By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The season of upsets continues in the EuroLeague, but FC Bayern is redefining what should be considered a surprise in their case. With Barcelona having a 7-1 record since the game against Olympiacos was postponed, Bayern is the only other team with the same number of wins (7-2), followed by CSKA Moscow at 6-3. On the other hand, it’s obvious in the standings that with a number of games still not played, you can’t be sure about anything.
Unless we are talking about this round’s MVP.
ΜVP: Mike James
After being out last week for unspecified reasons yet, he destroyed Zalgiris, scoring 27 points on 8/11 FG on the way to a 32 PIR performance. Since last season, Mike James is the go-to-guy for CSKA Moscow and he more than delivered with a night to remember on the road.
Best Five
- Mike James: By virtue and by the numbers, the MVP of this round.
- Jordan Loyd: Zvezda got a big road win in Milan and Loyd once again delivered with 17 points, five assists, and three rebounds for a 24 PIR.
- Gabriel Deck: He was the first among equals in the big win of Real Madrid against Maccabi, having 16 points and a 21 PIR performance.
- Alec Peters: His best game yet in the EuroLeague with 25 points on 10/12 FG was combined with a big home win for Baskonia over Fenerbahce.
- Luka Sikma: He kept ALBA Berlin alive with 16 points, two rebounds, and three assists and gave to Payton Siva the chance with a buzzer-beating three to win a “lost” game against LDLC ASVEL.
Coach of the round: Andrea Trinchieri
You can’t go wrong with him so far, but the second comeback in Istanbul of FC Bayern Munich, this time against Anadolu Efes, was once again unpredictable and spectacular. The Germans were down by ten and they managed to steal the game, pretty much like they did against Fenerbahce, when they were down by 20. Coach Trinchieri, having arguably a weak roster, has found the way to create a die-hard unit that will never give up.
Last word: ASVEL has Fall-en
LDLC ASVEL was on the verge of a road win in Berlin. Things fell apart, especially at the last minute, and ALBA got the “W”. Still, nobody can overlook the monster game of Moustapha Fall who had a personal best 42 PIR with 25 points and 10 rebounds. In an age where old school centers are on the trend, Fall simply dominated. The bad news for ASVEL was that his performance was not enough…