Game Center: Round 14

Six games follow on Wednesday night

Tuesday, January 13

Bahcesehir College Istanbul 92-96 BAXI Manresa

Manresa suffered a massive collapse but managed to survive and beat second placed Bahcesehir College Istanbul 92-96 on the road to continue its strong run of results. Manresa led by 17 points after three quarters but watched Bahcesehir take the lead the lead in the final minute. Retin Obasohan’s basket saved the day, and Manresa improved to 8-6 in Group A - including five wins in its last six games.

The Spanish side has scored at least 93 points in six of its last seven games, being led by Obasohan with 20 points, Ferran Bassas had 19 points and Agustin Ubal collected 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Bahcesehir dropped to 9-5 after having won three of its last four games. Malachi Flynn paced the hosts with 21 points, Trevion Williams had 20 points and 9 rebounds and Tyler Cavanaugh contributed 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Neptunas Kleipeda 85-104 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana

Cedevita Olimpija secured a comfortable 85-104 road win over Neptunas at Klaipeda's Svyturio Arena on Tuesday night, improving to 9-5 in Group A, while Neptunas dropped to 6-8. Cedevita controlled the opening quarter, building an early lead of up to 15 points. Neptunas answered in the second quarter, outscoring the visitors 25-23 behind Zane Waterman to cut into the deficit. From the third quarter on, Cedevita took control inside, extending the margin to 13. A strong fourth quarter, in which the visitors stretched the lead to as many as 22 points, allowed Cedevita to close out the game.

Umoja Gibson led the way for the winners with 25 points and 4 assists. DJ Stewart added 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, David Skara finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, Jaka Blazic posted 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Aleksej Nikolic scored 12 points. For Neptunas, Zane Waterman recorded 15 points and 7 rebounds, Donatas Tarolis added 13 points and 6 rebounds, Arnas Velicka contributed 12 points and 4 assists, and Egidijus Mockevicius tallied with 10 points and 5 rebounds.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca 103-92 Veolia Towers Hamburg

Club comfortably bested Hamburg on Tuesday night at the BT Arena, 103-92. Controlling the pace of play for the majority of the contest, the Romanian champs earned the 11-point victory. The result means that Hamburg will finish winless on the road in EuroCup and return home with a 0-14 record, where it will play out its final four games. On the other hand, fourth-placed Cluj moves to 8-6 for the season, as it continues to jostle for playoff placement.

Daron Russell ran the show for Mihai Silvasan’s men, adding 5 boards and 4 dishes to his impressive 23-point scoring display, while shooting at a clip of 8-16 from the field. Mitchell Creek also put up major numbers for the hosts, finishing the game with 20 points, 4 assists and 5 rebounds. Bolstering the offense further, Nighael Ceaser, Karel Guzman and Dusan Miletic also finished on double figures.

Dolomiti Energia Trento 88-87 Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens

Trento snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after Khalif Battle sank a buzzer-beating floater to delight the home fans. The win saw the hosts improve to 8-6 in Group B while the Greek side dropped to 2-12, having wiped out a 19-point deficit and coming agonizingly close to staging an upset.

Trento cruised through the opening half as the Italian team dominated the boards 28-12 - including 17 offensive rebounds - in the opening 20 minutes. The tide turned after the break as the visitors took the third quarter 13-32 with Joe Thomasson lethal from long range, propelling Panionios to a 76-81 lead with only a few minutes left in the contest. Trento then dug deep to force the final twist, staying firmly in a postseason spot while Panionios remained rooted to the bottom of the group.

DJ Steward paced Trento on 16 points and Jordan Bayehe added 15 to go with 6 boards, while Devante Jones racked up 11 and 8 assists. Battle sank 10 points as Peyton Aldridge amassed 8 points and as many boards. At the other end, Giorgos Tsampouris led Panionios with 19 points, Thomasson added 17 and Matt Lewis 14.

