Game
1 2 3 4
Barcelona 19 26 11 27
Real 19 15 26 26

2022-05-19 19:00 / Stark Arena
Compare
FC Barcelona FC Barcelona
Nikola  Mirotic
Nikola Mirotic
Points 26
Accuracy 8-14
57  %
Rebounds 12
Assists 5
Steals 2
Efficiency 39
Real Madrid Real Madrid
18 Points Guerschon  Yabusele
Guerschon Yabusele
6-9
67  %
Accuracy
8 Rebounds
1 Assists
0 Steals
24 Efficiency
FC Barcelona
Real Madrid
48%
30/63
Field goals
46%
30/65
34
Rebounds
35
20
Assists
14
4
Steals
4
51%
22/43
2-pointers
50%
22/44
1
Blocks
6
News
2022-05-20

FC Barcelona's defeat by Real Madrid in the Final Four semifinal in Belgrade adds to a series of black nights for the Catalan side against their eternal rivals.

2022-05-20

FC Barcelona squandered the chance to win the EuroLeague second year in a row after losing against Real Madrid in the semifinal.

2022-05-20

Vincent Poirier gave BasketNews a French language lesson after an incredible Final Four win against Barcelona.

At the same time, three Frenchmen delivered an excellent basketball lecture for Barcelona and all the EuroLeague fans that night.

The passion, intensity, clutchness, and character were focal points of that class, which took Real Madrid to the EuroLeague final 86-83.

"Venez, on leur marche dessus!" In French, it means something like, "Come on, let's walk them over!"

That probably was said when Real started a remarkable EuroLeague title theft.

Barcelona were up by 11 with 5:19 to play in the third quarter (54-43). But Fabien Causeur scored 5 points in a row and sparked the Royal club to a 17-2 run. An experienced guard put his team in front before the decisive quarter, 60-56.

Three French players, Fabien Causeur, Vincent Poirier, and Guerschon Yabusele, scored or assisted in all 17 Real points in that stretch.

Causeur scored seven during that run, 9 in total for the third quarter, to turn the game around.

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

"I wasn't aggressive enough in the first half. I watched 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," he continued.

Yabusele joined him, matching his career-high four 3-pointers to go for 18 points. And these were really tough shots, that required skill and guts.

Vincent Poirier brought his signature energy on the court, which translated into blocks, offensive rebounds, putbacks, and two powerful dunks that destroyed Barca's confidence in the last minutes of the game.

He went scoreless in the first half and finished the game with 6 points, five rebounds (2 ORB), and three blocks.

And when Barcelona returned to the game behind a couple of Nicolas Laprovittola threes with 2:43 to play (75-75), the unofficial 2018 Final Four MVP showed up.

2022-05-20

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.

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.

2022-05-19

Going into the semifinal against FC Barcelona, Real Madrid had a 5-losing streak against their fierce rivals, but that poor run ended when it mattered the most and punched the ticket into the final.

Real won the nail-biting thriller 86-83, and head coach Pablo Laso was proud of his team and how his players stepped up in a difficult situation.

Real Madrid made their first EuroLeague final since 2018, and despite having most of the players from the 2017-18 season, the Spanish powerhouse will be missing its brightest star Luka Doncic.

Despite that, Laso emphasized the importance of the whole team, not just one player.

"As I said, in that game, I was coaching Real Madrid, not Luka," Laso said in a press conference. "Luka was one of my players, and I'm very happy to watch Luka the way he's playing now."

2022-05-19

FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius didn't hide his disappointment after the Final Four loss to Real Madrid 83-86.

2022-05-19

Real Madrid interrupted this season's FC Barcelona curse by taking down their archrivals, 86-83 (19-19, 15-26, 26-11, 26-27), and advancing to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague final. Ergin Ataman's Anadolu Efes await Real in the ultimate match of the competition.

Real bested Barca in the pre-season Spanish SuperCup, but then lost five straight times: twice in the EuroLeague, twice in the Spanish League, and once in the Spanish Cup final.

It will be the fifth EuroLeague final for Pablo Lasso since 2013. He will seek his third title during this period.

After a superb third quarter, Real did not stop in the decisive tally. Yabusele made a tough three-pointer and Real had plus 7 (73-66) with 4:30 to go. However, Laprovittola drained two triples in a row to cut Barca's deficit to only 2 points (73-75). That was not the end as Mirotic grabbed an offensive board and tied the game at 75 with 2:40 to play.

Though, Causeur drained a three-pointer, stole the ball, converted a fast-break layup and Real were up by 5 (80-75). After a timeout, Calathes and Davies brought Barca within one (79-80) with 1:18 to go.

