Olympiacos pulled off what will go down as the most dramatic Euroleague Final comeback in history to shock CSKA Moscow 62-61 on a Giorgios Printezis floater with 0.7 on the clock after Ramunas Siskauskas missed a pair of free throws with 9.7 remaining.

Olympiacos trailed by 19 points in the second half and 13 going into the fourth quarter. A pair of threes from Mantzaris and Sloukas on either side of the final break had cut it to 10 when Hines blocked a Gordon short jumper. Printezis bullied Khryapa in the post to cut it to eight. Another CSKA turnover and a Keselj three from the left wing and we had a five-point game. From a game drifting into garbage time midway through the third, to the most improbably, incredible, historic triumph by a team that refused to give in whenever they were faced with taller, more experienced, more favoured opponents.

Kazlauskas was forced to call a timeout, which was the last useful thing he did as the Olympiacos fans found  the ‘deafening’ level on their remote control and the players began to believe they could decide the game for themselves. All this with Spanoulis on the bench. Siskauskas gave CSKA breathing room and a turnover sandwiching missed threes from Sloukas and Keselj killed the momentum a little. Printezis sank two from the line as CSKA couldn’t kill the game. A humungous block from Kirilenko on a Kyle Hines dunk attempt might have been the killer but Printezis followed his own miss to extend high for the rebound and tip it back in. He missed the bonus but it was a three point game with 3:45 on the clock.

The game, once thought lost, was truly back on.

Earlier, in what seems now to be a different game on a different day, back to back to back threes from Milos Teodosic in the second quarter broke open a game that was dominated for the most part by great defence and sloppy ball handling, particularly from the Greeks, and the teams combined for 17 first quarter points, a record low in Euroleague finals. Joey Dorsey exerted his usual maximum effort on defence to relatively good effect on Krstic in the early minutes but left the game with three turnovers and two fouls in the first quarter. Olympiacos ended the first quarter with seven points and as many turnovers, but were only down three.

To be fair to these two players, CSKA’s quick hands and their voracious pursuit of the ball led to the trained ball handlers coughing it up as well. CSKA doubled in the post and cut off ball reversal, their rotations as impressive as anything we saw this weekend, but it did mean that the first half was a subdued affair, especially compared to the madness of Friday’s semi finals.

The game seemed like it might be over so many times. A 19-6 CSKA run in the first half that put them ahead by 25-13, capped by Teodosic’s daggers from behind the arc. Olympiacos threatened a mini revival in the third when Spanoulis hit the same kind of step back from the top of the key that sealed the Barcelona game, but back to back long bombs by Khryapa and Kirilenko hushed the crowd. Even penetration by Spanoulis rarely resulted in a dish to an open man, save for one dunk by Papanikolau in the second quarter. There was no way for Ivkovic to game plan past such a discrepancy in size and defensive execution.

Throughout the game, Kostas Papanikolau elevated himself above his at-the-time overmatched teammates, on his way to a perfect 8/8 from the floor across the two games, including 4/4 on threes, and all of them seemed to be huge. Only Papanikolau, Antic and Spanoulis had scored until Georgios Printezis became the fourth towards the end of the third quarter.

Those points would not be his last.

Spanoulis and Papanikolau had tried in vain to keep their team in the game, but when even simple ball movement was made a challenge by the long arms and active limbs of the Red Army, there was simply no contest. A Mantzaris three on the third quarter buzzer cut the deficit to 53-40, but at no point did an Olympiacos comeback seem genuinely plausible.

Olympiacos outscored CSKA 22-8 in the fourth, but those bare statistics can’t even begin to describe the manner in which Olympiacos fought, scrapped, and wrenched this game away from the team that had flat out dominated for three quarters. Spanoulis was named MVP but watched from the bench for a large part of the comeback as Sloukas, Mantzaris, Papanikolau, Printezis and Hines dragged their team back into the picture. Ivkovic praised Hines for his defense in the post-game press conference, calling him “a super intelligent guy who gets better step by step.”

Duda reserved the fullest praise for Acie Law’s decision to play despite, apparently “not being able to walk downstairs for the team meals for two days”, but who gave 12 minutes of pain for the cause.

