Hard work, competitiveness, clear guidelines and good decisions on and off the court have allowed Pablo Laso to take Real Madrid to the top of Europe again and again in the last decade.

Final Four head coach: Pablo Laso, Real

Between its eighth EuroLeague title in 1995 and 2011, when Laso was hired, Real appeared in two Final Fours, without a victory in either. It won three Spanish Leagues but zero Spanish Cups in the same span. Now in his 11th season on the bench, Laso has just reached his seventh Final Four and has led Real to two EuroLeague trophies as well as five Spanish League and six Spanish Cup crowns.

Laso remade Real into a EuroLeague title contender right away. In his second season, Real finished second at the 2013 Final Four after reaching the club's first championship game in 18 years. Real was runner-up again in 2014 following the first overtime to decide a continental champion since 1969. Laso's third consecutive championship game was the charm, however, as Real left no doubts at the 2015 Final Four and lifted the trophy before its home fans in the Spanish capital. In 2018, Laso and Real were back to claim the club's 10th title on the same Stark Arena court in Belgrade where they will contest this season's Final Four.

Laso's coaching philosophy has been clear since he arrived: strong defense leading to fun-to-watch transition basketball. It's no surprise that this former point guard has coached three playmakers – Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Llull and Luka Doncic – to EuroLeague MVP seasons.

If his place in the Real Madrid story is already set, so is Laso's status among the continent's best coaches. He ranks second this century in EuroLeague victories per season (21.4), fourth in total victories (235) and fourth in winning rate (69.3%). At the Final Four, his winning rate of 58.3% ranks second and his 7 total victories third.

Most importantly, Laso has built a team culture that combines winning and exciting basketball in ways that inspire great deeds from his players. In Belgrade, they return to the scene of their last continental triumph looking to go all the way to the trophy again, together.

The mastermind behind the success of Anadolu Efes over the past four years is Ergin Ataman, who has long cemented his place in club history. Ataman made history in his first stint with the club when he coached Efes to its maiden Final Four appearance in 2000. Now in his third tenure on the Efes sidelines, he has done what no other Turkish-born coach has ever come close to by making three consecutive Final Four appearances, culminating with the raising of the 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown. 

Final Four head coach: Ergin Ataman, Efes

What started as a basketball feel-good story in the 2018-19 season, when Ataman guided Efes to its first EuroLeague Championship Game appearance just one year after the club finished the regular season in last place, turned out to be the start of something special. That was not only the biggest turnaround in EuroLeague history, but also the beginning of Efes's offensive dominance behind Ataman's vision and deep belief in his system, and his core of hand-picked players.

Sticking to a fast-paced style with swift ball movement and trusting that it can outscore score any opponent, only one team has more wins than the 96 that Efes has registered under Ataman over the last four seasons. The 2021 EuroLeague crown with Efes was the cherry on top for Ataman and his fourth different continental title. He won the Saporta Cup with Montepaschi Siena in 2002, the EuroChallenge with Besiktas Istanbul in 2012 and the 7DAYS EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul in 2015, a feat only two other coaches have accomplished in European basketball history.

Now, Ataman aims to repeat as EuroLeague champion, something no coach has done in 17 years and just two have accomplished in the Final Four era dating to 1988. No matter the outcome, however, Ataman has already cemented his status among the crème de la crème of European coaching.

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2022-05-19T16:00:00.000Z)

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS33

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS32

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS21

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO4

After winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title in his first season with Olympiacos Piraeus back in 2013, Georgios Bartzokas is hoping to crown his second spell with the Reds by gaining another continental crown.

Final Four head coach: Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos

Beating CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid at the 2013 Final Four in London saw Olympiacos retain the trophy that had been won 12 months previously by his predecessor, the late Dusan Ivkovic. That rare EuroLeague title defense also saw Bartzokas honored with the Alexander Gomelsky Coach of the Year award after concluding his first season in charge of the Reds in the best possible manner.

His first stint with Olympiacos ended in 2014, but more success soon followed as Bartzokas took the helm at Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and led an exciting team – featuring the talents of Malcolm Delaney, Chris Singleton and Anthony Randolph – to the 2016 Final Four.

A tough season during a transitional spell at FC Barcelona followed, but Bartzokas regained momentum with a successful return to Russia, taking Khimki Moscow Region to the playoffs for the first time in club history in 2018.

