By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
It was a week to remember, full of big individual performances and big games. And when all were said in done, despite not having big changes in the standings, Anadolu Efes had the clear edge in the race for the home court advantage and that brings us to our MVP.
MVP
Anadolu Efes wanted the win, ideally by 15 points in order to get the tie-breaker against FC Barcelona Lassa. The end result was a 92-70 blow out win with Larkin scoring 37 points witch 12/15 FG and having a full stat line which resulted to a 43 ranking. He had a career night, fell short of the all-time EuroLeague scoring record by five points and has set his sights on the Final Four.
BEST FIVE
- Sergio Llull: He led the offense of Real Madrid with 17 points and 10 assists, as the “Whites” became the first team to score 100 or more points without overtime in a loss of a team coached by Zeljko Obradovic.
- Shane Larkin: He made the record books in a crucial game, so what can you add?
- Ioannis Papapetrou: With Panathinaikos playing for their life, he had his best game in the season with 18 points, 8/11 FG, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and no turnovers for a 21 ranking.
- Johannes Voigtmann: He missed the chance to register just the third triple-double ever in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with by one assist and one rebound, finishing the game with 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in KIROLBET Baskonia‘s win over Khimki Moscow Region.
- Nikola Milutinov: This was a tough choice since there have been many centers with big games this week, including Vincent Poirier, Tarik Black, Othello Hunter, and Giorgos Papagiannis. However, Milutinov was the best by the numbers, having a 29 ranking in Olympiacos‘ road win over Buducnost VOLI with 15 points, 12 rebounds and two assists.
Coach of the week: Giannis Sfairopoulos
When Sfairopoulos was hired Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv had a 1-7 record. After his arrival, the record is 11-4 and Maccabi with a total 12-13 record has more a good chance to catch the playoffs train. He gets credit for that and also for the fact that Maccabi got the job done on the road against FC Bayern Munich, which is also a playoffs contender.
Last word: Crazy finish
With five rounds to go, six teams are tied between the sixth and the 11th position and three playoffs spots are up for grabs. Milan, Olympiacos, and Baskonia have a 13-12 record, while Maccabi, Panathinaikos and Bayern Munich are just one win behind them at 12-13. Half of those teams will not make it to the postseason. So get ready for a merciless fight until the final week of the regular season action.