2022-05-19

Real Madrid started the current campaign strongly, collecting back-to-back wins that rendered them as one of the candidates to get the first spot both in the EuroLeague and the Spanish ACB League regular season.

However, some major setbacks were to appear. Los Blancos gave the impressions of a satiated ensemble, a squad well past their prime. Then, discipline issues were noted, in addition to the ongoing lack of a scorer in the backcourt, especially since Jaycee Carroll never came back to the team for another year.

For the first time in a decade, rumors regarding Pablo Laso's uncertain future started to surface. Those were the ingredients of a losing streak that is considered impermissible at a club of this magnitude. And it's not just the losses. In some cases, it's also the way they came and the negative records that were broken.

Real Madrid lost to the two of EuroLeague's weakest teams (Panathinaikos OPAP Athens and Zalgiris Kaunas), scoring only 47 points against the Lithuanian side and another 51 at Fenerbahce.

2022-05-19

Zoran Savic will be one of the hosts of the upcoming Final Four in Belgrade. The current Partizan's General Manager, former FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid player has been interviewed by Diario AS.

Savic played in two different periods at Barcelona. From 1991 to 1993 and one season at the beginning of this century (2000-01). In between, he moved to Real Madrid, where he replaced Arvydas Sabonis in 1995, losing the European semifinals against Barcelona in Paris. 

Throughout his successful career, Savic has been on the same roster with Pablo Laso and Sarunas Jasikevicius, two of the great European masterminds that will clash on Thursday. 

Savic talked about them, praising their capabilities. 

"Both are top, great," he said. "I have always thought that Saras made a mistake. He should have retired earlier. We have lost three or four seasons from him as a coach," the Serbian added. 

"When someone aims to be a head coach, he must begin as soon as possible. I love the way he led the team. He is talented and ambitious. He does not let the team to relax, that's why Palau is always packed," Savic followed in his statement about Jasikevicius. 

"Laso was one of the best assistants in Europe. He had personality and loved basketball, which is the most important thing about becoming a coach. He has been at Madrid for eleven years, winning titles and managing a deep roster. It's not easy at all," recognized Savic. 

During the interview, Savic admitted this Final Four is one of the most exciting and unexpected in recent years. 

"I can't tell you who is the favorite," he said. "I see more equal teams in each game. There are great players on each team, and I hope to see good games."

Asked about the competitiveness of the European clubs compared with the NBA franchises and how the young players leave their teams to play in the United States, Savic gave a deep vision of young players' mentality. 

"In the short term, there is nothing to do, but we can think in the future. We need to improve our facilities and build good places for youngsters to practice and study. 

Players now can easily move to Madrid to grow up before joining Partizan. There is no other way than to bet on them and explain it will be better to have success here in Europe and then go overseas being 24 or 25 years old, ready and mature enough," he stated. 

"They want to achieve things quickly. They have personal trainers as if they were tennis players. The best way to work in the summer is playing with the national teams, but no one sees this in Serbia. 

Those who succeed here will also do it in the NBA. I can't see a better place to improve than being coached by Zeljko Obradovic. Every practice is a clinic," he concluded. 

Zoran Savic will be in the Stark Arena to watch both EuroLeague semifinals. 

Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes will open the Final Four at 6 pm CET. Afterward, another edition of El Clasico will take place at 9 pm CET.

2022-05-18

Dante Exum's EuroLeague rookie year looks like a rollercoaster ride.

The Australian forward, who joined FC Barcelona in November 2021 and debuted with the Catalan side in the Spanish derby against Real Madrid on December 10, will need to put his elite athleticism to good use on Thursday night when the two teams lock horns again.

Barcelona have beaten their main rivals five straight times, but this one could be the most important of all their clashes so far in the season.

"Obviously, it's a big game because we're in the EuroLeague Final Four. We're preparing ourselves the same way we've been doing all year long," Exum told BasketNews during Barcelona's media availability ahead of the semi-final game. 

"It's going to be a hard-fought game. We know them very well and so do they. I don't even know how many times we've played them this season, but I feel like there's been many. We're going to play them a lot more times, too," he said.

2022-05-18

New York Knicks draftee and FC Barcelona's point guard Rokas Jokubaitis received recognition on the European basketball stage.

The 21-year-old won the EuroLeague Rising Star award, becoming the first Lithuanian ever to achieve such a feat.

"It's a really tiresome experience," Jokubaitis shared the experience of being in the award ceremony. "Despite that, I really enjoyed it. There were many legends, and such great players were sitting next to me. I was really impressed. Only positive vibes."

