There is only one unbeaten team, while a pair of winless teams remain
At a glance: Big showdowns in both groups
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Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup features a Spanish derby and several meetings between direct rivals in the race for the playoffs. Here's your quick guide to this week's action.
Tuesday, October 29
Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (18:00 CEST)
Two teams in good form go head to head as Wolves (2-3) welcome Besiktas (3-2). The Lithuanian team has won two in a row, both on the road, and is hoping that big man Garrison Brooks will stay hot after scoring 14 points without a miss, plus 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, in the Round 5 win at Trefl. Besiktas is also on a roll with two straight wins, and will now look for its first road win of the campaign behind powerful guard Kyle Allmann, who has led from the backcourt with 16 points in both the last two games.
Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (19:30 CEST)
Winless Hamburg (0-5) will hope to end that statistic as it welcomes a Turk Telekom (3-2) team fighting to protect its position in the top six. Turk Telekom has lost two in a row but will believe its offense can get restarted against a Hamburg team which has allowed the second-most points (95.4 per game). In a game between the EuroCup’s two lowest scorers (73.4 vs 73.6 points per game), a key could be the effectiveness of leading scorers Jaizec Lottie for Hamburg (11 points per game) and Turk Telekom’s consistent forward Anthony Brown, who averages more than 35 minutes on the floor as well as 15.6 points.
Joventut Badalona vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (20:30 CEST)
An all-Spanish showdown will see Joventut (2-3) attempt to return to winning ways with a visit from second-placed Gran Canaria (4-1). An inefficient offense has condemned Joventut to consecutive losses, and the host will have to find more than just the size of big men Ante Tomic and Art Pustovyi, who respectively scored 17 and 16 points in last week’s loss at Besiktas. Gran Canaria definitely hasn’t struggled for offensive production, setting a competition scoring record with last week’s stunning 125-78 win over Ulm, and will hope that Miquel Salvo enjoys another good week after pouring in 20 points – plus 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals – during that game.
Wednesday, October 30
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Trefl Sopot (17:00 CEST)
After climbing to the top of Group A with two straight wins, Bahcesehir (4-1) will aim to maintain that position with a visit from rock-bottom Trefl (0-5). The Turkish team boasts the competition’s best defense, allowing just 69.2 points per game, and has also found scoring easy in recent weeks with Axel Bouteille and Jamar Smith respectively recording 21 and 20 points to down Buducnost last week. Trefl needs more than just another big game from Marcus Weathers (25 points in the Round 5 loss to Wolves) and needs to take better care of the ball after committing 16.4 turnovers per night.
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Umana Reyer Venice (18:00 CEST)
A showdown between direct rivals on the edge of the Group B playoff positions will see Cluj (2-3) confront Reyer (2-3). The Romanian team is on a roll with two straight victories, boasting the second-most potent offense in the league with 87.8 points per game. One of the many weapons is Karel Guzman, who hit 4 triples in his 20 points to help overcome Hapoel Jerusalem last week. Reyer is also coming off a morale-boosting win, comfortably beating Hamburg on the back of 28 points in a remarkable debut from ex-NBA veteran Rodney McGruder, who will now aim to maintain that form in a key matchup on the road.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (18:30 CEST)
A crucial Group B showdown will see high-flying Cedevita (4-1) welcome direct rival Hapoel Jerusalem (3-2). Cedevita triumphed on the road at Aris in Round 5 thanks to a stellar fourth-quarter comeback propelled by Jaka Blazic (19 points) and Devin Robinson (18) and is now looking to make it three wins out of three at home. Hapoel Jerusalem, in direct contrast, suffered a defeat to Cluj last week after only scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter, so will have learned the lesson to play for 40 minutes behind the leadership of playmaker Kenneth "Speedy" Smith, who averages 5.8 assists per game.
ratiopharm Ulm vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CEST)
Struggling Ulm (3-2) will look to bounce back from two big losses with a visit from Trento (2-3), which is hoping to climb into the all-important top six. After allowing 107 and 125 points in the last two games, it’s clear that Ulm’s priority will be to significantly improve its defense. The scoring skills of young forward Noa Essengue, who had 19 and 20 points in those two losses, will also be important against a Trento team that used strong defense to overcome Hapoel Tel Aviv last week, also boosted by the ever-reliable Anthony Lamb’s fourth consecutive game of scoring in double digits.
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (19:00 CEST)
Hapoel Tel Aviv (3-2) is seeking a return to winning ways as it hosts a Buducnost (2-3) team that also needs to bounce back from defeat. Hapoel Tel Aviv is the league’s second-most accurate two-point shooting team (61.8%) – partly thanks to the power of Johnathan Motley, who has scored at least 16 points in three of the last four games. Buducnost is stronger from long-range, with guard Fletcher McGhee making at least 3 triples in three straight games, converting 11 of his 16 attempts (68.8%) during that run. But the visitors need to improve close to the basket after only making 10 two-pointers in last week’s loss to Bahcesehir.
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (19:30 CEST)
After losing its 100% record with last week's shock loss to Lietkabelis, Bourg (4-1) will look to quickly recover the winning feeling with a visit from struggling Aris (1-4). The Greek team has lost two in a row and has struggled for offensive production this season, averaging only 74.6 points per game – fourth-worst in the league – despite the consistency of Vassilis Toliopoulos, who averages 19.7 points in the last three games. Bourg will not be an easy opponent to find offensive improvement, with the French team allowing only 73.2 points per game (second-best in the EuroCup), partly thanks to Mehdy Ngouma harrying his opponents to the tune of 2 steals per game.
Valencia Basket vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (20:45 CEST)
Red-hot Valencia (5-0) will look to remain the only perfect team in the competition with a visit from a Lietkabelis (1-4) aiming to build on last week's first win and cause a major upset. Every Valencia player scored at least 4 points in the big Round 5 victory at Turk Telekom, where Xabi Lopez-Arostegui again showed his versatility with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Lietkabelis will need outstanding defense to stop a Valencia team that has passed 100 points in four straight games and would love another big night from Dovis Bickauskis after he made 4 of his 6 shots from beyond the arc to help down Bourg last week.