March 14, 2013 - Quarterfinals game 2 MVP: Simas Jasaitis, PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
In
one of the closest MVP races all season, veteran shooter Simas Jasaitis
of PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar recorded the best individual
performance in a winning effort in Quarterfinals Game 2. Jasaitis led
Lokomotiv to a no-doubt-about-it 90-65 home win against KK Buducnost
Voli Podgorica with 23 points on near perfect shooting: He made 1 of 2
two-pointers, 5 of 7 from downtown and did not miss in 6 free throw
attempts. Jasaitis added 5 rebounds, an assist, 2 block and 3 fouls
drawn for a performance index rating of 28 - the best among winning
players this week. The highest performance index rating belonged to
John Bryant of ratiopharm Ulm, but his team lost 101-78 on the road at
Uxue Bilbao Basket. Read more here.
March 13, 2013 - Game 2
Budivelnik Kiev 73 - 56 Spartak St. Petersburg
BC
Budivelnik Kiev dominated the second and fourth quarters to erase an
11-point deficit from the first game and beat Spartak St. Petersburg
73-56 to reach the Eurocup Semifinals. Malcolm Delaney scored 8 of his
17 points in the final five minutes and Artur Drozdov posted a
double-double to lead Budivelnik, which will face Uxue Bilbao Basket in
the next stage for a spot in the Eurocup championship game. Though
Budivelnik led the game much of the night, Spartak held the series
lead. The hosts were ahead 5 through three quarters and 59-53 midway
through the fourth, however Delaney ignited a 14-1 game-winning charge
with a three-pointer and later gave his team the 12-point lead for good
with a pair of free throws as Budivelnik claimed a historic win.
Michailis Anisimov, who scored the first 5 points of the fourth
quarter, finished with 15 for the winners and Drozdov amassed 12 points
and 12 rebounds. Read more here.
Lokomotiv Kuban 90 - 65 Buducnost VOLI
Lokomotiv
Kuban booked its first ever spot in the Eurocup Semifinals after
downing visiting Buducnost Voli Podgorica 90-65 in Game 2 of their
quarterfinal series on Wednesday. Lokomotiv held an 18-point advantage
from Game 1, meaning the Russian team won the series by a 43-point
margin. In the semis, Lokomotiv will play Valencia Basket. The
semifinals are March 19 and 27; and Lokomotiv will host Game 2. On
Wednesday, Lokomotiv took the lead for good with a 24-5 spurt that
bridged the first and second quarters and opened up a double-digit
lead, putting the hosts in control of the game. In victory, Lokomotiv
sank 11 three-pointers, as Simas Jasaitis led the way with 23 points on
5-for-7 shooting from downtown. Derrick Brown had 17 points, Richard
Hendrix scored 13 and Mantas Kalnietis netted 10 and dished out 6
assists. Read more here.
Unics Kazan 71 - 68 Valencia Basket
Valencia
Basket advanced to the Eurocup Semifinals despite a 71-68 road loss to
Unics Kazan. Valencia held on to its 10-point lead from Game 1 and
advanced on points differential. Pau Ribas led Valencia with 16 points.
Rafa Martinez added 11 while Thomas Kelati and Justin Doellman each had
10 for the series winners. Chuck Eidson led Unics with 18 points and 8
rebounds. Ian Vougioukas added 11 and Vladimir Veremeenko had 10 for
the hosts. Back-to-back triples by Mike Wilkinson allowed Unics to get
a 20-14 lead after 10 minutes. A jump hook by Vougioukas soon made it a
9-point game. Martinez, Doellman and Ribas brought Valencia a bit
closer, 35-31, at halftime. Valencia improved its defense after the
break and found a go-to guy in Kelati, who had all of his 10 points
early in the third quarter to give Valencia a 41-49 edge. Read more here.
March 12, 2013
Uxue Bilbao Basket 101 - 78 Ratiopharm Ulm
Uxue
Bilbao Basket is headed back to the semifinals for the third time in as
many Eurocup seasons after it crushed visiting ratiopharm Ulm 101-78 in
the second and last game of their quarterfinal series on Tuesday. Ulm
had won Game 1 by 4 points at home, which meant that Bilbao won the
series by a 19-point margin. Bilbao used exceptional scoring to outgun
Ulm. Its 57 halftime points broke the previous record 55 scored by
Estudiantes Madrid back in 2003. Its final 101 points were the most at
this stage since the same 2003 season, when Estudiantes also had 101
and Valencia set the quarterfinals record of 105. In the semis, Bilbao
will play the winner of the Budivelnik Kiev vs. Spartak St. Petersburg
series that finishes Wednesday. The semifinals are March 19 and 27, and
Bilbao will play Game 2 at home regardless of its opponent. Read more here.
