A Quarter with Kyle Hines, the podcast in which the four-time champion talks to those who leave the biggest impacts on the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, returns with a special guest. Mike Batiste won three EuroLeague crowns with Panathinaikos Athens and is now an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets of the NBA. These two crossed paths in the paint at the start of Hines’s and late in Batiste’s career and now chat about their experience as players and for Batiste, what he enjoys about coaching.

A Quarter with Kyle Hines and Mike Batiste

Chus Mateo had some big shoes to fill at the start of the season. He replaced Pablo Laso, who had coached Real Madrid for 11 successful seasons in which he led Los Blancos to a pair of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague titles and seven Final Four appearances. Under Coach Laso, Real emerged as a perennial EuroLeague title contender. Mateo had been Laso's assistant since 2014, and even though a lot of people doubted him all season, he has proven that Real made the right decision in appointing him by leading the team to its 11th EuroLeague title in epic fashion. 

Real Madrid boss Chus Mateo silenced the critics 

Chus Mateo had some big shoes to fill at the start of the season. He replaced Pablo Laso, who had coached Real Madrid for 11 successful seasons, in which he led *Los Blancos* to a pair of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague titles and seven Final Four appearances. Under Coach Laso, Real emerged as a perennial EuroLeague title contender. Mateo had been Laso's assistant since 2014, and even though a lot of people doubted him all season, he has proven that Real made the right decision in appointing him by leading the team to its 11th EuroLeague title in epic fashion.

One of the keys for Mateo was doing everything in his power to help Edy Tavares dominate. With Mateo as head coach, Tavares earned EuroLeague Best Defender and All-EuroLeague First Team honors, each for the third time. He also earned MVP honors for April and May and was chosen as the 2023 Final Four MVP. Mateo helped Tavares become the best player in the competition at the right time. Tavares stepped up for his coach after the Championship Game and brought Mateo to tears with a heartfelt speech.

Post-game interview: Chus Mateo, Real Madrid

"I think the only thing I can say is to congratulate this man right here with me because I think he suffered more than us to try to put everything together for us to play together, to fight for this club. I think all the credit goes to him because it is always hard for every coach and every player in his first year to manage," Tavares said. "I think you guys should apologize to him because there was a lot of criticism, a lot of doubts on him. I always see everybody name a lot of coaches of different teams, but nobody mentioned him. He is the boss, so you have to mention Madrid and him every time.

"He deserves it more than everybody because he is one of the best people I ever met in my life. All the credit to him, and you guys should give him that credit. It is super hard to win because you have too many alphas on the team, you have to manage everybody. He deserves everything."

One of his key decisions in the championship game against Olympiacos was choosing Sergio Llull to take the last shot. Llull had been scoreless until then but Coach Mateo had no doubts about who needed to take that do-or-die shot. All it took was a question at the start of the timeout.

"Sergi, do you want it?" Mateo asked, and the rest is history.

"No one else hits those shots like him. It had to be him, there was no doubt," Mateo said after the game. "He doesn't mind taking that responsibility. I am especially happy for him, with a serious injury, playing less with a different role."

Fans and media alike criticized Real and Mateo when the team fell behind 0-2 in its playoff series against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. No team had ever rallied from a 0-2 playoff deficit in EuroLeague history, and Real trailed 41-26 early in Game 3 at Stark Arena. Real rallied to win that game, 80-82, behind a monster performance from Tavares: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks and a PIR of 41. Real trailed at some point in the second half in each playoff or Final Four game, but survived five consecutive do-or-die games (a first in competition history) to lift the trophy.

"This is also a special title for our coach, Chus Mateo, one of us, that is aware of the immense responsibility that it brings to wear our logo," Real president Florentino Perez said. "He had to go through unfair, hasty criticism. I thank you and congratulate you for the good work done. You have been able to face these moments according to the club's values."

Focus on: Chus Mateo, Real Madrid

Mateo gave some keys about his team's mental strength after Game 5 against Partizan, in which Real rallied from an 18-point deficit to make it to the Final Four. 

"We were down by 15 in the first quarter of Game 3 and were able to come back. We played with a lot of maturity in Belgrade, rallying from a 0-2 deficit. We had faith and confidence, but a lot of people thought that we were dead. The only thing missing was the final nail in the coffin. And we were able to come out of a tough situation," Mateo said. "We will get it or not, but what I can guarantee is that we will leave our souls on the court to get it, like we always do. We can win or lose, but the effort and leaving it all on the court is not negotiable and players know it."

