By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Two games left for each team in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season, spreading over the next three weeks. The seventh week of action wrapped up Gamedays 3 and 4 in five groups, setting up exciting sprints with teams seeking a direct ticket to the Round of 16 or a second chance in a best-of-three Play-In series. Going to clinching season, Gameday 5 will likely produce contenders securing a spot in the next stages of the 2023-24 campaign.
Highlighting Gameday 4, Bertram Derthona Tortona survived an overtime thriller opposite Tofas and went up to 4-0 in Group H. UCAM Murcia jumped to 3-1 by blowing out hapless Igokea m:tel in Laktasi.
JDA Dijon was the second team going to 4-0 and third overall, behind a comfortable home win versus Opava. Elsewhere in Group B, Rytas edged out Promitheas, matching the two-point loss in Patras.
Similarly, Pinar Karsiyaka tied the recent 15-point loss to SIG Strasbourg but the two sides are together at the top of Group E. Also, EWE Baskets Oldenburg leapfrogged Filou Oostende to sit third.
In Group G, both PAOK mateco and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem improved to 3-1, forcing Benfica and Galatasaray Ekmas to an alarming 1-3.
In the lone Gameday 3 action, Hapoel Holon routed Bursaspor Info Yatirim and climbed to the top of Group F.
Basketball Champions League Regular Season Week 7
Group A
1. Unicaja 7 (3-1)
2. Le Mans 6 (2-2)
3. Peristeri bwin 6 (2-2)
4. Falco Vulcano Szombathely 5 (1-3)
Group B
JDA Dijon – Opava 99-64
Rytas – Promitheas 77-75
1. JDA Dijon 8 (4-0)
2. Promitheas 6 (2-2)
3. Rytas 6 (2-2)
4. Opava 4 (0-4)
Group C
1. Lenovo Tenerife 7 (3-1)
2. Cholet 6 (2-2)
3. Darussafaka Lassa 6 (2-2)
4. VEF Riga 5 (1-3)
Group D
1. AEK Betsson 8 (4-0)
2. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 6 (2-2)
3. King Wilki Morskie Szczecin 5 (1-3)
4. Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari 5 (1-3)
Group E
Pinar Karsiyaka – SIG Strasbourg 87-72
EWE Baskets Oldenburg – Filou Oostende 81-64
1. Pinar Karsiyaka 7 (3-1)
2. SIG Strasbourg 7 (3-1)
3. EWE Baskets Oldenburg 5 (1-3)
4. Filou Oostende 5 (1-3)
Group F
Bursaspor Info Yatirim – Hapoel Holon 74-93
1. Hapoel Holon 7 (3-1)
2. Telekom Baskets Bonn 6 (2-2)
3. Rio Breogan 6 (2-2)
4. Bursaspor Info Yatirim 5 (1-3)
Group G
PAOK mateco – Benfica 76-74
Galatasaray Ekmas – Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 70-85
1. PAOK mateco 7 (3-1)
2. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 7 (3-1)
3. Galatasaray Ekmas 5 (1-3)
4. Benfica 5 (1-3)
Group H
Igokea m:tel – UCAM Murcia 64-79
Bertram Derthona Tortona – Tofas 91-85 OT (81-81)
1. Bertram Derthona Tortona 8 (4-0)
2. UCAM Murcia 7 (3-1)
3. Tofas 5 (1-3)
4. Igokea m:tel 4 (0-4)
– Top team of each group advances directly to the Round of 16
– Teams ranking second and third in each group move to the Play-Ins
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League