By Stelios Toromanidis / info@eurohoops.net
Which are the most exciting playoff series in the modern history of the EuroLeague (2001-today)? Which of them decided to a great extent the subsequent trophy winners? Eurohoops takes you back in time and reminds you of some thrilling moments of the past.
Since 2001, the year the EuroLeague in its current form came into our lives, the format of the competition has changed several times with the aim of improving the product. The quarterfinal stage came into the project from the 2004-05 season onwards. Initially, it was in the form of a best of 3 series, while from 2009 until today the series became a best of 5.
Including last season, 52 playoff series have taken place in which 15 different teams have secured the qualification for the Final Four. Eurohoops chose the Top 10 series based on their exciting development as well as the degree of difficulty for the teams that eventually emerged victoriously.
Sit back and start the countdown, for you older ones to remember and you younger ones to learn.
Season: 2005-06
Playoff series: Panathinaikos–Baskonia 1-2
Results: 84-72, 79-85, 71-74
Laboral Kutxa were in the best shape in their history and with players like Scola, Splitter, Hansen, Erdogan and Prigioni, they went up against Panathinaikos who had the home court advantage. The Greens’ roster (Spanoulis, Diamantidis, Alvertis, Tomasevic) gave them a slight advantage for the qualification. The first two games went by with wins for the home team and so the third game is the one that decided the outcome of the series.
The most important game: Panathinaikos-Baskonia 71-74 (Game 3)
In the first half, the Basques were dominating the game and at half time they were up 42-36. The Greens’ counterattack came in the third quarter, which ended with the home team being ahead 53-52. Until the finale, the teams were close in the score. With two free throws, Erdogan gave Laboral a four-point advantage (74-70), Diamantidis made a free throw (74-71) and Alvertis missed the three-pointer that would have sent the game into overtime. This is how the Basques qualified for the Final Four for the second consecutive season.
Series MVP: Serkan Erdogan (13.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 11 PIR)
The Turkish guard was the best player of Game 3 and, in fact, he made the two crucial free throws that in the end gave his team the qualification.
Season: 2006-07
Playoff series: Malaga-Barcelona 2-1
Results: 91-75, 58-80, 67-64
With Sergio Scariolo on their bench, Malaga had their best run in Europe, which included their only – so far – qualification to a Final Four. In the elimination games they knocked out Barcelona in a series of amazing suspense.
The most important game: Malaga-Barcelona 67-64 (Game 3)
Malaga got the historic qualification in a full Martin Carpena. It was a close game up to the final seconds. The hero of the game was Pepe Sanchez who demolished the Catalans’ dreams for a victory with his three-pointer 7 seconds before the end, while Marcus Brown delivered the final blow from the free throw line.
Series MVP: Marko Tusek (8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 12.7 PIR)
The Slovenian forward carried the team offensively in the two away games that got the Andalusians the qualification.
Season: 2009-10
Playoff series: Maccabi Tel Aviv-Partizan 1-3
Results: 77-85, 98-78, 73-81, 67-76
Maccabi had the home court advantage in the series but Partizan had the requisite… spark, which led them to their first Final Four after twelve years. Vujosevic’s youngsters played excellent basketball, got the break in the very first game and made the big surprise.
The most important game: Maccabi Tel Aviv-Partizan 77-85 (Game 1)
When you pull off the biggest upset in the history of the playoffs and, in fact, on one of the most difficult home courts in Europe, then you’re entitled to the qualification. Maccabi were leading 34-13, but Kecman, who had an epic game, was the one who led the counterattack. With 29 points and seven three-pointers (a record in the playoffs), the Serbian guard was impressive.
Series MVP: Dusan Kecman (15.3 points, 12-for-18 three-pointers, 15 PIR)
For his performance in the break of the first game alone, he deserves the title of MVP. He was one of the most experienced players on the roster of the Serbian team and throughout the series he helped Partizan transcend themselves.
