Once more, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama were too calm. Once more, they fell to a vibrant New York Knicks. Emmet Ryan on a need for raw aggression from the Western Conference champions in the NBA Finals.

Here’s the thing about being a Zen master. It’s not about running from emotion, it’s about working with it. Control doesn’t mean containing it in a box. That’s a lesson the San Antonio Spurs have about two days to learn in order to save the NBA Finals.

The New York Knicks have been able to play their basketball without fear because of this excessive calm from their opponents. Now, Victor Wembanyama and company must do something never before done in the NBA Finals if they are to emerge victorious.

Let it out

Across both of the first two games of these NBA Finals, Victor Wembanyama has committed four fouls in total. His two in Game 1 came in the second half and, sure enough, the same was the case in Game 2.

The decision to ease off and contain rather than control his aggression is sorely costing the San Antonio Spurs at both ends. The Knicks have far too much space offensively and their D doesn’t have to take big risks. The Spurs need New York to gamble, to lean into the physicality they so desperately fear unleashing.

There were glimpses of what Wemby can do when he lets loose just a little. Anyone watching could catch the challenge it posed New York at both ends. Yet, far too often, he chose the smoother option. He’d elect for a three rather than barging one-on-one. Even one of his best makes involved going around three defenders when the urge to go through and draw fouls should have been natural.

A source of the over-correction

Here’s the thing, Victor Wembanyama is only slightly below his average for fouls committed in this series. He averaged 2.4 fouls per game in the regular season and 2.5 in the playoffs. While stars tend to get more favourable calls there’s another element worth considering.

When Wemby started his lone season with Metropolitans 92 in France, he had a terrible habit of getting into foul trouble early. This was his first time playing starter minutes in adult basketball. His absence hurt his side so he adjusted to lean less on his physicality and stay in the game.

There has clearly been an excessive move away from his natural raw power. The NBA Finals is, to state the obvious, a stage where Wemby doesn’t want to cost the San Antonio Spurs by sitting with foul issues. The only beneficiary however has been the Knicks.

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The broader impact

We’ll get to the conclusion shortly but, in truth, the game should never have come down to those 10 seconds. The Knicks should have been home and hosed well before then. Playing a style of basketball reminiscent of Olympiacos, their modular play has proven excellent at changing the focal point of attack.

After being up big, the Spurs just wilted when New York went on its charge. There wasn’t the steel required to rein in the big run. The attitude from San Antonio was that they would figure it out. In a way they did but they forgot that the process involves making the opponent work for the surge.

The comeback was very impressive defensively. In the final 6 minutes, the Knicks made just 2 from the field. Where was this intensity before things got truly desperate? That’s the question the Spurs players need to ask themselves.

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About those 10 seconds

They really encapsulated everything that has been wrong with the San Antonio Spurs throughout the opening two games of these NBA Finals. The turnover is attributed to Victor Wembanyama yet the play has more nuance. Stephon Castle was as lax as the Frenchman, turning away at a time when focus was mandatory.

The play to try and win late came down to the lowest percentage shot in the spot. Granted, Jalen Brunson loves a long two but it’s not a good use of Victor Wembanyama. Any play built on a drive would have, you would have thought, been more effective. Yet, the absence of aggression from the Spurs once again bit them.

The Knicks got the win because they did enough over the bulk of the 48 minutes. Crucially, as in Game 1, they were able to play in the approach they best feel works to win. They did so with minimal interruption. That’s far more concerning than a late game failure by Wemby.

Now it’s about history

The San Antonio Spurs must now do something no team has ever done. No, I’m not talking about beating the Danhausen curse. There have been five instances of a team coming back from 2-0 down to win the NBA Finals. Yet all of those did so by starting the series on the road. Nobody has ever done so after losing both at home.

It’s a tall order. It’s also what might be necessary to finally get Victor Wembanyama and those around him to channel their aggression.

They’re like the problem with Superman right now, playing in a world made of cardboard. The Spurs are always taking constant care not to go too far, never allowing themselves to lose control, even for a moment. Well, the Knicks can take it. What Wemby and his buddies have is a rare opportunity to cut loose and show the world just how powerful they really are.

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It took a while but Panathinaikos finally came to life in Game 2 of the Greek Finals. Their dominant victory over Olympiacos in OAKA means, thankfully, that Emmet Ryan gets to say one of his favourite things. We’ve got a series!

