SuproLeague & EuroLeague Final 2001: Maccabi and Virtus Bologna, champions in the year of redemption
Roberto Anidos
A historic event took place in the summer of 2000. Some of Europe’s top teams dissatisfied with FIBA’s economic dealings with them decided to create an organisation called the European Basketball Leagues Union (ULEB) and create a parallel competition under its mandate. During the whole summer, both FIBA and ULEB did not reach an agreement and the grotesque situation of competing for two European Cups, the one of all life, the one of FIBA, which decided to be called Suproleague and the new one, the one of ULEB, which would be called Euroleague. The teams on each side were completing the two competitions, the schism for European basketball clubs was served
The Suproleague began with 20 teams, which were divided into two groups to play the regular league. From each group, the first eight would qualify for the playoffs in the format of the round of 16 and the last two would be directly eliminated.
GROUP A
PANATHINAIKOS (13-5)
CSKA MOSCOW (12-6)
KK SPLIT (12-6)
ULKER (11-7)
ALBA BERLIN (9-9)
ASVEL BASKET (9-9)
LIETUVOS RYTAS (7-11)
SLASK WROCLAW (7-11)
MONTEPASCHI SIENA (6-12)
RA`ANANA (4-14)
GROUP B
MACCABI (15-3)
EFES PILSEN (13-5)
PARTIZAN (11-7)
IRAKLIS (10-8)
SCAVOLINI (9-9)
PAU ORTHEZ (9-9)
OOSTENDE (8-10)
KRKA NOVO MESTO (7-11)
BAYERN LEVERKUSEN (6-12)
PLANNJA BASKET (2-16)
After the regular league the quarter-final playoffs are presented as follows: PANATHINAIKOS v. KRKA NOVO MESTO, CSKA MOSCOW v. OOSTENDE, EFES PILSEN v. LIETUVOS RYTAS, MACCABI v. SLASK WROCLAW, ULKER v. SCAVOLINI, KK SPLIT v. PAU ORTHEZ, PARTIZAN v. ASVEL BASKET and IRAKLIS v. ALBA BERLIN.
ROUND OF 16
PANATHINAIKOS VS KRKA NOVO MESTO (2-0)
(82-65); (79-86)
CSKA MOSCOW VS OOSTENDE (2-0)
(94-76); (70-77)
EFES PILSEN VS LIETUVOS RYTAS (2-1)
(89-78); (73-69); (86-87)
MACCABI VS SLASK WROCLAW (2-0)
(81-75); (62-85)
ULKER VS SCAVOLINI (1-2)
(91-81); (96-83); (85-88)
KK SPLIT VS PAU ORTHEZ (2-0)
(79-78); (83-85)
PARTIZAN VS ASVEL BASKET (1-2)
(80-73); (94-76); (62-73)
IRAKLIS VS ALBA BERLIN (1-2)
(78-67); (88-77); (75-86)
After a very exciting eighth with many playoffs needing the tie-breaker the quarterfinals face: PANATHINAIKOS against ALBA BERLIN, CSKA MOSCU against ASVEL BASKET, EFES PILSEN against KK SPLIT and MACCABI against SCAVOLINI.
QUARTERFINALS
PANATHINAIKOS VS ALBA BERLIN (2-0)
(87-77); (69-71)
CSKA MOSCOW VS ASVEL BASKET (2-0)
(78-63); (76-82)
EFES PILSEN VS KK SPLIT (2-1)
(95-69); (72-64); (82-59)
MACCABI VS SCAVOLINI (2-0)
(80-69); (77-84)
The final four of the European Cup under the mandate of FIBA was held in Paris. The semi-finals would pit MACABI against EFES PILSEN and PANATHINAIKOS against CSKA MOSCOW.
The first semi-final was a tough game, Maccabi maintained much of last year’s structure and were a very well-trained team. McDonald and Huffman led their team to victory. But this was not secured until the last possessions against a CSKA that sold expensive defeat. The inner Russian game formed by a very young Kirilenko, Morgunov and Einikis tried to give the answer for many minutes until they fell in the end.
MACCABI 86
*McDonald – 17p, 6a.
*Sharp – 7p, 2a.
*Parker – 14p, 4r.
*Henefeld – 14p, 3r.
*Huffman – 17p, 11r.
Shelef – 10p, 2r.
Brisker – 5p, 4r.
Curcic – 2p, 3r.
Burstein – 0p, 1br.
