# Official Euroleague Final Four Thread



## spongyfungy (Oct 22, 2003)

<CENTER> 










*Site of the Final Four. Moscow May 6-8*








</CENTER>
ATHENS (Euroleague) - Panathinaikos claimed the last Euroleague Final Four place on offer by winning Game Three of their quarter-final tie over Turkish giants Efes Pilsen 84-76.

Playing at the OAKA Olympic Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,000, Zeljko Obradovic's team stamped their authority on the contest from the off with excellent long-range shooting.

The Greens will now face defending champions Maccabi Tel Aviv in Moscow on May 6 in the semi-final round. Final Four hosts CSKA Moscow take on Tau Ceramica in the other semi.

Over a 25-minute stretch which began midway through the opening quarter on Thursday night, Pana sank 12 of 16 shots from behind the arc.

One of their leading players was Turkish international Ibrahim Kutluay, who was three of six from three-point range and finished with 15 points.
Veteran Kutluay played for Efes in the 1999-2000 campaign.

The hosts led by as many as 25 points late in the third quarter, and though Efes fought back brilliantly to close to within five points with just over a minute to play, the Greens held firm at the end.

Jaka Lakovic, the Slovenian international guard who has been the Greeks' most consistent player this season, had a game-high 22 points on six of 13 shooting, including three of six from behind the arc. He was also seven of eight from the free throw line.

Pana finished 12 of 25 from three-point range in the game.


----------



## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

Damn, I was going to do my own thread :curse: :biggrin: 

I think that it's going to be an exciting F4. Many people consider that the thing is between CSKA and Maccabi, but I think that the only one event in the world where Baskonia or Panathinaikos would be underdogs is the NBA finals.

Both Baskonia and Panathinaikos have great coaches. IMO the best 2 in Europe. I'm sure that Obradovic will set a great defense that will put Maccabi in trouble, and Ivanovic's Baskonia has been unstoppable in the last month, winning by +40 in some games.

I don't know who will be the champion, but I know that it's going to be an open Final Four.


----------



## sKiP~2~mY~BLUTH (Aug 11, 2004)

c'mon guys!!!
5 hours to the first game!!!
Maccabi-Pana....WoW

let the show time begin!!!


----------



## Vanapagan (Aug 21, 2004)

sKiP~2~mY~BLUTH said:


> c'mon guys!!!
> 5 hours to the first game!!!
> Maccabi-Pana....WoW
> 
> let the show time begin!!!



and the first game has passed without a single comment :banana: 


still, great game :shy:


----------



## SheriffKilla (Jan 1, 2004)

wow!
im russian so i was going for CSKA

after a poor start TAU has really come on strong


great final

to high powered teams

if CSKA looses here maybe spurs will loose to Sonics in NBA ....


----------



## deannahum (Aug 7, 2003)

okkkk... so we got the finals ! it's Maccabi vs. Tau !!!


Tau upset CSKA in thier own place !!! this is unbelieveable !!!

Maccabi will defintly win it now


----------



## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

deannahum said:


> okkkk... so we got the finals ! it's Maccabi vs. Tau !!!
> 
> 
> Tau upset CSKA in thier own place !!! this is unbelieveable !!!
> ...


It isn't going to be so easy, man.


----------



## deannahum (Aug 7, 2003)

AMR said:


> It isn't going to be so easy, man.


of coure it wont be easy but Maccabi will make it look easy if they will play good


----------



## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

deannahum said:


> of coure it wont be easy but Maccabi will make it look easy if they will play good


You're underrating Baskonia.
Luis Scola is the best inside scorer of the Euroleague.
Arvydas Macijauskas is the best outside scorer of the Euroleague.
Travis Hansen, Sergi Vidal and José Manuel Calderón are great defenders and could give some hard times to Jasikevicius or Parker.


----------



## PetroToZoran (Jul 2, 2003)

What's that I smell in the air... A repeat by Maccabi!!


----------



## sKiP~2~mY~BLUTH (Aug 11, 2004)

*Maccabi Tel Aviv - 2005 Euroleague Champions! ! ! ! ! ! !* 

B2B titles!!!!


----------



## sKiP~2~mY~BLUTH (Aug 11, 2004)

look whats happening on the streets of tel aviv:










all the maccabi fans celebratin in the streets!


----------



## deannahum (Aug 7, 2003)

Maccabi !! Maccabi !! Maccabi !! (hebrew) - tzahov !!! ole ole ! tzahov ole ole ! ole ! ole ole !!!!!! tzahov !!!!!!! maccabi alufat eyropa !!!!!

Maccabi Ruleezzz !! Sarunas please stay !!!!! we love you !!!


----------



## sKiP~2~mY~BLUTH (Aug 11, 2004)

soon pics from my friend's camera (we both were at the big celebration - 100,000 people!!!)...


----------

