By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
There’s no game in Top16 which can be considered unimportant. However, when Real Madrid hosts Barcelona, you can’t debate which is bigger. The 4th round of Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top16 is marked by the first “Clasico” of this season in Euroleague and we can’t wait until tonight!
Game of the week: Real Madrid – Barcelona (21/1, 20.45 CET)
The hosts (2-1) are one victory ahead of Barcelona (1-2) and aiming to remain unbeaten at home and continue at the top of Group F. Rudy Fernandez is out, Sergio Llull is a game time decision and Barcelona will be once again without Carlos Arroyo. Barcelona which was already defeated on the road by Olympiacos needs a big road win and beating their arch-rivals is always sweet. After all they have beaten already Madrid at home for Liga Endsa (91-84) much easier than the final score suggests. On the other hand, the Whites will not back down at home, so be ready for anything.
Honorable mention: Lokomotiv Kuban – Panathinaikos (21/1, 18.00 CET)
The unit of former Olympiacos’ coach Giorgos Bartzokas hosts Panathinaikos in their third game for this season in Euroleague. The Russians have already beaten twice the Greeks and as they say third time can be a charm on the way to an impressive 3-1 start. The Greens, just before their Greek league game with Olympiacos, need to prove that they are still playoffs contenders and after a 1-2 start, every defeat can hurt them even in the long run. It’s still early and you can argue that Panathinaikos can cover the lost ground, but after losing at home to Crvena Zvezda any road win will be welcomed.
Cedevita Zagreb – Anadolu Efes (21/1, 19.00 CET)
Laboral Kutxa – CSKA Moscow (21/1, 20.30 CET)
Khimki Moscow – Brose Baskets (22/1, 18.00 CET)
Dogus Darussafaka – Fenerbahce (22/1, 19.00 CET)
Crvena Zvezda – Unicaja Malaga (22/1, 20.00 CET)
Zalgiris Kaunas – Olympiacos (22/1, 18.45 CET)
You should note that…
- Dimitris Diamantidis 0f Panathinaikos needs 38 points to catch the retired Nikola Vujcic for sixth place on the Euroleague career scoring charts. Diamantidis enters this game with 2,406 career points.
- Nick Calathes of Panathinaikos spent the 2012-13 season with Lokomotiv. He was named Eurocup MVP as he led the club to the 2013 Europcup title. Only two players – Sergey Bykov and Andrey Zubkov – remain from Calathes’s time with the club.
- Trey Thompkins of Real Madrid has made 33 consecutive free throws in Euroleague games.
- With his next blocked shot, Giannis Bourousis will overtake former Laboral center Mirza Begic for sole possession of second place in competition history with 163 career rejections.
- Jamon Gordon of Dogus Darussafaka needs just 17 more points to reach 1,000 points for his Euroleague career.
- Paulius Jankunas of Zalgiris Kaunas trails the retired Mirsad Turkcan by 35 rebounds for third place on the all-time Euroleague charts. Turkcan retired with 1,287 career boards.