Basketball Champions League Regular Season – Week 8 Preview

By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net

Heading to the first part of Gameday 5 in the eighth week of the Basketball Champions League Regular Season, several teams can potentially clinch a berth in the Round of 16.

It is crunch time in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season. Almost win-or-go-home situations arising across the four groups in play this week, Tuesday and Wednesday. Group A, Group B, Group C, and Group F will dive into the penultimate Gameday 5 via Week 8 of the Regular Season.

Riding a unique scoring streak with at least 25 points over the first four BCL games of his career, T. J. Shorts II will be back in action with Telekom Baskets Bonn on the verge of qualifying for the Round of 16 through Group B. The German team can clinch with a win on the road against Pinar Karsiyaka and AEK defeating UnaHotels Reggio Emilia Wednesday. However, the Izmir outfit securing the win would extend the race for the top seed to Gameday 6.

The top seed of Group C can go to Galatasaray Nef, that scenario becoming even more likely by taking down Filou Oostende at home. The Belgium champions are 1-10 overall against Turkish teams and lost all five previous BCL games in Turkey. From the clash in Istanbul to Hapoel Atsmon Holon looking to stay in the hunt for a direct ticket to the next round and play host to Legia Warszawa elsewhere on Tuesday’s schedule.

The Group A winner would be crowned Wednesday if SIG Strasbourg beats UCAM Murcia by a margin of three or more points. More of the same by red-hot Matt Mitchell and potentially putting up a fourth straight 20-point effort in the Champions League, would be huge for Luca Banchi’s side. At Arena Savaria, Falco Vulcano Szombathely and Tofas Bursa will break their tie at 1-3, both in danger of elimination.

VEF Riga, having lost ten straight BCL games on the road, will get its next chance in the matchup opposite Benfica. Baxi Manresa, currently tied with the Portugal champions on top of Group F and enjoying the tiebreaker advantage, will collide with Limoges CSP, also Tuesday.

Basketball Champions League Regular Season standings and Week 8 schedule:

Group A

Wednesday
Falco Vulcano Szombathely – Tofas Bursa (18:00 CET)
SIG Strasbourg – UCAM Murcia (20:00 CET)

Standings

1. UCAM Murcia 7 (3-1)
2. SIG Strasbourg 7 (3-1)
3. Tofas Bursa 5 (1-3)
4. Falco Vulcano Szombathely 5 (1-3)

Group B

Wednesday
Pinar Karsiyaka – Telekom Baskets Bonn (18:00 CET)
AEK – UnaHotels Reggio Emilia (18:30 CET)

Standings

1. Telekom Baskets Bonn 7 (3-1)
2. Pinar Karsiyaka 6 (2-2)
3. UnaHotels Reggio Emilia 6 (2-2)
4. AEK 5 (1-3)

Group C

Tuesday
Galatasaray Nef – Filou Oostende (18:00 CET)
Hapoel Atsmon Holon – Legia Warszawa (20:00 CET)

Standings

1. Galatasaray Nef 7 (3-1)
2. Hapoel Atsmon Holon 7 (3-1)
3. Filou Oostende 5 (1-3)
4. Legia Warszawa 5 (1-3)

Group D

Standings

1. Surne Bilbao 7 (3-1)
2. Bahcesehir Koleji 6 (2-2)
3. Igokea m:tel 6 (2-2)
4. ERA Nymburk 5 (1-3)

Group E

Standings

1. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 7 (3-1)
2. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 7 (3-1)
3. Darussafaka 6 (2-2)
4. Bakken Bears 4 (0-4)

Group F

Tuesday
Benfica – VEF Riga (19:00 CET)
Baxi Manresa – Limoges CSP (20:30 CET)

Standings

1. Baxi Manresa 7 (3-1)
2. Benfica 7 (3-1)
3. Limoges CSP 5 (1-3)
4. VEF Riga 5 (1-3)

Group G

Standings

1. y-Unicaja 8 (4-0)
2. JDA Dijon 6 (2-2)
3. PAOK mateco 5 (1-3)
4. Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari 5 (1-3)

Group H

Standings

1. Lenovo Tenerife 7 (3-1)
2. Rytas Vilnius 6 (2-2)
3. Peristeri bwin 6 (2-2)
4. Bnei Ofek Dist Herzliya 5 (1-3)

y-clinched a berth in the Round of 16

*Top team of each group advances to the Round of 16
*Second- and third-placed teams of each group advance to Play-Ins

PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League