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Adriatic League champion: Partizan
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  Partizan outdueled Cibona 63-49 in the final game of the Adriatic League to win the league's trophy for the third straight year. It was as close as 52-49 with five minutes to go, but Partizan just took over on defense, not allowing a single Cibona point the rest of the way. Novica Velickovic was named Final Four MVP for the winners. He scored 14 of his team-high 17 points in the first half, helping Partizan earn a 38-27 halftime lead. Velickovic also pulled down a game-high 8 rebounds, while Stephane Lasme added 11 points and 6 rebounds. Alan Anderson fought like a lion to lead Cibona with 22 points and 5 steals, and Jared Homan added 11 points.Partizan Igokea won the first championship of the season by completing a spectacular Adriatic League season and beating Hemofarm Stada 69-51 in the title game in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Partizan lost only 2 Adriatic League games all season, winning the last seven of the regular season, sweeping fellow Euroleague side Cibona in the quarterfinals and then beating host Union Olimpija in the first game of the Final Four en route to the club’s second consecutive Adriatic League triumph. Nikola Pekovic scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and was named Final Four MVP as Partizan became the first team to win back-to-back Adriatic League crowns. Pekovic scored 4 points in a 10-2 run at the end of the second period that gave Partizan a 40-27 halftime lead and a further 9-0 spurt in the third period finished Hemofarm off. Uros Tripkovic added 13 points and Slavko Vranes scored 12 and had 3 blocked shots in 14 minutes for the winners. MORE |
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Austrian League champion: BSC Raiffeisen Furstenfeld
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  After 30 years of trying, the city of Wels has its first-ever Austrian League title! WBC Kraftwerk Wels let the hometown fans enjoy it in person, too, when it downed Allianz Swans Gmunden 82-80 at home on Sunday to win their best-of-five final series 3-1. Different teams from Wels had finished second in Austria nine different times since the 1970s, while in the playoff era that started in 1987, the city's clubs suffered five defeats in the Austrian League finals and four in the semis. Wels avoided a fifth game back in Gmunden when the visitors' hero, Deteri Mayes, missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied the series for his team. Instead, the trophy stayed in Wels for the first time! Bruce Fields led the winners with 18 points, while Brandon Thomas added 16, Casey Archibald 11 and Davor Lamesic 10. For Gmunden, Mayes had 25 points and Colwell 16. Gmunden played without starting point guard Anthony Fisher, who had suffered a knee in the closing moments of Game 3 a few nights earlier. MORE |
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Baltic League champion: Lietuvos Rytas
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  Lietuvos Rytas won the Baltic League for the third time in four seasons by downing arch rival Zalgiris Kaunas 97-74 in the title game on Saturday in Tartu, Estonia. Chuck Eidson was the Final Four MVP after exploding for a final-game record 41 points plus 8 rebounds and 8 assists to lead L. Rytas to its second major crown of the season. The club won the Eurocup title earlier in April. Zalgiris was the hot team early and led by 10 in the opening quarter before Eidson answered with 9 points to help L. Rytas to a 26-25 lead after 10 minutes. The scoreboard showed 52-49 at halftime, but L. Rytas put the game out of reach in the third quarter, when Eidson scored 9 and dished 3 assists as his team outscored Zalgiris 22-9. Mindaugas Lukauskis added 14 points and Marijonas Petravicius scored 13 for the winners. Dainius Salenga paced Zalgiris with 26 points, Paulius Jankunas had 11 and Eurelijus Zukauskas 10. Tartu Rock won the third-place game against ASK Riga 68-77 behind 20 points and 8 rebounds from Tanoka Beard. MORE |
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Belgian League champion: Spirou Basket Charleroi
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  Spirou Basket Charleroi is once again the Belgian League champion! Spirou lifted its eighth Belgian League trophy by sweeping the best-of-five finals against Dexia Mons-Hainaut. Spirou rounded a near-perfect domestic season - winning the Belgian League regular season and doubling with the Belgian Cup title - by beating Mons 66-57 at the Spiroudome in Game 3 on Saturday. Jerry Johnson led the winners with 14 points. Len Matela added 12 while Wes Wilkinson and Matt Walsh each had 10 for Spirou. Walsh also pulled down 11 rebounds for a double-double. Nate Reinking led Mons with 16 points while Ben Ebong and Elton Nesbitt each added 13 for the guests. An early 10-0 run put Charleroi ahead for good, 23-19. Mons stayed in the game for 35 minutes, but Sacha Massot and Jerry Johnson took over in crunch time while Spirou's defense did the rest down the stretch. MORE |
