Real Madrid: Did you know...?

...Real Madrid has the chance to win its 11th EuroLeague title? It leads the all-time standings with 10 titles, but only three of them have come in the last 35 years. Real has won the competition in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1995, 2015 and 2018.

...Real is making its 11th Final Four appearance since the format was adopted in 1988? Real previously reached the Final Four in 1993, 1995, 1996, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

...Real looks for its 19th EuroLeague Championship Game appearance? It leads the all-time list with 18 championship games. Maccabi Tel Aviv has been to 14 EuroLeague and one SuproLeague title game. CSKA Moscow has reached the EuroLeague Championship Game 14 times.

...Real has the chance to lift its 17th continental trophy? In addition to its 10 EuroLeague titles, *Los Blancos* have won four Saporta Cups, 1 Korac Cup and 1 ULEB Cup – now known as the 7DAYS EuroCup.

...Rudy Fernandez belongs to a select group of players to have won both the EuroLeague and the EuroCup? Fernandez won the EuroCup with DKV Joventut Badalona in 2008 and EuroLeague crowns with Real in 2015 and 2018. The list includes two other Spanish players: Felipe Reyes and Ricky Rubio, and also features stars Nando De Colo, Nick Calathes and Romain Sato.

...Fernandez and Sergio Llull belong to a group of 23 players who have won the EuroLeague, EuroBasket and Basketball World Cup titles? Llull and Fernandez are two of the four players on the list not hailing from the former Soviet Union or former Yugoslavia; Felipe Reyes and Juan Carlos Navarro are the others. The list includes all-time greats such as Arvydas Sabonis, Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc.

...Fernandez headlines the shortlist of players to have won a Basketball World Cup, EuroBasket, EuroLeague and EuroCup? He is joined only by Dejan Tomasevic and Reyes.

...Coach Pablo Laso has previous Final Four experience as a player? He played at the 1995-96 EuroLeague Final Four with his current team, Real Madrid, coached by Zeljko Obradovic. He is entering his seventh Final Four as a head coach.

...Llull is at his eighth Final Four? He was previously there with Real in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Victor Khryapa leads the list with 12 Final Four appearances. Only one other Spanish player has made it to eight Final Fours: Juan Carlos Navarro.

...Fernandez is at his seventh Final Four? He already played the Final Four with Real in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

...Llull is one of two EuroLeague MVPs present at the Final Four? Llull earned that honor in 2017. Vasilije Micic was the 2020-21 EuroLeague MVP.

...Llull is the fifth-best scorer in EuroLeague history? He has amassed 3,489 points in 343 EuroLeague career games. Llull ranks seventh in assists (1,251), too.

...Thomas Heurtel ranks fourth all-time in assists (1,340)? Nick Calathes leads the standings with 1,689 assists, followed by Vassilis Spanoulis (1,607) and Sergio Rodriguez (1,561).

...Fernandez ranks seventh all-time in steals? He has collected 327 in 303 games. Dimitris Diamantidis leads the standings with 434 steals.

...Fernandez is one of only four players with more than 2,000 points, 800 rebounds and 700 assists in EuroLeague history? Krunoslav Simon, Dimitris Diamantidis and Nick Calathes are the others.

...Walter Tavares ranks third all-time in blocks? He has 280 blocked shots in 160 games. Bryant Dunston is first with 307 blocks, followed by Kyle Hines (286).

...Fabien Causeur is the only French player to play in the Final Four with two different foreign teams? Causeur appeared in the Final Four with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz in 2016 and with Real in 2018 and 2019.

...Fernandez, Llull and Coach Laso won the EuroLeague title with Real in 2015 and are still with the team? Real has seven of its players who won the 2018 EuroLeague title, too.

...Adam Hanga and Tavares are two of the three former EuroLeague Best Defenders at the 2022 Final Four? Hanga won the trophy in 2017 and Tavares did it in 2019 and 2021. Bryant Dunston of Efes (2014, 2015) has also won the award in the past.

...Hanga can become the first Hungarian player to win the EuroLeague? Kornel David came closest when he reached the championship game with Tau Ceramica in 2005.

...Hanga is the first player to make it to the Final Four with three different Spanish teams? Hanga played the 2016 Final Four with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and returned with FC Barcelona in 2021.

...Llull ranks sixth on the Final Four's career scoring list? Llull has 167 points and could climb a few spots in Belgrade. Nikos Galis leads the list with 231 points followed by J.R. Holden (194), Nando De Colo (179) and Trajan Langdon (172).

