European Cups review: fierce atmosphere in Serbia and a basketball show in Spain / News - Basketnews.com

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Last week was full of basketball in Europe as teams all around the continent participated in the final tournaments of domestic cups. BasketNews takes a look at the most captivating and intriguing angles of the events that captured the basketball fans' attention throughout the week.

A game-winning journey by Sito Alonso, unlikely meets between rival fans, emerging heroes, chaos in Tel Aviv, fanless experience in Turkey, an all-time defensive battle in Spain, and Zeljko's 64th final - all that and more in European Cups review.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. It was a grueling, defensive first half in Copa del Rey, with Real Madrid holding FC Barcelona to just five points in the first quarter. Barca finished with 18 points in the first 20 minutes.

However, it was Barca who kicked their defense up a notch in the second half. Head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius mentioned it to be the main reason for winning the title.

"Our defense was great. We left Madrid with very few points and low percentages. 10, 17, 13. These are great defensive numbers in each quarter," Saras explained. "We wanted to win like that, suffering, trying to change the game. In the second half, we did a great job on offense. We have to celebrate this title."

YOU HAVE TO SWEAT BLOOD.Coach Saras did not like his team's composure during the first part of the match. "I was very worried about the team's state of mind. The players' faces," the legendary Lithuanian stated after the match.

"The result during the match is not so important. I saw a very lonely team, nobody was talking on the bench or on the court. The point guards didn't listen to me. We were very cold. We needed a spark, and we found it in the second half," the coach explained.

"Every title is won by sweating blood. It's an incredible job," Saras continued. "Every 24 hours is a new story with a lot of emotions. It's very difficult to win titles. Hats off to the guys."

"Defensively, I think the team was generally very good. We worked well. 59 points are not enough for us, but it was a game that was decided in the last minutes," Real Madrid's head coach Pablo Laso admitted after the match.

READY FOR THE NBA. Rokas Jokubaitis helped Barca gain their first lead of the game (48-46) in the 4th quarter. He was spectacular, scoring nine points in the period to lead Barcelona to a Copa del Rey title over Real Madrid.

"I never expected to be the best, I went step by step. It was just six years ago," Rokas told BasketNews during the Copa del Rey weekend. "At that moment, I wouldn't have said that I would be in Spain right now in one of the best clubs in Europe. Life is amazing. I am very happy."

Is he ready for the NBA? Rokas has his own process regarding his journey to the biggest stage. "What I understood now and did not understand before is that there are a lot of players who come back to Europe, which means that maybe they were not prepared 100% for the NBA," Rokas said in the interview.

"When I feel that I am fully prepared, and I have taken everything from Europe, then I will think about going there," Jokubaitis finished his thoughts.

THE GAME-WINNING JOURNEY. After finally testing negative for the coronavirus, the UCAM Murcia's head coach Sito Alonso drove more than two hours from Murcia to Granada (277 kilometers) to be in the Spanish Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Valencia Basket.

Murcia's team suffered a coronavirus outbreak just a week ahead of its first Copa since 1996. The game scheduled for last Sunday against FC Barcelona had to be postponed. Murcia could not practice during the whole week together as a team.

Ultimately, Murcia beat Valencia in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after an incredible up-and-down battle, led by That McFadden's 20 points.

"He made us believe. No one can imagine how tough it has been for him. We did not expect to have him with us. He made a great effort. We really appreciate it. We are a family," an emotional Tomas Bellas said after the game.

NO TEAM NO PROBLEM. Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz did not make it into the final-8 of the Copa del Rey tournament. It didn't stop its fans from attending the basketball fiesta in Granada.

Tens of Baskonia fans submerged themselves into the atmosphere of the event, clapping and cheering for just eye-pleasing basketball. A beautiful sight to watch!

64 IS NOT LUCKY. Zeljko Obradovic had been in 63 finals, including national team competitions, international tournaments, domestic championships, cups, or super cups, before Sunday's match against Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade. On those 63 occasions, Obradovic lifted the trophy 44 times (69.8%).