Since re-joining Olympiacos in January 2019, Bartzokas has already achieved the notable triumph of guiding one of European basketball's best-known clubs into a new era.

With the legendary Vassilis Spanoulis having already left the stage and Georgios Printezis nearing retirement at age 37, Bartzokas faced the difficult task of leading a new generation of players to the same great heights reached by that duo of club icons.

He has made that happen by relying on a club culture of non-stop effort that led the Reds to their glories of the past decade, but also by instilling a desire to play offensive basketball at a high tempo to make his team a potent force at both ends of the floor.

By guiding the Reds back to the Final Four after a five-year absence, Georgios Bartzokas's chapter in the Olympiacos history books is being expanded with each new victory.

Georgios Bartzokas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO5

Georgios Bartzokas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO3

Georgios Bartzokas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21

Georgios Bartzokas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS28

Not every European basketball legend is able to be successful as a player and coach, but Sarunas Jasikevicius certainly has managed to do so. By making it to Belgrade this season, "Saras" has become the first person ever to participate in at least three Final Fours as a player and three more as a head coach.

Final Four head coach: Sarunas Jasikevicius, Barcelona

Jasikevicius won four Turkish Airlines EuroLeague titles as a superstar point guard for FC Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv – twice – and Panathinaikos Athens. Indeed, he is the only player in EuroLeague history to win the crown with three different teams.

Before Jasikevicius arrived, Barca had not qualified to the Final Four since 2014 and had not won a semifinal since last going on to lift the trophy in 2010. Things changed in the 2020-21 campaign, when Jasikevicius guided his first Barca team all the way to the EuroLeague Championship Game before losing against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. He also led Barca to its first Spanish double – league and cup titles – since 2011.

Jasikevicius started his coaching career with Zalgiris Kaunas, first as an assistant before moving to the head of the bench in January 2016. He took Zalgiris to the 2018 Final Four in what was the club's first appearance in European club basketball's signature event since its title-winning season in 1999. His ties to Barcelona are strong, too, as Jasikevicius was the starting point guard when the club won its long-awaited first EuroLeague crown in 2003.

Over the last two seasons, Barca has thrilled fans at Palau Blaugrana with high-energy basketball at both ends, with loads of defensive pressure, outstanding ball circulation and efficient offense. No EuroLeague team has taken more two-point shots in that span and none except Barca has averaged more than 40% efficiency from beyond the arc during that time.

Jasikevicius has managed to keep everyone on a very talented roster happy with their roles and involved in the collective success. Should they all make one more step together in Belgrade than they did last year, Saras will add to his growing legacy by becoming just the third person in over 60 years to win the EuroLeague as both a player and a coach.

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO1

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2022-05-19T19:00:00.000Z)

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO5

Sarunas Jasikevicius celebrates - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO5

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO3

The most decorated club in Turkish basketball, Anadolu Efes Istanbul reached new heights last season by winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time. Now Efes looks to double down on its historic achievement and enter the glorified company of teams that successfully defended the crown.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: The champs are back

This marks the third consecutive Final Four appearance for Efes, a run of success that came after nearly two decades without reaching the continent's signature basketball event. Over the past four years, Efes has made it a priority to keep the core of its team intact, both the players and coaching staff, and together they have worked wonders. 

Eleven different players from the squad that reached the 2019 championship game are still with the team. That group is guided by head coach Ergin Ataman and headlined by 2020-21 EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic and All-EuroLeague guard Shane Larkin. They are joined by Krunoslav Simon, Bryant Dunston, Tibor Pleiss, Adrien Moerman, Rodrigue Beaubois and James Anderson. Chris Singleton joined them a year later.

Top 10 Plays | Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

With Filip Petrusev and early-season signing Elijah Bryant as the only new arrivals to the championship-winning squad from last season, the team suffered from a hangover when it became the first defending champion to lose its first four games the next season. Efes responded by winning six of its next eight to even its record as back-to-back MVP of the Round honors from Larkin and Micic helped Efes finally reach a winning record at halfway point of the regular season in late December. 

Each of the Efes superstars each picked up two more such honors in the second half of the season, when Micic heated up in particular. He scored at least 20 points in 10 of his last 14 regular-season appearances en route to becoming the EuroLeague's top scorer with 18.2 points per game. Ranking second during the regular season with 83.1 points per game and leading the EuroLeague with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.56, Efes clinched a playoff spot with two games left to play and finished in sixth place with a 16-12 record.

Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Rodrigue Beaubois, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Chris Singleton, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Dogus Balbay, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Erten Gazi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Adrien Moerman, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Bugrahan Tuncer, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Tibor Pleiss, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

James Anderson, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Filip Petrusev, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Bryant Dunston, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Krunoslav Simon, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Ergin Ataman, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Anadolu Efes Istanbul celebrates

After riding its offense throughout the regular season, Efes had a dream start to the best-of-five playoffs against AX Armani Exchange Milan thanks to its defense. Coach Ataman's charges held Milan to 48 points – the fewest ever allowed by a road team in the EuroLeague Playoffs – in winning Game 1 by a comfortable margin. Efes finished the job with two home wins in a sold-out Sinan Erdem Dome as its defense gave up a playoffs-low 64.0 points, while Pleiss, Micic and Larkin starred on offense. The latter was chosen as EuroLeague MVP for April as Efes claimed a 3-1 series win and a return to the Final Four. 

After getting through the thick and thin of the season, Efes now has the weight of making it to Belgrade off its shoulders. With arguably the most dangerous backcourt duo on the continent surrounded by a dozen experienced winners, Efes is ready to make a run at the EuroLeague title, and a place in history, again.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul celebrates - EB21-PO4

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

Elijah Bryant - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS34

Bugrahan Tuncer - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS33

Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS19

Tibor Pleiss - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO2

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS30

Bryant Dunston - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO1

Krunoslav Simon - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS26

Dogus Balbay - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21

Real Madrid is the most crowned club in European basketball history, with a record 10 EuroLeague trophies, four more than its nearest pursuer.

Real Madrid: Déjà vu four years later

Having won the last of those 10 titles in 2018 at Stark Arena in Belgrade, Real now returns to the Serbian capital with the same head coach and a similar core of players to try to claim an 11th continental crown in the very same building.

 Over more than a decade, head coach Pablo Laso has guided Real through a new golden age with a simple if hard-to-execute recipe – strong defense leading to transition scoring – carried out by a core of players known for competing at their maximum at all times. Continuity is part of Real's formula, with no fewer than seven players – Fabien Causeur, Anthony Randolph, Rudy Fernandez, Walter Tavares, Sergio Llull, Trey Thompkins and Jeffery Taylor – still on the roster four years after lifting the EuroLeague trophy together in Belgrade.

Led by Tavares, who was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for November, Real won 11 of its first 13 games, lodging itself in the most privileged part of the standings for the remainder of the regular season. Making his mark in the Spanish capital, too, was newcomer Guerschon Yabusele, who was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for January after starring throughout a nine-game winning streak that boosted Real's record to 23-3.

Top 10 Plays | Real Madrid | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In February, however, Real lost four consecutive games without reaching the 70-point mark and registering its all-time EuroLeague low in points, 47, against Zalgiris in Kaunas. In part due to injuries, Real kept struggling until the end of the regular season, and by the time it finished had dropped to fourth place in the standings. No player on the team appeared in all of Real's regular-season games. A home loss in its regular-season finale against FC Bayern Munich left fans wondering, but that's precisely when Real regained its rhythm and championship-level character. 

In the playoffs, Real had the home-court advantage against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in what was a true Euro-classic. Game 1 would mark their 65th meeting since the 1960s, making it the most-played rivalry in European club competitions history. Causeur had 20 points to lead Real to an 84-74 home win in Game 1. Vincent Poirier's double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds helped fill a resounding 95-66 victory in Game 2. Real finished the work in Tel Aviv, downing Maccabi 76-87 behind Llull's 18 points and 6 assists to sweep the series and claim a Final Four ticket sooner than any other team.

Nigel Williams-Goss, Real Madrid

Fabien Causeur, Real Madrid

Juan Nunez, Real Madrid

Anthony Randolph, Real Madrid

Thomas Heurtel, Real Madrid

Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid

Alberto Abalde, Real Madrid

Adam Hanga, Real Madrid

Carlos Alocen, Real Madrid

Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid

Vincent Poirier, Real Madrid

Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

Sergio Llull, Real Madrid

Guerschon Yabusele, Real Madrid

Eli Ndiaye, Real Madrid

Trey Thompkins, Real Madrid

Jeffery Taylor, Real Madrid

Pablo Laso, Real Madrid

Real Madrid celebrates

Packing great memories from 2018, Real returns to Belgrade very much aware of its advantages as a team: size around the basket, good-as-gold experience and, above all, the character and pride that were evident in its 180-degree pivot from a difficult end of the regular season to dominance in the playoffs. 

