April 11, 2015 - Top 16, Round 14 bwin co-MVPs: Boban Marjanovic and Devin Smith
A
champion who made sure his team will keep defending the Turkish
Airlines Euroleague title and a breakthrough performer in his last game
of the season shared the honors as bwin co-MVPs as the Top 16 closed in
round 14 this week. Devin Smith scored a career-high 28 points to lead
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv into the playoffs with a rousing 64-73 road at
ALBA Berlin. To his 7 three-pointers in 10 attempts, matching the most
made any player has made in a Top 16 game this decade, Smith added 7
rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot for a performance index rating
of 28, which was the highest this week among players on winning teams.
He was matched in that total by Boban Marjanovic, whose led Crvena
Zvezda Telekom Belgrade to a 69-68 farewell victory against visiting
Panathinaikos Athens. Marjanovic finished with 12 points, 3 assists, 1
block, while his incredible 16 rebounds that gave him a new Euroleague
record on the boards for one season with a total of 256. Read more here.
April 9, 2015 - Top 16 Round 14: Decision time!
The 2014-15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 has
come to its final round with a lot left to decide. There are five teams
fighting for three unclaimed playoff spots, while seven of eight
top-four places in Group E and Group F are still to be settled, thereby
determining the playoffs matchups. Five Thursday games will decide
which teams make the playoffs and which team wins Group F, while the
remaining three games on Friday will decide the winner of Group E. Read
more here.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 14:
GROUP E
Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul vs. FC Barcelona 65-88
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Panathinaikos Athens 69-68
ALBA Berlin vs. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 64-73
Real Madrid vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 99-83
GROUP F
Unicaja Malaga vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 93-84
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. CSKA Moscow 79-88
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 83-72
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Nizhny Novgorod 77-70
April 2, 2015 - Top 16 Round 13: Playoff picture nears completion
The penultimate week of the Turkish Airlines
Euroleague Top 16 brings with it the possibility that it will provide
the names of the teams that will grab the three open playoff spots.
Five games on Thursday feature El Clasico between the arch-rivals FC
Barcelona and Real Madrid, while three games on Friday include a
powerhouse matchup between CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus that
could well decide which of them has home-court advantage in the next
round. Read more here.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 13:
GROUP E
Panathinaikos Athens vs. ALBA Berlin 66-68
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul 81-72
FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid 85-80
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 76-70
GROUP F
Nizhny Novgorod vs. Unicaja Malaga 75-94
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 86-78
CSKA Moscow vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 76-70
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 93-76
March 31, 2015 - MVP for March: Nemanja Bjelica, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul
His
five-year Turkish Airlines Euroleague career has been the perfect
example of constant, season-by-season improvement. But in what was
arguably the crucial month of this season's most decisive phase yet,
forward Nemanja Bjelica of Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul put his many
exquisite skills together like never before to become Euroleague
Basketball's choice as the bwin MVP for March. Bjelica, 26, led
Fenerbahce's take-over of Top 16 Group F with four victories in March
that extended its winning streak to a club-record nine games. The
average margin of victory for Fenerbahce in March was an incredible
14.5 points per game. The highlight was the first win by any Euroleague
opponent on the floor of Olympiacos Piraeus in more than year. Bjelica
finished the month with a stream of stats - 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3
assists and 1 block per game - that only hinted at how much his
all-around effectiveness set Fenerbahce apart. Read more here.
March 29, 2015 - Top 16 Round 12 bwin MVP: Alessandro Gentile, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
With
the best night yet in his budding Turkish Airlines Euroleague career,
Alessandro Gentile of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan continued his great run
of form to earn the bwin MVP honor for Top 16 Round 12. Gentile led his
team to a 99-85 victory over Laboral Kutxa Vitoria on Thursday with a
career-high 29 points. He also established a career best with a
performance index rating of 30, which was the highest of any player on
a winning team in Top 16 Round 12. Gentile, who has averaged 23.8
points over his past four games, made 4 of 5 threes against Laboral,
grabbed 7 rebounds and dished 4 assists. He joined center Samardo
Samuels to become Milan’s second weekly MVP in the Top 16. For the
second week in a row, the week’s top index rating belonged to Crvena
Zvezda Telekom Belgrade center Boban Marjanovic, who dominated the
paint in his team’s 73-68 loss at ALBA Berlin. Read more here.
March 25, 2015 - Top 16 Round 12: three decisive days ahead!