This season, including the regular season and playoffs, Jokubaitis averaged 7.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 7.6 PIR. In the Rising Star award competition, Jokubaitis beat a projected no. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama and Zalgiris Kaunas youngster Marek Blazevic.

Out of thirteen Rising Star award winners, eleven of them made it to the NBA. Jokubaitis admitted that such an achievement could help him to fulfill his NBA dream.

"It's true that all those individual awards bring the attention over there," Jokubaitis told BasketNews. "I think [Knicks] people seeing me winning the Rising Star award gives them more excitement than just simple highlights from the games. This award won't make things worse, that's for sure."

Jokubaitis was selected with the 34th pick in the last year's draft, but he almost confirmed the recent rumors about him staying in Europe for one more year.

"It's very likely that I'll stay in Barcelona for one more year, so I will try to impress them [Knicks] even more," he added.

2022-05-18

Real Madrid combo guard Fabien Causeur smiled when asked if he ever had a conversation with Luka Doncic that he owes him the MVP award.

"It's not that! But we joked about it," one of the best French guards said.

In the 2018 EuroLeague final, Causeur led Real in scoring (17 PTS) and efficiency (21 PIR) to beat Fenerbahce Istanbul 85-80.

However, the EuroLeague media decided to give the MVP award to a teenager who had just turned 19 two months before the title game. Doncic had 15 points, four assists, and 17 PIR that night.

"Of course, he played a great tournament, and I played a great tournament. But I was so happy just to get the title as a team. It's not about individual awards. If you get the MVP award, it's a cherry on the cake. But we just joked about it, and he deserved it," Causeur continued.

They had plenty of opportunities to joke about it since Causeur and Doncic were roommates that year.

They also shared the same room in Belgrade before the last EuroLeague game for Luka Doncic.

Causeur was a six-year EuroLeague veteran at the age of 30 back then. But he still couldn't calm down before the big game against Fenerbahce.

"Before the final, I couldn't sleep. It was 2:00 at night, and I couldn't sleep," Causeur told a funny story to BasketNews. "But Luka was sleeping all the time. He was snoring on the side like there was no pressure at all."

"For him, it was just another game. The kid was special, I'm telling you," Causeur added.

2022-05-18

Just before the upcoming Final Four in Belgrade, FC Barcelona star Nikola Mirotic received his first EuroLeague MVP award.

"It's been a great pleasure for me to receive this award from our greatest coach Zeljko Obradovic," Mirotic said after receiving the award. "I would like to thank my team FC Barcelona, an entire organization, coaching staff, and all the players."

"In the end, this is a team job. A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend Nick Calathes said: 'In case you win MVP, please remember me in your speech.' I said to him I will. I want to thank Nick because he makes my life way easier on the court.

He's been an amazing teammate and friend. In the end, I want to say a couple of words about who's here today. My personal coach Vujacic, who was my first coach since I started to play basketball. He really pushed me very hard to get to this point, working hard all summers together. He was the person who believed in me. This trophy also goes to him," Mirotic told in his acceptance speech.

2022-05-18

FC Barcelona have gotten the upper hand in their head-to-head encounters with Real Madrid this season, having beaten their rivals five straight times across all competitions. 

However, Sarunas Jasikevicius thinks that the third-ever EuroLeague semi-final clash between the two teams will bear no resemblance to what has preceded it.

Asked about the particularities of the game, the Lithuanian coach said "it always helps to have a good start, but the game is 40 minutes. You need to know how to react. There are many ups and downs and you need to be mentally strong for 40 minutes."

"You have to know how to react," he continued.

"It will be a bit like the Cup match, in a another gym. There are usually ups and downs and you have to know how to endure the bad times and go for more in the good times.

The Lithuanian coach relativized the importance of the previous duels against Real Madrid.

"I don’t think you can forget about what happened. Tomorrow, it’s going to be a new game. We have to take into consideration what went well and what didn’t.

Tomorrow it’s a new story, a different situation. We have to be ready for the challenge, we can't be less hungry because we've beaten Madrid a couple of times," added Barca's coach.

For Jasikevicius , facing the eternal rival in the FinalFour does not add importance to the game.

"The 'El Clasico' is a huge game, but it's a EuroLeague Final Four semi-final. So it doesn't matter if it's a clasico or not. Both teams are here for the same goal, which is to reach the final".

