With EuroLeague and EuroCup action on hold this week, it allowed the domestic leagues to showcase their National Cup tournaments.
There was little surprises though as the EuroLeague sides dominated their respective tournaments with only FIBA Basketball Champions League side Banvit prevailing in the Turkish Cup final.
German Cup final
Brose Bamberg won the German Cup for the fifth time after holding off FC Bayern Munich 71-74 in the final on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin. Fabien Causeur scored 18 points and Daniel Theis posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks for the winners, who captured their first cup title since 2012. Bayern led by as many as 5 in the opening quarter, but Bamberg Janis Strenieks buried back-to-back threes and Causeur added another in a 0-10 run that bridged the opening two quarters and gave Bamberg a 21-28 advantage. The margin touched double figures on a Causeur-to- Theis alley-oop and stood at 36-45 at halftime.
Bayern rallied to within 46-49 in the third quarter on a Danilo Barthel three-pointer, but Bamberg scored the next 6 points to lead 48-55 at the end of the quarter. An 8-2 Bayern run to open the fourth quarter made it a 1-point game, however a Nikos Zisis triple sparked a 0-7 Bamberg run. Bayern continued to battle and Reggie Redding closed the gap to 69-70 with 24 seconds remaining. Nick Johnson had a shot to give Bayern the lead, but Nicolo Melli blocked it and after Darius Miller sank free throws, Taylor missed from downtown and Bamberg was able to start celebrating. Johnson finished with 13 points for Bayern, Redding scored 11 and Barthel 10.
Italian Cup final
EA7 Milano successfully defended the Italian Cup with an 84-74 come-from-behind win over Banco di Sardegna Sassari in the final on Sunday. Ricky Hickman made 5 of 7 shots from downtown en route to 25 points, Rakim Sanders scored 15 points and Milan Macvan added 11 for the winners. Sassari took charge from the start with a 2-13 run and led 11-19 after 10 minutes. A Josh Carter triple made it 15-25 midway through the second quarter, but Sanders heated up as Milan fought back and Hickman’s triple to end the half drew Milan within 34-36. A three by Sanders to open the second half gave Milan its first lead. Hickman netted another three and Davide Pascolo converted a three-point play to boost the margin to 46-40. Andrea Cinciarini further extended the margin to 9 before strong play by Gani Lawal sparked a Sassari comeback. A David Bell jumper made it 56-54 through three quarters. It was still a 2-point game four minutes into the fourth quarter when Hickman and Macvan combined for all Milan’s points in an 11-2 march to take a 75-64 advantage with 3:38 remaining. Sassari raced back with 8 straight points, but was held to a single basket over the final two minutes as Milan closed out the game from the line. Trevor Lacey paced Sassari with 15 points, Lawal scored 13 and Rok Stipcevic 11.
Lithuanian Cup final
Zalgiris Kaunas recaptured the Lithuanian Cup with a dominant second half to defeat Lietkabelis Panevezys 84-63 at Zalgirio Arena. Kevin Pangos and Brock Motum scored 14 points apiece and Pangos also delivered 7 assists to pace the winners. Leo Westermann added 12 points and Edgaras Ulanovas and team captain Paulius Jankunas netted 10 each. Zalgiris used a 7-0 spurt to build an 18-10 lead after 10 minutes, but Lietkabelis quickly closed the gap through Gintaras Leonavicius and despite another Zalgiris run to make it 32-24, Simas Galdikas scored twice in a 0-9 run that put the visitors ahead. Ulanovas lifted Zalgiris back in front 34-33 at halftime.
After Donatas Tarolis tied it as 36-36 early in the third quarter, Motum shined with 7 points in a 13-0 charge as Zalgiris took charge. Lietkabelis fought to within 56-50 on Zygimantas Janavicius’s three-point play, but the difference was back up to 62-50 by the end of the quarter and reached the 20s in the fourth as Zalgiris marched to victory. Galdikas and Ben Madgen scored 11 each for Lietkabelis in defeat.
Serbian Cup final
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade won the Serbian Radivoj Korac Cup for the sixth time – and fourth in the last five years – by pulling away from archrival Partizan Belgrade for a 74-64 victory at Cair Sports Center in Nis, Serbia. Marko Guduric starred with 18 points and 6 assists for the winners, Marko Simonovic also scored 18 on 3 of 3 shooting from downtown, Deon Thompson posted 15 points and 6 rebounds, Luka Mitrovic added 12 points and Stefan Jovic dished 7 assists. Partizan led 46-47 with a minute to go in the third quarter, but Guduric took over with 9 points in a 16-2 Zvezda run that all but put the game on ice. Partizan made one last push to get within 7 on a Jamon Gordon triple with five minutes remaining, however Thompson scored the next 5 points to seal the outcome. Adin Vrabac led Partizan with 12 points and Stefan Bircevic added 11.
Turkish Cup final
Banvit Bandirma captured its first ever title by defeating Anadolu Efes Istanbul 66-75 to win the Turkish Cup on Sunday in Ankara. Jordan Theodore shined with 19 points and 9 rebounds and Gediminas Orelink netted 17 points on 3-of-6 three-point shooting to pace the winners. Damian Kulig added 12 points, Gasper Vidmar posted 11 points and 11 rebounds and Jeremy Chappell had 11 and 9 for Banvit, which outrebounded Efes 34-43. Derrick Brown stood out for Efes with 25 points and 12 rebounds and Bryant Dunston and Tyler Honeycutt each scored 12 points. Chappell had 4 points in a 2-11 Banvit run that gave his team a 14-23 lead after 10 minutes.
The gap reached 13 in the second quarter before Brown helped Efes get within 32-38 at halftime. The difference was down to 2 midway through the third, but Banvit extended it to 8 at the end of the quarter and to 44-55 on an Orelink triple to open the fourth. Efes battled on and after Brown buried a three with less than two minutes left, the scoreboard showed 63-66. Chappell answered from downtown and Kulig added a bucket to help Banvit hold on.
Greek Cup finals
Panathinaikos is the Greek Cup champion for the sixth straight season, after beating Aris Thessaloniki 68-59 in the final on Saturday. Panathinaikos lifted its 18th Cup title in Aris’s Nikos Galis Arena, having led for majority of the night. James Feldeine paced Panathinaikos to Cup victory with 18 points. Nick Calathes scored 15, while Chris Singleton and Mike James scored 9 apiece. Will Cummings scored 20 for Aris, and Michael Jenkins added 12 in defeat. In a close first half, Panathinaikos pulled away early with a 14-2 run, capped by a Singleton triple. Panathinaikos held 18-8 late in the first quarter, but Aris rallied behind a pair of triples from Michalis Tsairelis, and baskets from Cummings, taking 24-25 lead. But James and Feldeine made sure the Greens take 29-27 into halftime, before Alessandro Gentile and Kenny Gabriel helped open 40-29 margin midway through the third.
A three-pointer and a three-point play from Feldeine had Panathinaikos up 50-37 after 30 minutes, which opened a 17-point margin early in the fourth, but Aris hit four consecutive triples through Jenkins, Jamon Gordon and Cummings, cutting it to 54-49. Aris got within 58-54, but K.C. Rivers hit a second-chance three, before Calathes and Singleton sealed the deal, securing first trophy of 2017 for Panathinaikos.