So many things went Olympiacos’ way as the game wound to its climax.  Ivkovic revealed he would have called a timeout if Siskauskas had made the second free throw. Instead, Spanoulis pushed the ball down the floor, drew three desperate defenders and found Printezis.

The rest you know.

Why Olympiacos Are Champions

They never thought this game was out of reach.  Never.  Down 19 points in the third, it didn’t matter.  Kyle Hines couldn’t find his offense through three quarters, but Ivkovic had faith in him and it paid off in a fantastic effort driven fourth quarter.  Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgios Printezis both had career defining games on the continent’s biggest stage.  Then finally, we everything was breaking down, it was Spanoulis who could be counted upon.  He wasn’t his normal flashy scoring self down the stretch, instead he realized he could best be utilized to set up his teammates.

You can analyze this game which ever which way you want but it came down to one team being able to trust each other down to the last man and another team who couldn’t.  Whether it was a Euroleague rookie stepping up and nailing a clutch three or the young Papanikolaou counted on as the second scoring option all game, everyone believed in each other.  Heart, a drive to win, and being brought along by the best teacher in the business, Dusan Ivkovic, was a perfect storm for Olympaicos tonight.

Why CSKA Moscow Are Not

Two days ago, CSKA Moscow were the ones coming back against Panathinaikos.  Apparently, they learned little from observing the Greens as they poured their momentum down the drain as if it were sour milk.

Olympiacos’ key 14-0 run between the end of third and start of the fourth occurred during a period of CSKA indifference.  Instead of pushing the pace—letting Shved put pressure on the defense with drives and cuts, pounding the rock inside to Krstic or finding Kirilenko at the foul line—they swung the ball around in hopes of winding down a clock that just a few seconds too stubborn tonight.

Papanikolaou’s Perfection

He was all over the court, but still stayed cool, calm, and collected.  He chased Andrei Kirilenko all night, flustering the Euroleague MVP.  On offense it wasn’t just the usual fast break hustle points or occasional layups off lane penetration; no, his game exploded all over the place.

Papanikolaou stepped up and nailed clutch threes as if someone was handing them out in the parking lot.  He let plays develop all around him while being an integral part of the offense and offered up the best game of his life, in the biggest game of his life.

You couldn’t have written a more perfect story.

All Tournament Teams

G: Alexey Shved. Didn’t attack enough in the finals, but proved to us in the semifinals that he could have if he so desired. My favorite player to watch with the ball in his hands.

G: Vassilis Spanoulis. Printezis hit the bucket, but Vassilis’ great find and composure in a hectic moment made it possible.

F: Kostas Papanikolaou.  Didn’t miss a shot, nor did he miss a beat for the Reds in two games chocked full of athletic splendor.

F: Georgios Printezis. Owner of the Euroleague season’s most immortal moment played his heart out all weekend.

C: Andrei Kirilenko. With 12 points and 10 boards, AK’s not to blame for CSKA’s collapse.  And for those griping about positional whatever-the-Hell, you know he could play center for your team tomorrow tonight.

MVP: Vassilis Spanoulis.

G: Vassilis Spanoulis. When everything looked like it was about to fall apart, the team leaned on him and he orchestrated the comeback with poise.

G: Sarunas Jasikevicius. Don’t care that his team lost, he put on one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in person and played with too much passion not to be on here.

F: Kostas Papanikalou. Literally couldn’t miss this weekend and combined his offense savvy with some of the best defense we’ve seen on Kirilenko this season.

F: Georgios Printezis. Printezis went into the paint against CSKA big men and banged his life away and then, you know, hit one of the most iconic shots in Euroleague history.

F: Andrei Kirilenko. The guy left it all on the court.  He wanted this game badly and played his ass off everywhere.  Just wasn’t able to quite sneak through the defense like he always does against Olympiacos.

MVP: Georgios Printezis.

When it swished through the net, Olympiacos led 62-61 with 0.7 seconds left.  Milos Teodosic’s fullcourt heave to Andrei Kirilenko was tipped by Kyle Hines, and just like that…

Olympiacos were your 2012 Euroleague champions.  ELA caught all the drama on tape.  My hands are still shaking.  Crazy. Just…crazy.

