Andy West previews the penultimate round of the EuroCup regular season
At a glance: A three-day round as the playoff race nears boiling point
Game Preview
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The penultimate round of the regular season could be decisive in the race for playoff positions, highlighted by a titanic Turkish tussle. Here’s your guide to Round 17 of the BKT EuroCup.
Tuesday, February 3
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Slask Wroclaw (17:00 CET)
Bahcesehir (11-5) could clinch a top-two finish by overcoming a Slask team (4-12) which only has pride to play for. The Turkish team has won four out of the last five, while Slask has the worst form in the competition with eight straight losses and is facing defensive difficulties in particular after allowing an average of 95.6 points per game. However, Slask did beat Bahcesehir in November, 99-91, and will look for more heroics from Noah Kirkwood after his 21 points in that game. The hosts will be powered by backcourt star Malachi Flynn (17.8 points per game), who continued his special season by netting a last-gasp game winner against Aris last week.
ratiopharm ulm vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (19:00 CET)
Ulm (7-9) must win to keep its postseason hopes realistically alive as it welcomes a Buducnost team (10-6) still competing for a top-two finish. The hosts need to rediscover their offense after being held to 66 points at Bourg last week, and also needs a much better defensive performance to stop a Buducnost team which won easily, 101-71, when the teams last met. Ulm center Malik Osborne is in great form with six straight double-digit scoring nights, but his task won’t be easy against one of the EuroCup’s best big men, Nikola Tanaskovic (12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game). Buducnost has lost four straight on the road, and needs to end that run to stay in top two contention.
Wednesday, February 4
Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens (18:00 CET)
The bottom two teams in Group A meet to decide the wooden spoon as Lietkabelis (3-13) welcomes Panionios (3-13). The Greek team has not won on the road all season, but has improved in recent weeks and grabbed a morale-boosting win against London last week. Recent signing Brandon Taylor was the architect of that triumph with 20 points and 7 assists, and he faces a good battle in the backcourt against Michael Flowers (14.1 points per game). Lietkabelis has lost four in a row but currently controls the head-to-head advantage, after Jamel Morris scored 16 points to set up a 72-79 road win in Athens when the teams met in Round 8.
Besiktas GAIN Istanbul vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (18:00 CET)
A Turkish derby could be decisive in the race for a top-two finish as Besiktas (11-5) welcomes Turk Telekom (11-5). The home team, which hopes Ante Zizic can return from illness, needs to bounce back from a poor performance at Trento, while Turk Telekom is flying after four straight victories. Besiktas can secure a top-two finish with a victory thanks to its 84-93 road triumph in Ankara in November, powered by 20 points from Devon Dotson. He would love a return to form after failing to reach double digits in the last five games, while Turk Telekom will look to control the tempo through Dogus Ozdemiroglu, who is coming off his best performance of the season with 22 points and 11 assists in last week’s win over Lietkabelis.
Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (19:00 CET)
Hapoel (12-4) will look to retain Group A’s first place by overcoming a Cluj team (8-8) battling to stay in the playoff places. Both teams are aiming to bounce back from two straight defeats, and Cluj needs to end a sequence of four straight road losses. It should be a shootout between the EuroCup’s two highest scoring teams, and Hapoel has to handle the inside power of Mitch Creek, who went 11-of-11 from two-point range in last week’s narrow loss at Manresa. The backcourt promises a great battle between the competition’s leading scorer Fatts Russell (20.8 points per game) and Hapoel dynamo Jared Harper, who has recorded double digits in scoring in every game this season and also averages 5.2 assists.
NINERS Chemnitz vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CET)
A key Group B battle will see Chemnitz (8-8) attempt to clinch playoff qualification by downing red-hot Trento (10-6). The Italian team could still finish in the top two after winning eight of its last nine games, with rising star Andrej Jakimovski powering last week’s impressive win over Besiktas with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Chemnitz's playoff challenge has wobbled with two defeats in the last three games, and defensive improvement is required after allowing 97 points against Buducnost last week. The inside presence of center Kevin Yebo (18.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game) will be crucial for the German team to control the tempo, while Trento hopes guard DJ Steward can stay hot after averaging 19 points in the last three games.
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. London Lions (19:30 CET)
Group B leader Bourg (12-4) could clinch first place by handing out another defeat to eliminated London (5-11). The French team overcame a mini-slump by easily beating Ulm last week, and center Tre Mitchell will look to maintain his form after combining 12 points with 9 rebounds. London has lost five games straight, failing to score 80 points in any of those defeats, and needs others to step up and support the scoring efforts of guard Shavar Reynolds (14.1 points per game). But that won’t be easy against a Bourg defense which ranks second in the EuroCup (75.1 points per game allowed) and showed its strength during a 68-72 road win over London in November.
Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. Neptunas Kleipeda (20:00 CET)
It’s a must-win showdown as Aris (7-9) and Neptunas (7-9) – currently tied for seventh place – battle to keep their playoffs hopes alive. Aris has stumbled to four losses in the last five games, but can clinch head to head advantage after winning, 87-93, in Klaipeda in Round 8. Amine Noua scored 24 points in that game, and stopping him will be a key for the visiting defense. Neptunas is coming off an outstanding home win over group leader Hapoel, when playmaker Arnas Velicka showed his all-round talents by falling one rebound short of a triple-double (16 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds). Another major threat for the Lithuanian team is Rihards Lomasz, who has averaged 24.2 points in the last five games.
BAXI Manresa vs. Umana Reyer Venice (20:45 CET)
Red-hot Manresa (10-6) will look to keep on rolling as it hosts a Reyer team (9-7) which can secure a playoff place with a win. The Spanish team is still targeting a top-two finish after winning four straight, again demonstrating its offensive power with a 101-99 thriller over Cluj last week. Retin Obasohan powered that triumph with 29 points, and he poses a massive threat to Reyer’s defense after averaging 19.5 points during his team’s winning run. Reyer is also in great form with five wins out of six, overcoming Cedevita last time out as Jordan Parks continued his great form with 22 points. A road win would also give Reyer head to head advantage, after 20 points from Kyle Wiltjer secured a thrilling home win over Manresa, 97-93, in November.
Thursday, February 5
Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (19:30 CET)
Hamburg (2-12) will look to maintain its recent improvement by ending the top-two ambitions of Cedevita (10-6). The German team has won two in a row, edging out Slask last week behind 26 points from the always dangerous Devon Daniels. Scoring is never a problem for Hamburg, but Cedevita will look to exploit the hosts' defensive frailties (96.1 points per game allowed) through guard DJ Stewart, who poured in 17 points to help seal an easy win when the teams met in Round 8. In the paint, visiting big man Thomas Kennedy (7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game) faces a tough challenge against one of the continent’s fastest-rising young talents Zacharie Perrin, who averages 17.7 points and 11 rebounds in the last three games.