There are five games on Thursday night and four on Friday
At a glance: The action keeps coming and coming
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5 Mins read
The latest double-round week roars to a conclusion with another exciting set of games in Round 10 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on Thursday and Friday. Here’s your guide to the action, including a German derby and a big battle at the top of the standings.
Thursday, November 14
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (19:00 CET)
Fast-rising Olympiacos will look to make it five straight wins as it travels to Belgrade to face struggling Maccabi (3-6). The Reds held on for an exciting victory over ASVEL on Tuesday thanks to another strong performance from Evan Fournier, who's averaged 20.3 points in the last three games. The Israeli champ fell to a fifth loss in six games by fading away in the fourth quarter at Panathinaikos earlier this week and needs to improve defensively after allowing 33 points in the last 10 minutes of that defeat. Roman Sorkin continued his solid season by contributing 21 points in Athens along with 5 offensive rebounds and that ability to gain extra possessions could be crucial against an increasingly confident Olympiacos, which has passed the 90-point mark in the last three games.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:00 CET)
Zvezda (5-4) will look for its second road of the week against an ASVEL team (2-7) that must quickly lift its spirits after suffering a narrow loss at Olympiacos in Round 9. The French team will be powered by Theo Maledon, whose remarkable performance of 31 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in Piraeus further cemented his status as one of the league’s most exciting talents. Shaq Harrison is rapidly becoming a strong backcourt partner for Maledon, and that duo faces a tough test against the dynamic abilities of Codi Miller-McIntyre, who again impressed with 20 points as Zvezda overcame Monaco earlier this week. The Serbian team will also hope that Filip Petrusev can continue his game-by-game improvement after taking home Round 9 MVP honors with a 25-point, 7-rebound performance in that eye-catching win.
FC Bayern Munich vs. ALBA Berlin (20:30 CET)
German rivals will battle for supremacy as Bayern (6-3) looks to recover the winning feeling with a visit from ALBA (2-7). The teams experienced contrasting emotions earlier in the week, with Bayern falling to Fenerbahce’s second half whirlwind in Istanbul while ALBA overcame a long injury list to claim a thrilling overtime win against Milan. Talented guard Matteo Spagnolo showcased his qualities by pairing 20 points with 9 assists, and now he will confront league leading scorer Carsen Edwards (20.6 points per game). There will also be an exciting matchup between two big men who can stretch the floor, Bayern’s Devin Booker (20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals at Fenerbahce on Tuesday) and ALBA sensation Trevion Williams, who posted 23 points and 11 boards in the win over Milan.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)
Two of Tuesday’s losing teams will look to get back into winning ways as Baskonia (4-5) hosts Monaco (5-4). Home team sharpshooter Markus Howard will be particularly motivated following his scoreless performance in the Round 9 loss to Efes, and his presence will sharpen the need of Monaco to improve defensively after allowing 98 points in its defeat against Zvezda. That loss came despite backcourt stars Mike James and Elie Okobo showing their qualities by pouring in 20 points apiece, but Monaco will also need the likes of big men Georgios Papagiannis and Donatas Motiejunas to improve its interior defense against the athletic threat of former player Chima Moneke, who scored 22 points on 8-of-10 two-point shooting in Baskonia’s first game of the week.
Real Madrid vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:45 CET)
Two ambitious teams aiming to complete a perfect week go head-to-head as Real (4-5) welcomes Efes (5-4) for a repeat of last season’s incredible quadruple-overtime marathon. Efes earned its Round 9 victory at Baskonia largely thanks to an excellent team defense, which must now attempt to contain the playmaking abilities of Facu Campazzo. The Argentine – who ranks second in the league for assists – dished 9 helpers to orchestrate Real’s victory over Virtus on Tuesday, which also featured 17 points on 5-of-10 three-point shooting from the increasingly important Xavier Rathan-Mayes. It’s a big night for Efes center Vincent Poirier, who had 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in Tuesday’s win at Baskonia to perfectly prepare him for a bone-crunching heavyweight battle with his former partner in the paint, Walter Tavares.
Friday, November 15
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (19:00 CET)
Get ready for an intense battle in Kaunas as Zalgiris (6-3) welcomes co-leader Fenerbahce (7-2). The Turkish team has strung together a four-game winning run thanks to the stellar form of Nigel Hayes-Davis, who has averaged 23.5 points during that stretch, and limiting the influence of the former Zalgiris forward will clearly be an emphasis for home team coach Andrea Trinchieri. The Lithuanian team has lost two straight after falling at Paris on Wednesday night partly due to a terrible night of three-point shooting, and Sylvain Francisco will look to return to form after going 0-of-8 from beyond the arc in the French capital. Arnas Butkevicius had a strong game with 12 points and 9 rebounds, and Zalgiris will look to use him to control the game in the paint and slow Fenerbahce down.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CET)
Panathinaikos (6-3) will target a second win of the week as it travels to lowly Virtus (2-7), which is now three wins adrift of the top ten. It was a case of better late than never for the Greens on Tuesday, with 21 points from Kendrick Nunn – one of the many potent backcourt weapons at coach Ergin Ataman’s disposal – propelling a second-half comeback against Maccabi, but the reigning champ will look for better long-range shooting after making just 6 triples in that game. After losing at Real Madrid on Tuesday despite Isaia Cordinier (18 points, 7 assists) and Toko Shengelia (20 points, 5 rebounds) again leading from the front, Virtus needs to limit its opponent’s opportunities by better protecting its backboard, so far allowing 12.9 offensive rebounds per game (second most in the league).
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:30 CET)
Two of the most decorated coaches in European basketball history are looking for an upturn in fortunes as Zeljko Obradovic’s struggling Partizan (2-7) hosts Ettore Messina’s Milan (3-6). Both teams are coming off losses, with Partizan falling against Barca on Wednesday despite backcourt leadership from Carlik Jones, who is taking the reins of the team with 12 points and 4.4 assists per night. Milan’s quest for balance and consistency continues after squandering a double-digit lead to lose in Round 9 at ALBA despite 28 points and 10 boards from former EuroLeague MVP Nikola Mirotic, and Messina will look for more control after his team coughed up 17 turnovers in that game – with 9 coming from backcourt duo Neno Dimitrijevic and Nico Mannion.
FC Barcelona vs. Paris Basketball (20:30 CET)
Two of the league's hottest teams go head-to-head in a first-ever meeting between Barcelona (7-2) and Paris (6-3). Wednesday's triumph at Partizan was a seventh in eight games for Barca, while the same night saw Paris overcome Zalgiris for a fifth straight success. The game features an exciting backcourt showdown between the silky scoring skills of Kevin Punter (18.1 ppg.) and the unstoppable speed of TJ Shorts (17 ppg., 7.3 apg.). Paris has also grabbed more offensive rebounds than any other team (12.9 per game), so the French team’s leading rebounder Mikael Jantunen (5.9 per game) will look to give Shorts and co. extra chances to score by fighting hard with Barca veteran Jan Vesely and the dynamic Chimezie Metu, who has averaged 6.7 rebounds over the past three games.