April 9, 2016 - Top 16, Round 14 MVP: Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow
CSKA
Moscow has many reasons to smile heading into the playoffs and one of
them is guard Nando De Colo, who is playing at the highest level at the
perfect time and he proved so by winning weekly MVP honors for the
second week in a row. De Colo led a fourth-quarter comeback as CSKA
closed the Top 16 with a 96-99 road victory over Olympiacos Piraeus.
After sharing the MVP honors with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz center
Ioannis Bourousis a week ago, this time De Colo stood alone with a
performance index rating of 36 which was the most among players in
Round 14 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16. De Colo scored 20
points, dished 4 assists and collected 3 steals in compiling a PIR of
36, marking the second straight week in which he established a new
career high in that category. Read more here.
April 7, 2016 - Round 14
The Top 16 closes in Round 14 this week with Group E
settling one question - which two of four already-qualified playoff
teams will finish second and which one third - while Group F decides a
lot more. Its top two teams will battle over first and second place.
But its third and fourth places, the final two playoff spots on offer,
are to be decided among five teams currently within a single victory of
each other. It's possible that all of the questions in both groups are
answered by four games on Thursday, but depending on those results, a
couple of possibilities could carry over to the two latest games of
four on Friday. Read more here.
Here is the schedule for Round 14:
GROUP E
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos Athens 91-86
Cedevita Zagreb vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 83-62
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 87-86
Unicaja Malaga vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul 71-67
GROUP F
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. FC Barcelona Lassa 59-66
Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz 89-69
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. CSKA Moscow 96-99
Real Madrid vs. Khimki Moscow Region 83-70
April 2, 2016 - Top 16 Round 13 co-MVPs: Ioannis Bourousis and Nando De Colo
Two
of this Turkish Airlines Euroleague season's most dominant players did
it again on Friday! CSKA Moscow guard Nando De Colo and Laboral Kutxa
Vitoria Gasteiz center Ioannis Bourousis led their teams to
come-from-behind victories that also clinched home-court advantage in
the playoffs for each. In doing so, each compiled performance index
ratings of 35, which were the highest among all players this week and
made them co-MVPs for Top 16 Round 13. De Colo posted his new
career-high index rating in a 100-86 home win over Zalgiris Kaunas. He
amassed 26 points on just 11 shots, making 3 of 4 three-pointers and
all 7 of his free throws. De Colo also collected 7 rebounds, 3 assists,
1 steal and 1 block in claiming his second weekly MVP honor of the
season. He leads the league in average PIR this season at 24.1 per
game. Read more here.
March 31, 2016 - Round 13
Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul took the opening game
of its Eurocup Semifinals series against Herbalife Gran Canaria Las
Palmas 89-75 on Wednesday in front of 10,383 passionate fans at Abdi
Ipekci Arena. Chuck Davis amassed 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists
and Errick McCollum also scored 18 for Galatasaray, which takes a
14-point cushion into the decisive return leg next week in the Canary
Islands. The game was close for much of the first half, but the hosts
pushed ahead by 7 at halftime and used a 12-2 charge early in the third
quarter to pull away for good. The difference reached 19 on multiple
occasions before Gran Canaria fought back in the fourth to get within
10, but the hosts scored the final two baskets of the game. Galatasaray
dominated inside by outrebounding the visitors 43-34 and making 68.2%
of their two-point shots.
Here is the schedule for Round 13:
GROUP E
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Cedevita Zagreb 76-60
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 61-80
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 90-86
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Unicaja Malaga 81-60
GROUP F
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. Brose Baskets Bamberg 75-57
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz vs. Real Madrid 89-88
Khimki Moscow Region vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 98-66
CSKA Moscow vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 100-86
March 27, 2016 - Top 16, Round 12 MVP: Tyler Honeycutt, Khimki Moscow Region
Tyler
Honeycutt was seemingly everywhere at Zalgirio Arena on Friday evening
in leading Khimki Moscow Region to a 71-76 come-from behind victory
over Zalgiris Kaunas. After producing an amazing performance at both
ends of the floor, Honeycutt earned weekly MVP honors for Round 12 of
the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16. His impressive stat line of 10
points, 17 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks resulted in a performance
index rating of 30, which was the most among all players during the
three days of Round 12 games. Anadolu Efes Istanbul teammates Thomas
Heurtel and Dario Saric were the weekly runners-up with index ratings
of 28 in an 87-67 rout of Unicaja Malaga to remain alive in the
competition. Heurtel did not miss inside the arc in tallying 17 points
and 13 assists; Saric only missed 2 shots altogether as he amassed 17
points and 11 rebounds. Read more here.
