By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Unicaja is the first team guaranteeing a place in the Basketball Champions League Final Four. Game 3 contests will complete the field this week.
The win-or-go-home games have been a special treat for BCL fans, expanding way beyond the best-of-three series with plenty of group games falling under the exact same category. Judging exclusively on Game 3 in a best-of-three series, it has been 12 matchups so far with seven wins for the home sides and five visitors spoiling the party.
Reviewing campaigns with such encounters on the format, Eurohoops presents the Game 3 summary by season, stage, and teams.
List of Basketball Champions League Game 3
| Season | Stage | Teams | Game 3 |
| 2019-20 | Round of 16 | Iberostar Tenerife – Filou Oostende | 62-54 |
| 2019-20 | Round of 16 | JDA Dijon – Nizhny Novgorod | 75-67 |
| 2021-22 | Play-Ins | Lenovo Tenerife – Pinar Karsiyaka | 74-71 |
| 2021-22 | Play-Ins | Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Prometey | 75-85 |
| 2021-22 | Play-Ins | Igokea m:tel – Filou Oostende | 77-83 |
| 2021-22 | Play-Ins | Hapoel U-NET Holon – Besiktas Icrypex | 74-68 |
| 2021-22 | Play-Ins | Hereda San Pablo Burgos – Darussafaka | 68-80 |
| 2021-22 | Quarterfinals | U-BT Cluj-Napoca – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg | 73-79 |
| 2022-23 | Play-Ins | Bahcesehir Koleji – Filou Oostende | 87-81 |
| 2022-23 | Play-Ins | Rytas – PAOK mateco | 82-63 |
| 2022-23 | Play-Ins | MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Limoges CSP | 94-96 |
| 2022-23 | Play-Ins | JDA Dijon – Peristeri bwin | 89-82 |
| 2022-23 | Quarterfinals | Telekom Baskets Bonn – SIG Strasbourg | ? |
| 2022-23 | Quarterfinals | Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – AEK | ? |
| 2022-23 | Quarterfinals | Lenovo Tenerife – BAXI Manresa | ? |
Introducing Game 3 was initially set to decide the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals winners of the 2019-20 season. The coronavirus pandemic instead forced a pause on the action between Game 2 and Game 3 of the Round of 16. Resuming the season with a six-month delay, the first-ever Game 3s were held early in the 2020-21 season and the Quarterfinals were inserted into the Final Eight hosted in Athens.
Far from a usual situation, but that was the case altering the entry to the season-ending tournament and accompanying the ensuing Play-Ins. Game 3 predicaments resurfaced in 2021-22 and remained part of the format this season. Three more make-or-break situations coming up to decide which teams will join Unicaja in the Final Four to be played on 12-14 May.