...Llull has a good chance to climb into first place on the Final Four's career assists list? He already ranks third with 53 assists. Theo Papaloukas leads the all-time charts with 59 assists at Final Four action.

...Fernandez is tied for third place in steals in Final Four history? He has collected 18, just like Dimitris Diamantidis. Holden ranks first (24), followed by Victor Khryapa (22).

...Fernandez and Llull can win their third EuroLeague title? The last Spanish players to win three EuroLeague titles were Rafael Rullan, Juan Antonio Corbalan and Luis Maria Prada with Real in 1974, 1978 and 1980.

...Tavares, the only player from Cape Verde to have won the EuroLeague, ranks second in the EuroLeague in blocks at 1.7 per night this season? Georgios Papagiannis of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens is first with 1.72 per game, so Tavares could take over first place at the Final Four!

...Tavares ranks seventh in the EuroLeague in two-point shooting percentage this season (69.5%, 146 of 210) and is also ranked second all-time (578 of 833, 69.4%)?

...Jeffery Taylor is the only Swedish player to have won the EuroLeague?

...Alberto Abalde can join an exclusive list of Adidas Next Generation Tournament MVPs who also won the EuroLeague title? Abalde was the ANGT MVP in 2013 with Joventut Badalona. Luka Doncic is the only player to get both; he was the ANGT MVP in 2015 and won the EuroLeague in 2018 with Real.

...Gabriel Deck can join an impressive list of Argentines that won the EuroLeague title? The list features Hugo Sconochini (Virtus 1998, 2001), Facu Campazzo (Real 2015, 2018), Manu Ginobili (Virtus 2001), Pepe Sanchez (Panathinaikos 2002) and Andres Nocioni (Real 2015). Nicolas Laprovittola of FC Barcelona can also join this list in 2022.

Real Madrid: Did you know that...?

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

FC Barcelona: Did you know...?

...FC Barcelona will compete at its 16th Final Four? Only CSKA Moscow (19) has more appearances in the Final Four era, which began in 1988.

...Barca is looking for its third EuroLeague title? It previously lifted the trophy in 2003 and 2010. It lost in the championship game in 1984, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997 and 2021.

...Sarunas Jasikevicius has a chance to become the fourth person to win the EuroLeague as a player and coach? Jasikevicius won four EuroLeague titles as a player. Armenak Alachachan, Lolo Sainz and Svetislav Pesic are the only three members of this exclusive club.

...Coach Jasikevicius is still the only player to win the EuroLeague with three different teams? Jasikevicius lifted the trophy with Barca in 2003, Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2004 and 2005 and Panathinaikos Athens in 2009.

...Sertac Sanli can join a exclusive list of players to win consecutive EuroLeague titles with different teams? He won the EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and has a chance to go all the way with Barca. Dejan Bodiroga (Panathinaikos 2002, Barca 2003), Jasikevicius (Barca 2003, Maccabi Tel Aviv 2004) and Ramunas Siskauskas (Panathinaikos Athens 2007, CSKA Moscow 2008) are to date the only players to do so.

...Nikola Mirotic leads the 2021-22 EuroLeague in PIR average (19.4)?

...Mirotic is just the second player in EuroLeague history to post 65-45-85 shooting percentages, making 65.6% of his shots inside the arc, 45.5% from downtown and 87.5% of free throws. Yotam Halperin of Olympiacos Piraeus also did so (67.6% 2FG, 51.9% 3FG, 95.7% FT), but he attempted only 64 field goals compared to Mirotic's 343.

...Mirotic has been chosen as MVP of the month a EuroLeague record seven times? He won the award in December 2011, October 2013, December 2019, February 2020, March 2021, October 2021 and December 2021. No one else has won the award more than three times. Barcelona players Nick Calathes (November 2017, March 2018) and Brandon Davies (April 2017) have also won the award in the past.

...Rolands Smits can become the first Latvian player to win the EuroLeague in the Final Four era? ASK Riga won three EuroLeague titles from 1958 to 1960, but no Latvian player has lifted the trophy since the restoration of Latvian Independence in 1991.

...Nick Calathes is one of 19 players to win the EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup titles? He won the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos in 2011 and the EuroCup with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2013. Milos Teodosic (CSKA Moscow 2016, Virtus Segafredo Bologna 2022) and Daniel Hackett (CSKA 2019, Virtus 2022) were the latest players to join this club just last week.

