By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
You know that you have to expect the unexpected in Top16 and this week was a prime example. Performances for the record books, big wins and upsets are creating a puzzle of excitement with the play offs looming in the next corner.
In Group E Real Madrid is the leader (7-1), followed by Maccabi Tel Aviv (6-2), while Panathinaikos and Barcelona are tied in the third place (5-3). Alba Berlin and Zalgiris Kaunad (3-5) are two step behind, Galatasaray is even further away (2-6), as also Crvena Zvezda (1-7).
In Group F Olympiacos is the sole leader (7-1), Fenerbahce and CSKA Moscow share the second place (6-2), Anadolu Efes and Laboral Kutxa are tied in the fourth (4-4), Nizhny and EA7 Milano follow at a distance (2-6) and Unicaja Malaga is left with one win (1-7).
MVP
It was a night to remember for the center of Milano who proved why his team decided to keep him this season and let Gani Lawal walk. Samuels were unstoppable in a road game, which he finished with more than great numbers. The fact that he emerged when his team was playing one of its last cards in order to stay alive is also more than admirable.
Best Five
- Vasilis Spanoulis: He had 18 points and 10 assists, he became the third all time leader in assists and led Olympiacos to one more win.
- Jaycee Carroll: He remains instant offense. He had 17 points on 8/12 shots in the easy win over Crvena Zvezda with Real being on a roll.
- Fernando San Emeterio: He had 22 points in 24 minutes and sealed the big win in Istanbul over Anadolu Efes. A real captain.
- Nemanja Bjelica: He had one more double double (11 p., 13 r.) and with 3/4 free throws decided the outcome in the game against CSKA, the biggest win of the night.
- Samardo Samuels: A record night
Best losing performance: Taylor Rochestie
His season already has made him a Euroleague star and he is expected to have a really interesting summer. Rochestie had one more good game with 21 points and 6 assists, it wasn’t enough for Nizhny against EA7 Milano, but the bottom line is that he is always there every night.
Biggest win: Fenerbahce/ Ulker
Not only Fenerbahce/ Ulker became the first team to beat this season CSKA Moscow on the road, but also did it by six points and getting the tie breaking advantage. Simply put if the Top16 ended tonight, Fenerbahce would get the home court advantage in the play offs over the Russians and home court advantage most of the times equals Final Four.
Τhe champs: Maccabi Tel Aviv
In a classic European derby, the Israelis prevailed in the end over Panathinaikos. Playing without Sofoklis Shortsanitis, Guy Goodes’ team proved resilient enough and made a key step towards the top two spots of its group.
The upset: Laboral Kutxa
Anadolu Efes had the best player of Laboral Kutxa. Still, without Thomas Heurtel, Laboral Kutxa honored the character of the team and got a very important win. In a season which started the worst possible way, suddenly the Spaniards have play offs chances. And one think is for sure, they will hunt it.
The underachiever: Barcelona
Yes the Catalans got the win, but they needed overtime against an opponent who missed two key players and played with fire until the last moment. We expect more from the team of coach Pascual, which seems to be shaking at the worst possible time.
The dissapointment: Galatasaray
The absence of Arroyo is a big excuse but Galatasaray with just a 2-6 record is drifting away from the play offs, making a step back from last year’s achievement.
The last word: Legends night
In Tel Aviv it was David Blu who entered Maccabi’s Hall of Fame. In Piraeus, Olympiacos celebrated 500 games in European competitions and honored six pioneers of the club, former players Alekos Spanoudakis, Theodoros Vamvakousis, Vasilis Fasilis, Giannis Meimaris, Manolis Kazanidis and Thimios Filipou, while Euroleague 1997 MVP David Rivers send his regards from the States.
If you add the recent celebration for Euroleague legend Sarunas Jasikevicius you can easily understand that finally European basketball learned to honor its history and when you do that, you have also a future.
| Anadolu Efes | 84 – 87 | Laboral Kutxa |
| Olympiacos | 77 – 72 | Unicaja Malaga |
| F.C. Barcelona | 92 – 82 | Alba Berlin |
| CSKA Moscow | 75 – 81 | Fenerbahce |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 76 – 85 | EA7 Milano |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 73 – 70 | Panathinaikos |
| Zalgiris | 72 – 59 | Galatasaray MP |
| Real Madrid | 85 – 61 | Crvena Zvezda T. |