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CSKA Moscow falls short in the end |
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Panathinaikos Athens is the Euroleague Basketball champion for 2009! Panathinaikos lifted its second crown in three years by beating last season’s champion CSKA 73-71 in a thrilling final at o2 World in Berlin on Sunday night. One of the most exciting basketball title games in history went to the wire and wasn’t decided until Ramunas Siskauskas’s attempted three at the buzzer bounced out. That allowed Panathinaikos to celebrate its fifth Euroleague title and the seventh for head coach Zeljko Obradovic, the winningest head coach in Euroleague history. Vassilis Spanoulis was named Final Four MVP after scoring 13, including a clutch triple with less than three minutes to play.
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CSKA puts Siskauskas, Lorbek on All-Euroleague second team |
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On the Saturday between Final Four games, Euroleague runner-up CSKA Moscow took a moment to celebrate two of its players, small forward Ramunas Siskauskas and center Erazem Lorbek, being named to the All-Euroleague team. It was the second such honor for Siskauskas, the first for Lorbek.
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Semifinal: CSKA survives Regal FCB in the last quarter |
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CSKA Moscow advanced to the Euroleague title game for the fourth year in a row by knocking off Regal FC Barcelona 78-82 on Friday evening in the opening game of the 2009 Euroleague Basketball Final Four at the o2 World in Berlin. Ramunas Siskauskas was the hero after scoring 18 of his career-high 29 points in the fourth quarter.
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Fan Mail: Nikos Zisis |
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He came, he saw and he helped conquer the Euroleague champions' trophy at his first Final Four last season. A year later, CSKA Moscow point guard Nikos Zisis is back and feeling an even bigger part of the title defense that his team will make in Berlin.
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Blog: Sasha Kaun |
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"For those of you who don't know me, I am one of CSKA's handful of newcomers this year, and thanks to the hard work all season, we are going to Berlin to try to keep this club's record of success going at the Final Four. That would be a great end to my rookie year as a pro."
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Interview: Erazem Lorbek |
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One of the influx of newcomers who will try to help champion CSKA Moscow defend its Euroleague title at the Final Four is center Erazem Lorbek, who has already played a big part in the team's seventh consecutive Final Four appearance. Lorbek was named the Euroleague's MVP for March and April precisely for his key role.
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Coach Interview: Ettore Messina |
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Having built a monument to success from his 33-year career on the bench, CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina arrives to Berlin with the chance to move alone into second place among the most successful coaches in the history of European basketball.
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Matjaz Smodis: Q&A, Slideshow, Video |
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In Berlin, CSKA Moscow power forward Matjaz Smodis could become just the 11th player in European club basketball history to claim four or more continental titles and just the second to do so with more than one club. The first non-Russian captain in club history, Smodis is aiming to lead CSKA to a historic repeat.
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Setting standards of excellence |
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Already one of the most accomplished clubs in world basketball history, CSKA arrives at the 2009 Final Four looking to expand on its status as the second-most successful team ever in the Euroleague. A new victory would make CSKA the first to win three titles in each of two different decades - 40 years apart.
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Wallpaper: Zoran Planinic |
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One of the most versatile talents in any backcourt, CSKA Moscow point guard Zoran Planinic is one of several newcomers faces trying to win their first Euroleague trophies while lifting the champs to a historic back-to-back. Planinic has knocked on the door before, but he plans to break it down in Berlin. Download his wallpaper!
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Aiming to repeat, CSKA sweeps to Berlin |
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CSKA returned to the Final Four soonest of all Euroleague teams after a 56-67 victory on the road before 21,352 fans in Belgrade meant a 3-0 Quarterfinal Playoffs sweep of Partizan. Another stellar defensive performance led to CSKA’s seventh consecutive Final Four as stars Ramunas Siskauskas and Matjaz Smodis shared 38 points.
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| · Final, postgame quotes - May 3, 2009 |
| · Final, pregame quotes - May 2, 2009 |
| · Semifinal, postgame quotes - May 1, 2009 |
| · Semifinal, pregame quotes - April 30, 2009 |
| · March/April MVP: Erazem Lorbek, CSKA Moscow - April 13, 2009 |
| · First to Berlin: CSKA Moscow! - April 1, 2009 |
| · Playoffs Game 3 co-MVPs: Ramunas Siskauskas, Matjaz Smodis - April 1, 2009 |
| · Playoffs, Game 2 MVP: Erazem Lorbek, CSKA Moscow - March 27, 2009 |