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British League champion: Newcastle Eagles
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  Newcastle Eagles won their fourth BBL Championship playoff title in five years by beating Everton Tigers 87-84 in the title game at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on Sunday. As such, Newcastle completed the Triple Crown, adding the playoff trophy to the BBL regular season and the BBL Trophy. Trey Moore paced the winners with 22 points, earning MVP honors. Reggie Jackson added 18 while Darius Defoe had 17 for the Eagles. Richard Midgley led Everton with a career-best 36 points while Olu Babalola added 15 for the Tigers. Jackson buried four three-pointers to make Newcastle get a 36-17 lead at the end of the first quarter. A 2-11 run brought Everton back to life, 38-28, but Newcastle still kept a 51-40 halftime margin. Moore helped the Eagles to make it an 18-point game, 70-52, at the end of the third quarter. Midgley took over in the fourth quarter, bringing Everton within 86-84 with 9 seconds to go. The Tigers fouled on Jackson, that made 1-for-2 free throws. Midgley missed from way downtown at the buzzer. MORE |
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Bulgarian League champion: Lukoil Academic
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  Lukoil Academic has won yet another Bulgarian League title! Lukoil lifted its seventh consecutive Bulgarian League trophy by beating Euroins Cherno More 76-85 on the road in Game 4 to win the best-of-five playoff series 3-1. Lukoil completed yet another solid season in its domestic competition, where it has become the team to beat since 2003, losing just one playoff game this year. Willie Deane paced the winners with 28 points and 9 rebounds. Leemire Goldwire added 23 points on 10-for-11 free throws while Hristo Nikolov had 12, most of them in the final 5 minutes to seal the outcome down the stretch. Corey McIntosh had 25 points for Cherno More. Atila Dos Santos added 19 while Simeon Tsenov got 17 for the hosts. It was balanced game for 31 minutes, as a three-pointer by McIntosh tied it at 60-60. Nikolov had 8 points in a 2-10 run that broke the game open, 62-70, enough for Lukoil to keep full control of the game until the final buzzer. MORE |
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Croatian League champion: Cibona
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  Cibona is once again the Croatian League champion! Cibona won its 15th Croatian League title since the competition was created in the 1991-92 season - every edition but 2003, 2005 and 2008 - by dethroning Zadar in the best-of-five title series. Cibona edged Zadar 69-71 on the road in Game 4 to win the series 3-1. Niksa Prkacin became the game hero with the game-winning layup at the buzzer. Alan Anderson led the winners with 27 points on 5-for-7 three-pointers. Davor Kus added 16 while Luksa Andric had 10 for Cibona. Todor Gecevski led Zadar with 13 points. Vladimer Boisa and Rok Stipcevic each added 11 while Hrvoje Peric had 10 for the hosts, that led 39-25 at halftime. Cibona recovered in the third quarter and got the lead, 67-69, on free throws by Anderson. Stipcevic tied the game with foul shots and it all came down to the game's final possession. Andric missed around the basket but Prkacin scored at the buzzer to win it for Cibona. MORE |
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Czech League champion: CEZ Basket Nymburk
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  CEZ Nymburk completed a remarkable season in the Czech League by sweeping to its sixth straight national title with a 74-82 road win at Geofin on Saturday. The victory meant a 4-0 sweep in the best-of-seven finals for Nymburk, which ended up winning all but one of its 50 games in played in the Czech League this season. Nymburk had more victories the previous season, when it finished with a 53-2 record, but has never lost fewer games than in 2008-09. In the last of those victories, the visitors had to rally in compelling fashion after falling behind 22-20 after one quarter, 40-34 at the half. After Geofin went ahead by as much as 15 points, 51-36 in the middle of the third quarter, Nymburk faced a 60-51 deficit after 30 minutes, Goran Jagodnik led the comeback with several baskets in a 3-24 run that not only erased the deficit, but let Nymburk raise the cup again at the final buzzer. Arthur Lee paced the winners with 22 points and 4 assists. Blake Schilb follwed with 17 points and Jagodnik 14, while Petar Benda ruled the inside with 12 points and 12 rebounds. MORE |
