The Greek side reached the BKT EuroCup Playoffs on Tuesday, whereas the Italian outfit still has it all to play for.
Aris meets Trento in a crucial game for both teams
Straipsnis
4 Minutė skaityti
When Aris Midea Thessaloniki (8-9) takes on Dolomiti Energia Trento (7-10) in Group B at Palais des Sports tonight, the game will have playoff implications for many.
Both teams are playing for something
While Aris secured its spot in the BKT EuroCup Playoffs on Tuesday, following Turk Telekom Ankara’s triumph over Slask Wroclaw, it still has seeding to fight for as it will finish fifth with a win against Trento or if it loses and Buducnost VOLI Podgorica beats Dreamland Gran Canaria. Should both Aris and Buducnost lose, however, Ioannis Kastritis’s side would end the regular season in sixth position.
Trento, meanwhile, will be through to the postseason in fifth spot if it is able to come away from Greece with a win and also see Buducnost lose against Gran Canaria. If Trento loses to Aris, it will be out of playoff contention altogether, making this Wednesday’s clash a must-win.
Back in Round 9, Trento edged Aris 69-67 behind 15 points from Kamar Baldwin. Quinn Ellis, who is now out injured, hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer, which has eventually allowed Trento to stay in the playoff race until the regular-season finale.
Aris: can Harrell do it again?
Stats-wise, Aris guard Ronnie Harrell comes off one of the most unique performances in EuroCup history. Harrell led Aris to a 66-86 road win against Ulm with a true all-around performance, getting 19 points on 5-of-8 three-pointers, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks. It is even hard to find similar performances.
Bojan Popovic had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals for FMP Belgrade in an 83-79 overtime road loss against Dynamo Moscow on December 21, 2004. David White of Lukoil Academic Sofia got 14 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 steals in a 76-63 home win over Hapoel Jerusalem on November 20, 2013.
Given the circumstances, Harrell could be the next player to get a triple-double in the EuroCup. Eight players belong to this club, while Donta Smith achieved it twice. Only one player got a triple-double with at least 6 steals: Quino Colom had 15 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists and 6 steals to lead UNICS Kazan to a 91-77 home victory over Buducnost on December 9, 2015. Harrell had season-highs in assists, steals and PIR (36). Those 5 three-pointers made rounded up a one-of-a-kind performance. Aris comes off a rare Greek League road victory over against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, its first against the Greens in the Greek capital since 1997, and Harrell is ready to keep leading the team.
Trento: completing the turnaround
Reaching the playoffs would be a remarkable achievement for Trento, which struggled a lot in recent EuroCup seasons. Trento had a quick EuroCup, reaching the 2016 semifinals in its first season in the competition. It also made it to the Top 16 three times. Things went south in the last two seasons, with an expanded, 18-game regular season. Trento had a 1-15 record in the 2021-22 campaign, and followed that up with a 4-14 record last season. Quite simply, the team stopped winning, particularily on the road, going on a 24-game losing streak.
It all changed in Round 4 this season. After a 0-3 start, Trento snapped its road losing streak with a brilliant 92-93 victory over 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on a last-second shot by Ellis. Before that win, it took Trento 38 games to get five victories. This time, it got five wins in seven games, rejoining the playoff race. Soon after that, Trento sent a message that echoed all around the competition by thrashing defending champion Gran Canaria 76-98 and halting its 19-game home winning streak. Reaching the playoffs would complete a major turnaround, but Trento needs to focus on the task at hand and first grab a win in front of a tough basketball atmosphere in Thessaloniki.