 Season Review | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 

By all accounts, the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season was among the most compelling and closest contested on the books. From the overtime dramas in the early rounds through the nail-biting comebacks and three Game 5s in the playoffs until the thrills of the Final Four in Kaunas, the EuroLeague was a nonstop factory for excitement. Let's take a look back at the moments, milestones and protagonists who made the 2022-23 one to remember. 

Season Review | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

2022-23 season in review

Perhaps no day is longer and more nerve-wracking for a basketball fan than the one leading up to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game. For fans of both Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus who were in Kaunas for the Final Four, the anticipation started as soon as they woke up and grew hour by hour to a fever pitch that persisted until the game’s final seconds. Follow Real fan David Manzano and an Olympiacos father and son duo, Theodoros and Georgios Cholevas, through the day as they helped supply the unique atmosphere surrounding the season’s crowning moment and tried to push their teams to the ultimate glory.

How fans from both sides lived Championship Gameday in Kaunas

Perhaps no day is longer and more nerve-wracking for a basketball fan than the one leading up to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game. For fans of both Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus who were in Kaunas for the Final Four, the anticipation started as soon as they woke up and grew hour by hour to a fever pitch that persisted until the game’s final seconds. Follow Real fan David Manzano and an Olympiacos-supporting father and son duo, Theodoros and Georgios Cholevas, through the day as they helped supply the unique atmosphere surrounding the season’s crowning moment and tried to push their teams to the ultimate glory.

Sergio Llull's deep two-pointer over the outstretched arm of Moustapha Fall saw Real Madrid defeat Olympiacos Piraeus 78-79 in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game, as Los Blancos become champions of Europe for the 11th time. This century, there have been several shots in the final moments of the championship game that have resulted in a team securing Europe's crown. Some are very well-known, whereas others may have flown under the radar. Sit back and enjoy these decisive title-winning shots. 

 The most decisive title-winning shots in EuroLeague Championship Game history 

Sergio Llull's deep two-pointer over the outstretched arm of Moustapha Fall saw Real Madrid defeat Olympiacos Piraeus 78-79 in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game, as Los Blancos become champions of Europe for the 11th time. This century, there have been several shots in the final moments of the championship game that have resulted in a team securing Europe's crown. Some are very well-known, whereas others may have flown under the radar. Sit back and enjoy these decisive title-winning shots.

The most decisive title-winning shots in EuroLeague Championship Game history

The final episode of EuroLeague Pick 'Em, Powered by @ArduPrime, for the 2022-23 season sees Dora Panteli review the excitement from the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four and share some of the numbers that made the weekend in Kaunas and Real Madrid's accomplishments so impressive. 

EuroLeague Pick'Em: Looks back on the Final Four!

EuroLeague Pick'Em looks back on the Final Four!

EuroLeague Pick 'Em looks back on the Final Four!

EuroLeague Diaries, Episode 6: Final Four in Kaunas

The EuroLeague Diaries team was on the ground in Kaunas for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four weekend to sample all of what makes this event such a special one both on and off the court. Sofia del Prado and Dane Arlauckas basked in the famous Lithuanian basketball culture and interacted with fans all around the city. Experience the Final Four like never before with Sofia and Dane through the lens of EuroLeague Diaries. 

EuroLeague Diaries at the Final Four in Kaunas

Top 10 Plays | Final Four | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 

Top 5 Plays | Championship Game | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 

Be sure to take a look at the best five plays of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game!

Top 5 Plays | Championship Game | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

 All-Access Final Four, Episode 3 

Walter Tavares | Final Four MVP | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 

Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2023-05-21T17:00:00.000Z)

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game Post-Game Press Conference

Sergio Rodriguez, Real Madrid: 'I've been doing this for a long time'

Fabien Causeur, Real Madrid: 'These guys are contagious'

Final Four MVP Walter Tavares: 'This one I suffered more' 

Trophy Delivery!

MVP Interview: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

Latest videos

Tribute to the Champs

DON'T MISS

The 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season is considered by many to be the best in competition history. It featured the closest regular season to date, three playoff series that went down to Game 5 and a championship game that came down to the final shot. Let's take a look back and check out 10 memorable moments from a one-of-a-kind campaign, in chronological order. 