It is mandatory for Real players to leave their hearts on the court; that has been in the club's DNA for decades. Many on this roster did just that four years ago in Belgrade, and history tells us that whoever wears the Real Madrid jersey is more than capable of doing it again.

Nigel Williams-Goss - Real Madrid - EB21-PO3

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - EB21-PO3

After falling short of the playoffs in the 2020-21 season, Olympiacos Piraeus restocked its roster by adding Turkish Airlines EuroLeague experience in the backcourt with Thomas Walkup and Tyler Dorsey, while power in the paint was provided by the arrival of Moustapha Fall.

Olympiacos Piraeus: Return of the red wave

But the majority of the roster was kept in place, and that sense of continuity contributed to a strong start to the season with successive home wins over Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Real Madrid. The Reds suffered their first defeat on the road in Round 3, but even that was a source of optimism as head coach Georgios Bartzokas's men pushed his former team, FC Barcelona, all the way, losing 79-78 on the last shot of the game.

The sense that Olympiacos was heading in the right direction was strengthened by four wins in the next five games, with each of those victories coming at home. Especially memorable was a 67-65 home victory over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 7 that Kostas Sloukas decided with the game-winning basket with just 2 seconds on the clock.

Top 10 Plays | Olympiacos Piraeus | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The team's away form remained a worry as the Reds lost their first four road games, before finally getting that monkey off their back in impressive fashion with back-to-back victories at fellow high-fliers AX Armani Exchange Milan and UNICS Kazan in Rounds 12 and 13, respectively.

More momentum was built with a fabulous finish to 2021. Comprehensive home victories over FC Bayern Munich (83-60) and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (89-54) proved that Olympiacos's famous smothering defense could be complemented by explosive offense, but fans were made even happier by a thumping road win over local rival Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (65-84).

Olympiacos hit their worst form of the season early in 2022, losing four consecutive games to threaten their place in the playoffs. But a Round 25 away victory at Baskonia allowed Bartzokas's squad to get back on track. Thus began a run of four straight wins – including a thrilling 87-85 home triumph over reigning champ Anadolu Efes Istanbul that was settled by another Sloukas game-winner – during which all-action forward Sasha Vezenkov become the EuroLeague MVP for February.

That positive run sealed Olympiacos's place in the playoffs, and another series of victories – including a wildly celebrated 101-73 downing of Panathinaikos – let the Reds finish the regular season in second place with a 19-9 record.

Thomas Walkup, Olympiacos Piraeus

Tyler Dorsey, Olympiacos Piraeus

Michael Lountzis, Olympiacos Piraeus

Giannoulis Larentzakis, Olympiacos Piraeus

Mousthapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus

Kostas Sloukas, Olympiacos Piraeus

Hassan Martin, Olympiacos Piraeus

Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

Georgios Printezis, Olympiacos Piraeus

Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos Piraeus

Livio Jean-Charles, Olympiacos Piraeus

Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos Piraeus

Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus

Olympiacos Piraeus celebrates

The playoffs series against AS Monaco started with a defensively dominant 71-54 home win for Olympiacos. But any thoughts of an easy passage through the playoffs were obliterated when the men from the principality showed their offensive power by bouncing back to win 72-96 in Game 2.

Heading to Monaco needing a road win to keep the series alive, the Reds immediately achieved that aim by claiming Game 3, 83-87, behind 21 points from Sloukas and 17 from Vezenkov, before Monaco edged Game 4 to send the series back to Piraeus for a decider. A blistering second quarter from Shaquielle McKissic (16 points in 7 minutes) allowed Olympiacos to withstand the visiting team's explosive offense before Sloukas finished the job in the final quarter to seal a 94-88 victory.

The Reds' return to the Final Four for the first time since 2017 comes with an advisory: only one other club has ever posted a better record (8-2) or had a longer winning streak (five and counting) in the semifinals than Olympiacos, whose absence has only made the hearts of its fans grow fonder of their team's legacy at European basketball's signature showcase.

