Andy West looks ahead to the second round of the opening week in the new campaign
At a glance: Round 2 starts with three games Thursday
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The opening week of the season continues on Thursday and concludes on Friday with another thrilling set of matchups, including a rematch of the 2023 title game. Here’s a quick look at everything coming up.
Thursday, October 2
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:30 CEST)
Milan (1-0) will attempt to complete a perfect week in Belgrade by overcoming Partizan (0-1). The Italian team made a fine start to the season by downing Zvezda on Tuesday, led by usual suspect Zach LeDay with 21 points. Partizan is seeking a first victory after suffering defeat at Dubai two days ago, but can take encouragement from solid debuts by Shake Milton, Jabari Parker and Dylan Osetkowski. Milan displayed impressive offensive efficiency in its season opener, making 64% of two-pointers and 46% from three-point range, so Partizan will be keen to disrupt the backcourt orchestration of Nico Mannion (5 assists on Tuesday), while hoping star guard Carlik Jones rediscovers his range after making just 1 of 10 field goal attempts in Round 1.
FC Bayern Munich vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:30 CEST)
A first victory of the season is up for grabs as Bayern (0-1) welcomes Zvezda (0-1). Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s new-look Zvezda fell to a home loss against Milan despite a strong debut from Jordan Nwora (19 points, 6 rebounds), and will look to improve its three-point shooting after only making 6 triples in that loss. Another newcomer impressing in defeat was center Ebuka Izundu (14 points without a miss), but the Serbian team needs improved defense after allowing Milan to score 92 points. Gordie Herbert’s new-look Bayern will feature prominent roles for summer signings Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Isiaha Mike, who both scored 18 points in the season opening loss at Panathinaikos. And sharpshooter Andreas Obst will look to recover quickly after suffering a rare scoreless game earlier in the week.
Real Madrid vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CEST)
A clash of heavyweights provides an early season highlight with Real (0-1) hosting Olympiacos (1-0). The Greek team has stayed in Spain after surviving a thriller at Baskonia two days ago, showing its power in the paint as Nikola Milutinov (12 points, 14 rebounds) and Sasha Vezenkov (24 points, 13 rebounds) both registered double-doubles. The Reds will also hope that Tyler Dorsey can continue his resurgence after he netted 21 points in Vitoria – his highest total for the team. Real, meanwhile, has offensive problems after a tired-looking performance in Tuesday’s loss at Virtus, where only Mario Hezonja (14 points) and Gabriel Deck (12) provided a spark. And new Real coach Sergio Scariolo definitely needs his players to find their three-point shooting range, after only making 3 triples during the loss in Bologna.
Friday, October 3
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (19:00 CEST)
An emotional reunion on the sidelines will take center stage as Zalgiris (1-0) and Fenerbahce (1-0) attempt to round off a winning week. New Zalgiris boss Tomas Masiulis was a long-time assistant to visiting coach and hometown hero Sarunas Jasikevicius, who will be wary of the home team’s offensive capabilities following Zalgiris’s impressive Wednesday win at Monaco. Big man Moses Wright, in particular, will have confidence flowing through his veins after netting 21 points on 8-of-8 field goal shooting in that game. But Fenerbahce is also feeling good after starting its title defense by dismantling Paris on Wednesday, when Wade Baldwin’s distribution (10 assists) and the scoring power of new signing Talen Horton Tucker (20 points) showed the reigning champs are ready to roll once again.
AS Monaco vs. Dubai Basketball (19:30 CEST)
Dubai (1-0) will attempt to complete a perfect week against a Monaco team (0-1) eager to bounce back. Competition newcomer Dubai could not have dreamed of a better debut than Tuesday’s comfortable victory over Partizan, when its long-range shooting ability was on full display with Davis Bertans (5-of-7 triples, 20 points) and summer signing Dzanan Musa (3-of-5, 19 points) firing on all cylinders. Another offensive key for the visitors is the distribution of McKinley Wright IV, who dished 7 assists without a turnover on Tuesday. Monaco struggled defensively in its season opening home loss to Zalgiris, allowing 89 points, so needs more than the usual scoring heroics of Mike James (24 points) and new signing Nikola Mirotic (16 points) to kickstart its season.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (19:30 CEST)
Two teams attempting to complete a perfect opening week meet in Istanbul as Efes (1-0) welcomes competition newcomer Hapoel (1-0). This could become a shootout between two teams loaded with offensive potential, with Efes powered by 16 points apiece from Rolands Smits and Jordan Loyd as five different players netted in double digits to overcome Maccabi on Tuesday. Hapoel was the competition’s highest-scoring team in Round 1, blazing 103 points against Barcelona as new signings Vasilije Micic and Dan Oturu – who will both face their former club on Friday – scored 18 points apiece. Elijah Bryant is another ex-Efes star heading for a quick reunion, and his defensive attempts to slow down former teammate Shane Larkin could be crucial.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:00 CEST)
After suffering narrow defeats in Round 1, either ASVEL (0-1) or Baskonia (0-1) will collect their first victory on Friday. In addition to the usual leadership of Nando De Colo (17 points, 4 assists), Wednesday’s home loss to Valencia saw the French team find reason for optimism through solid debuts from Glynn Watson (14 points) and Bastien Vautier (12 points). Baskonia can also feel good about its prospects despite losing to Olympiacos on Tuesday, when Trent Forrest showed his ability to lead the offense by recording a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists. Another key figure is former ASVEL star Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who started the season by draining 23 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting and will now attempt to hand another loss to his old teammates.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. FC Barcelona (20:15 CEST)
The latest instalment of a famous rivalry will see Barcelona (0-1) attempt to kickstart its season by overcoming host Panathinaikos (1-0). The Greek giant opened its campaign in familiar fashion as the offensive talents of reigning league MVP Kendrick Nunn (21 points, 10 assists) helped down Bayern on Tuesday, and his new backcourt teammate TJ Shorts will be desperate to add a strong contribution after being held scoreless in that game. Subduing the Greens’ offense will be a major challenge for a Barca team that allowed 103 points in its season-opening loss at Hapoel, where an excellent debut from Will Clyburn (23 points, 7 rebounds) and the return of backcourt leader Nico Laprovittola after a long-term injury provided cause for optimism on an otherwise disappointing night.
Valencia Basket vs. Virtus Bologna (20:30 CEST)
Virtus (1-0) will attempt to ruin a special night for Valencia (1-0) as the Spanish club opens the doors to its new Roig Arena for the first time. Both teams started the season with morale-boosting victories, with Virtus leaning on intense team defense plus strong contributions from debutants Carsen Edwards (14 points) and fast rising star Saliou Niang (12 points) to overcome Real Madrid on Tuesday. Valencia's victory at ASVEL a day later owed a lot to a stunning all-round performance from newcomer Omari Moore (12 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists), while Matt Costello also started the season with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, and his power in the paint will be important in subduing the visitors on an emotional occasion.
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. Paris Basketball (21:30 CEST)
Maccabi (0-1) and Paris (0-1) have their sights set on bouncing back from Round 1 losses as they meet in Belgrade to complete the opening week. Maccabi competed well at Efes on Tuesday but needs to improve its offensive execution, with only Jaylen Hoard and Roman Sorkin (15 points) reaching double digits in scoring. Oded Kattash will also want to see better protection of the backboards after allowing 14 offensive rebounds in that defeat, and will be wary of the threat posed by new Paris center Allan Dokossi after he grabbed 10 boards in Wednesday’s defeat at Fenerbahce. Shooting star Nadir Hifi started as he means to continue by draining 20 points on 5-of-7 threes in Istanbul, and he will be crucial again for Paris on Friday.