Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 at 5:13 pm  |  16 responses

Euroleague Title Game Recap

The green-clad Greeks win a thriller.

Nikola Pekovic & Viktor Khryapa

by Jeff Fox

NBA fans have been treated to some thrilling playoff games recently and their European cousins were not to be outdone.  After two very close semi-final contests on Friday, Sunday’s Euroleague championship came down to the last shot in a packed O2 World arena in Berlin.

The CSKA Moscow-Panathinaikos final was a true match up of European dynasties.  This year marks CSKA’s seventh-straight  trip to the Final Four, including titles in 2006 and 2008.  However, Panathinaikos has proven to have their number, beating them in the 2007 final for their fourth title since 1996.  This had the makings of a steel cage grudge match.

The prospects of a heart stopping finish didn’t even seem remotely possible in the early going.  Spurred on by the always boisterous Greek crowd (they didn’t stop clapping, chanting and singing in unison the whole game), Panathinaikos came out guns-a-blazin’.  By the end of the first quarter they had built a 21-16 lead, with bruising big man Nikola Pekovic muscling in six points and putting numerous CSKA big men into foul trouble.  He was complimented from the outside by former Houston Rocket Vassilis Spanoulis, who contributed seven to the scoreboard.

Second verse, same as the first.  Eight-straight Panathinaikos points near the start of the second quarter pushed the lead to 31-19.  The Greeks were on fire from outside and smVassilis Spanoulisothering on defense, leading CSKA to rush numerous shots as the shot clock expired.  As usual their defense was quarterbacked by Dimitris Diamantidis, the five-time Euroleague Defender of the Year.

It all added up to a blowout at the half — 48-28 Panathinaikos.  The Greeks unbelievably deep guard rotation did a number on the Muscovites, as Diamantidis, Spanoulis, Drew Nicholas and Sarunas Jasikevicius combined for 31 points.  The only CSKA player that seemed to come to play was point guard J.R. Holden, who had 12 points.  The Greeks outshot CSKA from outside eight three-pointers to none.

The second half started with another Panathinaikos three-pointers, with Jasikevicius knocking it down.  But, rather than conceding defeat, the defending champs fought back behind the strong play of last year’s Final Four MVP, Trajan Langdon.  Langdon outscored Panathinaikos by himself in the quarter, 11 to 8, leading to a 10-point game heading into the last 10 minutes.

CSKA started playing desperate to start of the 4th, grabbing loose balls and offensive rebounds and was able to cut thChampions of the... Euroleague!e lead down to four with just under a minute to go.  Ramunas Siskauskas, who was mostly invisible for CSKA throughout the game, came alive in the last minute, forcing Diamantidis into a eight-second halfcourt violation and then knocked in a tough three to cut the lead to one.  After the teams traded free throws, CSKA was forced to send to the line Jasikevicius, the Euroleague’s all-time leader in free throw percentage.  And he promptly went and missed his first free one.  After knocking down the second, CSKA had 5.8 seconds to try to tie — or win — the game.  And win it they almost did, as a contested, buzzer-beating three from Siskauskas just rimmed out.

Panathinaikos is your 2009 Euroleague champion, their coach, Zeljko Obradovic, is now a seven-time champ and Jasikevicius becomes the first player to win Euroleague titles with three different teams.  Spanoulis earned the MVP trophy with 13 points for the victors.  It didn’t take the champs long to make good use of the stein-shaped championship trophies they were awarded, as the champagne started flowing.

Read more from Jeff Fox at The Hoops Manifesto and CollegeHoops.net.

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  • VASILIS SPANOULIS (2009 Euroligue MVP) Posted: May.3 at 5:47 pm
    CSSKA-PANANTHINAIKOS : THE STAKES. Just an hour ago finished the final of this years Euroligue but before we get at details i want to present you the reasons why this was the game of the decade,in terms of importance, for European basketball. 2)THE TEAMS: CSSKA has been to the last 8 consecutive final-4′s (a record) while PAO (this is how they call Panathinaikos in greece) has made it 6 times in this decade. Before tonight PAO had won 3 times the trophy in this decade while CSSKA 2. The 2 teams have also won the last 4 trophies. It is safe to say that the two best teams of the last decade where meeting in order to determine the best of this period.(I have to mention that PAO was declared by FIBA the best team in Europe according to results for the last 25 years when we have this final-4 format). 1)THE COACHES: Obradovic and Mesina are widely regarded as the best coaches in Europe. Obradovic has won 6 times the trophy (a record) and Mesina 4. There are many people with experience in both U.S. and Europe that consider them two of the very best in the world. The G.M. of the Toronto Raptors (with rich experience in both sides of the bball world) said in an interview yesterday that those two are “by far” the two best coaches in the world. Mesina is thinking about coaching in the NBA next year (the Raptors GM said that ,although he thinks of them as the best in the world,it would be very difficult for them to play in a “players” league as he called the NBA)and he would love to beat for the first time in his life Obradovic. Obradovic has won all 3 meetings between them in finals and is generally considered here as the godfather of European coaches(Popovic treated him this way when PAO played the Spurs in San Antonio 2 years ago). My humble opinion(and i can write it here since none of my Olympiakos friends will read it) is that Obradovic is simply a genious that decided to spend his time with the game of bball. The guy has also a street toughness that you rarely see this days on benches…(you should see the behavior of a primadona like Jasikevicious in front of him…he is listening like scared student). To cut the long story short,we have something like Lakers – Celtics playing in 1989 to determine the best team of the 80’s while at their bench Dean Smith (Obradovic) is fighting Mesina(Ksyzefski) for the title of greatest coach of modern times.