They started off slow, the first time Lietuvos Rytas seemed flustered all tournament.  Fenerbahce Ulker came out hitting threes and attacking Rytas’ interior defense, throwing the Lithuanians off kilter.  The score after the first quarter was 22-20 with Rytas in the lead, and it seemed we might have a game on our hands.  Fenerbahce star guard-forward James Metecan Birsen couldn’t buy a basket but the Turkish side still was able to hang in the game.

Finally in the second quarter, Rytas started to get into the groove they had throughout this tournament where they’ve been rolling over teams.  Their guards showed off their pinpoint execution and incredible control of the game.  Every Rytas guard knows his role and plays it close to perfection.  Tomas Galeckas is the catalyst for everything.  He drops pick and roll passes at just the right moments to his bigs, is a pesky animal at the top of Rytas’ defense, and always steps up for a big shot or assist when his team is looking for an extra lift.  Edvinas Seskus is the star of the bunch.  A physical player who is the best guard on the team at taking guys off the dribble and cleaning up boards.  Todas Jodelis is their Ray Allen.  Constantly running off picks and curling into his picturesque jumper.  Finally there’s Jokubas Gintvainis who finished with ten assists today and is always under control and looking to distribute.

Once these guards got comfortable, Fenerbahce had few chances to get back in the game. The lead was increased to 42-31 at the half.  Fenerbahce point guard Berk Ugurlu showed some great poise running the offense, attacking open lanes when he came across them, and working to find open looks for his teammates.  But even Ugurlu’s inspired play couldn’t hold off all of Rytas’ guards. His backcourt mate Umar Atin’s hot long range shooting kept Fenerbahe in the game in the first half, but he considerably cooled off after his burning start.

The second half was all Rytas from the get go.  Their offense was back at full capacity with constant ball movement opening up east scoring chances for their post players and open lanes for drives or kickouts opportunities.  Their best paint option, Augustinas Jankaitis, was able to finish with force and showed an advanced knowledge of go-to post moves at such a young age.  In a way, he’s perfected simple.

Fenerbahce’s one big break came in the fourth quarter when Bersin caught fire and finally flashed all of the vast offense tools he possess.  It was too little, too late though as a 15 point deficit going into the last quarter is too big of a mountain to climb against such a disciplined team like Rytas.  In the end, the youngsters from Lithuanian claimed the championship trophy with a final score of 88-70.

There were a lot of talented teams and players at this NIJT, but no team came close to playing the type of team basketball that Rytas did.  They are one of the most in control and best executing teams you will ever see on the youth level.  Everyone takes pride in the role they have with the team and excels in the system put in place by the coach.  This team plays well beyond their years and should be cherished as an example of how developmental youth basketball teams should turn out.

My All-Tournament Team

PG: Tomas Galeckas, Lietuvos Rytas

He’s not afraid of anyone on the court and asserted himself as the leader of the championship team.  He stepped up for big shots and was a passing wizard to his interior teammates.  He might not have been one of the most talented guys in the field, but he sure plays like he thinks he is.

SG: Shang Gao, Team China

Gao scored 32, 35, and 32 points in his three games.  He carried this Chinese team on his back offensively at times and even though defenses continued to key on him, he continued to score.  This guy is fearless with letting shots fly and needed to be rewarded.

SF: James Metecan Birsen, Fenerbahce Ulker

He can score at the rim, dime in tough passes to the paint, nail turnaround jumpers, and post guys up.  Anything offensively you can think of he probably has in the tool box.  If he can straighten out those decision making lulls and become more consistant, his game can grow an an exponential rate.

PF: Dario Saric, KK Zagreb

Mr. Prospect was supposed to be a shoo-in for the MVP before this thing started after he collected the award last year.  Through one and half games it looked that way, but then everything went south for Zagreb.  Saric is at a different talent level than everyone here but there were times where he forced his game too much and his team wasn’t able to pick him up.  He was by far the most impressive guy I watched, but mentally he can get frustrated easily and needs to work on his mental game.  The most amazing thing I take away from him his that his feel for the game is uncanny, he sees the floor like a seasoned point guard.

