By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
An injury setback disrupts Cazoo Baskonia in the middle of the ongoing double-game week of the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.
EuroLeague’s leader in made three-pointers, Markus Howard was ruled out for the Round 19 affair opposite Partizan Mozzart Bet with back pain, the team announced Thursday. The former Marquette standout stayed in Vitoria-Gasteiz looking to recover with the help of the medical staff, instead of traveling to Belgrade with the rest of the team.
Howard, 23, reported back pain following the EuroLeague Regular Season’s Round 18 affair versus FC Bayern Munich on the road Tuesday. Completing the two-game week, the Round 19 contest will be held Friday. The team coached by Joan Penarroya will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 12-7 lacking its top scorer but all remaining players healthy.
Moving his talents to Europe following 68 NBA games played with the Denver Nuggets over the first two seasons of his professional career, Howard has been firing on cylinders with Baskonia. Producing 15.9 points per EuroLeague game with 46.6% two-pointers and 46.1% three-pointers are the main highlights of his efforts so far. He also averages 1.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.6 steals per game.
At the domestic level, he registered 16.1 points, 1.3 assists, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per ACB contest pushing his side into a three-way tie on top of Spain’s Liga Endesa standings with powerhouses Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. All three clubs currently carry a 12-3 record.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net