By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
And here we are. After months of Regular Season, Play-Ins, and Round of 16, this is the last week of the Basketball Champions League season before the Quarter-Finals, where the ball gets hot and four tickets for the Final Four are put on the line. But what’s on the line this time?
Well, starting from the first games on Tuesday, Hapoel Jerusalem has the fate on its hands. Regardless of the result coming from Athens, where Peristeri will face already-qualified Lenovo Tenerife, if the Israeli team beats Pinar Karsiyaka on the road, then it’s done.
Later on at 20:30 CET, things will also be fully decided in Group I, where Unicaja Malaga is already qualified with a perfect 5-0 run. Ibon Navarro’s team will host Cholet, which needs a victory to qualify but doesn’t have the tie-breaker with Tofas. The Turkish team will travel to Strasbourg at the same time.
On Wednesday, the action will open in Group L, where nothing has been officially declared yet. Losing by one in Greece, UCAM Murcia hasn’t qualified yet and needs to win on the road with Hapoel Holon to advance. In the meantime, Promitheas will face winless AEK in the Greek derby on the road.
Finally, summing it up for this year’s BCL Round of 16, it will all end in Group J, where everything has been already decided in the past few weeks. Telekom Baskets Bonn and MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg will clash for the home-court advantage, while Dijon and Galatasaray will just play for glory.
Basketball Champions League Round of 16 Week 6
Group I
1. Q-Unicaja 10 (5-0)
2. Tofas 7 (2-3)
3. Cholet 7 (2-3)
4. SIG Strasbourg 6 (1-4)
SIG Strasbourg – Tofas (19/03 at 20:30 CET)
Unicaja – Cholet (19/03 at 20:30 CET)
Group J
1. Q-Telekom Baskets Bonn 9 (4-1)
2. Q-MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 8 (3-2)
3. Galatasaray Ekmas 7 (2-3)
4. JDA Dijon 6 (1-4)
JDA Dijon – Galatasaray Ekmas (20/03 at 20:00 CET)
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Telekom Baskets Bonn (20/03 at 20:00 CET)
Group K
1. Q-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)
Pinar Karsiyaka – Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (19/03 at 18:30 CET)
Peristeri bwin – Lenovo Tenerife (19/03 at 18:30 CET)
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)
AEK Betsson – Promitheas (20/03 at 18:30 CET)
Hapoel Holon – UCAM Murcia (20/03 at 18:30 CET)
– The top two teams from each group advance to the Quarter-Finals
Q- Qualified for the Basketball Champions League Quarter-Finals
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League
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