By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Devin Booker was named Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 13 MVP, EuroLeague announced on Saturday. On a four-game losing streak, Khimki Moscow Region wanted to get back on track, fed the 28-year-old American big implementing his EuroLeague personal-high 24 points. His 36 PIR versus ALBA Berlin was also a career-best, the highest among all players this week as well.
Per EuroLeague: “With Khimki Moscow Region needing to bounce back and snap a losing streak, big man Devin Booker came up huge in a 104-87 win against visiting ALBA Berlin to earn his first MVP of the Round honor. Booker scored a career-high 24 points in less than 25 minutes on the floor, making 10 of 13 two-point shots, which was the second-best total for Khimki ever in the EuroLeague. Booker also pulled down 10 rebounds, including a personal-best 5 offensive rebounds, to go with 2 assists, 1 steal and 4 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 36, the highest of his career and the most in Round 13. Following him, Scottie Wilbekin of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv had a career-high index rating 33 in a 90-80 win over CSKA Moscow. Wilbekin compiled 22 points, a career-best 9 assists 5 rebounds and 3 steals on the night. The next-best PIR, 31, belong to Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Krunoslav Simon, who collected 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in a 73-81 road win over city rival Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona Lassa had PIR of 30 baes on his 23 points and 7 rebounds in a 98-86 win over Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, whose point guard Nick Calathes had index rating of 26 with 13 points, 13 assists and 5 rebounds.
Individual highs: Tonye Jekiri, ASVEL, 12 rebounds
Booker led all scorers with 24 points this round. Efes guard Shane Larkin remains the league leader with 22.0 points per game. Tonye Jekiri of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne was Round 13’s top rebounder with 12, lifting his season average to 9.2, just behind the 9.3 of league leader Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos Piraeus. Calathes had the most assists this week, 13, raising his league-best average to 9.2. Four players had 3 steals in Round 13: Wilbekin, Matt Janning of KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Derrick Williams of Fenerbahce and Jimmer Fredette of Panathinaikos. Khimki teammates Stefan Jovic and Janis Timma are the season’s co-leaders in steals with 1.6 per contest. Five players had 2 blocks this round: Ismael Bako of ASVEL, Youssoupha Fall of Baskonia, Jeremy Evans of Khimki, Quincy Acy of Maccabi and Lorenzo Brown of Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid leads all shot blockers with 1.9 per game. In addition to Booker and Calathes, two other players recorded double-doubles this week: ALBA’s Landy Nnoko collected 13 points and 11 rebounds while Sergio Rodriguez of AX Armani Exchange Milan posted 13 points and 10 assists.”
Photo Credit: EuroLeague