Reporting from Belgrade
The 2022 EuroLeague Final Four came to an end on Saturday, with Anadolu Efes becoming back-to-back champions.
The Turks defeated Olympiacos and Real Madrid and joined an elite club of teams that have won the title in consecutive seasons.
In a highly competitive Final Four, Efes stood tall and made history, with Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin making the difference. The Serbian guard was named the MVP for a second straight Final Four.
Meanwhile, head coach Ergin Ataman was confident his team would defend its title and is now ready for the three-peat.
Efes has already been linked to Will Clyburn and Tomas Satoransky, as Micic could move to the NBA next season. Larkin is expected to re-sign with the squad and remain in Europe.
For its part, Real Madrid missed a great chance to defy the odds and become an 11th-time EuroLeague champions. The controversial decision not to foul in the final play cost the “Whites” the win, with head coach Pablo Laso admitting the team should have fouled.
However, the EuroLeague powerhouse is expected to remain a title contender next season, but changes are set to take place in the roster.
Barcelona, the top team of the regular season, didn’t live up to the expectations, after suffering a painful loss to Real in the semi-final. Despite its deep and versatile roster, the Catalans failed to dominate and now have their sights set on the ACB playoffs.
On the other hand, Olympiacos suffered a major upset in the semi-final, after Micic hit the game-winner at the buzzer.
Despite finishing fourth with consecutive defeats, the “Reds” received a standing ovation from their fans in attendance, as more than 12K Olympiacos supporters travelled to Belgrade for the event.
The Greek giants plan to make two or three additions in the offseason, as they aim to return to the Final Four next season.
Overall, the 2022 EuroLeague Final Four was a great experience, with competitive games taking place and Anadolu Efes making history.
Hedgeout.net and Yiannis Bouranis were in Belgrade covering all the action, so follow us as we are covering all the major basketball events.
For its part, EuroLeague will soon announce the host of the 2023 Final Four, with Berlin and Istanbul emerging as the grand favorites.
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