CSKA MOSCU 80
*Alanovic – 0p, 3a.
*Domani – 9p, 2r.
*Kirilenko – 23p, 7r.
*Morgunov – 15p, 6r.
*Einikis – 11p, 5r.
Fettisov – 9p, 6r.
Petrenko – 6p, 2a.
La Rue – 8p, 3r.
Padius – 2p.
Koudelin – 0p.
Panathinaikos dominated the other semifinal against Ephes thanks to Bodiroga’s control on the track. The Turks were never able to maintain the proper pace and for the second consecutive year they fell one step away from the final. Mulaomerovic and Drobnjak pulled the Turkish cart but it was insufficient. With this victory of Panathinaikos repeats the final of last season that will face the Greeks against Maccabi.
PANATHINAIKOS 74
*Kalaitzis – 6p, 2a.
*Alvertis – 10p, 3r.
*Bodiroga – 22p, 6r.
*Fotsis – 11p, 4r.
*Rebraca – 5p, 8r.
Koch – 10p, 2a.
Middleton – 6p, 4r.
Rogers – 2p, 2r.
Gentile – 2p, 2a.
Balogiannis – 0p.
EFES PILSEN 66
*Mulaomerovic – 20p, 5a.
*Onan – 15p, 1r.
*Scepanovic – 0p, 3r.
*Besok – 10p, 6r.
*Drobnjak – 15p, 8r.
Tunceri – 4p, 3a.
Okur – 2p, 2r.
Yilmaz – 0p.
Around 8,000 Maccabees fans attended the Palais Omnisports in Bercy (which this time looked like the pavilion «The Hand of Elias» in Tel Aviv) to the victory of his team, in a reedition of the final that Maccabi and Panathinaïkós disputed last year, although this time the Israelis took full revenge. In the run-up to the match the FIBA gave Nate Huffman the MVP trophy as best player of the season, but the big winner of the night was Arriel McDonald, who won the MVP of the final. On the part of Panathinaïkós, only Dejan Bodiroga was up to the circumstances, as the rest of his teammates performed below their potential (especially Željko Rebrača). The Greeks noticed too much the absence of the injured Kattash.
The Panathinaïkós started the match with great strength, and achieved its first important advantage (5-10) despite the fact that Rebrača had already committed his third personal foul in the 5th minute. Maccabi, for his part, used a zonal defence of adjustments to stop Bodiroga. This left a wide margin of action to the Greek shooters, who however were not too successful. Maccabi’s defence was simply phenomenal, and with Nate Huffman’s mate the Israeli team closed the first quarter with a lead (15-13). In the second quarter the rhythm of the match continued in the hands of the Maccabees, so that at half-time the electronic reflected the clear superiority of Maccabi, who dominated 37-23 against a disconcerted Panathinaïkós. The reaction of the Greeks came in the third quarter, when they managed to turn the game and get ahead (42-43). But Maccabi replied almost immediately with Parker’s triple and Huffman’s five points. The last quarter was decisive, and coinciding with Bodiroga’s fourth personal foul Panathinaïkós entered a serious attacking crisis. The Maccabi began to dominate comfortably from that moment and was dedicated to controlling the game until the end to win his third title of European champion.
MACCABI 81
*McDonald – 21p, 9a, 2r.
*Burstein – 5p, 3r, 2a.
*Parker – 13p, 6r, 3a.
*Henefeld – 7p, 2r, 1a.
*Huffman – 21p, 9r.
Shelef – 2p, 2r, 2a.
Brisker – 3p, 1br.
Sharp – 5p, 1br.
Curcic – 4p, 2r.
Sternlight – 0p.
PANATHINAIKOS 67
*Kalaitzis – 0p, 2a, 1r.
*Bodiroga – 27p, 8r, 1a.
*Alvertis – 5p, 3r, 1a.
*Fotsis – 15p, 8r.
*Rebraca – 4p, 1r, 1a.
Koch – 9p, 3r, 3a.
Gentile – 3p, 3a, 1r.
Rogers – 2p, 2r.
Burke – 2p, 1r, 1br.
Middleton – 0p, 1r, 1br.
************************************
In the Euroleague began 24 teams that framed in four groups played a first league of ten rounds. After which the first four of each group were classified to the playoff.