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Estonian League champion: BC Kalev/Cramo
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  BC Kalev/Cramo has returned to the top of the Estonian League after three seasons by dethroning two-time defending champ Tartu Rock with a thrilling 68-65 home victory in Game 6 of the finals on Monday. Kalev won the series 4-2 for its third Estonian title, all in the last five seasons. Indeed, Kalev and Tartu had met in the finals and split the previous four national titles, too. This, however, marks the first time that Kalev didn't need a Game 7 to stop Tartu. Kristjan Kangur led the winners with 12 points, while Nate Fox added 11 and Kevin Lyde 10. For Tartu, Georgi Tsintsadze fired in 26 points, including a go-ahead basket with 1:39 to play, but his team did not score thereafter. Janar Talts added 18 points for Tartu. MORE |
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Dutch League champion: EclipseJet MyGuide Amsterdam
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  EclipseJet MyGuide Amsterdam Basketball is once again the Dutch League champion! Amsterdam successfully defended the title and lifted its seventh Dutch League trophy in the last 12 years by beating EiffelTowers Den Bosch 83-71 in do-or-die Game 7 to win the best-of-seven series 4-3. Home court advantage was a big factor in this series, as no road wins took place in the finals. Teddy Gipson paced the winners with 26 points and 8 assists. CC Harrison added 21 points and 8 rebounds, Peter Van Paassen posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds while Avis Wyatt had 13 points for Amsterdam. Taron Downey led Den Bosch with 23 points. Anthony Richardson added 18 while David Jackson had 12 for EiffelTowers, that were without starting point guard Dean Oliver. Gipson had 11 points in the first quarter, including a buzzer-beating triple for a 29-18 Amsterdam lead after 10 minutes. Downey and Richardson brought EiffelTowers back to life and got the guests within 41-39 late in the first half. Van Paassen, Harrison and Wyatt fueled a game-breaking 20-3 run that sealed the outcome, 64-44. EiffelTowers managed to get within 71-63 with 8 minutes to go but Gipson made sure to keep Amsterdam way ahead until the final buzzer. MORE |
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French League champion: Asvel Basket
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  A rare single-game final for a national championship has returned Asvel Basket to its historic spot atop the French League after six years of absence. Asvel used a defensive show of force to stop Orleans 55-41 at the neutral venue of Palais Omnisports Paris-Bercy in Paris. The victory gave Asvel its 17th national title, more than any other club in France, but its first since 2002. An incredible 19-0 run in the second quarter turned the game around and set Asvel's defensive tone for the rest of its triumphant performance. Amara Sy, the only double-digit scorer for the winners, with 10 points, was named MVP. Sy also pulled 8 rebounds and dished 3 assists. Three teammates followed him with 8 points each: Ali Traore, who also had 8 rebounds, Eric Campbell and Nebojsa Bogavac. For Orleans, making its first-ever title-game appearance, Cedrick Banks had 13 points and Aldo Curti 8. Asvel became the sixth different champion since the French League went to a one-game final format six years ago, meaning no club has been able to win the title twice in that span. MORE |
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German League champion: EWE Baskets Oldenburg
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  EWE Baskets Oldenburg is the German League champion! Oldenburg outlasted Telekom Baskets Bonn 71-70 in a thrilling Game 5 to the best-of-five series that featured five lead changes and four ties in the last five minutes alone. E.J. Rowland put Bonn ahead 67-70 with 43 seconds to go, but missed a chance to ice the game from the line 21 seconds later. Jason Gardner tied the game with a three-point play with 11 seconds to go and after a Bonn turnover, Je'Kel Foster sank the game-winning free throw with 4 seconds remaining, lifting Oldenburg to its first championship ever. Rickey Paulding was named finals MVP after finishing Game 5 with 20 points. Foster added 18 for the winners, Gardner scored 14 and Ruben Boumtje Boumtje posted 9 points and 9 rebounds. Rowland led Bonn with 22 points, Patrick Flomo recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds and Brandon Bowman finished with 14 and 8. It was a nerve-racking game that was high 0n turnovers – 15 for Oldenburg, 17 for Bonn – and featured poor free-throw shooting, but Foster was able to make the one that mattered the most in the end. MORE |
