Pablo Laso and Ergin Ataman, the coaches of Real Madrid and Efes Istanbul, offered the 20,000 spectators at the Stark Arena in Belgrade an old-style Euroleague final, unspectacular but extremely indecisive.

To find traces of a crowned European champion with so few points scored in the final, we have to go back to 1998, when Bologna won against AEK Athens in Barcelona 58 to 44.

In this little game, Efes Istanbul ran after the score for a long time, trailing by seven points in the first quarter (15-8, 9th), then by nine points in the middle of the third quarter (40-31, 25th).

Shane Larkin (g) of Efes Istanbul, against Guerschon Yabusele, of Real Madrid, in the Euroleague final, on May 21, 2022 in Belgrade Pedja Milosavljevic AFP

But Real was far too clumsy (41% at two points, 18% at three points), in particular the French Guerschon Yabusele and Fabien Causeur, sparkling in the semi-final against FC Barcelona and dumb at three points on Saturday (respectively 0/6 and 0/5).

Efes picked up the score, first by Shane Larkin at the end of the first quarter, then by Pleiss and Micic at the end of the third quarter, to offer a decisive last quarter.

The Serbian-German duo then scored 16 of the 18 points for the Istanbul team, three points for Micic (twice) and two points for Pleiss (five times).

Pivot Vincent Poirier's enormous counter at the start of the last two minutes absolutely did not distract Pleiss, who was logically named the best player in the final.

Real Madrid's Frenchman Fabien Causeur tries to score a basket against Efes Istanbul in the Euroleague final on May 21, 2022 in Belgrade Pedja Milosavljevic AFP

"When I was a child, I always watched the two teams that played in the Final 4 and now I have won the Euroleague twice in a row. It's incredible," the 32-year-old pivot commented on the pitch. Efes since autumn 2018.

Micic again Final 4 MVP

For his part, Micic was named MVP of the Final 4. It was he, on the last possession and at the buzzer, who scored the three-point basket in the semi-finals, synonymous with qualification against Olympiakos.

Last season, in addition to the Final 4 MVP title, he was awarded the Euroleague regular season MVP title.

Vasilije Micic, from Efes Istanbul, voted best player in the Euroleague Final 4 after the final against Real Madrid, on May 21, 2022 in Belgrade Pedja Milosavljevic AFP

"I have no words, there is so much emotion. This team has worked so hard for this title. We have had ups and downs this season. We end it with a new title", commented Pleiss.

Efes was weighed down by a very complicated start to the regular season (six defeats in eight matches), but the Turkish club managed to snatch their ticket to the play-offs thanks to their sixth place, where they left no luck in Milan.

The Istanbul club falls into the category of clubs that have managed to retain their title from one season to the next, like Olympiakos (2012, 2013), Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004, 2005), Split (1989, 1990, 1991), Zagreb (1985, 1986) or Varese (1972, 1973).

The Serbian leader of Efes Istanbul Vasilije Micic (g) beats the Frenchman of Real Madrid Fabien Causeur, in the Euroleague final, on May 21, 2022 in Belgrade Pedja Milosavljevic AFP

The Efes, which has two European titles, remains far from Real Madrid's ten Euroleague record.

With Vincent Poirier, Fabien Causeur and Guerschon Yabusele for Real, and Rodrigue Beaubois and Adrien Moerman for Efes, French basketball was remarkably represented in this Euroleague final, with Beaubois and Moerman winning their second European title.

© 2022 AFP