It is not common for an assistant to be promoted to head coach and win the EuroLeague in his first full season with the team. In fact, the last time was in 1988, 35 years ago, when the late Franco Casalini led the then-called Tracer Milan to the EuroLeague title. Zeljko Pavlicevic also did it with Cibona Zagreb in the 1980s, winning the 1985 title as an assistant coach and defending the title as head coach in 1986. Of course, Zeljko Obradovic won the EuroLeague title with Partizan Belgrade in 1992, in his first season as head coach. He played for the same team the season before. 

"There is one thing I would not like to let slide," Mateo said days after winning the EuroLeague. "When opponents see Real come from behind, they know they can lose, and we were rallying with these players that know how to win games. When I saw the looks on their faces, Olympiacos was not quite sure about closing the game and in the end, we did that."

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul penned veteran forward Metecan Birsen to a multi-year contract extension

Fenerbahce locks Metecan Birsen in

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul penned veteran forward [Metecan Birsen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/metecan-birsen/003091/) to a multi-year contract extension, the club announced on Tuesday afternoon. Birsen (2.05 meters, 28 years old) appeared in 28 EuroLeague games for Fenerbahce this season, mostly off the bench. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in less than 8 minutes on court. This was his fourth EuroLeague season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Metecan Birsen üç sezon daha Fenerbahçe Beko’da! 💛💙✍️ <br><br>👉 <a href="https://t.co/4Ah94NNv8W">https://t.co/4Ah94NNv8W</a> <a href="https://t.co/rmEqxmG8lG">pic.twitter.com/rmEqxmG8lG</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1663519831583326209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Birsen enjoyed a very successful career in the junior ranks. He was the MVP of the 2012 Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals as a 17-year-old with U18 Fenerbahce. He made his EuroLeague debut with Fenerbahce in the 2013-14 campaign, when he appeared in eight games. Birsen made nine more appearances with Anadolu Efes Istanbul during the 2018-19 season. Over his career, Birsen has also played with Eskisehir, Istanbul BB and Sakarya Buyuksehir. As a standout in youth categories, Birsen helped Turkey to gold medals at the U18 European Championship in 2013 and the U20 European Championship in 2014.

Metecan Birsen Top Plays from 10/01/2022 to 05/30/2023

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul announced that it has signed forward Dysahwn Pierre to a multi-year contract extension.

Fenerbahce extends Dyshawn Pierre

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul announced on Tuesday that it has signed forward [Dysahwn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) to a multi-year contract extension. The deal is for two years with an option for the 2025-26 season. Pierre (1.98 meters, 29 years old) started in 22 of his 29 appearances in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season. He averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in almost 23 minutes on court in helping Fenerbahce reach Game 5 of its playoff series against Olympiacos Piraeus.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Dyshawn Pierre üç sezon daha Fenerbahçe Beko’da! 💛💙✍️<br><br>👉 <a href="https://t.co/zixsoDE0iM">https://t.co/zixsoDE0iM</a> <a href="https://t.co/r0NfCtPogZ">pic.twitter.com/r0NfCtPogZ</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1663516120521883648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pierre made his EuroLeague debut with Fenerbahce during the 2020-21 season. A native of Canada, Pierre played college basketball at the University of Dayton and made his professional debut in Germany with Lowen Braunschweig in 2016-17, when he led the German league in rebounding. He spent the next three seasons with Dinamo Sassari, which he helped to win the FIBA Europe Cup in 2019, before joining Fenerbahce.

Dyshawn Pierre Top Plays from 10/01/2022 to 05/30/2023

The 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four will live long in the memory of European basketball fans for the teams' elite-level play on the court and the unforgettable moments that came with it. Throughout the weekend, fans were able to stay up to date with the latest news, plays and behind-the-scenes access leading to record numbers across all of Euroleague Basketball's digital platforms.

Euroleague digital footprint hits record numbers at 2023 Final Four

**• Double digit growth on all digital platforms’ indicators**

**• More than 84 million impressions and 31 million video views during the Final Four weekend**

The 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four will live long in the memory of European basketball fans for the teams' elite-level play on the court and the unforgettable moments that came with it. Throughout the weekend, fans were able to stay up to date with the latest news, plays and behind-the-scenes access, leading to record numbers across all of Euroleague Basketball's digital platforms.

Many fans head to the official EuroLeague website in order to remain informed about the latest goings on in the world of Europe's premier basketball competition and there was plenty on offer for those who stopped by. This total increased by 44.4% in terms of users and by 44.77% when counting the number of sessions. Page views were up by 43.81%.

