In a season rich with magical moments and historic feats, who better to highlight them than the people who covered the league closest? We have asked the reporters from EuroLeague.net to reflect on their favorite moments from the 2023-24 campaign.
My favorite moment from 2023-24: Javier Gancedo
Article
3 Mins read
That quadruple-overtime instant classic
by Javier Gancedo
It was the final game of a double-round week and a special night in Spain. Just like Santa Claus on December 24, the Three Wise Kings visit all Spanish homes on January 5 to deliver presents for children. This time, Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul delivered an unforgettable basketball present: the first quadruple-overtime game in competition history. No EuroLeague game had ever gone past a second overtime before.
After a back-and-forth battle throughout regulation, Real’s Dzanan Musa tied the score at 81-81 and Efes’s Shane Larkin missed a step-back, highly contested three-point shot that would have given the visitors the win. Larkin made up for that miss by forcing a second overtime period from the foul line.
Mario Hezonja was off the mark with an open shot at the end of the first overtime period, with Efes going on to build a 93-102 margin with over 2 minutes left in the second extra period. Then, Real duo Fabien Causeur and Facu Campazzo sparked an 8-0 run that Hezonja capped with a jump hook that completely changed the atmosphere inside WiZink Center. On we went to triple overtime – there was no separating the teams, 102-102.
Walter Tavares later kept Real alive with a dunk and a last-second block that sent the game to a fourth overtime, 111-111. It was already past midnight when Hezonja hit his seventh three-pointer and Musa added a layup that sealed the outcome, 128-122, with 20.6 seconds remaining. Real ended up winning 130-126 after 60 thrilling minutes of basketball.
Real and Efes shattered several records in this game. Each of them broke the previous single-game record for points by any one team, which were the 123 scored by both Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 15 seasons ago and Maccabi Tel Aviv almost 20 seasons ago. Both teams combined for 256 points, 24 more than any other game before. Musa's 40 points, 15 field goals and 13 two-pointers made were all club records. Larkin and Tibor Pleiss became the first two EuroLeague players ever to surpass 50 minutes played in a game. Larkin now has the record with 53 minutes and 11 seconds on the floor.
I remember the editorial team had an impromptu meeting right after the game to discuss how to cover such instant classic, and we came up with really good ideas: records, reactions and a look-back article, written by the brilliant Igor Petrinovic, who explained how the night unfolded. By the time I got home, it was beyond 3am and I had a big smile on my face, as I knew I had witnessed EuroLeague history. If I can choose, please make sure that the next quadruple-overtime classic is not the last game of a double-round week...