...Calathes can join an elite group of Greek players to win the EuroLeague with a foreign team? That list includes Nestoras Kommatos (Maccabi 2005), Theo Papaloukas (CSKA 2006, 2008), Nikos Zisis (CSKA 2008), Ioannis Bourousis (Real 2015) and Kostas Sloukas (Fenerbahce 2017).

...Calathes leads the EuroLeague’s all-time assists charts with 1,689? He is also the only player in competition history with more than 1,000 rebounds (1,006) and 1,000 assists.

...Cory Higgins heads to his sixth consecutive Final Four? No other player has been to all of the last six Final Fours.

...Higgins can win his third EuroLeague title? He previously lifted the trophy with CSKA in 2016 and 2019. No player ever has won the EuroLeague with both CSKA and Barcelona.

...Alex Abrines is the only Barcelona player who has been in the team's last three Final Four appearances? Abrines is at his fourth Final Four with Barcelona.

...Rokas Jokubaitis can become the fourth player to win the EuroLeague Rising Star Trophy and the EuroLeague title in the same season? Ricky Rubio (2009-10, Barca), Kostas Papanikolaou (2012-13, Olympiacos) and Luka Doncic (2017-18, Real) have done so in the past.

...Jokubaitis, Mirotic and Abrines are three of the five Rising Star trophy winners present at the 2022 Final Four? Mirotic won it in 2011 and 2012, and Abrines in 2016. Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid (2007) and Papanikolaou (2013) also won the award.

...Nicolas Laprovittola ranks second in free-throw shooting (91.5%) this season? Kyle Kuric is fourth (91.2%).

...Dante Exum can become the fourth Australian player to win the EuroLeague? David Andersen (Virtus 2001; CSKA 2006, 2008), Aleks Maric (Panathinaikos 2011) and Joe Ingles (Maccabi 2014) belong to this list.

...Laprovittola can join a list of Argentines that won the EuroLeague title? The list features Hugo Sconochini (Virtus 1998, 2001), Facu Campazzo (Real 2015, 2018), Manu Ginobili (Virtus 2001), Pepe Sanchez (Panathinaikos 2002) and Andres Nocioni (Real 2015). Gabriel Deck of Real Madrid can also join this list in 2022.

FC Barcelona: Did you know that...?

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: Did you know...?

...Anadolu Efes Istanbul has advanced to the Final Four for the fifth time? Efes previously reached the EuroLeague Final Four in 2000, 2019 and 2021, as well as the SuproLeague Final Four in 2001.

...Efes has a chance to win a second consecutive Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title? Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004, 2005) and Olympiacos Piraeus (2012, 2013) are the only teams to do this since the turn of the millennium.

...Efes became the first Turkish team in any sport to win a European competition? It did so when it raised the Korac Cup in 1996. Efes won its first EuroLeague crown 25 years later.

...Efes returns to the Final Four with 11 players and the coach who played in the 2021 EuroLeague Championship Game? Sertac Sanli is the only player who is not with the team – but he will be at the Final Four with FC Barcelona. Elijah Bryant, Filip Petrusev and Egemen Guven were not with the team last season.

...Bryant Dunston and Vasilije Micic head to their fourth Final Fours? Dunston played at his first Final Four with Olympiacos in 2015 and Micic at the 2018 Final Four with Zalgiris. They both went to the 2019 and 2021 Final Fours with Efes.

...Ergin Ataman has won four different continental titles! He won the Saporta Cup with Montepaschi Siena in 2002, the EuroChallenge with Besiktas Istanbul in 2012, the 7DAYS EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul in 2015 and the EuroLeague with Efes in 2021. Only two other coaches have won four different European competitions: Dusan Ivkovic (EuroLeague, EuroCup, Saporta, Korac) and Aito Garcia Reneses (EuroCup, Saporta, Korac, EuroChallenge).

...Coach Ataman is one of four coaches to win European competitions with four different teams? He won titles with Siena, Besiktas, Galatasaray and Efes. Zeljko Obradovic has won European titles with six different teams: Partizan Belgrade, Joventut Badalona, Benetton Treviso, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos Athens, and Fenerbahce. Ivkovic (Partizan, AEK Athens, Olympiacos Piraeus, Dynamo Moscow) and Bozidar Maljkovic (Split, Limoges, Panathinaikos, Unicaja Malaga) have won with four teams apiece.