The competition's social media accounts also registered record growth with across the board increases of 44% when counting impressions and 55% in reach. There was a 48% rise in terms of engagement, more than double – 104% - the number of views and an increase of 17% in total followers.

Looking specifically at which platforms saw the biggest growth for the EuroLeague social media accounts, Instagram was a big hit. Over the Final Four week, impressions rose by 43%, the reach increased by 71%, engagement expanded by 52%, views shot up by 174%, and the number of followers enlarged by 17%.

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CshCRK9u3Qs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CshCRK9u3Qs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">Ver esta publicación en Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; 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margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CshCRK9u3Qs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">Una publicación compartida de Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@euroleague)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

On TikTok, the success reached another level. In terms of impressions, the EuroLeague saw an increase of 128%. Curiously, that is the same percentage that the number of views grew by. Engagement rose by 73% and the number of followers also climbed by 92%.

<center>
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@euroleague/video/7235942799944764699" data-video-id="7235942799944764699" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" > <section> <a target="_blank" title="@euroleague" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@euroleague?refer=embed">@euroleague</a> SERGIO LLULL WINS THE EUROLEAGUE FOR REAL MADRID 🏆 <a title="euroleague" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/euroleague?refer=embed">#euroleague</a> <a title="gamewinner" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gamewinner?refer=embed">#gamewinner</a> <a title="realmadrid" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/realmadrid?refer=embed">#realmadrid</a> <a title="final" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/final?refer=embed">#final</a> <a title="gamewinner" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gamewinner?refer=embed">#gamewinner</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - EuroLeague" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7235942767954758426?refer=embed">♬ original sound - EuroLeague</a> </section> </blockquote> <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>

On Twitter, the number of impressions increased by 73% and views by 99%, while on Facebook, engagement rose by 18%.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/23Llull?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@23Llull</a> FOR THE WIN 🥶🥶🥶 <a href="https://t.co/AnvwUMaEeE">pic.twitter.com/AnvwUMaEeE</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1660362951952302080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Congratulations to Andreas Zeppos of Greece on winning the 2022-23 EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime! Andreas finished atop the pack with his team SK ROI, which tallied 7,042.88 fantasy points. As our overall winner, Panagiotis has earned a one-of-a-kind trip for himself and a friend to the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin, Germany: flights, four nights at a hotel and VIP tickets. Andreas also won two official EuroLeague Spalding basketballs, three EuroLeague jerseys of his choice and a EuroLeague TV Subscription for the 2023-24 Season to follow all games live or on-demand.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Season winners

Congratulations to Andreas Zeppos of Greece on winning the 2022-23 [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.228355933.1542833036.1685343154-884385655.1669721726)! Andreas finished atop the pack with his team SK ROI, which tallied 7,042.88 fantasy points. As our overall winner, Panagiotis has earned a one-of-a-kind trip for himself and a friend to the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin, Germany: flights, four nights at a hotel and VIP tickets. Andreas also won two official EuroLeague Spalding basketballs, three EuroLeague jerseys of his choice and a EuroLeague TV Subscription for the 2023-24 Season to follow all games live or on-demand.

Christos Anatolitis was second overall with 6,969.10 fantasy points, followed by Giannis Choremis (6,928.9), Vaggelis Papageorgiou (6,924.79) and Lefteris Sotirakis (6,899.72). In addition, Vassilis Koutsokeris won the lottery among Rounds Winners, which was exclusive to the 41 participants who were round champions throughout the season. Vassilis's team Shipwreck, the Round 24 winner, won two tickets to the 2024 Final Four and a EuroLeague TV Subscription for the 2023-24 Season!

Here is a list of winners and their respective prizes:

### 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season WINNER

**SK ROI - Andreas Zeppos, Greece**

\- Winner and friend will be the Euroleague Basketball's VIP guests at the 2024 Final Four - Flights, four nights at a hotel and VIP tickets

\- 3x EuroLeague jerseys of winner’s choice

\- 2x official EuroLeague Spalding basketballs

\- 1x EuroLeague TV Subscription for the 2023-24 Season

### 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, second place

**noumero 3 - Christos Anatolitis, Greece**

\- 10x Regular season game tickets for the 2023-24 season of winner’s choice (based on availability)

\- 2x EuroLeague jerseys of winner’s choice

\- 1x EuroLeague TV subscription for the 2023-24 season

\- 1x official EuroLeague Spalding basketball

### 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, third place

**Eternal Champ - Giannis Choremis, Greece**

\- 8x Regular season game tickets for the 2023-24 season of winner’s choice (based on availability)

