In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players who had a big impact on their respective games in this latest double-round week.
Roll call, Rounds 15-16: Making an impact when it counts
Sloukas did it all for the Greens
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens returns from a tricky road trip with two wins, with veteran point guard – and the team's main summer signing – Kostas Sloukas delivering on both nights. First, in a dramatic 90-91 win at AS Monaco, a game the Greens won on a buzzer-beating triple by Marius Grigonis, it was Sloukas who led all Panathinaikos scorers with 17 points, while also collecting 4 assists and 3 rebounds. In his 31:26 minutes on the floor, Panathinaikos was +16. Two days later, Panathinaikos pulled out a 68-76 win at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. In this contest, Sloukas played 32:06 minutes and scored 9 points while attempting just 4 field goals, but he orchestrated the offense to the tune of 6 assists and also grabbed 5 rebounds.
Okobo bounced back
Elie Okobo's 15-point performance in Round 15 had a nightmare ending. After he scored what appeared to be a game-winning basket with 2.5 seconds to go, giving Monaco a 90-88 lead, he purposely missed the ensuing free throw but without the ball touching the rim. It stopped the clock, which Panathinaikos used to call a timeout and eventually win the game at the buzzer. His reaction became an instant meme, but Okobo did not let that mishap get him down. Rather, he bounced back just 48 hours later with arguably his best game of the season as Okobo scored a season-high 19 points and dished 5 assists in Monaco's 80-91 win at FC Bayern Munich. He was 5-of-9 from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, helping Monaco improve to 9-7 on the season.
Poirier remained solid
Vincent Poirier led Real Madrid to consecutive victories against both Belgrade-based teams in the double-round week. On Tuesday, Poirier inspired Real to a 58-72 road victory over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, getting 14 points on 6-of-7 two-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws for a PIR of 15 in over 18 minutes on the floor. He had 12 points in the opening 7 minutes of the second quarter to help Real build a double-digit lead, 33-43. On Thursday, Poirier had similar numbers in a 91-75 home victory over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade: 14 points on 6-of-7 two-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws, adding 1 steal and 1 block for a PIR of 18 in as many minutes. Poirier was a vital piece for Real's dangerous second unit all week long.
Bolomboy led Zvezda's frontcourt
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade beat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 92-98 in Round 16. Milos Teodosic got all the headlines with a PIR of 40, but Joel Bolomboy was just as important in this victory, finishing the game with 20 points on 6-of-7 two-pointers and 2-of-3 three-pointers. He had 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, too, for a PIR of 24. Despite registering a 59-72 road loss against Real Madrid earlier in the week, Bolomboy had another outstanding performance, getting a PIR of 12 despite taking just 3 field-goal attempts. He had 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 fouls drawn. Even if Zvezda did not have a great scoring night, Bolomboy found many ways to contribute.
Robertson stepped up
Valencia Basket recorded a good-as-gold 79-71 home victory against Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Thursday night. Kassius Robertson provided the fireworks from downtown, burying 3 of his 6 three-point shots. He ended up getting 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 2 steals for a PIR of 11. Robertson also had 12 points off the bench in 19 minutes a couple of days prior, even if he couldn’t help Valencia beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, 67-72. Before this week, Robertson had hit just 8-of-40 three-point shots (20.0% 3FG). This week, he buried 5-of-10 attempts from downtown (50.0% 3FG). Being the only pure shooter on Valencia’s roster, this week could be a turning point in Robertson's season.