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Greek League champion: Panathinaikos
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  Euroleague champion Panathinaikos completed a triple crown on Monday night in Athens by rallying to defeat archrival Olympiacos 94-81 in Game 4 of the finals to claim a seventh consecutive Greek League title. The Panathinaikos dynasty now includes five Euroleague titles, 11 Greek League crowns and seven Greek Cup trophies in the last 14 seasons. Overall, Monday's victory marked the 30th time that Panathinaikos has won the Greek League. In Game 4, the Greens rallied from a 51-51 tie early in the third quarter to lead by double-digits for much of the rest of the game and win the five-game series 3-1. Drew Nicholas led the rally and finished with Vassilis Spanoulis as their team's top scorers with 17 points. Antonis Fotsis, also key to the takeover run, added 13 points while Mike Batiste had 11 and Dimitris Diamantidis 10. Olympiacos got 21 points, including 4 of 7 three-point shooting, from Lynn Greer, while Zoran Erceg added 15 points and Josh Childress 10. The Reds were hurt by 19 turnovers, including 6 in the last quarter, when Panathinaikos stretched a five-point lead to double-digits, letting the home fans celebrate the club's newest title nice and early. Meanwhile, Maroussi Costa Coffee finished third by edging Aris BSA 2003 72-76 in Game 5 of the best-of-five series on Wednesday. Jarod Stevenson paced the winners with 25 points. MORE |
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Israeli League champion: Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv
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  Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is once again the champion of Israeli basketball after an 85-72 victory over Maccabi Haifa Heat in the final on Thursday. It wasn't easy for Maccabi, which trailed by 12 in the second quarter, but former Euroleague champs Derrick Sharp and Tal Burstein made the difference together with this season's stars Carlos Arroyo and D'or Fischer. Arroyo was named the MVP award of the finals after producing 22 points and 6 assists, while Fischer added 19 points and 11 rebounds and Omri Casspi scored 15. Haifa got 25 points by Doron Perkins, who had to earn his points from the line after drawing 18 fouls and hitting 18 free throws. Davon Jefferson added 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. In the game for third place, Altshuler Shaham Gilboa/Galil beat Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 101-96. Brian Roberts scored 18 for Galil, Elishay Kadir added 17 points and 9 rebounds and Gal Mekel scored 16. Torin Francis scored 22 for Hapoel in defeat. MORE |
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Italian League champion: Montepaschi Siena
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  Montepaschi Siena thoroughly dominated Game 4 of the Italian League finals, crushing Armani Jeans Milano 47-82 to sweep the best-of-seven series and claim its third straight championship. The result was never in doubt after the visitors scored 19 unanswered points from midway through the first quarter until early in the second to take a commanding 9-35 lead and Milano was never able to make a serious comeback. The win saw Montepaschi finish the playoffs undefeated and the entire domestic season with a 42-1 record, including the regular season and the Italian Cup. Ksistof Lavrinovic led the champs with 15 points and 8 rebounds, Romain Sato scored 14, Rimas Kaukenas 12, Terrell McIntyre tallied 11 points and 6 assists and Shaun Stonerook posted 10 rebounds. David Hawkins scored 13 to lead Armani Jeans, which struggled with its shooting and was doomed by 20 turnovers. MORE |
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Latvian League champion: BK Ventspils
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  BK Ventspils is the Latvian League champion! Ventspils won its eighth Latvian League title - its first since it lifted the trophy seven consecutive times from 2000 to 2006 - by downing Barons /LMT 82-71 in overtime at home in do-or-die Game 7 on Wednesday, enough to win the best-of-seven series 4-3. Bernard King led the winners with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Warren Carter posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Akselis Vairogs also had 15 points, Mareks Jurevicus had 12 and 10 rebounds - and earned Latvian League finals MVP - while Ronalds Zakis contributed 10 points for Ventspils. Todd Abernethy led Barons with 21 points. Kaspars Berzins added 17 and 10 rebounds while Dainius Adomaitis also posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards for the guests. A free throw by Abernerthy forced overtime, 64-64, but King and Vairogs stepped up to make the Ventspils win its eighth title. MORE |
