MUNICH (Germany) - History suggests that if you fail to win the first leg of the FIBA Europe Cup Finals, then you won't win the title. No team has ever bounced back from a loss to claim the title.
Of the six previous two-legged Finals across nine seasons, five triumphs stemmed from opening victories, while there was also a draw in the all-French clash between Nanterre 92 and Elan Chalon in the 2016-17 season.
So, can it be done?
Home advantage
PAOK mateco have been rather formidable on their home court this season - in fact, the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record in Thessaloniki was their one-point defeat against Cholet Basket in the first leg of the Semi-Finals.
Of course, victory alone may not be enough. Across their six wins at home in the competition, however, they had an average margin of victory is 11.0 points per game - boosted significantly by dominant wins during the Regular Season.
In Finals history, the team with home advantage for the second leg has a 50-percent success rate of lifting the title: Nanterre did so in 2017, Umana Reyer Venezia followed suit in 2018 and then Bahcesehir College in 2022.
Call it a comeback
Big comebacks have not been that frequent when it comes to FIBA Europe Cup history, but PAOK's opponents have certainly made themselves the masters of the remontada. Bilbao's 19-point comeback last season was so nice, they had to do it twice - repeating the feat in this year's Semi-Finals.
The Spanish side's 72-65 triumph in the first leg on Wednesday is the third biggest advantage in two-legged Finals history. The largest winning margin occurred 12 months ago when NINERS Chemnitz earned an 11-point lead over Bahcesehir, only for the Turkish side to send the tie into overtime in a thrilling encounter in Istanbul.
There have been eight instances in total when a team has lost the first leg of a Play-Offs encounter by seven points or more, and gone on to advance.
Season | Team | Opposition | Deficit | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 (Semi-Finals) | Bilbao Basket (ESP) | JDA Bourgogne Dijon (FRA) | -19 | 77-58, 97-68 |
2023-24 (Quarter-Finals) | Bilbao Basket (ESP) | Legia Warszawa (POL) | -19 | 83-64, 81-53 |
2017-18 (Round of 16) | ESSM Le Portel (FRA) | Dinamo Sassari (ITA) | -17 | 72-55, 100-81 |
2017-18 (Round of 16) | Mornar Bar (MNE) | Oostende (BEL) | -13 | 84-71, 90-63 |
2016-17 (Quarter-Finals) | Oostende (BEL) | Enisey (RUS) | -12 | 84-72, 95-79 |
2023-24 (Quarter-Finals) | Bahcesehir College (TUR) | FC Porto (POR) | -10 | 90-80, 88-52 |
2016-17 (Round of 16) | Muratbey (TUR) | CSM CSU Oradea (ROU) | -10 | 82-72, 108-82 |
2022-23 (Semi-Finals) | Cholet Basket (FRA) | BC Kalev/Cramo | -7 | 80-73, 81-59 |
The belief
PAOK will have no doubt they can turn the tie around, and will be adamant that they won't shoot less than 12-percent accuracy from three-point range again. Despite those struggles, they managed to turn an early 12-point deficit into a lead in the second half before coming up short.
The talent is there, in abundance. Shavar Reynolds top scored with 15 points, Frank Bartley added 14 - having inspired the Semi-Finals triumph with a 29-point haul. Something similar may be required, and the belief is there.
"Of course we can pull off the upset. We have confidence, we play on our home court and now we want our fans more than ever."
The first-ever comeback in a FIBA Europe Cup Finals? The first-ever Greek side to win the FIBA Europe Cup? History is there for the taking.
Will it happen? Make your vote below.
FIBA