Five games take place on Thursday night, followed by five on Friday
At a glance: Round 11 sees several reunions
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8 Минутное чтение
The EuroLeague action keeps on coming as the latest double-round week continues with Regular Season Round 11. Here’s your quick guide to 10 more games on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday, November 13
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. AS Monaco (20:00 CET)
Sasa Obradovic's Zvezda (7-3) is seeking an immediate return to winning ways with a visit from his former team, Monaco (6-4). Both teams saw their winning runs ended earlier this week, with Zvezda needing to sharpen up defensively after allowing 102 points at Dubai, while Monaco needs to erase the memories of three poor opening quarters in a loss at Partizan. A key question is whether Chima Moneke, who didn’t play on Tuesday, will be able to go up against Nikola Mirotic, who led Monaco’s attempted comeback in Belgrade with 17 points. Zvezda big man Donatas Motiejunas will be motivated to dominate the paint against his former team, while visiting shooter Elie Okobo is seeking a quick return to form after going 0-of-5 from the field two days ago.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (20:00 CET)
Fenerbahce (5-5) will end its temporary residence in Munich by hosting high-flying league leader Hapoel (8-2). Both teams triumphed earlier in the week, with Fenerbahce leaning on 17 points from Wade Baldwin to overcome Maccabi while free-scoring Hapoel again turned on the style to blast 114 points past Baskonia as Elijah Bryant’s 24 points topped seven double-digit scorers. The game will see visiting coach Dimitris Itoudis face his former team for the first time, and he will hope his league-best offense (93.2 points per game) can continue to fire against a Fener defense ranked third in the competition with just 80.2 points per game allowed. In the paint, visiting center Johnathan Motley will hope to dominate against his former team as he faces the experience of Khem Birch.
Real Madrid vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:45 CET)
A heavyweight showdown between two of the last three champions sees Real (5-5) defend its perfect home record against Panathinaikos (6-4). The Greens have already enjoyed one road triumph this week, conquering Paris on Tuesday, while Real suffered another road defeat at Valencia. The battle of the big man will take center stage after they experienced very contrasting fortunes on Tuesday: Kenneth Faried enjoyed a sparkling debut for Panathinaikos (23 points and 10 rebounds), but Real ace Walter Tavares endured a miserable night as he fouled out after contributing 1 point and 4 turnovers. In the frontcourt, get ready for a similarly crucial matchup between undersized playmakers Facu Campazzo and TJ Shorts, who are both recovering their best form after slow starts to the season.
Paris Basketball vs. Valencia Basket (20:45 CET)
Paris (4-6) will attempt to end a four-game losing streak with a visit from a Valencia team (6-4) aiming for a perfect double round week. It should be a fun encounter between two fast-paced teams, who both love to crash the offensive glass and respectively rank third (89.6 points per game) and second (90.5) in scoring. Expect a frenzy of three-point shooting between two teams who combined for 80 long-range attempts in Round 10 – Sebastian Herrera has made at least three triples in five consecutive games for Paris, while Valencia playmaker Darius Thompson made 4-of-6 from deep to inspire his team to victory over Real Madrid two days ago. Tuesday’s loss to Panathinaikos saw Justin Robinson continue his great form with 22 points, and his backcourt battle with Jean Montero could be key.
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (21:00 CET)
Ending the latest double round week with a victory to climb away from the foot of the standings is the target for Maccabi (2-8) and Baskonia (3-7). Defensive efficiency could be decisive in meeting between the two highest-conceding teams in the competition, with only Maccabi (94.8) allowing more points than Baskonia’s (92.6). Tuesday’s loss at Hapoel saw the visiting team welcome back Markus Howard from injury, and he will hope to find his range after making just 3 of his 10 field goal attempts on his comeback. Maccabi’s key weapon is Jaylen Hoard, who has recorded consecutive double-doubles, and his battle with a similarly all-action performer, Baskonia’s Hamidou Diallo (13.5 points and 4.9 boards per night) will be another fun aspect of a game that promises to entertain.
Friday, November 14
Dubai Basketball vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (17:00 CET)
Dubai (4-6) is aiming to complete a perfect double round week by downing a Zalgiris team (7-3) eager to get back on track. Aleksa Avramovic's return from injury was one of the factors behind Dubai's impressive win over Zvezda on Tuesday, with the sharpshooter pouring in 17 points on his season debut. The men from the desert also benefitted from a breakout performance from Kenan Kamenjas, who combined 20 points and 9 rebounds and now faces a big battle with Moses Wright – Zalgiris’s paint enforcer continued his great season with 13 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s defeat at Olympiacos. The Lithuanian team made only 6-of-33 three-point attempts in Piraeus, so will hope that deep threats like Maodo Lo and Dustin Sleva can recover their usual accuracy.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. FC Bayern Munich (18:00 CET)
Two teams attempting to bounce back meet in Istanbul with Efes (3-7) hosting Bayern (5-5). Defeat at Virtus in Round 10 means Efes has lost three straight, despite Shane Larkin maintaining his usual high standards by netting multiple triples in eight consecutive games. Against him in the backcourt, Bayern’s recent recruit Spencer Dinwiddie will be seeking redemption after missing a last-second free throw which could have forced overtime in Wednesday’s loss to Barcelona. In the paint, Efes needs Kai Jones and Brice Dessert to offer more support to Ercan Osmani, while Bayern – which could again be led by assistant coach TJ Parker unless Gordie Herbert overcomes illness – hopes Oscar da Silva can continue his strong form after averaging 7.2 rebounds in the last five games.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:00 CET)
Partizan (4-6) is looking for a second straight win as it travels to face an ASVEL (2-8) attempting to climb clear of last place. The Serbian team ended a four-game losing streak by holding off Monaco on Tuesday, and will hope that forward Aleksej Pokusevski can continue to contribute after netting a career high 17 points in that nervous win. Recent signing Nick Calathes also showed he is ready to become a more central part of the offense by scoring 10 points, but his defensive skills will be tested by ASVEL playmaker Glynn Watson, who poured in 25 points in Wednesday’s narrow loss at Milan. That game also saw young center Armel Traore again demonstrate his potential with 19 points, and his battle with Tyrique Jones could be pivotal.
FC Barcelona vs. Virtus Bologna (20:30 CET)
Climbing the standings by achieving a second win of the week is the prize as Barcelona (6-4) welcomes Virtus (5-5). The Spanish team, led by interim coach Oscar Orellana, relied on improved defense and the playmaking of veteran Tomas Satoransky to triumph at Bayern on Wednesday, while Virtus restored its confidence by ending a losing run in emphatic fashion with Tuesday's triumph over Efes. The Italian team will again look for long-range shooting heroics from Carsen Edwards and Alen Smailagic after they both netted five triples in that victory, but Barca leads the league in three-point shooting accuracy (41.5%). A special spotlight will fall on the home team’s forward duo Will Clyburn and Toko Shengelia, who are both facing their former team for the first time.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CET)
Milan (5-5) is aiming to complete a perfect week with a visit from another of Round 10’s winners, Olympiacos (7-3). The Reds will have to show mental resilience after cruelly losing Keenan Evans to another long-term injury during Wednesday’s win over Zalgiris, placing pressure on Tyler Dorsey to stay hot after pouring in 30 points. Milan also has a backcourt star in fine form with Armoni Brooks netting a personal best 24 points to beat ASVEL earlier this week, and the Italian team also needs Leandro Bolmaro to deliver another high-energy performance after he paired 15 points and 8 boards in that triumph. Milan center Josh Nebo has returned to action after missing a month through injury, and his battle in the paint with Donta Hall promises to be explosive.