After 29 years, Obradovic and Partizan had the first opportunity to add one more title to the Hall of Fame of black and whites. Crvena Zvezda dominated the Radivoje Korac Cup final 85-68 and extended that wait for at least a few more months.

He left all his knowledge and energy on Cair's Sports Center. But a 61-year-old will need to be patient with this young Partizan project. Crvena Zvezda tied Partizan with 8 Radivoje Korac Cups in their account. This year, it was the second consecutive solid Zvezda's victory over Partizan.

"For a team that was newly formed and had just three players from last season, it takes time," Obradovic said. "We are convincingly the youngest team in Europe. But I am extremely pleased with how my players work and behave."

THE FIGHT SONG. Partizan and Crvena Zvezda fans are some of the loudest and most aggressive basketball supporters in the world. However, when it comes to lifting their team up when they need it the most, they're the ones to watch.

An incredible atmosphere to be witnessed was brought to the Radivoje Korac cup. A sight to be admired by fans all around the globe.

Several dozens of Partizan NIS Belgrade fans made a surprise at the final practice of the club before the trip to Radivoje Korac Cup to Nis. They were waiting for their heroes at the Pionir hall to make it clear to Zeljko Obradovic's team that they will have great support in the Chair Hall from Friday to Sunday.

With the song "Wherever you play ..." ("Gde god ti da igraš ..."), the supporters of the club tried to give extra energy to the players and members of the professional staff, in order to continue the success in Nis, where they celebrated during the previous three finals of the Cup.

AN UNLIKELY SIGHT. Heraklion's security measures during the three-day Greek Cup Final 4 were nothing short of draconian, as police forces and security men employed by the Greek Basketball Federation were not allowing entrance to anyone without a valid COVID vaccination certificate and accreditation or invitation.

However, these measures produced a really unlikely sight in the arena as fans of both Panathinaikos OPAP Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus were seen together happily celebrating the basketball fiesta.

THE REAL CHAMPIONS.Olympiacos head coach Giorgios Bartzokas was really happy after beating Panathinaikos, capturing the Greek Cup. "I don't want to say that the Greek Cup is a bigger success than winning the EuroLeague," Bartzokas told after the match.

"Players translate the decisions of the coach. They played awesome defense," the coach continued. "We didn't leave a single Panathinaikos's shot uncontested. Details also play a role."

"This was a really difficult game with the way that Panathinaikos were scoring in the first half. So, our second-half defense was fantastic. This is what we have to do until the end of the season. I'm proud of you, you're real champions," Bartzokas finished his statement.

VERBAL ATTACK. Olympiacos Piraeus downed AEK Athens 76-70 and qualified for the Greek Cup final. However, things got heated between some AEK fans and Olympiacos head coach Giorgos Bartzokas when the Greek tactician was heading for the customary flash interview with the Greek broadcaster.

Police forces on the stand in Heraklion, Crete, detained two people who were screaming and cursing. AEK fans made some remarks about the officiating, Bartzokas responded, and although things were under control at first, the situation quickly escalated.

According to gazzetta.gr, 28 persons who had been involved in violent incidents in the past were excluded from the invitation list once the Greek Basketball Federation took notice.

I WON THE CUP. Ergin Ataman won the EuroLeague cup last season. Now, he's the Turkish Cup winner as well. Vasilije Micic and Tibor Pleiss-led Anadolu Efes Istanbul claimed the trophy after dismantling Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Sunday.

After a tight first quarter, Efes rallied in the second, starting it with a 9-0 run (25-14). They proceeded to increase their advantage to 17 points (41-24). They had a 14-point lead at halftime, holding Fenerbahce to just 27 points (41-27).

It was ultimately too much for Fenerbahce, who played the match without Achille Polonara, Nando De Colo, and Jan Vesely.

FANS MUST LEAVE. The first semifinal of the Turkish Cup between EuroLeague side Fenerbahce Beko and Champions League team Galatasaray was full of emotions and drama. In the third quarter, the game was interrupted for almost an hour, and the stands were emptied because of poor behavior from the fans.

