By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes and FC Barcelona Lassa will square off on Wednesday at Istanbul for a spot in the 2019 EuroLeague Final Four. The last game of the current postseason will be the tenth Game 5 of Europe’s premier competition during the past ten years. Eurohoops takes a stroll down the memory lane and reminds that the home side won all of the nine previous Game 5 contests.
2008/2009
Barcelona – Tau Ceramica 78-62
Barcelona started off with the home-court advantage, but lost it and Game 1 and regained it in Game 4. Xavi Pascual’s side finished off Tau Ceramica in Game 5 with a 78-62 victory. Juan Carlos Navarro and Ersan Ilyasova dropped 19 points apiece leading their team to the Berlin Final Four.
2010/2011
Real Madrid – Valencia 66-58
The exciting series between Real Madrid and Valencia started with the Whites going up 1-0. After suffering defeat at home, Real retook the lead winning Game 3, but eventually everything came down to the deciding Game 5. A 66-58 win behind Carlos Suarez’s and Clay Tucker’s 12 points was enough for the return to the Final Four after a long 15 years.
2011/2012
Panathinaikos – Maccabi Tel Aviv 86-85
The European Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers matchup was in top form in 2012 with the best-of-five series between Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Greens went up 1-0 at home, lost Game 2 in overtime and fell behind 2-1, before knotting the series at two a piece with an overtime victory. Dimitris Diamantidis poured 25 points in Game 5 leading his team to the 86-85 win and to its last Final Four appearance.