\- 1x EuroLeague jersey of winner’s choice

\- 1x EuroLeague TV subscription for the 2023-24 season

\- 1x EuroLeague official Spalding basketball

### 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, fourth place

**Dark_Horse - Vaggelis Papageorgiou, Greece**

\- 6x Regular season game tickets for the 2023-24 season of winner’s choice (based on availability)

\- 1x EuroLeague jersey of winner’s choice

\- 1x EuroLeague TV subscription for the 2023-24 season

### 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, fifth place

**ASKELI 2022 - Lefteris Sotirakis, Greece**

\- 4x Regular season game tickets for the 2023-24 season of winner’s choice (based on availability)

\- 1x EuroLeague jersey of winner’s choice

\- 1x EuroLeague TV subscription for the 2023-24 season

### Rounds Winners Lottery (lottery only exclusive to round winners, 41 participants)

**Shipwreck - Vassilis Koutsokeris, Greece (Regular Season Round 24 winner)**

\- 2x Tickets to the 2024 Final Four

\- 1x EuroLeague TV subscription for the 2023-24 season

Zalgiris Kaunas and center Kevarrius Hayes have agreed to the existing option for the second year of their contract together and to add another one-season option to it, the club announced on Monday. The new contract would last through the 2024-25 season if completed.

 Zalgiris, Kevarrius Hayes agree to extension 

Zalgiris Kaunas and center [Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/) have agreed to the existing option for the second year of their contract together and to add another one-season option to it, the club announced on Monday. The new contract would last through the 2024-25 season if completed.

Hayes, 26, helped Zalgiris reach this season's EuroLeague playoffs as a started in 28 of 37 games. In his first season in Kaunas, he led the club in total (35) and average (0.9) blocked shots despite playing under 18 minutes per night. He ranked second on the team in total (163) and average (4.4) rebounds and third in total steals (27). Hayes ranked among the top six shot-blockers in the EuroLeague by average, total and per-minute measures.

His return alongside frontcourt mate [Rolands Smits, whom Zalgiris retained late last week](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/rolands-smits-signs-contract-extension-at-zalgiris-until-2026/), assures the kind of continuity around the basket that the club was aiming for.

More on Kevarrius Hayes

"Consistency and continuity are very important in team sports and we believed in Kevarrius and wanted to continue to have him in our team," Paulius Jankunas, Zalgiris Deputy Director, said. "We would like to see more stability from him in the upcoming season, but there are no doubts about his skills."

Hayes, who had previously played one EuroLeague season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne before making the 2022 7DAYS EuroCup Final with Frutti Extra Bursaspor, seconded that emotion.

"I was happy to return to the EuroLeague last summer, but playing in Kaunas was an even better experience," Hayes told [Zalgiris.lt](http://Zalgiris.lt). "I believe that Zalgiris is the best place for me right now."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Make your morning coffee and enjoy. ☕ <a href="https://t.co/MbNOXGXrbw">pic.twitter.com/MbNOXGXrbw</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1663062051961417731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Zalgiris, Kevarrius Hayes agree to extension

The talk about the importance of experience in sports is common and it becomes ubiquitous around the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. So much so that one might begin to see it as cliché. But it's not cliché, and the proof of that is seen in the Real Madrid roster.

Real Madrid's veterans proved that experience counts

The talk about the importance of experience in sports is common and it becomes ubiquitous around the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. So much so that one might begin to see it as cliché. But it's not cliché, and the proof of that is seen in the Real Madrid roster.

In the championship game against Olympiacos Piraeus, Real's best minutes came when its oldest and most experienced players were on the floor. And its struggles came when its youngest and least experienced players took the floor.

[Rudy Fernandez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rudy-fernandez/bmt/) is 38 years old, [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/) and [Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/) will turn 37 and 36, respectively, next month, and [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) is 35. Not a single one of them started at the Final Four in Kaunas. Only one of them played more than 20 minutes in any game. Yet, with the championship on the line, the team played its best with these four on the count.

Rodriguez led all Real players in the final game in plus/minus – the statistic that measures the score difference when a player is on the court – with +15. Causeur was next at +13, followed by Fernandez (+11) and Llull (+8).

Extrapolating from those numbers in what was a one-point victory, 78-79, you can see that Real outscored Olympiacos by 15 points in the 28:13 minutes in which Rodriguez was on the floor. That also means that Olympiacos outscored Real by 14 points in the 11:47 in which Rodriguez was on the bench.

