By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Only one week remains from this year’s Basketball Champions League Quarter-Finals, and some teams are already entering the picture. Two of them are German, both qualifying in Group J after respectively beating JDA Dijon and losing to Galatasaray: it’s the case of Telekom Bonn and Ludwigsburg.
Last year’s champs, who took out Unicaja in Malaga, could face them once again since Ibon Navarro’s team qualified perfectly for the Quarter-Finals, extending the winning streak to five consecutive games. In Group I, SIG Strasbourg also stayed alive by beating Cholet Basket in the French derby.
Unicaja wasn’t the only Spanish team who booked the ticket for this year’s Quarter-Finals, as Txus Vidorreta’s Lenovo Tenerife also found their way to the next phase. Confirming the team’s bad shape in recent times, Hapoel Jerusalem lost once again, giving qualifying hope to Peristeri.
Finally, after UCAM Murcia managed to qualify with the win at home over AEK, Promitheas couldn’t follow them despite Anthony Cowan’s 30-point piece. The newly arrived duo composed of Kevin Hervey and Tahjere McCall kept Hapoel Holon in contention.
Basketball Champions League Round of 16 Week 5
Group I
1. Unicaja 10 (5-0)
2. Tofas 7 (2-3)
3. Cholet 7 (2-3)
4. SIG Strasbourg 6 (1-4)
Tofas – Unicaja 76-80
SIG Strasbourg – Cholet 96-84
Group J
1. Telekom Baskets Bonn 9 (4-1)
2. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 8 (3-2)
3. Galatasaray Ekmas 7 (2-3)
4. JDA Dijon 6 (1-4)
Galatasaray Ekmas – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 93-91
Telekom Baskets Bonn – JDA Dijon 89-74
Group K
1. Lenovo Tenerife 9 (4-1)
2. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 8 (3-2)
3. Peristeri bwin 7 (2-3)
4. Pinar Karsiyaka 6 (1-4)
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Peristeri bwin 61-76
Lenovo Tenerife – Pinar Karsiyaka 88-79
Group L
1. UCAM Murcia 9 (4-1)
2. Hapoel Holon 8 (3-2)
3. Promitheas 8 (3-2)
4. AEK Betsson 5 (0-5)
UCAM Murcia – AEK Betsson 100-89
Promitheas – Hapoel Holon 92-93
– The top two teams from each group advance to the Quarterfinals
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League