 

Best players
Nikola  Mirotic
26 PTS
8/14 FG
6/6 FT
Fabien  Causeur
18 PTS
6/12 FG
5/5 FT
Nikola  Mirotic
12 REB
9 DREB
3 OREB
Guerschon  Yabusele
8 REB
5 DREB
3 OREB
Nick  Calathes
9 As
0 TO
29 MIN
Real Madrid
Few players
3 As
Nikola  Mirotic
39 EFF
57% 2P%
57% 3P%
Guerschon  Yabusele
24 EFF
67% 2P%
67% 3P%
NO MIN FGM-A 2PM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB D-O REB AS ST TO BS RBS PF RF PTS EFF
5 Sertac Sanli 11:49 1-2
50%
1-2
50%
0-0
-%
0-0
0%
1-1 2 0 0 1 1 0 4 0 2 -1
11 Dante Exum 22:11 2-6
33%
2-5
40%
0-1
0%
3-4
75%
0-1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 7 4
20 Nicolas Laprovittola 28:55 6-12
50%
3-6
50%
3-6
50%
2-2
100%
1-0 1 2 0 3 0 2 2 6 17 13
33 Nikola Mirotic 32:10 8-14
57%
4-7
57%
4-7
57%
6-6
100%
9-3 12 5 2 1 0 1 2 4 26 39
99 Nick Calathes 28:57 2-6
33%
2-6
33%
0-0
-%
0-0
0%
3-0 3 9 2 0 0 0 3 3 4 14
0 Brandon Davies 23:02 7-11
64%
7-11
64%
0-0
-%
1-4
25%
2-3 5 2 0 1 0 2 3 3 15 12
10 Rolands Smits 4:19 0-0
-%
0-0
-%
0-0
-%
1-2
50%
0-2 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 1
14 Nigel Hayes-Davis 8:21 0-0
-%
0-0
-%
0-0
-%
0-0
0%
3-0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
21 Alejandro Abrines 16:41 3-8
38%
2-3
67%
1-5
20%
0-0
0%
0-1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 7 -1
22 Cory Higgins 11:29 0-2
0%
0-1
0%
0-1
0%
0-0
0%
1-0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 -1
24 Kyle Kuric 2:05 0-0
-%
0-0
-%
0-0
-%
0-0
0%
0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 -1
31 Rokas Jokubaitis 10:01 1-2
50%
1-2
50%
0-0
-%
2-3
67%
1-0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 6
200 30-63
48%
22-43
51%
8-20
40%
15-21
71%
22-12 34 20 4 9 1 6 22 23 83 89

Head Coach:

Šarūnas Jasikevičius

NO MIN FGM-A 2PM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB D-O REB AS ST TO BS RBS PF RF PTS EFF
0 Nigel Williams-Goss 0:52 0-0
-%
0-0
-%
0-0
-%
0-0
0%
0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1 Fabien Causeur 28:07 6-12
50%
5-10
50%
1-2
50%
5-5
100%
1-0 1 2 3 1 0 1 3 5 18 18
8 Adam Hanga 14:19 1-5
20%
1-4
25%
0-1
0%
2-2
100%
3-0 3 3 0 3 0 0 4 3 4 2
14 Gabriel Deck 25:23 2-3
67%
2-2
100%
0-1
0%
3-3
100%
5-2 7 1 0 1 0 0 3 2 7 12
28 Guerschon Yabusele 33:24 6-9
67%
2-3
67%
4-6
67%
2-4
50%
5-3 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 18 24
5 Rudy Fernandez 16:35 1-5
20%
0-1
0%
1-4
25%
0-0
0%
0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 -1
6 Alberto Abalde 12:44 3-5
60%
2-3
67%
1-2
50%
0-0
0%
0-1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 7 4
17 Vincent Poirier 16:56 3-6
50%
3-6
50%
0-0
-%
0-0
0%
2-3 5 1 0 2 3 0 4 0 6 6
22 Walter Tavares 18:45 4-5
80%
4-5
80%
0-0
-%
0-0
0%
2-1 3 2 0 1 3 0 2 2 8 14
23 Sergio Llull 29:10 4-14
29%
3-10
30%
1-4
25%
6-8
75%
2-1 3 3 1 1 0 0 2 7 15 14
44 Jeffery Taylor 3:45 0-1
0%
0-0
-%
0-1
0%
0-0
0%
0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 -3
3 Anthony Randolph
200 30-65
46%
22-44
50%
8-21
38%
18-22
82%
21-14 35 14 4 9 6 1 23 22 86 95

Head Coach:

Pablo Laso

Teams
FGM-A 2PM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB D-O REB AS ST TO BS RBS PF RF PTS EFF
FC Barcelona 30-63
48%
22-43
51%
8-20
40%
15-21
71%
22-12 34 20 4 9 1 6 22 23 83 89
Real Madrid 30-65
46%
22-44
50%
8-21
38%
18-22
82%
21-14 35 14 4 9 6 1 23 22 86 95