Here are some of the milestones of the season that took Olympiacos Piraeus to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.


Road to Belgrade, Olympiacos Piraeus

\- The Reds made the most of playing six of their first eight games at home, winning each of those showdowns at Peace and Friendship Stadium, most notably [in Round 2 against eventual Final Four qualifier Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-real-madrid/E2021/17/), 74-68, behind 16 points and 10 rebounds from Sasha Vezenkov.

\- In Round 12, [Olympiacos put an end to its 0-4 road record](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/ax-armani-exchange-milan-olympiacos-piraeus/E2021/107/) with a resounding 72-93 victory against AX Armani Exchange Milan at Mediolanum Forum. Giannoulis Larentzakis came off the bench for 18 points and Tyler Dorsey added 14 for the Reds.

Olympiacos put an end to a streak of defeats with a morale-boosting victory over Baskonia. They entertain title-holders Efes, who've yet to cement their spot in the knockout stages.

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Round 26 - Highlights

\- Olympiacos consummated its push for the playoffs with four victories in a row in late February and early March, helped along by a now-iconic overtime buzzer-beater from Kostas Sloukas [in Round 26 to stop defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/228/).

\- In Round 30, [the Reds owned their home edition of the Greek Derby](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-panathinaikos-opap-athens/E2021/264/) this season. They finished a near-perfect first quarter ahead by 38-13 en route to thrashing archrival Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 101-73. Sloukas and Vezenkov led six double-digit Olympiacos scorers with 16 points each.

\- In a playoff series that went the distance, [Olympiacos punched its Final Four ticket thanks to a 94-88 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-as-monaco/E2021/326/) in Game 5 at a packed Peace and Friendship Stadium. Shaquielle McKissic scored 16 second-quarter points to keep the Reds in the game, then Sloukas tallied 13 of his 15 on the night in the final quarter to seal the deal.

Monaco rallied to the final minute to produce a remarkable comeback in Game 4 and force a final showdown decider. Olympiacos aim to heal the wounds from a frustrating evening and book their Final Four spot.

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco - Playoffs Game 5 - Highlights

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2022-05-19T16:00:00.000Z)

Thomas Walkup - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO5

Here are some of the milestones of the season that took FC Barcelona to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.


Road to Belgrade, FC Barcelona

\- Head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius's team started the season with six straight victories, including a [Round 3 thriller against eventual Final Four qualifier Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-olympiacos-piraeus/E2021/27/) that went to overtime before Barca grabbed a 79-78 victory. Nikola Mirotic was the key man in that game and was in similarly great form throughout the early weeks of the campaign to earn[ October's MVP of the month](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mvp-for-october-nikola-mirotic-fc-barcelona/) award.

\- One victory particularly enjoyed by the fans during that run was [a comfortable El Clásico triumph over Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-real-madrid/E2021/126/). Mirotic – who was also named MVP of the month for December – was again the star as he poured in a joint career-high 31 points and completed a double-double with 10 rebounds in the 93-80 victory.

In this highly-anticipated showdown, el clásico comes to the European stage with high stakes, as a place at the summit awaits for the team that can emerge victorious.

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Round 26 - Highlights

\- Another memorable game in December [came at home against UNICS Kazan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-unics-kazan/E2021/148/), which jumped to a 15-point lead midway through the final quarter. The home team – and the crowd – sparked to life when UNICS sharpshooter Isaiah Canaan celebrated a three-pointer with a finger-to-the-lips "shush" celebration, after which a remarkable comeback was mounted and completed with 10 points in overtime from Kyle Kuric.

\- A five-game winning run between late January and early March sealed Barca's place in the playoffs and featured [another easy El Clásico victory over Real](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-fc-barcelona/E2021/234/) along with Nick Calathes becoming the competition's all-time assists leader during a home victory over AS Monaco in Round 28.

\- A hard-fought playoff series against FC Bayern Munich came down to the fifth and last game in Barcelona. The hosts were trailing 31-37 at the break but dominated the second half with a [career-best game by Nico Laprovittola that secured a ticket to the Final Four](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-fc-bayern-munich/E2021/323/) in Belgrade.

Bayern upset the odds once again to stifle Barça and bring the series to a winner-take-all conclusion. Can the visitors spark another monumental triumph or will it be the regular-season champs to emerge victorious?

FC Barcelona v FC Bayern Munich - Playoffs Game 5 - Highlights

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2022-05-19T19:00:00.000Z)

Here are some of the milestones of the season that took Real Madrid to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.


Road to Belgrade, Real Madrid

\- Real made a strong statement of intent [with an 82-69 home win over defending champ Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/4/) on the opening night of the season. Walter Tavares gave an early glimpse of his trademark inside dominance by amassing a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.

