Anadolu Efes beats Olympiacos to reach 3rd straight EuroLeague final
Anadolu Efes' Shane Larkin (R) fights for the ball against Olympiacos' Kostas Sloukas during the EuroLeague Final Four semi-final match between Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul at the Stark Arena in Belgrade on May 19, 2022. (Photo by Pedja Milosavljevic / AFP)


Reigning champion Anadolu Efes reached the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague final after beating Olympiacos Piraeus 77-74 in a nail-biting Final Four tie Thursday.

The Istanbul powerhouse pipped their Greek neighbors with a last-second 3-pointer by local hero Vasilije Micic.

Shane Larkin dropped 21, while Elijah Bryant added 16 in the win at Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.

Olympiacos' Shaquielle McKissic led the Greeks with 12 points.

The win confirmed Anadolu Efes' third straight EuroLeague final qualification.

In the other sem-final game, Real Madrid beat Barcelona 86-83 Thursday and will face Anadolu Efes in the final.

Los Merengues grabbed victory, coming back from an 11-point difference with Fabien Causeur and Guerschon Yabusele's 18-point contributions each at the Stark Arena in Belgrade.

The 2022 EuroLeague regular season MVP, Nikola Mirotic, was the top scorer for Barca with 26 points.

In the final clash, Real Madrid, the record holders of the competition with 10 titles, will take on reigning champion Anadolu Efes.