Round 2 roll call: Big boards and big shots

Many players stand out in each round of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, whether or not their teams win. Here are some players who impressed in Round 2.

Abrines shot the lights out

FC Barcelona had a great shooting performance against Olympiacos Piraeus, downing 15-of-26 three-pointers (57.7%), in a 68-77 win. Shooting specialist Alex Abrines was especially accurate, burying 5-of-7 triples to finish the game with more points (16) than minutes (15). He added a couple of rebounds and 1 steal for a PIR of 14. Abrines knocked down his first shot late in the first quarter and quickly buried two more to give Barca a 20-32 lead. Olympiacos regained a 66-64 edge, then Abrines struck twice from beyond the arc in a 0-9 run that sealed the outcome, 66-73, in the final minute.

Lundberg stood out on his return

Iffe Lundberg returned to action in Round 2 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, leading Virtus Segafredo Bologna to a dominant 59-83 road victory over AS Monaco. After missing Round 1, Lundberg made quite an impact on his return, contributing in many aspects of the game. In 22 minutes off the bench, Lundberg led Virtus in scoring with 14 points on 2-of-3 shots from downtown, while he also had 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 13. His team-oriented mentality and great experience for a player at age 28, at the prime of his career, are truly important qualities for Virtus.

Sedekerskis dominated the boards in Berlin

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz picked up its first win of the season, holding off ALBA Berlin 86-91 in the German capital. Forward Tadas Sedekerskis was particularly involved in helping his team fight for this victory. The Lithuanian’s presence was mostly felt on the boards, where he pulled down 13 rebounds, including 7 on the offensive end. Both marks were not just a new career high for Sedekerskis, but also the most by any player this week. Playing a team-high 29 minutes, Sedekerskis also scored 11 points, making 4-of-8 two-pointers and his only three-point attempt. He recorded 3 steals and dished 2 assists, as the 25-year-old finished the game with a PIR of 21 and rubber stamped Baskonia’s first win this season.

Thiemann's first double-double in game No. 100

In that same game, the only player with a higher PIR than Sedekerskis was ALBA center Johannes Thiemann. The veteran big man, who was making his 100th EuroLeague appearance, had his first career double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds. That is the first time he has had a double-digit number of rebounds, with this feat coming in his fifth season in the competition. Thiemann was 4-of-6 from two-point range and 1-of-2 from distance, and it was his triple from way downtown that cut the deficit to 86-89 with 46 seconds to go. Thiemann shined on Thursday night, but ALBA did not manage to complete its comeback.

Vintage Causeur helped take down Efes

Real Madrid stormed through Istanbul, downing Anadolu Efes 80-103, and Fabien Causeur showed once again he is aging like a fine French wine. The 36-year-old was in Los Blancos’ starting lineup and was one of the players who helped the team set the tone early in the game. He then played an important role with 8 points, including 2 three-pointers, in the third quarter as Real broke the game wide open. Causeur finished the contest with 18 points, netting 4-of-7 triples. He was also perfect from two-point range and the free-throw line, making both of his shots. It was a big performance in a big win for the defending champions.