...Shane Larkin owns the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game scoring record in the Final Four era? Larkin scored 29 points in the 2019 championship game for Efes in a losing effort against CSKA.

...Larkin ranks sixth all-time in points scored at a single Final Four? He had 59 points in the 2019 Final Four, which were the most by any player in 26 years. Nikos Galis had 69 points in the 1990 Final Four and also scored 67 in 1988 and 61 in 1989, all with Aris. Bob McAdoo, who had 64 points in the 1988 Final Four with Milan, and Alexander Volkov, who got 61 with Panathinaikos in 1994, are also ahead of him.

...Larkin can set a record for the highest cumulative PIR in a EuroLeague season? He has a combined PIR of 698. Luka Doncic finished the 2017-18 season with 711.

...Larkin ranks second in PIR this season with 18.9 per game? Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona leads the league with a PIR average of 19.4.

...Larkin ranks third in free-throw shooting (91.4%)?

...Vasilije Micic is this season’s top scorer with 18.2 points per night? He was both the regular season (18.1 ppg.) and playoff (18.5 ppg.) leader in scoring.

...Micic is one of five players to earn EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP honors in the same season? Micic got both awards last season. Dimitris Diamantidis (2010-11), Vassilis Spanoulis (2012-13), Nando De Colo (2015-16) and Luka Doncic (2017-18) have also done so.

...Micic can become the second player to win the EuroLeague as that season's competition’s top scorer? Only De Colo (CSKA, 2015-16) has done so in the past.

...Krunoslav Simon is one of only four players with more than 2,000 points, 800 rebounds and 700 assists in EuroLeague history? Rudy Fernandez, Dimitris Diamantidis and Nick Calathes are the others.

...Rodrigue Beaubois is one of 10 players to win both the EuroLeague and the NBA titles? He won the NBA crown with Dallas in 2011 and helped Efes lift the EuroLeague trophy in 2021.

...Elijah Bryant, who won the NBA title with Milwaukee in 2022, will join that list if Efes goes all the way?

...Bryant Dunston is one of the three EuroLeague Best Defender Trophy winners present at the 2021 Final Four? Dunston won it in 2014 and 2015. Real Madrid players Walter Tavares (2019, 2021) and Adam Hanga (2017) have also won the award in the past.

...Dunston is the EuroLeague's all-time leader in blocked shots with 307 and counting! He is also 10th all-time in rebounds with 1,265.

...Dunston ranks third this season in two-point shooting (71.1%)?

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: Did you know that...?

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

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS34

Olympiacos Piareus: Did you know...?

...Olympiacos is at its 11th Final Four? Its six most-recent appearances have come over the last 13 years - 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017. Olympiacos has the chance to win its fourth EuroLeague title.

...Olympiacos is one of the four teams that have successfully defended the EuroLeague crown in the Final Four era? Olympiacos won back-to-back EuroLeague titles in 2012 and 2013. Olimpia Milano (1987, 1988), KK Split (1989, 1990, 1991) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004, 2005) have also defended the title in the Final Four era. Anadolu Efes Istanbul can join the list if it lifts the trophy in Belgrade.

...Olympiacos is looking for its sixth consecutive semifinal win? The last semifinal game it lost was against Panathinaikos Athens in 2009. Since then, it has won five straight semifinals (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017). Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv has the longest winning streak in the semifinals with six (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2014) and counting.

...Olympiacos is 8-2 in the semifinals? Only Maccabi (10-2) has a better record in the semifinals.

...three current Olympiacos players have won back-to-back EuroLeague titles together? Kostas Sloukas, Georgios Printezis and Kostas Papanikolaou won the competition in 2012 and 2013.

...Papanikolaou, Printezis and Sloukas played in the 2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game? Sloukas helped Fenerbahce win the title against Olympiacos. Sloukas and Printezis were with Olympiacos at the 2015 EuroLeague Championship Game, too.

...Papanikolaou is one of five Rising Star Trophy winners at this Final Four? He is joined by newly crowned Rising Star Rokas Jokubaitis, Alex Abrines and Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona and Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid.

...Sloukas has the chance to win his fourth EuroLeague title? Sloukas won titles with Olympiacos in 2012 and 2013 and lifted the trophy again with Fenerbahce in 2017.

