With just three games remaining in the BKT EuroCup regular season, it’s time to do or die in the race for the playoffs. Here’s a look at Round 16’s action.
Round 16 at a glance: Who will join the playoff party next?
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Tuesday, January 21
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Turk Telekom Ankara
A key battle in Group B will see a direct clash between two of the six teams fighting for second place as Cluj (8-7) hosts Turk Telekom (9-6). The hosts boast the second-best offense in the league, averaging 88.5 points per game behind 17.4 points and 7 assists per game from Zavier Simpson, who again excelled in last week’s win over Reyer. But Turk Telekom is not an easy team to score against, especially close to the basket where it has allowed opponents to convert just 50.8% of two-pointers – second-lowest in the competition. And the Turkish team has its own offensive powerhouse in Anthony Brown, who netted a season-high 39 points to give his team a 99-80 win over Cluj in November.
Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys
Two eliminated teams have just pride to play for – and avoiding a last-placed finish – as Hamburg (3-12) hosts Lietkabelis (4-11). The Lithuanian team lost twice last week, most recently a rescheduled Round 13 home game to Cedevita on Thursday, while Hamburg has lost three in a row after its offensive struggles continued with just 65 points at Turk Telekom last time out. Lietkabelis won comfortably when the teams met in November, triumphing 91-68 with the help of 10 points and 8 assists from young guard Oleksandr Kovliar. Hamburg was led by 10 points from big man Kur Kuath, who has remained highly consistent with double-digit scoring in six consecutive games, including three double-doubles.
Joventut Badalona vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento
Joventut (6-9) will continue to believe in a miracle as it seeks a third straight win with a visit from equally determined Trento (5-10). The Spanish team’s impressive win at Gran Canaria last week, powered by 10 points and 7 rebounds from big man Artem Pustovyi, has left Dani Miret’s men just one win below the all-important top six. Trento also kept its postseason hopes alive with an impressive home win over Ulm, led by 21 points from smooth-shooting Anthony Lamb. Defeat could well mean elimination for the loser, so this should be a fiercely competitive clash and one key will be the inside battle between Pustovyi, veteran teammate Ante Tomic and Trento’s rising star Saliou Niang.
Wednesday, January 22
Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria
Two teams struggling for form will seek to turn their seasons around as Wolves (7-8) welcome Gran Canaria (10-5) for a must-win showdown. Both have lost three of their last four games, but Wolves remain in the fight for a playoff place while the visitor still has a one-game margin in third place. The hosts have reasons for confidence after already beating Gran Canaria this season, triumphing 66-68 in Round 7 thanks to a physical performance that delivered 21 offensive rebounds. So the likes of Tre’Shawn Thurman (13.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game) will again look to win that physical battle against Gran Canaria center Mike Tobey (9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per night) in a battle not for the faint-hearted.
Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul vs. Trefl Sopot
Besiktas (8-7) will look to keep alive its top two hopes with a visit from rock-bottom Trefl (1-14). The Turkish team ended a three-game losing streak by edging out Wolves thanks to 27 points from guard Jonah Mathews, who will again be a key player after scoring at least 13 points in the last four games. Trefl showed it is not giving up on the season by pushing group leader Bahcesehir hard last week, with mid-season signing Nick Johnson netting a personal best 18 points. His matchup with Mathews will be worth watching, and Trefl will also have to contain big man Dustin Sleva, who's averaged 10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds over the last four games.
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul
Having already secured the top spot, Bahcesehir (13-2) will look to keep on rolling when it meets Hapoel (9-6). The Israeli team is still in contention for a top-two finish despite last week’s dramatic loss at Buducnost, where the ongoing strong form of big man Bruno Caboclo (15 points average over the last three games) wasn’t enough to prevent a potentially damaging defeat. Bahcesehir could be forgiven for taking its foot off the gas after last week’s win at Trefl, led by 25 points from MVP of the round Jaleen Smith, ensured a first-place finish. But the Turkish team will want to again assert itself against a team it has already beaten once this season, overcoming Hapoel 90-82 at home in November.
ratiopharm Ulm vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica
Ulm (9-6) will look to bounce back against a Buducnost team (7-8) fighting hard to stay in the playoff zone. The hosts suffered a heavy loss at Trento last week, despite young forward Noa Essengue further enhancing his growing reputation with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Ulm will need to take better care of the basketball after committing 17 turnovers in that game, whereas Buducnost will be riding high in confidence after downing Hapoel in an 84-83 thriller, and will again look for leadership from Rasheed Sulaimon after averaging 15.5 points in the last four games. The visiting team can also claim the head-to-head advantage with any win after taking the first meeting between the teams in overtime, 105-100.
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana
A crucial Group B matchup will see second-placed Cedevita (10-5) attempt to maintain that status with a tough trip to Bourg (8-6), which has everything to play for. Cedevita won twice last week, including a rearranged game at Lietkabelis on Thursday that saw Brynton Lemar hit four triples in his total of 17 points; the guard has averaged 18 points and 3 three-pointers over the last three games, and he faces a good matchup with Bourg backcourt star Hugo Benitez, who filled the stat line with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in last week’s demolition of Aris. The French club has won its last two games and a third would seriously shake up the playoff picture.
Valencia Basket vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki
It’s first against worst as Valencia (13-2) looks to maintain its momentum ahead of the playoffs against an Aris team (3-12) reeling from last week’s 41-point home loss to Bourg. Only forward Nathan Laszewski emerged with any credit from that game after compiling personal bests of 10 points and 8 rebounds, and Aris will have to seriously improve to threaten the league leader, which continued its stellar season with a narrow win at Lietkabelis last week. Semi Ojeleye led the way with 20 points, while Valencia’s team basketball was again on full display with 28 assists, while six different players scored in double digits. Aris has allowed 90+ points in three straight games, so it faces a huge defensive challenge.
Umana Reyer Venice vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
A crucial showdown will see Reyer (8-7) attempt to improbably overtake Hapoel Jerusalem (9-6) in an extremely congested Group B playoff race. To achieve that goal, the Italian team needs an unlikely 29-point winning margin after getting blasted 94-66 on the road in Round 7, paced by 18 points by in-form guard Khadeen Carrington (15.2 points per game). Both teams are coming off losses, with yet another double-double from outstanding Reyer center Mfiondu Kabengele not enough to prevent a home loss against Cluj. Jerusalem was also upset by Cedevita as the EuroCup’s scoring leader Jared Harper was held to a relatively below-par 16 points and the impact of Kabengele and Harper on this key matchup could be decisive.