March 23, 2016 - Top 16, Round 12
With two teams already in the playoffs, one more
team - the winner or Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Crvena Zvezda
Telekom Belgrade – will surely qualify for the playoffs this week.
However, if the results go certain way, as many as four teams can
clinch a playoff spots in Top 16 Round 12. The action will span three
days this week, with marquee all-Spanish battle Laboral Kutxa Vitoria
Gasteiz vs. FC Barcelona Lassa lighting the fuse on Wednesday, three
more games on Thursday, and four to cap a potentially pivotal week on
Friday! Read more here.
Here is the schedule for Round 12:
GROUP E
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Unicaja Malaga 87-67
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos Athens 84-86
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 86-62
Cedevita Zagreb vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul 89-59
GROUP F
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz vs. FC Barcelona Lassa 75-71
Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. CSKA Moscow 91-83
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Khimki Moscow Region 71-76
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Real Madrid 99-84
March 19, 2016 - Top 16 Round 11 MVP: Bradley Wanamaker, Brose Baskets Bamberg
Bradley
Wanamaker of Brose Baskets Bamberg picked the perfect occasion to
deliver the best performance of his rookie season in the Turkish
Airlines Euroleague. Facing a must-win situation and with his team down
by 8 points in the fourth quarter against Khimki Moscow Region on
Thursday, Wanamaker stepped up to give one of the most remarkable
individual finishes this season, single-handedly rallying Bamberg to
victory and earning the Top 16 Round 11 MVP honor. Wanamaker scored 18
of his career-high 25 points in the game’s final 5 minutes. His first 5
points in that span sparked Bamberg's comeback from 63-71 down to tie
the game. But that was only the beginning, because he then netted all
of Bamberg's last 13 points, leading to an 84-79 win that keeps the
team's playoff dreams well and truly alive. Read more here.
March 17, 2016 - Top 16 Round 11
With the qualification of the first playoffs team
last week, the rush to get on board the playoffs train continues in Top
16 Round 11, when up to three more teams can advance. This round also
features a Game of the Week between two of the greatest sporting rivals
in the world. Five showdowns get things going strong on Thursday,
followed by three games on Friday. Read more here.
Here is the schedule for Round 11:
GROUP E
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Cedevita Zagreb 80-76
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 77-69
Unicaja Malaga vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 72-78
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 84-79
GROUP F
CSKA Moscow vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz 90-78
Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. Khimki Moscow Region 84-79
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. Real Madrid 72-65
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 74-59
March 12, 2016 - Top 16 Round 10 MVP: Ioannis Bourousis, Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz
The
Ioannis Bourousis revival continued Thursday as the Laboral Kutxa
Vitoria Gasteiz center led his team to a resounding victory in the Game
of the Week, collected his 10th double-double and recorded weekly MVP
honors for the third time this season. Bourousis starred in the 98-83
victory over Khimki Moscow Region with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 6
assists for a performance index rating of 29, which was the most of any
Turkish Airlines Euroleague player on a winning team for Round 10 of
the Top 16. He made 5 of 8 two-pointers and 2 of 4 shots from downtown
in 30 minutes of action. At age 32, Bourousis, who helped Real Madrid
win the Euroleague crown last season, is posting the best numbers of
his career with 14.4 points, a league-high 9.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists
per game. This marks the sixth time that Bourousis has been the weekly
MVP in his 14-season Euroleague career. Read more here.
March 10, 2016 - Top 16 Round 10
As the playoffs race enters the final stretch, the
stage is set in Top 16 Round 10 for up to two teams, one in each group,
to become the first ones to advance to the next phase. The drama is
split evenly with two games in each group on both Thursday in Friday.
One playoff team, either Fenerbahce Istanbul or Lokomotiv Kuban
Krasnodar, may come from the very first game on Thursday, while
another, CSKA Moscow, from the very last one on Friday. Only Fenerbahce
does not depend on other results to qualify with a victory, though.