On the flip side, the Real players with the least Final Four experience struggled the most in terms of the plus/minus measure. All-EuroLeague forward Dzanan Musa had never played in the Final Four before this season and he compiled a plus/minus of -18 in the championship game. Teenage forward Eli Ndiaye was -5 and guard Nigel Williams-Goss, who played less than 1 minute in the 2022 Final Four before leaving with an injury, was -16 in his 18:29 minutes on the floor.

One of Real's best stretches of the game was when head coach Chus Mateo inserted Fernandez into the lineup with 2:34 remaining in the first quarter. He joined Rodriguez, Causeur and Mario Hezonja, who also came off the bench a few minutes earlier, and Walter Tavares, who had started the game. That quintet rallied *Los Blancos* from a 19-10 deficit to take a 32-34 lead.

Last quarter baskets by Real in championship game

Later, with Real's back to the wall, down 68-61 with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter, Coach Mateo sent Causeur and Llull into the fracas. Causeur buried a three on the next possession and added another soon after. Those two remained on the floor for the next 8 minutes. Llull would only exit the game after hitting what proved to be the game-winner with 3.1 seconds remaining. Rodriguez played for almost all of the fourth quarter, during which he recorded 8 points, 2 assists and 1 steal.

In the end, *Los Blancos* outscored Olympiacos 15-20 in the fourth quarter. Those points came from Rodriguez (8), Causeur (6), Tavares (4) and Llull (2). All are previous champions in their 30s, proving once again just how important experience is in the biggest of games.

En route to an unprecedented 11th Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title, Real Madrid did something no champion has done before – win five consecutive games when facing elimination.

Real Madrid’s unprecedented elimination-game run

En route to an unprecedented 11th Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title, Real Madrid did something no champion has done before – win five consecutive games when facing elimination.

Real was famously 0-2 down in its best-of-five playoff series against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade before winning the next three contests, becoming the first team to turn around a 0-2 playoff deficit in the history of the EuroLeague Playoffs. With Los Blancos then winning both of its games in Kaunas, it meant that they had won five straight elimination games, capped with [a thrilling 78-79 triumph in the championship game](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-real-madrid/E2022/330/) thanks to Sergio Llull's game-winner with 3.1 seconds remaining.

### From elimination games to the crown

"When we started the playoffs, we said we've got \[to record\] five victories to be champions," Real coach Chus Mateo said during the Final Four. "When we were losing 0-1, still five victories to go. And when 0-2 happened, the same. And we tried to be focused only on the next game."

It's a feat that will go down in the history books. Five elimination games to end the season is the maximum a team could face in the current format, and Real is the first to come out the other side since the best-of-five playoff series format was introduced for the 2008-09 campaign.

To add more drama, apart from the semifinal in which [it downed FC Barcelona 66-78](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-real-madrid/E2022/328/), Real won each of its other four games by a margin of 7 points or fewer.

However, this is not the first time that a EuroLeague team has survived elimination and gone on to achieve great things.

For starters, any team that wins Game 5 of a playoff series and then goes on to win the title faces a minimum of three elimination games. This is exactly what happened with Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013 and Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021, for example.

Maybe the most famous run of surviving three straight elimination games before lifting the title came prior to the return of the playoff format, as back in 2004, Maccabi Tel Aviv miraculously survived a Top 16 finale at home against Zalgiris Kaunas before going on to secure Europe's crown.

Winning three successive times in win-or-go-home situations is also something that Olympiacos achieved in 2017 en route to the championship game, as it trailed 1-2 in the playoffs to Efes but managed to turn the series around, winning in Game 5. But, in the title game, it lost to Fenerbahce.

### Real Madrid joins an exclusive group

However, winning more than three consecutive games when facing elimination is rare and only a handful of teams have done it.

Back in the 2008 playoffs, CSKA Moscow won four elimination games on its way to the crown. CSKA lost Game 1 at home to Olympiacos in their best-of-three series, only to take Game 2 in Piraeus, followed by winning a series decider back in Moscow. Then, in Madrid, it defeated Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Maccabi to lift its sixth EuroLeague title.

This season, Real took that accomplishment a step further. However, that is not the longest run that a EuroLeague team has ever had of winning elimination games in a single season.

In the 2018-19 campaign, Zalgiris finished the regular season with six consecutive wins to improve to a 15-15 record and sneak into the playoffs. Sitting at 9-15 with six regular-season rounds left, Zalgiris had to win every single game, some of which by a certain margin, and get some results to go its way in order to reach the playoffs. Zalgiris eventually survived and made the playoffs as the eighth seed.

However, Zalgiris was then ousted in the playoffs, whereas the name of Real Madrid will forever be inked as the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion.