Euroleague Playoffs 38
Thank you Partizan
KK Partizan lost a game of basketball on Thursday night to Real Madrid but they succeeded where it mattered and that will never be forgotten We have a saying in Ireland, we describe people as “More Irish than the Irish themselves.” It refers to people that move here and adopt our habits, our mannerisms, our […]
The Sloukas game
What else is there to say? Kostas Sloukas did what we all knew he could do even when we didn’t see it coming I mean I already tweeted it but, wow, poor Kostas Sloukas. Imagine having to walk around every day of your life with grapefruits that big. The shot heard around Europe that led […]
It was never going to be straightforward
Countless nerves, two short handed teams, and one wild crowd ensured drama was going to be on the menu no matter what at the Stark Arena Real Madrid took Game 3 having looked destined to not even make a game of it because of course this series between Los Blancos and Partizan must continue to […]
Vezenkov just has that vibe
He was already the favourite for MVP before Game 1 but Sasha Vezenkov carried himself like one in the victory for Olympiacos over Fenerbahce The stats were nice, they tend to be with players that impress, but it was how Sasha Vezenkov carried himself through a well-earned win on Wednesday that really showed the level […]
The irrational stress we live for
Game 1 in the Euroleague playoffs is a wildly unbalanced beast in terms of stakes, or at least the imagined stakes, and few games made the beauty of the madness of such a scenario quite as clear Elie Okobo went 0 of 3 from deep in the first half of Game 1. It felt like […]
Doncic takes his licks as Real Madrid make it to Belgrade
It was the last shot for Panathinaikos and Real Madrid looked like they’d never let them get it. A night where Real Madrid ended up having to survive a furious flurry was also, writes Emmet Ryan, the night where Luka Doncic got his reward after being roughed up throughout the series Two and a half […]
Baskonia still under the radar
Considering the strength of their comeback and their roar down the stretch, the consensus is still cool on Baskonia’s chances of pulling an upset in the playoffs. Emmet Ryan on why Zeljko Obradovic and Fenerbahce will be taking nothing for granted when they face off in the Euroleague post-season. The road for Baskonia to the […]
Doncic enters the lion’s den
He’s the most touted prospect in European history. His back-up is hurt. Now he’s got to lead his side into the toughest environment in European basketball. Luka Doncic lives for this kind of pressure but that doesn’t mean the odds are in his favour. Emmet Ryan on how the challenge of Panathinaikos in the Euroleague […]
Can we learn anything new from CSKA?
Ahead of the playoff series between CSKA Moscow and BC Khimki, Emmet Ryan looks at the ongoing issue that simply won’t go away for the Red Army. They can do all they want in the regular season and the playoffs but nobody’s going to know what to make of them until the final buzzer goes […]
Preview: Olympiacos vs Anadolu Efes – Game 5
The Reds are hot favourites with good reason but Emmet Ryan senses the makings of a classic in Piraeus on Tuesday night. For Anadolu Efes and Olympiacos, tonight is what it means to be young Game 4 looked like the end. Olympiacos weathered a spirited start from Anadolu Efes but, in the end, it was […]
Doncic shines as Real take vital win in Istanbul
Luka Doncic finally gave us the playoff performance we were waiting for as Real Madrid held off a stern fightback by Darussafaka Dogus to take a 2-1 lead in their Euroleague playoff series, writes Emmet Ryan You all know the result already so let’s look at the main takeaways starting with strong showings from a […]
Podcast – Sweet 16 – Bogdan Rules
Moshe Barda of TeamScout, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops and Emmet Ryan of BallinEurope bring you Sweet 16, breaking down the biggest games and events across Euroleague. The Turkish teams had a big week as three of the four playoff series move to Istabul. Fenerbahce benefitted from the l(ack of) Bogdan Rules while CSKA is looking […]