March 12, 2013 - Quarterfinals, Game 2: the time is now!
It's decision time in the Eurocup Quarterfinals, as
half of the eight surviving teams will be knocked out at the end of
this round - and the two-way series winners will make it to the
semifinals. The teams with the overall cumulative score will win the
round, so every point and every possession will count in Game 2. If the
series is tied, an overtime will be played to determine the winner. It
all starts with a thrilling showdown on Tuesday, as Uxue Bilbao Basket
hosts Ratiopharm Ulm at 20:00 CET. Ulm has a four-point lead in the
series and will try to defend it. Bilbao looks for its third semifinals
appearance in as many seasons in the competition. It had 6 Eurocup home
games this season and won 4 of them by more than 4 points. All other
three games will be played on a busy Wednesday. At 16:00 CET, Unics
Kazan welcomes Valencia Basket, which holds a 10-point lead in the
series. Both teams are former Eurocup winners and have deep, talented
roster, so expect the series to go down to the wire. Unics has
registered two double-digit home wins in this Eurocup season - and will
need another one to get to the next round. Read more here.
Here is the schedule for Quarterfinals Game 2:
QUARTERFINAL A
Budivelnik Kiev vs. Spartak St. Petersburg 73:56
QUARTERFINAL B
Uxue Bilbao Basket vs. Ratiopharm Ulm 101:78
QUARTERFINAL C
Lokomotiv Kuban vs. Buducnost VOLI 90:65
QUARTERFINAL D
Unics Kazan vs. Valencia Basket 71:68
March 7, 2013 - Eurocup Quarterfinals, Game 1 MVP: John Bryant, ratiopharm Ulm
After
an outstanding performance in a historic win, John Bryant of ratiopharm
Ulm earned an added bonus: he is Eurocup Quarterfinals Game 1 MVP!
Bryant led all quarterfinals competitors with a performance index
rating of 30. Bryant shined for Ulm in an 85-81 home win over Uxue
Bilbao Basket with 30 points on 10-of-15 two-point shooting, 2 of 5
three-point attempts and 4 of 5 free throws. He added 7 rebounds, 2
assists, a block and 4 fouls drawn for the 30 index. The second-best
index of the week came from Terrell Lyday of Unics Kazan, who stepped
up in his team's road loss at Valencia Basket. Lyday amassed 28 points
on 6-of-6 three-point shooting and perfect shooting in 6 trips to the
foul line. Lyday added 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 fouls drawn to amass
an index rating of 28. Read more here.
March 6, 2013 - Game 1
Valencia Basket 80 - 70 Unics Kazan
Valencia
Basket defeated Unics Kazan 80-70 in Game 1 of their two-game
quarterfinals series on Wednesday night. This win means that in Game 2,
to be played in Kazan, Russia, in one week, a victory or a loss by up
to 10 points will be enough for Valencia to advance. The Spanish side,
led by Justin Doellman, took the lead for good in the second quarter.
Unics had a red-hot Terrell Lday, but it never came closer than 4
points, while Valencia led by as much as 57-44 before settling for a
10-point advantage going into Game 2. Doellman had 18 points plus 8
rebounds and 5 steals off the bench, and Bojan Dubljevic scored 19
points in 18 minutes on the floor. Stefan Markovic chipped in with 10
points and 5 assists in victory. For Unics, Lyday nailed 28 points on
6-for-6 three-point shooting. Read more here.
KK Buducnost VOLI 54 - 72 Lokomotiv Kuban
Lokomotiv
Kuban took a huge step towards a place in the semifinals after downing
Buducnost Voli Podgorica 54-72 in Game 1 of their quarterfinals series
in Montenegrin capital on Wednesday. The deciding Game 2 of the
two-game series will be played in Krasnodar, Russia, in one week, and
victory or a loss by up to 18 points will be enough for Lokomotiv to
advance. Buducnost never trailed in the first half, but Lokomotiv used
an 8-26 third quarter to grab full control of the game and race to a
huge victory. Derrick Brown led in victory with 17 points, 8 rebounds
and 3 blocks. Nick Calathes scored 15 while Mantas Kalnietis and Andrey
Zubkov chipped in with 10 apiece for Lokomotiv which was without it
starting center Aleks Maric. For the hosts, Cedomir Vitkovac was the
only scorer in double figures with 14 points, and he also grabbed 7
rebounds. Read more here.