Here is the schedule for Round 10:
GROUP E
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 68-72
Cedevita Zagreb vs. Unicaja Malaga 78-91
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Panathinaikos Athens 69-67
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul 52-55
GROUP F
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. CSKA Moscow 100-98
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz vs. Khimki Moscow Region 98-83
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Real Madrid 75-90
Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 72-71
March 5, 2016 - Top 16 Round 9 MVP: Luigi Datome, Fenerbahce Istanbul
Forward
Luigi Datome was the catalyst for a dominant second half on Friday as
Fenerbahce Istanbul staged a 72-65 come-from-behind win over Crvena
Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. His fantastic effort resulted in a career-high
in scoring and the weekly MVP honor for Top 16 Round 9, a first in
Datome's six-season Euroleague career. Datome shined with 27 points, 5
rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in compiling a performance index
rating of 29, which was best among all players on winning teams this
week. He scored 22 of his points in the second half, during which he
made 6 of 7 two-point shots and did not miss on 3 attempts from behind
the arc. Datome joined Jan Vesely as the only Fenerbahce players to win
weekly MVP honors this season. The highest index rating of the round
came from Brose Baskets Bamberg guard Nikos Zisis, who scored a
career-high 25 points in a 75-73 loss at Zalgiris Kaunas. Read more here.
March 2, 2016 - Top 16 Round 9
Round 9 of the Top 16 could put few teams on verge
of the playoffs, and other teams on the brink of elimination. Action
starts on Wednesday when powerhouses Real Madrid and CSKA Moscow
collide in Madrid. There are four games on Thursday, and three more
Friday.
Here is the schedule for Round 9:
GROUP E
Cedevita Zagreb vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 77-83
Unicaja Malaga vs. Panathinaikos Athens 58-76
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 72-65
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 61-76
GROUP F
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Brose Baskets Bamberg 75-73
Khimki Moscow Region vs. FC Barcelona Lassa 75-61
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz 82-68
Real Madrid vs. CSKA Moscow 87-96
February 27, 2016 - Top 16 Round 8 MVP: Anthony Randolph, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
Lokomotiv
Kuban Krasnodar center Anthony Randolph missed the start of the Turkish
Airlines Euroleague season due to injury, but the club waited patiently
for his return. And now that he's back in top form, it's clear why.
Randolph earned Top 16 Round 8 MVP honors after dominating with a
historic outing on Thursday as Lokomotiv routed Cedevita Zagreb 87-63.
Randolph produced 28 points on 9-of-10 two-point shooting in 28
minutes, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished 5 assists to produce a
performance index rating of 43, which was not only the highest of any
player during the week. It also established a new club record, was the
second-highest index rating all season and tied for the fifth-best
index in Top 16 history. What's more, the points, rebounds and assists
were all highs for Randolph in this, his debut Euroleague season. Read
more here.
February 25, 2016 - Top 16 Round 8: Back to the playoffs race!
The home stretch of the Top 16 begins in Round 8 as
teams begin meeting their group opponents for the second time. With
just three victories separating third and last place in each group, all
teams are very much alive in the playoffs hunt. Just two road teams -
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz - won when
these teams met back in Top 16 Round 1. This time around, there will be
a six-pack of showdowns on Thursday and one game from each group on
Friday.
Here is the schedule for Round 8:
GROUP E
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Cedevita Zagreb 87-63
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 91-82
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Unicaja Malaga 78-55
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul 76-71
GROUP F
CSKA Moscow vs. Khimki Moscow Region 108-98
Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. Real Madrid 86-90
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 82-66
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 71-65
February 13, 2016 - Top 16 Round 7 MVP: Gustavo Ayon, Real Madrid
Whenever
it has needed a big result this season, reigning champion Real Madrid
has been able to turn to center Gustavo Ayon. Such was the case again
this week, when the Mexican big man dominated and Los Blancos took
their first road win of the Top 16. Ayon was in fine form throughout
Thursday's 82-93 victory over Khimki Moscow Region as he posted a
performance index rating of 41, matching his previous best in the
Euroleague and exceeding all other players in Top 16 Round 7. Ayon's 41
index rating also tied the highest so far in the entire Top 16 and
secured him the MVP of the Week honor for the second time this season.
Ayon set a new personal best with 24 points on 10-for-12 two-point
shooting and added 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the Top
16. He also collected 5 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. Read
more here.
February 11, 2016 - Round 7
The Top 16 hits its mid-point with all 16 teams
still in playoff contention, with 15 of them holding between one and
four victories, and only Fenerbahce Istanbul undefeated through six
games. With eight games evenly split between Thursday and Friday, Top
16 Round 7 features a rematch of last season's Final Four semifinal
between CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus, as well as two clashes in
which teams face each other for the third time this season.
