By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
With just a few days left in the VTB regular season, the playoffs scenarios are getting more and more clear. Six teams are tightly holding their playoffs spot, while two more will march their way to the post-season.
Until then, let’s take a look at this past week’s action!
MVP
Codi Miller-McIntyre
The Parma superstar tapped his second triple-double of the season against Avtodor, despite his team’s overtime defeat. Miller-McIntyre finished the game with 16 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds, along with three steals, adding up to 30 points of index rating.
Relive his incredible game here.
VEF pushes Astana off the playoffs picture
This week’s action ended with a match-up between two teams tied for eighth place, with VEF coming up strong, thanks to Ken Brown. Astana fell to a 7-16 record and far off the playoffs spots, though with an earlier 67-53 win during the season, the Kazakh team has the tiebreaker in case both finish with an equal record.
Unics saved by Lasme in overtime
The second-spot holders almost let the win slip away in their clash against Nizhny Novgorod, though Stephane Lasme was clutch for the Kazan side. The Gabonese big man sounded the alarm for the Kazan side, tapping 27 points and eight rebounds in this win.
Lokomotiv secure behind CSKA and Unics
Loko and Zenit share a 15-6 record, though the Krasnodar has the advantage of the tiebreaker. This season’s EuroCup runner-ups face Enisey, Khimki and Nizhny Novgorod in the remaining game of the season, while Zenit’s duties include CSKA, Unics and Tsmoki-Minsk.
Avtoror seizes Perm
As if Miller-McIntyre’s triple-double wasn’t enough for this overtime game to be remembered, Saratov’s Coty Clarke also came in with a beastly performance of 36 points and 17 rebounds, in a career-high game for him. Τhe winners improved to a 12-9 record and hold on to the sixth position of the standings.
Enjoy some Clarke magic:
Standings so far:
|
#
|
TEAM
|
PTS
|
MP
|
W
|
L
|
POINTS
|
+/-
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
CSKA MOSCOW
|
42
|
22
|
20
|
2
|
2057 – 1734
|
323
|
|
|
2
|
UNICS KAZAN
|
42
|
22
|
20
|
2
|
1887 – 1666
|
221
|
|
|
3
|
ZENIT SAINT PETERSBURG
|
36
|
21
|
15
|
6
|
1804 – 1777
|
27
|
|
|
4
|
LOKOMOTIV KUBAN
|
36
|
21
|
15
|
6
|
1754 – 1523
|
231
|
|
|
5
|
KHIMKI MOSCOW
|
33
|
21
|
12
|
9
|
1774 – 1664
|
110
|
|
|
6
|
AVTODOR
|
33
|
21
|
12
|
9
|
1829 – 1853
|
-24
|
|
|
7
|
NIZHNIY NOVGOROD
|
30
|
22
|
8
|
14
|
1870 – 1926
|
-56
|
|
|
8
|
VEF RIGA
|
31
|
23
|
8
|
15
|
1787 – 1896
|
-109
|
|
|
9
|
PARMA BASKET PERM
|
29
|
22
|
7
|
15
|
1794 – 1887
|
-93
|
|
|
10
|
BC TSMOKI MINSK
|
29
|
22
|
7
|
15
|
1632 – 1822
|
-190
|
|
|
11
|
BK ASTANA
|
30
|
23
|
7
|
16
|
1761 – 1840
|
-79
|
|
|
12
|
ENISEY
|
28
|
22
|
6
|
16
|
1751 – 1946
|
-195
|
|
|
13
|
BC KALEV/CRAMO
|
30
|
24
|
6
|
18
|
2030 – 2196
|
-166
|
|