\- A perfect November – five games played, five victories – saw Real climb to the top of the standings with a 10-2 record. [Tavares become the league's MVP of the Month](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mvp-for-november-walter-tavares-real-madrid/) with an average performance index rating of 18.0 for November.

Two of Europe's most illustrious clubs collide for the 53rd time, with both sharing dreams to recapture former glories and stake their claim to be considered championship-contenders come the end of the campaign.

Real Madrid v CSKA Moscow - Round 17 - Highlights

\- Real finished 2021 with [a remarkable 71-65 home win over CSKA Moscow](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-cska-moscow/E2021/153/). Los Blancos, afflicted by an outbreak of COVID cases, had just five senior players available, but a nine-man roster supplemented by youth team players showed great resolve to grab the victory.

\- In Round 29, [Real Madrid put a halt to its four-game losing streak by downing AX Armani Exchange Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-ax-armani-exchange-milan/E2021/257/) 92-88 as team veteran Sergio Llull soared in overtime to make sure his team would get home-court advantage in the playoffs.

\- Despite finishing the regular season with four straight losses, Real was the only team to sweep in the playoffs, defeating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 3-0, [including a 95-66 blowout in Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2021/312/). That dominance carried over to Game 3 in Tel Aviv, where Los Blancos won by 11 to return to the Final Four.

Real Madrid vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv| Playoffs Game 2 | Highlights

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - EB21-PO1

It has taken persistence for Sasha Vezenkov to arrive at the summit of European basketball.

Star turn: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

After starting his career in his native Cyprus, Vezenkov became a first-team regular with Aris Thessaloniki at the age of 16. He was named the Greek League's best young player for three seasons running, also taking the league's MVP award in the last of those, 2014-15, while still a teenager.

Those exploits precipitated a move to FC Barcelona, which seemed to be a launchpad to greatness. Vezenkov averaged 5.1 points over 65 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague appearances with Barca between 2015 and 2018, but his time there coincided with a difficult period for the team.

A new opportunity came with Vezenkov's return to Greece in 2018 to join mighty Olympiacos Piraeus. And after spending the first couple of seasons gradually establishing himself, in the last two Vezenkov has truly started to fulfill all his potential.

The 2.06-meter forward averaged 11.5 points and 5.4 rebounds during the 2020-21 season, but really stepped up to an elite level in the current campaign with averages of 13.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. His 17.8 performance index rating average proved to be the sixth-best in the competition. 


Vezenkov's importance to Olympiacos is reflected by the fact that he started all 36 games this season, totaling the third-most minutes (1,081) of any EuroLeague player. His talents earned wider recognition as he was chosen the MVP for February.

At 26, Vezenkov is approaching the prime of his career with an already deep cache of EuroLeague experience – 186 games and counting – that puts him in a great position to not only maintain but also build upon the form he has shown in the last 24 months. Combining good size and athleticism, he is versatile enough to shoot from outside, create on the perimeter, or drive inside to score tough baskets from close range with the same toughness and competitive spirit that make him an excellent rebounder.

One of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague's most experienced young stars anchored his team's push into the highest echelon of the standings during the last month. In so doing, Olympiacos Piraeus forward Sasha Vezenkov has earned Euroleague Basketball's nod as MVP of February.

Sasha Vezenkov | February MVP | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Vezenkov is also very consistent. He is heading to the Final Four after scoring in double digits in 15 of his last 16 EuroLeague games, the only exception being Game 5 of the playoff series against Monaco, when he still contributed fully by providing 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Now that he's reached the top, Vezenkov is determined to stay there. A strong showing on the biggest stage of European basketball would be more confirmation that Sasha Vezenkov has earned his place among the continent's very best players.

Sasha Vezenkov - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO2

Sasha Vezenkov - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS32

Sasha Vezenkov celebrates - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS30

Sasha Vezenkov - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS25

When basketball teams at any level looks for a dominant center, they hope for someone who can block shots, intimidate would-be scorers, and generally force opponents out of their offensive rhythm. If that same player can also be a reliable source of points at the other end of the court, even better. In Walter Tavares, Real Madrid has the best of both worlds.

Star turn: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid 

Born in Cape Verde, Tavares did not play organized basketball until age 17. Gran Canaria found him in 2009 and signed him to its youth program. Six years later, Tavares was chosen to the 2014-15 All-EuroCup First Team and took Gran Canaria all the way to the EuroCup Finals. He joined Real in November 2017 and before that season had ended, he helped Los Blancos win their 10th EuroLeague title in Belgrade. 