FIRST PHASE
GROUP A
FORTITUDO BOLONIA (8-2)
PERISTERI (7-3)
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS (6-4)
ESTUDIANTES (4-6)
LUGANO (3-7)
ZADAR (2-8)
GROUP B
VIRTUS BOLONIA (9-1)
AEK ATENAS (8-2)
TAU CERAMICA (6-4)
CIBONA (3-7)
ST. PETERSBURG (2-8)
SPIROU CHARLEROI (2-8)
GROUP C
OLYMPIACOS (7-3)
REAL MADRID (7-3)
UNION OLIMPIJA (7-3)
BENETTON (6-4)
HAPOEL JERUSALEM (3-7)
OVARENSE (0-10)
GROUP D
BARCELONA (8-2)
PAOK (7-3)
BUDUCNOST (7-3)
VERONA (6-4)
LONDON (1-9)
SKYLINERS FRANFOURT (1-9)
After the Euroleague league opted for the playoff system until the title, so that this first year of ULEB format would not end four. The eighth and quarter will be the best to three games and the semifinals and the grand final to the best to five. In the eighth round, FORTITUDO BOLONIA faced CIBONA, VIRTUS BOLONIA against CIBONA, PERISTERI against TAU CERAMICA, AEK ATENAS against ZALGIRIS KAUNAS, OLYMPIACOS against VERONA, BARCELONA against BENETTON, REAL MADRID against BUDUCNOST and PAOK against UNION OLIMPIJA.
ROUND OF 16
FORTITUDO BOLONIA VS CIBONA (2-0)
(76-64); (74-75)
VIRTUS BOLONIA VS ESTUDIANTES (2-0)
(113-70); (80-85)
PERISTERI VS TAU CERAMICA (0-2)
(79-81); (81-86)
AEK ATENAS VS ZALGIRIS KAUNAS (2-0)
(69-60); (71-73)
OLYMPIACOS VS VERONA (2-0)
(94-92); (84-96)
BARCELONA VS BENETTON (0-2)
(85-86); (99-82)
REAL MADRID VS BUDUCNOST (2-0)
(91-63); (62-76)
PAOK VS UNION OLIMPIJA (1-2)
(75-64); (85-77); (69-73)
In the quarterfinals they faced FORTITUDO BOLONIA against REAL MADRID, VIRTUS BOLONIA against UNION OLIMPIJA, OLYMPIACOS against TAU CERAMICA and AEK ATENAS against BENETTON.
QUARTERFINALES
FORTITUDO BOLONIA VS REAL MADRID (2-1)
(74-68); (88-57); (88-70)
VIRTUS BOLONIA VS UNION OLIMPIJA (2-0)
(80-79); (79-81)
OLYMPIACOS VS TAU CERAMICA (2-0)
(72-78); (98-76)
AEK ATENAS VS BENETTON (2-1)
(97-89); (90-74); (71-56)
After the quarterfinals the semifinals offer us an exciting duel boloñes VIRTUS BOLONIA against FORTITUDO BOLONIA and on the other hand the AEK ATENAS against TAU CERAMICA. Both semifinals to the best to five were decided by the fast way with (3-0) for the Virtus Bologna and TAU Ceramic and that the Basques had to repeat the first party by an arbitral error in the table.
SEMIFINALS
VIRTUS BOLONIA VS FORTITUDO BOLONIA (3-0)
(103-76); (92-84); (70-74)
AEK ATENAS VS TAU CERAMICA (0-3)
(65-90); (67-70); (76-62)
The great final faced the VIRTUS BOLONIA against the TAU CERAMICA. The first final of the era ULEB and the only one in playoff format to five games. The final series began with a Basque victory in Italy (65-78). Bennett scored and directed and between Foirest and a tremendous Alexander in both zones the TAU was able to surprise the Virtus on their court. In the second encounter the Virtus gave rise to no doubt and won with authority (94-73). Rigaudeau with a great match led a Virtus launched and the series headed to Vitoria with (1-1). The third match was going to be key for the series and here the Virtus demonstrated its gallons to be champion. With a clear (60-80) recovered the factor court and put in a limit situation to TAU, Baskonia was never comfortable and Ginobili was a hammer. The Basques got their caste to win the fourth by (96-79) and force the fifth game. Between Bennett and Alexander they were able to withstand the resistance of their rival. In the fifth and final Bologna Virtus was proclaimed champion of the first Euroleague in ULEB format after winning by (82-74). The truth is that the Italians dominated from the beginning. Bennett and Oberto wanted to give the reply but finally fell to the quality of Rigaudeau, Ginobili, Jaric and Griffith.