With four playoff spots open, no home-court
advantage secured yet and only one team eliminated so far, this week’s
three exciting days of Top 16 Round 12 action could make the playoff
picture a lot clearer. As many as three teams could secure playoff
home-court advantage this week – Barcelona, Real Madrid and Fenerbahce
Ulker – while two more could join those three and CSKA Moscow by
claiming their own playoff berths. Only one team has been eliminated so
far, which means that every game and every single point could be
important. Round 12 opens on Wednesday, while four games are scheduled
for Thursday and three for Friday. Read more here.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 12:
GROUP E
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. FC Barcelona 72-83 Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos Athens 84-86
ALBA Berlin vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 73-68
Real Madrid vs. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 86-75
GROUP F
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 99-85
Nizhny Novgorod vs. CSKA Moscow 82-86
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 86-75
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs. Unicaja Malaga 78-63
March 21, 2015 - Top 16 Round 11 bwin MVP: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul
The
reigning Euroleague Rising Star award winner, Bogdan Bogdanovic,
continued to shine with his first bwin MVP of the week honor.
Bogdanovic torched EA7 Emporio Armani Milan for 25 points and a
performance index rating of 32 in a 98-77 home win that lifted his
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul to a 98-77 victory and a spot in the
playoffs. Bogdanovic’s index rating was the highest of any player on a
winning team in Top 16 Round 11. He also had 4 assists, 2 steals and
shot 6 for 6 from the foul line in a brilliant performance. The week’s
top index rating belonged to Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade center
Boban Marjanovic, who scored a 35 in a 73-77 loss to FC Barcelona.
Marjanovic, who is the Euroleague leader in performance index rating
this season with an average of 24.8 per game, tallied 23 points, 11
rebounds and 5 assists. Read more here.
March 19, 2015 - Top 16 Round 11: Heat of the battle!
Two teams qualified for the playoffs last week, and
three more can do that this week – including Group F co-leaders
Fenerbahce Ulker and Olympiacos Piraeus. With only four games to go in
the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16, and with no teams eliminated
from the playoff race yet, five games on Thursday and three more on
Friday should provide for loads of excitement.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 11:
GROUP E
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. FC Barcelona 73-77
ALBA Berlin vs. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul 75-68
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Real Madrid 85-69
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 79-72
GROUP F
Unicaja Malaga vs. CSKA Moscow 77-95
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 98-77
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Nizhny Novgorod 79-75
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 74-73
March 15, 2015 - Top 16 Round 10 bwin MVP: Ante Tomic, FC Barcelona
Ante
Tomic continued his annual Top 16 dominance on Thursday by leading FC
Barcelona to an 89-71 victory over defending champion Maccabi Electra
Tel Aviv that was worth sole possession of second place in their group.
The Barcelona center posted 16 points on perfect shooting, plus 12
rebounds and 6 assists, to rack up a performance index rating of 35,
which earned him bwin MVP honors for Top 16 Round 10. This marks the
second time this season and the fifth time in the past three seasons in
which Tomic has been MVP of the week in the Top 16. Tomic was the
central factor in the game, making 4 of 4 two-point shots and 8 of 8
free throws. He also recorded 1 steal and drew 7 fouls. The week's
runner-up was Trey Thompkins of Nizhny Novgorod, who compiled an index
rating of 26 in his team's 89-85 victory over Laboral Kutxa Vitoria.
Read more here.
March 12, 2015 - Top 16, Round 10
Round 10 of the Top 16 could prove the first that
determines teams that qualify for the 2014-15 Turkish Airlines
Euroleague Playoffs! With victories, two group leaders holding 8-1
records – Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus - as well as CSKA Moscow
from Group F can become the first teams this season to clinch playoff
berths. Meanwhile, each of the remaining 13 teams is still a playoff
hopeful. Evenly split over Thursday and Friday with four games each,
Round 10 of the Top 16 has all the ingredients to be a special one.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 10:
GROUP E
Real Madrid vs. ALBA Berlin 93-62 Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Panathinaikos Athens 76-70
Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 68-91
FC Barcelona vs. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv89-71
GROUP F
Nizhny Novgorod vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 89-85
CSKA Moscow vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 88-83
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Unicaja Malaga 90-86
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 64-73
March 8, 2015 - Top 16 Round 9 bwin MVP: Reggie Redding, ALBA Berlin
When
his team had its back to the wall and needed someone to stand tall,
Reggie Redding of ALBA Berlin rose to the challenge. Redding starred as
short-handed ALBA fueled its playoff hopes with an 80-72 victory over
visiting Zalgiris Kaunas on Wednesday. His dominant 27-point
performance also netted Redding Top 16 Round 9 bwin MVP honors. Redding
also collected 7 rebounds, dished 5 assists and was an effective
shooter, making 6 of 11 two-point shots, both of his three-point
attempts and shooting 9 of 10 from the foul line in amassing a
performance index rating of 36, which was the highest of any player in
Top 16 Round 9. His scoring output was ALBA’s most in a Euroleague game
in more than a decade. Redding also became ALBA’s first weekly MVP
winner since Immanuel McElroy won the award in Round 9 of the 2008-09
regular season. Read more here.
