By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2019-20 Basketball Champions League Regular Season comes to an end with 16 games scattered all around Europe on Tuesday and Wednesday. Matches from the same group will tip off simultaneously with most teams gunning for either the best possible playoffs seeding or a Round of 16 berth.
Fourteen clubs have punched in their ticket for the playoffs, but two spots await their holders with five sides hoping to grab them. The last lap of the 14-game group stage includes plenty of exciting and deciding contests. Afterwards off-court activities in the form of the Playoffs draw scheduled for February 18th will take center stage.
Below the Basketball Champions League Regular Season Gameday 14 preview.
Group A
1. Y-Turk Telekom 23 (10-3)
2. Y-Dinamo Sassari 23 (10-3)
3. BAXI Manresa 20 (7-6)
4. y-Filou Oostende 20 (7-6)
5. Lietkabelis 19 (6-7)
6. UNET Holon 19 (6-7)
7. x-SIG Strasbourg 17 (4-9)
8. x-Polski Cukier Torun 15 (2-11)
Y-secured home-court advantage for Round of 16
y-advanced to the playoffs
x-eliminated from the playoffs
With a home win against Dinamo Sassari, BAXI Manresa will advance to the Round of 16. A loss will allow the winner of the game in Israel between UNET Holon and Lietkabelis to advance. Here is the breakdown:
BAXI Manresa: Clinches with win OR with loss, Filou Oostende loss and Lietkabelis win.
UNET Holon: Clinches with win and BAXI Manresa loss.
Lietkabelis: Clinches with win, Filou Oostende win and BAXI Manresa loss.
Apart third and fourth place, the top two spots of Group A are up for grabs as well. Both Turk Telekom and Dinamo Sassari will go through Round of 16 with the home-court advantage, but only one fits in first place. The Italian outlet will visit Spain and the Turkish will be in France to face eliminated SIG Strasbourg with the tiebreaker advantage over Gianmarco Pozzecco’s in the baggage.
Filou Oostende that is between third and fourth place will take on last-placed Polski Cukier Torun in Poland.
Gameday 14 schedule:
Wednesday 5/2
BAXI Manresa – Dinamo Sassari
Polski Cukier Torun – Filou Oostende
UNET Holon – Lietkabelis
SIG Strasbourg – Turk Telekom
Group B
1. Z-Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 23 (10-3)
2. y-AEK 21 (8-5)
3. San Pablo Burgos 20 (7-6)
4. y-Teksut Bandirma 20 (7-6)
5. RASTA Vechta 19 (6-7)
6. x-Anwil Wloclawek 18 (5-8)
7. x-EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez 18 (5-8)
8. x-Telenet Giants Antwerp 17 (4-9)
Z-secured home-court advantage for Round of 16 and Quarterfinals
y-advanced to the playoffs
x-eliminated from the playoffs
The other remaining playoffs berth lies in Group B. San Pablo Burgos and RASTA Vechta will settle their differences in Spain, but a win on its own might not prove enough for the visitors. Take note:
San Pablo Burgos: Clinches with win OR with loss and Teksut Bandirma loss OR with loss up to six points.
RASTA Vechta: Clinches with win over six points and Teksut Bandirma win.
Teksut Bandirma that affects proceedings will host out of contention EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez, but can’t land a spot better than third place. However, San Pablo Burgos can finish second with a win and Anwil Wloclawek beating AEK in Athens. Fourth place is the ceiling for RASTA Vechta.
The other Round 15 tilt features Telenet Giants Antwerp and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem at the Lotto Arena. The hosts will conclude their 2019-20 BCL run. The visitors have already secured first place and the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Gameday 14 schedule:
Wednesday 5/2
San Pablo Burgos – RASTA Vechta
Telenet Giants Antwerp – Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
AEK – Anwil Wloclawek
Teksut Bandirma – EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez
Group C
1. Y-Iberostar Tenerife 24 (11-2)
2. Y-ERA Nymburk 24 (11-2)
3. y-Nizhny Novgorod 21 (8-5)
4. y-Peristeri winmasters 21 (8-5)
5. x-Brose Bamberg 19 (6-7)
6. x-Mornar Bar 17 (4-9)
7. x-Gaziantep 16 (3-10)
8. x-VEF Riga 14 (1-12)
Y-secured home-court advantage for Round of 16
y-advanced to the playoffs
x-eliminated from the playoffs
No complicated plots in Group C. Iberostar Tenerife and ERA Nymburk will finish first or second and march into the Round of 16 with the home-court advantage. Nizhny Novgorod and Peristeri winmasters will follow third or fourth.
Txus Vidorreta’s club can end up first with a win over Brose Bamberg in Germany or even with a loss if Peristeri winmasters beats the Czech Republic champions on the road. Oren Amiel’s side needs a win of its own and another by Brose Bamberg to secure home-court advantage up to the Final Four.
Similar situation for third and fourth place with Nizhny Novgorod holding the tiebreaker advantage over the team coached by Nikos Papanikolopoulos. A victory at Latvia over VEF Riga or a loss and ERA Nymburk prevailing will be enough for third place. Peristeri winmasters needs the “W” and bad news for Zoran Lukic’s club.
Gaziantep and Mornar Bar round up the schedule with both teams finishing up with their Champions League campaigns.
Gameday 14 schedule:
Tuesday 4/2
Brose Bamberg – Iberostar Tenerife
ERA Nymburk – Peristeri winmasters
VEF Riga – Nizhny Novgorod
Gaziantep – Mornar Bar