Ten memorable moments from the 2022-23 season

### Regular Season, Round 21: Baskonia, Efes deliver instant classic 

[Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz outlasted Anadolu Efes Istanbul 114-111](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/188/) in overtime in the second highest-scoring game in EuroLeague history. Darius Thompson set a Baskonia record by dishing 16 assists, which was also a EuroLeague season high. Baskonia matched a club record with 31 assists and Efes tied its all-time scoring record, too. Rokas Giedraitis pulled down 18 rebounds, twice as many rebounds as his previous best. Matt Costello led all scorers with 33 points. Shane Larkin paced Efes with 21 points against his former team. 

### Regular Season, Round 29: Vezenkov shows MVP credentials

Sasha Vezenkov dominated the regular season and among his highlights was a game-winner against Zalgiris Kaunas. He put the finishing touches [on a 72-74 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/zalgiris-kaunas-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/255/) when he buried a contested baseline jumper with 6.7 seconds remaining that made Olympiacos Piraeus the first team to qualify for the playoffs. He finished the game with 25 points on 9-of-9 two-point shooting and 8 rebounds for a PIR of 32. 

Zalgiris Kaunas - Olympiacos Piraeus | Round 29 | Highlights

### Regular Season, Round 33: Partizan clinches playoff spot 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade returned to the EuroLeague for the first time in eight years and made sure it was noticed. First, the club broke attendance records at Stark Arena. Second, head coach Zeljko Obradovic made sure his team was competitive all season long. It clinched a playoff spot with [an 84-88 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/294/) against AS Monaco, with hundreds of Partizan fans in the stands. Kevin Punter buried a critical shot to put Partizan in control, 80-84, with 16 seconds left. Zach LeDay and Aleksa Avramovic paced the winners with 22 points apiece. “It’s great to be a part of history," LeDay said after the game.

### Regular Season, Round 33: Fenerbahce ends Efes's legacy 

Efes starting the season looking to become the first team since Jugoplastika Split (1989-91) to claim three consecutive continental crowns. Coach Ergin Ataman's team never found its rhythm, but remained in the playoff race until Round 33, when [a 103-86 road loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/290/) at archrival Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul eliminated it from postseason contention. Nigel Hayes-Davis had 16 points for Fenerbahce, which advanced to the playoffs and came within one win of the Final Four. 

### Playoffs, Game 3: Barca, first to the Final Four 

It was another strong campaign for FC Barcelona, which reached the Final Four for the third consecutive season. It finished the regular season in second place with a 23-11 record and while all other Final Four opponents had to battle for five games in epic playoffs fashion, Barca swept its series against Zalgiris and even made it look easy. It gave Zalgiris no chance in Game 1 en route to a 91-69 win at Palau Blaugrana. Sertac Sanli led the way with 17 points. In Game 2, Rokas Jokubaitis and Jan Vesely's late heroics led Barca to an 89-81 triumph. Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius's team finished the job with [a 66-77 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/zalgiris-kaunas-fc-barcelona/E2022/318/) at Zalgirio Arena.  

### Playoffs, Game 3: Tavares rescues Real in critical moment 

Los Blancos were truly on the ropes, down 0-2 in the playoffs against Partizan after back-to-back home losses and tailing 32-17 late in the first quarter of Game 3. Luckily for Real, Walter Tavares was back in action after missing Game 2 and had a performance for the ages. He finished the game with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks for a PIR of 41 in leading Real [to an 80-82 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-real-madrid/E2022/317/). It was a turning point for Tavares, who kept delivering until Real lifted the trophy. 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul  - Olympiacos Piraeus  | Playoffs Game 3 | Highlights

### Playoffs, Game 3: Sloukas's shot gives Reds series lead 

Two shots changed this season's EuroLeague picture. One of them decided the EuroLeague winner. The other eventually sent Olympiacos to the Final Four. Fenerbahce had stolen the home-court advantage in its playoff series and Marko Guduric buried a mid-range jumper for a 71-69 Game 3 lead with 3.9 seconds left. After a timeout, Kostas Sloukas took the ball, guarded by DyShawn Pierre. He dribbled twice - once forward and once behind his back to force the switch. Even though Nigel Hayes-Davis contested the shot, Sloukas had the space he needed to [bury the game-winning three-pointer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/315/) from the top of the key right at the final buzzer, silencing Ulker Sports and Event Hall. 

