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EuroLeague Final 2011: No one counted on them but Panathinaikos returns to the top

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

REGULAR PHASE
GROUP A
MACCABI   (9-1)
CAJA LABORAL   (5-5)
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS   (5-5)
PARTIZAN   (5-5)
KHIMKI   (4-6)
ASSECO PROKOM   (2-8)
GROUP B
OLYMPIACOS   (7-3)
REAL MADRID   (6-4)
UNICAJA MALAGA   (5-5)
VIRTUS ROMA   (5-5)
BROSE BASKETS   (4-6)
SPIROU CHARLEROI   (3-7)
GROUP C
MONTEPASCHI SIENA   (8-2)
FENERBAHCE ULKER   (7-3)
BARCELONA   (7-3)
LIETUVOS RYTAS   (4-6)
CHOLET   (4-6)
CIBONA   (0-10)
GROUP D
PANATHINAIKOS   (7-3)
UNION OLIMPIJA   (6-4)
EFES PILSEN   (5-5)
VALENCIA   (5-5)
ARMANI MILAN   (4-6)
CSKA MOSCOW   (3-7)
After the regular league comes the TOP 16 with four groups of four teams with six rounds to play and the top two of each group are classified to a playoff quarterfinals to five games prior to the final four.
TOP 16
GROUP E
CAJA LABORAL   (4-2)
PANATHINAIKOS   (4-2)
LIETUVOS RYTAS   (3-3)
UNICAJA MALAGA   (1-5)
GROUP F
BARCELONA   (6-0)
MACCABI   (3-3)
VIRTUS ROMA   (2-4)
UNION OLIMPIJA   (1-5)
GROUP G
REAL MADRID   (5-1)
MONTEPASCHI SIENA   (4-2)
EFES PILSEN   (2-4)
PARTIZAN   (1-5)
GROUP H
OLYMPIACOS   (5-1)
VALENCIA   (3-3)
FENERBAHCE ULKER   (3-3)
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS   (1-5)
After the TOP 16 they begin the playoff of quarterfinals with format to the best to five parties, previous step to the final four. They face the CAJA LABORAL against MACCABI, BARCELONA against PANATHINAIKOS, REAL MADRID against VALENCIA in a Spanish duel and OLYMPIACOS against MONTEPASCHI SIENA. Spain scored four teams among the eight best, a remarkable success although in the end it was not consolidated with the title. We didn’t know it but we were in front of the craziest playoffs in the history of the Euroleague with up to three teams with a field factor in their favor losing the knockout.
The Caja Laboral started with a bit of an advantage due to its pitch against Maccabi. But the yellows with a great game were able to overcome the situation to win by a clear (1-3). The Caja Laboral won the first but Maccabi’s reaction allowed him to win the next three.
(76-70); (81-83); (81-60); (99-77)
The Barcelona that came to do a great season and to the doors of a final four that would be celebrated in his city was surpassed by the trade and the know how to play of the Panathinaikos. The Greeks were able to win a game on the Catalan court and secure their two home games to sentence their opponent. Barcelona were thus out of their final four.
(83-82); (71-75); (76-74); (78-67)
Real Madrid took the Spanish duel against Valencia. The series was very disputed and needed all five matches to know the champion. Madrid started by winning the first match but Valencia started a victory in the second match on the opposite court. To this the whites reacted with a victory in the first game in Valencia. The Valencians forced the fifth match and here Madrid took advantage of its local condition to sentence by (3-2). A very special victory because it put Real Madrid 17 years later in a final four.
(71-65); (75-81); (66-75); (81-72); (66-58)
Olympiacos were another team that, despite being a field factor, fell to Montepaschi Siena (1-3). The Italians, who were beaten in the first match, reacted furiously and won three consecutive matches.
(89-41); (65-82); (81-72); (88-76)
After the craziest playoffs that are remembered the competition lands in the final four that this year would be held in Barcelona. Facing MACCABI against a REAL MADRID who was returning to a final four 17 years later, and PANATHINAIKOS against MONTEPASCHI SIENA.
Real Madrid promised themselves very happy in their return many years later to a final four, but the truth is that they received a serious corrective. The whites held the game until the break but from the third quarter Maccabi began to manage the times at will to win solvency to a Madrid lack of ideas. In the last stretch Blatt’s team embroidered it and went clearly on the scoreboard.

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.

The Panathinaikos in the other semifinal returned to show their experience at this stage of the season against a Montepaschi Siena that continues without being able to reach a final. After a very even first half the Greeks thanks to the game of Batiste on the inside and Calathes on the outside put a lead around ten points. Siena tried to reach a level finish without success.

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.

PANATHINAIKOS   78
*Diamantidis – 16p, 9a, 2br.
*Calathes – 4p, 6a, 2br.
*Sato – 13p, 1r, 1a.
*Fotsis – 5p, 8r, 2t.
*Vougioukas – 4p, 1t.
Nicholas – 14p, 1a, 1br.
Batiste – 18p, 7r, 1t.
Maric – 2p, 4r, 1t.
Perperoglou – 2p, 5r.
Tsartsaris – 0p, 6r, 1br.
Kaimakoglou – 0p.
Tepic – 0p.
MACCABI   70
*Pargo – 12p, 9a, 5r.
*Eidson – 17p, 7r, 1a.
*Pnini – 8p, 5r, 2br.
*Eliyahu – 12p, 5r, 2br.
*Schortsanitis – 4p, 3a, 1br.
Blu – 14p, 2r, 1a.
Macvan – 3p, 4r, 1a.
Burstein – 0p.
Hendrix – 0p, 1r.
Sharp – 0p.

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