By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Two weeks before the end of the regular season, six tickets for the Top16 are up for grabs and Eurohoops presents you the key stuff that you need to know.
Group A on fire!
With two rounds to go, Maccabi Tel Aviv and EA7 Emporio Armani Milano are on the verge of elimination and in Group A with the exception of Fenerbahce which has already qualified, five teams are fighting for three tickets and for of them are playing each other. FC Bayern Munich hosts Real Madrid and SIG Strasbourg play against Khimki.
There are more than few scenarios about how things will end up and the short version of them is right here.
Game of the week: Bayern Munich – Real Madrid
11 December CET: 20.00 (Audi Dome)
The challenge for Bayern (4-4) against the defending champs Real Madrid (3-5) is huge! The Germans need a win in order to get to the Top16. If Real gets the win, nothing will be guaranteed for them, but a big step towards the second phase will be made. On the contrary, the Spaniards will hope for a win of Fenerbahce against Crvena Zvezda in order to stay on the Top16 race.
Both Real and Bayern like to play uptempo, but we expect that defense and thoughness will emerge as the keys in such a crucial game. The defending champs despite their woes are in theory the better team, something that’s not proven so far in the regular season. Real just edged Bayern at Madrid with a narrow 101-99 win thanks to a big three by Jaycee Carroll.
10 December
Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir – Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
CET: 18.00
Karsiyaka Arena
Anadolu Efes Istanbul – Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz
CET: 20.00
Abdi Ipekci Arena
Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv – Brose Baskets Bamberg
CET: 20.15
Mivtachim Arena
CSP Limoges – Olympiacos Piraeus
CET: 20.30
Beaublanc
Dinamo Banco Di Sargedna Sassari – Unicaja Malaga
CET: 20.30
Palaserradimigni
FC Barcelona Lassa – Zalgiris Kaunas
CET: 21.00
Palau Blaugrana
11 December
CSKA Moscow – Dogus Darussafaka Istanbul
CET: 18.00
USH CSKA
Cedevita Zagreb – EA7 Emporio Armani Milano
CET: 19.00
Drazen Petrovic Zagreb
SIG Strasbourg – Khimki Moscow Region
CET: 20.30
Rhenus Sport
Panathinaikos Athens – Zielona Gora
CET: 20.45
OAKA
Fenerbahce Istanbul – Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade
CET: 20.45
Ulker Sports Arena
You need to know…
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Svetislav Pesic of Bayern will coach his 100th Euroleague game.
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Lokomotiv Kuban has the best defense in Euroleague, letting just 66,4 ppg and also leads the steal with a total of 9 spg.
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Laboral Kutxa needs a win in order to get the milestone of 200 Euroleague wins, a number than only Barcelona, CSKA, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and Maccabi Tel Aviv have reached so far.
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Anadolu Efes is the best team in shooting threes so far (47,2%).
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CSKA Moscow has the best offense in the league, averaging 91.1 ppg.
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Dimitris Diamantidis needs 21 points in order to tie J.R.Holden (2.388) in the 7th spot of the All Time Scorers list.
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Barcelona has 14 straight wins against Zalgiris and a total record of 19-1.