Printezis’ clutch shot named EuroLeague’s game-winner of the decade
Georgios Printezis’ title-clinching shot for Olympiacos in the 2012 Final against CSKA Moscow has been named the EuroLeague’s game-winning shot of the decade.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
There have been many iconic shots in the EuroLeague over the years, but perhaps none more iconic as Georgios Printezis’ title-clinching shot for Olympiacos in 2012.
Printezis’ game-winning basket in the 2012 EuroLeague Final against CSKA Moscow was recently named the greatest game-winner of the decade as the official EuroLeague website compiled the competition’s best plays over the past ten years.
The shot capped perhaps the best-ever EuroLeague Final as a thrilling night in Turkey ended with Olympiacos celebrating their second title in team history and the first of back-to-back continental trophies.
Trailing by 19 points midway through the third quarter, Olympiacos managed a 22-8 run in the final frame to shock CSKA en route to the title. But that surge late in the game would have meant nothing had it not been for Printezis’ winner with just 0.7 seconds left on the clock.
After the CSKA lead was cut to just one, Olympiacos fans inside the Sinan Erdem Dome were bracing for the worst when Vassilis Spanoulis fouled CSKA’s Ramunas Siskauskas with nine seconds left; granting the Lithuanian a trip to the foul line for a rare three shots.
Much to the shock of his CSKA teammates and the Russian supporters, Siskauskas missed all three free throws before Kostas Papanikolaou secured the defensive rebound for Olympiacos’ last surge up the court.
In what has been a familiar sight for the Erythrolefki for years, Spanoulis drove the ball up the court and split two CSKA defenders before serving up a bullet pass to an unmarked Printezis just outside the key. Printezis wasted no time getting up a one-handed floater to the basket, which was greeted by a massive roar inside the arena.
Forever etched in Olympiacos lore, Printezis’ winner topped a list of twenty game-winners that also featured Nick Calathes’ overtime winner for Panathinaikos against Zalgiris Kaunas in 2018 and Spanoulis’ deep three-pointer against Panathinaikos in the Eternal Derby in 2014.
THANASIS’ DERBY DUNK AMONG TOP PUT-BACKS
The EuroLeague official website also compiled the best put-back shots of the decade with a trio of Panathinaikos dunks in derby clashes with Olympiacos among the top 20.
Panathinaikos’ best showing in the list came in the form of Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s emphatic put-back slam against Olympiacos in the 2018 edition of the Eternal Derby, which ranked third in the best put-backs of the decade.
Put-backs from James Gist and Kenny Gabriel in various editions of the Eternal Derby over the years were also included in the top twenty, while it was James Nunnally’s put-back slam for Fenerbahce against Maccabi Tel Aviv took top honours.
