By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The ninth week of the Basketball Champions League Regular Season will complete the Gameday 5 schedule. Groups C, D, G, and H will be in action. Following the contests all across Europe Monday through Wednesday, all eight groups will wrap up the double-legged round-robin schedule next week to finalize the teams clinching a spot in the Round of 16 and those moving into a best-of-three Play-In series.
In Group C, Unicaja Malaga will officially enter directly to the next round with a home win against Nizhny Novgorod Wednesday, if JDA Dijon beats Lavrio Megabolt one day earlier in the battle of teams currently carrying an even 2-2 record. The French side has prevailed in seven of its last eight home games in the BCL.
U-BT Cluj Napoca will not be able to clinch this week, but a potential win opposite Happy Casa Brindisi at home will be a big step toward the top seed in Group G. Hapoel U-NET Holon and Darussafaka will face each other with the winning side progressing to 3-2. Both contests will be held Wednesday.
Group D co-leaders NutriBullet Treviso and Falco Szombathely will both be on the road Tuesday. The Italian side is set to visit VEF Riga and the Hungary champions will take on AEK at the AEK Ano Liosia Arena. Both hosts sitting at 1-3 are on a mission to avoid the fourth place and elimination.
The Monday “Game of the Week” between Rytas Vilnius and EWE Baskets Oldenburg holds major implications on the Group H standings. One day later, back-to-back champion Hereda San Pablo Burgos will visit Besiktas Icrypex aiming to improve to 4-1 and stay in charge of the four-team field.
Basketball Champions League Regular Season Week 9 schedule and standings:
Group A
Standings
1. y-MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 9 (4-1)
2. p-Lenovo Tenerife 8 (3-2)
3. p-Prometey 7 (2-3)
4. x-Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari 6 (1-4)
Group B
Standings
1. y-Baxi Manresa 10 (5-0)
2. p-Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 7 (2-3)
3. Pinar Karsiyaka 7 (2-3)
4. Arged BM Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski 6 (1-4)
Group C
Tuesday
JDA Dijon – Lavrio Megabolt (20:30 CET)
Wednesday
Unicaja Malaga – Nizhny Novgorod (20:30 CET)
Standings
1. Unicaja Malaga 7 (3-1)
2. Lavrio Megabolt 6 (2-2)
3. JDA Dijon 6 (2-2)
4. Nizhny Novgorod 5 (1-3)
Group D
Tuesday
VEF Riga – NutriBullet Treviso (18:00 CET)
AEK – Falco Szombathely (18:30 CET)
Standings
1. NutriBullet Treviso 7 (3-1)
2. Falco Szombathely 7 (3-1)
3. VEF Riga 5 (1-3)
4. AEK 5 (1-3)
Group E
Standings
1. y-Galatasaray Nef 9 (4-1)
2. PAOK mateco 7 (2-3)
3. ERA Nymburk 7 (2-3)
4. Igokea 7 (2-3)
Group F
Standings
1. y-Tofas Bursa 9 (4-1)
2. p-SIG Strasbourg 8 (3-2)
3. p-Filou Oostende 7 (2-3)
4. x-Kalev/Cramo 6 (1-4)
Group G
Wednesday
U-BT Cluj Napoca – Happy Casa Brindisi (18:00 CET)
Hapoel U-NET Holon – Darussafaka (20:00 CET)
Standings
1. U-BT Cluj Napoca 7 (3-1)
2. Darussafaka 6 (2-2)
3. Hapoel U-NET Holon 6 (2-2)
4. Happy Casa Brindisi 5 (1-3)
Group H
Monday
Rytas Vilnius – EWE Baskets Oldenburg (18:30 CET)
Tuesday
Besiktas Icrypex – Hereda San Pablo Burgos (18:00 CET)
Standings
1. Hereda San Pablo Burgos 7 (3-1)
2. Rytas Vilnius 6 (2-2)
3. Besiktas Icrypex 6 (2-2)
4. EWE Baskets Oldenburg 5 (1-3)
y-clinched Round of 16
p-clinched Play-In
x-eliminated
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League