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Tibor Pleiß in the final of the Euroleague
Photo: FRIEDEMANN VOGEL / EPA
Tibor Pleiß is only the second German basketball professional to win the Euroleague title.
The center prevailed with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the final of the Final Four tournament in his hometown of Cologne 86:81 (39:36) against FC Barcelona.
The best throwers among the Istanbul team were once again Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin with 25 and 21 points respectively, top scorer in the star ensemble of the Catalans around 40-year-old Pau Gasol was Cory Higgins with 23 points.
Local hero Pleiß contributed five points and three rebounds in just eight minutes to his team's first Euroleague title on Sunday, but took his left foot at the end of the second quarter and had to watch for the rest of the game.
In the semi-final victory over CSKA Moscow on Friday, he was still without a mission.
“This is the greatest moment of my career, I've never experienced anything like it,” said Pleiß at Magentasport: “To win this thing in my home town.
The emotions come up.
I did my thing.
I am happy that I was able to help the team.
I was part of it.
One or the other beer will flow.
We'll enjoy the evening together. "
As previously the only German, record international player Patrick Femerling had won the trophy in the highest European club competition with Barcelona in 2003.
Third place went to Olimpia Milan.
The Italians won the game for third place against ZSKA with the German international Johannes Voigtmann 83:73 (40:34).
Voigtmann got twelve points and six rebounds in a good 20 minutes of play.
FC Bayern Munich was the first German club to reach the knockout round of the Euroleague, but failed in a dramatic best-of-five series 2: 3 to Milan in the quarter-finals.
mfu / dpa / sid