Here is the schedule for Round 7:
GROUP E
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Cedevita Zagreb 94-74
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 82-58
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 83-78
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Unicaja Malaga 80-59
GROUP F
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz vs. Brose Baskets Bamberg 90-64
Khimki Moscow Region vs. Real Madrid 82-93
CSKA Moscow vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 92-85
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 92-86
February 6, 2016 - Top 16, Round 6 MVP: Georgios Printezis, Olympiacos Piraeus
Coming
off a three-game losing streak and hosting the group leader, Olympiacos
Piraeus needed inspired play on Friday and got more than enough from a
familiar source, Georgios Printezis, the MVP for Top 16 Round 6. The
veteran forward and two-time champion stepped up with the biggest
offensive performance of his 187-game Euroleague career to help the
Reds right their ship with a 89-77 victory over dangerous Khimki Moscow
Region. To his usual array of two-point shots, of which he made 9 of
13, Printezis added 3-for-5 accuracy from the three-point arc and made
his 3 free throw attempts to score 30 points, several more than his
previous best in the Euroleague. His 3 triples matched his second-best
total in Euroleague play, as did his 9 rebounds, too. And with an
assist and 6 fouls drawn, Printezis amassed a 37 performance index
rating. Read more here.
February 4, 2016 - Round 6
Arguably the most competitive Top 16 ever, with as
many as 14 teams with at least two wins in their accounts, continues
with Round 6, featuring some of Europe's great rivalries from three
different corners of the continent. With road teams winning only six
games during the last three weeks, every victory away from home is a
precious one. Four games are scheduled on Thursday, followed by four
more on Friday. Get ready for a great week of Euroleague action!
Here is the schedule for Round 6:
GROUP E
Cedevita Zagreb vs. Panathinaikos Athens 60-78
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 69-66
Unicaja Malaga vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 64-82
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul 73-77
GROUP F
Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. FC Barcelona Lassa 74-70
Real Madrid vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz 68-77
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. CSKA Moscow 59-94
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Khimki Moscow Region 89-77
February 1, 2016 - MVP for January: Jan Vesely, Fenerbahce Istanbul
The
only undefeated run in the Top 16 this season has been highlighted
every step of the way by the unmistakable image of a certain big man
soaring to the rim and then swinging happily from it. If after a
perfect start to 2016, Fenerbahce Istanbul stands above the crowd in an
otherwise highly competitive Top 16, then a big slice of the credit
belongs to forward Jan Vesely, Euroleague Basketball's selection as MVP
for January. The so-called Czech Helicopter flew well above the radar
through four Fenerbahce victories last month, which Vesely started by
matching a 12-year-old Top 16 record. By the time January had finished,
he had accumulated more rebounds and blocks, plus a higher performance
index rating, than any Euroleague player. He also scored 12 or more
points in every game, thus posting the Euroleague's only double-double
average in January, too. Read more here.
January 30, 2016 - Top 16, Round 5 MVP: Tyrese Rice, Khimki Moscow Region
He's
the reigning Eurocup MVP and a former Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final
Four MVP. Now Khimki Moscow Region guard Tyrese Rice is the Euroleague
MVP of the Week, too. Rice claimed the honor for Round 5 of the Top 16
after leading Khimki to a 111-80 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday
with a performance index rating of 35, which was the highest among all
players in the week's games. Rice amassed 20 points on 5-of-8
three-point shooting plus 11 assists. He also made 5 of 6 free throws
and collected 2 steals in setting a career-high in index rating and
leading Khimki to a new club record for scoring. CSKA Moscow's star
guard Nando De Colo returned after a two-game absence to post a PIR of
28 in a 91-70 victory over Brose Baskets Bamberg. He tallied 19 point
on 5-of-7 two-point shooting and 2-of-3 from downtown plus 6 rebounds,
3 assists and 1 steal. Read more here.
January 28, 2016 - Round 5
The Top 16 is proving as competitive as ever, with
as many as 10 teams sharing 2-2 records after four games. That means
that anything can happen from Top 16 Round 5 going forward, with every
team holding options open to clinch a playoff spot. Expect more of the
same unpredictability this week in three games to be played on
Thursday, followed by five more on a busy Friday. Don't miss it!
Here is the schedule for Round 5:
GROUP E
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Cedevita Zagreb 86-73
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 82-79
Unicaja Malaga vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 75-85
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 80-66
GROUP F
CSKA Moscow vs. Brose Baskets Bamberg 91-70
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz 78-81
Real Madrid vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 84-72
Khimki Moscow Region vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 111-80
January 23, 2016 - Top 16, Round 4 co-MVPs: Ioannis Bourousis of Laboral Kutxa, Jan Vesely of Fenerbahce
Ioannis
Bourousis of Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz and Jan Vesely of Fenerbahce
Istanbul are two of the top big men in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague
and now they have something else in common; they are the Euroleague
co-MVPs for Round 4 of the Top 16. And each did it in a different way.
One week after registering season lows in scoring and performance index
rating, Bourousis roared again by leading his team to a fantastic 81-71
victory over CSKA Moscow with his seventh double-double of the season.
Vesely remained red hot as he helped Fenerbahce outgun Darussafaka
Dogus Istanbul 100-106. Each posted a performance index of 30, which
was the highest among all players in Round 4. Bourousis tallied 19
points and did much of his damage from the foul line; he drew 6 fouls
and made 9 of 10 free throws. The big man also posted 13 rebounds and 3
assists. Read more here.
January 21, 2016 - Round 4
With only one undefeated team – Fenerbahce Istanbul
in Group E – it is safe to say this is arguably the most balanced Top
16 ever. Round 4 brings rematches of legendary Euroleague games,
high-pressure showdowns and the Spanish Clasico in the Game of the
Week. Four games are scheduled on Thursday, followed by four more on
Friday. Get ready for a great week of Euroleague action!
Here is the schedule for Round 4:
GROUP E
Cedevita Zagreb vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 84-80
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Unicaja Malaga 87-73
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Panathinaikos Athens 76-67
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul 100-106
GROUP F
Khimki Moscow Region vs. Brose Baskets Bamberg 78-61
Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona Lassa 86-87
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz vs. CSKA Moscow 81-71
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 75-55
January 16, 2016 - Top 16, Round 3 MVP: Felipe Reyes, Real Madrid
Proving
that experience only enhances performance, veteran superstar Felipe
Reyes of Real Madrid helped the defending champs take a hard-fought
victory on Friday while earning himself the weekly MVP honor for Top 16
Round 3. In his 243rd Euroleague game, Reyes posted his best scoring
night ever in the competition to lead Madrid to a 92-86 home win over
Zalgiris Kaunas. Reyes poured in 24 points while taking 6 rebounds to
go with 3 assists, a steal and 8 fouls drawn for a performance index
rating of 32, the best among all Euroleague players this week. What's
more, he did all that damage in just 20 minutes on the floor,
demonstrating why he is ranked fifth in per-minute production in this,
his 12th Euroleague season. Reyes edged frontline mate and December MVP
Gustavo Ayon for the weekly honor. Ayon had Round 3's only
double-double and led all players this week in both rebounds and
blocks. He totaled 16 points, 15 boards and 3 blocks for an index
rating of 30. Read more here.
January 14, 2016 - Round 3
The Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 enters its
third week with just three undefeated teams – Olympiacos Piraeus,
Fenerbahce Istanbul and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar – which shows how
tough the competition has been for everyone until now. Four games will
be played on Thursday, followed by four more on Friday. Expect a little
bit of everything in an exciting Round 3!
Here is the schedule for Round 3:
GROUP E
Unicaja Malaga vs. Cedevita Zagreb 90-67
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 84-71
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 63-74
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 85-79
GROUP F
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Brose Baskets Bamberg 72-77
CSKA Moscow vs. FC Barcelona Lassa 93-82
Khimki Moscow Region vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz 76-68
Real Madrid vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 92-86
January 9, 2016 - Top 16, Round 2 MVP: Malcolm Delaney, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
Malcolm
Delaney continued his dominance of the Top 16 for Lokomotiv Kuban
Krasnodar as he became the first player in two seasons to win
back-to-back weekly MVP honors in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague.
Delaney starred in Lokomotiv's come-from-behind 78-77 victory over
Anadolu Efes Istanbul with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for a
performance index rating (PIR) of 30, the most by any player in Round 2
of the Top 16. Delaney made 4 of 7 three pointers and 9 of 10 free
throws in another superb effort, which saw his average index rating
climb to 21.4, third-best in the league. He is now second in the league
in scoring at 18.1 points per game. Delaney edged CSKA Moscow guard
Nando De Colo for the Round 2 honor. De Colo put together another
monster game in leading CSKA to a 95-81 decision over reigning
Euroleague champion Real Madrid. Read more here.
January 7, 2016 - Round 2
The Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 reaches its
second round with a lot to offer. From battles between historical teams
to showdowns never seen before, Round 2 will have a little bit of
everything, as all eight teams that played on the road in opening week
now make their Top 16 home debuts. Four games are scheduled on
Thursday, followed by four more on Friday.