Tavares has improved every year since becoming an even more consistent defensive wall. He has learned how to make his presence felt in pick-and-roll situations, forcing other teams to use different offensive strategies against him. As a result, over the last five seasons, Tavares is the EuroLeague's runaway leader in total rebounds (1,104) and blocked shots (280).


On offense, he has polished his low- post game to become more and more of a scoring force. His 2.40-meter wingspan and quick feet allow him to finish strong in the paint, dunking as often as possible. In the same five-year span since his EuroLeague debut, Tavares ranks second in two-point shooting rate, at 69.4%, among all EuroLeague players, and third in shots made inside the arc, with 545.

His defensive achievements have not gone unnoticed by EuroLeague head coaches, who have voted Tavares the competition's Best Defender twice, in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. Tavares was also named to the 2020-21 All-EuroLeague First Team and to the 2018-19 All-EuroLeague Second Team, proving he is much more than a game-changer at the defensive end. This season, Tavares was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for January.

Real Madrid was the one team to collect all possible five victories in November, and one of its players stood out the most, none other than center Walter Tavares, who is EuroLeague Basketball's choice as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for November.

Walter Tavares | November MVP | Turkish Airlines EUroLeague

Best known for his prolific rate of rejecting the shots of opponents, Tavares is not just a contemporary phenomenon, but a historic one. In just five EuroLeague seasons, he now sits second all-time in average blocks (1.8), third in total blocks (280), and fourth in blocks per 40 minutes (3.2).

Fully established now as a superstar, Tavares comes to Belgrade looking for one goal only: his second EuroLeague crown.

Born in Podgorica, Montenegro, 31-year-old Nikola Mirotic has emerged as one of the most dominant players in recent EuroLeague history, one who is very much at the heart of FC Barcelona's return to the Final Four for another shot at glory a year after they finished as runners-up. 

Star turn: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Mirotic was a late bloomer. He did not start playing basketball until his grandfather introduced him to the sport at age 13 and he made his way to the Joker School in the Montenegrin capital. A year later, in 2005, Mirotic signed his first contract with Real Madrid, joining its youth program. By 2008, Mirotic was already a member of Real's senior roster. By the time he left in 2014, Mirotic had helped Los Blancos win a Spanish League and two Spanish Cup titles. 

Mirotic also helped Real qualify for three Final Fours – in 2011, 2013 and 2014 – following what had been a 15-year drought at the event for the most-crowned club in EuroLeague history. Los Blancos went all the way to the championship games in 2013 and 2014, but lost them to Olympiacos Piraeus and Maccabi Tel Aviv, respectively. Mirotic was the first player to win the EuroLeague Rising Star award in consecutive seasons, 2010-11 and 2011-12. He was also chosen to the 2012-13 and 2013-14 All-EuroLeague Second Team. Mirotic went on to play in the NBA before joining Barca at age 28, right in the prime of his career. 


Mirotic has been Barca's undeniable leader since setting foot at Palau Blaugrana, and his presence has led to titles, too. He had a starring role as Barca won the Spanish League and Cup titles in 2021 and repeated as cup winners earlier this season. Last spring, he led Barca to its first Final Four appearance since 2014. They reached the championship game before Anadolu Efes Istanbul stepped in the way and seized the title. For his outsized role in that success, Mirotic was voted to the All-EuroLeague First Team last season.

Euroleague Basketball's choice for MVP of December, do-it-all forward Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona, becomes the earliest such double-honoree in any single season, following on his claiming the same award in October.

Nikola Mirotic | December MVP | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In the last three seasons, Mirotic has been just unstoppable in a Barca uniform. He ranks first among all EuroLeague players over that span in average performance index rating (20.2); second in defensive rebounds (4.5); and third in points (17.0). He has shot the ball with extreme efficiency, too: 61.8% from inside the arc, 39.9% from long distance and 86.7% at the foul line. After coming so close to the EuroLeague trophy without getting his hands on it yet, no other player should be more motivated than Mirotic to give Barca its third continental crown.

Nikola Mirotic - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS30

Nikola Mirotic - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS25

Nikola Mirotic - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS28

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO3

Nikola Mirotic - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS26

The career of Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Vasilije Micic will come full circle at the Final Four. The 2021 EuroLeague MVP and defending EuroLeague champion returns to play the Final Four in his hometown, Belgrade. It was there that he began his professional career more than a decade ago as a 16-year-old with Mega Basket and he now returns as a EuroLeague superstar.

Star turn: Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Micic was one of the most talented young point guards on the continent before an ACL injury sidelined him for almost a year and sidetracked his career. Nevertheless, he made his EuroLeague debut at age 20 and played in the competition with FC Bayern Munich and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade before deciding on an unconventional path to reach his career goals and joining Tofas Bursa, which had just been promoted to the Turkish first division. There, Micic got the minutes he craved and took the one step back that allowed him to turn his career around and make a run at stardom. 