### Playoffs, Game 5: Real's epic comeback

Real came into Game 5 of its playoff series against Partizan without Gabriel Deck, Vincent Poirier and Guerschon Yabusele. Partizan was without Aleksa Avramovic, but had its entire frontcourt available and capitalized on that to lead by as many as 18 early in the second half. It still led 60-75 late in the third quarter and that's when everything changed. Real closed that quarter with a 9-1 run to get within single digits. Sergio Rodriguez took full control of the game with 11 points in less than 5 minutes and Sergio Llull's three-pointer completed Real's comeback, 86-83. Three minutes later, Real had the game under control, 97-88, and [both feet in the Final Four](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/real-madrid-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/325/).

### Playoffs, Game 5: Monaco makes history 

Monaco advanced to the playoffs last season in its EuroLeague debut, but lost in five games against Olympiacos. This time, Monaco was in the same situation but with the home-court advantage and that helped Coach Sasa Obradovic's team to make history in 5 final magic minutes at Salle Gaston Medecin. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv led 76-79 midway through the fourth quarter. That's when Monaco found a go-to guy in Jordan Loyd, who scored 8 points in a 10-0 run that put his team ahead for good, 86-79. Elie Okobo and Alpha Diallo made the difference in crunch time. Loyd and Mike James paced the winners with 21 points apiece. [Monaco became the first Final Four newcomer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2022/324/) since Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar qualified in 2016. 

### Llull finishes the season with iconic shot

It was a rollercoaster post-season for Real, which trailed at some point in the second half in all of its last seven games. The championship game was no different, as Olympiacos led 78-72 right before Rodriguez scored in penetration at the 2-minute mark. He then buried a three-pointer with 46.8 seconds remaining. Real was down 1 when it took the court after a timeout with 12.7 seconds left. Llull got the ball, called Tavares for a pick-and-roll, Olympiacos switched and Llull sank a jumper from the right elbow [that put Real ahead, 78-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-real-madrid/E2022/330/), with 3.2 seconds remaining. When Sloukas missed at the other end, Llull's big basket was already written in golden letters in EuroLeague history: Real had won its 11th title!

A pair of Goliaths from European basketball battle for continental glory as the Reds and Los Blancos square off at Žalgirio arena. These teams boast some of the top players in the competition, but whose talents will come to the fore and secure the ultimate prize?

Olympiacos Piraeus vs Real Madrid - Championship Game - Highlights

TV3 Group and Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), in partnership with Saran Media Group, are pleased to announce the extension of their free-to-air and PayTV broadcasting rights for Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7Days EuroCup games in the Baltics.

Under the new agreement, TV3 Group and LRT will co-broadcast all Zalgiris Kaunas games across Lithuania, as well as all EuroCup games featuring Lithuanian clubs . LRT will show the games on its LRT Televizija and LRT Plius channels,and also stream the coverage on its  [lrt.lt](http://lrt.lt) portal. 

Additionally, all EuroLeague games and selected EuroCup games will be available on the TV3 Group’s largest OTT television in the Baltics, Go3, as well as on TV3 Sport channels in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Jan Wykrytowicz, CEO of TV3 Group’s Go3 television, commented: "Go3 television and TV3 Sport channels are proud to be the home of the best basketball in the Baltics. Each season, we bring fans more than 1000 live games from the most thrilling basketball competitions, including EuroLeague and EuroCup, LKL, NBA, WNBA, FIBA championships, ACB League, Basketball Champions League and more. We are excited to announce that in the upcoming seasons, Baltics fans will be able to watch each and every EuroLeague game with us, including Zalgiris Kaunas games, the Playoffs and Final Four stages."

