Final Four news: Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Final Four news: FC Barcelona

Final Four news: Real Madrid

Final Four news: Olympiacos Piraeus

The Top 10 photos of the week: Adrien Moerman of Anadolu Efes Istanbul sticks his tongue out as he dunks against Milan.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Vladimir Lucic of FC Bayern Munich drives past Barcelona's Rokas Jokubaitis. 

The Top 10 photos of the week: Guerschon Yabusele of Real Madrid dunks in Tel Aviv. 

The Top 10 photos of the week: Paris Lee of AS Monaco keeps the ball away from Olympiacos's Thomas Walkup.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Ognjen Jaramaz of FC Bayern Munich tries to shoot under pressure from Barcelona's Dante Exum and Brandon Davies.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Vincent Poirier helps Real Madrid complete a sweep of Maccabi with this Game 3 dunk.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul splits the defense against Milan.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Will Thomas of AS Monaco emotes after dunking against Olympiacos. 

The Top 10 photos of the week: Tyler Dorsey of Olympiacos Piraeus drives to the basket in Monaco.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Nigel Hayes-Davis of FC Barcelona defends against Bayern's Ognjen Jaramaz. 

AWARDS

ANGT Finals news

Real has outrebounded opponents by 6.6 rebounds per game this season, but was on the wrong end of that margin against Barcelona, which set the tone early on the backboards and kept a 25-28 rebounding advantage through three quarters.

However, in the final quarter it was Real that grabbed 10 boards to just 6 by Barcelona. More importantly, half of those 10 were on the offensive glass, including two key plays of the game.

Key stat: Real's fourth-quarter rebounding

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

Gabriel Deck- Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

I congratulate my players for the victory, I think we did a great effort the whole game, playing against a great team. In the second quarter we had three or four bad minutes and they killed us, they got a 10-point advantage quickly. We played very solid the first, third and fourth quarters.

But Barcelona is a great team and that’s why they got an advantage at halftime because in the second quarter they outplayed us. I’m happy with how the players stayed focused on the gameplan, when at halftime everyone probably thought, ‘Ok, this is finished’, we stayed in there. We kept on fighting offensively and defensively, we looked for the best situations at both ends.

When you have a problem like we did with Nigel so early, it changes your gameplan. But the great thing about my team is that everyone can step up, and they did. We saw that with Fabien on the ball, Alberto bringing it up, Sergi stepped up. The problems we could have with Nigel out, we solved them with Fabien, Alberto, Sergi and Adam. Fabien played with a lot of character, things didn’t go well for him in the first half but he played very solid in the second.

He made 5 points in a row that were very important for us. We always believe that Fabien is someone who will step up in these moments. When somebody makes a great play like Vince did \[to block Laprovittola\], it’s often because somebody did something before. And this time it was Fabien getting in Nico’s way to change the transition and Vince did a great job to block the shot. Generally I think we played a good game offensively. We didn’t lose many balls and we knew how to read and attack their defense to give ourselves an advantage. We had patience in offense, and we were intelligent in possession.

I don’t think we played that badly offensively in the second quarter, but we missed open jumpers and they got an advantage because they could rebound and run, and they do that very well. We lost the rhythm of the game because we were missing shots. Gabi does a lot of good things for the team, and we missed him in the playoffs. Fabien played very well in the last Final Four in Belgrade and today his game was magnificent. I might recommend he should buy a house here! It was a test of faith and being solid in the whole game. You can play well or badly, but the team worked very hard and I am very proud as coach that they kept on believing even when it was difficult.

Since 1st September I’ve always believed we can win these games, when we started preseason. We have lost some games against Barcelona, but we knew today would be a different game, as always. It wasn’t easy, but we never stopped believing. My only mission at half-time was to reinforce this belief. Our three French players were very good. Fabien was very aggressive going towards the basket, attacking. Yabusele hit a very important three at a key moment, and Vince was very dominant offensively and defensively, reading their defense and attacking the basket. I always say it’s not a matter of winning or losing. Pablo Laso is not great because he wins or terrible because he loses. I have to make my team better.

From the games we played before against Barcelona, we learned a lot about what we have to do to play against a great team like that. We showed it today and we were able to play 40 solid minutes. We lost in Belgrade against Zvezda, but we played good. We were missing open shots, but I think we did a lot of good things. Probably it was an important moment to make the team understand you have to do things right. In that game we were not making open jumpers and Zvezda beat us because they played very well. It was a moment for us to understand that you have to play together. If you miss shots you’re not going to beat anyone, but to make those shots you’ve got to work a lot on what basketball means. It’s not only making shots. You’ve got to play defense, get rebounds, make assists, make good screens. A lot of things, that’s the great thing about basketball.

I’ve always had a lot of respect for Belgrade. Lots of great players, great teams, a basketball city. Coming to Belgrade is always special. We were European champs here and now we’re playing another final. For sure Belgrade is going to be in my heart for years. In that last final I was coaching Real Madrid, not Luka. He was one of my players. And I’m very happy to watch him now, the way he’s playing. But I’m very happy to watch my players now. I don’t think too much about Luka now – I love watching him play and I loved coaching him. But I love my players also.

