For the third year in a row, FC Barcelona will compete at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four! After finishing the regular season as the No. 2 seed with a 23-11 record, Barca swept Zalgiris Kaunas 3-0 in the playoffs and will soon head back to Kaunas, Lithuania, to take part in European basketball's showpiece event.

Barca has made it to the Final Four in all three years that head coach Saras Jasikevicius has been in charge, while this will be the club's ninth Final Four appearance since the playoff format was reintroduced in the EuroLeague for the 2004-05 campaign. In this year's semifinals, it will take on the winner of the series between Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and archrival Real Madrid. Partizan leads that series 2-1 and will host Game 4. Seeking its first EuroLeague title since 2010, will this be the year that Barca fans are able to become kings of the continent once again?

### Journey to the Final Four

During the 34-round regular season, Barca remained towards the top of the standings throughout – and it improved as time went on. In fact, since its overtime loss at Real in Round 21, Barca has gone 13-3. Shrinking that down further, Coach Jasikevicius's side is 8-1 over its last nine games and it managed to avoid any scares in the playoffs, having had to go to a Game 5 in its playoff series with Zenit St. Petersburg in 2021 and FC Bayern Munich in 2022.

Barca blew Zalgiris out of the water in Game 1, establishing a 17-point lead at halftime before [going on to win 91-69](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-zalgiris-kaunas/E2022/310/). Sertac Sanli was particularly impressive in that fixture, scoring a game-high 17 points off the bench, while reigning EuroLeague MVP Nikola Mirotic had 15 points. Zalgiris head coach Kazys Maksvytis called for a reaction in Game 2, and he got it, but Jan Vesely with 26 points and Mirotic with 22 joined forces to keep Barca on the right track, [89-81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-zalgiris-kaunas/E2022/314/). The series moved to Lithuania for Game 3, but the Blaugrana kept their foot on the gas and came away with a [66-77](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-playoffs-live-blog-game-report-game3-zalgiris-barcelona-tae2223/) victory, thanks to 14 points apiece from Tomas Satoransky and Vesely. With that Game 3 victory at Zalgirio Arena, the venue for this year's Final Four, Barca had an early opportunity to test out the rims ahead of the semifinals and potentially the championship game.

FC Barcelona vs Zalgiris Kaunas - Playoffs Game 1 - Highlights

### Final Four experience

Barca enters the 2023 Final Four with many players who have made it to this point before. In the case of [Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), [Cory Higgins](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/cory-higgins/006450/), [Alex Abrines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alex-abrines/003478/) and [Kyle Kuri](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-kuric/005789/)c, they have all been on the same journey as Coach Jasikevicius by making three straight Final Fours with Barca. Others, like [Nicolas Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/), [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/) and [Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/), were also part of the team that made it to last year's Final Four. Last summer, the Blaugrana signed a couple of former EuroLeague champions in [Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) and [Nikola Kalinic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-kalinic/004866/), who won the title with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in 2017 and appeared in five straight Final Fours between 2015 and 2019.

However, one player who will get to taste the Final Four for the first time is guard [Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/), who returned to the club last summer after a six-year spell in the NBA. Otherwise, the only players on the roster without Final Four experience are those towards the end of the bench, such as [Oscar da Silva](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/oscar-da-silva/011244/) and [Oriol Pauli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/-oriol-pauli/003204/). Youngsters [James Nnaji](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-nnaji/010641/) and [Sergi Martinez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergi-martinez/006768/) were both on the team last season, but neither player featured in the Final Four.

### Final Four history

Barca can now prepare for its ninth Final Four appearance since 2003-04 and its 17th since the Final Four format was adopted in 1988. In that time, Barca has won two EuroLeague titles – in [2003](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2002-03/fc-barcelona-benetton-treviso/E2002/220/) and [2010](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2009-10/regal-fc-barcelona-olympiacos-piraeus/E2009/188/) – and it has finished as runner-up on five occasions.

On its last two trips under Coach Jasikevicius, the Blaugrana was the runner-up in [2021](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2020-21/fc-barcelona-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2020/328/), losing to Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the championship game, and the winner of the [third-place game](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-olympiacos-piraeus/E2021/329/) last season, having lost against Real in the semifinals before defeating Olympiacos Piraeus.

Barcelona sweeps into Final Four!

Do you have Final Four fever? If so, it's nothing to worry about. We understand the way you feel! The solution is #F4Glory

Final Four fever

Final Four Glory!

Final Four Fever

Take one look at FC Barcelona's star-studded roster and Mike Tobey's name doesn’t exactly jump off the page. The 28-year-old American is the Blaugrana's third-choice center, but on Wednesday night, he showed what he can offer with 13 points in a Game 3 closeout victory at Zalgiris Kaunas.

Mike Tobey helped Barcelona pull away for good at Zalgiris

Take one look at FC Barcelona's star-studded roster and Mike Tobey's name doesn’t exactly jump off the page. The 28-year-old American is the Blaugrana's third-choice center, but on Wednesday night, he showed what he can offer with 13 points in a Game 3 closeout victory at Zalgiris Kaunas.

 

Tobey had 4 points and 1 rebound to his name approaching the final stages of the third quarter, having played limited minutes behind Jan Vesely and Sertac Sanli. Yet, in the final 2:04 of the quarter, the 2.13-meter center put his fingerprints on the game with 3 triples in quick succession as Barca opened a game-high 16-point lead, 45-61.

 

In particular, the first of those proved key. Zalgiris was doing its best to stay as close as possible to Barca, with Isaiah Taylor's layup making it a 7-point ballgame, 43-50, but back-to-back three-pointers by Tobey gave the visitors some breathing room. It seemed as though Tobey's third triple was going to be the final basket of the third quarter, but Lukas Lekavicius beat the buzzer with a triple of his own to make it a 13-point contest entering the final period.

Mike Tobey scored 13 points as FC Barcelona beat Zalgiris Kaunas 66-77 in Game 3 of the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Mike Tobey's 13 points vs. Zalgiris

Zalgiris refused to give up the fight in the fourth quarter and kept making life difficult for Barca, trimming the deficit to 6 points, 55-61, with 6:54 remaining, but Tobey's 3 triples had pushed the lead out to such a point that coming back was always going to a tough ask for the hosts. What's more, after playing just 2:08 in Game 2, Tobey reminded head coach Saras Jasikevicius of what he can offer: the ability to stretch the floor and change the opposition's defensive strategy.

 

With Barca's place in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four now confirmed, perhaps Tobey could end up being a trump card for the Blaugrana when they return to Kaunas in a couple of weeks' time.

Game Videos

Game News

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2023-05-05T17:00:00.000Z)

Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos: 'I’ve seen Kostas practice this shot every day'

### Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach:

"I’m feeling great, I don’t have heart attacks, I’m okay! It was a fantastic game for EuroLeague fans. At the end we made two fantastic crucial and difficult shots with Sasha Vezenkov and, of course, the last one with Kostas Sloukas. And they made shots also when we led by 4, a basket and foul from Tyler Dorsey, a three-point shot from Nick Calathes, and then a difficult two-point shot from Guduric. So they made everything, but we overcame this and won the game. It was a fantastic performance. We were nervous during the game but at the end, we found the solutions to win here, which is not easy at all. We have one day to analyze the game to see exactly what Fener did, and they also have to see what we did. Friday’s game is completely different and we have to go and win again. This is our mentality. To go every time to win the game, no matter if we win or lose. It won’t be easy for us, but it won’t be easy for them also.

“Obviously it was a fantastic game, like this EuroLeague season. Like the games yesterday in Tel Aviv and Belgrade. EuroLeague right now is a very tough league, which is fantastic for the fans. Great players, great teams. We improved a lot in the area we lost the game in Piraeus, rebounding – today we had 4 or 5 more possessions from this, which was crucial for us. We didn’t shoot the ball well from the three-point line, missing open shots, but we were under pressure. Now the pressure passes to Fenerbahce’s side.”

### Dimitris Itoudis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach:

"When it comes to the down stretch and clutch shots you can’t have better defense than contested shots, but both quality lefties they made the baskets, Vezenkov and Sloukas. But obviously, the game has 40 minutes, you don’t only need to analyze the last couple of possessions. It was a close game, we managed to bring some difference, a plus 11, and we couldn’t capitalize on that even more, but it is what it is. We thank our fans, let’s not forget this team brought this atmosphere back here, this team brought the momentum that the fans are believing in them, so we’re going to go game by game. Obviously, we are disappointed, but it’s not going to bring us so much down to give it up. We’ll go into Game 4 to give it all in front of our fans and get better."

### Kostas Sloukas, Olympiacos Piraeus guard:

"It’s always very difficult to play against this team. They’re always prepared and they have a tough court as we saw. A very difficult game, and in the crucial moments we were solid. Okay, I scored the last shot, but I think in total we played good defense. On offense, we didn’t make some good decisions. Anyway, we make it 2-1, and we have two opportunities now, firstly in two days we can finish the series but I know that will be very difficult. We already saw after our first win they came and played harder. We have to play stronger to beat once again a great team. I had 3 seconds at the end, I said I’d take the responsibility because I was feeling good. Sasha set a good down pick and after that, I played one on one, I shot and I scored. I could have missed, but with 3 seconds we couldn’t do anything different."

 

### Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus forward:

"First of all I want to say we’re blessed and really happy to play in this environment, seeing all the quarterfinals of EuroLeague and the atmosphere is fantastic. We know that Fener is a great team and that it would be very difficult. But we believed in our road, what we’ve done until now, and when the game goes to the last shot, in Game 2 we lost it, today we won it in a great way. Some could say it’s lucky but I’ve seen Kostas practice this shot every day. So it will be tough, we need one more win, and we’re coming on Friday. I know Fener will come back, will get better, we will have to see what we did wrong because we didn’t play the perfect game. So we need to improve and win one more game. I was not good in the third quarter, I did not play good and that’s why I asked for a sub to relax my mind and see how I could help my team. I was ready, and I was thinking all this time that I have to help my team. I need to be there. I took two shots, some defenses, but I think all the team today did a good job. I cannot say great because we were not great. We did a good job, and we need one more win."

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-05-03T17:45:00.000Z)

EuroLeague Playoffs: Game 3, Fenerbahce vs. Olympiacos

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Olympiacos stuns Fenerbahce 71-72 on Sloukas's buzzer-beater

Tomas Satoransky, Barcelona: 'Defense won the game for us'

### Saras Jasikevicius, FC Barcelona head coach

"I thought that we moved the ball a lot \[in the third quarter\]. Obviously, if you hit shots, it's a whole different ballgame, but I thought we moved the ball side to side, we didn’t stop. At the beginning, maybe we focused on the mismatches – the post there, the post there. It worked out, but basketball is always better when you move the ball side to side. In general, I'm very happy with the team's maturity. It would have been very easy for the team to look past Zalgiris after the very strong first game, which we won so easily, but the players understood that the second game would be different and the players understood \[what to expect\] coming in here. We weren’t brilliant today, but the guys were fighting, they really wanted it, they were crazy about closing the series and then, like you said, in the second half we started playing much better basketball.

(About playing the Final Four in his hometown of Kaunas): "It sounds good. This is where we wanted to be. Hopefully we want to give some guys some days to recover and maybe even work a bit physically to come in better shape in the Final Four. This is it, we're happy to be there.

"Congratulations to our players and our fans for this win. Obviously for the qualification to the Final Four, it's a great win for us. I would also like to congratulate Zalgiris on an incredible season. I'm happy, very happy talking about the game. It's more or less like we expected: a lot of nervousness by the two teams at the beginning, then much better basketball by us in the second half."

### Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach

"They were simply too strong for us. First of all, we lost our game pace, our physicality a little bit and it cost us this win. Barca won three games, so they deserve to go to the Final Four. We hope that they win the EuroLeague. Of course, when you are losing a couple of the last games, it's different, but it was an amazing season with amazing fans, with an amazing team, with amazing players, with fighting players, and I hope next season that we will bring this experience and be better."

### Jan Vesely, FC Barcelona center

"I think we took care of the ball a little bit more \[in the second half\], we fought a little bit harder than in the first half. Congrats to Zalgiris on this amazing season, they proved that they belong in the top eight. They were fighting like crazy in every game during the whole season and they showed it in this series, so congratulations to them. I just want to say one thing, also: all my prayers go to Belgrade for the victims and all the people that were affected by the shooting today in Belgrade, so my prayers go to them."

### Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona guard

"Well, we definitely improved our game \[in the second half\], especially offensively. It was a fight – this series, this game. I have a lot of respect for Zalgiris, what they accomplished, how they fought throughout the season, and I think we respected them well enough to be their equal in terms of intensity. In the second half, obviously, we started well from the three-point line. I felt like I had it going, so I tried to take a little bit more responsibility and hopefully that helped the team. I think we were just more solid \[down the stretch\]. We knew that they were always in the game, they would try to throw everything at us. They ran some fastbreaks, they had some easy points, and I think we handled their pressure and created some open shots. I think defense actually won the game at the end for us.

(On reaching the Final Four): "That sounds awesome. It's my first Final Four, it's why I came to Barcelona – to fight for the EuroLeague trophy. We have a lot of days to prepare, we have some more games in the ACB League in Spain, so yeah, \[I'm\] very excited, also to close out the series and get some rest. Like I told you, it seems like it was 3-0, but it was a very well-fought series from Zalgiris."

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2023-05-03T17:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague Playoffs: Game 3, Zalgiris vs. Barcelona

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Barcelona completes sweep of Zalgiris with 66-77 victory

Live Blogs: Zalgiris faces a do-or-die situation against visiting Barcelona, which holds a 2-0 lead in their series and can qualify with a victory on Wednesday. Fenerbahce hosts Olympiacos to break their 1-1 series tie.

Barca to Final Four; Sloukas lifts Reds on the buzzer!

### [Zalgiris 66-77 Barcelona | FINAL](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/zalgiris-kaunas-fc-barcelona/E2022/318/)

FC Barcelona became the first qualifier to the 2023 Final Four by completing a 3-0 sweep of Zalgiris Kaunas with a 66-77 road win on Wednesday at Zalgirio Arena. Barca will return to the same court to face the winner of the Real Madrid-Partizan series in the semifinals on Friday, May 19. Zalgiris stormed back from 13 down with the first 7 points of the fourth quarter, 5 of them by Edgaras Ulanovas, to pull within 55-61 with 7 minutes left. Vesely steadied Barca with a pair of jumpers at 55-65. When Alex Abrines then hit a triple in transition, it took the air out of Zalgirio Arena. Vesely, Tomas Satoranky and Mike Tobey combined for 41 points as Barca completed the second best-of-five series sweep in club history. 

7DAYS Magic Moment Jokubaitis s pretty assist

### [Fenerbahce 71-72 Olympiacos | FINAL](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/315/)

Kostas Sloukas won Game 3 for Olympiacos Piraeus, 72-71, with a triple on the buzzer that gave the Reds the series lead and stunned a soldout Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul crowd. Fenerbahce happily traded points early in the fourth until Johnathan Motley's next basket made it 60-51. However, Tariq Black's 2 power baskets and Shaquielle McKissic's fastbreak brought to within 60-59 with under 5 minutes left. Sasha Vezenkov's 5 points in a row flipped the lead in favor of the Reds, 60-64. Tyler Dorsey bit back with a three-point play, a triple and an assist to Nick Calathes as Fenerbahce surged in front again, 69-66, with under 2 minutes left. When Hayes-Davis just missed beating the shot clock with a triple, Vezenkov responded with his own to tie 69-69 with 48 seconds left. Fenerbahce missed, but Dyshawn Pierre stole a pass in the backcourt and Marko Guduric nailed his only basket of the night at 71-69 with 3.8 seconds left. Sloukas took the inbounds pass, shook his defender and fired from deep for the win! Sloukas finished with 25 points to lead all scorers.