In the second half, the atmosphere inside the arena started to become a little too tense. Supporters from both teams started to sing offensive chants, while some firecrackers were also thrown into the court. It was decided to empty the arena from the fans after several warnings went unnoticed.

The game restarted after almost an hour, with the stands completely empty. Fener was up by 9 points before the game was interrupted, and even after the restart of the game, they never lost control of the game.

A COSTLY WIN.A semifinal win against Galatasaray did not come without losses for Fenerbahce. According to the club's official announcement, Pierria Henry suffered a left knee injury in Friday's chaotic Turkish Cup semifinal match against Galatasaray.

An MRI was taken at Acıbadem Bursa Hospital the following day, which revealed internal lateral ligament damage to the left knee. Henry's physical condition will be reassessed in three weeks.

A PLEISSING IN DISGUISE. Tibor Pleiss scored 20 points with 8/11 shooting and took 8 rebounds, becoming the Turkish Cup finals MVP against Fenerbahce, where Efes grabbed the season's first title.

Currently, Pleiss is taking 7.9 field goals in all competitions, and hitting 4.6 of them per game, both highest figures in his entire career. In his last 5 games, including the Cup final, his field goal efficiency reached a mind-blowing 76% (36/47), and his scoring contribution got over 16 points per game in this stretch.

Pleiss's plus/minus contribution on average for this period was +17.5! He has been an efficient monster nowadays. "Pleiss helps us to play with the model that we were accustomed to playing with Sertac Sanli, especially in the second half of the season," Ergin Ataman underlined in an interview during the cup weekend.

CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN. Zalgiris Kaunas won the King Mindaugas Cup for the third straight year, this time defeating Lietkabelis Panevezys. Coach Jure Zdovc won his first trophy as a coach since 2018 when he became a Croatian League champion with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

It was an easier-than-expected path for the Lithuanian champions as their main rival Rytas Vilnius shockingly lost in the semifinals. Joffrey Lauvergne was named the MVP after dazzling performances both in the semifinal and the final.

RIVAL-LESS PATH.ALBA Berlin came out victorious in this year's German Cup, taking care of business against Crailsheim Merlins. Although the underdogs started the game well and built themselves a 16-point lead, ALBA made a comeback and sealed a comfortable 10-point win to lift the trophy.

ALBA's fiercest rivals, FC Bayern Munich, were eliminated from the cup contention in the quarterfinals back in November. With their main opponent gone from the tournament, ALBA took the chance and brought the trophy back home.

FANS GET PERSONAL. After getting shocked by Hapoel Tel Aviv in the quarterfinals of the Israeli Cup, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's fans decided to take things into their own hands. According to sport5.co.il, Maccabi players had to remain in the locker room for quite some time after the game ended because some of the team fans' tried to break into the locker room and curse them.

Some of the fans were held by security guards, but the players had to leave Menora Mivtachim Arena using a side exit instead of the usual one. Moreover, head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos had to leave the arena being accompanied by the security guards.

Ultimately, Maccabi parted ways with Sfairopoulos the following day. The 54-year-old managed to guide Maccabi to three Israeli League titles in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Moreover, he became the champion of the Israeli Cup in 2021.

However, the Israeli Cup was one of the main reasons behind firing this time, as the tension with fans arose.

A QUESTIONABLE PARTY. Maccabi's players Jalen Reynolds, James Nunnally, and Derrick Williams were spotted having a night out after the Israeli powerhouse crashed out of the Israel Cup.

None of the mentioned players were included in the roster against Hapoel Tel Aviv, but despite that, they might be sanctioned by the club. "It's disrespectful to the fans," Maccabi said in an official statement. "A few hours after the players left the arena with security, they chose to act this way. If you decide to meet, at least keep it modest."

One of Maccabi's players, Khyri Thomas, has since on Twitter denied being one of the players mentioned in an Instagram video of the Israeli club's players partying after the match. "This is False! I don't know why I was tagged in this video," the player noted in his tweet.

One of the alleged players in the video, Derrick Williams, has also denied the rumors. "If you really think me or my teammates don't care because it's Valentine's Day "one which we would never post" is just stupid," the player wrote on Twitter.

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