THESSALONIKI (Greece) - Melwin Pantzar propelled Bilbao Basket to FIBA Europe Cup glory against PAOK mateco, and the guard's performances earned him deserved Finals MVP honors.
He averaged 18 points, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists, with 45 percent shooting from the field across the two legs.
Pantzar led Bilbao over both legs in the competition's showpiece with 19 points in the first leg; finding multiple ways to attack the basket and, as a result, shot 10-of-11 from the stripe, leading to a 72-65 victory.
The Swedish international needed a big showing in the second leg in front of a boisterous crowd at the PAOK Sports Arena, and he did just that. Pantzar shot 5-of-10 from the floor and again was reliable from the free throw line; hitting six of his seven attempts to hit 17 points with 3 assists thrown in.
"It's special, I'm not gonna lie," Pantzar said post-game. "I mean, I've been working hard. The team has been helping me a lot, the coaching staff, everybody. So this trophy also for the team, for Bilbao."
Pantzar averaged 9.1 points on 47.1 percent from the floor across the season, including going 40.9 percent from three-point land. He also dished out 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds.
FIBA