7DAYS Magic Moment: Nigel Hayes-Davis beats the quarter buzzer!

### [Maccabi 78-83 Monaco | FINAL](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-as-monaco/E2022/316/)

AS Monaco reclaimed home-court advantage in its best-of-five series with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv by leading from start to finish for a 78-83 road win in Game 3 on Tuesday. Monaco leads the series 2-1. After Maccabi got as close as 57-60 at the end of three, Elie Okobo's 4 points early in the fourth quarter again stretched the Monaco lead to 59-68 with just 7 minutes left. John DiBartolomeo answered from deep and Lorenzo Brown cut the difference to 64-70, but with 4 minutes left, Maccabi was lacking points. Okobo and Wade Baldwin traded baskets at 66-72. Maccabi got within 69-73 on a basket by Lorenzo Brown but the next basket came on a tip-in from Alpha Diallo of Monaco already in the final 90 seconds to make it 69-76. DiBartolomeo and Wade Baldwin drilled triples in the same 8 seconds of the final half-minute to make it 78-81, bit Jordan Loyd's free throws with 6 seconds left decided it for Monaco. Mike James led the winners with 21 points while Bonzie Colson got 17 for Maccabi. Game 4 is Thursday in Tel Aviv. If Monaco wins, it will reach its first Final Four. 

 7DAYS Magic Moments: Martin hammers it home!


### [Partizan 80-82 Real Madrid | FINAL](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-real-madrid/E2022/317/)

In a absolute thriller before nearly 20,000 fans in Belgrade, Real Madrid won its first game of the series in comeback fashion, 80-82, over host Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Game 3 of their best-of-five playoff on Tuesday. Career-best performances from Walter Tavares and Mario Hezonja made the difference. Zach LeDay and Dante Exum combined on 5 points early in the fourth quarter to tie 68-68. Yam Madar accomplished the same at 70-70 but Madrid answered with Tavares blasting a dunk. Tavares put Real up 72-75 , but Alen Smailagic hit free throws and James Nunnally nailed a triple in transition for a new Partizan lead, 77-75, with 3 minutes left. Tavares tied it with the only points for the next 2 minutes, so it remained tied into the final one. Partizan spent the 2 fouls it had to give to stop Tavares before he could shoot, but Nigel Williams-Goss drilled an inbounds triple at 77-80 with 24 seconds left. Mario Hezonja's free throws with 11 left meant that LeDay's late triple wasn't enough for Partizan. Tavares had a career-high-tying 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Hezonja had 12 and 14, respectively, and Williams-Goss buried 22 points. Game 4 is Thursday in Belgrade and if Partizan can win, it will reach its first Final Four in 13 years.

 7DAYS Magic Moment: Smailagic's big dunk


 7DAYS Magic Moment Sloukas wins ii!

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2023-05-02T18:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2023-05-02T18:05:00.000Z)

It's never easy to be an opponent in Kaunas. A sold-out all-green arena is ready to devour you. But to every rule, there's always an exception. And in this case, the exception is called Sarunas Jasikevicius.

Don't get fooled. Of course, the Zalgirio Arena crowd will cheer for the home team and support them until the final buzzer. However, if Zalgiris is destined to miss the chance to play in the historic Final Four of their own city in a few weeks, then Saras would probably be the only opponent that they would forgive for keeping them out.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1497439/sarunas-jasikevicius-and-kaunas-a-love-love-relationship/)