By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
“‘It’s a present from God for Christmas,” Zalgiris Kaunas guard Marius Grigonis said on his game-winning bucket in the victory of his team over Bayern Munich. And it will be certainly be a bit of extra “merry” in the Christmas for him and his team that seem to be back on track with four straight wins after a rough patch of six losses in a row.
Another festive return to form following back-to-back lackluster performances came by Shane Larkin who will be named EuroLeague weekly MVP for the first time this season. It will be likely the first of many, if he continues like that…
MVP: Shane Larkin (Anadolu Efes)
The “MVP that never was” of 2020 had looked like a shadow of his former self in the last couple of games. In the win against top-placed Barcelona, he had by far his top display (season-highs 23 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, 37 PIR) since his return from injury, to remind us the dynamo that had been dominating EuroLeague for more than a year.
Best Five
- Pierria Henry: If it wasn’t for his huge 3-point play in the last seconds, Baskonia could’ve fallen victim to a big comeback by Olimpia Milano. Well, they didn’t, since Henry hit the bucket that closed the deal for his team, while finishing with 15 points and eight assists (plus seven turnovers, but who’s counting after all the rest) in the first victory of his team in Milan after seven losses.
- Shane Larkin: He was here, there and everywhere for Efes.
- Marius Grigonis: Apart from a really tough, quite contested (as Bayern Munich coach Andrea Trinchieri admitted) game-winning jumper, he overall led Zalgiris with 22 points, further confirming his status as one of the emerging stars of this EuroLeague season.
- Jan Vesely: Fenerbahce needed to win badly against Olympiacos and team veteran Jan Vesely delivered: 17 points on 8-8 shots, five assists and the cherry on top with the block on a late 3-point attempt by Vassilis Spanoulis, a defense that sealed the win of the Turkish side.
- Othello Hunter: 13 points and seven rebounds for a team-high 20 PIR plus tremendous, as usual, efforts on defense in the win over Panathinaikos.
Coach of the week:
Ergin Ataman, Anadolu Efes
Efes‘ reaction after four straight defeats, including a blowout to CSKA Moscow, couldn’t have been much better since they downed powerhouse Barcelona. Ergin Ataman led his players out of that hole with a statement that this is a team that remains a force to be reckoned with and a contender when its many dangerous parts are clicking the right way.
Thomas Heurtel-gate
Barcelona’s unprecedented decision to leave guard Thomas Heurtel in Istanbul after the game vs. Anadolu Efes by not allowing him to board the plane back home, was the main headline in European basketball, with the news creating shockwaves of reactions around the world. What Barcelona did to the player – especially considering that we are living amid a pandemic crisis – was heavily criticized by many professional players (even quite harshly by some) while it was condemned by institutions such as the EuroLeague Players Association and the Association of players in Spain.
The official explanation that Barcelona gave via a press release didn’t make things any better since it lacked a much-needed apology to the player and looked more like a justification of the club’s decision. The matter, which has now become dispute, will ultimately be resolved in court.