RealGM

Semifinals: Friday May 1st, 2009

Game 1: 18:00 CET

Regal Barcelona

vs.

CSKA Moscow

Game 2: Friday May 1st, 2009 21:00 CET

Olympiacos Piraeus

vs.

Panathinaikos Athens


Finals: Sunday, May 3, 2009

Game 1: 17:00 CET

Loser Semifinal vs. Loser Semifinal

Game 2: 20:00 CET

Winner Semifinal vs. Winner Semifinal

I think CSKA will win this, again. Smodis is starting to come back to his old self, Lorbek is playing amazingly, and the usual suspects are still contributing.

Rasho Brezec wrote:I think CSKA will win this, again. Smodis is starting to come back to his old self, Lorbek is playing amazingly, and the usual suspects are still contributing.

Slovenia bringing it home to Russia

For Greece's sake, thank God this is being played in Berlin. Hopefully I'll be able to see these games.

AdamTheGreek wrote:For Greece's sake, thank God this is being played in Berlin. Hopefully I'll be able to see these games.

They might just burn down Berlin also though.

My bet is that Olympiacos will win the Euroleague in the Final against CSKA...

I have CKSA as the favourites, but it's going to be close.

Well my 1st worry is the Greek funs. Its very possible after the semifinals that Berlin will look like Stalingrad, or the Berlin after the 2nd world war. Then for who will win, the history shows that the 3 times that Panathinaikos faced the Olympiacos at the semis, they didnt win the finals. Lets hope that 1 of the 2 will win and pray that the Berlin will not be destroyed.

It will be one of the best Final Fours ever, just look at the budgets of the teams involved.

Greek wrote:Well my 1st worry is the Greek funs. Its very possible after the semifinals that Berlin will look like Stalingrad, or the Berlin after the 2nd world war. Then for who will win, the history shows that the 3 times that Panathinaikos faced the Olympiacos at the semis, they didnt win the finals. Lets hope that 1 of the 2 will win and pray that the Berlin will not be destroyed.

I hear that the arena is almost sold out all Greeks and that about 10,000 Greeks will be scalping tickets outside, with another 15,000 Greeks supposedly coming to the area of the arena to "support" the teams. Berlin better be ready for this, because you also have the Russians coming into Germany and there is no love loss there either. This might get crazy.

Well Germany also has a very underrated Greek population.

AdamTheGreek wrote:Well Germany also has a very underrated Greek population.

Yep. And Germany has demonstrations usually around this time of year.

talkbasket wrote:

AdamTheGreek wrote:Well Germany also has a very underrated Greek population.

Yep. And Germany has demonstrations usually around this time of year.

demonstrations is a little bit understating. those "demonstrations" in berlin on may 1st are more or less riots, at least in berlin-kreuzberg. though it got better over the last 2 or 3 years.
yet the people taking part in those riots are mostly leftists. and i heard that in cska fan circles they have a certain cross symbol which is forbidden in germany due to the nazi past. that may cause some trouble as well.

i look forward to that weekend though, hopefully it will be as peaceful as possible. and who knows, if there are 10000 greeks tryin to get a ticket, for some 4digit amount i might sell mine and come home richer

D-Wags#13 wrote:i look forward to that weekend though, hopefully it will be as peaceful as possible. and who knows, if there are 10000 greeks tryin to get a ticket, for some 4digit amount i might sell mine and come home richer

I'm starting to ponder that idea myself.

i'm going to be in Berlin next week and i'm looking for a ticket to the final four.
does anyone have a spare ticket?

Looks like Pelekanos has very few chances to play on the F4, and Vassilopoulos is doubtful too. Suddenly Olympiacos looks very thin on SF, and there D even weaker, couz those 2 players are there best defenders

CSKA edges Barca 82-78, great game and a incredible 4th quarter with one great play after the other. Siskauskas was incredible, by my count scored 18 in the 4th. For Barca Anderson was great with 24, got forgotten in the 4th by his teammates ...

wilt wrote:CSKA edges Barca 82-78, great game and a incredible 4th quarter with one great play after the other. Siskauskas was incredible, by my count scored 18 in the 4th. For Barca Anderson was great with 24, got forgotten in the 4th by his teammates ...

Navarro made some horrible plays down the stretch.

Navarro foul trouble in the first half hurt. He only took 6 shots the whole game

Andersen was the only one to actually play well for Barcelona. Lakovic was good in the first half, but not the second. And Ilyasova wasn't used properly. He's not going to be effective playing only 12 minutes in a game

I wouldn't expect Barcelona (or any other team for that matter) to have a serious chance to win a close game against CSKA...

As for the other game, i see Panathinaikos winning rather easily, they match up with Olympiacos really well, Olympiacos won't have Vasilopoulos and possibly Bourousis. In the final, it should be CSKA all the way, Panathinaikos hasn't proven this year that they can win tough close games.