March 4, 2015 - Top 16, Round 9
Four of five teams with best Top 16 records face
road tests in Round 9, including both group leaders. While those teams
focus on making a push for the playoff home-court advantage, several
other teams have a last chance to get back into a playoff hunt this
week. Action is split over three days, with one game on Wednesday, five
more on Thursday, before Round 9 concludes with three games on Friday.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 9:
GROUP E
Panathinaikos Athens vs. FC Barcelona 77-81 Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul vs. Real Madrid 71-107
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 89-76
ALBA Berlin vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 80-72
GROUP F
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. CSKA Moscow 74-81
Unicaja Malaga vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 93-90
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs. Nizhny Novgorod 92-79
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 74-83
March 3, 2015 - MVP for February: Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid
In
Real Madrid's quest to host - and then win - the Turkish Airlines
Euroleague Final Four this spring, February loomed as a crucial month.
When its three Top 16 games were finished, however, Madrid looked
stronger than ever, thanks in large part to the leadership of Rudy
Fernandez, Euroleague Basketball's choice as the bwin MVP of February.
Fernandez lit a fire under Madrid to start the month, putting on the
best all-around performance of his stellar Euroleague career against
archrival FC Barcelona. Next, he led a takeover run after halftime
against Zalgiris Kaunas in Madrid's only road game, another victory.
And finally, Fernandez and Madrid returned home to defeat Crvena Zvezda
Telekom Belgrade and complete a perfect month. Fernandez was the
Euroleague's fifth-best scorer and two-point shooter in February, while
ranking seventh in three-point efficiency and making his presence
constantly felt as a rebounder, passer and stealer, too. Read more here.
March 1, 2015 - Top 16 Round 8 bwin MVP: Samardo Samuels, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
From
tipoff in the first game of Top 16 Round 8, Samardo Samuels of EA7
Emporio Armani Milan started to dominate. He scored 16 first-quarter
points, added 11 more in the second and didn't stop until he had paced
a much-needed 76-85 road win against Nizhny Novgorod and completed one
of the best performances in Top 16 history. Behind his monster 36-point
and 9-rebound outing, Samuels ran away with the bwin MVP honor for Top
16 Round 8. His performance index rating of 47 was not only the best in
the competition all season, but tied for the third-best in Top 16
history. Samuels also set a record for the most two-pointers made in a
Top 16 game, downing 14 of 16. He also made 8 of 11 free throws and
drew 12 fouls. The second-best performance of the week came from a
familiar face, Boban Marjanovic of Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, who
is this season's performance index rating leader. Read more here.
February 26, 2015 - Top 16 Round 8: Second leg drama awaits!
After taking a break for a week, Turkish Airlines
Euroleague action wll resume as Round 8 opens the second half of the
Top 16 on Thursday, February 26. As the teams are starting their final
push for the playoffs, the first goal of all teams is to qualify for
the next round and then to finish as high as possible, with first and
second places in each group also earning home-court advantage. Round 7
action is evenly split with four games Thursday and four more on
Friday.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 8:
GROUP E
FC Barcelona vs. ALBA Berlin 92-82
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul 72-59
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs. Panathinaikos Athens 73-70
Real Madrid vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 85-61
GROUP F
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 84-87
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Unicaja Malaga 77-72
Nizhny Novgorod vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 76-85
CSKA Moscow vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 75-81
February 14, 2015 - Top 16 Round 7 bwin MVP: Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow
Nando
De Colo was awarded the bwin MVP for January trophy prior to CSKA
Moscow’s 97-75 victory over EA7 Emporio Armani on Friday night. And if
anyone was unsure why, he reminded them with another fantastic
performance to become the Top 16 Round 7 bwin MVP, too. De Colo tallied
18 points, 7 assists and 4 steals for a performance index rating of 29,
which was the highest among any player on a winning team in this week's
eight games. He only committed a single turnover, drew 5 fouls and did
not miss in 6 trips to the foul line. The highest index rating of the
week came from Art Parakhouski, who was unstoppable inside for Nizhny
Novgorod in an 82-91 loss to Olympiacos Piraeus. The center scored 25
points on 11-of-16 shooting in addition to 11 rebounds and 2 blocks for
a performance index rating of 30. Read more here.