Spartak St. Petersburg 83 - 72 Budivelnik Kiev
Spartak
St. Petersburg beat BB Budivelnik Kiev 83-72 in Game 1 of their
quarterfinals series on Wednesday. The two-game series moves to the
Ukrainian capital for definitive Game 2. Zach Wright paced the winners
with 18 points and 7 assists. Loukas Mavrokefalides added 17 points,
Josh Carter had 15, Janis Strelnieks got 12 and 7 assists, Vladimir
Dragicevic contributed 11 points and Nikita Kurbanov pulled down 11
boards for Spartak. Leo Lyons led Budivelnik with 21 points. Artur
Drozdov added 16, Michail Anisimov had 12, Malcolm Delaney 11 and
Dainius Salenga 10. Spartak led 23-19 after 10 minutes and extended its
margin to 43-36 at the break. Budivelnik trailed 47-36 early in the
third quarter but Anisimov, Lyons and Drozdov stepped up to give the
guests a 57-58 edge after 30minutes. Read more here.
March 5, 2013
Ratiopharm Ulm 85 - 81 Uxue Bilbao Basket
In
the first game of the Eurocup Quarterfinals on Tuesday, ratiopharm Ulm
continued its solid run in the competition by coming from behind to
beat two-time semifinalist Uxue Bilbao Basket 85-81 in the first game
of their two-way series. When they meet again a week from now in
Bilbao, Spain, a victory or a loss by up to 3 points will be enough for
Ulm to advance to the semifinals. John Bryant first-half scoring binge
of 23 points got Ulm back in the game after it trailed 18-30 through
one quarter. Ulm rallied after halftime and eventually led by 12 points
with 2 minutes left, 85-73, before Bilbao scored the game's last 8
points. Bryant finished with 30 points on 10-for-15 two-point shooting
while Allan Ray added 13, Per Guenther and Keaton Nankivil 10 each for
the winners. Read more here.
March 5, 2013 - Quarterfinals, Game 1: let the battles begin!
The newest fork on the road to Charleroi and the
crowning of a Eurocup champion begins Tuesday with the opening games of
the Eurocup Quarterfinals. The quarterfinals will be played on a
two-way series format, one game on each team’s home court, with the
aggregate score at the end of both games deciding the winner. The same
format applies to the semifinals, whose winners will face off in the
single-game final to decide the Eurocup champion in Charleroi, Belgium
on Saturday, April 13. As such, every single point counts from this
moment until the end of the season. In Game 1 of the quarterfinals, all
four Last 16 group winners will play on the road Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the only game on Tuesday, Ratiopharm Ulm hosts Uxue Bilbao Basket at
21:30 CET. Ulm continues a great run in its debut season in European
club competitions, while Bilbao is seeking a third semifinals
appearance in as many Eurocup seasons. Bilbao brings a 5-1 road record
to their matchup. Read more here.
Here is the schedule for Quarterfinals Game 1:
QUARTERFINAL A
Spartak St. Petersburg vs. Budivelnik Kiev 83:72
QUARTERFINAL B
Ratiopharm Ulm vs. Uxue Bilbao Basket 85-81
QUARTERFINAL C
Buducnost VOLI vs. Lokomotiv Kuban 54:72
QUARTERFINAL D
Valencia Basket vs. Unics Kazan 80:70
February 25, 2013 - Quarterfinals Analysis: Unics Kazan vs. Valencia Basket
The
only two previous Eurocup champions alive in the competition meet in
this exciting quarterfinals clash. Unics Kazan, the 2011 Eurocup
winner, won Group L with a 4-2 record. Valencia, a two-time champ, was
the Group J runner-up with a 4-2 record. The two clubs are proven
Eurocup heavyweights, so it’s no surprise that they are the top two
teams this season in performance index rating; Valencia is first with
an average of 96.3 per game, Unics is right behind at 94.3. Kazan held
its opponents to the lowest average index rating in the Last 16 (70.3).