If you’re a neutral watching the Greek Finals, then thank the heavens for Jerian Grant. We’ll get back to that but Panathinaikos took a while to get to life before utterly controlling Olympiacos in the second half.

This was, by no means, a classic. It was however exactly what this part of the summer swing needed. A real, live, finals series between the two great rivals is now upon us. For a while, it really didn’t look like we’d get one.

Jerian Grant changed the tone

Well into the second quarter, Panathinaikos had looked like a team going through the motions. Whatever about their complaints after Game 1, this was a side that looked like it just wanted these Greek Finals to be over. Olympiacos led by 9 and looked more than capable of coasting home.

Then Jerian Grant had a 3 point play. That cut the deficit to 5 and the mood changed immediately and irrevocably. The OAKA, which was less than full, came to life. It wasn’t just the hardcore support getting into it. The Green side of the rivalry was alive.

That one moment could well end up defining this series, even if the Reds end up winning 3-1. The mood prior to Grant’s play was one of inevitability. Olympiacos would win, then complete the sweep, and everyone focuses on the future. Instead, the present became very real.

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Inflicting their game

Make no mistake, it was their defensive excellence that proved the key difference for Panathinaikos. Olympiacos managed just 58 points in the whole game, with the 20 point haul in the final quarter making that look good. A 15-15-8 run through the first three quarters spoke to the problems the Reds had.

Yet there’s more to appreciate from what Panathinaikos did in this game. Not only did they keep Olympiacos below 40 per cent shooting (including 6 of 23 from deep) but they also won the second-chance opportunities battle.

The Greens had 63 FGA compared to just 51 for Olympiacos, with the Reds committing 14 turnovers to just 7 for Panathinaikos. They gave the visitors fewer opportunities and punished them for it.

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Both can be better

With Olympiacos, that’s pretty obvious. This will easily go down as one of their weakest displays of the season. Yes, it was one forced upon them by the stout D of Panathinaikos, but it still means we should expect an uptick in Game 3 of the Greek Finals.

For Panathinaikos, even Ergin Ataman admitted their offensive game could have been better. The Greens shot just 37 per cent from the field, with 9 of 30 from deep. They deservedly earned this win but even those with green tinted glasses know they can do more.

Which, for the rest of us, is great news. The bite and motivation that basketball fans want from the Derby of Eternal Enemies is fresh again. These two will want to do bad things to each other for the rest of the series. Thank you Jerian Grant, we were getting worried for a bit there.

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It’s possible to be too calm. That’s something Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs need to realise before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Having lost the opener to the New York Knicks, the Spurs look like they need to change the tempo up a bit, writes Emmet Ryan

After winning the Western Conference Finals, Victor Wembanyama was very emotional. Throughout Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he was far too calm. Wemby wasn’t the only one as the entire San Antonio Spurs roster had the rare look of a side that needed the occasion to get to them a bit more.

The result, aside from the obvious defeat, was that the New York Knicks were able to play the game they wanted. Even while trailing by 13 points at one stage, the Knicks appeared to have control of the tempo. San Antonio needs to disrupt things a lot more in Game 2.

Force some aggression

The dominant thread on commentary throughout the game was the Knicks needing to be mindful of Karl-Anthony Towns. They couldn’t let him get in foul trouble early. Well they didn’t have to worry about that.

Towns was able to play a patient defensive game, standing off Victor Wembanyama until support came on D. The Spurs seemed happy with the extra time on the ball but failed to punish the Knicks for such a light-touch defensive game. The result was that switches were a doddle for the visitors.

Towns meanwhile didn’t pick up his second foul until after the half-time break. He entered the final quarter with just three. That simply won’t do for San Antonio. They need to force him to be aggressive, to bite on Wemby, and create openings for creativity while risking fouls.

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Letting the game come a bit too much

The San Antonio Spurs definitely weren’t overawed by the occasion. If anything, they weren’t awed enough. Victor Wembanyama was far from the only culprit here but it was clear that he and the rest of his side were too happy to let the game come to them.

Not forcing it is one thing but the Spurs played such a calm game that it enabled the Knicks to wholly control the tempo. When San Antonio led 63-50, granted with an ocean of time left, there was no reason for New York to panic.

Jalen Brunson and pals could see that San Antonio wasn’t going in for the kill when up big. While their own shots weren’t falling there and then, the flow was still at their discretion. The deficit was quickly wiped away and they entered the final quarter on level terms.

