessed one of the best Final Four showdowns in history. It had it all.
We were convinced from tipoff. Maccabi and CSKA battled it out in a nail-biter. A steal by Tyrese Rice led to a game-winning effort and a final score of 68-67.
On the opposite end of the bracket, Real Madrid was spectacular in leveling FC Barcelona, 100-62.
It came down to Maccabi and Madrid. The EuroLeague giants exchanged blows on the way to overtime.
A 25-13 run for the team coached by David Blatt and featuring Sofoklis Schortsanitis, among more legends, defied the odds and climbed to the top for the first time since 2005.
This is another reason to keep Milan’s Final Four in a prominent spot in history books.
Final Four 2018 (Belgrade)
When: May 18-20, 2018
Where: Belgrade
1st: Real Madrid (Spain)
2nd: Fenerbahce (Turkiye)
3rd: Zalgiris (Lithuania)
4th: CSKA (Russia)
MVP: Luka Doncic (15,5pts, 3ast, 5rbd, 17.5PIR)
Games: CSKA–Real Madrid 83-92/Fenerbahce–Zalgiris76-67/CSKA-Zalgiris 77-79/Real Madrid-Fenerbahce 85-80
Landing in Belgrade, the Final Four in 2018 could have been renamed to the Luka Show.
Heading to the NBA, Luka Doncic bid farewell to European continental competitions by leading Real Madrid to the first championship since 2015. The Slovenian sensation was terrific and named MVP.
In the first Semifinal, Fenerbahce seemed to struggle against current head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and Zalgiris but got the job done.
In the second meeting of the Semifinals, CSKA went up by ten points over Los Blancos, 30-20, after one quarter. Fueling a comeback win, Sergio Llull combined 16 points with five rebounds and Doncic had 16 points and seven rebounds.
A rematch between Madrid and Fener presented an opportunity for retribution, one year after losing a semifinal clash in Istanbul.
This game was different. The Queen completely took over the second half and secured a ninth EuroLeague title with an 85-80 victory. Fabien Causeur scored 17 points and Doncic followed with 15 points.