After seeing his team overcome all the odds to be crowned Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions, Real Madrid Head Coach Chus Mateo argued that a never say die mentality was the key factor behind the latest of Los Blancos’ record 11 continental crowns. 

Mateo hails spirit and togetherness of triumphant Real 

After seeing his team overcome all the odds to be crowned Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions, Real Madrid Head Coach Chus Mateo argued that a never say die mentality was the key factor behind the latest of *Los Blancos*’ record 11 continental crowns. 

Real looked dead and buried after two games of its playoffs series against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, facing the daunting task of winning twice in Belgrade. That was duly achieved and Mateo’s men became the first team ever to recover from a 0-2 series deficit to advance into the Final Four.  

Then Friday's semifinal against FC Barcelona saw Real fall 9 points behind shortly before halftime, but then roar back to overcome its old archrival in the second half. And the road to glory concluded as Sunday’s title decider against Olympiacos Piraeus saw yet another comeback act, with Real overturning a 12-point deficit to take victory through a dramatic game-winner from Sergio Llull. 

Mateo said he believes that his team's wild series of triumphs in the face of adversity was only possible because of the togetherness shown by his players, saying: "We knew it was going to be very tough, it was not going to be easy, but we believed, we believed until the end. 

"We never retreat. Everybody was ready to react. When problems came, we reacted. It was good to see how the players all joined together. It’s unbelievable what we did. It was a very tough season, but with a very happy ending."

Game News

That happiest of endings ultimately came after a 0-7 run in the final 2 minutes of the title decider, and Mateo emphasized his team’s refusal to be beaten as he said: "I’m very proud of the spirit of the guys because they stuck together when things were going bad. They always believe they can win, they never surrender. 

"When bad things happened – injuries, defeats – the team joined more and more and more. And when things were getting worse, we fought even more. We stayed together, we were alive until the end, and in the last game, we were able to beat a basketball machine like Olympiacos on the last shot with the only 2 points that Sergio Llull scored. It’s like a dream. 

"I’m fortunate to be in charge of a very united group, and for me, that’s the most important thing. We live together like a family. We had a very tough path but we were able to fight until the end."

And for the rookie EuroLeague coach, who took over at Real last summer after a long stint as assistant to Pablo Laso, the achievement of becoming continental champion in his first season in charge was clearly a very emotional experience. 

"It’s not easy to talk right now,” he said, "\[The game\] was up and down with emotions. I just want to live in the moment and enjoy tonight. One more beer... maybe two today!  

"In the locker room after the game, there were lots of hugs and tears, because all the emotions exploded in this moment. An unbelievable moment, and right now I only want to hug my people."

In the wake of an incredible series of comebacks, we can be pretty sure that Mateo’s people will be very happy to hug him back.  

Game Videos

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

Real Madrid edged Olympiacos 78-79 and Nigel Williams-Goss finished the game with 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in less than 19 minutes. 

A year after heartbreak, Nigel Williams-Goss is a champion

Nigel Williams-Goss will not remember his first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague appearance with a lot of excitement. He made sure that his second time at the Final Four was definitely one to remember. 

In 2022, Williams-Goss started in his team's EuroLeague semifinal against FC Barcelona. Just 52 seconds after the tip-off, Dante Exum accidentally stepped on his ankle and Williams-Goss left the game. He wasn't able to return for the championship game against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. In fact, Williams-Goss was sidelined until November. 

Things were different for Real and Williams-Goss at Zalgirio Arena. Real edged Olympiacos 78-79 and he finished the game with 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in less than 19 minutes. 

Nigel Williams-Goss of Real Madrid is now a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion!

EuroLeague Final Four highlights: Nigel Williams-Goss, Real Madrid

"I told my teammates that I owed them one. And obviously, Sergio \[Llull\] is the one who brought it home for us," Williams-Goss said. "But just to be out here and compete for my guys and be the EuroLeague champion, it's unbelievable."

Real trailed 78-72 with 2 minutes remaining but finished the game with a 0-7 run to claim its 11th EuroLeague crown. Never giving up is Real's trademark and Williams-Goss wanted to stress it out after the game. 

"It's the Madrid way. We've been finding ways the last five games to pull it out somehow, some way," Williams-Goss said. "Obviously the veterans were here, Llull, 'Chacho', Rudy: you brought it home. But there is something about that in the Madrid water!"

Of course, none of that would have happened if Llull's high-arching jumper did not fall in with 3.1 seconds left but as Williams-Goss said, that's what he does. 

"I mean, he's just done this for so long, man. No one's surprised anymore. It's just another legendary play for a legendary player with a legendary career," he said. "I'll never forget this."

The main word Isaiah Canaan used to describe Olympiacos Piraeus’s heart-breaking 78-79 loss in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game was “tough” - a difficult way to lose a game and end a dream. 

Isaiah Canaan: 'To go out like that … is just tough'

The main word Isaiah Canaan used to describe Olympiacos Piraeus’s heart-breaking 78-79 loss in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game was “tough” - a difficult way to lose a game and end a dream.

“It’s tough. To go out like that… on a last-second shot after battling the whole game. It’s tough. It’s just tough," said Canaan, who scored a season-high 21 points in the loss, including a championship-game tying 5 three-pointers.

Canaan scored the last basket of the game for the Reds to give the team a 78-72 lead with 2:13 minutes left. Olympiacos failed to finish off the game and leaves Kaunas wondering what if.

"It’s frustrating but it’s part of the game. There is always one winner. Tonight, unfortunately, it wasn’t us."

Isaiah Canaan (21 points) Highlights vs. Real Madrid, 05/21/2023

Isaiah Canaan scored 21 points in the championship game

When asked for his thoughts about Sergio Llull’s game-winning basket with 3.1 seconds left, Canaan said: "People might say it was a lucky shot. But you look at Llull’s career and he makes crazy shots like that a lot. He didn’t score a basket until that last shot. It’s just crazy."

Llull hitting the shot ruined Canaan’s hopes to celebrate his 32nd birthday in style.

"I wanted to go out on top. It’s just part of life. At the end of the day, I’m thankful and blessed to be here another year. To be able to play this game at a high level. I’m okay with playing in a high-quality championship game and be able to play in front of these fans and my family back at home watching. I’m thankful," he said.

Canaan was one of the additions Olympiacos made this off-season after being beaten in the Final Four semifinals in 2022. He thinks the club definitely took another step forward.

“We have taken the steps in the right direction, but we still have some work to do. We battled all season long and to go out on a last-second shot like that, it’s just tough."

There it is again, that word tough.

Real Madrid swingman Adam Hanga had to wait until the 255th game of his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career to claim his first title in Europe's premier club basketball competition. He was also playing in his third consecutive championship game, following narrow losses with FC Barcelona in 2021 and Los Blancos in 2022. 

Third time's a charm for Adam Hanga

Real Madrid swingman Adam Hanga had to wait until the 255th game of his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career to claim his first title in Europe's premier club basketball competition. He was also playing in his third consecutive championship game, following narrow losses with FC Barcelona in 2021 and Los Blancos in 2022.

 

Hanga was ecstatic after the game and stated that becoming a EuroLeague champion had been worth it, as EuroLeague Basketball spoke with him on the floor right after the game.

 

"Oh, my God! I have been waiting for this for so, so long," Hanga said. "I have been in the EuroLeague for 10-11 years and it was my third final in a row – and after so many disappointments and failures, let's say. But this team is something different. I cannot explain how we did it today."

 

In fact, Hanga is the only player in EuroLeague history to reach the Final Four with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Barca and Real. Not many players had to wait over 250 games to lift the trophy, too. James Gist leads this list with 297 games, followed by Ante Tomic (283), Edgaras Ulanovas (272), Arturas Milaknis (265), Lukas Lekavicius (263) and Ioannis Papapetrou (257). Hanga was seventh, but not anymore.

Real Madrid forward

"I've been waiting for this for my whole life!"

He believes that after losing last season's EuroLeague Championship Game by 1 point, fate had to do a little bit with what happened at Zalgirio Arena.

 

"If you look back, you always think that, in the past, things happen for a reason," Hanga noted. "Maybe we had to lose that game. Maybe we had to be down 0-2 against Partizan \[Mozzart Bet Belgrade\] to have this moment. But this is amazing. Amazing! I've been waiting for this for my whole life."

 

Hanga ended up contributing 2 points and 3 rebounds in 11 minutes as a starter, and his defense against Kostas Papanikolaou was one of the keys to the game. Papanikolaou had 15 points in Olympiacos's semifinal win against AS Monaco, yet just 6 in the championship game.

"It would have been hard to lose three in a row"

His grandfather, [Gyorgy Szep](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/adam-hanga-my-grandpas-biggest-lesson-appreciate-what-you-have/), who raised him as a father, passed away in 2019 and Hanga has been waiting ever since to dedicate the EuroLeague title to him. This time, Hanga finally managed to do so.

 

"This is especially for him, and for all the people that believed in me," Hanga added. "I received so many messages today that today is going to be my day. It would have been hard to lose three in a row, and that is why I was so excited on the bench. We got it!"

Fabien Causeur once again had a strong championship game, coming off the bench to contribute 11 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting in less than 18 minutes. 

Fabien Causeur did it again at the Final Four 

Real Madrid trailed 74-70 against Olympiacos Piraeus with 5 minutes remaining on Sunday in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game. During an official review, Fabien Causeur gathered all of the Real players on the floor to get together and said a few words. 

Real ended up winning its 11th EuroLeague title, using a game-closing 0-7 run to rally past Olympiacos, 78-79. Causeur once again had a strong championship game, coming off the bench to contribute 11 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting in less than 18 minutes. 

