By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Basketball Champions League Regular Season Gameday 7 action is set to unfold in 16 venues through Tuesday and Wednesday. Fresh off last week’s break, the 32 Regular Season teams will attempt to improve their situation before facing every group opponent for the second time at the opposite court between Round 8 to Round 14.
Iberostar Tenerife is the only remaining undefeated team, but still has a long way towards punching a playoffs ticket. The Spanish team and the rest of the field are looking towards postseason action and possibly securing a home-court advantage in the three-game series that will follow the group stage.
Below the preview of Gameday 7.
Group A
Standings
1. Turk Telekom 11 (5-1)
2. Dinamo Sassari 11 (5-1)
3. BAXI Manresa 10 (4-2)
4. UNET Holon 9 (3-3)
5. SIG Strasbourg 8 (2-4)
6. Filou Oostende 8 (2-4)
7. Lietkabelis 8 (2-4)
8. Polski Cukier Torun 7 (1-5)
Hoping to add on his 47 assists to date, Chris Wright is up to a crucial Polski Cukier Torun matchup at Filou Oostende’s Versluys Dome. The Polish club is 1-5 in the group, but 10-1 domestically in PLK. The home side is coming in on a 2-4 Champions League record, also sits on a 7-1 EuroMillions Basketball League W-L tally.
At the Cido Arena, Lietkabelis will host Basketball Champions League top scoring side UNET Holon in other Group A action. The hosts are 2-4 in the group and 7-4 in LKL, while the Israeli club will travel to Panevezys with a 3-3 W-L tally paired with a recently improved 4-3 Super League record.
Turk Telekom is 5-1 in the group and set to host injury-riddled SIG Strasbourg that is running out of space down 2-4. In full contrast, the Turkish club is a losing streak and 3-7 in Super Ligi, while the team coached by Vincent Collet is a winning streak and 7-5 in Jeep Elite Pro A.
Dinamo Sassari’s four-game streak in BCL improved its W-L tally to 5-1 ahead of the home contest against BAXI Manresa that is 4-2. The Italian team is also 7-3 in LBA Serie A with its upcoming rival recently improving to 3-8 in ACB.
Gameday 7 schedule:
Tuesday
Filou Oostende – Polski Cukier Torun
Lietkabelis – UNET Holon
Dinamo Sassari – BAXI Manresa
Wednesday
Turk Telekom – SIG Strasbourg
Group B
Standings
1. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 10 (4-2)
2. RASTA Vechta 10 (4-2)
3. AEK 10 (4-2)
4. San Pablo Burgos 9 (3-3)
5. Anwil Wloclawek 9 (3-3)
6. Telenet Giants Antwerp 8 (2-4)
7. Teksut Bandirma 8 (2-4)
8. EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez 8 (2-4)
After jumping to 5-1 in Israel’s Super League, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem wishes to improve to 5-2 in Basketball Champions League’s Group B. The opponent to beat is Telenet Giants Antwerp that will travel to Pais Arena with a 2-4 BCL W-L tally and a 5-2 EuroMillions Basketball record.
BCL top-scorer Keith Langford will be in Poland with AEK facing Anwil Wloclawek. The Greek side carries a 4-2 tally with the hosts at 3-3. The Queen is also 5-4 in the Basket League, while the Polish club sits on a 7-3 PLK record.
Another 4-2 outlet RASTA Vechta will host San Pablo Burgos that is slightly behind the three leaders at 3-3. As for its 2019-20 easyCredit BBL run, the German club is 5-5. The Spanish team carries an impressive 7-4 ACB W-L tally.
The other game of the week will see EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez and Teksut Bandirma attempting to improve to 3-4 with a victory at the Palais des Sports de Pau. The home side is now 4-8 in Jeep Elite Pro A, while the visitors are 8-2 in Super Ligi.