  • VASILIS SPANOULIS (2009 Euroligue MVP) Posted: May.3 at 6:07 pm
    THE GAME :”FIRST HALF-THE GRAND MASTER(a chess term for Obradovic)” Game starts nervously for both teams. CSSKA is finding ways to score around the basket mainly with Lorbek while PAO is answering with Spanoulis drives. After a basket from Pekovic and another one from Dru Nicholas(great game from him) PAO is taking the lead for good after Pekovic is fooled from Kryapa that is also receiving a technical. First quarter finds PAO leading 21-16 after CSSKA has lost all 5 3 -point attempts and the great Siskauskas has started cold. With entrance of Jasikevicious in the second period PAO is starting to play almost perfect on offence while playing some of the best team defence you will ever see (Obradovic…). Diamantidis that was nonexistent in the semifinal was now scoring from three point land and playing his trademark sufocating deffence(once again voted best deffender in Europe). PAO is playing what we call here “total bball” and 3 -pointers are droping from all over the places after a brilliant passing game is getting Nikolas,Jasikevicious,Fotsis,and Diamantidis free looks to the basket. CSSKA seems like an ordinary team and only J.R.Holden manages to hold his own playing great deffence and trying to orchestrate his confused teamates. First half score is 48-28 and everybody knows that it is impossible for Obradovic to lose a game that he is leading with 20 points after a half.

  • Tzvi T Posted: May.3 at 6:17 pm
    Thanks for the across-the-pond coverage, Jeff.

  • Darksaber Posted: May.3 at 7:18 pm
    eff Jasicabbages.

