By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Another Basketball Champions League Regular Season Week is in the books, and the advanced stages of the 2023-2024 edition of the European competition are taking shape. Between the 12th and the 13th of December, two teams joined AEK and Unicaja Malaga as Round of 16 bound.
On Tuesday, Group B’s fate was decided, with JDA Dijon securing the first spot by beating Promitheas Patras by three points in overtime, on the road, and advancing to the Round of 16. With this win, the French team became the second one with a perfect 5-0 record after AEK. The Greeks and Rytas Vilnius, who beat BK Opava, are qualified for the Play-Ins. The Slovakians will try to get its first win in Round 6.
The French side wasn’t the only one advancing already to the Top 16, as Hapoel Jerusalem won the challenge in Belgrade against PAOK: they needed to win by more than four points, and they did it with a 10-point margin. The Greeks will end up playing in the Play-Ins alongside Galatasaray, which dismantled SL Benfica in the second round with the newcomers David McCormack and Klemen Prepelic.
Everything will be decided on the last round of the Regular Season for what concerns Group E: both Pinar Karsiyaka and SIG Strasbourg, now at 3-2, lost the opportunity to advance with respective on-the-road losses against EWE Baskets Oldenburg and Filou Oostende, that will fight for a Play-Ins spot after ending their 5th appointment at 2-3.
Finally, UCAM Murcia got on top of Group H after beating at home Derthona, breaking the Italian team’s four-game winning streak to enter the European season. Despite not having Simon Birgander, Dylan Ennis and teammates will now have the opportunity to enter the Round of 16 with an away victory over Tofas Bursa, that previously beat a winless and already eliminated Igokea.
Basketball Champions League Regular Season Week 9
Group A
1. y-Unicaja 9 (4-1)
2. x-Le Mans 8 (3-2)
3. x-Peristeri bwin 7 (2-3)
4. e-Falco Vulcano Szombathely 6 (1-4)
Group B
Promitheas – JDA Dijon 68-71
Opava – Rytas 75-95
1. y-JDA Dijon 10 (5-0)
2. x-Rytas 8 (3-2)
3. x-Promitheas 7 (2-3)
4. e-Opava 4 (0-4)
Group C
1. Lenovo Tenerife 8 (3-2)
2. Cholet 8 (3-2)
3. Darussafaka Lassa 7 (2-3)
4. VEF Riga 7 (2-3)
Group D
1. y-AEK Betsson 10 (5-0)
2. King Wilki Morskie Szczecin 7 (2-3)
3. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 7 (2-3)
4. Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari 6 (1-4)
Group E
Filou Oostende – SIG Strasbourg 87-84
EWE Baskets Oldenburg – Pinar Karsiyaka 97-88
1. SIG Strasbourg 8 (3-2)
2. Pinar Karsiyaka 8 (3-2)
3. EWE Baskets Oldenburg 6 (2-3)
4. Filou Oostende 6 (2-3)
Group F
1. Telekom Baskets Bonn 8 (3-2)
2. Hapoel Holon 8 (3-2)
3. Rio Breogan 7 (2-3)
4. Bursaspor Info Yatirim 5 (2-3)
Group G
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – PAOK mateco 71-61
Benfica – Galatasaray Ekmas 63-87
1. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 9 (4-1)
2. PAOK mateco 8 (3-2)
3. Galatasaray Ekmas 5 (1-3)
4. Benfica 5 (1-3)
Group H
Tofas – Igokea m:tel 99-65
UCAM Murcia – Bertram Derthona Tortona 87-75
1. UCAM Murcia 8 (4-1)
2. Bertram Derthona Tortona 8 (4-1)
3. Tofas 7 (2-3)
4. Igokea m:tel 4 (0-5)
– 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
y-clinched berth in Round of 16
x-clinched berth in the Play-Ins
e-eliminated
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League