By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Four groups of the Basketball Champions League Regular Season were completed last week and the remaining four wrapped up this week generating three more playoffs teams. The 16 advanced sides will be drawn into four new groups next Tuesday, February 2.
1st-placed teams: Brose Bamberg, Casademont Zaragoza, Hapoel Unet-Credit Holon, Hereda San Pablo Burgos, Iberostar Tenerife, SIG Strasbourg, Tofas Bursa, and Turk Telekom.
2nd-placed teams: AEK, Dinamo Sassari, ERA Nymburk, Happy Casa Brindisi, Igokea, Nizhny Novgorod, Pinar Karsiyaka, and VEF Riga.
Pinar Karsiyaka punched in the second Group F ticket destroying RETAbet Bilbao’s search for an away win by a margin of at least ten points. Also, Brose Bamberg beat Fortitudo Bologna notching the only perfect 6-0 record of the Regular Season.
In Group E, VEF Riga held off the comeback bid by Peristeri thanks to rookie Kristers Zoriks dialing in an off-balance three and clinched a playoff berth. Rytas Vilnius took down SIG Strasbourg concluding its first BCL campaign.
Igokea followed Turk Telekom as the second Group G team to advance despite losing to the Turkish club on the road. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem defeated by Limoges CSP missed out on extending its campaign past this six-game schedule.
Hereda San Pablo Burgos and Happy Casa Brindisi were already through but the defending champions grabbed the top spot of Group H prevailing at the PalaPentassuglia. The other game saw Filou Oostende defeat Darussafaka Tekfen.
Group A
Standings
1. Iberostar Tenerife 10 (4-2)
2. Dinamo Sassari 10 (4-2)
3. Bakken Bears 9 (3-3)
4. Galatasaray 7 (1-5)
Group B
Standings
1. Tofas Bursa 10 (4-2)
2. ERA Nymburk 10 (4-2)
3. JDA Dijon 10 (4-2)
4. Keravnos 6 (0-6)
Group C
Standings
1. Hapoel Unet-Credit Holon 10 (4-2)
2. AEK 10 (4-2)
3. Cholet 8 (2-4)
4. Tsmoki-Minsk 8 (2-4)
Group D
Standings
1. Casademont Zaragoza 11 (5-1)
2. Nizhny Novgorod 10 (4-2)
3. Falco Szombathely 9 (3-3)
4. Pszczolka Start Lublin 6 (0-6)
Group E
Rytas Vilnius – SIG Strasbourg 81-77
VEF Riga – Peristeri 60-57
Standings
1. SIG Strasbourg 10 (4-2)
2. VEF Riga 10 (4-2)
3. Peristeri 8 (2-4)
4. Rytas Vilnius 8 (2-4)
Group F
Pinar Karsiyaka – RETAbet Bilbao 85-76
Brose Bamberg – Fortitudo Bologna 83-68
Standings
1. Brose Bamberg 12 (6-0)
2. Pinar Karsiyaka 10 (4-2)
3. RETAbet Bilbao 8 (2-4)
4. Fortitudo Bologna 6 (0-6)
Group G
Turk Telekom – Igokea 94-86
Limoges CSP – Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 88-83
Standings
1. Turk Telekom 11 (5-1)
2. Igokea 9 (3-3)
3. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 8 (2-4)
4. Limoges CSP 8 (2-4)
Group H
Happy Casa Brindisi – Hereda San Pablo Burgos 86-90
Filou Oostende – Darussafaka Tekfen 77-67
Standings
1. Hereda San Pablo Burgos 11 (5-1)
2. Happy Casa Brindisi 10 (4-2)
3. Filou Oostende 8 (2-4)
4. Darussafaka Tekfen 7 (1-5)
-The top two teams of each group advance to the next round
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League