The two teams boast tremendous depth; each has five players averaging
double figures in scoring. Valencia was the top three-point shooting
team in the Last 16 at 40.6%. Valencia beat Unics in their only two
previous meetings during the 2010 Last 16, which was also the last time
Valencia won the Eurocup. Read more here.
February 25, 2013 - Quarterfinals Analysis: Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica
Lokomotiv
Kuban was the top team in the Last 16 with a 5-1 record to win Group K.
Moreover, Coach Evgeny Pashutin’s side led the phase in average index
performance rating (102.7), assists (21.5 apg.) and with the fewest
rebounds allowed (27.5 rpg.). Buducnost was the Group I runner-up with
a 3-3 record. Coach Dejan Radonjic’s men have played great defense this
season, holding opponents below 60 points in a whopping third of their
games and allowing 80 only twice. Thanks to its aggressive defense
(23.2 fouls per game is top among quarterfinalists), Buducnost allowed
the second-fewest points in the Last 16 (72.7 ppg.). Both teams reached
the Eurocup Quarterfinals last season and lost to the eventual
finalists. Lokomotiv fell to champion-to-be BC Khimki, Buducnost lost
to Valencia Basket. Read more here.
February 23, 2013 - Quarterfinals Analysis: Uxue Bilbao Basket vs. ratiopharm Ulm
Uxue
Bilbao Basket rolls into the Eurocup Quarterfinals on a four-game
winning streak and as the Group J winner with a 4-2 record, including
three wins by double-digit margins. Bilbao also boasts the best record
in the Eurocup so far this season with 10 wins and just 2 losses.
ratiopharm Ulm placed second in Group L with a 3-3 record. Ulm has also
made noise with its toughness on the road, where it has gone 4-2. This
marks Bilbao’s third trip to the quarterfinals in as many Eurocup
seasons. In each of the previous campaigns, it advanced to the
semifinals. In its debut Eurocup campaign, Ulm has showed itself as a
top-notch offensive squad; its 86 points per game led the Last 16. It
also boats the season’s top rebounder in John Bryant (9.3 rpg.). This
will be the first meeting between the clubs. Read more here.
February 23, 2013 - Quarterfinals Analysis: Budivelnik Kiev vs. Spartak St. Petersburg
Budivelnik
enters the Eurocup Quarterfinals as the Group I champion with a 4-2
record. Spartak was the Group K runner-up at 3-3, though its nine wins
this season are tied for second most in the competition. Both teams
have been particularly strong at home, boasting 5-1 records. Budivelnik
has shined in categories traditionally linked to big men: It was the
Last 16 leader in rebounding (37 rpg.) and blocked shots (4.8 bpg.),
with center Michailis Anisimov ranking as that phase’s top shot-stopper
with 2 blocks per game. Spartak got things done with defense – it led
the Last 16 by allowing just 68.5 points per games and with 8.7 steals
per game – and by taking care of the ball. Read more here.
In
one of the closest MVP races all season, veteran shooter Simas Jasaitis
of PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar recorded the best individual
performance in a winning effort in Quarterfinals Game 2. Jasaitis led
Lokomotiv to a no-doubt-about-it 90-65 home win against KK Buducnost
Voli Podgorica with 23 points on near perfect shooting: He made 1 of 2
two-pointers, 5 of 7 from downtown and did not miss in 6 free throw
attempts. Jasaitis added 5 rebounds, an assist, 2 block and 3 fouls
drawn for a performance index rating of 28 - the best among winning
players this week. The highest performance index rating belonged to
John Bryant of ratiopharm Ulm, but his team lost 101-78 on the road at
Uxue Bilbao Basket. Read more 
BC
Budivelnik Kiev dominated the second and fourth quarters to erase an
11-point deficit from the first game and beat Spartak St. Petersburg
73-56 to reach the Eurocup Semifinals. Malcolm Delaney scored 8 of his
17 points in the final five minutes and Artur Drozdov posted a
double-double to lead Budivelnik, which will face Uxue Bilbao Basket in
the next stage for a spot in the Eurocup championship game. Though
Budivelnik led the game much of the night, Spartak held the series
lead. The hosts were ahead 5 through three quarters and 59-53 midway
through the fourth, however Delaney ignited a 14-1 game-winning charge
with a three-pointer and later gave his team the 12-point lead for good
with a pair of free throws as Budivelnik claimed a historic win.
