By Nikos Varlas/ info@eurohoops.net
Euroleague’s sixth round is expected to be great and competitive, as many surprises are likely to take place, just like what has happened in the previous five rounds! Malaga is the only undefeated team in the competition after the end of the first round! The action starts on Wednesday with the defending champions Real Madrid (2-3) facing off against Khimki (3-2), while seven matches are scheduled for Thursday and four for Friday.
November 19, CET: 20.15 (Menora Mivtachim Arena)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs CSKA Moscow
It’s a ‘do or die’ match for the hosts in Zan Tabak’s first game as Maccabi’s head coach, with the Croatian replacing Gay Goodes after the Israeli’s team bad start to the season. Maccabi welcomes CSKA Moscow on Thursday, with the squad finding itself in a must-win situation, as they have four losses and only one win after five games in group D. On the other hand, the Muscovites are in the exact opposite situation (four wins, just one defeat), but the loss to Malaga at home last week will give Dimitris Itoudis’ players extra motivation to earn the victory on the road.
The “Bear” averages 89.6 points per game, with 112 points on the Index system, whereas Maccabi scores only 73.8 points per game and is among the five worst teams of the entire competition in the overall Index, defensive rebounds and steals. Until now, there is a great difference between the two clubs in their performances, stats and effectiveness, respectively. However, Maccabi’s home court in conjunction with the new head coach and the must-win situation that the Israeli team finds itself in, can give us a very impressive and extraordinary match in Tel-Aviv!
November 18
Real Madrid vs BC Khimki
CET: 20.45
Barclaycard Center
November 19
Zalgiris Kaunas vs Zielona Gora
CET: 18.45
Zalgirio Arena
Cedevita vs Olympiacos
CET: 19.00
Drazen Petrovic Zagreb
Laboral Kutxa vs Armani Milano
CET: 20.30
Fernando Buesa Arena
Strasbourg vs Crvena Zvezda
CET: 20.45
Rhenus Sport
Bayern Munich vs Fenerbahce
CET: 20.45
Audi Dome
Barcelona vs Pinar Karsiyaka
CET: 20.45
Palau Blaugrana
20 November
Anadolu Efes vs Limoges
CET: 19.00
Abdi Ipekci
Brose Baskets vs Unicaja Malaga
CET: 20.00
Brose Arena
Dinamo Sassari vs Darussafaka
CET: 21.00
Palasseradimigni
Panathinaikos vs Lokomotiv Kuban
CET: 20.45
ΟΑΚΑ
Things you need to know
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It’s the 38th match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and CSKA Moscow! The Russian team has earned 19 victories, whereas the Israelis have won 18 games, in one of the strongest and most traditional battles in the history of the competition.
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Milos Teodosic is seventh in the all-time three-point scoring list with 327 in a draw with Marcus Brown and is expected to overcome the American this week! The next great three-point shooter on the list is Trajal Langdon with 339.
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Vassilis Spanoulis needs to score three more three-point shots to become the 10th player in the history of the competition, who will have hit 300 three-pointers.
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Giannis Bourousis has the best Index in the entire Euroleague so far, averaging 25.2 points.
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Alessandro Gentile is the top scorer of the competition after the end of the first round with 19.2 points per game.
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Anadolu Efes’ John Diebler has hit the most three-point shots in the Euroleague so far (18).