Thomas Walkup - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21

Tyler Dorsey - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO5

Michalis Lountzis - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21

Giannoulis Larentzakis - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS33

Moustapha Fall - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS25

Kostas Sloukas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO1

Hassan Martin - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO5

Sasha Vezenkov - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO2

Georgios Printezis - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS26

Livio Jean-Charles - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21

Shaquielle McKissic - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO1

After coming so close to the title last season, losing to Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the championship game, FC Barcelona has its sights set on going one better this time around. In that quest, Barca has looked every inch a serious title candidate throughout the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign.

FC Barcelona: Aiming for one better

Ahead of his second season in charge, Barca head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius bolstered his options by signing rising star guard Rokas Jokubaitis and versatile Nigel Hayes-Davis from his former club Zalgiris Kaunas, shooting star Nicolas Laprovittola from archrival Real Madrid and big man Sertan Sanli from Efes.

The revamped roster immediately showed it was a force to be reckoned with, blasting ALBA Berlin 96-64 on opening night with all 12 players scoring and grabbing at least a rebound each in a fulsome display of all-around power. That scintillating start was the prelude to a six-game winning run, after which Barca never lost its position in the top two of the standings throughout the regular season.

Top 10 Plays | FC Barcelona | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

That doesn't mean it was easy. Injuries to key backcourt stars Nick Calathes and Cory Higgins, along with the long-term absence of Alex Abrines, forced Barca into the mid-season recruitment of Dante Exum, while Jasikevicius also gave significant playing time to several young players to cover for various other personnel problems.

Despite those challenges, Barca invariably found ways to win. With forward Nikola Mirotic often to the fore – earning the league's MVP of the Month award for both October and December – the Blaugrana never lost more than two consecutive games and flexed the confidence and ability to beat the best, with two wins each against Efes and Real, both of whom would make it to the Final Four, too. 

A run of nine straight victories between November and December followed by eight out of nine won early in the new year allowed Jasikevicius's team to wrap up first place in the regular-season standings with time to spare, finishing two wins clear of the chasing pack with a 21-7 record.

Brandon Davies, FC Barcelona

Dante Liman Exum, FC Barcelona

Sertac Sanli, FC Barcelona

Sergi Martinez, FC Barcelona

Rolands Smits, FC Barcelona

Nigel Hayes-Davis, FC Barcelona

Pierre Oriola, FC Barcelona

Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona

Alex Abrines, FC Barcelona

Cory Higgins, FC Barcelona

Kyle Kuric, FC Barcelona

Rokas Jokubaitis, FC Barcelona

Nicola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Michael Caicedo, FC Barcelona

James Nnaji, FC Barcelona

Nick Calathes, FC Barcelona

Sarunas Jasikevicius, FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona celebrates

The fitness issues eased up ahead of the playoffs, with only Higgins sidelined for the team's series with FC Bayern Munich. Barca would need every weapon at its disposal to down the dogged German team over five grueling games, eventually finding a way to score against Bayern's outstanding defense in the second half of decisive Game 5, turning a 31-37 half-time deficit into an 81-72 home victory to secure a return to the Final Four.

Barca arrives in Belgrade with the third-best offense in the competition (81.4 points per game), ranked second in assists (18.2) and first in three-point shooting accuracy (40.1%). That offensive power is supplemented by a solid defense that allowed just 75.5 points per game, featuring particularly strong interior resistance (49.8% two-pointers allowed, second-best in the competition). 

And perhaps most importantly, with the majority of the roster returning from last season's Final Four, there is also plenty of hunger to erase those bitter memories and ensure Barca leaves Belgrade as EuroLeague champion for the first time since 2010.