...Sloukas is 6-1 in the EuroLeague Semifinals? Sloukas won in six consecutive semifinal appearances (Olympiacos 2012, 2013, 2015; Fenerbahce 2016, 2017, 2018) before losing against Anadolu Efes with Fenerbahce in 2019.

...Sloukas can join a list of four-time winners with different teams? Dino Meneghin (five titles with Varese, two with Milan), leads the table. Fausto Bargna (two with Cantu, two with Milan), Kyle Hines (two with Olympiacos, two with CSKA) and Sarunas Jasikevicius (one with Barcelona, two with Maccabi, one with Panathinaikos) belong to this list.

...if he makes it to the championship game, Sloukas will tie Matjaz Smodis for the most finals appearances this century? Smodis played in seven EuroLeague finals: two with Virtus Bologna (2001, 2002) one with Fortitudo Bologna (2004) and four with CSKA (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).

...Sloukas is fifth all-time in assists with 1,297? Two of the players ahead of him in the standings are in the 2022 Final Four: Nick Calathes of FC Barcelona(1st, 1,689) and Thomas Heurtel of Real Madrid (4th, 1,340).

...Printezis ranks second in EuroLeague game played? He has taken part in 373 EuroLeague games. Only Paulius Jankunas (392) is ahead of him.

...Printezis ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 3,597 points and counting! He is second all-time in two-point shots made (1,193).

...Printezis ranks sixth all-time in rebounds with1,452? He is fourth in defensive boards (1,065).

...Coach Georgios Bartzokas is at his third Final Four? He won the EuroLeague title with Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013 and took Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar to the 2016 Final Four.

...Bartzokas is one of two Greek coaches to win the EuroLeague. He led Olympiacos to the 2013 crown. Dimitris Itoudis (CSKA 2015, 2018) is the other.

...Sasha Vezenkov ranks sixth in PIR this season (17.8)? He is ninth in rebounds (5.8 rpg.).

...Sloukas ranks fifth in assists this season? He has dished 4.9 per night.

…Moustapha Fall ranks fouth in blocks at 1.0 per night? He is sixth in two-point shooting percentage (70.2%), too.

...Livio Jean-Charles can join an exclusive list of Adidas Next Generation Tournament MVPs who also won the EuroLeague title? Jean-Charles was the ANGT MVP in 2010 with INSEP. Luka Doncic is the only player to get both; he was the ANGT MVP in 2015 and won the EuroLeague in 2018 with Real Madrid. Alberto Abalde, the 2013 ANGT MVP, is also in this year’s Final Four with Real.

...other than Sloukas, Papanikolaou and Printezis, no other Olympiacos player has previous Final Four experience?

...Olympiacos ranks second in PIR average this season (93.2)? Its semifinals opponent Anadolu Efes Istanbul (94.8) is the only team ahead of the Reds.

...Olympiacos ranks first overall in two-point shooting percentage. At 58.1%, it is the competition’s ninth-highest percentage ever and the best since Fenerbahce Istanbul buried 58.3% of its two-pointers in the 2018-19 campaign.

Olympiacos Piraeus: Did you know that...?

Kostas Papanikolaou - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS33

Kostas Sloukas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS24

The math worked this season, sending the quartet of teams that proved most efficient until now all the way to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade. Here's what to watch out for when they match up in the semis.

Stats Review: Sizing up the semis

### Final Four Reset

FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus both earned hard-fought wins in the decisive fifth games of their respective quarterfinal series to join Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. 

Those four teams had the league's highest efficiency differentials, making this season an instance where the numbers matched reality. However, if history is any indicator, what happens from here is more complicated. Just two of the last five teams to raise the trophy have held the league's highest efficiency differential. 

### Semifinal B: Efes vs. Olympiacos

The reigning champions have looked the part after a sluggish start to the season and defended better than expected in their quarterfinal victory of AX Armani Exchange Milan. While they split their regular season series with Olympiacos, they averaged 1.10 points per possession in those matchups thanks in large part to a stellar shooting effort from Rodrigue Beaubois in their Round 10 victory. 

Olympiacos is looking to make its first championship game appearance since a stretch where they went 2-2 in finals across six seasons starting back in 2011. As usual, the Reds were dominant at home this season, but fought through considerable adversity to beat Monaco who handed them one of their bigger home losses in recent memory in the quarterfinals. The rise of Sasha Vezenkov has been a bright spot among many in a bounce-back year for the historic franchise, but it was Kostas Sloukas and Tyler Dorsey who delivered in their win over Efes in Round 26.

