By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
With four games played so far, CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce remain the teams to beat for anyone else. Both faced their local arch-rivals and they both got the win over Unics Kazan and Galatasaray respectively.
And while they share the top of the standings, the fact that Fenerbahce did it on the road makes the perspective totally different.
It’s not easy for anyone to beat not only Galatasaray but also the fans of the team. And that brings us directly to the best player of the night.
MVP
Ekpe Udoh
The center of Fenerbahce had an amazing game (21 p. 13 r.), his team remains perfect and did it against Galatasaray. Can’t get much better than this for him and also for the team of Zeljko Obradovic which turned the match up versus their arch-rivals a walk in the park.
Best Five
Tyrese Rice
He got 18 points, 6 assists, 3 steals and no turnover leading Barcelona to the crucial win over Brose Bamberg. That’s why he was signed and that’s what he delivered.
Vasilis Spanoulis: You can’t but admire him. He had 7 turnovers, but also 15 points and 15 assists on the night he reached one more milestone as Olympiacos beat Baskonia on the road.
Devin Smith: The veteran of Maccabi Tel Aviv made things easy for his team with 17 points, 4 rebounds and a full stats line as the Israelis beat Zalgiris Kaunas on the road and has a 2-0 streak after firing coach Edelstein.
Anthony Randolph: He did like last season, having a huge double double (20 p. 14 r.) and giving to Real Madrid the road win over EA7 Emporio Armani Milano after losing two days ago to Baskonia.
Ekpe Udoh: A dominating performance at Galatasaray’s home court.
Best losing performance: Keith Langford
He had his best ever Euroleague game with 36 points and a ranking of 40. Unfortunately for him, he did it against CSKA Moscow which got an easy win, while Unics Kazan is still stuck at 0-4.
Coach of the day: Xavi Pascual
He had not the time to do anything magical, but in his first two Euroleague games with Panathinaikos he got two wins, on the road against Brose Baskets and at home against Crvena Zvezda. It’s obvious that at least the moral is high again and he already put his new team on a different course.
Biggest Win: Anadolu Efes Istanbul
The team of coach Perasovic was facing its worst ever Euroleague start of a season after three defeats in the first three games. Things didn’t look pretty at halftime with Dogus Darussafaka having a 46-35 lead. However, things changed and Efes got a valuable and much needed breather on the road.
We have a problem: Galatasaray Odeabank
While Unics Kazan was from the start one of the teams for which a 0-4 start could have been expected, the same can’t be said for Galatasaray. The Eurocup champs are in trouble and things should change soon. Still coach Ataman after the game clarified that no transfers are expected to be made any time soon, so the current roster should find a solution.
Last word: Welcome Back
Here you’re!!! @KoponenPetteri #fcblive #FCBBRO pic.twitter.com/Jllxp75P1b
— FCB Basket (@FCBbasket) 28 Οκτωβρίου 2016
After missing the start of the season due to a head injury after a traffic accident, Petteri Koponen made his debut for Barcelona, giving a much needed hand on the backcourt after Pau Ribas’ injury.