By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
On the 17th of April the postseason will get underway along with the four series, the winners of which will be decided in three wins and go on to the Final Four in Belgrade. Let’s take a look at how these eight “gladiators” did the previous times they competed in the playoffs of the competition, their overall win rates for all the series they played in and who their opponents are…
Zalgiris Kaunas
The Lithuanians, Olympiacos’s opponents in this season’s playoffs, will be competing in a series in the EuroLeague for the second time. The first time, in 2001, they were knocked out by AEK, who, in 2-0 wins, advanced to the quarterfinals in the competition’s first season in its modern form.
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2000-01
|
AEK (0-2)
|
|
2017-18
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
0 wins – 2 losses (0%)
|
Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz
Going against Fenerbahce, the Basques will take part in their 15th playoff series in the EuroLeague, more than any other team! In 2001, the first season of the competition, they played in four series, going all the way to the finals. Overall, they have one win more in relation to their defeats.
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2000-01
|
Peristeri (2-0)
|
|
2000-01
|
Olympiacos (2-0)
|
|
2000-01
|
AEK (3-0)
|
|
2000-01
|
Virtus Bologna (2-3)
|
|
2004-05
|
Benetton Treviso (0-2)
|
|
2005-06
|
Panathinaikos (2-1)
|
|
2006-07
|
Olympiacos (2-0)
|
|
2007-08
|
Partizan (2-1)
|
|
2008-09
|
Barcelona (2-3)
|
|
2009-10
|
CSKA Moscow (1-3)
|
|
2010-11
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv (1-3)
|
|
2012-13
|
CSKA Moscow (1-3)
|
|
2015-16
|
Panathinaikos (3-0)
|
|
2016-17
|
CSKA Moscow (0-3)
|
|
2017-18
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
23 wins – 22 losses (51%)
|
Olympiacos Piraeus
Baskonia may have played in the most series, but the team from Piraeus has played in more games (47). At the same time, they will appear in the playoffs for the 13th season, a record they share with CSKA Moscow. This season, however, they will go head to head with Zalgiris for the first time.
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2000-01
|
Verona (2-0)
|
|
2000-01
|
Tau Ceramica (0-2)
|
|
2005-06
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv (1-2)
|
|
2006-07
|
Tau Ceramica (0-2)
|
|
2007-08
|
CSKA Moscow (1-2)
|
|
2008-09
|
Real Madrid (3-1)
|
|
2009-10
|
Prokom (3-1)
|
|
2010-11
|
Siena (1-3)
|
|
2011-12
|
Siena (3-1)
|
|
2012-13
|
Anadolu Efes (3-2)
|
|
2013-14
|
Real Madrid (2-3)
|
|
2014-15
|
Barcelona (3-1)
|
|
2016-17
|
Anadolu Efes (3-2)
|
|
2017-18
|
Zalgiris Kaunas
|
|
TOTAL
|
25 wins – 22 losses (53%)
|
Panathinaikos Superfoods
Against Real Madrid the Greens will seek their first win in a EuroLeague playoff series since 2015 and their first qualification since 2012. It’s also worth noting that they will be facing the Madrilenos in a series for the first time.
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2004-05
|
Efes Pilsen (2-1)
|
|
2005-06
|
Tau Ceramica (1-2)
|
|
2006-07
|
Dynamo Moscow (2-0)
|
|
2008-09
|
Siena (3-1)
|
|
2010-11
|
Barcelona (3-1)
|
|
2011-12
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv (3-2)
|
|
2012-13
|
Barcelona (2-3)
|
|
2013-14
|
CSKA Moscow (2-3)
|
|
2014-15
|
CSKA Moscow (1-3)
|
|
2015-16
|
Laboral Kutxa (0-3)
|
|
2016-17
|
Fenerbahce (0-3)
|
|
2017-18
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
19 wins – 22 losses (46%)
|
Real Madrid
The Whites have encountered Olympiacos twice in a playoff series and one time they achieved their goal and the other they were knocked out. This season, however, they will go up against Panathinaikos for the first time in a series in Europe’s top club competition.
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2000-01
|
Buducnost (2-0)
|
|
2000-01
|
Fortitudo Bologna (1-2)
|
|
2005-06
|
Barcelona (1-2)
|
|
2008-09
|
Olympiacos (1-3)
|
|
2009-10
|
Barcelona (1-3)
|
|
2010-11
|
Valencia (3-2)
|
|
2012-13
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv (3-0)
|
|
2013-14
|
Olympiacos (3-2)
|
|
2014-15
|
Anadolu Efes (3-1)
|
|
2015-16
|
Fenerbahce (0-3)
|
|
2016-17
|
Darussafaka (3-1)
|
|
2017-18
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
21 wins – 19 losses (53%)
|
The Muscovites have played in 12 series and have advanced every single time! In a total of 40 games they have been defeated only eight times! Without a doubt, they “own” the playoffs. This season, however, they will be encountering Khimki for the first time.
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2004-05
|
Ulker (2-0)
|
|
2005-06
|
Efes Pilsen (2-0)
|
|
2006-07
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2-1)
|
|
2007-08
|
Olympiacos (2-1)
|
|
2008-09
|
Partizan (3-0)
|
|
2009-10
|
Caja Laboral (3-1)
|
|
2011-12
|
Bilbao (3-1)
|
|
2012-13
|
Caja Laboral (3-1)
|
|
2013-14
|
Panathinaikos (3-2)
|
|
2014-15
|
Panathinaikos (3-1)
|
|
2015-16
|
Crvena Zvezda (3-0)
|
|
2016-17
|
Baskonia (3-0)
|
|
2017-18
|
Khimki
|
|
TOTAL
|
32 wins – 8 losses (80%)
|
Fenerbahce Dogus
As Ulker and as Fenerbahce/Ulker they had four defeats in as many playoff games in the EuroLeague. However, in the last three seasons, now known as Fenerbahce, they have nine wins in as many playoff games in Europe’s top club competition!
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2004-05
|
CSKA Moscow (0-2)
|
|
2007-08
|
Siena (0-2)
|
|
2014-15
|
Maccabi Tel Aviv (3-0)
|
|
2015-16
|
Real Madrid (3-0)
|
|
2016-17
|
Panathinaikos (3-0)
|
|
2017-18
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
9 wins – 4 losses (69%)
|
Khimki Moscow Region
Even though the 2017-18 season marks Khimki’s 5th appearance in Europe’s top club competition, they will be competing in a playoff series for the first time. Georgios Bartzokas’s squad will not have to travel to another country since they will be going up against Dimitris Itoudis’s CSKA Moscow.
|
Season
|
Opponent
|
|
2017-18
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
0 wins – 0 losses (0%)
|