By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2021-22 Basketball Champions League Regular Season will conclude with 14 games this week and two more pushed back next week.
Five teams have clinched a berth to the Round of 16 but the three remaining direct tickets will find holders through Gameday 10. The second and third seeds of each group will shift into a best-of-three Play-In series to be played in January to determine the remaining teams advancing to the next round.
Gameday 6 scenarios:
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)
Remaining games:
Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari – Lenovo Tenerife (21/12, 20:00 CET)
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Prometey (21/12, 20:00 CET)
The only group with all four teams locked in their current spots.
Ludwigsburg is going to the Round of 16.
Lenovo Tenerife will meet the third-placed team of Group B carrying the home-court advantage.
Prometey will match up with the side finishing second in Group B.
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)
Remaining games:
Arged BM Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski – Pinar Karsiyaka (22/12, 20:30 CET)
Baxi Manresa – Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (28/12, 20:30 CET)
Undefeated Baxi Manresa is already planning for the Round of 16.
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem will follow second with a potential win or if Arged BM Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski defeats Pinar Karsiyaka by a margin of 12 points or less. The Israeli side will fall to the third spot with a loss next week if the 2020-21 runner-ups prevail in Poland.
Karsiyaka will end up second with a potential win if the team based in Jerusalem does not end Manresa’s winning streak. Third place will be the case with a win or a loss by a margin of one or two points. A loss by at least three points if Hapoel wins or any loss if Hapoel loses will eliminate the team located at Izmir.
The Poland champions will finish third with a win by a margin greater than 13 points if Hapoel loses. A potential win up to 12 points will award third place if Hapoel loses or a win over three points of Hapoel wins. A loss or a win by a margin of one or two points will not be enough for a spot in the Play-In.
Group C
Standings:
1. y-Unicaja Malaga 9 (4-1)
2. p-JDA Dijon 8 (3-2)
3. Lavrio Megabolt 7 (2-3)
4. Nizhny Novgorod 6 (1-4)
Remaining schedule:
Lavrio Megabolt – Unicaja Malaga (21/12, 18:30 CET)
Nizhny Novgorod – JDA Dijon (21/12, 18:30 CET)
Unicaja Malaga has landed first place.
JDA Dijon is second and will take on VEF Riga in the Play-Ins.
Lavrio Megabolt will get third place with a win over Unicaja or if the French side defeats Nizhny Novgorod.
The Russian side will earn a second opportunity for a berth to the Round of 16 with a win if Lavrio does not get the job done on its end.
Group D
Standings:
1. Falco Szombathely 9 (4-1)
2. NutriBullet Treviso 8 (3-2)
3. p-VEF Riga 7 (2-3)
4. x-AEK 6 (1-4)
Remaining schedule:
Falco Szombathely – VEF Riga (22/12, 20:00 CET)
NutriBullet Treviso – AEK (22/12, 20:00 CET)
Falco Szombathely will top the group and move to the next round with a potential win opposite VEF Riga or if AEK upsets NutriBullet Treviso. A loss paired with a win by Treviso will mean second place and a matchup versus Lavrio or Nizhny Novgorod.
The Italian side will steal top seed with a potential win if Szombathely loses, otherwise will settle for second place.
The Latvian club is locked in third place.
Group E
Standings:
1. y-Galatasaray Nef 9 (4-1)
2. PAOK mateco 7 (2-3)
3. ERA Nymburk 7 (2-3)
4. Igokea m:tel 7 (2-3)
Remaining schedule:
ERA Nymburk – Galatasaray Nef (22/12, 18:30 CET)
PAOK mateco – Igokea m:tel (29/12, 18:30 CET)
Galatasaray Nef has secured a direct entry into the Round of 16.
PAOK mateco will claim second seed with a potential win against Igokea m:tel next week and third seed with a loss if ERA Nymburk is defeated by Galata. If the Czech champions win and PAOK loses, the Greek side will be eliminated.
Igokea is in the exact same situation ahead of the game moved to next week. A potential win in Greece will bring in second place and a loss paired with a Nymburk loss will mean third place. If the Czech champs win and Igokea loses, the Bosnian side will be eliminated.
Nymburk will end up third with a win and will be eliminated with a loss.
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)
Remaining schedule:
Kalev/Cramo – Tofas Bursa (21/12, 19:00 CET)
SIG Strasbourg – Filou Oostende (21/12, 20:30 CET)
Tofas Bursa has clinched a berth to the Round of 16.
SIG Strasbourg will get second place and the home-court advantage in the Play-In with a potential win or a loss up to five points versus Filou Oostende. A loss by a margin of six points or more will send the French side to the third spot.
Oostende needs to prevail and distance itself by a margin of six points or more to finish second, otherwise will settle for third place.
Group G
Standings:
1. U-BT Cluj Napoca 9 (4-1)
2. Hapoel U-NET Holon 8 (3-2)
3. Darussafaka 7 (2-3)
4. Happy Casa Brindisi 6 (1-4)
Remaining schedule:
Hapoel U-NET Holon – Happy Casa Brindisi (22/12, 18:00 CET)
Darussafaka – U-BT Cluj Napoca (22/12, 18:00 CET)
U-BT Cluj Napoca will end up first with a potential win against Darussafaka on the road or if Happy Casa Brindisi defeats Hapoel U-NET Holon in Israel. A loss paired with a win by Holon will force the Romania champions to second place.
Hapoel Holon will win the group with a win paired if the team based in Cluj-Napoca loses in Turkey. The Israeli club will get the second seed in any other case unless the combined margin of a potential loss and a Darussafaka win exceeds 41 points, which will mean third seed.
Darussafaka will avoid an early exit and make the Play-In with a potential win or if the team based in Holon wins.
Brindisi needs a win and the Turkish side to lose in order to compete in the Play-In Round.
Group H
Standings:
1. Hereda San Pablo Burgos 9 (4-1)
2. Rytas Vilnius 8 (3-2)
3. Besiktas Icrypex 7 (2-3)
4. EWE Baskets Oldenburg 6 (1-4)
Remaining schedule:
Hereda San Pablo Burgos – Rytas Vilnius (21/12, 18:00 CET)
Besiktas Icrypex – EWE Baskets Oldenburg (21/12, 18:00 CET)
Hereda San Pablo Burgos will win the group with a potential win versus Rytas Vilnius at home. Second place will be the case with a loss.
Rytas will get first place with a potential win at Coliseum Burgos, otherwise will finish second.
Besiktas Icrypex will be the third seed with a potential win or a loss up to one point against EWE Baskets Oldenburg at home. The Turkish side will be eliminated with a loss by a margin of two points or more.
Oldenburg must win by a margin of two points or more to move to the Play-In Round.
y-clinched Round of 16
p-clinched Play-In
x-eliminated
Basketball Champions League Trash Talk
The tenth episode of Basketball Champions League Trash Talk features hosts Josh Bett and Igor Curkovic walking through the scenarios.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League