A one-year stint with Zalgiris Kaunas, under the tutelage of current FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, gave Micic his first Final Four experience. More importantly, it jump-started Micic's career before he fully blossomed in his current surroundings at Efes under head coach Ergin Ataman. In just two years, Micic ended up going from not playing European competition to becoming an All-EuroLeague selection. And he never slowed down.


Micic orchestrated the Efes attack in reaching the 2019 EuroLeague Championship Game before winning it all a year ago. That spring of 2021 is also when Micic's career reached its pinnacle… for now. In Cologne, Germany, last May, he was first chosen as EuroLeague MVP and then led Efes to the club's first EuroLeague crown and was voted Final Four MVP. 

Micic's scoring has increased in each of the four seasons since he joined Efes, culminating in him averaging 18.2 points and capturing the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy for the 2021-22 season. Since joining Efes in the summer of 2018, Micic has averaged 15.5 points, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals. He is the only EuroLeague player to accumulate more than 2,000 points, 600 assists and 150 steals over that time.

Such production has played a big part in helping Efes reach three consecutive Final Fours. Efes and Micic arrive at Stark Arena to chase history as they try to join the select company of back-to-back EuroLeague champions.


Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS21

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS28

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS24

Vasilije Micic celebrates - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS21

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21

Hard work, competitiveness, clear guidelines and good decisions on and off the court have allowed Pablo Laso to take Real Madrid to the top of Europe again and again in the last decade.

Final Four head coach: Pablo Laso, Real

Between its eighth EuroLeague title in 1995 and 2011, when Laso was hired, Real appeared in two Final Fours, without a victory in either. It won three Spanish Leagues but zero Spanish Cups in the same span. Now in his 11th season on the bench, Laso has just reached his seventh Final Four and has led Real to two EuroLeague trophies as well as five Spanish League and six Spanish Cup crowns.

Laso remade Real into a EuroLeague title contender right away. In his second season, Real finished second at the 2013 Final Four after reaching the club's first championship game in 18 years. Real was runner-up again in 2014 following the first overtime to decide a continental champion since 1969. Laso's third consecutive championship game was the charm, however, as Real left no doubts at the 2015 Final Four and lifted the trophy before its home fans in the Spanish capital. In 2018, Laso and Real were back to claim the club's 10th title on the same Stark Arena court in Belgrade where they will contest this season's Final Four.

Laso's coaching philosophy has been clear since he arrived: strong defense leading to fun-to-watch transition basketball. It's no surprise that this former point guard has coached three playmakers – Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Llull and Luka Doncic – to EuroLeague MVP seasons.

If his place in the Real Madrid story is already set, so is Laso's status among the continent's best coaches. He ranks second this century in EuroLeague victories per season (21.4), fourth in total victories (235) and fourth in winning rate (69.3%). At the Final Four, his winning rate of 58.3% ranks second and his 7 total victories third.

Most importantly, Laso has built a team culture that combines winning and exciting basketball in ways that inspire great deeds from his players. In Belgrade, they return to the scene of their last continental triumph looking to go all the way to the trophy again, together.

The mastermind behind the success of Anadolu Efes over the past four years is Ergin Ataman, who has long cemented his place in club history. Ataman made history in his first stint with the club when he coached Efes to its maiden Final Four appearance in 2000. Now in his third tenure on the Efes sidelines, he has done what no other Turkish-born coach has ever come close to by making three consecutive Final Four appearances, culminating with the raising of the 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown. 

Final Four head coach: Ergin Ataman, Efes

What started as a basketball feel-good story in the 2018-19 season, when Ataman guided Efes to its first EuroLeague Championship Game appearance just one year after the club finished the regular season in last place, turned out to be the start of something special. That was not only the biggest turnaround in EuroLeague history, but also the beginning of Efes's offensive dominance behind Ataman's vision and deep belief in his system, and his core of hand-picked players.

Sticking to a fast-paced style with swift ball movement and trusting that it can outscore score any opponent, only one team has more wins than the 96 that Efes has registered under Ataman over the last four seasons. The 2021 EuroLeague crown with Efes was the cherry on top for Ataman and his fourth different continental title. He won the Saporta Cup with Montepaschi Siena in 2002, the EuroChallenge with Besiktas Istanbul in 2012 and the 7DAYS EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul in 2015, a feat only two other coaches have accomplished in European basketball history.

Now, Ataman aims to repeat as EuroLeague champion, something no coach has done in 17 years and just two have accomplished in the Final Four era dating to 1988. No matter the outcome, however, Ataman has already cemented his status among the crème de la crème of European coaching.

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS33

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS32

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS21

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO4