The participants of the final four of the EuroLeague in basketball are the teams that, after the regular part, were the favorites to meet at the tournament in Kaunas from May 19 to 21 - Olympiakos, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Monaco enter the fight for the title, they were also four first-placed teams after 34 rounds of the elite competition.
Barca easily overcame Žalgiris, advanced to F4 in three games, and the remaining quarter-final series only confirmed what experts were saying months ago - that this season of the EuroLeague has surpassed all previous ones in terms of quality and excitement since it was played in the new, league format.
Masters were played in which Olympiakos was better than Fenerbahce, Monaco was better than Maccabi, and Real Madrid was better than Partizan in a series that will be recounted for a long time as one of the most spectacular...
"Kraljevski klub" became the first team to pass after losing 2:0. He did that even though he lost two matches at home, and he surpassed his own abilities two nights ago on his home field when he defeated the "black and white" despite a 19-point deficit in the third quarter and earned a visa to Kaunas.
Partizan also contributed to this, as they suddenly stopped playing defense, but in the second half of the tournament, it was clear why the veterans Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Ljulj i Rudy Fernandes won so many trophies with Real and the Spanish national team.
- This is Real. We went to the final four because we fought since September with various things, from injuries to pressure - said the much-disputed coach of Madrid Hus Mateo.
The general impression is that the series between Real and Partizan was directed by an incident at the end of the second match when the Belgrade team was leading 95:80, and then a minute and 40 minutes before the end there was a general brawl initiated by the home team. Penalties rained down on both sides, Partizan had to play the third match without Kevin Panther i Matthias Lessor, and the fourth without a captain who returned as a master.
- Anyone who has played basketball knows that the penalties were too light for Real. They apologized through the media, the Euroleague swallowed it and gave mild penalties, and Pantera was suspended because he stopped to defend me - said the Partizan playmaker Dante Exum, whom he savagely knocked to the floor in that duel Gershon Yabusele.
Partizan returned to the Euroleague map in style, and Zeljko Obradovic is aware that his team missed a huge opportunity against Real.
- After eight years, Partizan returned to the Euroleague and we have many reasons to be satisfied. The players are very sad now and we have to find the strength to continue the ABA league. Partizan should be a permanent member of the Euroleague, that was my goal when I came to Partizan. All this we have done makes me very proud - said the winner of nine European championship titles.
The coach will represent Serbian basketball in the final four Sasa Obradovic who had a great season with Monaco.
- To quote Duško Dugouško: I don't know how we did it, but I know we did it - Obradović said.
The "Princes" will play against Olympiakos in the semi-finals on May 19, the same day Barcelona and Real meet. The final and the match for third place are on May 21.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
