In Round 3, there are eight games on Tuesday and one on Wednesday
At a glance: The start of the season's first double-round week!
Article
8 Mins read
The first double-round week of the season is here! With 18 games scheduled in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague between Tuesday and Friday, here’s your quick guide to the opening action for Round 3.
Tuesday, October 15
ALBA Berlin vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (19:30 CEST)
Winless ALBA (0-2) is aiming for its first success with a visit from ASVEL (1-1). After gaining its first win of the season with a spectacular all-round performance from big man Neal Sako, including a game-winning block on the final play, the French team will aim to gather more momentum. Another newcomer showing strong form is forward Shaq Harrison, who had 13 points and 7 boards last week and will look to compete with a physically strong ALBA team which so far averages 38.5 rebounds – third-best in the league. Center Trevion Williams faces a good duel with Sako, while ALBA’s backcourt leader Martin Hermannsson will look to control the tempo after averaging 12.5 points and 7.0 assists in the first two games.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (19:45 CEST)
Early season pacesetters go head to head as Fenerbahce (2-0) welcomes Zvezda (2-0). It will be a special night for Fener’s summer signing Boban Marjanovic as the giant center faces Zvezda for the first time since he represented the Serbian club between 2013 and 2015. A key to Zvezda’s early-season success has been the long-range accuracy of Isaiah Canaan (16.5 points per game, 50% three-point shooting) and Nemanja Nedovic (15.0 points, 66.7% for threes), with Codi Miller-McIntyre pulling the strings to the tune of 7 assists per game. But the Turkish team is also a deep threat, as shown by Bonzie Colson, Wade Baldwin and Nigel Hayes-Davis all knocking down a trio of triples to win last week’s Istanbul derby win at Efes.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:05 CEST)
Two teams aiming to bounce back from losses meet in Belgrade as Efes (1-1) visits Maccabi (1-1). The Turkish team is enjoying stellar early-season form from big man Dan Oturu (17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game), and he faces a good tussle against similarly in-form Maccabi man Jasiel Rivero (12 points, 6.5 rebounds). Efes will hope that star guard Shane Larkin can return to full fitness and form after only averaging 10.0 points per game so far – way below his career average of 15.1. And a key element in this contest will be his battle for backcourt supremacy with Tamir Blatt, who has made a consistent start to his Maccabi career with a 21-point, 12-assist showing in Round 1 and a 10-assist night in Round 2.
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:15 CEST)
A pair of Round 2 winners are looking to keep on climbing the standings as Olympiacos (1-1) receives a visit from Milan (1-1). After truly announcing his return to the competition by taking last week's MVP award, smooth-shooting Sasha Vezenkov (17 points and 11 rebounds to help down Zalgiris) will look to continue his key role for the Reds by directly facing the talents of another former EuroLeague MVP, Nikola Mirotic, who was vital in Milan’s victory over Paris last week by recording 15 points and 6 boards. This could be a low-scoring game between two teams who base their philosophy on strong defense, respectively allowing just 68 and 74 points to grab their first wins of the season last time out.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:30 CEST)
Virtus (0-2) will look to overcome a tough start when it takes on a Zalgiris team (1-1) seeking a first road win. Zalgiris, which has won the last five meetings between the teams dating back to 2007, hopes for another step forward from first-year guard Deividas Sirvydis, who netted 17 points in last week’s loss at Olympiacos. Another key will be the experience of Ignas Brazdeikis (11 points and 4.5 rebounds per night) to play in the low post against Toko Shengelia (10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game). Isaia Cordinier (19.5 points per game) has been Virtus’s top performer so far, and the visitors need to match his scoring firepower through Sylvain Francisco, who will target another night of multiple triples after converting 42.9% from long range so far.
Paris Basketball vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CEST)
In a meeting of reigning champions, EuroCup titleholder Paris (0-2) will look for a first win against EuroLeague king Panathinaikos (2-0). The Greens have started their title defense well, with Mathias Lessort excelling as he powered last week’s home victory over Bayern with 22 points and 6 rebounds. That game also featured 12 points and 11 rebounds for Juancho Hernangomez, so Paris will have to work hard to compete in the paint with a heavy workload for leading rebounder Mikael Jantunen (6.0 boards per night). Last season’s EuroCup MVP TJ Shorts has stepped up to the elite level with impressive effect, averaging 16.5 points and 6.0 assists to date, and Shorts now wants to prove he can compete with the very best as he faces Kostas Sloukas, Lorenzo Brown and co.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CEST)
An all-Spanish affair will see Baskonia (1-1) attempt to claim victory over Real (1-1) in a rematch of last season’s playoffs series, swept 3-0 by Los Blancos. Baskonia coach Pablo Laso will have every incentive to design a winning game plan against his old team and former assistant Chus Mateo, but Real has a very new look this season with summer arrivals Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Serge Ibaka – who played for Laso at Bayern last season – both showing their value in last week’s win over Partizan. The game features a showdown between two of the competition’s biggest backcourt entertainers, as last season’s top scorer Markus Howard (12.0 points per game) looks to overcome Real leader Facundo Campazzo, who ranks second in the league with 10 assists per game.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:45 CEST)
Partizan’s (0-2) loyal fans will attempt to roar their players to a first victory with a visit from Bayern (1-1). This could be a shootout: Partizan ranks sixth in scoring with 84 points per game, with Bayern fourth (88 points per game), while the teams are among the worst defenses after respectively allowing an average of 90.5 and 91.5 points. The shooting skills of Vanja Marinkovic (66.7% from the field) will be crucial for Partizan, which will look to control the paint through Brandon Davies and Tyrique Jones (14.0 and 16.5 points per game respectively). Bayern can answer through Devin Booker, who had 15 points and 7 boards in last week’s loss at Panathinaikos, while former Partizan star Yam Madar will look to shine in the backcourt.
Wednesday, October 16
FC Barcelona vs. AS Monaco
A pair of powerhouses collide as Barcelona (1-1) welcomes unbeaten Monaco (2-0) to complete Round 3’s action. With a first win of the season secured over ALBA on Friday behind a strong shooting night from Dario Brizuela (18 points), Barca will hope its new pieces continue to take shape as players like Kevin Punter and Chimezie Metu become integral players for coach Joan Penarroya. Aside from the obvious threat of Mike James (13.0 points and 5.5 assists per game), Monaco can also count on a whole lot of everything from Alpha Diallo, who averages 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists so far. And don’t overlook Elie Okobo, who led the way with 17 points on 7-of-11 field goal shooting to overcome Maccabi in Round 2.