Monika Garbaciauskaite-Budriene, LRT General Director, commented: “Euroleague Basketball has a huge demand across Europe, so LRT is happy to collaborate with Go3 television and secure the rights to broadcast highly popular tournaments for wide audience across Lithuania. We know that Lithuanians are probably the biggest fans of basketball, so giving them all the possibility to follow their beloved team “Zalgiris” is extremely important for LRT group.“

“We are very pleased to extend our ongoing collaboration with TV3 Group, LRT and Saran Media Group, bringing our games to all our fans in the Baltic region”, stated Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball Marketing and Communication Senior Director.. “It is very important for us to maintain the free-to-air and pay-tv hybrid model that we started back in 2020 as it has proved to be extremely successful, reaching a 50% audience growth rate during the last season."

Kenan Alan Saran, CEO of Saran Media Group, said: “We are excited to be expanding our partnership with TV3 Group and LRT, bringing the highest quality of European basketball in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup to the millions of dedicated and passionate basketball fans across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. We are happy to grow our media partnership with Euroleague Ventures and appreciate their trust and confidence in Saran.”

About TV3 Group

TV3 Group, the leading media group in Baltics, is a portfolio company of Bite Group and Providence Equity Partners, a global premium asset management company. TV3 Group owns and operates the leading commercial free-to-air channels in Baltics, the largest DTH and OTT television, premium film and sport channels, as well as a portfolio of leading commercial radio stations.

TV3 Group’s brand portfolio includes:

•	Go3 –  the leading streaming service in the Baltics

• Leading general and thematic TV channels: TV3, TV6, 3+, TV3 Life, TV3 Mini, TV8, TV3 Sport Open

•	TV3 Sport, TV3 Sport 2 and TV3 Film – leading premium sport and film channels in Baltics

•	Radio stations: Star FM, Radio Volna and Power Hit Radio

•	The largest AVOD video portal: TV3 Play 

•	News and entertainment portals: [tv3.lt](http://tv3.lt), [tv3.lv](http://tv3.lv), [Uudised.tv3.ee](http://Uudised.tv3.ee) and [Buduaar.ee](http://Buduaar.ee)

TV3 Group and LRT, in partnership with Saran Media Group, expand Euroleague broadcasting rights in the Baltics

When it comes to making it to the Final Four, Real Madrid forward Anthony Randolph has often been in the right place at the right time. Randolph has taken part in six Final Fours since his first appearance with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2016. Only three American players have been to more Final Fours: Kyle Hines, J.R. Holden and Derrick Sharp. 

Randolph's resilience was handsomely rewarded

When it comes to making it to the Final Four, Real Madrid forward [Anthony Randolph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/anthony-randolph/005757/) has often been in the right place at the right time. Randolph has taken part in six Final Fours since his first appearance with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2016. Only three American players have been to more Final Fours: Kyle Hines, J.R. Holden and Derrick Sharp. 

However, it has not been easy for Randolph, who has battled severe injuries and been largely unavailable for the better part of the last three seasons. Even so, he found ways to contribute at the 2023 Final Four, his fifth with Real, to win his second EuroLeague title with Los Blancos. 

Randolph first played the EuroLeague after a stellar 2014-15 EuroCup season with Lokomotiv and all he did was confirm his star potential right away. He averaged 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23 games with Lokomotiv during the 2015-16 campaign, was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team and led the team to its first-ever Final Four. He even set a Final Four record with 8 offensive rebounds in the semifinal against CSKA Moscow. Randolph joined Real the following season and lifted his first EuroLeague trophy in 2018. 

His fate changed in December 2020, in a game against Olympiacos Piraeus. Randolph suffered a town Achilles' Heel in his left leg, which kept him sidelined for almost one year. He turned around to inbound the ball, a routine movement, but slipped and would not play again for exactly 351 days. Randolph returned in December 2021 and slowly found his rhythm to help Real reach the 2021 EuroLeague Championship Game against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. He had 6 points in 7 minutes in a losing effort. 

Anthony Randolph returned from injury to help Real Madrid win its 11th Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title!

