MUNICH (Germany) - It's never over, until it's over in basketball - and that rings especially true when it comes to two-legged ties in FIBA Europe Cup.
In fact, the history of the competition tells us that only 50 percent of teams that win the first leg of the Semi-Finals go on to reach the Finals.
7-7: The success rate of teams advancing after winning the first leg of a Semi-Final.
Some solace for UCAM Murcia and Falco Vulcano Energia KC Szombathely, perhaps, as they will look to overturn deficits in the second legs to keep their dreams of becoming champions alive.
In the case of Hungarian side Szombathely, it will take a near record-breaking feat to do so as they trail by 17 points, but they can take inspiration from those on the other side of the court 12 months on from the heroics of Surne Bilbao Basket.
The reigning champions were very nearly not even finalists, as they found themselves 19 points adrift to JDA Bourgogne Dijon in the Semi-Finals - only to pull off a miraculous fourth quarter effort in the second leg to advance.
There have been seven comebacks from double-digit deficits in the first leg in Play-Offs history in total; topped by comeback kings Bilbao.
Season | Team | Opposition | Deficit | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023-24 (Quarter-Finals) | Surne Bilbao Basket (ESP) | Legia Warszawa (POL) | -19 | 64-83, 81-53 |
2024-25 (Semi-Finals) | Surne Bilbao Basket (ESP) | JDA Bourgogne Dijon (FRA) | -19 | 58-77, 97-68 |
2017-18 (Round of 16) | ESSM Le Portel (FRA) | Dinamo Sassari (ITA) | -17 | 55-72, 100-81 |
2017-18 (Round of 16) | Mornar Bar (MNE) | Oostende (BEL) | -13 | 71-84, 90-63 |
2016-17 (Quarter-Finals) | Oostende (BEL) | Enisey (RUS) | -12 | 72-84, 95-79 |
2016-17 (Round of 16) | Muratbey (TUR) | CSM CSU Oradea (ROU) | -10 | 72-82, 108-82 |
2023-24 (Quarter-Finals) | Bahcesehir College (TUR) | FC Porto (POR) | -10 | 80-90, 88-52 |
Delving deeper into the history of two-legged FIBA Europe Cup Semi-Finals - there were Final Fours in 2015-16 and 2020-21, while the 2019-20 season was cancelled early - it shows that nothing is set in stone.
Of the eight sides that won the first leg at home, only three went on to reach the Finals, while two out of six teams that lost on home soil managed to turn the tie around to advance on the road.
Murcia will look to capitalize on home advantage off the back of their flawless 7-0 record at the Palacio de los Deportes. Six of those seven wins were by more than six points, which will be the target margin when it comes to their reverse fixture against PAOK BC.
But will there be a second leg comeback in store, or are we heading for a repeat of the Bilbao-PAOK Finals?
FIBA