Over the past 10 years, some 1,841 games have been played in the Eurocup. Of course, some of them stand out more than others. Some have featured great upsets, others had incredible comebacks, either in single-game or two-game series. These games have also featured great individual performances from some of the best players in competition history, multiple overtimes and battles to stay alive in the competition. It was not easy to narrow down the Top 10 games in Eurocup history, but there is plenty of consensus about the best. It took place in Berlin and what started as a regular showdown ended up as the longest game ever seen in European club competition.
10.- Caprabo Lleida vs. Makedonikos, 2003-04 eighthfinals, 2nd leg, 90-58
Lleida had to overcome a 26-point deficit in a half-empty Barris Nord arena against an experienced Makedonikos squad led by Giorgos Sigalas and Yahor Meshcharakou. A rain of three-pointers by Berni Alvarez saw Lleida take a 33-18 lead after 10 minutes. Fans stopped watching on TV and headed toward Barris Nord as their team kept rallying. The comeback was completed, 67-37, at the end of the third quarter and Lleida managed to hold on to its lead down the stretch. Alvarez led the way with 22 points, Jaume Comas had 21 and Alberto Angulo 16.
9.- Dynamo Moscow vs. Hemofarm Stada, 85-93, 2008-09 Quarterfinals, 85-93
Dynamo Moscow arrived in Turin for the 2009 Final Eight as one of the favorites to win the Eurocup, but a young Hemofarm team stood in its way to success. Bojan Krstovic led a well-balanced Hemofarm attack with 16 points, while Stefan Markovic delivered 10 assists. Hemofarm had five scorers in double figures and three more with at least 7 points. With the game on the line at 79-81, Miljan Pavkovic downed a key three-pointer, Krstovic followed that with a layup-plus-foul and Dynamo could not come back. Travis Hansen and Brian Chase each had 19 points for Dynamo in a losing effort.
8.- Cedevita Zagreb vs. Gran Canaria 2014, 2010-11 Last 16, 114-110 2OT
This game is still the third-highest scoring game in Eurocup history and the most points in a game that did not go to at least three overtimes. Cedevita rallied from a 13-point deficit to force overtime in dramatic fashion. With Gran Canaria leading 93-96, Bracey Wright went to the line, missed his second attempt, grabbed his own rebound and swished a jumper to keep Cedevita alive. Damjan Rudez finished with a career-high 35 points, including back-to-back triples early in overtime to lead his team to a big win. Wright tallied 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
7.- Dynamo Moscow vs. Akasvayu Girona, 2007-08 semifinals, 78-81
In a major upset at the 2008 Eurocup Final Eight at Palavela in Turin, less than 24 hours after knocking off mighty Unics Kazan, Akasvayu Girona edged Dynamo Moscow to reach the title game. Arriel McDonald became the game hero with 4 free throws in the final seconds to hold off a wild Dynamo rally. Ivan Radenovic led the winners with 20 points in his first-ever Eurocup start. Akavasyu led 45-64 behind a dominant Marc Gasol, but Henry Domercant and Antonis Fotsis got Dynamo within 78-79. However McDonald stayed ice cold from the foul line to win it for Akasvayu.
6.- Aris BSA 2003 vs. Panionios, 2005-06 eighthfinals, second leg, 112-105 2OT
This game had everything to become an instant classic - an outstanding sellout crowd, two overtimes and a lot of drama. Aris carried a 2-point lead in the series, but trailed 69-78 with 1:14 to go in regulation. A three-pointer by Ryan Stack helped Aris force overtime. Panionios managed to take the series to a second extra period, but Aris, pushed by its incredible fans, prevailed. Stack led the way with 34 points and 8 rebounds. Terrell Castle added 23 points. Savvas Iliadis had 34 for Panionios while Nikos Ekonomou added 29 in his final game in European competition.
5.- Makedonikos vs. Hemofarm, 2004-05 semifinals, second leg, 96-65
Hemofarm arrived in Greece carrying a 23-point lead in its two-game series, but Makedonikos and its noisy fans never stopped believing. Pete Mickeal played one of the best games of his career with 32 points on 11-of-13 shooting and 11-of-13 free throws plus 7 rebounds and a performance index ranking of 40. Makedonikos led 47-38 at halftime and simply rolled in the second half behind an outstanding Mickeal. When the dust settled, Makedonikos had made it, beating Hemofarm 96-65 to reach the title game, which it ultimately lost against Lietuvos Rytas.
4.- Real Madrid vs. Hapoel Jerusalem, 2003-04 final, 73-82
Few expected Hapoel to win the title but the team, led by head coach Sharon Drucker and final MVP Kelly McCarty, played the perfect game to bring the trophy to the Israeli capital. Hapoel overcame the winningest club in European history to become just the second Israeli team ever to lift a continental trophy. Almost 2,000 fans from Jerusalem, part of a sellout crowd of 6,500 at the Spiroudome, danced in the aisles to celebrate Hapoel's victory. McCarty led Hapoel with 22 points, Will Solomon and Doron Sheffer added 15 each and Tunji Awojobi served as his team's defensive anchor with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
3.- Lukoil Academic vs. KK Zagreb, 2003-04 regular season, 116-115 3OT.
It was the first game of the 2003-04 season - and what a showdown it turned out to be! Priest Lauderdale broke the performance index ranking record, a record that still stands eight years later. He amassed 34 points on 14-of-17 two-point shooting, 17 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks for a 55 index, and forced one of the overtimes with a layup off an inbound pass. Teammate Todor Stoykov, currently the competition's all-time leading scorer, played all 55 minutes and recorded the Eurocup's first-ever triple double with 33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Marko Piplovic had 29 points and 11 rebounds for Zagreb. What a night!
2.- Lietuvos Rytas vs. BC Khimki Moscow Region, 2008-09 final, 80-74
In one of the greatest comebacks in competition history - not to mention in a title game in European basketball history – Lietuvos Rytas rallied to edge BC Khimki Moscow Region 80-74 to win its second Eurocup title. Rytas trailed 49-62 late in the third quarter, but Steponas Babrauskas led a 17-0 run that brought his team back to life and sank a deadly three-pointer from the corner to seal the outcome in the final minute. Marius Petravicius led the winners and earned Final Eight MVP honors with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Babrauskas added a career-high 18 points. Kelly McCarty paced Khimki with 20 points.
1.- Alba Berlin vs. Bosna Asa BHT, 2007-08 regular season, 141-127 5OT.
A game of historic proportions by all means. Alba Berlin defeated visiting KK Bosna 141-127 after five overtimes and 65 minutes of action - more than a regulation game-and-a-half - at Max Schmeling Hall in the German capital. It has been the only five-overtime game in either the Eurocup or Euroleague to date. Alba set the record for most points in a Eurocup game (141) and the two teamss combined for 268 - also an all-time record. Perhaps most remarkable of all, Alba and Bosna scored an astounding 126 points between them in the overtime periods alone, despite the fact that 10 players fouled out between the two teams! Bobby Brown scored 44 points – including 2 foul shots to force the first and fifth overtimes and a three-pointer to send the game into a fourth extra session. Goran Nikolic, who played a record 63 minutes and 40 seconds, scored 5 points in a 9-0 run that allowed Alba to seal the victory down the stretch! "I could cry when I think about how many parts of my body are aching," Nikolic said after.
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