2022-23 EuroLeague season highlights: Anthony Randolph, Real Madrid

A few weeks later, Randolph went down again in Game 1 of the Spanish League finals. It was a torn anterior cruciate ligament in again, his left leg. It required surgery and a long rehab, which Randolph went through with great resilience. He came back in late March and posted 8 points in 18 minutes in a Spanish League home game against Coviran Granada. His size and experience were important to help Real beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the playoffs, especially given his team's lack of frontcourt players. 

People around the league appreciate Randolph's efforts, too. There was a nice interaction between Olympiacos assistant coach Christos Pappas and Randolph at halftime of the recent championship game in Kaunas. While heading from the locker rooms back onto the court, Pappas called out to the Real big man and told Randolph that it was nice to see him back on the floor. Randolph smiled and thanked him, then ran out onto the court. He contributed 3 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in less than 5 minutes on the court to help Los Blancos win again. 

"Honestly, I am still in shock, I was shaking. To end the EuroLeague season this way, after everything that we have gone through, the ups and the downs, the playoffs series, we just stuck together and pulled it out," Randolph said in the mixed zone after the game. "We were not supposed to win this game but it shows the veteran leadership that we have on this team, how we stuck together as a group." 

Randolph turns 34 years old in July, and this should be his first healthy off-season in a while. Few players are able to come back from two severe injuries and contribute the way Randolph did in Kaunas and he was handsomely rewarded for all the hard work and rehab with his second EuroLeague championship.

Anthony Randolph's resilience was handsomely rewarded

•	More than 1 billion accumulated impressions on all SM platforms.
•	EuroLeague's Instagram generates more than 233 million views

EuroLeague social media reaches new heights with record numbers

Interest in the the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague reached record highs this season, with fans – new and old – actively engaging with the league's social media content, resulting in historic numbers. During the 2022-23 season, the EuroLeague's social media team ensured that fans from all corners of the globe got even closer to the action by providing behind-the-scenes access on gamedays, in addition to tailoring the users' experience based on the platform the content was being viewed on.

Looking at the season as a whole, there were double-digit increases across the board, while the total number of accumulated impressions on social media topped the one billion mark – yes, billion! – following a 55% increase on last year's numbers. In terms of engagement, this figure rose by 71% to 40 million. The biggest jump came with video views, as this number shot up by 130% to 393 million. There was a 17% increase in followers as 3.4 million more people decided that they wanted the EuroLeague's posts to appear in their feed.

For the majority of EuroLeague fans, [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/euroleague/) was the favored social network of choice and there was a 50% jump in impressions compared to last year's output as 549 million people saw the EuroLeague's posts. There were 31 million engagements with the publications, too, a 68% increase on the 2021-22 numbers. When it came to video views, this total skyrocketed by 213% to 233 million.

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The platform that had the second-highest number of interactions with the EuroLeague account was [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Euroleague), as the league's posts were seen by 231 million people, an increase of 67%. Some two million engagements took place; this rose by 119% on last year's totals. Video views were once again popular, climbing by 57% to 32 million based on the 2021-22 figures.

EuroLeague posts on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheEuroLeague/) had a reach of 173 million people, an increase of 46%, which matched the engagement on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Euroleague). The 2 million likes or shares on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TheEuroLeague/) represented a rise of 88%. [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@euroleague) has become the go-to social media platform for many people from Generation Z, and there was plenty of growth for the EuroLeague's account here, too. There were a total of 69 million impressions, up 166% from last year's figures, while the number of followers rose by 378,000, which is a 92% increase.

Thank you to the EuroLeague’s social media fanbase for their continuous support during this record-setting season!

•	More than 1 billion accumulated impressions on all social media platforms.
•	EuroLeague's Instagram generated more than 233 million views

Real Madrid managed to lift its 11th continental crown in Kaunas, Lithuania. After the Championship Game, the champs dropped by the photo studio at the arena itself to take some photos that will immortalize that night forever.

Real Madrid trophy photo shoot

It started almost as a joke. In Spanish, 'mandarina' was a term for a tough shot that was generally taken with the shot clock running down to avoid a turnover. Only rarely would it go in. Spanish journalist Andres Montes, who passed away in 2009, was the first to use the term regularly. Real Madrid star Sergio Llull changed its meaning forever by making many of those shots, probably more often than any other player in basketball history.

