EuroLeague's beat: Sparks in Tel Aviv and historical night for Mirotic / News - Basketnews.com
Credit D.Lukšta, Rodolfo Molina, Viktoriya Lamzina - Getty Images | BasketNews illustration BasketNewscontinues the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague beat edition. Here, you’ll be able to find all the info you need about what happened in the latest EuroLeague round.
Fenerbahce's superheroes, dominant Kalinic, yet another champs' struggles, strict Sfairopoulos words, Baskonia's walk in the park, CSKA's rock-solid defense, Milan's return to victory path, fifteen-year-old's debut, and Mirotic's solo performance in legendary "El Clasico" – all of that and more in EuroLeague’s Round 14 beat.
EuroLeague’s beat Round 14
BATMAN & ROBIN DISPLAY. Jan Vesely scored more than half of Fenerbahce's points in the first 2 quarters against Zenit. The Czech big man had 22 PTS out of his team's 40.
With such a spectacular first-half performance, he laid the foundations for the EuroLeague career-high 32 points (9/11 2PT, 2/3 3PT, 8/9 FT), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 5 drawn fouls, and 35 PIR.
His previous personal best was 31 points with Fenerbahce against CSKA Moscow (2017).
"We just wanted to play our game, fight for every possession," Vesely said after the victorious match. "I was open, I was feeling good, so I tried to help my team as much as possible."
His co-partner Nando de Colo was unstoppable in the second half, finishing the contest with 18 points (5/5 2PT, 0/3 3PT, 8/9 FT), 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers, 1 block, 5 drawn fouls, and 28 PIR.
TWO– THE LUCKY NUMBER. Fenerbahce was impressively effective from two-point range, hitting 25 of 32 attempts. Its two-point shooting percentage (78.1%) was the club's second-best mark in competition history. It previously recorded 85.3% accuracy by hitting 29 of 34 two-pointers in a 76-107 road win against Khimki Moscow Region on January 28, 2021.
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TRUE LEADER. Nikola Kalinic is not only one of the vocal leaders in the team, he is also guiding the path on the court. In the victorious effort versus top-3 EuroLeague squad, Olympiacos, the 30-year-old Serbian contributed with 25 points (8/13 2PT, 2/4 3PT, 3/3 FT), 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 drawn fouls, and 27 PIR.
25 points – his career-high performance. Kalinic also tied a career-best with a PIR of 27. It came just a month after he set career-highs with 22 points and a PIR of 27 in a home win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. He is now averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds – both career-highs – this season.
"They are for sure one of the favorites to win the EuroLeague," Kalinic spoke post-game. "We protected our basket, started rebounding better and after that, everything came. You see how we play, we help each other. Everything I did today is built on the back of everybody on the team."
FLOATERNEVER GETS OLD. Georgios Printezis hit two trademarked one-handed floaters in the match, becoming the leader for field goals made in the competition's history. He overtook nothing else than his longtime teammate Vassilis Spanoulis.
The record for most baskets made in competition history is just the latest feat for the two-time champ. Printezis, who has played all but two of his 19 EuroLeague seasons with his boyhood club, is ranked fourth in points scored (3,529) and games played (354) and sixth in rebounds category (1,434).
CLUTCH MOBILIZATION. Bayern stayed firm in the last quarter, only allowing Anadolu Efes to score seven points. They outscored the Turkish powerhouse by 10 points (17-7) and celebrated the 11-point win.
"Our fourth quarter was something I rarely see," told Andrea Trinchieri post-game. "The feeling is the team is through all the adversity finding some balls."
SHAMEFUL BASKETBALL. After the second defeat in a row, Ergin Ataman did not look for a word inside his pocket.
"Congratulations to Bayern because they fought really well, especially their bigs, who found 46 points and had high percentages. We didn’t have an answer with our bigs. They were also missing their best scorer in Hilliard. So for them, it's a great victory. For us, this basketball that we played tonight is shameful."
FIVEFOLD EIGHTEEN. There were five leading scorers in the match who contributed with 18 points for their squads. Vladimir Lucic, Deshaun Thomas, and Augustine Rubit registered 18 for Bayern, while the dynamic duo of Shane Larkin and Rodrigue Beaubois accumulated the same amount of points for the reigning champs.
LOST RHYTHM. Elijah Bryant played 12 minutes and did not score in this game. In the last 6 duels, the American athlete averaged 2 points per game, whereas he posted 12.3 points in the first 4 contests of the season.
TEASING SILENCE. Bayern-Efes game proceeded without supporters. On December 3, the Bavarian government announced COVID-19 measures that no longer allowed the team to let spectators into the games.
The new regulations will apply until December 15th with a possibility to be renewed further down the line. Bayern will play two away contests next week.
TURN AGAINST EACH OTHER. Maccabi suffered their fourth consecutive EuroLeague blow, losing 74-85 against UNICS at home. After the game, Ioannis Sfairopoulos had some words to say regarding Maccabi fans' behavior.
