By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
The Basketball Champions League Round of 16 is back for good, and it didn’t disappoint, bringing back some good memories from the past.
Some things in this competition never change, just like Marcelinho Huertas; in May he will turn 41, and the Brazilian legend has his eyes set on a golden birthday present. To do so, he needs to push Lenovo Tenerife at this stage, and he opened it with a winning double-double of 17 points and 15 assists over Pinar Karsiyaka.
He wasn’t the only veteran point guard in Group K to deliver some magic, as Joe Ragland tried it all to keep Peristeri afloat against Hapoel Jerusalem. After a rollercoaster of events, however, Speedy Smith had one of his three-point buzzer-beater. Some things, once again, never change.
Feels like we’ve seen this before, huh?
🥶 SPEEDY SMITH FOR THE WIN, ONE MORE TIME!!!!!!!!!! 🥶#BasketballCL I @JerusalemBasket pic.twitter.com/k6cuxy5DHT— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) January 24, 2024
Where its dreams were shattered last season, Unicaja Malaga had an imposing victory against Tofas Bursa; just like in 2022-23, they won once again at home in the Martin Carpena Arena in the Round of 16. They’re now up in Group I alongside Cholet Basket, who recovered from a 16-point deficit against SIG Strasbourg in the French derby.
Group J saw both its German teams find convincing victories, with the reigning champions of Telekom Baskets Bonn and MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg respectively over Galatasaray and JDA Dijon. Glynn Watson and Silas Melson scored 23 points each for their respective teams.
Finally, some things never change when it comes to thrilling encounters in Greece: it’s what happened once again with Promitheas – pushed by the backcourt duo of Anthony Cowan and Hunter Hale – getting the upper hand over AEK, which officially parted ways with Joan Plaza. UCAM Murcia also got a win to start the Round of 16, beating Hapoel Holon with a 17-point deficit.
Basketball Champions League Round of 16 Week 1
Group I
Cholet Basket 2 (1-0)
Unicaja 2 (1-0)
SIG Strasbourg 1 (0-1)
Tofas Bursa 1 (0-1)
Cholet Basket – SIG Strasbourg 98-93
Unicaja – Tofas Bursa 89-70
Group J
Telekom Bonn 2 (1-0)
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 2 (1-0)
JDA Dijon 1 (0-1)
Galatasaray Ekmas 1 (0-1)
Telekom Bonn – Galatasaray Ekmas 89-76
JDA Dijon – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 82-89
Group K
Lenovo Tenerife 2 (1-0)
Hapoel Jerusalem 2 (1-0)
Peristeri 1 (0-1)
Pinar Karsiyaka 1 (0-1)
Pinar Karsiyaka – Lenovo Tenerife 97-106
Peristeri – Hapoel Jerusalem 75-77
Group L
UCAM Murcia 2 (1-0)
Promitheas 2 (1-0)
AEK Athens 1 (0-1)
Hapoel Holon 1 (0-1)
Promitheas – AEK 80-79
UCAM Murcia – Hapoel Holon 78-61
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League