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Lithuanian League champion: Lietuvos Rytas
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  Lietuvos Rytas is the Lithuanian League champion! L. Rytas clinched its fourth title of the season on its biggest rival's home court by beating Zalgiris Kaunas 70-82 in Game 5 of the Lithuanian League finals to take the series 4-1. Marijonas Petravicius produced 17 points and 7 rebounds and Chuck Eidson totaled 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals as L. Rytas added the league championship to the Eurocup, Baltic League, BBL Presidents Cup and Lithuanian Cup crowns. It was the club's first Lithuanian League championship since 2006. Zalgiris led early, but Donatas Zavackas scored 5 in a 2-12 second-quarter charge that gave L. Rytas the lead for good .The visitors' lead peaked at 42-60 on Justinas Sinica’s three-pointer early in the third quarter. Zalgiris stormed back as Dainius Salenga led a 14-2 charge and the hosts would get as close as 6 on multiple occasions, but an Eidson three-point play midway through the fourth quarter put L. Rytas up 11 and the visitors held on to seal the win and championship. Zavackas finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Salenga led Zalgiris with 23 points, Paulius Jankunas added 15 points and 9 rebounds and Jonas Maciulis netted 14 in defeat. MORE |
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Montenegrin League champion: KK Buducnost Podgorica
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  Buducnost Podgorica wrapped up its third consecutive Montenegrin League and Cup double Monday sweeping the playoffs finals 3-0. Buducnost bested Primorje 97-72 in Game 3 at Moraca Hale behind 18 points from Nemanja Gordic. Milos Bojovic added 17 points, Vladimir Dragicevic netted 15 and grabbed 7 rebounds. Marko Popovic scored 12 and Masko Simonovic 10. Boris Lalovic led Primorje with 25 points plus 6 rebounds and Goran Pejovic added 22 points. The game was closer than the 25-point margin of victory would indicate. Primorje started well thanks to Lalovic and trailed by just 2 after 10 minutes, but Buducnost got better and Dragicevic gave the hosts their first double-digit lead, 38-27, midway through the second quarter. Primorje stormed back in the second half punishing the hosts’ missed shots with fast break opportunities to get within 66-62 with a minute remaining in the third quarter. Buducnost head coach Dejan Radonjic took a timeout after which Bojovic paced a 19-2 charge that sealed the win. Even with youngsters Filip Barovic, Nemanja Djurisic and Mladen Novakovic on the floor for the last three minutes, Buducnost padded its lead and celebrated the title and a second straight undefeated campaign. MORE |
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Polish League champion: Asseco Prokom Sopot
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  Asseco Prokom Sopot is the Polish League champion for the sixth straight season! Prokom turned away rival PGE Turow Zgorzelec 96-74 in Game 5 to take the best-of-seven Polish League finals 4-1. Qyntel Woods shined with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the perennial champs. Prokom, which lost Game 2 at home and worked hard to win Games 2 and 4 on the road, showed it was happy to be back in Sopot by pulling away with a 32-13 second quarter to erase a slow start take an 11-point halftime lead. The advantage slowly increased throughout the second half and eventually crossed the 20-point barrier as Prokom was able to start celebrating long before the final buzzer. David Logan added 17 points, making 3 of 6 three-pointers to lead Prokom's perimeter attack that was 9 for 18 from downtown. Turow made just 6 of 28 triples (21.4%). Dan Ewing scored 14 and Tyrone Brazelton 11 for the champs. Tyus Edney and Damir Miljkovic paced Turow with 18 points apiece and Chris Daniels accounted for 9 points and 12 rebounds in defeat. MORE |
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Portugal League champion: Sport Lisboa Benfica
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  Sport Lisboa Benfica is the Portuguese League champion! Benfica lifted its first Portuguese League trophy in 14 years by sweeping the best-of-seven title series against Ovarense Dolce Vita. Benfica - the undefeated regular season champion - rounded a near-perfect domestic season by edging Ovarense 63-71 in Game 4 in Ovar on Saturday. Elvis Evora led the winners with 22 points and 8 rebounds. Sergio Ramos added 17 points for Benfica. Nuno Manarte had 17 points for Ovarense while Rolan Roberts added 14 and 9 rebounds in defeat. Ovarense led 18-17 after 10 minutes but Benfica used outstanding defense to get the lead for good. Benfica allowed just 5 points in the second quarter while Evora and Ramos helped the guests to get a double-digit lead, 23-34, at halftime. Benfica managed to keep a safe lead throughout the second half, leading 38-47 after 30 minutes. The guests sealed the outcome minutes before the final buzzer, enough for all Benfica fans to celebrate another Portuguese League title! MORE |