Nick Calathes celebrates - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO5

Dante Liman Exum - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO1

Nigel Hayes-Davis - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS28

Nicolas Laprovittola - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO2

Michael Caicedo - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS32

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

In the first semifinal, a stellar rivalry arrives to the Final Four stage for the first time after 44 games already this century, with the series tied 22-22. Efes has won seven of the most recent eight games against the Reds, all except the last one in Piraeus back in February, when Kostas Sloukas hit a season-defining buzzer-beater in overtime to win it 87-85 for Olympiacos. Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgios Printezis, with seven EuroLeague titles between them, lead a cast of Final Four newcomers led by Sasha Vezenkov, Thomas Walkup, Moustapha Fall and Tyler Dorsey into Belgrade. With another former champion, head coach Georgios Bartzokas, on the bench and the knowledge of having won a do-or-die Game 5 to reach the Final Four, Olympiacos knows what to expect. What's more, this club has met more first-night expectations than any other club in the Final Four era stretching back to 1988. Only one other team tops the 8-2 mark in the semifinals and five consecutive trips to the championship game of Olympiacos

Olympiacos put an end to a streak of defeats with a morale-boosting victory over Baskonia. They entertain title-holders Efes, who've yet to cement their spot in the knockout stages.

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Round 26 - Highlights

Despite a slow start this season, Efes was the only team without home-court advantage in the playoffs to make the Final Four, where it makes a third consecutive appearance with a largely intact cast of stars who seem to complement each other perfectly. Sweet-shooting Shane Larkin and hard-charging Vasilije Micic lead the attack, perimeter specialists Rodrigue Beaubois, James Anderson, Elijah Byrant and Kruno Simon promise broad versatility, while big men Adrien Moerman, Bryant Dunston, Tibor Pleiss and Chris Singleton patrol the inside. Their confidence, spurred on by head coach Ergin Ataman, knows no bounds. It certainly didn't when they wallopped Olympiacos 88-68 in their first meeting back in November thanks to a killer 20-3 fourth quarter in which Beaubois was the big gun with 29 points. This team's talent is only surpassed by its rock-solid togetherness over four seasons in which Efes had two semifinal opportunities, and aced both of them, too. Remember that until some other team takes it away, the trophy still belongs to Efes.

Led by Round 9 MVP Vasilije Micić, Efes try to build on an impressive triumph at Berlin versus Olympiacos, who look to address a run of four straight away losses.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus - Round 10 - Highlights

### FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

*El Clásico* coming to the Final Four for the third time ever, all in the last decade, just about says it all. Although it lost those two semifinal editions, in 2013 and 2014, season-long standings leader Barcelona will not lack for confidence in this one, having beaten Real in their last four EuroLeague meetings. Barca marches into battle behind superstar Nikola Mirotic, passing legend Nick Calathes, and the likely return of two-time champion forward Cory Higgins after a long injury. Skilled shooters Nicolas Laprovittola, Alex Abrines, Kyle Kuric and Rokas Jokubaitis could hold fate in their hands, while big men Brandon Davies, Sertac Sanli and Rolands Smits anchor the middle. On the bench, Barca boasts a play-caller in Sarunas Jasikevicius who knows what it takes from having won four EuroLeague titles with three different teams as a player. Barcelona's consistency since the season began combined with rising to the occasion of Game 5 in the playoffs send this runner-up from last season forward on its mission to go one step further this time.

The first Euroleague El Clásico of 21-22 sees pace-setters Barça tipping-off against second-placed Madrid with the fierce-rivals colliding via identical records and with top-spot up for grabs.

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - Round 14 - Highlights

A Final Four regular returns after missing the last edition and struggling late in the regular season. But Real turned many heads with this season's sole playoffs sweep and now looks to ride that momentum into the semifinal with its archrival.  A raft of former EuroLeague winners –  club icons Sergio Llull and Rudy Fernandez, big man Walter Tavares, and veterans Fabien Causeur, Anthony Randolph, Jeffery Taylor and Trey Thompkins – head a contingent of other hungry would-be winners like Vincent Poirier, Adam Hanga, Gabriel Deck, Guerschon Yabusele, Alberto Abalde and Nigel Williams-Goss. Real battled for the standings lead until a late-season slump, so their resurgence in the playoffs makes for plenty intrigue of the kind that long-time head coach Pablo Laso can use to his advantage. Laso has coached in both previous *clásicos* at the Final Four. He won both, the last one by one of the biggest differences ever between the two teams. Remember that Real went to Belgrade in 2018 after another up-and-down season – and came home with the trophy.

In this highly-anticipated showdown, el clásico comes to the European stage with high stakes, as a place at the summit awaits for the team that can emerge victorious.

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Round 26 - Highlights

Both finalists from a year ago will join a pair of very familiar faces returning to the season's biggest event when the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four brings the finest in international basketball to spectacular Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, from Thursday, May 19, to Saturday, May 21. 