By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Stakes are high, there is tension on the courts, calls are being disputed and fights break out, while there is also a new all time leader in Euroleague games played, Juan Carlos Navarro. Yes, it’s Euroleague Top16 week 10 and only unbeaten Barcelona in Group E (10-0) and CSKA Moscow in Group F (9-1) have mathematically secured their qualification to the play offs.
In Group E, behind Barca there is EA7 Milano (7-3) in the second place in a safe distance from the three way tie between Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce/ Ulker and Unicaja (5-5). Defending champion Olympiacos is at the moment at the sixth spot (4-6), followed by Anadolu Efes and Laboral Kutxa (2-8).
In Group F, Real Madrid lost a step and has the second place (8-2). Maccabi Tel Aviv is third (7-3) and Bayern Munich is fourth (5-5), chased by the duo of Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Kuban (4-6). Partizan (2-8) and Zalgiris Kaunas (1-9) hold the last two spots of the standings.
MVP
The leader of Bayern Munich returned to his true form in the 85-83 win over Real Madrid. It was a huge win for the Germans and Delaney was his usual self – at least on home games – with 20 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and also 4 turnovers. As Bayern emerges as a new power in European and German basketball, Delaney is also a new star who can be the leader of the team for many years to come.
Best five
- Tyrese Rice: He was the best of his team in the 77-67 win over Zalgiris as 19 points on 8/17 shots and also 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 turnovers was just an other day in the office.
- Malcolm Delaney: He had his birthday this week and he sure celebrated them in style…
- Manuchar Markoishvili: He returned from injury and got 19 points on 5/8 threes on the way to the 67-66 road win of Galatasaray against Lokomotiv Kuban, which kept his team on the play offs race.
- Antonis Fotsis: The old guard stepped up for coach Alvertis and Fotsis had one of his best games of the season with 14 points on 5/7 shots and 6 rebounds in the 65-60 overtime road win over Anadolu Efes.
- Αnte Tomic: His choice is also automatic during Top16. In the 70-58 win of Barca over – Spanoulis and Printezis-less – Olympiacos, he had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists.
Βest losing performance: Tibor Pleiss
The revenge of the 7footers continues as the German center of Laboral Kutxa had a career night with 30 points and 13 rebounds on 10/14 shots and 10/13 free throws. Unfortunately he wasn’t a factor, as EA7 Milano got the 83-65 win over Laboral Kutxa and practically the Basques are out of the race for the play offs. However, Pleiss himself proved true heir to his predecessors in Vitoria and his future seems bright.
Biggest win: Bayern Munich
The Germans are coming. Nobody expected that Bayern could get even the home win against heavy favorite for the Euroleague title Real Madrid, but they just did in a thrilling game that ended with the score being 85-83. This was not just the win that keeps Bayern’s play offs hopes alive, but also a sign for things to come. Remember that this is just the first season of Bayern in the top European level and coach Pesic’s team is now aiming to the Top8 of Euroleague.
The advantage: CSKA Moscow
Nobody expected that the easy 84-52 win against Partizan will have such implications. But now, thanks to this result and the present by Bayern, CSKA has the advantage for the top spot of Group F, as the Russians have one win more than Real Madrid and also a +14 points difference from their triumph in Moscow against the Spaniards.
The debut: Fragkiskos Alvertis
It was ugly, but in his first ever game as a coach in any level, Fragkiskos Alvertis led Panathinaikos to an overtime 65-60 win over Anadolu Efes. Yes, the game was decided essentially by a Planinic’s turnover, Diamantidis had one of the worst games in his career with a -3 ranking, still the bottom line is that the Greens with their former captain on the bench got a valuable result just before the big game in Athens against Obradovic‘s Fenerbahce.
The rise: Fenerbahce/ Ulker
There’s the already infamous call by Luigi Lamonica, but Fenerbahce/ Ulker beat Unicaja (69-67) and now Zoc has to visit next week his old kingdom, OAKA, and fight for the win that would open the path to the play offs to his new team, against his old love, having as the opposing coach his old team captain. It’s more than epic folks and we just can’t wait for next week.
Last word: The brawl
As you can see in this videο, tempers were high in the game between Baskonia and EA7 Milano. The question now is what the punishment will be, specially for Hackett and Pleiss who were the main protagonists of this skirmish. If you remember in a similar occasion during the regular season, the penalty was quite harsh…