Sergio Llull’s ‘Mandarina’ through the years

It started almost as a joke. In Spanish, 'mandarina' was a term for a tough shot that was generally taken with the shot clock running down to avoid a turnover. Only rarely would it go in. Spanish journalist Andres Montes, who passed away in 2009, was the first to use the term regularly. Real Madrid star [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) changed its meaning forever by making many of those shots, probably more often than any other player in basketball history.

Llull has made so many that now every time he makes a difficult shot at any point during the game, people call it a 'mandarina'. His last such achievement, a go-ahead rainbow jumper over Olympiacos Piraeus center Moustapha Fall that lifted Real to its 11th Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title, can hardly be considered a 'mandarina' but still, you will see the term in newspapers, social media and everywhere else. Llull has made so many amazing shots the 'mandarina' is now his signature shot.

The original 'mandarina' came on February 25, 2010. Llull was in his third season with the club and buried an off-balance, acrobatic three-pointer that allowed Real to earn the tie-break advantage against Montepaschi Siena in that year's Top 16 stage. Indeed, that shot eventually took Real to the playoffs and it was the first of the many incredible shots Llull would make over the years, none bigger than the EuroLeague-winning one against Olympiacos. That shot allowed Llull to win his third EuroLeague crown.

One of the greats of his generation, Llull was the 2016-17 EuroLeague MVP and ranks fifth all-time in scoring (3,691 points) and sixth in assists (1,329). To honor Llull's recent heroics, let us celebrate his EuroLeague 'mandarinas'. In this video, you will find some of Llull's impossible catch-and-shoot jumpers, prayers from beyond midcourt and game-winners because when it comes to Llull, there are plenty of 'mandarinas' to choose from.

Llull’s ‘Mandarina’ through the years

Joe Arlauckas celebrates the 2023 champions by hosting Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo and guard Nigel Williams-Goss for this season’s final episode of the Crossover.

Champs Mateo and Williams-Goss visit the Crossover

Joe Arlauckas celebrates the 2023 champions by hosting Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo and guard Nigel Williams-Goss for this season’s final episode of the Crossover.

The season finale of the Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is a special three-way interview with host Joe Arlauckas speaking to two key members of the freshly crowned 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions: head coach Chus Mateo and guard Nigel Williams-Goss. Together they reviewed the regular season, went into detail about Real’s comeback from an 0-2 deficit in the playoffs against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, and discussed all the big moments from the Final Four in Kaunas.  

When they spoke, Williams-Goss was still on a high from winning the title.

 

“It still feels just unbelievable to me. I said all year long that my only goal was to win the EuroLeague. This is something that I’ve thought about, dreamt about since my first year in Europe,” Williams-Goss elated. “In 2018, my first professional season, my first EuroLeague game that I ever watched in person was Madrid and Fener in the EuroLeague final, cause it was in Belgrade at the time and I was playing at Partizan. And so I watched that final game and that image of winning the EuroLeague was in my mind. For that to be a reality now, I still can´t describe it.”  

Even though Real was among the very strongest teams throughout the regular season, it stumbled late and it nearly cost Los Blancos dearly. A loss at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the regular-season finale knocked the team from second to third place and set up a matchup with Partizan. Not only did Real lose the first two games, but at the end of Game 2, a fight broke out, both benches cleared and the game was halted before the full 40 minutes were played. The incident left players from both teams suspended for some of the remaining games in the series.

The incident might have broken some teams, but it had the opposite effect on Real Madrid.

“It really brought us closer,” Williams-Goss said.

“It was a very bad feeling for everybody. Everybody started to join as a team and think ‘Hey, we have to play basketball as best as we can.’ And this is what happened in Belgrade. I think that everybody played good, a good game, everybody together. We kept together in this bad moment. Everybody felt very bad in the locker room and the coaching staff,” Coach Mateo explained.

“There was some frustration in this moment. 0-2, playing bad. This reaction was not good and everybody apologized for it. And this made us be joined and go to Belgrade thinking that we have to play good basketball. This is what we did.”

Williams-Goss shined with a season-high 22 points in Game 3 in Belgrade, including a clutch three-pointer with 24.8 seconds to go that snapped a 77-77 tie. He spoke about that game and the mindset needed to go to Belgrade and walk away with two wins.

“As a player and as a competitor, I feel like you don’t reach this level of playing at a place like Real Madrid without a different mindset. I feel like, speaking for myself, I don’t have a normal mindset. A normal person could say we’re down 0-2 going into maybe the toughest environment in Europe so there’s no way we’re gonna win. But again, I didn’t get to this point in my career by thinking regular and normal,” Williams-Goss said.

“I had belief, I had confidence, and yeah, maybe it’s not my role every night on this team to score 20, for sure we have a lot of great players. But I’m more than capable. I’ve shown that throughout my career that I can score, I can defend, I can do whatever the team needs me to do to win a game. I had a lot of confidence going into Game 3 that if we got that one, the pressure would switch a little bit.”

The road to the championship saw Real win five consecutive games with its back to the wall: Two in Belgrade, Game 5 of the playoffs at home in Madrid, the Final Four semifinal against FC Barcelona, and the championship game against Olympiacos Piraeus. The last of those came down to the final shot and when Real had the ball and needed to score on its final possession, Coach Mateo made it clear that it was clear who was going to take it.

“Sergio \[Llull\] didn’t score in the game, but all of us know that he is the best in this kind of situation. So it doesn’t matter if he’s scored or not, When we came to the bench I asked him: ‘Hey Sergio. Sergi. This is for you?’ He said: ‘For me.’ No question. All the teammates know that it is his ball and he’s gonna take the last one. He managed very good the situation because he’s done it in the past and he’s the man in these situations,” Mateo said.

“He did it once again. It was good to see a picture of the shot because this is something I am going to put in a frame at home in a privileged place in my house. It was amazing what happened at the end.”

With a one-hour format of exclusive one-on-one interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas goes well beyond the playing court with each podcast to delve into the life experiences that have made his guests protagonists and legends of the EuroLeague. The Crossover debuted in 2018 and has featured such current stars as [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mike-james-opens-up-at-the-crossover/), [Dante Exum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/dante-exum-is-the-latest-guest-on-the-crossover/), and [Vasilije Micic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mvp-micic-stops-by-the-crossover/), coaching greats such as [Georgios Bartzokas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/hear-from-coach-bartzokas-on-the-crossover/), [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/the-crossover-opens-its-season-with-dimitris-itoudis/), and Zeljko Obradovic, and legends like Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic and [Mike Batiste](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-legend-mike-batiste-visits-the-crossover/), among others.

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rYpAbSLlCc), [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas/id1440034922), [Audioboom](https://audioboom.com/channel/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6T1SYvGSpzyrYZpG9z2wjR), [Deezer](https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/65962), [RadioPublic](https://radiopublic.com/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas-6NkdjJ), [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ4ODM3OTkucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYzr_b78XtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ), [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-p1174586/), [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [CastBox](https://castbox.fm/channel/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-id1467328?country=gb), [iVoox](https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas_sq_f1629856_1.html) and other platforms.

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CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

2022-23 awards

FINAL FOUR BLOG

Top perfomers

We are a few weeks removed from Real Madrid winning its unprecedented 11th continental crown. The championship game victory over Olympiacos Piraeus was quite a thriller and Los Blancos were able to prevail thanks to its veteran players and their heroics. 

How Real Madrid rebuilt itself while continuing to trust its veterans

We are a few weeks removed from Real Madrid winning its unprecedented 11th continental crown. The championship game victory over Olympiacos Piraeus was quite a thriller and Los Blancos were able to prevail thanks to its veteran players and their heroics. 

Sergio Llull sank the title-winning shot with 3.1 seconds left in the championship game, while Sergio Rodriguez had 15 points and 9 assists and Fabien Causeur netted 3 triples and scored 11 points. The French guard played almost 18 minutes against the Reds - the second-most time he'd spent on the floor since early January.

When the EuroLeague title was on the line at Zalgirio Arena, or a few weeks earlier when Real's season was hanging by a thread in the playoffs, it was the most familiar - and most experienced - players who stepped up for Los Blancos. And while they know better than anyone what Real means and are perfect to preach it to the newcomers, those veterans had not too often played main roles during the season.

