EuroCup: Round 5 Recap

A full complement of EuroCup games saw Round 5 of the Regular Season completed on a busy Wednesday. With eight games around the continent, we reached and passed the halfway point of the group stages. At the close of play there was a clearer picture at the top of some tables, but all groups still have everything to play for. With the Regular Season now on the four game back straight, expect things to get very exciting as clubs jostle for position and all-important berths in the next round.

Group A

Cedevita Zagreb vs. Nizhny Novgorod, 92-77

Nizhny Novgorod threw away a solid halftime lead on the road to Cedevita Zagreb, letting the Croatian hosts actually cruise to victory. The Russians used a huge 33 points in the first quarter to lead 42-52 at the long break. Cedevita found momentum in the third act before draining 33 points of its own in the fourth quarter to waltz to victory in the closing minutes. Pierre Jackson had a game to remember as he plundered 38 of Cedevita Zagreb’s points. He was followed by Miro Bilan with a double-double if 18 points and 11 boards.

MZT Skopje vs. Gran Canaria Las Palmas, 75-98

Cedevita moved to 2-2 in second place with its win, but Gran Canaria is running away with the group. The Spanish club, a consistent performer in recent EuroCup seasons, eased to 4-0 at the top with a comfortable road win over MZT. The guests were up 33-51 at halftime and never looked like letting it drop in the second half. Kyle Kuric paced the victory with 19 points, while Josh Scott doubled up in the losing effort with a game high 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Group B

Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius vs. Fuenlabrada, 101-84

Lietuvos Rytas went big to see off Fuenlabrada, breaking a century of points on the Spanish visitors. The Lithuanian club picked up its first victory (1-3) with the success, leaving plenty of hope for the next five games. The hosts put together one of their best-ever first half performances with 63 points in a dominant display that set the tone for the win. David Logan topped the winning effort with 27 points, followed by Arturas Gudaitis with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Bilbao Basket vs. Khimki Moscow Region, 72-91

One of the tournament favorites, Khimki, managed to see off Bilbao Basket on the road to move to 3-1 at the top of the standings. The game never looked in danger as the visitors led 52-74 through thirty minutes and used that 12 point advantage to ease through the closing stanza. Alexey Shved stood out for the winners with a game high 23 points. Alex Mumbru helped keep the hosts in the contest with 20 points for Bilbao.

Group C

Buducnost Voli Podgorica vs. Bayern Munich, 44-68

Runaway Adriatic League leaders Buducnost VOLI Podgorica is having a torrid EuroCup season. The contrast is telling and the club was embarrassed here by Bayern Munich. The Germans did not need to move out of third gear, taking it easy in offense and dominating the hosts at the back. Bayern’s third consecutive win puts it equal at the top of Group C with 3-1. Buducnost is winless and getting demolished each week.

Unicaja Malaga vs. Zenit St. Petersburg, 93-86

Malaga showed again it is one of the teams to beat this season with a big home win over Zenit on the Spanish south coast. The result puts both teams on 2-2. The home team controlled the first quarter with a 24-19 run. Russian guests Zenit clawed back to 49-45 at halftime before Malaga pulled away in the third. An exciting fourth quarter ended the contest, with both teams scoring 27 points. Jamar Smith led the win with 22 points, while Carlos Suarez doubled up with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Group D

Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Valencia, 64-73

Both these clubs were among the contenders at the start of the season. However, only Valencia has shown its potential and moved to 3-1 at the top of Group C with this road win. Lokomotiv has looked out of sorts this season and is stuck on 1-3, but there is time to improve. It was close through halftime, with the hosts leading 34-33. Valencia used a big 13-21 third act to move ahead and then held off the Russians in the fourth period.

Ratiopharm Ulm vs. Hapoel Jerusalem, 103-77

German club Ratiopharm Ulm swamped Hapoel Jerusalem and grabbed a big win with 100 plus points on the board. The hosts rained in 53 points in the first half for a 16 points cushion. It didn’t get any better for Jerusalem as Ulm extended its advantage in the third and indeed in the fourth. Six players topped double figures in the winning effort, including Per Guenther with 19 points to pace the German outfit.