Wednesday, January 14

Turk Telekom Ankara vs. London Lions (17:00 CET)

Turk Telekom’s (8-5) quest to climb into Group B’s top two continues with a visit from equally in-need London (5-8). The English team has lost three out of the last four to fall away from the top six, despite a strong start with the team from recent signing Shavar Reynolds (15 points and 4 steals against Chemnitz last week). Turk Telekom, conversely, got back into winning ways by narrowly holding off Trento, with six double-digit scorers led by 16 points from Kris Bankston. The Turkish team’s depth of talent could be crucial against a London team which couldn’t contain Kyle Allman when the teams met in October – the guard posted 22 points to lead a road victory.

ratiopharm ulm vs. NINERS Chemnitz (19:00 CET)

A crucial German derby will see Ulm (5-8) attempt to revive its playoff ambitions at the expense of Chemnitz (7-6). The visitors arrive in much better shape after making it four straight wins by downing London last week, featuring a breakout performance from forward Kostja Mushidi (22 points, 5 assists). He is one of the threats to an Ulm team which has slipped steadily down the standings by losing six out of the last seven. Chris Ledlum’s consistent form (17 points at Besiktas last time out) has been a rare positive, but Ulm must focus on improving a leaky defense which has allowed an average of 92.2 points per game.

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys (19:00 CET)

Buducnost (8-5) is seeking a return to winning ways as it faces a Lietkabelis team (3-10) on the verge of elimination. The Montenegrin team suffered a shock loss at Panionios last week but will be pleased to return to a home floor where it has won five in a row, while Lietkabelis has lost four of its last five despite putting up a good fight against group leader Bourg last time out. The return from injury of free-scoring guard Jamel Morris (12.5 points per game) gives the visiting team some optimism, but Buducnost poured in 98 points to triumph when the teams met in Round 5, and has big man Nikola Tanaskovic in fine form after averaging 16.5 points in the last four games.

Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem (19:00 CET)

Aris (6-7) will look to climb into Group A’s all-important top six by upsetting red-hot group leader Jerusalem (11-2). Aris has lost two in a row after allowing 113 points against Manresa last week and must improve drastically on defense to fare better against the best offense in the competition, while also hoping that Amine Noua continues his return to form after netting 23 points last time out. Jerusalem’s latest high-scoring victory was a remarkable 43-point triumph at Slask, featuring big man Austin Wiley’s fifth double-double of the season. With 10 straight victories, Jerusalem is the competition’s hottest team and advancing rapidly towards securing a top-two finish, but new Aris signing Kostas Antetokounmpo will be determined to stop them.

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Besiktas GAIN Istanbul (19:30 CET)

Group A’s top two go head-to-head in a crucial showdown as Bourg (11-2) attempts to hold off Besiktas (9-4). Bourg has already qualified for the postseason, and can now take a three-game distance over second place by producing another defensive masterclass after holding its opponents to less than 80 points in three straight games. But Besiktas – which ended a two-game losing streak by downing Ulm last week – thrashed the French team 90-60 in Round 5 behind 15 points and 14 rebounds from Ante Zizic, and home team big man Kevin Kokila knows he must offer more resistance this time – he warmed up for the showdown with 18 points and 7 rebounds to power last week’s win over Lietkabelis.

Umana Reyer Venice vs. Slask Wroclaw (20:00 CET)

Reyer (7-6) has the aim of keeping its top-two hopes alive by handing another defeat to struggling Slask (4-9). The Italian team has hit top form with three straight victories, while Slask has slipped to five straight losses due to a leaky defense which has was blasted to the tune of 115 points by Jerusalem last week. Reyer’s latest victory, over Cluj in Round 13, was powered by 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists from RJ Cole, and his return to top form comes at a good time to confront visiting playmaker Kadre Grey. Reyer won 92-104 when the teams met in Round 5, and will definitely finish above Slask if it wins again this week.