European basketball cups 2023: winners and MVPs / News - Basketnews.com

Unicaja, Zvezda, Olympiacos, Brescia, Bayern, ASVEL, Hapoel Jerusalem, and Zalgiris won their domestic cups.

Credit: IMAGO/Nordphoto-Scanpix, Serie A, Twitter/KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet Credit IMAGO/Nordphoto-Scanpix, Serie A, Twitter/KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet

With the EuroLeague putting a one-week break, local European basketball cups came into the spotlight.

Shocking upsets, tension, and fighting for every centimeter on the court are the reasons why we love these domestic tournaments.

If you're missing some info or details about the results of multiple cup competitions, there's no need to worry because we've got you covered.

The main points -- winning teams and tournaments' MVPs -- in the following:

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Spain

Winner:Unicaja Malaga

Malaga Unicaja won two 'David vs. Goliath' battles against FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in the quarterfinals and semis, and capped off their amazing Copa del Rey performance with the final 83-80 win over Lenovo Tenerife.

Malaga prevailed in their 2nd Spanish Cup ever. The last time they lifted the arguably most prestigious European cup was in 2005.

MVP: Tyson Carter

He registered 17 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 17 PIR in the grand final. Carter is the second American player (after Cory Higgins) to claim Copa del Rey MVP in the last decade.

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Serbia

Winner:Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

Red Star overcame Mega Basket by a 17-point margin (96-79) in the ultimate game of the competition. Zvezda probably played their real final in the semis vs. archrival Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. The latter game was interrupted multiple times, while Red Star came back from an 18-point deficit.

Zvezda won ninth overall and third straight Radivoj Korac Cup.

MVP: Ognjen Dobric

The Serbian finished the conclusive match with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 31 PIR.

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Greece

Winner: Olympiacos Piraeus

The Reds had no problems dealing with Vassilis Spanoulis' Peristeri B.C. in the Greek Cup final, 85-57. Prior to the last game, Georgios Bartzokas' squad crushed Aris and cruised past Panathinaikos Athens in derby.

It's the 11th Cup title for Olympiacos.

MVP: Sasha Vezenkov

The Bulgarian star forward dropped 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 25 PIR vs. Peristeri. He scored 15 and 22 points in the first two games.

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Italy

Winner: Germani Brescia

Brescia was one of those most surprising teams during the European cups weak. Brescia won their first-ever Italian Cup after beating Virtus Segafredo Bologna 84-76 in the final.

What's more impressive, they eliminated another EuroLeague team -- EA7 Emporio Armani Milan -- in the quarterfinals stage.

MVP:Amedeo Della Valle

Della Valle received a well-deserved recognition after his stellar performance in the final when he had 26 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 29 PIR.

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Germany

Winner: FC Bayern Munich

After winning the German derby in the semifinals, Bayern got the job finished vs. Oldenburg (90-78). The Bavarians won the German Cup (BBL-Pokal) after a one-year break. Their 2023 success is the fourth in the team's account.

MVP: Nick Weiler-Babb

German NT player and European bronze medalist scored 14 points, grabbed 1 board, dished out 3 assists, stole 2 balls, and collected 15 PIR in the final.

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France

Winner: LDCL ASVEL Villeurbanne

ASVEL won the latest Leaders Cup edition behind an 83-74 performance vs. JL Bourg, a team that stunned AS Monaco in the quarterfinals. Since the resumption of play in the fall of 2020, ASVEL have won four of the five possible trophies in France.

MVP: Nando De Colo

The playing French legend logged 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 dimes, and 19 PIR vs. JL Bourg.

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Israel

Winner: Hapoel Jerusalem

Hapoel stunned EuroLeague's team Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv with a 67-61 triumph in the final. Aleksandar Dzikic's men captured the 7th Israeli Basketball State Cup in the team's history and are second in the overall ranking (Maccabi Tel Aviv have 45 titles).

MVP: Speedy Smith

Smith had 16 points and 9 assists in the tournament's finale.

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Lithuania

Winner: Zalgiris Kaunas

The EuroLeague playoffs contender won the eighth edition of the King Mindaugas Cup. Zalgiris survived the second-half surge by CBet Jonava and claimed their fourth golden accolade in a row following an 81-77 victory. Since 2016, Zalgiris have lifted six Lithuanian Cups.

MVP: Edgaras Ulanovas

Zalgiris' captain captured his regular MVP award in the local competitions. He posted 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 27 PIR in the final. His tournament averages were 17.0 points, 6.5 boards, 5.0 assists, and 24.0 PIR.

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Turkey

Unfortunately, Turkey had to suspend their cup competition after devastating earthquakes that hit the country on Feb. 6.

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