By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Mike James teased EuroLeague’s fourth triple-double ever as CSKA Moscow now cruises to a 10-3 record on top of the standings. Barcelona recovered from a defeat by Olympiacos earlier this week to match the Army Team’s record and once again Valencia was among the stunners of the week, with Klemen Prepelic hitting the game-winner against Anadolu Efes.
MVP
Mike James – CSKA Moscow
James was ever so close to the 4th triple-double in EuroLeague history but that’s yet to be achieved, however, his performance can simply not be overlooked. The 30-year-old guard came in full swing in the Moscow derby and led CSKA to victory with 36 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds against Khimki to achieve his best-ever index rating in EuroLeague with 51.
Watch out Mike, coach Dimitris Itoudis will go on you for that rebound!
Dimitris Itoudis said he’s going to go on Mike James for missing the triple-double for one rebound ? pic.twitter.com/Q1uT3k3UZD
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) December 11, 2020
BEST FIVE
- Mike James: Our weekly MVP was red-hot in Moscow.
- Tyler Dorsey: Maccabi reached a hard-fought victory in Vitoria with Dorsey tapping 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists to lead the way.
- Marius Grigonis: Zalgiris finally registered its first win after six defeats in the last rounds powered by 24 points by Grigonis in Athens.
- Nikola Mirotic: Barcelona struggled against Olimpia Milano but recovered in great fashion in the fourth period, as Mirotic posted a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
- Walter Tavares: Real had a tough time against Zenit but managed to stop its perfect streak on the road as Tavares dominated both ends of the court with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds along with 3 steals.
Coach of the week: Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos
Olympiacos left behind a bad two-game losing streak to return this week with two victories on the road. They rout Barcelona on the road on Tuesday in a Round 9 makeup game with an exceptional performance that tied down the Blaugrana’s defenses and fought back in Belgrade for their scheduled Round 13 game. The Reds roared loudly, as Vassilis Spanoulis set a new record, becoming the top scorer in European champion’s cup history with a total of 4.322 points. Bartzokas’ leadership through this tough week paid off in the best way possible, as Olympiacos improved to a 7-5 record.
Work to be done
Fenerbahce surrendered to ALBA Berlin on the road, or, to put it in coach Aito Garcia Reneses’ words “they gave up” suffering its second worse defeat of the season. Fener‘s leading scorer Nando De Colo made his return after missing nearly a month of action but left the court with 2 points in 16 minutes. Igor Kokoskov said he “didn’t recognize” his team, which failed to connect in Berlin. As Fener‘s record crippled down to 5-8, there is a chance to regroup and start over in the upcoming double-game week.
Photo: CSKA Moscow