"The fans should support us in a bad game too. I do not understand the reaction and I do not like this behavior. We are Maccabi, we are not only happy when we win. Do teams not lose games?" Sfairopoulos commented on boos and hisses from the stands.
He added: "When your child fails at something, do you beat him? When we defeat Barcelona, everyone is happy and supportive of us, but the team needs the fans the most while a bad stretch is occurring.
This behavior hurts Maccabi, hurts the team. If they (fans) want to continue like this, it is their right to do so. I will continue to do my best," said the 54-year-old.
HEART. "Heart [gave us this win]," Lorenzo Brown admitted after the final buzzer. "We have a great team and a lot of hard work has been made. We are working every single day and I just have to applaud my teammates, these are hard-working guys and I love it."
The 31-year-old American was outstanding for his squad, posting 26 points (8/15 2PT, 2/4 3PT, 4/4 FT), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 drawn fouls, and 30 PIR.
He has scored over 20 points three times in his team's last four games. Brown netted 21 against both ALBA Berlin and Olympiacos Pireus. In that span, Brown is averaging 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 24 PIR.
TRUST IN MARIO. Hezonja was in foul trouble before the decisive 10 minutes, having 4 in his resume. His team was also down by 3 points (63-66). Nevertheless, the Croatian forward got up from the bench, scored a long two-point jumper, nailed a trey, and then organized two terrific attacks with an alley-oop and fast-break finishes. He also contributed on the defensive end, helping in a double-team defense. Hezonja's effort resulted in a comfortable 11-point victory.
Super Mario finished the contest with 14 points (3/4 2PT, 2/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 12 PIR over 20 minutes.
SPAHIJA'S BASKETBALL. Neven Spahija could not hide his satisfaction after an important home win over ASVEL, playing well on both sides of the court.
Spahija highlighted how efficient his players were in the offensive end of the court. Five players finished in double digits (Baldwin, Fontecchio, Enoch, Giedraitis, and Costello).
"That's my basketball, that's what I want as a coach. It's not easy, but to rotate, play with the bench more, that's the perfect style for us. This time we responded, and we need to continue," explained Baskonia's bench boss.
TRIPLE CELEBRATION. Simone Fontecchio enjoyed a triple celebration as Baskonia downed ASVEL. Along with the win on the day of his 26th birthday, the Italian forward had a milestone evening as he surpassed 500 points in his EuroLeague career. Fontecchio ended up with 15 points (3/5 2PT, 3/3 3PT, 0/1 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 18 PIR.
FLASHY BUT NOT EFFECTIVE. Victor Wembanyama had a first EuroLeague game with double-digits in scoring, including a ferocious dunk. He also served some impressive swats on the defensive end.
Even though Wembanyama accumulated 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks, he finished the game with only 5 PIR due to poor shooting (3/13 FG) and 2 turnovers. Knowing the fact he is just 17 years old, the sky is the limit for this guy.
LOCKDOWN. Victorious CSKA limited Zalgiris to a season-low 51 points, even though the Russian powerhouse entered the game allowing 80.2 points per game, second-most in the EuroLeague.
CSKA's shut-down defense resulted in Zalgiris scoring their fewest points in the EuroLeague since 2019.
Nothing strange that Dimitris Itoudis particularly liked defensive numbers in the second, third, and fourth quarters, with 10, 11, and 12 points allowed, respectively.
"Undoubtedly, we won the game from our defensive effort. We were thrilled, motivated, and concentrated to play consistently for three quarters when Zalgiris scored around 10 points. That means a lot," the Greek mastermind said.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE'S RETURN. Nikola Milutinov, who came back to full strength after his injury problems, finished the game with 19 points (8/9 2PT, 3/3 FT), 12 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 drawn fouls, and 36 PIR. He reminded the best version of himself, protecting the rim and grabbing boards on the offensive end (6).
"I am feeling good. I am still trying to find myself, after all that happened to me, but I am happy I could help the team," commented the Serbian big man post-game.
14 GAMES. It took 14 matches and more than two months of EuroLeague action when CSKA Moscow finally put up a fully healthy roster. It should be scary news for the upcoming opponents as Zalgiris could feel the power by not being able to collect the points.
"I hope we don't jinx it," Itoudis spoke to media while also knocking on a wooden table in Zalgirio arena's press conference room. "We want to stay healthy. Niko (Milutinov), Toko (Shengelia), Grigonis are coming from injuries, Danny (Hackett) had surgery in the summer, Joel (Bolomboy) was out for a long time. Those players need time to make adjustments."
FIRST LOVE. The EuroLeague rookie Daryl Macon, who had made an impressive start of the season, watched his numbers take a significant dive since Nemanja Nedovic got his grip and led PAO to consecutive games, most notably against Olympiacos and Zenit.
So, Macon found room to score and create, piling up 20 points and a career-high 11 assists against ALBA Berlin.