February 12, 2015 - Top 16, Round 7: Heading into halfway point
The 2014-15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 will
reach its halfway mark in Round 7 on Thursday and Friday with the
playoff races as wide open as ever. There are no more unbeaten or
winless teams, which has not been the case this late in the Top 16
since it was expanded to 14 games for the 2012-13 season. Round 7
brings some key matchups, highlighted by an all-Turkish clash with two
coaching legends going against each other, and with a Game of the Week
featuring frequent opponents coming off big wins.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 7:
GROUP E
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs. ALBA Berlin 59-66 FC Barcelona vs. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul 82-70
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Real Madrid 71-88
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 74-69
GROUP F
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. Unicaja Malaga 79-74
CSKA Moscow vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 97-75
Nizhny Novgorod vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 82-91
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 71-77
February 7, 2015 - Top 16, Round 6 bwin MVP: Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid
Rudy
Fernandez showed why he has been named to the All-Euroleague First Team
for two years running on Thursday when he put together one of his best
performances in leading Real Madrid to a convincing 97-73 victory over
archrival FC Barcelona in the Game of the Week. The victory kept Madrid
tied for first place in Group E and his stellar game earned Fernandez
the Top 16 Round 6 bwin MVP honor. Fernandez torched Barcelona for 22
points on 6-of-7 two-point shooting, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals
for a performance index rating of 38. The index rating was both his
career high and the highest by any player in the Top 16 this season.
The former Euroleague Rising Star Award winner helped his team blast
off early with 3 three-pointers and 11 points in the first quarter as
Madrid took a double-digit lead and never looked back. Read more here.
February 5, 2015 - Top 16, Round 6: All eyes on El Clasico
The lone unbeaten team will try to keep its perfect
record intact and the last winless team in the Top 16 will attempt to
break its drought, but all eyes this week will turn to Madrid. At the
Barclaycard Center, the site of the 2015 Turkish Airlines Euroleague
Final Four, host Real Madrid will clash with its arch-rival FC
Barcelona in Euroleague’s 21st edition of El Clasico in the Game of the
Week. With eight games split evenly on Thursday and Friday, get ready
for another fantastic week of basketball thrills and excitement.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 6:
GROUP E
Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona 97-73 ALBA Berlin vs. Panathinaikos Athens 59-65
Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul vs. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 94-97
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 68-70
GROUP F
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 91-90
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. CSKA Moscow 84-76
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 71-73
Unicaja Malaga vs. Nizhny Novgorod 85-76
February 2, 2015 - MVP for January: Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow
The
Turkish Airlines Euroleague's longest unbeaten run in almost a decade
belongs to everyone at CSKA Moscow, but during the first month of 2015,
the biggest fingerprints on that streak were left by the team's newest
star, Nando De Colo, Euroleague Basketball's choice as bwin MVP for
January. A 27-year-old combo guard who arrived injured to his new club
this summer, De Colo has not missed a beat since debuting for CSKA in
the third game of the regular season. But in January, De Colo outdid
himself. In the span of five games, he matched or set 11 of his own
Euroleague career highs and ranked among the 10 best Top 16 players in
11 different statistics. In the fourth game of the month, he scored the
most points ever without a missed shot, 28, by a Euroleague player. At
month's end, however, the most important statistic was the 5-0 record
that extended CSKA's season-long streak to 15 wins without a defeat.
Read more here.
January 31, 2015 - Top 16, Round 5 bwin MVP: Ante Tomic, FC Barcelona
He
has dominated in the Top 16 before and FC Barcelona center Ante Tomic
did so again in Round 5 with a near-perfect performance that has earned
him the bwin MVP of the week distinction. Tomic led his team in six
different statistical categories during Barcelona's tipoff-to-buzzer
89-72 victory over visiting Zalgiris Kaunas in Group E on Friday. In
almost 25 mostly flawless minutes, he scored 16 points by making 6 of 7
two-point shots and all 4 of his free throws. Tomic also had 9
rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks while drawing 5 fouls, adding to a
performance index rating of 34 that was the best on a winning team this
week. The highest index rating of the week came from Real Madrid’s
Felipe Reyes, who also made history by becoming the Euroleague’s career
rebounder leader. Reyes posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists for
a performance index rating of 35 in his team’s 90-86 loss at defending
champion Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv. Read more here.
January 29, 2015 - Top 16, Round 5: All eyes on championship game rematch
The Top 16 races begin coming into sharper focus
during Round 5, in which three undefeated teams can solidify their good
standing while several other teams need to end losing streaks. The
marquee matchup is not for discussion as reigning champion Maccabi
Electra Tel Aviv hosts Real Madrid, the team it beat for the trophy
last spring in the first overtime game to crown a European champion
since 1969. Their newest face-to-face meeting highlights five games on
Thursday, while Top 16 Round 5 finishes with a bang, three simultaneous
tipoffs on Friday!