C: Augustinas Jankaitas, Lietuvos Rytas

You can’t move him out of the paint, it’s not even worth trying.  Jankaitas has incredible footwork and great ability to gain post position for his age.  He uses quick simply moves to over power and out maneuver his defenders.  He runs the floor hard and works the offensive glass. You can’t say anything bad about this guy, he just plays the game the right way.

ISTANBUL  —  This is where Andrei Kirilenko and Nenad Krstic were supposed to be.  This is why they came back to Europe, and this is why they signed with CSKA Moscow, a veritable powerhouse.

From the moment they stepped on the floor alongside Milos Teodosic and Alexey Shved, it was clear that it would take a mammoth effort to keep the Russians out of the Euroleague Final Four for a second straight season.

Read the full preview over at Sheridan Hoops.

All while sporting a fantastic hairstyle. As for the robot thing, I’m still not convinced.

Is Pero Antic the key to any underdog’s chances?  Props to our man Yarone Arbel for asking the questions on this one.

Kyle Hines dares CSKA’s bigs to catch him if they can.

CSKA spotted Panathinaikos a 14-point lead in the first quarter but muscled their way into Sunday’s Euroleague final by a final score of 66-64 over the reigning champions, Panathinaikos, in an all-time classic that was as physically punishing and emotionally draining as any game in recent history.

A game this compelling deserved a more iconic finish than Dimitris Diamantidis passing the ball off Andrei Kirilenko’s leg but that final 8.3 seconds followed 39:51.7 of bruising, frequently sublime basketball. Alexey Shved and Andrei Kirilenko were the keys for CSKA. Shved brought out his full repetoire and was virtually unguardable in isolation. While CSKA relied too much on isos and three point shots in the first half, Shved going one-on-one was the most effective way for CSKA to score. They couldn’t buy a jumper in the first half, but after the third quarter it was Shved breaking down the defence, relentless offensive rebounding and the red brick wall around the basket did the rest.

Kirilenko scored 17 points but it was his defence that put PAO on the back foot after a 29-15 first quarter in which CSKA’s defensive effort was entirely absent. Aleks Maric scored the first six points for PAO as he and Saras hooked up on a pick roll dream date. Kirilenko slowly but forcefully exerted imposed his will on this game, switching out on guards, blocking 4 shots, none bigger than a Mike Batiste effort with just over 2 minutes on the clock. It was the first play of a frantic finish that had refereeing controversy, missed free throws, big money jumpshots and that surreal anti-climax at the death.

Nenad Krstic had only eight points and two rebounds, but his line betrays a tremendous defensive effort that saw him regularly switch onto Diamantidis, managing to keep the wily Greek in front of him. Diamantidis was unwilling or unable to attack off the dribble, faced with a wall of huge red bodies behind Krstic should he make it past the Serbian giant. When he did, Kirilenko or Krstic himself came forcefully from the weak side with the rejection, sharing all seven of CSKA’s blocks.

A vintage Saras performance, in which he made Teodosic look like the guy in his late 30s in the first half, and a gutsy, big-balled Kostas Kaimakoglu didn’t deserve to be on the losing team. Diamantidis settled for the three point shot too often, making 1 of 9, but he had a sliver of an open three right off the catch on the final play. Taking the three for the win rather than going inside for the tie would have been brave, but there’s not time for second thoughts when the game is on the line. Whatever Obradovic called, wasn’t what happened.

Zeljko Obradovic is as close to infallible as they come in European basketball, but questions must be asked of his late game strategy. Mike Batiste was unable to do anything against the overwhelming size of Krstic, Kirilenko and Khryapa, but twice in the final minute, PAO went to him on the block. He had to kick back out the first time, and the second was a missed baby hook that gave CSKA the ball back for Teodosic to bury a baseline 15 footer and take the lead for good. Teodosic was all over the final moments, getting away with a travel but missing a pair of free throws that set us up for what should have been an eternally remembered final shot.

