By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Barcelona, Efes, and Olimpia Milano managed to stand out from the pack and get on top of the standings after Round 9’s action while reigning champions CSKA Moscow won’t join them at the top spot after their defeat in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Real Madrid moved up to the second place with a blowout victory against Khimki Moscow and Panathinaikos bounced back with a victory in Kaunas, shortly after the departure of head coach Argyris Pedoulakis.
Eurohoops MVP:
Nick Calathes, Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos needed a morale-boosting victory on the road and beating Zalgiris made a powerful statement, keeping in mind that just a few days ago the team dismissed coach Pedoulakis. Calathes’ leadership paced the Greens through this tough game, as he exited the court at 27 minutes with a double-double of 19 points, 12 assists, for a total PIR of 32. His impact of keeping the team together is what makes him our MVP for Round 9.
Eurohoops Best five:
- Nick Calathes: The MVP of Round 9 needs no further explanation.
- Sergio Rodriguez: His double-double of 18 points and 11 assists led Olimpia Milano straight to the top of the standings and to victory over Maccabi.
- Cory Higgins: He led Barcelona in scoring vs. Fenerbahce with his 22-point performance, while he also added three rebounds across 24 minutes.
- Tornike Shengelia: Baskonia edged CSKA at home, all thanks to an overall effort by Shengelia. He posted 22 points and 3 steals in this victory, for a total PIR of 23.
- Anthony Randolph: Real’s showdown against Khimki had Randolph posting 19 points in just 18 minutes while enjoying the rest of the game resting on the bench.
Coach of the Round
Ergin Ataman, Anadolu Efes
Efes put an end to ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne’s reign at its home court on Tuesday when they grabbed a 90-84 victory. On top of that, this result also placed them on top of the standings in a race that is going to be tiresome, with so many teams eyeing a spot in the Top 8. The Turkish club is on to a three-game streak and will look to expand it in Round 10 when they face Olimpia Milano for a top-notch derby.
The big issue: Finding motivation
Zeljko Obradovic spoke about “not seeing motivated players” on Wednesday night and that is Fenerbahce‘s biggest obstacle of the season. Currently at a 2-7 record, they suffered a blowout defeat from Barcelona and they have to fight their way back to regain ground in this regular season race.
Photo: EuroLeague