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 5:
GROUP E
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. ALBA Berlin 86-69
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul 86-75 Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs. Real Madrid 90-86
FC Barcelona vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 89-72
GROUP F
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 102-83
CSKA Moscow vs. Nizhny Novgorod 103-95
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 84-70
Unicaja Malaga vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 60-68
January 24, 2015 - Top 16, Round 4 bwin MVP: Artsiom Parakhouski, Nizhny Novgorod
The
ever-improving Artsiom Parakhouski was unstoppable on Friday in leading
Nizhny Novgorod to a historic 109-90 victory over Anadolu Efes
Istanbul. The dominance of the first-year center also netted
Parakhouski bwin MVP honors for Top 16 Round 4. He was Nizhny's top
scorer with a season-high 27 points and racked up a performance index
rating of 37, which was the most of any player in the Top 16 to date
this season. Parakhouski was extremely efficient; he made 11 of 14
shots and was perfect in 5 trips to the foul line. He also added 6
rebounds and 3 blocks. Last week's bwin MVP Nando De Colo starred again
as CSKA Moscow routed Unicaja Malaga 101-74. De Colo posted an index
rating of 32 after scoring 28 points on perfect shooting, including 4
three-pointers. De Colo also posted 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Read more here.
January 22, 2015 - Top 16, Round 4: Several classics to count on!
Three teams go into Round 4 undefeated in Top 16
action, and will try to extend their unbeaten runs on their home
floors. However, home floors have not been of a significant advantage
so far in this phase, as twice in three weeks five of eight games went
in the visitors' favor. Split evenly with four games each on Thursday
and Friday, get set for another exciting week of Euroleague
unpredictability.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 4:
GROUP E
Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul vs. ALBA Berlin 65-75 Real Madrid vs. Panathinaikos Athens 83-65
FC Barcelona vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 92-77
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 66-73
GROUP F
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 76-64
Nizhny Novgorod vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 109-90
CSKA Moscow vs. Unicaja Malaga 101-74
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 71-82
January 17, 2015 - Top 16 Round 3 bwin MVP: Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow
A
lot of Turkish Airlines Euroleague stars shined brightly in Top 16
Round 3, but none did better than CSKA Moscow combo guard Nando De
Colo, who led his team to a valuable road win against Anadolu Efes
Istanbul. De Colo paced CSKA's 69-78 triumph Thursday with his
Euroleague career high of 22 points while making 12 of 13 free throws.
He added four more Euroleague personal highs with 7 rebounds, 4 steals
and 12 fouls drawn and a performance index ranking of 34, the highest
for any Euroleague player in Top 16 Round 3. Ante Tomic of FC Barcelona
shined in his team's road loss against Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv. Tomic
had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 7 fouls drawn for a 29 index
rating. Aaron Jackson of CSKA had 21 points on 8-for-8 two-point,
1-of-2 three-point and 2-of-2 free-throw shooting, plus 4 rebounds, 4
assists and 3 fouls drawn to amass a 28 index rating. Read more here.
January 15, 2015 - Top 16 Round 3: more and more exciting games!
Round 3 of the 2014-15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague
Top 16 gives four undefeated teams the opportunity to consolidate their
good position and four winless teams to date the chance to jump into
the victory column. After Round 2 just brought one road win - by
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul - the burden of defending their home courts
has become even more critical for all teams. Among three 2-0 teams that
play on the road, the only team undefeated for the entire season, CSKA
Moscow, will get the round started against Anadolu Efes Istanbul to
break their share of a three-way tie for first place in Group F. Theirs
is among three games Thursday, with five more coming down on a busy
Friday.
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 3:
GROUP E
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs. FC Barcelona 70-68
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul 65-74
ALBA Berlin vs. Real Madrid 61-79
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 77-58
GROUP F
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. CSKA Moscow 69-78
Unicaja Malaga vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 77-84
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. Nizhny Novgorod 81-74
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 68-74
January 10, 2015 - Top 16, Round 2 co-MVPs: Felipe Reyes, Madrid and Brian Randle, Maccabi
Round
2 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 finished with joint bwin
MVPs. Brain Randle of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv and Felipe Reyes of Real
Madrid each played critical roles in their teams' Thursday night
victories and finished with performance index ratings of 29, which were
the highest of the week. Randle posted 16 points on near-perfect
shooting in addition to 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 block to lead the
champs to a 78-67 home victory over Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. He
was 6-for-6 on two-point shots and perfect on 4 free throws to achieve
the 29 index rating. Reyes led Madrid over Galatasaray Liv Hospital
Istanbul 93-78 with 22 points and 11 rebounds. He made 9 of 13 shots
and added 2 assists to claim his first weekly MVP honor since the
2005-06 season. Read more here.