Season: 2010-2011
Playoff series: Barcelona-Panathinaikos 1-3
Results: 83-82, 71-75, 74-76, 67-78
Barcelona were the active European champions and, on top of that, they had the home court advantage, so they were the big favourites against Panathinaikos, who were not as strong as they had been in previous years. And yet. Obradovic trapped the Catalans’ offensive engine with the famous “box and one” defense on Navarro, with Nick Calathes being the key player. The Greens lost Game 1 by one point and then got three wins in a row along with the ticket to the Final Four in Barcelona, where they sewed the sixth and last, so far, star on their jersey.
The most important game: Panathinaikos-Barcelona 76-74 (Game 3)
All three of Panathinaikos’s wins were marginal. The key, though, for the qualification was the third game of the series at the Olympic Sports Centre Athens. Barcelona looked determined to make the break and closed down the gap to a one point deficit a few seconds before the end (72-71). Despite this, the MVP of the season, Dimitris Diamantidis, scored the Greens’ last six points in the final minute and a half and finished the game off.
Series MVP: Dimitris Diamantidis (18 points, 4.8 assists, 18.8 PIR)
Calathes may have done a good job defensively, but the player who dominated the series was Dimitris Diamantidis. Besides, his performances speak for themselves for the MVP of that season in the EuroLeague.
Season: 2012-2013
Playoff series: Barcelona-Panathinaikos 3-2
Results: 72-70, 65-66, 63-65, 70-60, 64-53
It was the second time in three years that Barcelona and Panathinaikos met in the playoffs. The Greens wanted to follow up on their successes in the first season of the post-Obradovic era, while the Blaugrana wanted to get in the Final Four for the second season in a row and fourth in the last five years.
Panathinaikos got the coveted break in the second game, but the marginally better team of that series, Barcelona, with Panathinaikos’s current coach at the helm (Pascual), responded in Game 4 by conquering the Olympic Sports Centre Athens and getting the qualification at home in 3-2 wins.
The most important game: Panathinaikos-Barcelona 60-70 (Game 4)
In a tightly packed Olympic Sports Centre Athens, the Blaugrana went in the game determined to tie the series. They had the lead from start to finish and got a clean victory. Navarro (17 points) and Tomic (16 points) were the Catalans’ protagonists in offense, in one of those rare games in which Diamantidis didn’t score a single point. Barcelona now had the situation under their control.
Series MVP: Juan Carlos Navarro (16.6 points, 1.8 assists, 13.6 PIR)
Navarro’s prowess in offense helped Barcelona advance to the Final Four. The Blaugrana’s ‘bomber’ was amazing and didn’t allow Panathinaikos to win.
Season: 2010-11
Playoff series: Olympiacos-Siena 1-3
Results: 89-41, 65-82, 72-81, 76-88
One of the most historic series in the history of the competition. In the opening game of the series, Olympiacos crushed Siena by 48 points (89-41) in a game where several records were broken, and it seemed like they would have an easy time getting the ticket to the Final Four. But the heavy defeat functioned as a wake-up call for the Italian team, who was reborn and played top-class basketball. They won the next three games and got the triumphant qualification to the fourth Final Four in their history.
The most important game: Olympiacos-Siena 65-82 (Game 2)
It was the game that completely changed the series. Olympiacos showed up in a slumber after the triumph of the previous confrontation, with Siena imposing their own pace from the start and finally reaching the decisive break with relative ease.
Series MVP: Malik Hairston (14 points, 6 rebounds, 17 PIR)
His appearances in Games 2 and 4 (ranking of 31 and 32) were more than enough to earn him the MVP of the series award.
Season: 2011-12
Playoff series: Panathinaikos–Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-2
Results: 93-73, 92-94, 62-65, 78-69, 86-85
The previous season’s European champions, Panathinaikos, had the home court advantage against Maccabi, the team they came up against in the final in Barcelona. The Greens lost the second game in the Olympic Sports Centre Athens, found themselves with their back against the wall after their defeat in Game 3 of the series, but thanks to their win in the fourth confrontation they brought the series back to Athens.