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A punch in the nose

That’s what the San Antonio Spurs have got to both dish out and demand the Knicks give them in response in Game 2. The NBA Finals are a crucible yet it feels like New York are just getting what they want at present. Yes there were the fresher team, only four games in the preceding 23 days, but it wasn’t like they had to stretch themselves physically or mentally in Game 1.

Victor Wembanyama has to show another, more complex, layer. It’s not so much forcing himself into the game as it is forcing the game to come to him on his schedule. The Knicks haven’t needed to gamble yet, he has to change that.

It starts with demanding Karl-Anthony Towns just plain bring it to him in the next outing. Towns is a stellar player yet Wemby needs Towns to bring his physical best in order to force a more aggressive game from the Knicks. If the Spurs can do that, then they can reclaim control.

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Just when we thought we had all the answers, he went and changed the question. Ergin Ataman delivered a most on-brand response after Panathinaikos lost Game 1 of the Greek finals to Olympiacos. With his future questionable, to put it mildly, he once again set about setting the table for his next act. Emmet Ryan says call him what you want but the irascible coach is determined to be the master of his fate.

Olympiacos, by any reasonable measure the best team in European basketball, did what they were supposed to do on Wednesday night. Ergin Ataman, the under-fire head coach of Panathinaikos, did what we expected him to do.

His three seasons in Athens have been theatrical, albeit to a varied response from critics. Yet here he is, potentially coaching his final season with the Greens, and still leaning into the full Atamania we all know. The critics be damned. Ergin Ataman is going to do this his way.

The actual game

This really should not have been a contest. It was oddly reminiscent of the win Olympiacos enjoyed over Fenerbahce in the semi-final on their way to lifting the Euroleague title. The Reds were just plain better and the scoreboard reflected it.

Then Panathinaikos decided these Greek finals were no fait accompli. The Greens roared back to life with a furious comeback to get right back into it. In the SEF, they found a way to rally and scare Olympiacos fans at home like few teams have this season.

Of course, it was all for nought. The Reds got the win and, in all honesty, deservedly so. Yet not if you live in Ergin Ataman’s world. The Panathinaikos coach was quick to point to the free throw disparity afterwards, before quickly contending that all journalists will obviously side against him. It was nothing we didn’t expect. Yet it still got people awfully angry.

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Remember who we’re talking about here

Maybe I spend too much time on Reddit but, seriously, come on. What else did you expect from Ergin Ataman after Panathinaikos lost to Olympiacos? Did you really think we’d get a calm and orderly Greek finals?

This is a man for whom the theatrics are part of the package, for good and bad. The guy that takes on this bunker mentality is the same one that got into it with Nolan Smith 12 years ago. He’s also the guy that guided Besiktas, when they weren’t what they are now, to a mini-treble. The league and cup double domestically coupled with Eurochallenge was no small feat.

Does the era of ‘Cool Efes’ happen without Ergin Ataman? The players were there but would they have been given the combination of freedom and order required. The same can be said about the Euroleague title he won with Panathinaikos. They adopted the us against the world mentality, with Ataman shouldering it, and ended a 12 year wait. The character is fundamental to his success as a coach.

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You don’t have to like him

Heck, you don’t even have to respect him. Just don’t underestimate him. The day before the Greek finals started, Eurohoops reported that Zeljko Obradovic was being wooed to replace him as head coach of Panathinaikos. Yet here he is, fighting the most ridiculous cases for his team in press conferences.

It’s not bad for a man who is basically a Galatasaray football fan that happens to be employed to coach basketball. Ergin Ataman isn’t just thinking about the Olympiacos he faces now. He’s full Rowdy Roddy Piper. The coach who, let us not forget, brought his nation to the brink of winning EuroBasket last September, is keeping everyone guessing.

Until he gets his pink slip, he’s showing that he works his backside off to find every advantage he can. Granted, he’s somewhat parked himself in an odd corner. He either has to get a NBA job (that would be Broadway grade) or win a fourth Euroleague title. That’s the only way this story ends well. Ataman isn’t thinking about the end. He’s focused on making sure it continues on his terms.