January 8, 2015 - Top 16 Round 2: more and more action coming up!
After an opening round full of action, the 2014-15
Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 resumes with eight great changes all
around the continent. Only two teams - ALBA Berlin and Nizhny Novgorod
- managed to get double-digit wins and as many as five squads -
including all four teams in Group F! - stole road wins right away. It
all starts on Thursday with four games, followed by four more on
Friday. Stay tuned and don't miss a bit of it!
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 2:
GROUP E
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 78-67
Real Madrid vs. Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul 93-78
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. ALBA Berlin 75-62
FC Barcelona vs. Panathinaikos Athens 80-76
GROUP F
CSKA Moscow vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria 99-90
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 81-58
Nizhny Novgorod vs. Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 60-78
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Unicaja Malaga 74-70
January 3, 2015 - Top 16 Round 1 bwin MVP: Taylor Rochestie, Nizhny Novgorod
Two
games out due to injury did nothing to slow down the regular season's
best scorer, as Nizhny Novgorod guard Taylor Rochestie returned to
action with a bang this week as the first bwin MVP of the Top 16.
Rochestie was everywhere while leading Nizhny to a historic first Top
16 win by 59-79 over host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Friday. Coming
off the bench late in the first quarter, he set about feeding teammates
on the way to eight assists, matching his Euroleague career high. But
with his team trailing at halftime, Rochestie turned his attention to
the basket and scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half as Nizhny
raced to victory in stunning fashion. Rochestie added 4 rebounds and
was a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line, too, contributing to a
performance index rating of 32, which equaled his own previous best and
was the highest among all Euroleague players in Top 16 Round 1. Read
more here.
December 30, 2014 - Top 16, Round 1: it only gets better and better!
Dear
Turkish Airlines Euroleague fans, welcome to the 2014-15 Top 16! The 16
surviving squads were divided into two groups of eight teams based on
the final standings from the regular season. The Top 16 consists on a
round-robin, 14-game phase and at the end of it, the best four teams
from each group will advance to the playoffs. Two games will be played
on Tuesday, December 30, 2014, followed by six more on Friday, January
2, 2015. Don't miss the action – it’s a great way to finish 2014 and
start 2015, Turkish Airlines Euroleague style!
Here is the schedule of TOP 16, Game 1:
GROUP E
Galatasaray Liv Hospital Istanbul vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 78-69
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv 83-76
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Real Madrid 72-79
ALBA Berlin vs. FC Barcelona 80-70
GROUP F
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs. CSKA Moscow 81-84
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 67-72
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Nizhny Novgorod 59-79
Unicaja Malaga vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 61-69
A
champion who made sure his team will keep defending the Turkish
Airlines Euroleague title and a breakthrough performer in his last game
of the season shared the honors as bwin co-MVPs as the Top 16 closed in
round 14 this week. Devin Smith scored a career-high 28 points to lead
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv into the playoffs with a rousing 64-73 road at
ALBA Berlin. To his 7 three-pointers in 10 attempts, matching the most
made any player has made in a Top 16 game this decade, Smith added 7
rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot for a performance index rating
of 28, which was the highest this week among players on winning teams.
He was matched in that total by Boban Marjanovic, whose led Crvena
Zvezda Telekom Belgrade to a 69-68 farewell victory against visiting
Panathinaikos Athens. Marjanovic finished with 12 points, 3 assists, 1
block, while his incredible 16 rebounds that gave him a new Euroleague
record on the boards for one season with a total of 256. Read more 
His
five-year Turkish Airlines Euroleague career has been the perfect
example of constant, season-by-season improvement. But in what was
arguably the crucial month of this season's most decisive phase yet,
forward Nemanja Bjelica of Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul put his many
exquisite skills together like never before to become Euroleague
Basketball's choice as the bwin MVP for March. Bjelica, 26, led
Fenerbahce's take-over of Top 16 Group F with four victories in March
that extended its winning streak to a club-record nine games. The
average margin of victory for Fenerbahce in March was an incredible
14.5 points per game. The highlight was the first win by any Euroleague
opponent on the floor of Olympiacos Piraeus in more than year. Bjelica
finished the month with a stream of stats - 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3
assists and 1 block per game - that only hinted at how much his
all-around effectiveness set Fenerbahce apart. Read more 
With
the best night yet in his budding Turkish Airlines Euroleague career,
Alessandro Gentile of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan continued his great run
of form to earn the bwin MVP honor for Top 16 Round 12. Gentile led his
team to a 99-85 victory over Laboral Kutxa Vitoria on Thursday with a
career-high 29 points. He also established a career best with a
performance index rating of 30, which was the highest of any player on
a winning team in Top 16 Round 12. Gentile, who has averaged 23.8
points over his past four games, made 4 of 5 threes against Laboral,
grabbed 7 rebounds and dished 4 assists. He joined center Samardo
Samuels to become Milan’s second weekly MVP in the Top 16. For the
second week in a row, the week’s top index rating belonged to Crvena
Zvezda Telekom Belgrade center Boban Marjanovic, who dominated the
paint in his team’s 73-68 loss at ALBA Berlin. Read more 
The
reigning Euroleague Rising Star award winner, Bogdan Bogdanovic,
continued to shine with his first bwin MVP of the week honor.
