The MVP honor for Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup season was shared by three players, who each accumulated a PIR of 37.
Bryce Jones played a leading role in getting Aris Thessaloniki Betsson back to winning ways, with the Greek side beating Slask Wroclaw 85-78. The point guard finished with a career-high 28 points, having made 4-of-8 two-pointers, 1-of-1 three-pointers and 17-of-18 free throws, as well as 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 10 fouls drawn, good for a career-best 37 PIR. His 17 free throws made are the joint second most all-time. This is the second time that Jones has earned MVP of the Round honors this season, having also achieved this honor in Round 1.
Jared Harper had his best performance of the season so far as Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem downed the previously unbeaten Bahcesehir College Istanbul 82-90 on the road. He posted a season-high 37 PIR after netting a season-best 27 points on 7-of-9 two-point attempts, 2-of-4 triples and 7-of-7 free throws, in addition to 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 9 fouls drawn, and zero turnovers. This is Harper’s seventh career MVP of the Round award and his second this season after taking home this honor in Round 5.
James Karnik marked his final appearance for Neptunas Klaipeda in style during a 100-87 triumph over BAXI Manresa. Karnik ended the night with 25 points on 10-of-15 two-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws, together with 13 rebounds, of which 6 were on the offensive end, 2 steals and 7 fouls drawn. He posted career highs in index rating, points, offensive rebounds, rebounds and steals en route to the first MVP of the Round honor of his six-game EuroCup career.
The fourth-best PIR in Round 6 belonged to Bahcesehir’s Malachi Flynn, who tied his career best with a 32 PIR in his team’s defeat to Jerusalem. Flynn posted a career-high 28 points on 7-of-12 two-pointers, 4-of-9 threes and 2-of-3 free throws, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 6 fouls drawn and zero turnovers.
Rounding out the list of top performers is Dolomiti Energia Trento’s DeVante Jones, who had 21 points on 4-of-9 twos, 1-of-3 triples and 10-of-14 free throws, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 13 fouls drawn, good for a career-high 31 PIR, in his team’s 78-74 win against Lietkabelis Panevezys.
Individual highs: Arnas Velicka, Neptunas, 14 assists
Malachi Flynn and Bryce Jones led all players in scoring in Round 6 with 28 points apiece. U-BT Cluj-Napoca guard Fatts Russell leads the EuroCup in scoring with 24.0 points per game.
James Karnik pulled down a round-high 13 rebounds this week. Veolia Towers Hamburg big man Zacharie Perrin tops the rebounding charts with 10.0 boards per night.
Arnas Velicka of Neptunas Klaipeda dished 14 assists in Round 6, more than any other player. He is also the leader in assists this season with 8.2 dimes per contest.
Robbie Beran of NINERS Chemnitz and Yogi Ferrell of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica made 4 steals apiece in Round 6, the most this week. Turk Telekom Ankara’s Dogus Ozdemiroglu leads the EuroCup in this category with 2.5 steals per game.
Nine players – Turk Telekom trio Kyle Alexander, Berkan Durmaz and Emircan Kosut, Aris’s Jake Forrester, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse’s Ricky Lindo, Buducnost’s Juwan Morgan, Umana Reyer Venice’s Amedeo Tessitori, and London Lions duo Deane Williams and Johnathan Williams – made a round-high 2 blocks apiece. Manresa’s Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu is this season’s top shot-blocker with 1.6 rejections per night.
Six players recorded a double-double in Round 6: James Karnik (25 points, 13 rebounds), Arnas Velicka (12 points, 14 assists), Jerusalem’s Austin Wiley (14 points, 10 rebounds), Bahcesehir’s Trevion Williams (11 points, 11 rebounds), Bourg’s Kevin Kokila (12 points, 11 rebounds), and Manresa’s Hugo Benitez (10 points, 10 assists).