By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Some results were unexpected, the race for the seventh and the eighth spots of the standings will be a matter of debate probably until the end of the regular season and currently, there’s no team hotter on that race than Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv.
The Israelis registered their fourth straight win and our MVP had a lot to do with that.
MVP: Angelo Caloiaro
You can argue that Panathinaikos OPAP is not that strong, however, every game of the Greens against Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv is special. And Caloiaro with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists was the man of the moment in Tel Aviv. Not only the 33 PIR will give him also the official award, but he stepped up in a game that was more than important for both opponents and when all was said and done, he made Maccabi again a playoffs team.
BEST FIVE
- Toney Douglas: This version of Darussafaka Tekfen is built around him and he delivered with 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals on the way to a 30 PIR and the big win over KIROLBET Baskonia.
- Nando De Colo: He scored 25 points on 7/10 threes, keeping CSKA Moscow alive until he got help from the rest of the team on the way to the road win against FC Barcelona Lassa.
- Angelo Caloiaro: He made a splash in the biggest Maccabi game so far in the season.
- Anthony Randolph: He is having an amazing season and he proved it once more against an opponent like Anadolu Efes with 24 points and six rebounds for Real Madrid.
- Goga Bitadze: He is turning heads while he is preparing for the NBA draft and with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists got a 27 PIR in Buducnost Voli’s win over Herbalife Gran Canaria.
Coach of the week: Zeljko Obradovic
Not only Fenerbahce beat Olympiacos with ease, but with an 18-2 record after the two-thirds of the regular season, it seems that nobody has a chance to knock them off the top. The team of coach Zeljko Obradovic is firing at all cylinders and at this point, they are the team to beat. And while it’s true that Obradovic never did win a back-to-back EuroLeague title – like it happened last year with him losing in the final to Real Madrid – it’s also a well-known fact during his days with Panathinaikos that he tends to win the trophy in years which are odd numbers. And this is 2019.
Last word: Six teams for two spots
With 10 rounds left in the regular season, the playoffs battle remains more than open. Behind FC Bayern Munich which is currently seventh with a 10-10 record, three teams follow with nine wins – Milan, Baskonia, Maccabi Tel Aviv – and the duo of Zalgiris Kaunas and Panathinaikos OPAP are left at eight wins. From now on, every game is going to be a battle for those six teams and if you need a prediction about how things will end, we got you covered.