Bogdanovic torched EA7 Emporio Armani Milan for 25 points and a
performance index rating of 32 in a 98-77 home win that lifted his
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul to a 98-77 victory and a spot in the
playoffs. Bogdanovic’s index rating was the highest of any player on a
winning team in Top 16 Round 11. He also had 4 assists, 2 steals and
shot 6 for 6 from the foul line in a brilliant performance. The week’s
top index rating belonged to Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade center
Boban Marjanovic, who scored a 35 in a 73-77 loss to FC Barcelona.
Marjanovic, who is the Euroleague leader in performance index rating
this season with an average of 24.8 per game, tallied 23 points, 11
rebounds and 5 assists. Read more 
Ante
Tomic continued his annual Top 16 dominance on Thursday by leading FC
Barcelona to an 89-71 victory over defending champion Maccabi Electra
Tel Aviv that was worth sole possession of second place in their group.
The Barcelona center posted 16 points on perfect shooting, plus 12
rebounds and 6 assists, to rack up a performance index rating of 35,
which earned him bwin MVP honors for Top 16 Round 10. This marks the
second time this season and the fifth time in the past three seasons in
which Tomic has been MVP of the week in the Top 16. Tomic was the
central factor in the game, making 4 of 4 two-point shots and 8 of 8
free throws. He also recorded 1 steal and drew 7 fouls. The week's
runner-up was Trey Thompkins of Nizhny Novgorod, who compiled an index
rating of 26 in his team's 89-85 victory over Laboral Kutxa Vitoria.
Read more 
When
his team had its back to the wall and needed someone to stand tall,
Reggie Redding of ALBA Berlin rose to the challenge. Redding starred as
short-handed ALBA fueled its playoff hopes with an 80-72 victory over
visiting Zalgiris Kaunas on Wednesday. His dominant 27-point
performance also netted Redding Top 16 Round 9 bwin MVP honors. Redding
also collected 7 rebounds, dished 5 assists and was an effective
shooter, making 6 of 11 two-point shots, both of his three-point
attempts and shooting 9 of 10 from the foul line in amassing a
performance index rating of 36, which was the highest of any player in
Top 16 Round 9. His scoring output was ALBA’s most in a Euroleague game
in more than a decade. Redding also became ALBA’s first weekly MVP
winner since Immanuel McElroy won the award in Round 9 of the 2008-09
regular season. Read more 
In
Real Madrid's quest to host - and then win - the Turkish Airlines
Euroleague Final Four this spring, February loomed as a crucial month.
When its three Top 16 games were finished, however, Madrid looked
stronger than ever, thanks in large part to the leadership of Rudy
Fernandez, Euroleague Basketball's choice as the bwin MVP of February.
Fernandez lit a fire under Madrid to start the month, putting on the
best all-around performance of his stellar Euroleague career against
archrival FC Barcelona. Next, he led a takeover run after halftime
against Zalgiris Kaunas in Madrid's only road game, another victory.