Real Madrid's journey to the 2023 title was a two-year ride, oftentimes a bumpy one, but it showed how a team's rebuild does not have to start from scratch. Real, which also came 1 point short of winning it all in 2022, was able to stay competitive with older players who might not be as good as they once were by adding younger players alongside them. 

Real went through a quiet rebuild the last two seasons as it parted ways with longtime contributors such as Jeffery Taylor and Trey Thompkins, while Jaycee Carroll and Felipe Reyes retired.

In addition, Llull, Fernandez, Causeur and Rodriguez, who returned for a third stint with the club last summer, were only getting older. Rudy turned 38 during the season, Rodriguez will be 37 in a week, while Llull and Causeur are both turning 36 this year.

So, Real needed to find fresh faces. Two summers ago the club added Guerschon Yabusele, Nigel Williams-Goss, Adam Hanga and Vincent Poirier, and brought back Gabriel Deck mid-season. Apart from Hanga, all of the players are in their prime, none currently older than 29 or younger than 27 years of age.

Last quarter baskets by Real in championship game

Then, last summer, Real continued the rebuild by adding 23-year-old Dzanan Musa and two 28-year-olds, Mario Hezonja and Petr Cornelie. Along with Elie Ndiaye, a teenager from Los Blancos' youth system, Real built a new core for the team, players who, along with Walter Tavares, carried out the 2022-23 season.

Meanwhile, the veteran group, which also included Anthony Randolph who was recovering from an injury, had significantly smaller on-court contributions. During the course of the 2022-23 season, none of those five veterans averaged more than 17:23 minutes, which is what Rudy Fernandez played in 20 appearances off the bench. The five veterans combined for just 15 starts and had a combined average of 22.3 points in the games they played.

However, when the do-or-die end-of-season games were being decided, it was those veterans who carried the team across the finish line. 

Real had 10 different lineups that played in at least four games and for at least 3 minutes per game this season, according to Viziball. Half of those lineups did not feature even a single one of those veterans, including the four most frequently used ones.

Of the remaining five lineups that Coach Mateo used the most this season, Llull was a member of three, and only one combination had two veterans, Rodriguez and Fernandez, together on the floor.

But none of that mattered in the fourth quarter of the championship game. In the final 10 minutes of the season, Mateo put his three veteran guards – Rodriguez, Causeur and Llull – together on the floor with 8 minutes and 12 seconds left in the game and kept them all alongside Tavares and Hezonja until the final 3.1 seconds when Real needed one last defensive stand to win it.

They not only turned a 68-61 deficit into a 78-79 triumph, but scored 16 of Real's final 18 points.

"At the beginning \[of the games\], we started with more physical players like Nigel \[Williams-Goss\] or Adam Hanga that are very good defenders", Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo recently explained on The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas. "And then we could finish with people who know how to close the game, to finish the game." 

The championship game turned into a showcase of how a team can have older players in decisive roles if it just protects them enough for the key moments. And keeps its trust in them.

Coach Mateo and his players did all of that perfectly and Los Blancos have another EuroLeague championship to show for it.

Latest videos

Season Review | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

How fans from both sides lived Championship Gameday in Kaunas

The most decisive title-winning shots in EuroLeague Championship Game history

EuroLeague Pick'Em looks back on the Final Four!

EuroLeague Diaries, Episode 6: Final Four in Kaunas

Top 10 Plays | Final Four | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

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All-Access Final Four, Episode 3

Walter Tavares | Final Four MVP | 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game Post-Game Press Conference

Sergio Rodriguez, Real Madrid: 'I've been doing this for a long time'

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MVP Interview: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

FEATURED NEWS

Champs Mateo and Williams-Goss visit the Crossover

Ten memorable moments from the 2022-23 season

TV3 Group and LRT, in partnership with Saran Media Group, expand Euroleague broadcasting rights in the Baltics

Anthony Randolph's resilience was handsomely rewarded

EuroLeague social media reaches new heights with record numbers

Real Madrid trophy photo shoot

Sergio Llull’s ‘Mandarina’ through the years

Top Performers