By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Two players registered EuroLeague career-highs to lead their teams in potentially decisive wins in Round 22 of the EuroLeague regular season.
We are talking about Bayern Munich guard Nick Weiler-Babb and Olimpia Milano guard Kevin Punter. Our pick for this week’s MVP between the two was a bit difficult but we ultimately went with Weiler-Babb.
MVP: Nick Weiler-Babb (Bayern Munich)
Weiler-Babb entered the fourth quarter of the game between his team and Khimki Moscow with 12 points and then absolutely erupted. He made the start with the go-ahead basket and overall scored 13 points in the period to push Bayern towards a victory against a shorthanded but one of the most competitive Khimki squads we’ve seen this season.
Apart from his 25 points, Babb also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists for 38 PIR. Quite a game for the EuroLeague rookie.
Best Five:
Norris Cole (ASVEL Villeurbanne): It was a tough call between him and David Lighty (21 points) who also had a super performance in the win of ASVEL over Baskonia. We choose Cole for our Top 5 since he lit the fire that ignited ASVEL’s comeback from down 11 in the beginning of the second half with back-to-back triples and proceeded to add more buckets (20 points) and assists for his team’s victory.
Nick Weiler-Babb: B for Bavaria, Bayern and (Weiler-) Babb.
Kevin Punter: What Punter did against his former team falls under the definition of what we like to call a “Revenge Game.” He posted career-highs 27 points and five assists to do all sorts of damage to the defense of Olympiacos while Milano grabbed its fifth straight win.
Tornike Shengelia (CSKA Moscow): CSKA Moscow lacked the usual firepower provided by Mike James (suspended) and Will Clyburn was out with injury vs Alba Berlin. Someone had to step up extra, so enter Tornike Shengelia. In a low-scoring game, the Georgian forward’s offensive contribution of 20 points made a big difference for the win, as did a key pair of free throws he hit with seconds remaining and his team up by just 1.
Jan Vesely (Fenerbahce Beko): The reigning (that’s what he is since there wasn’t any MVP for 2020) EuroLeague MVP has been playing… well… MVP basketball recently again and the game against Maccabi Tel Aviv was no exception. Vesely finished with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists, influencing his team’s picture in many ways and pushing Fener to the seventh consecutive win.
Coach of The Week: Igor Kokoskov (Fenerbahce Beko)
Back in December, Fenerbahce looked to be heading to an early point of no return when it comes to its playoff chances. The Turkish side had a 5- 10 record and was coming off a blowout loss to Zalgiris in Kaunas, looking nowhere near a team that is considered a powerhouse.
Everything changed since then with Igor Kokoskov leading Fener out of this black hole and straight back to playoffs contention again with seven wins in a row, the best streak by any EuroLeague team right now. The squad performs in near-perfect harmony on offense while putting great effort on defense becoming once again a true force to be reckoned with.
Clutch
You either got it or you don’t and Marius Grigonis definitely has it in abundance. We are talking about the clutch gene that the Lithuanian player demonstrated once again, this time against Valencia, with an incredibly tough game-winning bucket at the buzzer.
This @bczalgiris never knows when it is beat…
Marius Grigonis with the stunning game-winner!#7DAYSMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/rCmcN9ugmG
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) January 27, 2021