By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
FC Barcelona’s Nikola Mirotic and Zalgiris Kaunas’ Marius Grigonis both guided their team to a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 6 victory producing 27 PIR, therefore became the co-MVPs of the Week. Moustapha Fall also scored a 27 PIR, but his LDLC ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne was on the wrong side of the result against Zalgiris.
Per the press release: “Two players who have led their teams 5-1 records atop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings, Marius Grigonis of Zalgiris Kaunas and Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona, are sharing the MVP honor for this week after each posted a performance index rating of 27. Mirotic earned weekly MVP honors for the sixth time in his EuroLeague career. Grigonis reached this award for the first time, and is the first Lithuanian player so honored since Edgaras Ulanovas of Zalgiris in Game 4 of the 2018 playoffs. Mirotic returned to action after a spell on the sidelines by coming came off the bench to for 18 points on 7-for-10 two-point shooting, adding 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and the game-sealing block in Barcelona’s 71-72 win at TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Grigonis led Zalgiris to a 74-83 victory against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne with 25 points on 6-for-8 two-point and 7-for-7 free-throw accuracy, adding 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 fouls drawn for a PIR of 27. In that game, Moustapha Fall of ASVEL also amassed a PIR of 27 but couldn’t help his team win. Fall finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, a block and 11 fouls drawn. Thomas Walkup of Zalgiris (26 PIR) and Errick McCollum of Khimki Moscow Region (25) complete the top individual performances in Round 6.
Individual highs: Jordan Mickey, Khimki, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks
Grigonis had the most points this week with 25. Jordan Loyd of Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade is the competition’s top scorer at 22.6 points per game. Jordan Mickey of Khimki Moscow Region was this week’s top rebounder, pulling down 11 boards in his team’s win against Zvezda. Despite not playing in Round 6, his teammate Devin Booker remains the league’s top rebounder with 8.4 per night. Alexey Shved, also of Khimki, was the only player to register double-digit assists this week, dishing 12 against Zvezda. Vasilije Micic of Anadolu Efes Istanbul leads overall assists rankings with 6.6 per night. Ognjen Kuzmic of Zvezda and Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos Piraeus each collected 3 steals this week. Wade Baldwin of FC Bayern Munich ranks first in steals at 2.2 per night. Mickey had 5 blocks against Zvezda, a new season high. Bryant Dunston of Efes leads the standings at 1.8 per game and also became the competition’s all-time top shot blocker this week. He now leads the career standings with 251, ahead of Fran Vazquez with 249. Shved (15 points, 12 assists), Mickey (11 points, 11 rebounds), and Ante Zizic of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (11 points, 10 rebounds) registered double-doubles in Round 6.”