There are seven games on Tuesday night and two on Wednesday night in Round 9
At a glance: Another double-round week is upon us!
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With just one win separating first place from eighth, the latest double-round week promises to deliver another exciting slate of games, tipping off with a showdown between a pair of co-leaders. This is your guide to Round 9.
Tuesday, November 12
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. FC Bayern Munich (18:45 CET)
Bayern (6-2) will attempt to maintain a share of first place with a tough trip to fellow co-leader Fenerbahce (6-2). Bayern’s usual suspect Carsen Edwards showed his big-time mentality by scoring 6 points in the last minute to seal last week’s nervous win over Zalgiris, and he will again attempt to propel the German team’s league-best offense which averages 86.9 points per game. Fenerbahce is without star guard Wade Baldwin through injury and will therefore need another strong contribution from key man Nigel Hayes-Davis, who has averaged 23.0 points during his team’s current three-game winning run. Fenerbahce will look to use its strong offensive rebounding (13.1 offensive boards per game, second in the league) to gain extra possessions, so Bayern will need the likes of Johannes Voigtmann (5.5 rebounds per night) to stay strong in the paint.
AS Monaco vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (19:00 CET)
After ending a four-game losing streak in style last week, Zvezda (4-4) is targeting a road win against a Monaco team (5-3) that is also looking to string together consecutive wins. The Roca Team will look to produce the same kind of tough defense which allowed just 69 and 63 points in their last two games, while hoping that big man Georgios Papagiannis can again control the paint after providing 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in last week’s triumph over Efes. Zvezda will look for leadership from do-it-all guard Codi Miller-McIntyre, who had 15 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds to power an easy win over ALBA in Round 8, while Filip Petrusev is also settling into his stride to become a key presence in the paint after netting 14 points last week.
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (20:00 CET)
On a high after last week’s Greek derby triumph, Olympiacos is gunning for a fourth straight win against an ASVEL team desperate to stop a four-game losing slide. The Reds are unbeaten at home and boast the smoothest collective offense in the competition, averaging a league-high 21.5 assists per game – led by 5.9 per night from Thomas Walkup. Sasha Vezenkov is the competition’s top individual performer with an average PIR of 22.8, but his ability to control the boards will be tested by the competition’s top rebounder, ASVEL center Neal Sako (8.5 rpg). With Edwin Jackson ruled out through injury, the French team will need Theo Maledon to rediscover his best shooting rhythm after making just 1 of his last 13 three-point attempts.
ALBA Berlin vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:00 CET)
Rock-bottom and injury-hit ALBA (1-7) is hoping to snap a five-game losing streak as it welcomes a Milan team (3-5) aiming for a third straight win. Milan’s offensive reins will be taken by Nico Mannion after an encouraging debut (8 points, 5 assists) in last week’s win over Real Madrid, which also saw all-action big man Zach LeDay once again demonstrate his ability to lead by example with 17 points and 8 rebounds. ALBA is now also missing key rebounder Justin Bean through injury, placing even more pressure on EuroLeague rookie Trevion Williams to maintain his impressive averages of 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, but also to take better care of the ball after giving up a league-high 3.4 turnovers per night.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:15 CET)
Reigning champ Panathinaikos (5-3) is aiming to bounce straight back from last week’s home derby loss by overcoming a Maccabi team (3-5) which has lost four of the last five. Greens guard Lorenzo Brown will look to deliver a big performance against his former team after being held scoreless by Olympiacos last week, but fellow backcourt star Kendrick Nunn is in flying form after scoring at least 13 points in every game. Maccabi has freshened up its backcourt with the arrival of David DeJulius, while the return to fitness of Wenyen Gabriel will be a big boost to the frontcourt after he snared 7 rebounds in last week’s loss at Virtus. Levi Randolph presents a deep threat to the home defense after scoring three-pointers in each of the last six games with a 60% conversion rate.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)
Two teams currently tied and aiming to bounce back go head to head as Baskonia (4-4) hosts Efes (4-4). Both teams struggled offensively last week, with the Spanish team held to 68 points in a pummeling at Barcelona, despite a contribution of 17 points from in-form Trent Forrest, and coach Pablo Laso will demand more efficiency after his team committed 17 turnovers in that loss. Efes has similar issues after recording 18 turnovers in the course of scoring just 69 to lose at home against Monaco in Round 8, but there was a strong performance with 14 points and 8 rebounds from big man Vincent Poirier, who will now look to do similar damage against his former club in a game that already has a playoff-style feel.
Real Madrid vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:45 CET)
Struggling Real (3-5) is aiming to stay perfect at home against Virtus (2-6). The Spanish side’s quest for consistency has been disrupted by several injury problems, and Chus Mateo’s men are looking for its usual high-powered offense after failing to reach 80 points in the last three games. Mario Hezonja, at least, has been leading by example with an average of 15.3 points over that stretch. Virtus is desperate to record two straight wins for the first time this season after downing Maccabi last time out, and the inside power of Toko Shengelia and Ante Zizic – who combined for 30 points and 14 rebounds in that win – will be crucial in opening up the floor for long-range shooters like Alessandro Pajola, who made 3-of-4 triples last week, and Matt Morgan.
Wednesday, November 13
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. FC Barcelona (18:00 CET)
Struggling Partizan (2-6) will look for home comforts as it receives a visit from co-leader Barcelona (6-2). Zeljko Obradovic’s team has lost four in a row, failing to score more than 74 points in any of those games. Tyrique Jones did manage a double-double in last week’s loss to Virtus, including 5 offensive boards, and his power in the paint will be important to disrupt the effectiveness of Round 8 MVP Jan Vesely, who may try to continue his unexpected hot streak from long range after making 3-of-3 triples to help beat Baskonia last week. Kevin Punter will also take center stage as he faces his former club, hoping to maintain his strong season average of 18.1 points on 47.5% three-point shooting – helping make his team the most accurate in the league from deep (41.5%).
Paris Basketball vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:30 CET)
Dark horse Paris (5-3) has its sights set on a fifth straight win as it welcomes a Zalgiris team (6-2) looking to get back on the winning path. New Zalgiris signing Lonnie Walker will aim to bounce back from a scoreless debut in last week’s loss at Bayern, but that won’t be easy against Paris’s dynamic backcourt pairing of TJ Shorts and Nadir Hifi, who average a combined 30.3 points per game so far this season. Controlling the threat of that duo will be a major emphasis for Zalgiris’s league-best defense (72.1 points per game allowed). Visiting veteran Bryant Dunston grabbed 4 offensive boards at Bayern last week to send a reminder he is still a force, and he faces a good battle with former Zalgiris center Kevarrius Hayes (6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per night).