The most important game: Panathinaikos-Maccabi 86-85 (Game 5)
In the fifth and last game of the series, everything was decided in the final seconds. Dimitris Diamantidis did everything for Panathinaikos, who even had a 9-point lead (78-69) at the 38th minute, but Maccabi tied the game at 85-85 just 10 seconds before the expiration, thanks to David Blu’s crescendo in the final minutes. The Greens’ captain, though, had something to say in the last play as well. He made the winning free throw and in the next play he played excellent defense and sealed the qualification for the his team’s last Final Four to this day.
Series MVP: Dimitris Diamantidis (14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 24 PIR)
The previous season’s MVP took his team by the hand and got them the ticket to the Final Four in Istanbul. Panathinaikos’s captain was excellent throughout the series, but in Game 5 he put up the best performance of his career in the EuroLeague with a PIR of 34!
Season: 2016-2017
Playoff series: Olympiacos–Efes 3-2
Results: 87-72, 71-73, 64-60, 74-62, 87-78
Olympiacos were the favourites of this series, but Efes wouldn’t surrender so easily. Coach Perasovic’s team may have lost easily in the first game, but they made the break in the second one and had Olympiacos on the ropes and they were looking “dizzy.” In fact, after the Turks’ 2-1, the Reds were ready to go down. Despite this, they found the mental reserves to make the comeback in the series. Initially, the beat Efes in Turkey and tied the series at 2-2 and then they completed the triumph by winning the qualification in Piraeus.
The most important game: Efes–Olympiacos 62-74 (Game 3)
Even though the brash home team had a really good start to the game, Olympiacos had an amazing defense and Spanoulis in top form in terms of scoring and creating. In this way, they managed to turn the situation around and get a big away win.
Series MVP: Vassilis Spanoulis (17 points, 6 assists, 17.2 PIR)
In one word, brilliant. Olympiacos’s leader became young again and had perhaps his biggest playoff series. In terms of execution and passing, he was in top form and gave European basketball fans some excellent performances. His teammates felt confident and his opponents just looked on as one of the greatest players on the Old Continent did his thing.
Season: 2013-2014
Playoff series: Armani Milan-Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-3
Results: 99-101, 91-77, 63-75, 66-86
Armani Milan finished the Top 16 with… no breaks and they had an extra incentive in the playoffs since the Final Four was going to take place… at home. On the other side, Maccabi had many ups and downs in their performance. Despite that, they got the break with an amazing upset in Game 1. Even though Armani Milan won the second game, they then suffered two defeats in Tel Aviv. Maccabi advanced to the Final Four as outsiders but somehow managed to win the trophy for the 6th time in their history.
The most important game: Armani Milan-Maccabi Tel Aviv 99-101 (Game 1)
The Israelis managed an unbelievable upset as they took the game into overtime (87-87) despite the fact that they were behind by 13 points a few minutes before the end (78-65). They were the better team in overtime and, led by Ricky Hickman and Tyrese Rice, they got the precious win.
Series MVP: Ricky Hickman (16.5 points, 3.3 assists, 22.3 PIR)
The small American guard was excellent in the defining first game in Milan, where he chalked up 36 units in the ranking while maintaining consistently high performance levels in the rest of the games too.
Season: 2014-2015
Playoff series: Barcelona-Olympiacos 1-3
Results: 73-57, 63-76, 71-73, 68-71
Barcelona had the home court advantage against Olympiacos and had an impressive start to the series by getting an easy win in Game 1. In the second game, however, Olympiacos showed up transformed for the better and went away from Barcelona with a win for the first time in their history. The series went to Piraeus with the Reds getting the two wins that sent them to Madrid.
The most important game: Olympiacos-Barcelona 71-68 (Game 4)
In an incredibly close game with neither of the teams building a big lead, the Catalans were up 65-61 a minute and thirty seconds before the end. With a quick 5-0 run, Olympiacos got the lead (66-65) again, but 5 seconds before the end the game was tied at 68-68. The Reds had the inbound from the side, they executed the attack perfectly and Printezis made the three-pointer at the expiration.
Series MVP: Georgios Printezis (14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 17 PIR)
He was excellent in Game 2 of the series with 22 points, 9 rebounds and a PIR of 34, but what made history was the buzzer-beating three-pointer in Game 4.