Michailis Anisimov, who scored the first 5 points of the fourth
quarter, finished with 15 for the winners and Drozdov amassed 12 points
and 12 rebounds. Read more 
Valencia
Basket advanced to the Eurocup Semifinals despite a 71-68 road loss to
Unics Kazan. Valencia held on to its 10-point lead from Game 1 and
advanced on points differential. Pau Ribas led Valencia with 16 points.
Rafa Martinez added 11 while Thomas Kelati and Justin Doellman each had
10 for the series winners. Chuck Eidson led Unics with 18 points and 8
rebounds. Ian Vougioukas added 11 and Vladimir Veremeenko had 10 for
the hosts. Back-to-back triples by Mike Wilkinson allowed Unics to get
a 20-14 lead after 10 minutes. A jump hook by Vougioukas soon made it a
9-point game. Martinez, Doellman and Ribas brought Valencia a bit
closer, 35-31, at halftime. Valencia improved its defense after the
break and found a go-to guy in Kelati, who had all of his 10 points
early in the third quarter to give Valencia a 41-49 edge. Read more 
Uxue
Bilbao Basket is headed back to the semifinals for the third time in as
many Eurocup seasons after it crushed visiting ratiopharm Ulm 101-78 in
the second and last game of their quarterfinal series on Tuesday. Ulm
had won Game 1 by 4 points at home, which meant that Bilbao won the
series by a 19-point margin. Bilbao used exceptional scoring to outgun
Ulm. Its 57 halftime points broke the previous record 55 scored by
Estudiantes Madrid back in 2003. Its final 101 points were the most at
this stage since the same 2003 season, when Estudiantes also had 101
and Valencia set the quarterfinals record of 105. In the semis, Bilbao
will play the winner of the Budivelnik Kiev vs. Spartak St. Petersburg
series that finishes Wednesday. The semifinals are March 19 and 27, and
Bilbao will play Game 2 at home regardless of its opponent. Read more 
After
an outstanding performance in a historic win, John Bryant of ratiopharm
Ulm earned an added bonus: he is Eurocup Quarterfinals Game 1 MVP!
Bryant led all quarterfinals competitors with a performance index
rating of 30. Bryant shined for Ulm in an 85-81 home win over Uxue
Bilbao Basket with 30 points on 10-of-15 two-point shooting, 2 of 5
three-point attempts and 4 of 5 free throws. He added 7 rebounds, 2
assists, a block and 4 fouls drawn for the 30 index. The second-best
index of the week came from Terrell Lyday of Unics Kazan, who stepped
up in his team's road loss at Valencia Basket. Lyday amassed 28 points
on 6-of-6 three-point shooting and perfect shooting in 6 trips to the
foul line. Lyday added 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 fouls drawn to amass
an index rating of 28. Read more 
Valencia
Basket defeated Unics Kazan 80-70 in Game 1 of their two-game
quarterfinals series on Wednesday night. This win means that in Game 2,
to be played in Kazan, Russia, in one week, a victory or a loss by up
to 10 points will be enough for Valencia to advance. The Spanish side,
led by Justin Doellman, took the lead for good in the second quarter.
