Euroleague: Fenerbahce first to Quarterfinals

We’re are running down the clock of the Euroleague Top 16, with Round 10 tipping off this week, leaving just four more rounds to complete the group stages. On Thursday there were four contests in the Euroleague and it was a big night as the first place in the Quarterfinals was decided.

The honor went to Turkish club Fenerbahce thanks to a road victory of nearest Group E rival Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. Also in Group E, Malaga broke a six game losing streak to defeat Cedevita Zagreb to stay alive in the standings. In Group F, Laboral Kutxa Vitoria continued its fantastic Euroleague form with a big win over Khimki Moscow Region at home, while Brose Baskets Bamberg took out European giant Olympiacos Piraeus.

Group E

Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul, 52-55
Fenerbahce traveled to Krasnodar and took out Lokomotiv and in the process secured a berth in the Quarterfinals, the first club to do so this season. The Turkish team qualifies with a record of 9-1 and will now be looking to secure first place in the coming weeks. Lokomotiv is still in the hunt too, sitting on 7-3 in second place in Group E. The visitors were trailing 44-43 through thirty minutes, but hit back in the fourth and held on during a tense finale to secure the win.

Bogdan Bogdanovic has been in hot form recently, and here he topped Fenerbahce with 17 points and 6 rebounds, while Luigi Datome added 10 points and 8 boards.

Cedevita Zagreb vs. Unicaja Malaga, 78-91
Spanish club Unicaja Malaga finally snapped its awful form with a first win in six attempts, enhancing its chances of qualifying, despite being sixth with a 3-7 record. Cedevita’s position is even more precarious, with the Croatian club now bottom on 2-7 and without a victory in six. Malaga managed to carve a 42-48 lead through halftime and then controlled the game from there, extending through the second half to cruise.

Jack Cooley led the win with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Nemanja Nedovic scored 15 points.
Fran Vazquez was good for 14 points and 9 boards, followed by Will Thomas with his own 14 point contribution.

James White plundered 16 points in the losing effort, with Marko Arapovic hitting 12 points.

Group F

Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. Olympiacos Piraeus, 72-71
German club Brose Baskets Bamberg held its nerve against the Greek juggernaut Olympiacos to claim a vital home win. The success sent the hosts to sixth in Group F with a 4-6 record, with plenty of time left to make a push for the Quarterfinals. Olympiacos is far front out of the running, but the former winners are toiling this season in seventh place with a 4-6 showing. Olympiacos was leading 49-53 through three stanzas, but the German home team shot big in the fourth act and snatched it in the closing seconds.

Bradley Wanamaker and Leon Radosevic led the winning effort with 11 points apiece.

Georgios Printezis doubled up for Olympiacos with 19 points and 10 caroms, while Othello Hunter added 17 points and 7 boards, and Vassilis Spanoulis contributed 15 points and 9 assists.

Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. Khimki Moscow Region, 98-83
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria’s remarkable Top 16 campaign continued as the Spaniards bounced back from defeat last week to take out Khimki Moscow Region. The club now sits on 7-3 in Group F and is on course for the Quarterfinals and must be considered a dark horse from here. Khimki is also a continued threat, but drops to 5-5 in fourth place after an indifferent record in recent weeks. The hosts topped 20 points in each quarter to see off a Khimki team that rarely put a foot wrong itself, with both sets of players producing a quality game of Basketball.

Darius Adams and Fabien Causer led the win with 17 points each, while Ioannis Bourousis added another double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while also adding 6 dimes. Davis Bertans chipped in with 13 points and Adam Hanga scored 12 points.

Alexey Shved nailed a game high 19 points for Khimki, followed by Paul Davis with 18 points, Petteri Kopenen with 15 points, and Tyrese Rice with 10 scoring passes.