By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
With the 2019-20 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, Eurohoops picks out the five best games up to Regular Season Round 28. Plenty of exciting contests to choose from.
The games of our Top 5 are ranked in chronological order. From the double-overtime epic in Athens to the Real Madrid versus Anadolu Efes collision and more in between.
Round 8 (14/11/2019): Panathinaikos OPAP – ALBA Berlin 105-106
Among the craziest matches of the season was held in Athens last November with the winner decided following a couple of overtimes for the only time this year. ALBA Berlin prevailed, 106-105, after 50 minutes. Martin Hermannsson paced his side with a 20-point, 10-assist double-double to overcome Ioannis Papapetrou’s career-high 39 points.
Panathinaikos OPAP missed its chances to win in the fourth quarter and in the first overtime, but Luke Sikma on a clutch three-point play with 8.9 seconds left got the job done for the visitors.
Round 12 (6/12/2019): Panathinaikos OPAP – Olympiacos 99-93
Another Panathinaikos OPAP home game follows with arch-rival Olympiacos coming to visit in December. Tyrese Rice set his personal-best at 41 points leading the Greens to victory in the challenging game that spilled into overtime.
Brandon Paul missing from the free-throw line prevented the Reds from generating a safe lead down the stretch of the fourth period. Georgios Papagiannis held his nerve from the charity stripe in the extra period for the “W” over Vassilis Spanoulis’ 18 points and Nikola Milutinov’s 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.