By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The champs and the perennial contender are matching up this week and this is a game that you don’t want to miss! Even if at this point – specially this week – there’s no game which can be considered without key consequences for the playoffs race, the fact that Real Madrid is hosting CSKA Moscow casts a great shadow above everything else in the 9th round of Euroleague’s Top16 action. Maybe that’s why the game is going to be played in a few hours on a Wednesday.
So you may have guessed which is the game of our choice
Game of the week: Real Madrid – CSKA Moscow (2/3, 20.45 CET)
It’s the 300th game of Real Madrid (5-3) in the Euroleague for this century and the “Whites” are hosting their old arch-rival on European basketball, CSKA Moscow (6-2).
Can the champs get the win that will get them back on the road, not just for the playoffs but also for the home court advantage? CSKA Moscow is first in Euroleague in performance index rating (108.9 per game) and scoring (91.3 ppg.), with Madrid ranking second in both categories (100.2 index and 85 ppg.). We demand a spectacle and we expect a back court duel between the great duos of Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull against Milos Teodosic and Nando De Colo. CSKA prevailed at home with the impressive 95-81 win, so at least the players of coach Itoudis have to defend this 14 points difference.
Honorable mention: Khimki Moscow Region – FC Barcelona Lassa ( 3/3, 18.00 CET)
These teams meet again after Barcelona’s 87-70 win at Palau Blaugrana, the game in which the armor of Khimki demonstrated its first cracks. They are now tied at 4-4 and the winner will get the advantage for the fourth place in Group F, the last which leads to the playoffs. Khimki is coming from a three-game losing streak, so it’s time for them to react, while Barcelona defeated Olympiacos and made a huge step towards advancing to the Top8. The hosts remain one of the most gifted offensive teams in Euroleague, Barcelona let Olympiacos score just 66 points, so this is going to be interesting.
Thursday, 3rd of March
Cedevita Zagreb – Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul (19.00, CET)
Unicaja Malaga – Panathinaikos Athens (20.45 CET)
Anadolu Efes Istanbul – Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar (20.45 CET)
Friday, 4th of March
Zalgiris Kaunas – Brose Baskets Bamberg (18.45 CET)
Fenerbahce Istanbul – Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade (19.30 CET)
Olympiacos Pireaus – Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz (20.45 CET)
You also need to know
- Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid needs 4 more three-pointers to reach 200 for his Euroleague career.
- Nando De Colo of CSKA Moscow has scored in double figures in each of his last 21 Euroleague appearances.
- Giannis Bourousis of Laboral Kutxaneeds 19 more points to reach the milestone of 2,000 for his Euroleague career.
- Paulius Jankunas of Zalgiris Kaunas trails the retired Mirsad Turkcan by 11 rebounds for third place on the all-time Euroleague charts. Turkcan retired with 1,287 career boards. Jankunas also needs 10 more points to reach the milestone of 2,000 for his Euroleague career.