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Victor Wembanyama has become the most compelling basketball player alive. There’s stiff competition for that title, yet the San Antonio Spurs star has claimed it as his own. Now, in just his third NBA season, he’s in the NBA Finals for the first time and leading the Spurs against the New York Knicks. Emmet Ryan on how the humanity of the Alien has made him even more extraordinary than we could have imagined.

The quote at the end of Game 7 really does a lot of the heavy lifting here: “This feeling, I can’t explain it. It’s so powerful.” Victor Wembanyama was shedding tears of joy, as the San Antonio Spurs booked their appointment in the NBA Finals with the New York Knicks.

In just three short years in the NBA, the first second of which was heavily curtailed due to deep vein thrombosis, he has set himself up as the face of the sport going forward. The stats are obvious. Heck, he’s even responsible for stocks (steals plus blocks) becoming part of the sport’s language. Now he’s got a platform like never before.

About that nickname

The Alien is a downright cool label. It works, it’s timeless, it’s going to stick with Victor Wembanyama long after he finishes playing basketball. The nickname also fits. How else would you describe a 7’4” guy that moves like Wemby?

The San Antonio Spurs superstar leans into all of it. He has the defensive reach and makes his combination of height and length a weapon yet has the lithe movement to be able to play well below his size. That feels like it’s going to be important against Jalen Brunson and the Knicks.

When Wemby was just a curiosity, the label was a quick explainer for fans new to the sport. Now, it’s more of a brand than a full analysis of the basketball player that carries it. The person within has proven to be far more fascinating.

A much-witnessed rise

Think about when Luka Doncic was drafted. Despite being a clearly defined leader for Real Madrid for a few seasons, winning the Euroleague and picking up the MVP award, he was still treated as an unknown going into the NBA Draft on the other side of the Atlantic.

By contrast Victor Wembanyama moved from Asvel, a Euroleague side, to a Metropolitans 92 team that wasn’t even playing in any European competition. Yet all of his LNB games in France were watched closely around the world.

He wasn’t a mystery to the NBA when he arrived. The San Antonio Spurs as a landing point made rather apt sense. A franchise that never seemed to buy the ‘mystery’ label on Europeans getting the most observed Euro in NBA Draft history made amusing sense.

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A monk, not a machine

This tweet summed up the challenge the Knicks face with Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman has been quite open about his approach to discipline of both the body and mind. He shows a level of curiosity, self-invention, and self-reflection that is rare amongst the modern media-trained athlete.

The physical description of Wemby before he came to the NBA was essentially the Ivan Drago of basketball. Fortunately, in the whopping 5 years between Doncic and the San Antonio Spurs man getting drafted, NBA draftniks discovered the internet and actually watched Wemby play.

What we’ve seen is a man trying to expand what a basketball player can be. The off the court stuff is oddly more obvious than on the floor. The evolution of Victor Wembanyama can genuinely be traced back through Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and, yes, Dan Clark before them, very tall men who ignored the expectations of their build. Wemby is just doing it on an entirely new plain.

He has a heart

Covering semi-finals at major tournaments is when European basketball feels most like the NBA. With the bulk of big games, Euro based players (including the Americans) tend to be more open. It’s only at the semi-final stage where they truly clam up with sports-speak.

At the end of the equivalent in the NBA, the Western Conference Finals, Victor Wembanyama ignored the clichés and spoke from the heart. To hell with “one game at a time” and “job’s not done” lines, this was a man who didn’t care that millions of people could see how he felt in the moment.

And why not? With extremely rare exceptions, nobody reading this has ever done anything remotely like what Wemby has. In his third season, he has become the clear leader of the San Antonio Spurs and is in the NBA Finals. He recognises the nonsense of waiting for the ultimate prize to show his emotions. Getting there is a good thing and it’s good to enjoy good things.

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Yes, Europe should care

Aris Barkas is arguably the best basketball journalist in Europe. He’s also right far more often than I am. Yet I have to disagree slightly with my old friend when he says the NBA Finals are New York vs Paris.

Paris gets first dibs but then comes France and, really, the rest of the continent gets in on this party. Several European players have done well. A few have managed to be considered the best active player in basketball. Yet even Luka, Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo never quite hit ‘face of the NBA’ territory, despite coming close.

That’s the stage Victor Wembanyama has come closer to than any European prior. He has done so with both his basketball and a personality that is proving to have extraordinary crossover appeal. Now he’s got a best of 7 series with the Knicks in the NBA Finals to claim the throne.