Just before the Final Four, Causeur spoke to the official EuroLeague website about that particular topic: his ability to play so well at the Final Four. Causeur had 17 points on 3-of-3 three-pointers and a PIR of 21 to help Real win the EuroLeague title in 2018. In the 2019 semifinals, he shot 6-for-6 on two-pointers on his way to 18 points in a losing effort against CSKA Moscow. Last season, Real beat Barca 83-86 in the semifinals behind 18 points from Causeur. 

Fabien Causeur is now a two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion!

Causeur takes over in yet another Championship Game!

"I played my whole career for this, man, for these moments. I'm lucky to be in a team like Real Madrid, that pushed me the whole season and bring me on this stage," Causeur said. "I got to give it all back to them. I love basketball. I love these moments, man, they are so special. You cannot imagine! Even when you lose, I still feel like I'm grateful to play."

What did Causeur say in that particular moment to help Real turn the situation around? Just to focus on what his team could do. 

"During the season we had games like this where we felt that we had bad calls on us and we lost it a little bit, the focus, you know? And that's when we make mistakes," Causeur said. "I tried to bring the team up because we were down and if we stayed focused, we were going to have an option. And that's what happened, really.

"I felt like we stuck together with the old guys again at the end and it's amazing, man. My second Euroleague, I'm so proud."

Fabien Causeur in Kaunas: 'It's all about the will to win'

Causeur is now a two-time EuroLeague champion but cannot really choose between both titles. This time, he had special motivation. 

"Both are different, I cannot tell. I cannot put one over the other, basically, but this one is very special." he said. "It was a tough year for me personally today. My wife is pregnant. She was at the hospital because she was very sick. She was able to be here tonight and I wanted to win it for her."

The force of nature that is Walter "Edy" Tavares is the MVP of the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four after leading Real Madrid to the championship. 

Edy Tavares crowned as Final Four MVP

The force of nature that is Walter "Edy" Tavares is the MVP of the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four after leading Real Madrid to the championship. Tavares posted double-doubles in both games at the Final Four in Kaunas and in doing so became the first player with three double-doubles in the modern era of the Final Four.

The 2.20-meter center posted 13 points and 10 rebounds in the 78-79 victory over Olympiacos Piraeus after roaring with 20 points, 13 boards and 4 blocks as his team upended archrival FC Barcelona 66-78 in the semifinal. Tavares led all players in Kaunas in rebounds (25) and blocks (4), while coming in second in scoring (33 points). His average PIR of 29.5 was also the best at the Final Four.

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

The award caps another magnificent season for the 31-year-old from Cabo Verde. Tavares was selected to the All-EuroLeague First Time for the third time and also chosen as the EuroLeague Best Defender for the third time. He set the single-season record for blocked shots with 88 and most importantly of all, was at his best with the season on the line. Tavares was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for April and May and now the MVP of the Final Four.

Edy Tavares crowned as Final Four MVP 

NBA veteran Kristaps Porzingis made sure to come from his native Latvia to witness the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game on Sunday in Kaunas, Lithuania. Porzingis drove a few hours from home to Kaunas to take a courtside seat for Sunday night's finale between Olympiacos Piraeus and Real Madrid. Porzingis started his professional basketball career with Baloncesto Sevilla and was chosen as the 2014-15 EuroCup Rising Star before heading to the NBA, where he became a superstar. Porzingis took the time to talk about the big occasion while waiting for the Championship Game to start.

PORZINGIS.mp4

Kristaps Porzingis sat courtside for the Championship Game

Of course, the main ingredient of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague's renowned basketball passion is the fans themselves, and they are out in force before Sunday's title game at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas.

In sheer numbers, the championship game is set to tilt in the direction of a home game for Olympiacos Piraeus, whose fans have come from far and wide with an estimated 8,000 supports decked out in the team's cherry-red colors.

The Olympiacos hordes were gathered in central Kaunas early in the afternoon to make their way together to Zalgirio Arena, but they were already in full voice singing their songs and chants for the basketball lovers in town for the Final Four to enjoy.

Olympiacos fans warming up for the EuroLeague Championship Game in Kaunas

Though fewer in numbers, the Real Madrid faithful scattered around the city were just as passionate about their team and its chances to lift the club's 11th trophy. 

Real Madrid fans in Kaunas before the EuroLeague Championship Game

Both groups of fans are soon to converge at Zalgirio Arena to lend the kind of boisterous atmosphere that is unique to EuroLeague games in what is the culmination of a season with record-breaking attendance for the competition.

In a basketball-first city at the top of Europe, one or the other will taste glory on Sunday night, but the Final Four has already won with fans like these showing how much they love the game.

Olympiacos, Real Madrid fans are bringing the passion


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Third-Place Game: Monaco gets first Final Four win

AS Monaco v FC Barcelona (2023-05-21T14:00:00.000Z)