The individual records in the history of the Final Four

By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net

Since 1988, when the institution of the Final Four was established, there has been so much history and even more… numbers! With the help of the EuroLeague’s archive, Eurohoops presents the individual records that have made history!

What are the top performances in each individual statistical category, which player can break a record in the coming Final Four in Istanbul and which legends are in danger of losing the top.

This is the biggest question of all since many records still stand the test of time and as you can see Manu Ginobili is still among the names on the top of the individual records lists.

Scorers 

In the history of the Final Four, the performance of Milan’s Bob McAdoo with 39 points in the semifinal of 1988 against Aris remains the best offensive night for a player, with the same number of points having been tallied by Tau Cermaica’s Saulius Stombergas as well, but that was in the 2001 final series against Kinder.

For a final, there is a quintuple tie with 27 points, with Dejan Bodiroga, Manu Ginobili, Zoran Savic and Antoine Rigaudeau.

Overall, though, Nikos Galis’s performances are unsurpassed as he remains the top scorer in the history of the Final Four with 231 points and is not directly threatened.

Individual records, Final Four era (1988 – 2016) – Most points scored

MADE 2P SHOTS

With 16 two-pointers in 1988’s semifinal in Milan’s colors against Aris, McAdoo has the best performance in a semifinal, while the top spot for a final belongs to Theodoros Papaloukas, who had 9-for-10 in 2007’s final with CSKA against Panathinaikos in Athens.

Nikos Galis has a first in this category as well, with 29 two-pointers in the two games of the Final Four in 1988!

Individual records, Final Four era (1988 – 2016) – Most two-pointers

MADE 3P SHOTS

Stombergas’s unbelievable 9-for-9 three-pointers from 2001 is without question at the top of three-point shooting performances in a semifinal, while Vassilis Spanoulis is among the best with the 5-for-9 he had in 2013 against Real, all of “Kill-Bill”’s hits coming in the second half!

Individual records, Final Four era (1988 – 2016) – Most three-pointers

FREE THROWS

Kevin Magee had scored 15 free throws for Maccabi in the 1989 semifinal and is at the top of the list, while the finals list includes two players with 12 made free throws. However, Nikos Galis has another first here with 23-for-33 in the two games of the Final Four in 1990!

Individual records, Final Four era (1988 – 2016) – Most free throws

REBOUNDS

The 19 rebounds by Milan’s Darryl Dawkins from 1992 is the unsurpassed performance in a Final Four game, while CSKA’s active captain, Victor Khryapa, is the best rebounder in the history of the competition and he has the opportunity to break the barrier of 100 rebounds in the history of the Final Four, something that no other player has done! Ioannis Bourousis is, in fact, fifth on the list with 53!

Individual records, Final Four era (1988 – 2016) – Rebounds

ΑSSISTS

Bennett’s 13 assists in 2001 might be the best performance in a semifinal, but for a final, the top spot belongs to Dimitris Diamantidis, who had dished 9 assists in the 2011 Final Four in Barcelona. “3D” had dished the most assists in that same Final Four, while in the overall list, the top spot belongs to Theodoros Papaloukas, who has 59 against Diamantidis’s 46, with Victor Khryapa being 5th with 43 and the opportunity to climb even higher!

Individual records, Final Four era (1988 – 2016) – Assists

STEALS

* European basketball had two top-level competitions in 2000-01. Kinder Bologna won the Euroleague title in a five-game playoff series against Tau Ceramica. AEK Athens and Fortitudo Bologna also reached the semifinals. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the SuproLeague in a Final Four that also featured Panathinaikos, the other finalist, CSKA Moscow and Efes Pilsen.