The British side booked its place in the playoffs last week, while the Spanish team can do so in Round 15.
London Lions, Joventut meet with plenty on the line
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Just one year ago, Joventut Badalona used its experience and depth to defeat an inexperienced London Lions squad in the first round of the BKT EuroCup Playoffs. London (10-4) already exacted some revenge against Joventut (9-5) earlier this season, winning 76-87. And Wednesday night’s Round 15 encounter at Copper Box Arena should make for fascinating viewing.
Coming into this round, London knows that it has booked its spot in the EuroCup Playoffs after securing an impressive 96-100 win at second-placed Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (11-3) last week. Hapoel had the chance to go three games ahead of the Lions with a victory, but London’s triumph has put it right in contention for a top-two finish entering the final few weeks of the regular season.
London seeking a bye
Coach Petar Bozic’s group needs to be in a perfect position to pounce if Hapoel falls in either of its four remaining games, of which three are against teams currently in the playoff spots. Hapoel takes on the almost invincible Paris Basketball (13-1) in Round 15, so a victory for London against Joventut – and a loss for Hapoel – would leave it breathing down the Israeli side’s neck.
London has largely had to do without the services of All-EuroCup Second Team selection Sam Dekker this season, as he has been limited to just seven appearances due to injury. The 29-year-old most recently suffered an ankle problem in a Round 13 defeat to Paris Basketball on December 26 and is out indefinitely, but his teammates all stepped up in his absence in Round 14 against Hapoel.
New signing David Nwaba made an instant impression with 17 points on his London debut, while Conor Morgan and Luke Nelson added 15 points apiece. Gabe Olaseni, a player making a strong case for an All-EuroCup spot this year, notched his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, too. Then, even on an off night for the usually electric Matt Morgan, he still contributed 11 points, and Donte Grantham chipped in with 10. It was a real team effort against a Hapoel side that was never going to make things easy for Coach Bozic’s group.
Joventut focused on the playoffs
London should expect a similar sort of night against Joventut, which has been on fire of late. Coach Carles Duran’s charges are in the midst of a six-game winning streak, which has reinvigorated Joventut’s season and seen it surge up the standings.
In fact, if the Spanish team is able to win in the English capital on Wednesday, it would join London in locking up its spot in the EuroCup Playoffs. Alternatively, even if Joventut was to lose, a Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana victory over Umana Reyer Venice would also see the Badalona-based side officially reach the postseason.
A friendly schedule has aided Joventut somewhat in the last few weeks, with the team’s last four games coming against teams outside the playoff positions, but the old adage is: you can only win what is put in front of you. Last week, Joventut stepped up in the final minute of the contest to beat Veolia Towers Hamburg 90-96, with the veteran Ante Tomic netting his team’s last 7 points to ensure the 2007-08 EuroCup champion returned to Badalona with the win.
Along with the always impressive Tomic, Joventut has been getting good performances from Andrew Andrews, Andres Feliz and Tyler Cook in recent weeks. More firepower has been added to the team’s offense, too, with the arrival of guard Shannon Evans, who is registered and could make his debut against London. Joventut has been on a roll since Round 9 and will be eager to keep its momentum going when it visits Copper Box Arena.
Basketball fans are in for a treat when London and Joventut face off, as there are intriguing battles all over the court. Both teams are still fighting for their respective goals, too, as London looks to secure a top-two finish and automatic qualification for the quarterfinals, while Joventut aims to lock in its spot in the playoffs. Make sure to tune in from 20:30 CET on Wednesday to see how it plays out.