By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season Round 3, Alan Williams claimed the Round 6 MVP award as well. The 27-year-old big, UC Santa Barbara alumni, posted 27 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the clear Lokomotiv Kuban win over Telenet Giants Antwerp on his way to the week-high 36 PIR.
Per the press release: “The most points scored by a 7DAYS EuroCup team without overtime in almost eight years also produced the MVP of the Week, rebounding ace Alan Williams of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. Williams registered career highs of 27 points and 17 rebounds for a performance index rating of 36 as Lokomotiv downed host Telenet Giants Antwerp 94-114. Not since Crvena Zvezda Belgrade posted 116 points in November of 2012 had a team scored as much in 40 minutes as Lokomotiv did on Wednesday. His fourth straight double-double gave Williams the longest such streak in the competition since 2014 while his 8 offensive rebounds matched the fourth-highest single-game total in EuroCup history. This is the second MVP of the Week award so far this season for Williams. The next four top performers of the week were not fortunate enough to see their big numbers result in victory. Isaac Fotu of Umana Reyer Venice posted career highs of 22 points and a 30 PIR in a 90-87 road loss to UNICS Kazan. Fotu made 8 of 9 two-pointers, his only triple and 3 of 3 free throws while drawing 7 fouls. Likewise, Oguz Savas of Frutti Extra Bursaspor posted a PIR of 30 that included 21 points and 11 rebounds, but his team fell 89-80 to host Dolomiti Energia Trento. Erick Green’s 29 PIR for Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul wasn’t enough, either, as host JL Bourg en Bresse won their game 79-77. Green registered a career-high 27 points buoyed by 10-for-13 free throw shooting. Also with a 29 PIR was 17-year-old forward Eleftherios Mantzoukas of Promitheas Patras, who buried 6 of 6 three-pointers en route to 24 points in a 98-83 loss at Herbalife Gran Canaria.
Individual highs: Mantas Kalnietis, Lokomotiv, 15 assists
Green’s 27 points were the most by any EuroCup player this week and boosted him into the league lead with 20.5 per game. Williams was the top rebounder with his second 17-board game this season and is well ahead in the overall rankings at 12.7 per game. Mantas Kalnietis of Lokomotiv dished 15 assists against Antwerp, matching the second-highest total in EuroCup history while also marking a personal and club record. Kalnietis joins Justin Cobbs of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and Milos Teodosic of Segafredo Virtus Bologna as tri-leaders with 8.0 assists per game. Green was this week’s steals leader, too, with 5. Codi Miller-McIntyre of Partizan NIS Belgrade leads the standings with 3.0 steals on average. And 2.20-meter 16-year-old Victor Wembanyama made his season debut for Nanterre 92 with 4 blocked shots, the most this week. Danny Agbelese of Promitheas is the overall blocks leader at 2.2 per game.”
In addition, the Top 10 Plays of the week featuring Stan Okoye in the first place.