By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
The first double-game week ended with several upsets, though there is none bolder than Bayern’s against Fenerbahce. The German team seems indeed resurrected and it remains to be seen how long they can keep up the pace. Another notable upset on the picture of course is ALBA’s victory in Moscow against CSKA, a result of a great team effort. Things haven’t changed dramatically in the standings, as Zalgiris continues its streak and remains the only undefeated team four rounds in the new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
MVP
Sergio Rodriguez
El Chacho faced his former team and was meant to post the best game of his career so far. Rodriguez finished off the job for Milano with 25 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds for a total PIR of 37, a new career-best. Not only that, but his efforts helped Milano end a 14-game losing streak to Real that counted over a decade, with the last victory for the Italian side coming in 2009. Plus he stole the show in the post-game interview.
– Hey Sergio you had a career night tonight, can you think of anything better than this?
Chacho: pic.twitter.com/FVwuM0W5v4
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 16, 2020
Best Five
- Sergio Rodriguez: Our well-deserved MVP of the round.
- Cory Higgins: A near-upset by Panathinaikos was saved partially thanks to Higgins’ effort who had 24 points, seven boards and five assists in his 32-minute presence on the court as Barcelona enjoyed its third victory of the season.
- Simone Fontecchio: ALBA came with the upset in Moscow and the Italian forward had 20 points and three assists in this grand victory.
- Nigel Hayes: Zalgiris exceeded its streak paced by his efforts, as he registered 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a PIR of 23 against Anadolu Efes.
- Jalen Reynolds: The hot-topic of this round’s awards, Bayern, edged Fenerbahce and Reynolds was the key player to the final victory with 17 points and 8 boards.
Coach of the round: Andrea Trinchieri
Bayern saved face this week to cause upsets to two powerhouses, with Fenerbahce suffering the latest woes. The team reacted fantastically after being down 20 points in the first half to get on with their third victory in the competition and their second this week. Quiet impressive results and we’ve yet to see if they can keep up the tempo.
Young gun: Usman Garuba
18-year-old Garuba is slowly making his way to EuroLeague and on Friday night Pablo Laso chose him to remain on the court in the most critical points of the game and with Real being down in the fourth period. Garuba produced just two points, but did an exceptional job in other areas of the game, with 11 rebounds in 23 minutes, both of these numbers new career-highs for the Spanish prospect.
Last word: Khimki’s morale
We’ve already tackled the curious COVID study case in Round 3’s awards, though it’s important to highlight this once again. Khimki’s squad has been decimated by the positive coronavirus cases yet they will still enter the court with great morale and energy. They did so on Friday night in Vitoria-Gasteiz, despite the negative outcome.
Of course, we should cut Rimas Kurtinaitis’ team some slack and at the same time give credit for their ability to remain focused -at least for the most part- even under such harsh conditions.
Photo: EuroLeague