A crucial Fabien Causeur's turnaround that might let him take what he left in 2018 / News - Basketnews.com

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Nigel Williams-Goss suffered an injury in the first minute of the game, Real Madrid were trailing by 11 points at halftime in the semifinal game against their fierce rival FC Barcelona, and things were looking pretty grim for Los Blancos.

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Fabien Causeur was also far from his best, scoring only 2 points and accumulating 2 PIR throughout the first two quarters.

However, the 34-year-old Frenchmen shone the brightest when everyone expected the least. He scored 9 points in the third quarter, becoming the major part in turning Real's 13-point deficit into a 4-point lead before the decisive fourth quarter.

However, Causeur didn't stop there. With 4:34 remaining, Real Madrid were leading 73-66, but then the momentum started to switch. Barcelona answered with a 9-2 run, and after Nikola Mirotic's lay-up, the score became tied at 75-75 with 2:43 left.

That's when Causeur's moment to shine came.

The French guard sank a 3-pointer over Nicolas Laprovittola, and moments later, he stole the ball from no other but Laprovittola, and his amazing 43 seconds stretch gave a 5-point lead cushion for Real Madrid.

Just before Sarunas Jasikevicius' timeout, Causeur gave a big look to all of Barcelona's bench.

"Man, I'm a competitor," Causeur told BasketNews on his stare down to the opposition bench. "When I'm on the court, I just want to win. I like to have this tension with another team because it makes me do my best."

Although Barcelona battled until the very last second, Real Madrid eventually prevailed and punched the ticket into their first EuroLeague final since 2018.

"These kinds of games are so intense and emotional," Causeur said after the game. "After halftime when we were trailing by 11 points. We could put our heads down, but we stayed calm. The experience that we have really helped us in the second half to play well."

Player of the Game EFF 24 Guerschon Yabusele Points 18 Accuracy 6-9 Rebounds 8 Assists 1

"We followed the game plan well, it was a great one. Then you know, it's Barcelona. They have great players, so it was the fight until the end, but I'm super happy," he added.

Real Madrid were going into this game having a 5-game losing streak against Barcelona. Despite that, they beat their fiercest rival in the most important game of the season so far.

"It's a great feeling to win a semifinal, especially when you defeat Barcelona," Causeur continued. "It is probably more important for the fans, but for us, it's just another great game. But the toughest will be on Saturday."

"You cannot reach [the final] and lose it. We are thinking about doing our best and winning that game," he noted.

So, what kind of switch did Causeur turn on after having a quiet first half? As the French guard notes himself, he was more of a spectator in the first two quarters.

"We lost Nigel Williams-Goss very early, so I knew that our rotation will be limited. Adam Hanga got quick fouls in the third quarter, too, so I told myself: 'I have to be aggressive.'

I wasn't aggressive enough in the first half. I was a little bit watching how the game would go, and if [the moment] would come, I'd start going. But it wasn't coming, so I had to get it," Causeur told BasketNews.

However, Causeur wasn't the only Frenchmen who stepped in the second half. His countrymen Guerschon Yabusele and Vincent Poirier also had a fair share in the victory.

The trio of Causeur, Yabusele, and Poirier combined for 42 points (10/19 2PT, 5/8 3PT, 7/9 FT), 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 48 PIR.

Causeur was nothing short of delighted with the performance of his teammates.

"I'm happy for them," Causeur revealed. "For them, it's their first Final Four – an amazing experience. Both of them played a great game; I'm very happy. But you know, I'm a veteran, so I'm trained to push them.

"At some point, they were kinda losing it with the refs and everything, but I was like: 'You have to stay in the game because [if not] that's where you're making a mistake'. They played incredibly, and I'm very happy," 34-year-old added.

That being said, the combination of Belgrade and the EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade brings some glorious moments to Causeur.

Just like on Thursday night, Causeur was a key part of that Real Madrid team that won the 10th EuroLeague title.

Some people might argue that back then, Causeur deserved the Final Four MVP award more than a 19-year-old Luka Doncic.

In the victorious 85-80 final against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Causeur accumulated a team-high 17 points (1/3 2PT, 3/3 3PT, 6/8 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 drawn fouls, and a team-high 21 PIR.

As Causeur revealed himself, he and Doncic still have that running joke about Frenchman being the Final Four MVP.

"It's not that! But we joked about it," Causeur said during the media day on Wednesday.

But now Luka is torching the NBA, and maybe it's the best opportunity for Causeur to take what he left four years ago.

"I love Serbia," Causeur said with a smile on his face. "It breathes basketball all the time; I love to play here. Of course, there are great memories from 2018, but as I said, tonight was a new page, and nothing is granted. You have to get it to play a great game here, but I'm very happy for Real Madrid and for us."

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However, one person wasn't surprised to see this Causeur's version at this stage of the season. It's the head coach Pablo Laso, who's managing Causeur for the fifth season now.

"If I have to talk about Fabien, he played with a lot of character," Laso said on Causeur's impact on the post-game conference. "Some things didn't go well in the first half, but he played solidly in the second half and his 3-pointer and a steal in the fourth quarter were very important for us."

"We always believed that he's a player who could step up in those kinds of moments, and I'm very happy to have him," added the 54-year-old.

Real Madrid still have seven players from that 2018 championship campaign, with Fabien Causeur being one of them. Just like four years ago and many more times, he stepped up and became an X-factor when it mattered the most.

And he'll need to do it once more in a Saturday's final against Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

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