Here is the schedule for Round 2:
GROUP E
Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul vs. Cedevita Zagreb 72-79
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul 78-77
Panathinaikos Athens vs. Unicaja Malaga 68-66
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul 65-88
GROUP F
FC Barcelona Lassa vs. Khimki Moscow Region 87-70
CSKA Moscow vs. Real Madrid 95-81
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz vs. Olympiacos Piraeus 76-82
Brose Baskets Bamberg vs. Zalgiris Kaunas 96-63
January 5, 2016 - MVP for December: Gustavo Ayon, Real Madrid
Defending
Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion Real Madrid is exactly where it
surely wanted to be at the start of the new year, sharing its group's
lead after one game of the Top 16. To get to this point, however,
Madrid took a rocky road that was ultimately made smooth by the stellar
play last month of center Gustavo Ayon, who is Euroleague Basketball's
choice as the MVP for December. Madrid's man in the middle from Mexico
played a key role as the champions survived the regular season by
winning their last three games - all of them virtually do-or-die - and
then started the Top 16 with a fourth consecutive victory. During those
four December games, Ayon posted the second-best individual performance
of the regular season, sparked two different comebacks, collected four
career highs and made an incredible 80% of his field goal attempts.
Read more here.
December 31, 2015 - Top 16, Round 1 MVP: Malcolm Delaney, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
One
of the Euroleague's top performers so far this season had plenty more
to show at the start of the Top 16 this week as Malcolm Delaney of
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar walked away with the MVP honor for the first
round of the new phase. Delaney blew away his career highs in scoring
and performance index rating to lead Lokomotiv to a sizzling 75-89 away
win over Cedevita Zagreb in Top 16 Group E. The 26-year-old guard
blasted off with 14 of his team's 16 first-quarter points and climbed
to 24 at halftime before finishing with 31 as Lokomotiv pulled steadily
ahead to victory. Delaney made 6 of 6 two point shots, 5 of 9 threes
and 4 of 5 free throws while also dishing 8 assists and drawing 7 fouls
for a 41 index rating, matching the second-best of all Euroleague
players this season. The award was the second weekly one in his
two-season Euroleague career for Delaney, who was also named MVP of the
Month in October this season. Read more here.
December 29, 2015 - Round 1
The 2015-16 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16 is
set to start with plenty of action to offer. The 16 surviving teams
were divided into two groups of eight based on their regular season
standings. The four best teams in each group will advance to the
playoffs. Every team starts from scratch, so make sure you don't miss
the start of the Top 16 - it will be a non-stop battle until the Final
Four in Berlin! Three games will be played on Wednesday, followed by
five more on Thursday.
Here is the schedule for Round 1:
GROUP E
Unicaja Malaga vs. Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 70-62
Fenerbahce Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos Athens 82-75
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 85-84
Cedevita Zagreb vs. Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 75-89
GROUP F
Real Madrid vs. Brose Baskets Bamberg 82-79
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. FC Barcelona Lassa 74-62
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz 68-89
Khimki Moscow Region vs. CSKA Moscow 91-89
December 23, 2015
Group F breakdown
No wonder it rings a bell when you hear the names of
Olympiacos Piraeus, CSKA Moscow, FC Barcelona Lassa and Real Madrid.
These Euroleague powerhouses have won seven titles just this century,
and with the one Zalgiris Kaunas won in 1999, the five teams have
combined to lift the continental crown 21 times. All told, at least one
team from this group has played in the championship game in 10 of the
last 11 seasons. Madrid topped Olympiacos in last year’s final, which
came two years after the Reds defeated Los Blancos for the ring.
Olympiacos beat CSKA in the 2012 final and Barcelona in the 1997 final.
Barcelona beat the Reds in in the 2010 championship game. Only once in
the past 15 years was there a Final Four without any of these Group F
teams. Read more here.
Group E breakdown
This Top 16 group offers a good number of teams a
unique opportunity to make history. Four of the teams – Lokomotiv
Kuban, Darussafaka, Crvena Zvezda and Cedevita Zagreb – have never made
it to the Euroleague playoffs. Anadolu Efes's last Final Four
appearances were in the 2000 Euroleague and the 2001 SuproLeague.
Unicaja only made it to the playoffs once, in 2007, by beating FC
Barcelona 2-1 in a best-of-three series to make it to the Final Four,
too. Fenerbahce only reached its first Final Four last season, so it
has a chance to build a destiny. One of the most-experienced teams at
the highest level is six-time Euroleague champion Panathinaikos, but
its last Final Four appearance came in 2012. Going back to its
first-ever Final Four appearance in 1994, the Greens have never missed
four consecutive Final Fours. Read more here.
CSKA
Moscow has many reasons to smile heading into the playoffs and one of
them is guard Nando De Colo, who is playing at the highest level at the
perfect time and he proved so by winning weekly MVP honors for the
second week in a row. De Colo led a fourth-quarter comeback as CSKA
closed the Top 16 with a 96-99 road victory over Olympiacos Piraeus.
