FanPost

Euroleague: Week 5 (November 25-26) Games and Upcoming Schedule

I only predicted one game wrong this week. Which is kind of surprising because the Euroleague is so predictable with its unpredictability and bipolar teams.

Whoever guesses which game I predicted wrong wins a cookie! Well, not really. But it's a nice thought.

Group A

TEO Vilnius (67-80) Cras Basket Taranto

TEO: Montgomery, R. (29 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 40 minutes); Hollingsworth, Q. (8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 27 minutes)

Taranto: Brunson, R. (20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 29 minutes)

 

TTT Riga (53-74) UMMC Ekaterinburg

UMMC: Wauters, A. (14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists,1 block, 30 minutes); Nolan, D. (5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 31 minutes); Gruda, S. (5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 20 minutes); Jones, A. (5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 18 minutes)

 

Galatasaray (62-63) