By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
After the cup breaks, Euroleague is back and we are ready for more Top16. We are in the 6th week of action, nothing is yet set in stone and every one can still hope for the play offs. With six games on Thursday and two on Friday we are ready for big games, even if in the schedule there is not a classic clash between powerhouses.
Game of the week: Maccabi Tel Aviv – Bayern Munich
Despite losing, Maccabi (4-1) proved at Madrid against Real last week that it’s not a fluke. The Israelis will fight for a Final Four spot and that’s why they have to continue winning on their home court. On the contrary, Bayern Munich with a 2-3 record needs a spark on the road in order to get back to the race with real ambitions. The leader of last season’s Bayern, Tyrese Rice, will host his old team, Maccabi is the favorite, but we can’t underestimate Bayern, specially in a game that is expected to be fast pasted, a style in which both teams excel.
Honorable mention: Unicaja – Panathinaikos
It’s a key game for both teams. After its failure in Copa Del Ray, Unicaja (2-3) wants the win for more than one reasons. The Spaniards want to stay in the play off race and bounce back after getting out of the Copa Final Eight in the quarterfinals. Panathinaikos (3-2) after conquering the Greek cup want to erase the two straight defeats in Top16 and stay on the race for the second place of the group, which translates to home court advantage in the play offs. We expect a very close game.
The ex: Olympiacos – Anadolu Efes
After two straight wins and a 3-2 record, the defending Euroleague champions are hosting Anadolu Efes which initiated a restart after the miracle shot of Zoan Planinic (2-3). Despite losing the Turkish cup in the last second, Efes beat Milano and Laboral Kutxa, but needs more in order to be really competitive in the play offs race. Still it’s a game than mainly depends on Olympiacos‘ performance. Also it’s the game that marks the return of coach Aggelou at SEF for the first time as an opponent in a Euroleague game after winning the Euroleague with the Reds as an assistant of Dusan Ivkovic in 2012.
Time to win: Fenerbahce/ Ulker – Laboral Kutxa
Νobody expected that those two teams will be facing each other at this point, having both a mediocre 1-4 record. Fener without Vidmar and Sipahi will have to find other solutions, the Basques are not playing their best basketball right now and they will not have Hamilton available. That’s why we expected from Fener to react under pressure and get the win.
Rebound: Barcelona – EA7 Milano
Both teams wanted the cup, both teams lost it, but the Catalans are still unbeaten in Top16 and they want to get to 6-0. After losing to Sassari in the first day of the Final Eight, EA7 Milano (3-2) has to overcome the shock of this failure and not make again a step back, after showing great progress during the Top16. In theory Milano can surprise Barca, but under coach Pascual Barcelona is always focused on do or die games. Both teams want a win in order to rebound and the hosts are the favorites to get it.
The chance and the question: Lokommotiv Kuban – Real Madrid
Lokomotiv (3-2) has the fourth place in its group standings and the advantage over the rest of the teams fighting for the last play off spot. Real Madrid prevailed in the “Copa Del Rei” final and that’s what makes the game interesting. Maybe the Spaniards will be a little bit more relaxed than usual and that gives to Lokomotiv a chance. However in order to beat Real the Russians will have to keep the Spaniards to a really low score and that’s not easy.
The key: Galatasaray – CSKA Moscow
Galatasaray (2-3) after a bad start got two wins and now the stakes are bigger against CSKA Moscow (4-1). If the Turkish team wants to be a contender for the play offs, then a big home win against the Russians is a must. It will not be easy. The team of coach Messina, as it was evident against Real Madrid, is starting to perform according to its potential. The Russians have defensive consistency, undoubted talent and they can do anything. CSKA is the favorite, while the reports about Galatasaray being late in the payment of its players may prove a factor on the floor. It’s a key game for both teams.
Consolation: Zalgiris – Partizan
Zalgiris is not that bad as its record suggests (0-5) and despite releasing Ksistof Lavrinovic can be more than competitive in its home court. That can be the case against an other team which was hit hard by injuries and can’t thing about Euroleague any more. This team is Partizan (1-4) and we expected for the Lithuanians to get their first win with the help of their fans, even if you can never just write off the Serbs.