The business end of the season is fast approaching
At a glance: Entering the home straight
Article
7 Mins read
Time is running out in the race for postseason action in the BKT EuroCup, and Round 15 promises a thrilling week of action. Here’s your guide to Tuesday and Wednesday’s games.
Tuesday, January 14
7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Valencia Basket (18:00 CET)
With a playoff place guaranteed, Valencia (12-2) will look to secure top seed status with a trip to Lietakbelis (4-9), which might have to win all its remaining games to progress. Last week’s loss at Bourg was a big setback for the Lithuanian team, which will look to recapture the magic of December’s overtime win at Valencia, propelled by 21 points and 6 assists from guard Martynas Varnas. The Spanish side appears to have overcome its midseason blip, winning by 38 against Turk Telekom last week as youngster Sergio de Larrea underlined his talent with 9 points and 9 assists. Valencia will not want to lose twice to the same team, so Lietkabelis will have to be at its very best.
Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul vs. Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (18:00 CET)
A pair of direct rivals who have badly lost their way look to bounce back as Besiktas (7-7) hosts Wolves (7-7) for a crucial Group A showdown. The Turkish team has lost three games straight due to an alarming defensive collapse, allowing at least 93 points in each of those defeats. Last week’s defeat at Joventut saw only Jonah Mathews (18 points) score in double digits, so there are concerns at both ends for coach Dusan Alimpijevic. Wolves has lost two of its last three and will aim to recover from last week’s shock defeat to previously winless Trefl, when 17 points and 8 assists from the consistent Anthony Cowan was not enough to prevent a 23-point thrashing.
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (19:00 CET)
It’s second versus third in Group B as Jerusalem (9-5) welcomes Cedevita (8-5) for a crucial matchup. The first meeting between the teams was taken 83-94 by Jerusalem – which has never lost to the Slovenian team – as the unstoppable Jared Harper delivered a typically game-changing performance with 30 points. Cedevita ranks third in the EuroCup in steals, so backcourt players like Devante Jones, who had 14 points and 5 assists to orchestrate last week’s win over Aris, will look to put pressure on the ball to limit the effectiveness of Harper. Another key for the visitor will be the athleticism of Devin Robinson, who has recorded double-digit PIR in nine of the last ten games.
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. ratiopharm Ulm (20:00 CET)
Trento (4-10) will look to keep alive its faint playoff hopes by overcoming an Ulm team (9-5) still battling for a top two finish. The Italian team suffered at both ends of the floor in last week’s heavy loss at Hapoel, and needs more than just Jordan Ford – who has scored at least 17 points in five straight games – to propel an offense which has failed to reach 70 points in the last two outings. Ulm saw its five-game winning streak ended by last week’s home loss to Gran Canaria despite 19 points from Ben Saraf, and will hope big man Marcio Santos repeats the performance which delivered 23 points and 11 boards to edge out Trento, 84-82, in Round 6.
Wednesday, January 15
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (17:30 CET)
Turk Telekom (8-6) will look to stay on the playoff path with a visit from lowly Hamburg (3-11). Despite being out of postseason contention, the German team showed it will continue fighting with a battling performance in last week's loss to Reyer, led by Jordan Barnett knocking down 4 triples in his 16 points. The Turkish team needs to react after last week's thrashing at the hands of Valencia, and will hope for another strong performance from forward Berkan Durmaz after he provided 16 points and 6 rebounds in that game. Hamburg hasn’t won on the road all season whereas Turk Telekom is 6-2 at home, so a visiting victory would be a major upset.
Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (19:00 CET)
Struggling Aris (3-11) will look to strike a positive note by upsetting playoff chasing Bourg (7-7). The French team ended a three-game losing streak by overcoming Lietkabelis last week behind 17 points and 9 rebounds from forward Jordan Usher, who has recorded double-digit scoring in seven of the last eight games. Aris needs to improve at both ends of the floor after losing by 21 at Cedevita in Round 14, and needs big man Darral Willis to maintain his strong form after averaging 12.0 points and 6.3 rebounds since arriving at the club mid-season. Bourg will counter him with Kevin Kokila, who grabbed 9 points and 9 rebounds in last week’s win.
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (19:00 CET)
After being edged out in heartbreaking fashion in last week’s overtime loss to Bahcesehir, battling Buducnost (6-8) will look to threaten another pacesetter with a visit from Hapoel (9-5). It’s a key game for both teams as the host looks to climb into the playoff places, while Hapoel is just one game behind Gran Canaria in second place. Buducnost will need a strong game from Kenan Kamenjas, who had 12 points and 8 rebounds last week, as he faces visiting big man Bruno Caboclo – the Brazilian is coming off his best game of the season with 19 points and 9 boards to overpower Trento and help Hapoel gain a third straight win.
Trefl Sopot vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (19:00 CET)
After finally gaining its first win by thrashing Wolves last week, Trefl (1-13) will look to cause another upset with a visit from Group A leader Bahcesehir (12-2). The Polish team was led to its maiden triumph by 20 points from Jaroslaw Zyskowski, who also grabbed 9 rebounds in a powerful team performance that delivered a total of 45 boards. So Bahcesehir, which has won three in a row to clinch a playoff berth, will have to fight hard in the paint behind the consistently excellent Tai Odiase, who bagged a double-double of 16 points and 10 boards to help propel his team’s latest triumph in last week’s overtime thriller against Buducnost.
Umana Reyer Venice vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (20:00 CET)
A vital battle in Group B will see Reyer (8-6) attempt to maintain its excellent form with a visit from direct rival Cluj (7-7). The Italian team has won six out of the last seven, with Kyle Wiltjer's usual smooth shooting delivering 16 points in last week's win at Hamburg. Cluj needs to bounce back from last week's loss against Jerusalem, when 27 points from in-form DJ Seeley weren't enough to compensate a poor defensive performance. Cluj won the season’s first meeting between the teams, triumphing 86-78 in October thanks to a huge fourth quarter comeback led by Adam Mokoka, who finished with 16 points, so both teams will understand the importance of playing the full 40 minutes in this crucial encounter.
Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Joventut Badalona (21:00 CET)
An all-Spanish showdown will see Gran Canaria (10-4) continue to push for a top two finish against a Joventut team (5-9) battling to stay in playoff contention. Last week’s thrashing of Besiktas was a belated demonstration of Joventut’s quality, with Kassius Robertson maintaining his strong form by pouring in 17 points. Ther visitor will need a performance of similar quality against a Gran Canaria that stood strong on the road last week to overcome Ulm, where Mike Tobey showed his quality in the paint with 10 points and 10 boards. His battle against visiting bigs Art Pustovyi and Ante Tomic will be well worth watching in this mouthwatering matchup.