And finally, Fernandez and Madrid returned home to defeat Crvena Zvezda
Telekom Belgrade and complete a perfect month. Fernandez was the
Euroleague's fifth-best scorer and two-point shooter in February, while
ranking seventh in three-point efficiency and making his presence
constantly felt as a rebounder, passer and stealer, too. Read more 
From
tipoff in the first game of Top 16 Round 8, Samardo Samuels of EA7
Emporio Armani Milan started to dominate. He scored 16 first-quarter
points, added 11 more in the second and didn't stop until he had paced
a much-needed 76-85 road win against Nizhny Novgorod and completed one
of the best performances in Top 16 history. Behind his monster 36-point
and 9-rebound outing, Samuels ran away with the bwin MVP honor for Top
16 Round 8. His performance index rating of 47 was not only the best in
the competition all season, but tied for the third-best in Top 16
history. Samuels also set a record for the most two-pointers made in a
Top 16 game, downing 14 of 16. He also made 8 of 11 free throws and
drew 12 fouls. The second-best performance of the week came from a
familiar face, Boban Marjanovic of Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, who
is this season's performance index rating leader. Read more 
Nando
De Colo was awarded the bwin MVP for January trophy prior to CSKA
Moscow’s 97-75 victory over EA7 Emporio Armani on Friday night. And if
anyone was unsure why, he reminded them with another fantastic
performance to become the Top 16 Round 7 bwin MVP, too. De Colo tallied
18 points, 7 assists and 4 steals for a performance index rating of 29,
which was the highest among any player on a winning team in this week's
eight games. He only committed a single turnover, drew 5 fouls and did
not miss in 6 trips to the foul line. The highest index rating of the
week came from Art Parakhouski, who was unstoppable inside for Nizhny
Novgorod in an 82-91 loss to Olympiacos Piraeus. The center scored 25
points on 11-of-16 shooting in addition to 11 rebounds and 2 blocks for
a performance index rating of 30. Read more 
The
ever-improving Artsiom Parakhouski was unstoppable on Friday in leading
Nizhny Novgorod to a historic 109-90 victory over Anadolu Efes
Istanbul. The dominance of the first-year center also netted
Parakhouski bwin MVP honors for Top 16 Round 4. He was Nizhny's top
scorer with a season-high 27 points and racked up a performance index
rating of 37, which was the most of any player in the Top 16 to date
this season. Parakhouski was extremely efficient; he made 11 of 14
shots and was perfect in 5 trips to the foul line. He also added 6
rebounds and 3 blocks. Last week's bwin MVP Nando De Colo starred again
as CSKA Moscow routed Unicaja Malaga 101-74. De Colo posted an index
rating of 32 after scoring 28 points on perfect shooting, including 4
three-pointers. De Colo also posted 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Read more 
A
lot of Turkish Airlines Euroleague stars shined brightly in Top 16
Round 3, but none did better than CSKA Moscow combo guard Nando De
Colo, who led his team to a valuable road win against Anadolu Efes
Istanbul. De Colo paced CSKA's 69-78 triumph Thursday with his
Euroleague career high of 22 points while making 12 of 13 free throws.
He added four more Euroleague personal highs with 7 rebounds, 4 steals
and 12 fouls drawn and a performance index ranking of 34, the highest
for any Euroleague player in Top 16 Round 3. Ante Tomic of FC Barcelona
shined in his team's road loss against Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv. Tomic
had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 7 fouls drawn for a 29 index
rating. Aaron Jackson of CSKA had 21 points on 8-for-8 two-point,
1-of-2 three-point and 2-of-2 free-throw shooting, plus 4 rebounds, 4
assists and 3 fouls drawn to amass a 28 index rating. Read more 
Round
2 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 finished with joint bwin
MVPs. Brain Randle of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv and Felipe Reyes of Real
Madrid each played critical roles in their teams' Thursday night
victories and finished with performance index ratings of 29, which were
the highest of the week. Randle posted 16 points on near-perfect
shooting in addition to 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 block to lead the
champs to a 78-67 home victory over Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. He
was 6-for-6 on two-point shots and perfect on 4 free throws to achieve
the 29 index rating. Reyes led Madrid over Galatasaray Liv Hospital
Istanbul 93-78 with 22 points and 11 rebounds. He made 9 of 13 shots
and added 2 assists to claim his first weekly MVP honor since the
2005-06 season. Read more 
Two
games out due to injury did nothing to slow down the regular season's
best scorer, as Nizhny Novgorod guard Taylor Rochestie returned to
action with a bang this week as the first bwin MVP of the Top 16.
Rochestie was everywhere while leading Nizhny to a historic first Top
16 win by 59-79 over host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Friday. Coming
off the bench late in the first quarter, he set about feeding teammates
on the way to eight assists, matching his Euroleague career high. But
with his team trailing at halftime, Rochestie turned his attention to
the basket and scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half as Nizhny
raced to victory in stunning fashion. Rochestie added 4 rebounds and
was a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line, too, contributing to a
performance index rating of 32, which equaled his own previous best and
was the highest among all Euroleague players in Top 16 Round 1. Read
more 
Dear
Turkish Airlines Euroleague fans, welcome to the 2014-15 Top 16! The 16
surviving squads were divided into two groups of eight teams based on
the final standings from the regular season. The Top 16 consists on a
round-robin, 14-game phase and at the end of it, the best four teams
from each group will advance to the playoffs. Two games will be played
on Tuesday, December 30, 2014, followed by six more on Friday, January
2, 2015. Don't miss the action – it’s a great way to finish 2014 and
start 2015, Turkish Airlines Euroleague style!