"It's amazing to come back to this arena and win, to put on a show for the fans, give them what they want to see," he said a few moments after the game.
"A lot of people don't know I can dish out 11 assists. This is my first love - pass the ball. When I get a chance to show it, I will. When they have my back, I have to have their back, too. We are brothers; we've got to have each other's back, one to 12 on the team," added the agile combo guard.
A DAY TO REMEMBER. Neoklis Avdalas became the fifth-youngest player to debut in EuroLeague history at 15 years, 10 months, and 6 days. Not only that, he scored the last points for PAO with a slam, becoming the youngest player in EuroLeague history to score in the competition.
X-FACTOR. Leonidas Kaselakis crushed his scoring high, logging 17 points on an impeccable 4/4 from distance. He also racked up 18 points in PIR, another milestone in his short EuroLeague run.
RENAISSANCE. Milan snapped a four-game losing skid by taking down AS Monaco on their opponent's home floor 71-65.
"Honestly, I need to congratulate my team because it's never easy to break a losing streak. It's much easier to break the winning stretch," underlined Ettore Messina post-game.
UNLUCKY LEE. Paris Lee accumulated 19 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 8 drawn fouls, and 26 PIR against Armani Exchange. The EuroLeague rookie picked up 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 20 PIR versus Anadolu Efes in Round 11 and followed that with 20 points, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 20 PIR in Round 12 over ASVEL. However, neither of these best games was the winning effort.
EL CHACHO.Sergio Rodriguez hit two treys in the duel to move to 518, equalling the output of retired superstar Vassilis Spanoulis.
The all-time leader is Juan Carlos Navarro, who buried 623 three-pointers in his legendary career. "El Chacho" is 35 years old so the mission to catch "La Bomba" seems quite unrealistic.
SUPERMAN. If Vesely and de Colo we can call as Batman & Robin, then Nikola Mirotic is a Superman without a doubt. In "El Clasico", Barca's MVP frontrunner tied his career-high with 31 points (4/4 2PT, 3/6 3PT, 14/15 FT), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 turnovers, 9 drawn fouls, and 39 PIR. The last time Mirotic scored 31 was back in 2013 when he represented Real Madrid. This was also the most efficient game in his EuroLeague career.
The last Barcelona player to score more than 30 points in a EuroLeague game was Juan Carlos Navarro, who got 31 against Zalgiris on November 9, 2006. As for PIR, it ties the second-best mark in club history. Ante Tomic still holds the record with a PIR of 40 against Anadolu Efes Istanbul on February 27, 2014.
REGULAR DAY AT THE OFFICE. According to Sarunas Jasikevicius, Mirotic is capable of scoring 20 points whenever he wants.
"It is easy for him to score 20 points. I always ask him to be a leader. For the team and for himself. He is extremely good in offense, but he should pay attention to defensive details," Saras said.
FRESH AIR. Regarding the new addition, Dante Exum, Barcelona's bench boss admitted that he has been very helpful in the practice process.
"We do not have too many players available, so he gave us some fresh air. When a new player arrives, everyone wants to show their potential.
If he will use his physical abilities and be aggressive on offense, he will help us a lot. He showed us a lot. His first game, Clasico, with this atmosphere and jet lag... It is not easy. He will help us a lot," Jasikevicius praised the Australian guard.
Dante Exum made his debut for Barca, supplying 2 points (1/1 2PT, 0/1 3PT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 PIR in 12.8 minutes.
EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. Real finished the game with a low free-throws percentage, hitting 11 out of 21 (52.4%). They gave away 10 points which could make a difference in the tough fight. Reliable shooters Fernandez and Causeur missed two while Llull's three shots from the line were off the mark.
"We missed a lot of free throws, it is something we need to improve. It is impossible to win here shooting like this," Pablo Laso stressed after the defeat.
TOP Plays of Round 14
Records of Round 14
PIRNikola Mirotic Nikola Mirotic (39)
PointsJan Vesely Jan Vesely (32)
ReboundsNikola Milutinov Nikola Milutinov, Vladimir Lucic (12 each)
AssistsDaryl Macon Daryl Macon (11)
StealsDaniel Hackett Daniel Hackett (6)
BlocksGeorgios Papagiannis Georgios Papagiannis (4)
3-pointers madeTyler Dorsey Tyler Dorsey, Rodrigue Beaubois, Scottie Wilbekin, Leonidas Kaselakis, Marcus Eriksson (4 each) Results of Round 14
Zenit Saint Petersburg Fenerbahce Istanbul 80-86 Crvena Zvezda Belgrade Olympiakos Piraeus 81-76 FC Bayern Munich Anadolu Efes Istanbul 83-71 Maccabi Tel Aviv UNIKS Kazan 74-85 Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 91-66 Zalgiris Kaunas CSKA Moscow 51-73 Monaco Basket AX Armani Exchange Milan 65-71 Panathinaikos Athens ALBA Berlin 82-67 FC Barcelona Real Madrid 93-80
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