The beginning

The next couple of weeks will decide if Victor Wembanyama wins his first ring this summer or if he’ll have to wait another season or two. Championships and many of them feel inevitable.

The real question is if the NBA will be able to handle a superstar with such appeal and relatable humanity. Michael Jordan always had the business side, LeBron James had that and a personality but both always had that bit of polish. The raw openness of Wemby is his appeal.

Consider this. In a year, Wembanayama will have the option of leading France at the FIBA World Cup. Even if he defers, he’ll surely help them get to the Olympics and challenge for gold in Los Angeles in 2028. Against the USA, do you really think younger fans in attendance will be quick to boo him?

I’m 45 and I’m wowed by him, I can only imagine how relatable he is to his own generation and the one following.

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There was drama, despair, and determination throughout these furious forty minutes in the Oaka. The culmination of the Euroleague Final Four saw Olympiacos put to an enormous test by Real Madrid but finally emerged triumphant. Emmet Ryan reports on the night the Reds finally got over the line.

The Olympiacos chants began over three hours before the opening tip. The fans that came in early for the last game of the Euroleague Final Four, indeed the whole season, had no desire to contain themselves.

With Real Madrid’s supporters, few in number as they were, parked in a corner of the upper tier, the whole of the OAKA was a sea of Red. This was a home game for Olympiacos by any reasonable definition.

It was also a most dramatic affair. Right up to the death, there remained that sliver of doubt. Yet somehow, some way, the Reds emerged victorious.

The problem becomes evident

The first pass directed at Nikola Militunov told quite the story. Tyler Dorsey was closed off on the right elbow, he passed to Thomas Walkup at the top of the key. The ball went straight into Militunov and the undersized Chuma Okeke couldn’t help but foul him.

This was what we expected. Olympiacos arguably had a size advantage overall against a healthy Real Madrid roster. Against this version, it was enormous. While the early buckets favoured Los Blancos, they were racking up fouls and fatigue quickly.

The next ball to Militunov saw him get triple coverage but no-one dared touch him. Through the gap, he made the fighting finish. It’s an odd thing to write considering they fell 12 points behind in the first 4 minutes, but the Reds were getting the type of game they wanted. On the third occasion, Madrid committed two defenders, leaving an open three for Walkup.

Trey Lyles goes wild

The thing is, the other expectation going into this final was that Trey Lyles was going to get beaten around the gym. With Usman Garuba, the last true banging big Madrid had, injured, the focus of the Olympiacos D was going to be on battering him.

Yet Lyles, who said on the eve of the Euroleague Final Four that he’s more comfortable at the 5, imposed his game early. It was simple and brilliant. He read the floor clearly and kept on getting in position to drain threes.

With Olympiacos keen to force Real Madrid into an interior battle, this was exactly what was needed for Los Blancos. Furthermore, while he picked up one foul in the first, he was measured in his defensive play. Containment was the goal for him in that respect and he broadly delivered. Add that to his 13 first quarter points on 6 shots, and it was exactly the impact required.

Now that’s Bartzokas ball

Trailing 29-23 and on a fast break, the first look wasn’t good, nor was the second. Then Cory Joseph got the ball and the IQ on the possession went up. Joseph realised he had a low percentage three available but that Alec Peters was in a better position to make a decision. Peters looked at the three, adjusted, went inside and comfortably drained the open mid-range jumper.

The next offensive possession for Olympiacos saw Evan Fournier act as de facto creator, putting it nicely inside for Peters to draw a foul from Mario Hezonja. More modular basketball from the subsequent fresh possession created an open three for Tyson Ward.

Joseph and Fournier made a fine pair in this modular system. They could seamlessly switch who was the primary with ease. That’s what makes the system Georgios Bartzokas has created so compelling. Adjustment of focus all comes as part of a natural flow on the floor.

This was pure drama from start to finish as Olympiacos and Real Madrid served up a perfect finale to the Euroleague season.

A veteran showcase

Mr Mandarina, Sergio Llull, was always going to have his say at the Euroleague Final Four. A corner three from him briefly dulled the raucous home crowd. He’d received the loudest boos during the introductions, a mark of respect in truth for the threat he posed even in his golden years on the court.

Evan Fournier however was also in the mood to make an impression. A three, a completed and-1, and then an assist inside to Alec Peters from Fournier tied the game for the first time since 0-0. Then he brought the place to its feet with the go-ahead bucket moments later.