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Russian League champion: CSKA Moscow
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  CSKA Moscow is once again the Russian League champion! CSKA lifted its seventh consecutive Russian League crown, its 16th since the Russian League was created in 1992 and its 40th counting Soviet Union titles by winning its best-of-five title series against BC Khimki Moscow region by 3-1. CSKA bounced back from yesterday's controversial loss by simply overwhelming Khimki 45-78 on the road in Game 4 on Monday, more than enough to lift the trophy at the end of the game. Erazem Lorbek led 5 CSKA players in double digits with 14 points. Trajan Langdon and Matjaz Smodis each added 13 while J.R. Holden and Viktor Khryapa had 10 apiece for CSKA. Jorge Garbajosa and Kelly McCarty each had 8 points for Khimki. CSKA led 9-24 after 10 minutes and boosted its margin to 20-40 at halftime. CSKA excelled in defense throughout the entire game and soon made it a 30-point game, 27-57, to seal the outcome late in the third quarter. MORE |
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Serbian League champion: Partizan
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  For the eighth season in a row - but the first of those in which it had to win a do-or-die Game 5 in the playoff finals - Partizan Belgrade is the Serbian League champion! Partizan outgunned archrival Crvena Zvezda by 73-61 at home on Saturday to win their best-of-five series 3-2. Partizan had won the same series the previous seven years in a row in either four or three games. It's last five-game series for a domestic title was in 2000-01, when it lost Game 5 to defending champion Buducnost. This time, Partizan shook off an even first half to burst ahead in the third quarter and hold C. Zvezda at bay the rest of the way. Point guard Aleksandar Rasic was the big gun for Partizan, pouring in 17 points behind 3 three-pointers and 8-for-10 free-throw shooting. Stephane Lasme followed with 12 points for the winners and Jan Vesely with 11, both taking their first titles with the team. Milenko Tepic dished 4 assists and Lasme 3 for Partizan. For C. Zvezda, Marko Marinovic put up 15 points while Tadija Dragicevic added 11, but after Partizan's third-quarter blast, the visitors could not get close enough to threaten the lead. As such, the title stayed with Partizan for an eighth consecutive season. MORE |
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Slovenian League champion: Union Olimpija
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  Union Olimpija is once again the Slovenian League champion! Olimpija clinched its 15th Slovenian League title by downing Helios Domzale 3-0 in the best-of-five playoff series - the same finals as in the last two seasons. Olimpija earned the right to lift the Slovenian League trophy by beating Helios 69-58 in Game 3 in Ljubljana on Tuesday, enough to sweep the series. Jasmin Hukic led the winners with 12 points. Damjan Rudez added 10 while Jaka Klobucar and Vladimir Golubovic each had 9 points for Olimpija. Alvin Snow had 20 points for Helios while Jan Mocnik added 12. A tip-in by Vuk Ivanovic gave Helios its last lead, 9-11. Brian Greene and Golubovic led a 9-0 run that allowed Olimpija to get a 18-11 edge early in the second quarter. Rudez stepped up with 7 unanswered points while Miha Zupan struck from downtown to break the game open, 28-13. Golubovic and Zupan kept pacing Olimpija while a layup by Klobucar made it a 17-point game, 42-25, at halftime. Snow, Aleksej Laskevic and Mocnik gave Helios some hope, 58-47, late in the third quarter. Greene had 4 points in a 6-0 run that sealed the outcome, 69-50, midway through the fourth quarter, enough for all Olimpija fans to celebrate another Slovenian League title! MORE |
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Spanish League champion: Regal FC Barcelona
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  Regal FC Barcelona is the Spanish League champion. Barcelona capped a splendid season in which it also reached the Euroleague Final Four by beating Tau Ceramica 90-77 to take the best-of-five Spanish League finals 3-1. Juan Carlos Navarro was named MVP of the finals after shining with 19 points on 5 of 8 three-point shooting and 9 assists in the decisive Game 4. Navarro scored 14 points in the first half to propel Barcelona ahead 43-33 at the break as it coasted to the win at a rocking Palau Blaugrana, which set records for the most noise ever at a Spanish League game. Barcelona captured its 15th Spanish League crown and first since 2004. Barcelona, which shot 12 for 23 from behind the arc as a team, got 18 points apiece from big men David Andersen and Fran Vazquez, while Gianluca Basile fired in 17. Barcelona led by as many as 18 in the third quarter, though Tau did make a valiant effort to get back within single digits. However Barcelona and Navarro at home with the passionate support of the fans would not be denied as it cashed in for the trophy. Igor Rakocevic paced Tau with 20 points and 5 assists and Tiago Splitter posted 15 points and 8 rebounds. MORE |
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Swiss League champion: SAV Vacallo Basket
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  SAV Vacallo Basket is the Swiss League champion! Vacallo lifted its first Swiss League trophy by downing Lugano Tigers 93-84 in Game 3 of the best-of-five title series, enough to win it 3-0. Vacallo, that made it to the Swiss first division at the end of the 2006-07 season, needed just two years to win the Swiss Cup and a Swiss League title. Matt Schneidermann paced the winners with 20 points, leading 6 Vacallo players in double digits. Rickey Gibson added 16, Slaven Smiljanic had 14, Nikola Dacevic got 13, Martin Mihajlovic contributed 12 while Andrea Crnogorac scored 10 points for Vacallo. Mohammed Abukar and Dusan Mladjan each had 17 points for Lugano in defeat. Kameron Gray added 13 for the guests, that trailed 49-37 at halftime. Lugano managed to rally and get a 58-62 margin late in the third quarter, but Schneidermann struck twice from downtown in a 10-0 run that fixed the score at 68-62 after 30 minutes. Vacallo sealed the outcome minutes before the final buzzer, allowing a sellout crowd to celebrate that their team is the new Swiss League champion! MORE |
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Turkish League champion: Efes Pilsen
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  Efes Pilsen is once again the Turkish League champion! Efes won its 13th Turkish League title - its first since 2005 - by dethroning Fenerbahce Ulker in the best-of-seven finals, winning the series 4-2. Efes rounded a perfect domestic season - the team had won the Teknosa Turkish Cup trophy in late February - by edging FB Ulker 76-79 in Game 6 at Abdi Ipecki on Wednesday. Efes rallied from a 0-2 deficit in the series to win the title. Kaya Peker paced the winners with 23 points on 10-for-12 two-pointers and 9 rebounds. Bootsy Thornton added 10 points for Efes. Willie Solomon had 14 points for Efes while Emir Preldzic added 10 for the hosts, that led 25-21 after 10 minutes. An outstanding Peker - 17 points in the first half - and consecutive three-pointers by Erden Arslan allowed Efes to get its biggest lead, 37-48, late in the first half. Damir Mrsic and Solomon helped Fener to tie the game, 54-54, while an outstanding Preldzic completed the hosts' comeback, 69-67, with 4 minutes to go. Thornton and Peker stepped up while Smith followed a key triple with a critical dunk off a steal to seal the outcome, 76-79, in the final seconds. MORE |
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Ukrainian League champion: Azovmash Mariupol
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  BC Azovmash Mariupol is the Ukrainian League champion! Azovmash won its fourth consecutive Ukrainian League title - sixth overall - by downing BC Donetsk 78-90 in Game 3 of the best-of-five finals, enough to sweep the series. Dijon Thompson led the winners with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Serhiy Lishchuk added 17, Marius Prekevicius and Rolandas Jarutis each had 11 while Hasan Rizvic got 10 for Azovmash. Chris Owens led Donetsk with 37 points and 13 rebounds. Demetrius Alexander added 17 points for the hosts, that already trailed 2-12 early. Andres Rodriguez tried to change things for the hosts but an unstoppable Rizvic and a triple by Richard Guinn made it a 15-point game, 12-27, at the end of the first quarter. Azovmash kept playing with high intensity in defense. A three-pointer by Goran Cakic highlighted a 0-11 run that broke the game open, 18-45, late in the second quarter. A free throw by Simonas Serapinas fixed the halftime score at 27-50. Alexander stepped up with back-to-back baskets immediately after the break. He found some help from Owens to give Donetsk some hope, 51-62, late in the third quarter. Lishchuk and Thompson took over to keep Azovmash out of troubles throughout the fourth quarter, enough for the guests to win another Ukrainian League title! MORE |
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