It was fitting that Kirilenko’s length and killer instinct for the ball won the game for CSKA. PAO overcame a talent and size disadvantage, an incredible effort to take it to the last play, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.

As Obradovic said after the game, “that’s basketball”.  And what an amazing piece of

basketball theatre this was.

Why CSKA Moscow Won

Down 14 points after the first quarter and out game-planned by Zeljko Obradovic, CSKA looked confused.  Fueled by Andrei Kirilenko seemingly being everywhere on the court at once and Alexey Shved’s ability to penetrate the lane, they came back on the heels of great defense.  The long arms of CSKA shut down passing lanes in the last three quarters and flew out to contest three point shots.

Whether it was on defense or on offense, Panathinaikos’ amazing first quarter put CSKA in attack mode for the rest of the game.  Whether it was an effort o-rebound, hustling off the ball on offense, or going straight to the cup when his team needed a bucket, Kirilenko was not letting CSKA lose this game.  In a game this close, played this tightly, every little thing he did mattered.

Why Panathinaikos Lost

Dominance.  Then a dud. Terrific. Then terrible.  That, in four nutshells, takes you through Panathinaikos’ quarterly performance reviews.

After hanging 29 on CSKA Moscow in the first period, nobody could come to grips with what had just happened.  The media section was filled with swiveling heads and raised eyebrows—”What the hell did we just witness?”—as CSKA fans put their chins in their hands and the folks in Green furiously broke into whichever chants they could agree on.

Then, something happened: things stopped happening.  Shots didn’t fall, pickers didn’t roll, and the rollers didn’t finish.  The Sarunas Jasikevicius-to-Aleks Maric combo that blasted the doors open early inched back toward the threshold and then vacated the premises entirely.

By halftime, they’d scored only five more points.  The third largely resembled the first as the Greens put up another 21, but they retreated into single digits once more in the fourth, tallying just nine on their way to the final buzzer.

Against a team with as much defensive depth as CSKA Moscow, you cannot afford to simply send your troops in waves. It takes an aggressively persistent onslaught to knock back on its heels, and a knockout punch to finish the job.  Tonight the reigning champs had neither, and they paid dearly for it.

Kirilenko’s Wings Too Wide

CSKA’s even-numbered quarters of this game were as physical and relentless a display of defense, facilitated by a thankfully laissez-faire group of referees, as you are ever likely to see.

To open the game, Saras and Aleks Maric looked like they would turn the predictions of CSKA’s impenetrability into nonsense, as the pick and roll started humming nicely, but first Krstic and then Kirilenko woke up and took PAO completely out of their rhythm. Only Aleks Maric really had the size and knowhow to unsettle the CSKA frontline, and to see Mike Batiste as a struggling, undersized weak link must have been completely dispiriting for PAO fans, not to mention Obradovic, who kept faith with him until the end.

The final play was pure instinct from Kirilenko, but the rest of the display was intimidating, versatile and almost perfectly executed. In the final quarter it felt like it would take a special kind of play for PAO to score at all. In the end, they came up one special play short.

The Coming of Shved

The year of Shved hit its climax tonight.  He dribbled into the paint without fear and took control of the offense whimsically, but forcefully.  Offensively he was one of the few players Panathinaikos couldn’t handle, as he changed the tempo for this CSKA squad and made the Greens’ guards defend.

Need numbers to back it up?  CSKA Moscow was +16 in Shved’s 19 minutes on the floor, the greatest disparity of anyone on either team.

If he hadn’t already, there is no doubt now that Shved has arrived.

Legend In A Heap

Even with Panathinaikos’ tidal offense, Zeljko Obradaovic had an opportunity that every coach worth his salt has prepared for.  What’s more: he had the perfect player to do it.

Instead of seizing what could have been a crowning achievement in an already regal career, Dimitris Diamantidis passed up a shot at a win, and at spit shining a legacy that few Euroleaguers will ever match.

It should have ended with the crowd rising to its feet simultaneously and only one half finishing the lift-off. Instead, it ended with a legend and a champion scrapping on the floor for a ball that should have been on its way to the rim.