By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
There’s no luxury for bad or even mediocre nights in the Last 32. With 6 games deciding the teams’ future in the competition, noone can afford to feel complacent. The motivation to win every single game and give your best self is extremely high and that is why most really qualitative teams put their strengths into action, giving offering us great performances. The ones that lost, might benefit from the slap they received on their face… if they learn their lesson. And it’s not easy to do anything else, with just 6 teams remaining unbeaten! So here’s what will be remembered for round 2!
MVP:Mike Green
The man responsible for Venezia’s first victory in the Last 32. The Italian team was behind the score after the first half, but Carlos Recalcati’s players rallied for an major comeback in the third quarter. Almost all 31 points scored by Venezia during that period, came from Green’s hands, either directly or indirectly since he made buckets himself (24 points) or passed the ball to his teammates for them to score when the situation called for that (11 assists). He also helped a lot in the rebounding, grabbing 7.
Best Five
- Quino Colom: Why are we not surprised? Because one of the most sensational point guards not only in Eurocup, but generally in the continent, once again did what he knows best: Delivering a playmaking clinic with 23 points, 10 assist and 5 steals. Oh and he was practically unstoppable, since he forced the Union Olimpija players to foul him 13 (!) times.
- Marquez Haynes: Well it is not an exaggeration to say that this might be Sassari’s biggest victory so far in the season. And with his 19 points and 5 assists, Haynes (photo) managed to be in the spotlight as his team prevailed against Galatasaray.
- Antoine Diot: A game of sheer beauty by the French guard who looks stronger than ever. In a match where Valencia played seminar quality offense, finishing at…. 108 points he was the driving force behind his team’s impressive scoring output, with his 25 points (5/6 2point shots, 4/6 3pointers) and 8 assists.
- Isaac Fotu:The power forward from New Zealand danced an ultra intimidating basketball haka to make Szolnoki Olaj cower in fear. He dominated with his 20 points (9/11 field goals) and 5 rebounds in the 17 minutes he spent on court, helping Zaragoza to win comfortably in the end.
- Sofoklis Schortsanitis: “He killed us” said Limoges’ coach Jim Bilba after the game against PAOK. “Big Sofo” bulldozed his way against his opponents scoring the 12 out of his 19 points in the first half against the French champions, giving a significant boost that pushed PAOK closer to victory. Noone could even stand against him, without getting bruised (literally or not) since he also won 6 fouls, while grabbing 5 rebounds. All these in 17 minutes.
Best losing performance: Blake Schilb
Seriously now, what more could he do? An all around performance of 23 points (7/11 from downtown) 9 rebounds and 7 assists that once again exceptionally oiled the offensive machine of Galatasaray. He almost “touched” the triple double, yet it was not enough against Dinamo Sassari.
Coach of the week: Selcuk Ernak
In a quite challenging game against Bilbao, Banvit did not only manage to win, but did it by scoring 85 points facing one of the best defensive teams in Eurocup. Hats off to coach Ernak since, apart from his solid game plan, his players had the proper mentality to execute marvelously (10/20 from behind the arc) away from home, thus making their job easier. A delicious roadkill by Banvit.
Biggest win: Dinamo Sassari
Let’s not keep up appearances. We are talking about the worst team of the regular season in Euroleague. A team that then failed to start Eurocup with a win. 11 defeats in a row for the reigning Italian champion. Yet, the team from Sardinia managed to make some serious noise, in the world of European basketball, by winning Galatasaray, one of the absolute favorites to lift the trophy. While Sassari players rightfully celebrate this victory, they should also ponder if they have underestimated their capabilities so far.
The barn burner: Maccabi Electra
In one of the most fascinating games this week, with numerous ties in the score and lead changes, the Israelis manage to escape the clutches of Nizhny Novgorod and leave Russia with an important victory. In the end and with everything at stake, Maccabi answered to its opponents’ enthusiasm with experience and “know how” brought by Devin Smith. The American forward once again wore the superman cape for his team, in the final minutes, as he has done countless times before, with invaluable key plays on both ends of court.
The disappointment: Aris Thessaloniki
In Milan, the city of fashion, the costume that Aris wore was not only outdated, but plainly horrible. We definitely expected more from a team that prides on playing intense defensive and having strong willpower. It might sound harsh, but the cold, hard truth, is that Aris became a “plaything” in the hands of Armani Milano, getting destroyed 95 – 54. The big difference in the teams’ budget offers no excuse.