Gameday 7 schedule:
Tuesday
RASTA Vechta – San Pablo Burgos
EB Pau-Lacq-Orthez – Teksut Bandirma
Wednesday
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Telenet Giants Antwerp
Anwil Wloclawek – AEK
Group C
Standings
1. Iberostar Tenerife 12 (6-0)
2. ERA Nymburk 11 (5-1)
3. Brose Bamberg 10 (4-2)
4. Nizhny Novgorod 9 (3-3)
5. Peristeri winmasters 9 (3-3)
6. Gaziantep 8 (2-4)
7. VEF Riga 7 (1-5)
8. Mornar Bar 6 (0-6)
Undefeated Iberostar Tenerife will collide with Brose Bamberg. The German club will make the trip to Spain carrying a four-game winning streak in the group and a 4-2 overall record. Domestically, the hosts are 6-5 in ACB, the visitors 7-4 in easyCredit BBL.
Drew Crawford is set to add on his league-leading 206 minutes played with Gaziantep on the road against winless Mornar Bar. The Turkish team is currently 2-4 in BCL, 4-6 in Super Ligi. The Montenegrin club is coming off a tough overtime loss at home to Buducnost VOLI that dropped its ABA League record to 4-5.
The other player with 206 minutes so far is VEF Riga’s Lester Medford. This week the Latvian club will test its strength at Russia opposite to Nizhny Novgorod down 1-5 against the 3-3 hosts. An 11-0 start to the Latvia-Estonian League makes the better part of the visitors’ season, while Zoran Lukic’s side is 3-4 in the VTB United League.
The Group C schedule also includes a contest that will take place in Greece with Peristeri winmasters hosting ERA Nymburk shortly after Ilias Zouros’ departure. The Greek club is 3-3 in the group and 7-2 in Basket League. The team from the Czech Republic is up 5-1 in BCL and 14-0 in NBL.
Gameday 7 schedule:
Tuesday
Peristeri winmasters – ERA Nymburk
Iberostar Tenerife – Brose Bamberg
Wednesday
Nizhny Novgorod – VEF Riga
Mornar Bar – Gaziantep
Group D
Standings
1. Telekom Baskets Bonn 10 (4-2)
2. JDA Dijon 10 (4-2)
3. Neptunas Klaipeda (4-2)
4. Happy Casa Brindisi 9 (3-3)
5. Casademont Zaragoza 9 (3-3)
6. Besiktas Sompo Sigorta 8 (2-4)
7. Falco Szombathely 8 (2-4)
8. PAOK 8 (2-4)
Casademont Zaragoza players have rejected 28 shots so far leading BCL, hope for more blocks with Happy Casa Brindidi coming to visit the Pabellon Principe Felipe. Both teams are 3-3 in Group D. Domestically, the Spanish team is 8-3 in ACB and the Italian 7-3 in LBA Serie A.
No forward has poured more points than Shaquielle McKissic so far this season. His Besiktas Sompo Sigorta is down 2-4 ahead of the home match versus JDA Dijon that is 4-2. Dusko Ivanovic’s team is 4-6 in Super Ligi with its upcoming rival coming to Turkey after improving to 9-3 in Jeep Elite Pro A.
BCL-high 15 steals powered by JeQuan Lewis is among the weapons PAOK brings to Germany for the road affair versus Telekom Baskets Bonn. A group-worst 2-4 record against a group-best 4-2. Both teams are held low in their domestic leagues with the Bonn 1-7 in easyCredit BBL and PAOK 3-6 in Basket League.
The other affair has Falco Szombathely at home versus Neptunas Klaipeda. The home side is 2-4 in the group thanks to its 2-0 run at the Savaria Arena and is 9-0 in NB I/A as well. The Lithuanian club is 4-2 in the group, 7-5 in LKL.
Gameday 7 schedule:
Tuesday
Besiktas Sompo Sigorta – JDA Dijon
Wednesday
Falco Szombathely – Neptunas Klaipeda
Telekom Baskets Bonn – PAOK
Casademont Zaragoza – Happy Casa Brindisi
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League