After sharing the MVP honors with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz center
Ioannis Bourousis a week ago, this time De Colo stood alone with a
performance index rating of 36 which was the most among players in
Round 14 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16. De Colo scored 20
points, dished 4 assists and collected 3 steals in compiling a PIR of
36, marking the second straight week in which he established a new
career high in that category. Read more 
Two
of this Turkish Airlines Euroleague season's most dominant players did
it again on Friday! CSKA Moscow guard Nando De Colo and Laboral Kutxa
Vitoria Gasteiz center Ioannis Bourousis led their teams to
come-from-behind victories that also clinched home-court advantage in
the playoffs for each. In doing so, each compiled performance index
ratings of 35, which were the highest among all players this week and
made them co-MVPs for Top 16 Round 13. De Colo posted his new
career-high index rating in a 100-86 home win over Zalgiris Kaunas. He
amassed 26 points on just 11 shots, making 3 of 4 three-pointers and
all 7 of his free throws. De Colo also collected 7 rebounds, 3 assists,
1 steal and 1 block in claiming his second weekly MVP honor of the
season. He leads the league in average PIR this season at 24.1 per
game. Read more 
Tyler
Honeycutt was seemingly everywhere at Zalgirio Arena on Friday evening
in leading Khimki Moscow Region to a 71-76 come-from behind victory
over Zalgiris Kaunas. After producing an amazing performance at both
ends of the floor, Honeycutt earned weekly MVP honors for Round 12 of
the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Top 16. His impressive stat line of 10
points, 17 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks resulted in a performance
index rating of 30, which was the most among all players during the
three days of Round 12 games. Anadolu Efes Istanbul teammates Thomas
Heurtel and Dario Saric were the weekly runners-up with index ratings
of 28 in an 87-67 rout of Unicaja Malaga to remain alive in the
competition. Heurtel did not miss inside the arc in tallying 17 points
and 13 assists; Saric only missed 2 shots altogether as he amassed 17
points and 11 rebounds. Read more 
Bradley
Wanamaker of Brose Baskets Bamberg picked the perfect occasion to
deliver the best performance of his rookie season in the Turkish
Airlines Euroleague. Facing a must-win situation and with his team down
by 8 points in the fourth quarter against Khimki Moscow Region on
Thursday, Wanamaker stepped up to give one of the most remarkable
individual finishes this season, single-handedly rallying Bamberg to
victory and earning the Top 16 Round 11 MVP honor. Wanamaker scored 18
of his career-high 25 points in the game’s final 5 minutes. His first 5
points in that span sparked Bamberg's comeback from 63-71 down to tie
the game. But that was only the beginning, because he then netted all
of Bamberg's last 13 points, leading to an 84-79 win that keeps the
team's playoff dreams well and truly alive. Read more 
Forward
Luigi Datome was the catalyst for a dominant second half on Friday as
Fenerbahce Istanbul staged a 72-65 come-from-behind win over Crvena
Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. His fantastic effort resulted in a career-high
in scoring and the weekly MVP honor for Top 16 Round 9, a first in
Datome's six-season Euroleague career. Datome shined with 27 points, 5
rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks in compiling a performance index
rating of 29, which was best among all players on winning teams this
week. He scored 22 of his points in the second half, during which he
made 6 of 7 two-point shots and did not miss on 3 attempts from behind
the arc. Datome joined Jan Vesely as the only Fenerbahce players to win
weekly MVP honors this season. The highest index rating of the round
came from Brose Baskets Bamberg guard Nikos Zisis, who scored a
career-high 25 points in a 75-73 loss at Zalgiris Kaunas. Read more 
Lokomotiv
Kuban Krasnodar center Anthony Randolph missed the start of the Turkish
Airlines Euroleague season due to injury, but the club waited patiently
for his return. And now that he's back in top form, it's clear why.
Randolph earned Top 16 Round 8 MVP honors after dominating with a
historic outing on Thursday as Lokomotiv routed Cedevita Zagreb 87-63.
Randolph produced 28 points on 9-of-10 two-point shooting in 28
minutes, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished 5 assists to produce a
performance index rating of 43, which was not only the highest of any
player during the week. It also established a new club record, was the
second-highest index rating all season and tied for the fifth-best
index in Top 16 history. What's more, the points, rebounds and assists
were all highs for Randolph in this, his debut Euroleague season. Read
more 
Whenever
it has needed a big result this season, reigning champion Real Madrid
has been able to turn to center Gustavo Ayon. Such was the case again
this week, when the Mexican big man dominated and Los Blancos took
their first road win of the Top 16. Ayon was in fine form throughout
Thursday's 82-93 victory over Khimki Moscow Region as he posted a
performance index rating of 41, matching his previous best in the
Euroleague and exceeding all other players in Top 16 Round 7. Ayon's 41
index rating also tied the highest so far in the entire Top 16 and
secured him the MVP of the Week honor for the second time this season.
