The action is heating up in the EuroCup as we enter Round 6
At a glance: Big tests await for the two group leaders
Game Preview
7 Minutė skaityti
Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup features big battles at the top of both groups, with the race for the playoffs starting to take shape. Here’s your overview of this week’s action.
Tuesday, November 4
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens (17:00 CET)
In-form Turk Telekom (3-2) will look to continue heading in the right direction with a visit from struggling Panionios (1-4). The host has won three in a row, most recently triumphing at London behind backcourt duo Kyle Allmann and Jaleen Smith combining for 40 points. Kyle Alexander also grabbed a double-double in that game – 15 points and 10 rebounds – and he will try to dominate the paint against visiting center Nate Watson, who had 20 points and 6 rebounds in a losing effort against Trento last week. Panionios, which has lost four straight, must improve a perimeter defense which has allowed opponents to convert 38.6% of three-point shots so far.
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Besiktas GAIN Istanbul (19:00 CET)
A key battle in Group B will see third-placed Buducnost (3-2) attempt to topple group leader Besiktas (4-1). The Turkish team is coming off a mightily impressive 30-point thrashing of Bourg, powered by a big double-double of 15 points and 14 boards from Ante Zizic, so Buducnost big man Jerry Boutsiele (11 points and 8 boards in last week’s win over Lietkabelis) will have to be at his best to help his team secure a third straight win. These are the joint second-best long-range shooting teams in the competition, both converting 38.4% of three-pointers, so the quest for supremacy from beyond the arc between Axel Bouteille (60%) and Connor Morgan (55.6%) will be crucial.
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. NINERS Chemnitz (19:30 CET)
Bourg (4-1) will attempt to return to winning ways with a visit from resurgent Chemnitz (2-3). The French team lost its perfect record by suffering a 30-point thumping at Besiktas last week, with only forward Ricardo Lindo scoring more than 10 points, so needs a major collective improvement especially in taking care of the ball after committing 18 turnovers in that loss. Chemnitz, on the other hand, boosted its confidence with a home triumph over Ulm, and will continue to run its offense through outstanding big man Kevin Yebo, who has an average PIR of 26 in the last three games. Another key is the backcourt battle between home team leader Darius McGhee and visiting Corey Davis Jr, who poured in 23 points last week.
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys (20:00 CET)
Trento (2-3) will attempt to take its first home win of the season with a visit from Lietkabelis (1-4). The Italian team grabbed a road win at Panionis in Round 5 as backcourt leader Devante Jones scored 20 points for the third time this season, and will look for more long-range shooting from Matas Jogela after he went 5-of-9 from deep in the last two games. Lietkabelis is coming off four straight losses and needs defensive improvement after allowing 98, 93 and 98 in the last three. However, optimism comes in the form of Michael Flowers, who made a great debut by scoring 20 points in last week’s loss to Buducnost.
Wednesday, November 5
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (18:00 CET)
A big battle is guaranteed as Cluj (3-2) faces Cedevita (3-2) in a battle of two teams currently tied for second place in Group A. The home team leads the competition in rebounding (38.6 per game so will look to dominate physically against a Cedevita team that ranks last in that category (31.4 per night). Cluj’s main rim protector is Dusan Miletic, who tops all rebounders with 9.0 per game, while Fatts Russell maintained his magnificent season by pouring in 26 points in last week’s easy win over Hamburg. Cedevita has lost two in a row but has guard Aleksej Nikolic in great form after scoring at least 14 points in every game this season.
Neptunas Kleipeda vs. BAXI Manresa (18:00 CET)
Neptunas (2-3) will attempt to keep hold of that winning feeling as it looks to climb level in the standings with Manresa (3-2). The Spanish team is looking for a return to the win column following last week’s loss against Bahcesehir despite another strong game from young guard Agustin Ubal – who has scored in double digits in four straight games. Neptunas boasts the EuroCup’s best rebounding unit, averaging 38.6 boards per night led by Martynas Pacevicius with 6.0 boards per game. Maintaining that physical presence will be important against a Manresa defense which ranks second in the league (78.4 points per game allowed) and will lean on the rebounding of Grant Golden (5.4 boards per game).
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem (18:00 CET)
A mouth-watering showdown between two title candidates promises plenty of drama with unbeaten Bahcesehir (5-0) taking on Hapoel (3-2). The visitor is one of four teams currently tied for second place in Group A, and has won two games straight after thrashing Aris last week with six players scoring in double digits. The battle for inside supremacy will be crucial between two of the competition’s most effective two-point shooting teams: Hapoel leads the league with 65% of two-pointers made, with Bahcesehir fifth (58.8%). A highlight will be the backcourt battle between home team leader Malachi Flynn and visiting ace Jared Harper, who both average 17.8 points with double digits scoring in every game.
ratiopharm ulm vs. London Lions (19:00 CET)
A pair of Group B’s direct rivals aiming for a return to winning ways meet in Germany as Ulm (3-2) hosts London (2-3). The German team ranks second in the competition in scoring (94.8 points per game), while London ranks last with just 72.8 points per night. Home team forward Christopher Ledlum is among the major threats to London’s hopes, with the forward netting at least 16 points in four games straight. This week he faces a good tussle with Joel Scott, who has averaged 15 points in the last two games but would love to improve his accuracy from deep after only making 2 of his 16 three-point attempts this season.
Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. Slask Wroclaw (19:00 CET)
A chance to climb up Group A’s standings is up for grabs with Slask (2-3) travelling to Aris (2-3). Both teams need to recover winning ways, with injury-hit Slask losing two straight after being outgunned by Trento last time out while Aris is on a three-game slide after failing to reach 80 points in any of those games. The Greek team will try to play in the paint after compiling a strong 58.7% two-point conversion rate, including big man Steven Enoch averaging 9.6 points on 65.4% two-point shooting. Slask, in contrast, has a competition-worst 48.8% success rate from inside the arc, so needs others to step up in support of Noah Kirkwood (13.6 points per game on 59% two-point shooting).
Umana Reyer Venice vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (20:00 CET)
Reyer (2-3) will attempt to build more momentum with a visit from rock bottom Hamburg (0-5). The visitor is the only winless team in the EuroCup, extending that unwanted sequence with a heavy home loss against Cluj last week. In contrast, Reyer’s offense rolled to 104 points to triumph at Slask, and will hope Denzel Valentine can continue his excellent three-point shooting after netting 6 triples in that win. Hamburg’s offense can rely on productivity from guard Leonard Thorpe (15.6 points and 4.4 assists per game), but the German team must toughen up defensively after allowing a competition-high 99.2 points per game so far, with opponents converting a huge 64.5% of two-point attempts.