By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Vasilije Micic was named Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP of the Week following the conclusion of Regular Season Round 26, Euroleague Basketball announced Saturday. His career-best 37 points behind 10/12 field goals and 11/11 free throws for Anadolu Efes against Fenerbahce Beko in the Istanbul derby made out most of yet another career-high 44 PIR, ranking him above every other player in action this week.
Micic, 27, shared the MVP award with Jalen Reynolds in Round 24 and succeeded teammate and Round 25 MVP Shane Larkin adding on the dominating stretch for Anadolu Efes.
Per the press release: “With a dominant performance to lead Anadolu Efes Istanbul to a resounding 32-point road win over city rival Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Friday, point guard Vasilije Micic earned the fifth weekly MVP award of his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career. Micic netted a career-high 37 points, making 4 of 6 two-point shots and then setting a pair of club records by making 6 three points and 11 free throws without a miss. He also compiled 5 assists, 3 steals and 8 fouls drawn for a career-best performance index rating of 44. Micic was followed at a distance by Jordan Mickey of Khimki Moscow Region and his 29 PIR in a road loss against AX Armani Exchange Milan. Mickey had 23 points on 9-for-16 two-point shooting, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Also with a PIR 29 was FC Barcelona big man Brandon Davies, who collected 22 points and 8 rebounds in defeat against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. The next-best PIR, 28, belonged to Fenerbahce‘s Nando De Colo who had 24 points and 5 assists against Efes. Rounding out the list of this week’s best performance, with index ratings of 25 each, were Kevin Pangos of Zenit St Petersburg, who had 16 points, 10 assists and 3 steals in Monday’s rescheduled Round 5 win over Milan, and Nikola Kalinic of Valencia Basket, who had 12 points and 10 assists in a Round 26 win over Zenit three days later.
Individual highs: Vasilije Micic, Efes, 37 points
Micic’s 37 points led all scorers this week and tied for the second-best scoring output of the season. Mike James of CSKA Moscow is EuroLeague scoring leader with 20.5 points per game. Mickey had 11 rebounds to lead all players this week. CSKA‘s Nikola Milutinov remains this season’s top rebounder with 8.6 on average. Kalinic and Pangos each had 10 assists, the most this week. Khimki’s Alexey Shved is EuroLeague assists leader with 7.9 per game. Three players had 4 steals this week: David Lighty of ASVEL and Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 26 and Milan’s Vladimir Micov in that rescheduled Round 5 game. Pierria Henry of TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is the league leader in steals with 1.8 per game. Efes big man and the all-time shot-blocking leader Bryant Dunston had 4 blocks, more than any other player this week. Panathinaikos center Georgios Papagiannis leads all the shot-blockers this season with 1.9 per contest. There were five double-doubles this week. In Round 26 games, Mickey had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Ante Zizic of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Milan’s Kyle Hines collected 12 points plus 10 rebounds, while Kalinic had 12 points and 10 assists and Pangos 16 points and 10 assists.”