By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2018-19 Basketball Champions League couldn’t have started better as it brought a lot of excitement.
Former NBA champion Norris Cole put on an MVP performance in a thrilling double overtime match. Francisco Cruz, or as some might know him, the “Nogales submachine gun” ruined Tyrese Rice’s fiery game with a long-range buzzer beater to hand his team the win. Two former AEK players showed up in Athens with their new team to beat the reigning champions… And that’s just some of it, here you can see the complete Day 1 Recap.
But, the past is the past, and it’s time to look forward as Day 2 is around the corner with 16 new games. Eight of them will be played on Tuesday (16/10) while the rest is scheduled for Wednesday (17/10).
Day 2 Preview
Group A
1. Anwil (1-0)
2. Banvit (1-0)
3. UCAM Murcia (1-0)
4. Sidigas Avellino (1-0)
5. Nizhny Novgorod (0-1)
6. Le Mans (0-1)
7. Ludwigsburg (0-1)
8. Ventspils (0-1)
The first game of Day 2 will be the Group A clash between Banvit and Le Mans on Tuesday. Banvit only lost three of their 19 home games in BCL, but two of these three losses came recently and against French sides. Will Le Mans make that a tradition?
Later the same night, Murcia will host Ventspils and try to take another game at home and improve to 2-0.
The Group A show will continue on Wednesday as the newcomer Anwil tries to record their second win in the competition. Nizhny Novgorod, which arrives from a narrow loss after double overtime, will be their opponent.
Ludwigsburg and Avellino will close Day 2 for the group. The German side suffered a loss at the start despite having a 22-point lead after the first quarter and the task won’t get any easier as they host Avellino which is led by former NBA champion and Day 1 MVP Norris Cole.
Group B
1. UNET Holon (1-0)
2. Iberostar Tenerife (1-0)
3. Umana Reyer Venezia (1-0)
4. Opava (1-0)
5. Nanterre 92 (0-1)
6. PAOK (0-1)
7. Telekom Baskets Bonn (0-1)
8. Fribourg Olympic (0-1)
PAOK and Bonn will play the only Tuesday game of Group B this week as they both look to bounce back after first-round losses. The Greeks will look to take advantage of their crowd as they won their last four BCL games at home but on the other side, they’ve never beat a German team in the competition (four losses).
Fribourg started the season with a bad 24-point loss and will look to make up for it against Opava which was fairly convincing against Nanterre.
Venezia and Holon showed they are more than prepared for the season with dominant Day 1 performances and this duel might as well shape the top of Group B. At the same time, Tenerife – another challenger for the top – will host Nanterre in the last game of this week.
Group C
1. JDA Dijon (1-0)
2. Telenet Giants Antwerp (1-0)
3. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (1-0)
4. Montakit Fuenlabrada (1-0)
5. Brose Bamberg (0-1)
6. Lietkabelis (0-1)
7. AEK (0-1)
8. CEZ Nymburk (0-1)
The reigning champion AEK will start this week for Group C as they go to the Czech Republic for a game against Nymburk. The Greek team lost the opening game against Hapoel Jerusalem despite having an upper hand and they will be tested once again against a rival which proved to be an equal. They faced each other last season in the Round of 16 and AEK managed to qualify by just a one-point difference on the aggregate score (181- 180).
A bit later, Amar’e Stoudemire and Hapoel Jerusalem will take on Lietkabelis after beating the reigning champ AEK on the road while the guests come from a tough overtime loss.
Fuenlabrada and Antwerp will play the third Tuesday match of this group. The Spaniards played possibly the most exciting game of Day 1 winning thanks to Francisco Cruz’s long-range buzzer while Antwerp also had a fair share of excitement in an overtime win. Can we hope for another thrilling match?
The last game of Group C for this week will be played on Wednesday as Bamberg hosts Dijon. The German team had the first-round win on the plate but it got spoiled by Cruz’s shattering shot. Nonetheless, Tyrese Rice put on a performance worthy of an MVP and if he repeats it, Dijon will have a lot less of a chance to make an upset.
Group D
1. SIG Strasbourg (1-0)
2. Promitheas Patras (1-0)
3. Besiktas Sompo Japan (1-0)
4. Segafredo Virtus Bologna (1-0)
5. Neptunas Klaipeda (0-1)
6. medi Bayreuth (0-1)
7. Filou Oostende (0-1)
8. Petrol Olimpija (0-1)
The last but not the least, Group D. It’s weekly action will start with Bologna and Oostende. The Italian powerhouse seems to be back in the European elite but they will have to keep proving themselves more and more as each game passes by.
At the same time, Bayreuth clashes with Strasbourg. The French squad certainly had a better start of the season but Bayreuth proved troublesome for them last season. Will the history repeat itself?
Wednesday action features the duel between Neptunas and Besiktas as both teams look to record another win. Both teams won in their domestic leagues but Neptunas did so against the Lithuanian champ and EuroLeague Final Four participant Zalgiris Kaunas proving they are capable of reaching the top.
For the last Group D match, Promitheas will clash with Olimpija as they look to capitalize on the home court advantage.