  • VASILIS SPANOULIS (2009 Euroligue MVP) Posted: May.3 at 7:21 pm
    “SECOND HALF-THE ROBBERY (almost…)”: There is a great advantage for somebody that is not writing an official report on something. That is that he can freely express his opinion on controversial issues. I will use this advantage in order to describe you a situation that is taking place quite often in European final-4′s but this year almost determined the final result. I have seen all final-4′s in the last 25 years,starting with Bob McAdoo and Mike D’Antony (the Knicks coach)leading Tracer Milano over Macaby in 1988 in Belgium. The thing is that many times you can see the referees trying to balance a final that is about to ridicule one of the two participants. The idea is that a final has to be a final until the end, especially if there are serious intersests for Euroleague leaders. In our case we have a team that came in open war against Euroleague (created and governed by Spain) because of disagreaments around T.V. money (the PAO president left last September’s summit after exchanging words with Eurolegue president) and a team that represents a country that has 250 million potential clients(Russia) and has invested hundreds of millions in the last 3 years in the game(Russia’s championship was almost nonexistent 15 years ago). The problem is that the rebels(PAO) have rediculed Euroleague’s favorites (CSSKA) and “everybody” (at least those that seriously follow everything around european bball for the last 25 years…)is waiting the league’s answer at the second half………second half starts great for PAO with a three point from Jasikevicious that is taking the differnce at 23 points. The game continious in the same way for the first 5 minutes and only J.R.Holden is playing effectively for CSSKA (he is making great steals and using his great leaping ability to shoot over Batist in the paint!! just think of A.I. with a brain). At around the 25th minute of the game we have the first “strange” calls (for example at one point Pekovic is fouled hard under CSSKA’s basket and he doesn’t even manage to make a lay-up,the ball is getting outside and no foul is called while the ball is given at CSSKA….this was really funny cause Pekovic is like SHAQ for Europe and he had grabed the ball with both hands going up under the basket since he knew what was coming. You have to see it to understand it, i was actually laughing with Pekovic looking like lost after this call,he didn’t even protest it…) for the next 15 minutes CSSKA is playing ‘tough-almost dirty’ deffence and PAO is called for the fouls(i know how it sounds…). If you’ve played bball you know that after 3-4 calls of that kind you can get the picture of what is happening and since all PAO players have played in many finals they do not really complain. At the same time it is impossible to maintain their rythm and by the end of the 3rd quarter the score is 56-46. CSSKA continious in the same way at the beggining of the 4th period running a streak of 17-0 and the score is 56-50. Of course CSSKA is playing now way better and the entrance of Planinic has made them more patient on offence. PAO is without a basket for 8 straight minutes until Fotsis is making a 3 that is followed by 5 points from young Perperoglou(i have to start using his name in the future..). The score is 65-53 with 5 minutes to go and PAO seems able to overcame finally CSSKA comeback but the great Siskauskas has a different opinion…he is scoring a tough 3 and then grabs some offensive rebounds(PAO’s defence has lost first half’s perfection) to cut the lead back to 5 until Spanoulis scores a 3 to make it 68-60. Kryapa is answering with a 3 and in the next possesion Dru Nicolas, trying to guard him, is jumping over him with a vertical leap (very impressive demonstration of athletisism!!). Now CSSKA is fouling PAO players in order to stop the clock and the game will be decided from the free throw line(usual thing in European finals). Siskauskas is taking all CSSKA possesions and he is converting his free throws…then he scores a 3-pointer and makes the score 70-69.With the score 72-71 and 8 seconds left PAO will definitely try to get the ball to Jasikevicious since CSSKA has to foul to regain position and Sarounas is the all-time leader in free-throw shooting % in Europe(over 90%). At this moment the situation with the referees is reaching a climax when 2 guys are clearly fouling Jasikevicious trying to steal the ball from him in center court and the referees are calling the foul after 3 seconds…(i would never have thought that Jasikevicious would ever receive such treatment in a European game,he is now here what M.J was for NBA in 2000:not the best player but the most respected…)Sarounas is missing one of two and with the score at 73-71 Siskauskas is attempting a three to win the game with the best european defender on him(Diamantidis) he finally misses a 3 and PAO is once again the European champion…Obradovic is about to explode with what (almost) took place and he is going towards Mesina for the handsake after the game screaming like a maniac….he doesn’t have to…he is propably the best bball tactician in the world and after a few seconds he is celebrating one more championship. Mesina got schooled (again).

  • VASILIS SPANOULIS (2009 Euroligue MVP) Posted: May.3 at 7:24 pm
    @SLAM….:thanks.

  • Tim Tom Posted: May.3 at 8:48 pm
    I actually watched last years’ game and thought that the refs sucked. Was that the case thisyear as well?

  • Jeff Fox Posted: May.3 at 10:43 pm
    Tim Tom – there were alot of fouls called over the weekend, but I felt the refs did a decent job.

  • Ryne Nelson Posted: May.3 at 11:44 pm
    Thanks Jeff. What did I say about my man Jasikevicius?

  • Manumaniac Posted: May.4 at 3:38 am
    Panathinaikos is the greatest basketball club of the new millenium in Europe!!! The refs actually gave a little push at CSKA in the third quarter, but that’s all history now. It doesn’t matter, since the green powerhouse has won its 4th Euroleague trophy, counting from the beginning of the new century (PAO won also a Euroleague trophy back in 1996).
    As for Jasikevicius, he was great, especially in th semifinal game. He proved to everybody that he’s still an elite player.

  • Agent 87 Posted: May.4 at 5:16 am
    Great game between the two best teams in Europe, and probably deepest rosters (with the like of Jasikevicius, Batiste, Diamantidis and Siskauskas starting the game on the bench).
    And I don’t think Jasikevicius needed to prove anything, he already won 4 Euroleague titles and multiple MVP awards, and did a really great job in the semis.

  • Diamondback Blogs | Euroleague Final Four loaded with Terp ties… Posted: May.4 at 1:13 pm
    [...] yesterday’s result, Jasikevicius is the first player in Euroleague history to win three titles with three different teams. That’s a pretty nice [...]

  • IndyB. Posted: May.4 at 1:58 pm
    Does Lorbek have what it takes to defend in the NBA?

  • christos Posted: May.4 at 2:49 pm
    Some factual errors in the first comment. Before tonight Pana had grabbed 4, not 3 titles. Thus, this was their 5th Euroleague trophy. Thanks

  • VASILIS SPANOULIS (2009 Euroligue MVP) Posted: May.4 at 3:02 pm
    @IndyB….:you think this is his only limitation..??!!

  • VASILIS SPANOULIS (2009 Euroligue MVP) Posted: May.4 at 5:55 pm
    @christos….:christako read the comment again. PAO had 3 tittles in this decade. Thanks.

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