With just two rounds in the BKT EuroCup Regular Season remaining, there is still plenty to be decided as teams storm towards the postseason. Here's your overview of this week's games.
This week: Regular season's penultimate round promises drama
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6 Min čitanja
Tuesday, January 30
7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Slask Wroclaw
Lietkabelis (5-11) knows only a victory will prolong any chance of extending its playoff hopes as it welcomes a Slask team (2-14) already guaranteed to finish bottom of Group B. Lietkabelis, which has lost four games straight to slip close to elimination, triumphed 71-75 when the teams met in November behind 19 points from three-point shooting specialist Gediminas Orelik. Slask will look to threaten from beyond the arc through Daniel Gobeliowski, who made 4 triples on that occasion and hit 3 in last week's loss to Gran Canaria.
Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul vs. Paris Basketball
Paris (15-1) will attempt to lock up overall top-seed status as it travels to face a Besiktas team (9-7) aiming to head into the postseason as high up the standings as possible. The French powerhouse is seeking a ninth consecutive victory but suffered its only defeat of the season against Besiktas in November when an outstanding defensive effort secured a shock 63-68 road win helped by 16 points and 10 boards from Matthew Mitchell. The Turkish team will need a similarly strong defensive performance to slow down the likes of Collin Malcolm, who has averaged 15.7 points in the last three games.
Wolves Vilnius vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg
Two eliminated teams have only pride to play for as Wolves (6-10) welcome Hamburg (2-14). Wolves are looking to finish the season on a high after Tre'Shawn Thurman paired 14 points with 8 rebounds to help inspire last week's big win at Reyer, giving recently appointed head coach Nedas Pacevicius his first victory. The Lithuanian team also defeated Hamburg, which has lost five games in a row, 71-84 in Round 8 behind a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds from Regimantas Minotas, who will be ready for battle with in-form Hamburg forward William Christmas.
Umana Reyer Venice vs. Prometey Slobozhanske
Eliminated Reyer (6-10) will look to damage Prometey's (9-7) hopes of improving its current sixth position as they go head-to-head in Venice. Prometey has hit form at the right time with three wins out of four, including a high-scoring thriller, 105-113, against Hapoel last week. Ronald March inspired that success with 27 points, but it was big man Ondrey Balvin who proved pivotal with 15 points and 8 rebounds when Promotey powered past Reyer, 89-82, in November. Big man Amedeo Tessitori, who has averaged 15 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last two games, will look to control the tempo for the Italian team.
Joventut Badalona vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv
A key matchup at the top of Group A will see Joventut (10-6) attempt to maintain its hopes of a top-two finish with a visit from Hapoel (11-5), which currently occupies that spot despite losing three in a row. To secure the head-to-head advantage, Joventut needs to win by 5 points or more following a 103-99 loss to Hapoel in Round 8. Xavier Munford netted 31 points to outgun Andres Feliz (24 points) in that meeting and their backcourt battle will again be crucial. Munford is looking to extend a seven-game run of double-digit scoring, while Feliz had 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in last week's narrow loss at Paris.
Wednesday, January 31
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse
Red-hot Turk Telekom (7-9) will attempt to take a big step closer to the playoffs by overcoming Bourg (13-3), which is desperate to hold onto first place in Group B. The Turkish team made it four wins in a row by downing Lietkabelis last week with a prominent role for newly signed big man Jarrod Jones, who faces a key matchup with Bourg center Bodian Massa this week. Bourg won easily, 86-67, when the teams met in November, but Turk Telekom has improved significantly since then and this should be a thrilling encounter as the French team looks for a 10th win in 11 games.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. London Lions
After finally earning its first win of the season last week, Cedevita (1-15) will look to upset a London team (11-5) which is still battling to secure a top-two finish. The English team gave those hopes a big boost last week by easily overcoming Besiktas behind 20 points from Matthew Morgan, but Cedevita's offensive power was very evident in its remarkable 83-114 thrashing of Hamburg. Jaka Blazic was the catalyst for that win with 24 points and he'll look to give Cedevita fans a first home victory to cheer at the end of a tough season.
ratiopharm Ulm vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki
Playoff-bound Ulm (9-7) will try to wrap up a fourth-place finish in Group B as it hosts an Aris team (7-9) still very much in the hunt for postseason action. Ulm, which snapped a four-game losing streak by overcoming Buducnost last week, won 88-99 when the teams met in Greece earlier this season, with powerhouse Trevion Williams grabbing 20 points and young creator Juan Nunez dishing 10 assists. Aris has lost two out of the last three and needs a big night from center Silvio De Sousa to help recover its characteristic defensive toughness and stand a chance of claiming a road upset.
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica
Two of the four teams separated by just one win on the edge of Group B's playoff places go head to head as Trento (7-9) welcomes Buducnost (6-10). Trento needs a victory to claim the head-to-head advantage after losing an overtime time thriller, 98-96, at Buducnost earlier in the season. Yoan Moukoundou powered the Montenegrin team in that game with 23 points and 8 rebounds, and he'll be ready for another big battle with Paul Biligha, who came close to leading Trento to victory at Cluj last week with 12 points on perfect shooting from the field.
Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca
Second place in Group B could be decided by a thrilling showdown between direct rivals as Gran Canaria (12-4) welcomes Cluj (12-4). Both teams gained vital wins last week, with the all-around efforts of Patrick Richard helping Cluj overcome Trento while Miquel Salvo did a similar job to help Gran Canaria thrash Slask. The Spanish team crushed Cluj, 70-92, in November behind 26 points from Sylven Landesberg, which overpowered 18 points and 7 assists from Bryce Jones. A Gran Canaria victory locks it into second place while Cluj needs a victory of 23 points or more to lock up that spot.