Unics had a red-hot Terrell Lday, but it never came closer than 4
points, while Valencia led by as much as 57-44 before settling for a
10-point advantage going into Game 2. Doellman had 18 points plus 8
rebounds and 5 steals off the bench, and Bojan Dubljevic scored 19
points in 18 minutes on the floor. Stefan Markovic chipped in with 10
points and 5 assists in victory. For Unics, Lyday nailed 28 points on
6-for-6 three-point shooting. Read more 
Lokomotiv
Kuban took a huge step towards a place in the semifinals after downing
Buducnost Voli Podgorica 54-72 in Game 1 of their quarterfinals series
in Montenegrin capital on Wednesday. The deciding Game 2 of the
two-game series will be played in Krasnodar, Russia, in one week, and
victory or a loss by up to 18 points will be enough for Lokomotiv to
advance. Buducnost never trailed in the first half, but Lokomotiv used
an 8-26 third quarter to grab full control of the game and race to a
huge victory. Derrick Brown led in victory with 17 points, 8 rebounds
and 3 blocks. Nick Calathes scored 15 while Mantas Kalnietis and Andrey
Zubkov chipped in with 10 apiece for Lokomotiv which was without it
starting center Aleks Maric. For the hosts, Cedomir Vitkovac was the
only scorer in double figures with 14 points, and he also grabbed 7
rebounds. Read more 
Spartak
St. Petersburg beat BB Budivelnik Kiev 83-72 in Game 1 of their
quarterfinals series on Wednesday. The two-game series moves to the
Ukrainian capital for definitive Game 2. Zach Wright paced the winners
with 18 points and 7 assists. Loukas Mavrokefalides added 17 points,
Josh Carter had 15, Janis Strelnieks got 12 and 7 assists, Vladimir
Dragicevic contributed 11 points and Nikita Kurbanov pulled down 11
boards for Spartak. Leo Lyons led Budivelnik with 21 points. Artur
Drozdov added 16, Michail Anisimov had 12, Malcolm Delaney 11 and
Dainius Salenga 10. Spartak led 23-19 after 10 minutes and extended its
margin to 43-36 at the break. Budivelnik trailed 47-36 early in the
third quarter but Anisimov, Lyons and Drozdov stepped up to give the
guests a 57-58 edge after 30minutes. Read more 
The
only two previous Eurocup champions alive in the competition meet in
this exciting quarterfinals clash. Unics Kazan, the 2011 Eurocup
winner, won Group L with a 4-2 record. Valencia, a two-time champ, was
the Group J runner-up with a 4-2 record. The two clubs are proven
Eurocup heavyweights, so it’s no surprise that they are the top two
teams this season in performance index rating; Valencia is first with
an average of 96.3 per game, Unics is right behind at 94.3. Kazan held
its opponents to the lowest average index rating in the Last 16 (70.3).
The two teams boast tremendous depth; each has five players averaging
double figures in scoring. Valencia was the top three-point shooting
team in the Last 16 at 40.6%. Valencia beat Unics in their only two
previous meetings during the 2010 Last 16, which was also the last time
Valencia won the Eurocup. Read more 
Lokomotiv
Kuban was the top team in the Last 16 with a 5-1 record to win Group K.
Moreover, Coach Evgeny Pashutin’s side led the phase in average index
performance rating (102.7), assists (21.5 apg.) and with the fewest
rebounds allowed (27.5 rpg.). Buducnost was the Group I runner-up with
a 3-3 record. Coach Dejan Radonjic’s men have played great defense this
season, holding opponents below 60 points in a whopping third of their
games and allowing 80 only twice. Thanks to its aggressive defense
(23.2 fouls per game is top among quarterfinalists), Buducnost allowed
the second-fewest points in the Last 16 (72.7 ppg.). Both teams reached
the Eurocup Quarterfinals last season and lost to the eventual
finalists. Lokomotiv fell to champion-to-be BC Khimki, Buducnost lost
to Valencia Basket. Read more 
Uxue
Bilbao Basket rolls into the Eurocup Quarterfinals on a four-game
winning streak and as the Group J winner with a 4-2 record, including
three wins by double-digit margins. Bilbao also boasts the best record
in the Eurocup so far this season with 10 wins and just 2 losses.
ratiopharm Ulm placed second in Group L with a 3-3 record. Ulm has also
made noise with its toughness on the road, where it has gone 4-2. This
marks Bilbao’s third trip to the quarterfinals in as many Eurocup
seasons. In each of the previous campaigns, it advanced to the
semifinals. In its debut Eurocup campaign, Ulm has showed itself as a
top-notch offensive squad; its 86 points per game led the Last 16. It
also boats the season’s top rebounder in John Bryant (9.3 rpg.). This
will be the first meeting between the clubs. Read more 
Budivelnik
enters the Eurocup Quarterfinals as the Group I champion with a 4-2
record. Spartak was the Group K runner-up at 3-3, though its nine wins
this season are tied for second most in the competition. Both teams
have been particularly strong at home, boasting 5-1 records. Budivelnik
has shined in categories traditionally linked to big men: It was the
Last 16 leader in rebounding (37 rpg.) and blocked shots (4.8 bpg.),
with center Michailis Anisimov ranking as that phase’s top shot-stopper
with 2 blocks per game. Spartak got things done with defense – it led
the Last 16 by allowing just 68.5 points per games and with 8.7 steals
per game – and by taking care of the ball. Read more 
