This season begin 24 teams where in the first phase were framed in four groups of six teams unlike years ago that were in three groups of eight teams. After a league of 10 days will qualify the top four of each group for the TOP16
MACCABI 82
*Pargo – 13p, 7a, 3r.
*Eidson – 19p, 8r, 6br.
*Pnini – 14p, 1r, 1a.
*Eliyahu – 1p, 1br.
*Schortsanitis – 16p, 5r.
Hendrix – 6p, 6r, 1t.
Sharp – 3p.
Blu – 10p, 5r, 2a.
Burstein – 0p, 3r, 3a.
Macvan – 0p.
REAL MADRID 63
*Prigioni – 9p, 3r, 3a.
*Llull – 9p, 3r, 1a.
*Suárez – 8p, 3a, 2r.
*Reyes – 15p, 14r, 2a.
*Tomic – 17p, 6r, 2a.
Mirotic – 0p, 2r.
Rodríguez – 0p, 2r, 2a.
Tucker – 3p, 1r.
Fischer – 2p, 3r.
PANATHINAIKOS 77
*Diamantidis – 8p, 9a, 4r.
*Calathes – 17p, 6r, 2a.
*Sato – 6p, 5r, 1a.
*Fotsis – 14p, 3r.
*Vougioukas – 6p, 3r, 2a.
Perperoglou – 5p, 2r, 1a.
Batiste – 16p, 7r, 1a.
Nicholas – 3p, 2a.
Tsartsaris – 2p, 1r.
MONTEPASCHI SIENA 69
*Jaric – 0p, 3br, 2a.
*Hairston – 12p, 4r, 1a.
*Moss – 6p, 2r, 1br.
*Rakovic – 10p, 4r.
*D.Lavrinovic – 7p, 3r, 1t.
McCalebb – 7p, 4a.
Zisis – 4p, 1r, 1a.
Stonerook – 4p, 14r, 3a.
Carraretto – 2p.
Kaukenas – 13p, 3r, 1a.
Ress – 0p, 1r.
Akindele – 4p, 4r, 1t.
Panathinaïkós, the great dominator of European basketball in recent years, won its fourth Euroleague in as many finals – titles to which must be added the two Euroleagues FIBA achieved in 1996 and 2000 – after a new exhibition of the purest values of European basketball: book defense, automated ball circulation and a perfect balance inside and outside. One of the great responsible for the success of the Greek team is undoubtedly Željko Obradović. The Serbian, a true genius of the bench, became the most successful European coach, with eight titles in the highest European competition. His alter ego on the track, Dimitris Diamantidis (named MVP of the final), was responsible for embodying the vision of Obradović game. At his side, men such as Batiste (in the inner game) and Nicholas (in the perimeter) were instrumental in elevating Panathinaïkós back to the Olympus of continental basketball. Faced with this exhibition of total basketball, Maccabi could barely put forward arguments. The Israelis were always in tow and never gave the impression of putting the Greeks in real trouble, despite the fact that in the final minutes David Blatt’s men approached dangerously on the scoreboard (more by errors and nerves of Panathinaïkós than by the dynamics of the game itself).
The Athens outfit took control of the game from the start, with an unmistakable Obradović style (circulation of handball and perfectly studied moves) that was imposed on the individuals and the happy basketball of Maccabi. The everlasting Israeli champion, with pauperimal percentages in the shot of two (4/21 at half-time), managed to survive the rhythm of play of his rivals thanks to the triple shots (6/13) and the offensive rebound. The Greeks, much superior in the inner game and masterfully directed by Diamantidis, came to the end of the first quarter with a seven-point lead (22-15). During the second half, Maccabi continued making the rubber, and thanks to the contribution of a Chuck Eidson as brilliant as intermittent managed to retire at half-time with a minimal disadvantage (33-30), income that seemed short for the merits of both. The set macabeo, well that well, continued within the game, although it was felt that the Israeli rubber could break at any time, as the success from 6.25 is not an argument strong enough to stop the green machine Obradović.
Indeed: in the third quarter, despite Maccabi managed to get ahead after a basket of Schortsanitis (disappeared in combat throughout the game), the constant pace of Panathinaïkós began to break the match. The ball circulation of the Greek team was methodical and patient, and allowed Sato to achieve two consecutive trebles that opened an important gap at this point in the match (43-36, min. 26). Diamantidis perfectly controlled the tempo of the match and Batiste was the executing arm that scored safely and regularly. In Maccabi, the intermittent contribution of Eidson and Blu and the total nullity of «Big Sofo» gave little hope of victory to the Maccabees fans who dyed the stands of the Palau Sant Jordi yellow, and saw how his team closed the third period eleven points below (54-43).
In the last quarter, Drew Nicholas joined the Panathinaïkós party with a triple counterattack and a mid-distance suspension that undermined Maccabi’s morale (59-47, min, 33). Despite the attempts of the Hebrew team, with Eliyahu’s 2+1 that seemed to resurrect the yellow swarm that populated the stands (63-56, min. 36), the excellent game direction of Diamantidis, Batiste’s inner security and Nicholas’ outer throws destroyed Maccabi’s few hopes of victory. The final all-track pressure of Blatt’s men served to give some emotion to the final moments (74-70 within the last minute), but the men from Obradović had already done their job throughout the game and knew how to control the ball until the end to win a new European title in their short but successful continental participation.
