By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Basketball Champions League regular season is reaching its peak, with only two rounds left to be played all across Europe. Teams are on the verge of clinching spots in the play-ins and the Top 16 phase, and for some, the last train is getting ready to leave the station.
Week 8 brings us some more exciting matches, with the potential of getting a much clearer picture of the final outcome in Groups A, C, D, and F.
In the previous round, Unicaja suffered its first defeat, falling to Le Mans on the road, but with a win against Falco Vulcano Szombathely, it could clinch one of the top two spots in Group A. The Ibon Navarro’s side could even advance to the Top 16 in case of a win, and Le Mans defeating Peristeri on the road.
In Group C, the situation is quite similar. Lenovo Tenerife sits at the top with a 3-1 score and is facing VEF Riga, the team the Spanish side defeated in all of the five previous encounters. Txus Vidorreta’s side has a better head-to-head record with Darussafaka and will meet Cholet in the final Round after a convincing 95-75 win at the opening of the regular season. So, with a victory over Riga, Tenerife could clinch the top spot if Darussafaka beats Cholet on the road.
Also, three Tenerife players will have a chance to join the very select company of players who reached 800 career points in the BCL. Tim Abromaitis is currently at 794 career points, Marcelinho Huertas has 786, and Sasu Salin is at 782. Salin is also one three-pointer away from becoming the first player in BCL history to have made 200 triples.
One of the three teams with a 4-0 record, AEK Betsson, with the other two being JDA Dijon and Bertram Derthona, already secured a top-two finish in Group D, and with a win against Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari, they would even advance to the Top 16 phase. The Joan Plaza side is having a great start to the season in BCL, scoring 80 or more points in each of the previous matches, and Justin Tillman being the team’s lucky charm. Whenever the US player scores more than 15 points, and that happened in six out of his total of nine matches in the competition, his side prevails.
As for Group F, Hapoel Holon has the upper hand, sitting at the No. 1 spot with a 3-1 record. If the Israeli side defeats defending champions Bonn, and Bursaspor prevails over Rio Breogan, they will move to the Top 16 phase, leaving the rest of the group to fight for the play-ins in the final regular-season round.
Basketball Champions League Regular Season Week 8
Group A
Peristeri bwin – Le Mans (06/12, 18.30 CET)
Unicaja – Falco Vulcano Szombathely (06/12, 20.30)
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
1. JDA Dijon 8 (4-0)
2. Promitheas 6 (2-2)
3. Rytas 6 (2-2)
4. Opava 4 (0-4)
Group C
VEF Riga – Lenovo Tenerife (05/12, 18.30 CET)
Cholet – Darussafaka Lassa (05/12, 20.00 CET)
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
AEK Betsson – Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari (05/12, 18.30 CET)
King Wilki Morskie Szczecin – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (06/12, 18.30 CET)
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
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
Hapoel Holon – Telekom Baskets Bonn (06/12, 17.45 CET)
Bursaspor Info Yatirim – Rio Breogan (06/12, 18.00 CET)
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
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
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: fiba.basketball