By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
After a thrilling start of the season, Euroleague is back with the second week of top basketball action and title contenders will have to duel really early in the season. With six games on Thursday and four on Friday get ready for big games, great spectacle and thrilling fights until the last minute.
Eurohoops game of the week: EA7 Milano – Barcelona
Two teams with a long and proud history in European basketball are going to be tested in the “Group of death”. The winner will make one step closer to the Top16 and that’s a need for the hosts, who are coming from a defeat in Istanbul by Fenerbahce/ Ulker. The good news for the Italians is that Juan Carlos Navarro is out of the game. Still coaches Banchi and Pascual have top quality rosters and anything can happen. What we don’t expect is a dull game, everything else seems possible.
Honorable mention: CSKA Moscow – Maccabi Tel Aviv
It’s a classic couple in Euroleague, having already 34 games played between them. The last was last season’s Final Four semifinal, where Maccabi stunned the Russians. It doesn’t get much better than that. Still, we expect a game which will be decided mainly by CSKA Moscow‘ s condition. After all the Russians beat the Israelis twice in last season’s Top16. However, there’s a lot of pride involved in this contest, specially for former CSKA member and now Maccabi leader Jeremy Pargo. He will have the bigger motive than anyone else on the court, despite the fact that the coach who pushed him on the side last season, Ettore Messina, is now at San Antonio. Τhe hosts will be missing Devin Smith and Alex Tyus, CSKA will not have Khrapa, Nichols and De Colo.
A matter of rhythm and efficiency: Unics Kazan – Real Madrid
Euroleague and Real Madrid return to Kazan! Unics (0-1) knows very well that winning at home is the key, even against a top contender like Real (1-0). The Spaniards have only wins so far in every official game they have given for the season, but they are not ready yet to produce the kind of basketball they were exhibiting last season. That’s why coach Pedoulakis will try to force a half court game and Real will try to run. The tempo of the game and the shooting efficiency of the deadly scorers both teams have, will be the keys.
Under the microscope: Dinamo Sassari – Anadolu Efes
It’s a big night for Sardinia! Euroleague travels there for the first time and Sassari is a unique basketball case. A team that only runs at top speed after losing the big chance for a road win against Nizhny, will try to create problems against a stronger opponent like Efes. However, the team of coach Ivkovic is still a work in progress, as the late addition of Donny McGrath proves. No matter what, Sassari will keep on shooting and we expect a really fun game for any viewer.
The question mark: Bayern Munich – Panathinaikos
That’s a very important game, like most in the “Group of death”, because in the end a good team like Bayern, Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce/ Ulker, Barcelona and EA7 Milano will be left out of Top16. Coach Pesic and the hosts (0-1) know that they can’t lose by anyone at home. Panathinaikos on the other hand with a road win will make a huge step towards Top16, even if it’s still too early in the season, putting all the pressure to the BBL champions. We expect a more than tense contest, a game of runs and if everything comes down to the last shot, it won’t be a surprise.
Εuroleague 2014-2015 – 2nd Day
|
EA7 Milano |
F.C. Barcelona |
|
|
Galatasaray MP |
||
|
Laboral Kutxa |
||
|
FC Bayern |
Panathinaikos |
|
|
Unicaja Malaga |
Alba Berlin |
|
|
Banco di Sardegna Sassari |
||
|
PGE Turow |
Fenerbahce |
|
|
Neptunas |
||
|
CSKA Moscow |
Maccabi Tel Aviv |
|
|
Limoges |
Cedevita Zagreb |
|
|
Nizhny Novgorod |
||
|
UNICS Kazan |
Real Madrid |