By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The eventful Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 26 included a couple of playoffs berths. Anadolu Efes was already in, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid clinched this week. One of the Spanish powerhouses also produced our MVP of the Round.
Eurohoops MVP
Nikola Mirotic
Barca claimed its first road victory versus CSKA Moscow in seven years with Nikola Mirotic displaying his clutch touch in the dying seconds of the exciting contest. Sank a stepback jumper nearly at the buzzer for the “W”. Finished with 23 points and eight rebounds also drew three fouls and dished out a couple of assists.
Best Five
1. Vasilije Micic: Anadolu Efes rolls on with the Serbian guard racking up 23 points, nine dimes, and five rebounds.
2. Alexey Shved: Coupled his game-high 24 points with 13 assists for Khimki Moscow Region.
3. Nigel Hayes: Landed the tough decision between him and teammate Zach LeDay through his game-high 21 points.
4. Nikola Mirotic: Our MVP gets the job done in Russia.
5. Greg Monroe: His season-high 26 points plus eight boards and five assists forced Walter Tavares out of our Best Five.
Coach of the round: Giannis Sfairopoulos
Fourth straight narrow victory for Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv. Three points are the biggest winning margin in that stretch. Players make the clutch buckets, in this case, Scottie Wilbekin delivered the knockout punch to Olympiacos, but Giannis Sfairopoulos is the man responsible for setting up the last-ditch efforts. The Greek head coach rightfully earns our Coach of the Round honors once again.
The big issue: Greek derby coming up
Ahead of their direct collision at the front end of the upcoming double-game week, both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos OPAP suffered defeats. The Round 27 Greek derby is of massive importance for both sides. Meeting only in EuroLeague for the 2019-20 season merely adds on the need for victory. Hold on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.