Ayon set a new personal best with 24 points on 10-for-12 two-point
shooting and added 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the Top
16. He also collected 5 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. Read
more 
Coming
off a three-game losing streak and hosting the group leader, Olympiacos
Piraeus needed inspired play on Friday and got more than enough from a
familiar source, Georgios Printezis, the MVP for Top 16 Round 6. The
veteran forward and two-time champion stepped up with the biggest
offensive performance of his 187-game Euroleague career to help the
Reds right their ship with a 89-77 victory over dangerous Khimki Moscow
Region. To his usual array of two-point shots, of which he made 9 of
13, Printezis added 3-for-5 accuracy from the three-point arc and made
his 3 free throw attempts to score 30 points, several more than his
previous best in the Euroleague. His 3 triples matched his second-best
total in Euroleague play, as did his 9 rebounds, too. And with an
assist and 6 fouls drawn, Printezis amassed a 37 performance index
rating. Read more 
The
only undefeated run in the Top 16 this season has been highlighted
every step of the way by the unmistakable image of a certain big man
soaring to the rim and then swinging happily from it. If after a
perfect start to 2016, Fenerbahce Istanbul stands above the crowd in an
otherwise highly competitive Top 16, then a big slice of the credit
belongs to forward Jan Vesely, Euroleague Basketball's selection as MVP
for January. The so-called Czech Helicopter flew well above the radar
through four Fenerbahce victories last month, which Vesely started by
matching a 12-year-old Top 16 record. By the time January had finished,
he had accumulated more rebounds and blocks, plus a higher performance
index rating, than any Euroleague player. He also scored 12 or more
points in every game, thus posting the Euroleague's only double-double
average in January, too. Read more 
He's
the reigning Eurocup MVP and a former Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final
Four MVP. Now Khimki Moscow Region guard Tyrese Rice is the Euroleague
MVP of the Week, too. Rice claimed the honor for Round 5 of the Top 16
after leading Khimki to a 111-80 victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Friday
with a performance index rating of 35, which was the highest among all
players in the week's games. Rice amassed 20 points on 5-of-8
three-point shooting plus 11 assists. He also made 5 of 6 free throws
and collected 2 steals in setting a career-high in index rating and
leading Khimki to a new club record for scoring. CSKA Moscow's star
guard Nando De Colo returned after a two-game absence to post a PIR of
28 in a 91-70 victory over Brose Baskets Bamberg. He tallied 19 point
on 5-of-7 two-point shooting and 2-of-3 from downtown plus 6 rebounds,
3 assists and 1 steal. Read more 
Proving
that experience only enhances performance, veteran superstar Felipe
Reyes of Real Madrid helped the defending champs take a hard-fought
victory on Friday while earning himself the weekly MVP honor for Top 16
Round 3. In his 243rd Euroleague game, Reyes posted his best scoring
night ever in the competition to lead Madrid to a 92-86 home win over
Zalgiris Kaunas. Reyes poured in 24 points while taking 6 rebounds to
go with 3 assists, a steal and 8 fouls drawn for a performance index
rating of 32, the best among all Euroleague players this week. What's
more, he did all that damage in just 20 minutes on the floor,
demonstrating why he is ranked fifth in per-minute production in this,
his 12th Euroleague season. Reyes edged frontline mate and December MVP
Gustavo Ayon for the weekly honor. Ayon had Round 3's only
double-double and led all players this week in both rebounds and
blocks. He totaled 16 points, 15 boards and 3 blocks for an index
rating of 30. Read more 
Malcolm
Delaney continued his dominance of the Top 16 for Lokomotiv Kuban
Krasnodar as he became the first player in two seasons to win
back-to-back weekly MVP honors in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague.
Delaney starred in Lokomotiv's come-from-behind 78-77 victory over
Anadolu Efes Istanbul with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for a
performance index rating (PIR) of 30, the most by any player in Round 2
of the Top 16. Delaney made 4 of 7 three pointers and 9 of 10 free
throws in another superb effort, which saw his average index rating
climb to 21.4, third-best in the league. He is now second in the league
in scoring at 18.1 points per game. Delaney edged CSKA Moscow guard
Nando De Colo for the Round 2 honor. De Colo put together another
monster game in leading CSKA to a 95-81 decision over reigning
Euroleague champion Real Madrid. Read more 
