By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Check out the five players who stood out with their exquisite performances in Gameday 7 of Basketball Champions League!
Corey Walden, guard
The 25-year-old shooting guard followed up his worst performance of the season in a loss to Dinamo Sassari when he failed to even score with his best this week against EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Walden torched EWE Baskets for 31 points, making 9 of his 13 shots from the floor. He drilled both of his 3-balls and finished with an efficiency rating of +30. Most important of all, Walden fired UNET Holon to a 94-90 victory – their second win in this season’s Basketball Champions League.
Tamir Blatt, guard
As well as Walden played, UNET Holon got other big performances, including one from young point guard Tamir Blatt (he figured prominently in the highlights above). The 20-year-old Blatt, whose three double-doubles in points and assists at this summer’s FIBA U20 European Championship helped Israel reach the Final, had 12 points and 13 assists against EWE Baskets. He also had 3 steals while collecting his first double-double in the Basketball Champions League. Blatt walked off the court with a sparkling +26 efficiency rating.
Kyle Weems, forward
The 28-year-old forward has been in the Basketball Champions League spotlight before, nailing a buzzer-beating game-winner last season for Besiktas. On Wednesday night, he had 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block to help Besiktas win a tough game against Nanterre, 79-74. Weems is a model of consistency. For the fourth time this season, he finished with an efficiency mark of +20.
Darion Atkins, forward
When a club has five players hitting double digits in points, you know the coach is going to be satisfied. It means the players are sharing the ball. Atkins benefitted the most from the Strasbourg passing game in an 87-72 victory over Banvit. The 25-year-old shot 83 percent (10 of 12) from the floor and had a season-high 23 points.
Elmedin Kikanovic, center
The Bosnia and Herzegovina big man had 23 points, surpassing 20 for the first time this season, to help keep AS Monaco unbeaten with a 79-65 triumph over Pinar Karsiyaka. Kikanovic, who recently shone for his country in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers, did much of his damage from the free-throw line against Karsiyaka, drilling 13 of 14 on the night. The 29-year-old had a season-high efficiency mark of +28.
Source: Basketball Champions League