By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
And then there remains only one: after four weeks of Basketball Champions League Round of 16 action, Unicaja Malaga is the sole team to remain unbeaten, leading Group I and ahead of a potentially decisive clash with Tofas Bursa, aiming for a Quarter-Finals ticket.
That matchup isn’t the first one to start Week 5 of such a stage, as the attention will go primarily to a suddenly switching balanced Group J. Galatasaray broke Telekom Baskets Bonn’s unbeaten streak and will now try to take down Ludwigsburg, getting back into contention.
On Tuesday the reigning champs will also try to get back on track, hosting JDA Dijon. Thirty minutes later, UCAM Murcia finds revenge at home, hosting a still winless and disastrous AEK; on Wednesday, action in Group L will conclude at 18:00 CET, with Promitheas against Hapoel Holon.
The French derby between Cholet and SIG Strasbourg puts up against each other the ones that won’t probably progress to the Quarter-Finals. It’s the likely same faith for Vassilis Spanoulis’ Peristeri, who will face an angry Hapoel Jerusalem, that got its winning streak interrupted in Tenerife.
Putting an end to this week’s action, entering the last series of games of this year’s Basketball Champions League Round of 16, Marcelinho Huertas and teammates will host Pinar Karsiyaka, potentially making a huge step towards the umpteenth Quarter-Finals appearance for the Canarian side.
Basketball Champions League Round of 16 Week 5
Group I
1. Unicaja 8 (4-0)
2. Tofas 6 (2-2)
3. Cholet 6 (2-2)
4. SIG Strasbourg 4 (0-4)
Tofas – Unicaja (13/03 at 18:00 CET)
SIG Strasbourg – Cholet (13/03 at 20:00 CET)
Group J
1. Telekom Baskets Bonn 7 (3-1)
2. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 7 (3-1)
3. JDA Dijon 5 (1-3)
4. Galatasaray Ekmas 5 (1-3)
Galatasaray Ekmas – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (12/03 at 18:00 CET)
Telekom Baskets Bonn – JDA Dijon (12/03 at 20:00 CET)
Group K
1. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 7 (3-1)
2. Lenovo Tenerife 7 (3-1)
3. Pinar Karsiyaka 5 (1-3)
4. Peristeri bwin 5 (1-3)
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Peristeri bwin (13/03 at 20:00 CET)
Lenovo Tenerife – Pinar Karsiyaka (13/03 at 21:00 CET)
Group L
1. UCAM Murcia 7 (3-1)
2. Promitheas 7 (3-1)
3. Hapoel Holon 6 (2-2)
4. AEK Betsson 4 (0-4)
UCAM Murcia – AEK Betsson (12/03 at 20:30 CET)
Promitheas – Hapoel Holon (13/03 at 18:00 CET)
– The top two teams from each group advance to the Quarterfinals
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League