Led by Round 9 MVP Vasilije Micić, Efes try to build on an impressive triumph at Berlin versus Olympiacos, who look to address a run of four straight away losses.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus - Round 10 - Highlights

### What to watch: Ball Screens

Olympiacos and Efes ranked first and second in the EuroLeague by creating 48% and 45% of their half-court possessions, respectively, out of pick-and-rolls this season. They also ranked in the top four in efficiency in both ball-screen and overall efficiency. In regular season matchups with Olympiacos, Efes aggressively looked to Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin to attack individual matchups on the perimeter, so guard play figures to be at a premium in this matchup. Which team's shooters deliver and which big men step up when guarding the two-man game will also factor heavily into how this season's two most prolific pick-and-roll offenses fare.

### Semifinal A: Barcelona vs. Real

Barca has beaten Real five straight times this season after dropping their first matchup in the preseason Supercup nearly nine months ago. Barca will need to extend that streak to six to earn a chance to redeem their finals loss a year ago. In their two EuroLeague wins, Barcelona pivoted from playing through the post to a more pick-and-roll-centric attack. Nikola Mirotic and Nicolas Laprovittola were the heroes in those wins. Laprovittola was also critical to Barcelona's Game 5 win over FC Bayern Munich in what was a grueling quarterfinal series for this year's top seed.

Real, in contrast, made quick work of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, winning all three of their quarterfinal games by double-digits with Sergio Llull catching fire. They have hung their hat on the defensive end all season but will need someone to step up on the offensive end to reverse their fortunes against Barcelona. Llull struggled against Barcelona in the regular season, making his recent resurgence a point of interest in the Final Four. Walter Tavares's foul situation is also something to monitor as he was a bright spot in Real's pair of losses to Barca amid foul trouble.

The first Euroleague El Clásico of 21-22 sees pace-setters Barça tipping-off against second-placed Madrid with the fierce-rivals colliding via identical records and with top-spot up for grabs.

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - Round 14 - Highlights

### What to Watch: Catch-and-Shoot Jumpers

No teams made catch and shoot jump shots more consistently than Barca and Real, who ranked first and second in the EuroLeague, shooting eFG%s of 58% and 59%, respectively.  Real only attempted 9.5 catch-and-shoot jumpers per game within their set offense in their two EuroLeague losses to Barca – well below their 18.1 per-game season standard. How steadily they can create clean looks on the perimeter figures to be their x-factor in this game.

Here are some of the milestones of the season that took Anadolu Efes Istanbul to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.

Road to Belgrade, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

\- Efes's title defense started on the wrong foot, with four straight losses. Its first winning streak waited until Round 9, when [it pounded host ALBA Berlin 63-90](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/alba-berlin-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/75/) in what proved to be the first of four consecutive victories.

\- Efes showed its resilience in Round 17 when rallying from 6 points behind inside the final 2 minutes [to defeat visiting Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 84-83](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/anadolu-efes-istanbul-crvena-zvezda-mts-belgrade/E2021/145/). Vasilije Micic scored his team's final 10 points, including the game-winning free throws with 0.9 seconds left, to lift Efes to its third consecutive victory and a 9-8 record.

Champions Anadolu Efes hope to wave goodbye to an unforgettable year with a win when they welcome a resolute Crvena team that can boast one of the best defences in the competition.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade - Round 17 - Highlights

\- Making sure it remained top dog at home, [Efes overpowered Fenerbahce Beko 84-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/anadolu-efes-istanbul-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2021/245/) in Round 28 to conclude a regular-season sweep of the Istanbul derby. Micic had 24 points to lead the charge in that one.

\- By mid-March, Efes was rolling in peak form as it reeled off four wins in five games to clinch a playoff berth, headlined by [a 93-90 home victory over Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/anadolu-efes-istanbul-real-madrid/E2021/272/) that saw Micic shine once again with 29 points.

\- Efes took charge of its playoff series in Game 1 with [a defensive masterpiece in holding AX Armani Exchange Milan to just 48 points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/ax-armani-exchange-milan-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/309/). When the series moved to Istanbul, the defending champs won both games to get to their third straight Final Four.

In a first playoff series meeting between the teams, reigning-champs Efes resume their title-defence versus a formidable Milan outfit, who've overcome the visitors in their previous four encounters.

AX Armani Exchange Milan v Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Playoffs Game 1 - Highlights

Rodrigue Beaubois - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS28

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

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

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