While Llull has enjoyed the full gamut of emotions at this stage with Real Madrid, Fournier is making up for lost time. Last year, he felt the crushing agony of Olympiacos not being up to the task. Here, in an arena that he loves to perform in, he was well up for it.

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The tension erupts

It was handbags, just to be clear. Yet the minor confrontation between Shaq McKissic and Facu Campazzo at the top of the key told everything about the state of play in the third quarter. Real Madrid were fighting to stay in it, Olympiacos were getting frustrated to push ahead.

Alberto Abalde was in like a shot to Face out of the conflagration. Let anyone but him pick up a T if necessary, that was the attitude. The time for review looked to, for once, actually calm things down. That’s not the norm with replay reviews at any stage of the season, let alone the decisive game of the Euroleague Final Four.

Abalde’s efforts were in vain, the refs went with the safe option of offsetting technicals to Campazzo and McKissic. Mario Hezonja drained a three right afterwards to cut the gap to the minimum. It felt like we were in for the long haul.

Mario Hezonja started and finished a run that reminded Olympiacos that Real Madrid were in this fight to the end at the Euroleague Final Four

Oh my

A 10-0 run from Real Madrid gave everyone pause for thought. Hezonja started and finished it with Andres Feliz doing the work in-between. It was a gut-punch to the Olympiacos fans in the stands and forced a re-think from Georgios Bartzokas barely a minute after the TV timeout.

There was one big card that Bartzokas hadn’t played yet. Tyrique Jones stood impatiently behind the bench waiting to get in. Having been impressive in the win over Fenerbahce on Friday, he had yet to have any kind of say in this final.

With play becoming increasingly broken as the game wore on, this screamed of an opportune time to bring in the disruptor. Instead, having used Donta Hall to spot Nikola Militunov in the first half, Bartzokas stuck with the rangy Serb through the third as Olympiacos worked their way back.

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There he is

Tyrique Jones finally got his shot at the start of the fourth. He immediately brought his frenetic energy at both ends. What looked like a mindlessly bulldozing off ball drive offensively freed up all the space Evan Fournier could ask for to nail a three.

Then he set about bumping Theo Maledon. On the defensive end it gave up a foul on the floor but at the other it gave Cory Joseph the space for a go-ahead three. Still, he was that touch too aggressive defensively.

Torn over whether to switch to Maledon or stick with Trey Lyles, he was caught between two minds and fouled the latter. Jones made up for it with more space making for a Sasha Vezenkov bucket but the margins were getting slimmer for all parties.

It was a fight from start to finish but Olympiacos found a way to conquer Real Madrid in the title game at the Euroleague Final Four

And the The Man is

Sasha Vezenkov was quiet for the first 35 minutes of the Euroleague title game. A three out of a time out restored the lead for Olympiacos in the fourth as the season MVP finally made his presence felt. The decision to have Alec Peters share the floor with him seemed an inspired one as it reduced the attention the Bulgarian was getting.

Yet there came Mario Hezonja with a huge three to tie it up inside of two minutes to play. Tyrique Jones responded with a brave finish at the rim. With 82 seconds to play and time stopped for a review, this was pure theatre.

This was the time for the Olympiacos D to stand tall. A first stop and Thomas Walkup quickly went to the line. Another and it was soon Even Fournier’s turn. Winning a Euroleague title is meant to hurt. Olympiacos were feeling every bit of it but pain hurts a lot less when you win.

The hard way

Olympiacos couldn’t have made this easy on themselves. After losing two finals to Real Madrid since beating them for the 2013 title, it was inevitable that the culmination of their Euroleague Odyssey would be a challenging one.

After so many trips where they expected so much. After Sergio Llull broke their heart. When Abu Dhabi was a damp squib in the desert, it was a lot to ask the Oly fans to dream. Yet on this night, in the home of their fiercest rivals, Olympiacos finally came out of a Euroleague Final Four smiling.

The first team to finish first in the regular season and lift the trophy. A side that brought beautiful basketball to all of us the past season. They finally had it. The jon was done. It’s a Red day in Europe.

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In a season filled with variety and surprises, somehow the most normal thing happened. Real Madrid beat Valencia at the Euroleague Final Four. They are inevitable. Emmet Ryan on how even a wounded version of Los Blancos just made it look like normal business.