'Chachismo' comes to the Final Four
For the fifth time in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Semifinals, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona faced off at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania. With the game on the line, Real put the ball in the hands of Sergio Rodriguez and 'El Chacho' did the rest.
Rodriguez is at his eighth Final Four, and he is the only Spanish player to have reached European basketball's showpiece event with three different teams: Real, CSKA Moscow and AX Armani Exchange Milan. In Friday night's semifinal, Barca's Nicolas Laprovittola buried a three-pointer that tied the game, 58-58, with under 9 minutes left. After almost three minutes in which both teams went scoreless, 'El Chacho' took matters into his own hands.
The 36-year-old drew an unsportsmanlike foul and hit both free-throw attempts to put Real ahead for good. Just 10 seconds after that, he hit a running floater in the lane. Rodriguez followed that with another floater off the glass and a three-pointer from the right wing, forcing Barca to call timeout at 60-67. In just 85 seconds, 'El Chacho' changed the whole course of the game with 9 points that gave Real a big boost and simultaneously caused doubts to appear in the minds of the Barca players.
"Results are important in sports, but momentum is even more important," stated Rodriguez after the game. "We are in a positive groove right now after an up-and-down year, playing well and winning games. The playoff series against Partizan gave us good momentum and we have to try to keep that going. We know it is very difficult, we have a short roster, many injuries and we just beat a great team like Barca. And now we play against the best team of the season, Olympiacos."
Rodriguez turned his season around late in the series against Partizan, getting 8 points, 7 assists and a PIR of 14 in Game 4, before following that with a 19-point, 6-assist effort in Game 5. Notably, in Game 5, he was instrumental in leading Los Blancos' second-half comeback.
Against Barca, Rodriguez had 12 points, 5 assists and 2 steals in over 15 minutes on the floor. His fans say that 'Chachismo' is a way of life, understanding basketball as a fun-to-watch sport in which fan entertainment is important. Asked about his great performances of late, 'El Chacho' believes that it is a result of steady work throughout the season.
"I worked well all season. Mentally, sometimes you are better or worse," Rodriguez explained. "I believe that the team, having a limited roster, found its adjustment and everyone was aware of the sense of urgency we had. It was important to get through the playoffs, and the way we did it gave us a lot of confidence. We knew we played against a really, really good team and it was going to be a tough game, but we understood that if we fought until the end, we would have a chance [to win]."
Real managed to flip the script with its three most experienced players together on the court. Rodriguez, Sergio Llull and Rudy Fernandez led the way in crunch time, earning another chance to win another EuroLeague title. Rudy and Llull are heading to their sixth EuroLeague Championship Game, while 'El Chacho' is going to his fifth. All three of them are hoping to come away from Kaunas with their third EuroLeague title.
"It's great. I think we have a lot of experience and, in certain situations, we can give the team a lot," Rodriguez noted. "We have been in many different situations together and winning is the most important thing, so we give everything we have in order to win. After so many years together, we had many wins and losses. We know how great a win can be and the memories it brings. This is what we are trying to do; [we want] to experience that feeling again."
Before heading back to the locker room, Rodriguez had one last bit of advice: going all the way in a championship game is a whole lot better than coming up short.
"Finals are beautiful when you win them. We have to give our best."
Game Videos
- 00:36
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/02/teigg4iwfstiEoc1xSGup2QvvBoj6pC2-1746222337652.jpg]()
Jabari Parker: 'The Barcelona fans are amazing'
- 00:54
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/02/8j6gSPRASBZ7p9KkYXbNvC1HZzMx0kxK-1746222397140.jpg]()
Youssoupha Fall: 'We will keep that same energy'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/a808e080-40c9-4d61-85df-3a62ecb274f5.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-AS Monaco | Playoffs Game 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:07
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/0b452ede-7143-4aab-8066-e61e3329910b.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A126%3A78]()
Satoransky's huge block! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/0107f761-08f1-4658-838b-5db9dd64bb37.jpg]()
Real Madrid-Olympiacos Piraeus | Playoffs Game 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/dd9ce83d-4ce3-4854-9001-c44c714ff981.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A96%3A72]()
Hezonja monster block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:25
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9c9b78e2-52c1-4ce9-aacc-57c92a5f0125.jpg?crop=799%3A450%3Anowe%3A129%3A41]()
Fernando rocks the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:24
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/35948bfa-18f4-4960-b3f2-cc4ad69e357c.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A123%3A91]()
Fernando dunks in transition! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:48
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/30/0cVxt3sTClR8Cqw566dBvpWKU8vl0qB7-1746046454067.jpg]()
Willy Hernangomez: 'Friday, we have another big opportunity'
- 00:24
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/30/WYQYNZQ9TT8ub9H86O0N7q6hbRqp3B70-1746046418026.jpg]()
Kevin Punter: 'It was a must-win for us'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/ixVNKzRorFI/maxresdefault.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-AS Monaco | Playoffs Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/8515ffc1-6aa8-487f-bc3d-dd7708ae73c3.jpg?crop=696%3A391%3Anowe%3A356%3A79]()
Parker seals the outcome! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:23
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6a9761a4-8f4b-4861-84da-f0114be63bc6.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A49%3A53]()
Parker's huge buzzer-beater! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c02762d4-ef93-4745-aded-d8ae110a639a.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A123%3A0]()
Brizuela finds Parra! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:27
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/29/jrxu3yqs5U7ydRRjtu3EbgIbMwcCZcoz-1745961717234.jpg]()
Dzanan Musa: 'We have the formula of how we want to play'
- 00:52
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/29/mO45yHFUPbCMMz3R350CVs7LLHmGDW8T-1745961668102.jpg]()
Walter Tavares: 'The playoffs are about defense, not offense'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6c0ed04a-20cd-4422-a45b-fea872646363.jpg]()
Real Madrid-Olympiacos Piraeus | Playoffs Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/29/McK1KJFeR8gJEuYRchFQUc5Ns0L2IGFK-1745961927553.jpg]()
Ibaka rejects McKissic! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e5f275e4-956d-49ff-856d-8257cd8c9822.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-Real Madrid | PO Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c434196f-2c3b-4a3c-9e75-9bb1358ab5db.jpg]()
AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | PO Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:22
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/223b392e-8a5d-4f1b-ae25-0b62450fbcbb.jpg?crop=1326%3A746%3Anowe%3A12%3A58]()
Deck ends first quarter in style! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:21
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/8632bfd1-6799-43a7-b3db-cc24611617c0.jpg?crop=1340%3A753%3Anowe%3A5%3A51]()
Parker flushes on Barca fast break! Motorola Magic Moment,
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/65dc624a-c107-4a2f-a63e-3660148417f3.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-Real Madrid | PO Game-1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/52666067-1016-45a4-b5ff-200e06f4cb13.jpg]()
AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | PO Game-1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:36
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/18/oRmwhndQqV988zEHbnvuslD9mgh0mdGM-1745012748603.jpg]()
Mario Hezonja: 'We can do great things'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/M027YYk1y4Q/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Real Madrid-FC Bayern Munich | Play-In Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/05f5944b-758a-4e49-a602-838b0b2873a2.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A119%3A53]()
Campazzo’s creative magic! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/83152274-5365-4de4-9ebd-a716da09594b.jpg?crop=841%3A474%3Anowe%3A253%3A89]()
Real teamwork from Madrid! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/3e9c96b9-823b-4571-94d2-2eddf8da1da5.jpeg?crop=1029%3A579%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
Xavi Pascual, Boniface N'Dong remember 2010 title triumph on The Crossover
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/3lanP-cIS84/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Walter Tavares, March-April MVP: ‘It’s hard these days to be a big man’
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/UWFX2gZZjxM/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Real Madrid-Paris Basketball | Play-In Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/b2491ced-631f-41fb-8ccb-3d90af213cfe.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A157%3A0]()
Tavares dunks in transition! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:45
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/11/w1rvNUY5pgEG6l2TwRnClu7NljJR7ZSB-1744413967189.jpg]()
Kevin Punter: 'True testament of us being a team'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/f20bc237-7edd-4cdd-b811-d7153da3cd6a.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:20
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/034a6c98-4fbe-48d6-bdd1-ddfdd7d0814b.jpg?crop=1277%3A718%3Anowe%3A0%3A65]()
Willy posterizes Toko! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:52
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/10/XBUUgvdm4pzVibXQUrm9fdYZP8FXDrr9-1744319581613.jpg]()
Walter Tavares: 'This is a gift from God'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/1dbd7a2b-309d-4eb2-aeb4-f385a10ecef6.jpg]()
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Real Madrid | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:46
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/10/WhvtN7sIIfLqU3suuOHoeM9jDSTYBexT-1744320572056.jpg]()
Tavares wins it with his soft touch! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/304bcd8f-a953-4947-9d15-1d7ac447a299.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A39%3A78]()
Hezonja rocks the rim with aplomb! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/12ba39ae-86e6-408f-89d2-65220c62147a.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A67%3A84]()
A huge dunk by Tavares! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/49f3b7bb-f41b-4ac0-b7b5-7d8bbea6bfd8.jpg?crop=1920%3A1080%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
The Fantasy Challenge Podcast prepares for the end of the regular season
- 01:32
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/03/RD8fDyHU6pUyP2CV8w6v7b0eaphx61MW-1743718070483.jpg]()
Mario Hezonja: 'Every time there is a challenge, we respond'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/96115336-839e-4057-bd83-5b13036c68a7.jpg]()
Real Madrid-Paris Basketball | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:17
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/03/T61Q8zliJp48YkwM4WNSB86p9yKzh0km-1743714624899.jpg]()
Hezonja's reverse dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/22e05e0a-3501-437f-a927-72aa26084767.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A141%3A94]()
Ibaka's double block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:26
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/02/WW3uxVH8kWuBXSxAGJwMKlqfG7421anA-1743625652478.jpg]()
Jabari Parker: 'We just wanted it more'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/4518e749-335e-4e06-9182-83833b8c6a21.jpg]()
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-FC Barcelona | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d20dfdaa-e456-4839-9665-fa6505bfc263.jpg?crop=800%3A450%3Anowe%3A132%3A129]()
Hernangomez says no! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/14b75b22-639a-46a8-9df5-9f6b5eab54fc.jpg?crop=1920%3A1080%3Anowe%3A0%3A0]()
The Fantasy Challenge Podcast presents: The Barcelona dilemma
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/c2eb8757-5c14-4166-8495-23fb6c979f50.jpg]()
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Real Madrid | RS Round 32 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