Pablo Laso press conference quotes

Pablo Laso - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Real Madrid edged FC Barcelona 83-86 to make it to the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game. Real's French players – Fabien Causeur, Vincent Poirier and Gueschon Yabusele – paved the way to this important win. 

Real's French connection seals it

Yabusele scored his team's first 8 points on consecutive three-pointers and a fastbreak slam. He was also the last player to score, on a free throw with 2.4 seconds remaining that fixed the final score. He finished the game with 18 points on 4-for-6 three-point shooting, 8 rebounds and a team-high performance index rating of 24. His first-half efforts allowed Los Blancos to stay in the game.

Real s French connection seals it.mp4

"I'm just proud of the team. We showed a lot of team effort today from beginning until the end," Yabusele said after the game. "We took care of the job and got the win. That was a really intense game. It's a clasico, so it was really tough. We deserved it and I'm really happy about the win."

Poirier arguably had the most critical defensive play of the night, a huge block on Nico Laprovittola that prevented Barca from taking the lead with 52 seconds remaining. Poirier scored all of his 6 points on dunks in the final 8 minutes. He added 5 rebounds and 3 blocks to round out a really solid performance, giving Real much-needed frontcourt options to balance its offense when it mattered most. 

Once again, Causeur delivered for Los Blancos in a Final Four in Belgrade. He had 17 points and a PIR of 21 in the 2018 championship game at Stark Arena. Back in the Serbian capital for a Final Four game, Causeur had another stellar performance: 18 points, 3 steals and a PIR of 18. With the game tied at 75-75, Causeur buried a go-ahead three-pointer and soon scored off a steal to give Real a 75-80 lead with 2 minutes remaining that Los Blancos managed really well until the final buzzer. 

Real's French connection will now try to be ready to deliver in Saturday's championship game against defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul at 19:00 CET.

Guerschon Yabusele celebrates - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Vincent Poirier - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Nikola Mirotic turned in one of the finest games in the history of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, even though it was not enough to carry FC Barcelona to victory.

MVP Mirotic delivers heroic effort in Barcelona defeat

The day after being named this season’s EuroLeague MVP, Mirotic posted 26 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 39. That PIR is the second-highest at a Final Four game since the turn of the century behind only Shane Larkin’s 43 in the 2019 semifinals.

Nikola Mirotic (26 points) Highlights vs. Real Madrid, 05/19/2022

Mirotic performed with excellent accuracy, making 4 of 7 two-pointers, 4 of 7 threes and all 6 of his free throws. He only committed 1 turnover, too. Mirotic led all players on both teams in scoring and rebounds and had the second-most assists in the game. 

The star forward did not look away when the pressure rose in the fourth quarter. He played the entirety of the final stanza, during which he tallied 9 points and 3 assists – all to Brandon Davies – and thus had a hand in 15 of Barcelona’s fourth-quarter points.

Mirotic took the ball on the team’s final possession and attempted a contested heave from beyond halfcourt for the win, but was unable to play the hero role in the end and finished a brilliant season and fantastic semifinal performance on the losing side. 

"They played much better than us in the second half," a disappointed Mirotic told reporters after the game. "They hit more shots than we did. Congratulations to them."

Nikola Mirotic 2- FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Congratulations to Madrid. I thought on our part clearly there was a huge lack of attention to details. A lot of things we set out to do, we did not do. It’s very difficult to understand the Final Four coach going into the halftime being up 11 points but saying to the players that we're not doing good. But this was my speech at halftime. I thought we were not doing good. I didn't like how we were playing. We made some shots and Madrid missed some shots, but usually in basketball over 40 minutes these situations will equal out. We were not ready to sacrifice, we made all the fouls on shot situations.

At the end, Madrid did make shots. If you want to play in a championship game and you give up 52 points in the second half…I don’t know. I missed a lot of extra professionalism and sacrificing. Huge disappointment for us, there’s no question. I think we’re a better team, but we're not going to be playing the final, that's the reality. We scored 83 points which is enough to win any game, especially with the defense we normally have. But Madrid scored 86, an incredible total, 52 in the second half. Unacceptable. In the third quarter we gifted everything. This happens to us a lot.

A team with a lot of talent but allowing 52 points in the second half…this is not serious. This has to hurt a lot and I'm a bit tired of saying that we're gifting things. It's very difficult to win titles, but I'm tired of saying it's more of the same. Over the course of 40 minutes I did not manage to prepare my team for what was coming. Always the coach is the most responsible. Jokubaitis was fine, he came out and played his minutes. A couple of times he didn't make the right choices. This is the Final Four, the big boys have got to play. Games are usually decided by the big boys and some x-factors.

These games are decided by details and 86 points…we had the ability to take away 10, but we didn’t do it. Madrid played a little different than they did in the Copa del Rey, with less big lineups, putting Yabusele on Calathes and Deck on Mirotic and switching everything. We scored 83 points but you have to defend, you have to sacrifice. We're always talking with this team about the killer instinct; we're not killers. We're not capable of killing off teams or killing off series. It's more of the same. I've been signing the same song for a year and a half, and it’s difficult to accept for me. We have to sleep and lift ourselves. It's a very difficult defeat and everyone has to look in the mirror. We still have a very important title to play for and we have to learn. We’ll see.

Sarunas Jasikevicius press conference quotes

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Of course it’s better to be on the winning side after a shot at the buzzer. So I am sorry for my friend Bartzokas. It was really a great game. Congratulations also to the Olympiacos club. They created a great atmosphere here at the Final Four. The first time I saw in a Final Four in a different country more than 15,000 people. It was a fantastic atmosphere. We didn’t start the game well. In the beginning, Bartzokas’ defensive strategy worked very well because they put pressure on Micic and Larkin. We didn’t find a way to attack. But after that - especially after Elijah Bryant entered the game - we found another scorer. We attacked Dorsey and Sloukas with him. In the mean time, Shane Larkin in that period, had his game, especially in transition offense. We tried to increase the tempo, and we had some success. We got back into the game. In the second half, I think we controlled the game. Many times we led by 10 or 11 points. We had control. But after Larkin had a cramp and was out 3 or 4 minutes he came back into the game but didn’t have the same rhythm. Micic got tired. We lost some easy possessions down the stretch and Olympiacos got back into the game. And then the buzzer shot by Micic. Once again, three years consecutively we will play in the final.  

It’s a great pleasure that Popovic is here to watch the games. He’s a legend in basketball history. Maybe after three consecutive finals he will think about taking a European coach for the NBA. He helped me to go to NBA. He is a very good friend. Four years ago I went to San Antonio and stayed with him for 10 days. He’s an amazing person. Not only a great coach. On the other side, for us, it’s really a great performance for this team. I took over the team in 2017-18 in last place in the EuroLeague and the last four seasons we are at the same level - if you also consider the season that was canceled, when we were in first place. I talked with my players in the locker room, of course it’s a big result to play the final. But we came here to win the cup one more time. We are just one game from going back-to-back. And we will do everything we can to win the title again this year.

We know that he is the most important part of the Olympiacos attack because he creates, he scores, he plays the pick-and-roll. And his distribution of the ball. He likes to pass the ball to Vezenkov for corner shots and Papanikolaou. We made a different strategy in the beginning. We stayed on the second level with him but in the last seven, eight seconds we stayed strong on him on the pick-and-roll to close his pass channel. We risked some shots from the perimeter but we were successful. Actually in the beginning we had some big trouble stopping Moustapha Fall inside. In the second half, we changed the strategy and started with more defensive players - Bryant Dunston and Chris Singleton. And through that we had a great job. Also Elijah Bryant was one of the key players in our strategy tonight. Because when they put pressure on Micic and Larkin we used Bryant to attack Dorsey and Sloukas and we found the way to attack.

We wanted to use the whole shot clock. That’s the reason we started from the baseline. It was a tied game and I talked in the timeout that we would attack the last five or six seconds - first to control overtime - and then play pick and pop on their four man Vezenkov who likes to attack. We chose Micic because after Larkin had the cramp he was out of his rhythm. We did what we wanted but I didn’t talk to Micic to shoot the ball. I told him to read and maybe attack because there could also be the bonus free throw. He didn’t find the way to attack and decided to shoot. We missed some easier shots in the final five or six possessions but he made it at the buzzer. This is basketball. We lost in Athens on that kind of shot - to Sloukas in the regular season in overtime. Tonight we won. Unfortunately for them, this is the Final Four and we will play in the final.

About final opponent I have all the respect for both teams - big clubs, big coaches. But in my feeling, I am upset because this season I did not the Barcelona games. In both games, I was disqualified and I didn’t finish the game. For me it will be different motivation if I again find Barcelona in the final and to finish the game with the cup.

Ergin Ataman press conferece quotes

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

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

Unfortunately it was a really tough night for us. We competed really hard in the game against the European champions and we believe that we should have won the game if we could have had some better decisions. But you know some of the players that we have don’t have previous experience from these games. It cost us. It is a really tough night for our team and our fans, but at the same time we are also proud of our players, about our fans also. We came here after a long period without participating in the Final Four. And we showed everybody that we deserved to be here. We had a fantastic season and the only thing i can say is to give credit to our players, the whole organization and to our fans for this year. Olympiacos came back to the highest level of EuroLeague and it’s gonna say there.

We paid for the lack of experience. All coaches say if you never had a chance to play a EuroLeague Final Four game, it’s always tough the first time. It costs in some decisions that you take. Some times you play with your emotions and not thinking. But I cannot complain. This is the team that we built up this year. And I think we did a great job. Not me but everybody in the organization. We built up a strong team. A very solid team at both ends. Even today we competed against a great team. They already have the title from the previous season and they know how to play in the tough moments of the game. But at the same time I think we are at the same level as them. So it’s really a credit to our players.

Efes managed to have the 11-point lead and it’s not easy in these kinds of games and with these kind of experienced guards that they have to come back in the game. We came back early in the game and we had a lot of chances to lead, a lot. I can remember two, three turnovers. Also missing with a great shooter three free throws in a crucial part of the game. At the same time, always in games like this you need to me make big shots if you want to win the game. Like the last one from Micic. We had Vezenkov our fantastic shooter who was 1-of-8 today. I cannot complain about anything. It’s about this: in the tough games, you need to make big shots. Especially how the defense is right now in European basketball everybody is packing the paint, everybody is protecting the rim. So you need ball movement to find open shots. If you make these shots it’s really difficult for the opponents to get back. We had ups and downs during the game. But we were solid, we were consistent. We tried for the win until the last second. I cannot complain to our players.

About Larkin and Micic: They have the experience, they have the potential, they have the talent. And of course today they had some luck. It’s a fantastic duo. They add things to each other - scoring and creating at the same time. Congratulations to Efes. They are paying a lot of money to have them. So congratulations to Efes also.

About the fans: I am really grateful to the fans. It’s not in today’s game that they supported us. They travel. It was probably more than 10 thousand fans. It’s about the support we had the whole season. They believed in the team, in our mentality, in the game. So I am really grateful. I’m really sad that we couldn’t give them the happiness of winning this game today. But this basketball.”

about the lastt play: Like everybody thinks, we had two choices: stay with our defense or to make a foul and have the last offense. My decision in the end was to play defense. They tried two times to play pick and roll with Moerman - twice, just to create the switch. But you saw that it was a contested shot from Micic. But he made it. This is basketball. I cannot describe it. It is what it is. We could do some other things, of course. But in the end it was a contested shot that they made.

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Georgios Bartzokas press conference quotes

Georgios Bartzokas - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

The most-crowned team in EuroLeague history and a would-be repeat champion will vie for the trophy on Saturday after the first El Clasico ever in Belgrade featured a monster comeback win.Real rallies to stop Barca, 83-86.

Real rallies to stop Barca, 83-86

Real Madrid rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to outduel arch-rival FC Barcelona the rest of the way and win 83-86 in the second semifinal at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, Serbia. Real's French connection drove the comeback, with Fabien Causeur and Geurschon Yabusele drilling 18 points each and Vincent Poirier coming up with big plays down the stretch. Sergio Llull added 15 points for the winners, including a key layup with 22 seconds left. For Barcelona, season MVP Nikola Mirotic had a monster double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds. Nicolas Laprovittola added 17 points and Brandon Davies 15 for Barcelona, which got 9 assists from Nick Calathes.

Three-pointers coming from the French duo of Fabien Causeur and Guerschon Yabusele got Real going, 2-8, early in the first quarter. Nicolas Laprovittola and Nikola Mirotic answered soon for Barca to keep Los Blancos in sight, 6-8, as the game heated up offensively on both ends. Sergio Llull came off the Real bench to join the scoring and fed Yabusele for a dunk on the way to an 8-14 edge. Yabusele already had 10 points. Barcelona adjusted better on defense and hold Real scoreless for 3 minutes, good enough to not only make up the disadvantage, but go ahead 15-14 on three-pointer from Mirotic. Rokas Jokubaitis extended Barcelona's lead to 19-16 soon after, but Llull fed Walter Taveres for a monster alley-oop slam and added a free throw later that closed the first period 19-19.

Real stepped up when the game resumed, building up a 20-25 edge behind a three-point play by Gabriel Deck and a three-pointer by Rudy Fernandez in less than 50 seconds. Barcelona tried to stop it with a timeout, but found no field goals except a single three-pointer from Abrines in the first 4 minutes, allowing Real Madrid to retain a 22-27 margin. Free throws by Jokubaitis seemed to wake up Barcelona, which used Brandon Davies inside and Laprovittola outside to complete a 9-2 run and get the lead back, 31-29. Mirotic joined Laprovittola on offense, as they combined for 12 points that boosted Barcelona to a double-digit lead, 43-33, with less than a minute to go in the second quarter. Yabusele ended the offensive drought of Real with a free throw, but it proved too little to prevent Barcelona from reaching halftime comfortably settled into a 45-34 lead.

Barcelona amassed a 13-point lead soon after the intermission thanks to Sertan Sanli. Real didn't surrender, though, as Alberto Abalde took over with 7 quick points that got his team back into the game at 49-43. Calathes and Mirotic showed up then to calm down Barcelona. The former got his first bucket of the night, and the latter came up with a triple that restored a double-digit margin, 54-43, after 25 minutes. Los Blancos reacted thanks to Causeur, who turned on the lights again for Real with 5 points in a row. Tavares continued the rally and made it 54-50, then Yabusele followed with a triple, Causeur added 2 free throws and Llull it a go-ahead triple at 56-58. Barcelona remained cold and was unable to score for the next 2 minutes, which Real exploited to enter the last stanza leading 56-60 after Causeur stole and finishined a fastbreak layup.

Llull started the fourth quarter with free thorws and soon added 4 more points in a row to boost the difference to 61-68. Mirotic's next three-pointer restored Barcelona's offensive momentum, but Poirier punished the rim with a two-handed slam and Yabusele went deep to give Real a 66-73 margin with less than 5 minutes remaining. Laprovittola came up big again for Barcelona, with back-to-back triples that Mirotic followed with a bucket that forged a 75-75 tie with 2:43 to play. The momentum switched again when Causeur struck from deep then stole and finished, forcing a Barcelona timeout at 75-80. Calathes hit a floater and Davies thanked Mirotic for a great assist, restoring a one-possession contest at 79-80. Poirier prevented Laprovittola from completing the comeback with a huge block, then Llull took advantage of Real's offensive rebounding force to bank a shot that put Barcelona on the ropes, 79-82, with 21 seconds remaining. Abrines and Exum brought Barcelona within 83-84 with 5 seconds left go, Llull hit only 1 of 2 free throws, but Yabusele grabbed an offensive board which he turned into the final point when Mirotic's half-court game-tying attempt fell short.

Real roars back to stop Barca, 83-86

Walter Tavares 4- Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

This is what the protagonists had to say after the Final Four semifinal showdown between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Post-game quotes: Barcelona vs. Madrid

### Pablo Laso, Real Madrid head coach: 

“I think it was a great game from our players. We followed the plan very good, we lost Nigel \[Williams-Goss\] in 20 seconds but we adjusted very quickly and found solutions defensively and offensively. I’m very proud of my players. Nigel’s injury bothered all the players because we had to rotate differently, but everybody was ready and that’s the most important thing as the coach of the team. Make them understand that they’ve got to keep believing. We were down on the score but we kept fighting, and finally, we got a great victory and we’re in the final. Llull is the soul of this team, he has been forever and I think he will be forever. He knew it would be hard for him because after what happened to Nigel he played more minutes. But he moved the ball, he found open spots, he was able to play solid defense, so he was great for us but without the rest of the team he couldn’t do anything. It was a great performance by Sergi but the whole team did a great job.”

### Sarunas Jasikevicius, FC Barcelona head coach: 

“We did not do anything that we planned. In the first half, we were up by 11 but the only thing we talked about was that Real Madrid missed all the shots and we were looking good, but we were not doing the details that are so huge in these games. When Madrid hit some shots, and at the end, they hit some difficult ones, they started scoring and it was too many points. Too many rebounds after foul shots, mis-communications. It’s painful. Attention to detail is not with us.”

### Guerschon Yabusele, Real Madrid forward:

“I’m just proud of the team. We showed a lot of team effort today from beginning until the end. We were down at halftime, but we knew if we showed our character on the court everything will be good. We showed it today, we deserved it and it feels good. We had to play strong, attack the paint, play together, share the ball, effort after effort. When we play as a team we’re tough to beat. We took care of the job and got the win. That was a really intense game. It’s a Clasico, so it was really tough. We deserved it and really happy about the win.”

### Sergio Llull, Real Madrid guard:

“We’re happy, I think in the second quarter we played bad. We lost a lot of balls and didn’t control the rhythm of the game. We came back in the third quarter more focused, knowing what we had to do. The team did a really good job and we deserved to win. We need everybody to win that kind of game. It was a final and on Saturday we have another one against a really good team.”

### Jeffery Taylor, Real Madrid forward:

"I believe we played a great game as a team. We played very good defense and were able to share the ball and find very good shots. We played an incredible game. They have a really big, really good team, and we had to play for 40 minutes to win. We went through some bad months, not playing well, but we were able to stand up, and now we are here."

### Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid forward:

"We played with intensity and aggressiveness in the second half. We did really well in the first quarter, and in the second, they came back due to our lack of focus. After that, we did really well and it was teamwork. This goes to those who said we were dead. We are in the final and this is a great reward to the team's work. Now, we have to rest and think about the final. I am very happy to be in a EuroLeague final. We knew that if we played tough, the game could go either way. We managed to match their aggressiveness in the second quarter when they took the lead. We came back fortunately, the game went our way."

### Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona guard:

“We lost a big advantage in the third quarter and that was our mistake. It’s a Final Four, it’s normal that the other team reacts because they are a good team, they have the quality to do that. We were not solid in some plays, and I’m really disappointed by that. We got nervous in some moments, but we got to give credit to them because they did their job very well. It was a close game, and they are a very experienced team, which helped them. We have to build from this, we have to come out stronger and get ready to win the Spanish League.”

### Brandon Davies, FC Barcelona center: 

“They are a good team and a tough opponent. We got to stay locked in for the 40 minutes to win and we didn’t do that. We just gave them too many easy buckets, they made us pay for our mistakes.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The heart and soul of the team 🙏 <a href="https://twitter.com/23Llull?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@23Llull</a> will go on forever according to his coach! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/5mo4DT5KGJ">pic.twitter.com/5mo4DT5KGJ</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527395792855629824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Real Madrid head coach

"Llull is the soul of this team, he has been forever and I think he will be forever."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">👊🏾 ¡VAMOSSSSS! 😀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa11</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/xLQ50fjq7a">pic.twitter.com/xLQ50fjq7a</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1527395805061070849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔥 ¡¡ESTAMOS EN LA FINAL DE LA <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a>!! 🔥<br>👊 Los nuestros se medirán al <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnadoluEfesSK</a> tras remontar en el Clásico frente al <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBbasket</a>.<br>💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa11</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/k97QalQJgz">pic.twitter.com/k97QalQJgz</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1527393722245300228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Real survives thrilling finish

The last 15 seconds weren’t pretty, as Real missed 2 free throws, but Yabusele claimed a critical offensive rebound that helped Los Blancos hold on. Twice Barcelona had the ball down 3 and got two-point baskets – one by Alex Abrines and another from Dante Exum, but it wasn’t enough and Mirotic’s prayer at the buzzer was not close. Real survived a thrilling finish to advance to a championship-game showdown with Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Abrines anota de 2!! Possessió pel Madrid<br><br>🏀 Barça 81-82 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a><br><br>👉 16.2&quot; pel final<br><br>🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForçaBarça</a>! <a href="https://t.co/FQoIQOtKQf">pic.twitter.com/FQoIQOtKQf</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1527392024411795457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GREAT FINAL FOUR!!!!! Both games!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥</p>&mdash; Will Clyburn (@Da_Thrill21) <a href="https://twitter.com/Da_Thrill21/status/1527390457646485509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wow loving these games right now.</p>&mdash; Othello hunter (@O_hunter5) <a href="https://twitter.com/O_hunter5/status/1527390310447317000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Causeur answers the call again

Causeur, he of the big third quarter, turned the game on its head again with 5 straight points. After a Real timeout, Causeur knocked down a triple and then stripped Laprovittola and raced for a layup. All in the span of 42 seconds.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/FCauseur1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCauseur1</a> at the Stark Arena at an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> is just different... <a href="https://t.co/ENtcYFscdp">pic.twitter.com/ENtcYFscdp</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527391146371993613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Mirotic, Laprovittola rally the Blaugrana

The Real lead reached 7 a few times, Mirotic refused to allow Barca to falter and helped his team claw the margin to 4 a few times, but Real kept answering the challenge. Then Laprovittola took charge with a pair of three-pointers to make it 73-75. Davies missed 2 free throws, but Mirotic put back the second to tie it at 75-75 with 2:43 to play.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">⏱ Nos vamos a los últimos 10 minutos de la semi. ¡VAMOS!<br><br>▶️ <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBbasket</a> 56-60 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa11</a> <a href="https://t.co/tr1zPdoEQQ">pic.twitter.com/tr1zPdoEQQ</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1527384363725373441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Final Four milestone for Llull

With a three-pointer with 1:13 left in the third quarter, Sergio Llull not only put Real up 56-58, but moved into fourth place all-time in Final Four scoring. That three-pointer got his all-time Final Four tally to 173 points, as he passed Trajan Langdon who has 172. Next in front is Nando De Colo, who has 179 career points in Final Four games. In addition, Llull has 2 assists for the night and is 1 shy of tying his former teammate Sergio Rodriguez for third place on the all-time Final Four charts with 56 assists. The all-time leader is Theo Papaloukas (59).

### Causeur leads comeback

Real Madrid went on a 2-17 charge to take a 56-60 lead at the end of the third quarter and the man of the moment was Fabien Causeur. The veteran guard scored 9 of those points, including 5 free throws and a steal and layup for the last basket of the quarter. Barca big lead is a thing of the past and we could be staring at another tight finish.

That run led to Real outscoring Barca 11-26 in the third quarter. The 15-point difference was the third-largest in the third quarter ever at a Final Four game. The largest was also in a *Clasico*; Real outscored Barca 11-28 in the third quarter of the 2014 semifinals in Milan. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">⏱ En 3:01 minutos nos marchamos al último cuarto. <br><br>▶️ <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBbasket</a> 54-50 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/JPjQxCVjJI">pic.twitter.com/JPjQxCVjJI</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1527382665732583424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🧠 <a href="https://twitter.com/Nick_Calathes15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nick_Calathes15</a> takes control<br><br>Lay-up ➡️ Steal ➡️ Assist <br><br>+11 again<br><br>🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForçaBarça</a>! <a href="https://t.co/tPucg6eI7I">pic.twitter.com/tPucg6eI7I</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1527381245235040256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Hanga sits with 4 fouls

No Real player was more important than Adam Hanga in the first half. In the 9:50 minutes that he played, Los Blancos outscored Barca by 10 points. In the 10:10 he was on the bench, Real was outscored by 21. Part of the reason he played so little was because he was in foul trouble. Hanga was whistled for his 4th foul with 5:52 on the clock in the third quarter and found himself back on the bench. This happened just after Real shows signs of a rally by closing within 6 on an Albert Abalde triple.

Real Madrid forward

"We can’t give up for sure. We still have to stay together and make fewer mistakes - play offense and defense and try to win the game."

### Rebounding numbers are favoring Barcelona

Barcelona outrebounded Real, the top rebounding team during the season, 21-17 during the first half with the freshly-crowned MVP, Nikola Mirotic, leading the way with 6. Tavares, who was second in the league with 7.6 boards per game, did not have any in his 11 first-half minutes. Barca turned its rebounding advantage into 8 second-chance points. Real had 5. Barcelona also won the battle of the boards in its two regular-season wins against Real.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">💪 Closing the half STRONG! Gran final de quart!!<br><br>🏀 Barça 45-34 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a><br><br>👉Descans<br><br>🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForçaBarça</a>! <a href="https://t.co/DNHlVvLCDl">pic.twitter.com/DNHlVvLCDl</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1527375684523290624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Davies steps up for Barca

With the teams neck and neck at the middle of the second quarter, Brandon Davies is coming up big for Barca. His show-stopping slam over Vincent Poirier tied it at 27-27 and his next basket gave his team a 31-29 lead. He later grabbed a rebound, led the ball up in transition and found Laprovittola for a three that stretched the lead to 33-39 and prompted a Real timeout. Meanwhile, Barca has turned to a zone defense against Tavares that has had mixed results so far.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oh my my... <a href="https://twitter.com/Brandon_Davies0?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Brandon_Davies0</a>😱<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> I <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/6pYegZV31B">pic.twitter.com/6pYegZV31B</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527372677534494733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/luka7doncic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@luka7doncic</a> showing the love!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/IsyhwBCCao">pic.twitter.com/IsyhwBCCao</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527376758924021760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">⏱ En 6:30 minutos finaliza el 2⃣º cuarto. <br><br>▶️ <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBbasket</a> 23-27 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa11</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/j02dv0nhgO">pic.twitter.com/j02dv0nhgO</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1527370753024282624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Rudy makes emotional three

Rudy Fernandez is playing his first game since his father passed away recently after a lengthy illness. After Fernandez drilled a three-pointer early in the second quarter that gave Los Blancos a 20-25 lead, he pointed to the sky in what seemed to be a tribute to his late father.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">🤜 💥🤛 igualtat total<br><br>🏀 Barça 19-19 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a><br><br>👉Final 1Q<br><br>🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForçaBarça</a>! <a href="https://t.co/0fU1SMhtj2">pic.twitter.com/0fU1SMhtj2</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1527368667125559302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Yabusele helps Real to strong start

After a strong start from Yabusele, who scored 10 of Real's first 14 points, Barcelona answered with an 11-2 run taking the ball to the rim and attacking the offensive glass. Barcelona has 4 offensive rebounds and just 1 three-point attempt in the first quarter, a second-chance shot Mirotic made.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yabusele explodes at the rim!😳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> I <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZLmjRNm094">pic.twitter.com/ZLmjRNm094</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527365993470697472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Williams-Goss suffers early injury

Whatever game plans Real had suffered an early hit when point guard Nigel Williams-Goss seemed to injury his ankle while dribbling just 31 seconds into the game. He had to be helped off the floor and after be looked at quickly by the team’s medical staff, was carried back to the locker room with a grimace on his face.

### Real goes small at tip

In the last few days, there was much talk about the potential – or lack thereof – for surprises in this seventh meeting between Barca and Real this season. Well, Coach Pablo Laso didn’t wait long to pull one out of his hat. Guerschon Yabusele started at center with All-EuroLeague First Team center Walter Tavares on the bench for the first time all season. Tavares had started in all 33 of his appearances this season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Starting 5️⃣ / 5️⃣ inicial del Barça<br> <br>🧠 Calathes<br>🧙‍♂️ Laprovittola<br>🦘 Exum<br>⭐️ Mirotic<br>🕺 Sanli<br> <br>🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForçaBarça</a>! <a href="https://t.co/3zczklgxN9">pic.twitter.com/3zczklgxN9</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1527362644922970112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🤩 Afrontamos el Clásico de la temporada. Nos medimos al <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBbasket</a> por un puesto en la final de la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a>. Nuestro 5 inicial es: <br> <br>0️⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/NigelWG5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NigelWG5</a> <br>1️⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/FCauseur1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCauseur1</a> <br>8️⃣ Adam Hanga<br>1️⃣4️⃣ Deck <br>2⃣8⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/DTP_Mario?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DTP_Mario</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/PalladiumHG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PalladiumHG</a> <a href="https://t.co/4fa0L8O593">pic.twitter.com/4fa0L8O593</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1527362347781632003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The party goes on at Stark Arena📍<br><br>El clasico coming up next <a href="https://twitter.com/BNsportsGr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BNsportsGr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/240NE76Gqw">pic.twitter.com/240NE76Gqw</a></p>&mdash; vasiliki_karamouza (@karamouza_vas) <a href="https://twitter.com/karamouza_vas/status/1527363307958681600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔥 Calentando motores.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa11</a> <a href="https://t.co/63qrsPyq0E">pic.twitter.com/63qrsPyq0E</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1527353643300622336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The MVP getting loose…<br><br>How many points for Nikola Mirotic tonight?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/qs0rv0bIXS">pic.twitter.com/qs0rv0bIXS</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527359336372064268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dunk City 📍Madrid<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/seTcUZP4h7">pic.twitter.com/seTcUZP4h7</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527360253460811799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">☝️ It&#39;s our turn! <a href="https://t.co/hMUeiEqUZy">pic.twitter.com/hMUeiEqUZy</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1527352139512971264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The team checking in the home of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <br><br>Focus ⬆️⬆️⬆️ <a href="https://t.co/rhSmCnYz4c">pic.twitter.com/rhSmCnYz4c</a></p>&mdash; 🏆 Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1527340764513964032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Follow all the latest news and updates news for Thursday's semifinals games here with the Game Blog!

Game Blog: Real hangs on to edge Barca and reach championship game!

Real Madrid celebrates - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

The last two games between Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul were solved with buzzer-beating three-pointers. Efes, however, took the most important win. 

Micic, Efes returns buzzer-beating favor

Efes qualified to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game by downing Olympiacos Piraeus 74-77. Vasilije Micic buried a three-pointer right at the buzzer to get Efes closer to defend the EuroLeague title. Kostas Sloukas fed Hassan Martin for a layup that tied the game, 74-74, with 19.5 seconds left, but Micic took matters into his own hands. Efes called timeout and Elijah Bryant inbounded the ball to Micic. Facing Thomas Walkup one-on-one, he took advantage of a great screen by Adrien Moerman eight meters away from the rim which forced Olympiacos to switch defenders. Micic took Sasha Vezenkov one-on-one, went to his left, stopped, popped and downed the game-winning shot.  

"I don't think we won at the buzzer in all the time we played together," Efes center Bryant Dunston said after the game. "We hit some last-second shots but this, at the biggest moment, was just an amazing play."

Olympiacos had beaten Efes at the buzzer at Peace and Friendship Stadium in regular season Round 26. The roles were reversed that time. Efes had led 84-85 late in overtime when Micic missed a driving layup. Sloukas grabbed the rebound, raced downcourt, passed the basketball to Shaquielle McKissic, who found him again in the left corner, faked to make Adrien Moerman fly past him and pulled the trigger to win the game. The play was chosen by EuroLeague fans as the 7DAYS Magic Moment of the 2021-22 season. 

Micic remembered that loss as he was preparing his game-winner on Friday.  

“This situation was very similar to the last game with them in the regular season, when I made a mistake and attacked too early. So I think I learned from that situation," Micic said after the game. "I kept believing that maybe this shot at the end would go in. Me and Shane are never jealous of each other for who takes the last shot, I’m very happy when he makes it." 

Moerman and especially Micic were on the winning side this time, making Efes keep fighting for EuroLeague glory!

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That. Moment.<a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>#F4GLORY</a> <a href=https://t.co/BCKfvfZCGG>pic.twitter.com/BCKfvfZCGG</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href=https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527350320010973186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset="utf-8"></script>

Micic, Efes return buzzer-beating favor

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

The leader of the team that rode atop the standings for most of the season, forward Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona has been chosen by fans, media, head coaches and team captains as the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP.

2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Mirotic, 31, was awarded his highest honor yet in a career full of accolades during the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Awards Ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday, the eve of the 2022 Final Four. The ceremony was held at Stark Arena, where Barcelona will take on Real Madrid in the second semifinal on Thursday, right after Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul face off in the other.

Mirotic had another stellar season, ranking first among all EuroLeague players with an average performance index rating of 19.4 and second in scoring with 16.6 points per game. In both categories, he was the league leader on a per-minute basis, with a 32.1 PIR and 24.5 points prorated over 40 minutes. Mirotic shot the ball this season with historic efficiency, becoming just the second player in EuroLeague history to post 65-45-85 shooting percentages; he made 65.6% of his two-point shots, 45.5% of his three-pointers and 87.5% of his free throws.

Mirotic was chosen as the MVP of the Month in both October and December, which gave him a record seven such awards. He was MVP of the Round three times, too, tied for the most by any player this season. His early-season dominance led Barca to a 6-0 start and a season-long place among the top two teams in the standings. His December MVP award included the last five wins in a nine-game winning streak that propelled Barca to the best record of the regular season, 21-7.

Mirotic also was recognized on Wednesday for his second consecutive selection to the All-EuroLeague First Team. He began winning EuroLeague awards more than a decade ago when he was the back-to-back Rising Star Trophy winner in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and was selected to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in the next two seasons. Only two other active players have more All-EuroLeague selections than Mirotic, who spent five seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe to sign with Barca in 2019.

2021-22 MVP of the Season: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Mirotic was the first choice of the head coaches, the team captains and the media in this season's MVP voting. Mike James of AS Monaco finished second in the overall voting and Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus third. He is the second Barca player to be celebrated as the full-season MVP, following Juan Carlos Navarro in the 2008-09 season.

“I would like to say that it’s a big pleasure for me to receive this award from our greatest coach Zeljko Obradovic and I would like to thank my team FC Barcelona, the whole organization, coaching staff, all the players, because at the end this is a team job. A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend Nick Calathes said in case you win, please remember me in your speech, so I said to him I will. So I also want to thank Nick because he makes my life way easier on the court and he’s been an amazing teammate and friend. At the end, I want to say a couple of words to a special person here with us, my personal coach, Jadran Vujacic. He was my first coach since I started basketball and he really pushed me very hard to get to this point, all the summers working together hard. He is the person who really believed in me more than I ever believed in myself, so this trophy also goes to him.

“It feels great to have this award in my hands, but I know that the job I came here for is not done. I know why I came. Last season Micic did an incredible job and he demonstrated in the Final Four why he was the MVP. It was well deserved, hopefully, this year I can do my job.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Some special messages for the MVP<br><br>📣 <a href="https://twitter.com/AntoGriezmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AntoGriezmann</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ud3no8aseg">pic.twitter.com/Ud3no8aseg</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1526870831657324545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Born in Podgorica, Montenegro, Mirotic was a late-comer to basketball, introduced to the sport at age 13 by his grandfather. Within two years, after time spent at the Joker School in his hometown, Mirotic had signed his first contract with Real Madrid, joining its youth program. By 2008, he was on Real's senior roster and made his EuroLeague debut shortly after turning 18 in a road game against Barcelona. He would help Real make its Final Four return after 15 years in 2011. In two more Final Four appearances with Real, in 2013 and 2014, they finished as the runner-up.

Mirotic went on to play in the NBA before joining Barca at age 28, right in the prime of his career, and after the 2019-20 season was discontinued, led his new team last year to its first Final Four in seven years. They lost the championship game to Efes, but Barcelona comes into this weekend in Belgrade with the best overall record of all EuroLeague teams, 24-9, and now with the MVP of the season leading a quest to take one step further to the title.

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2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

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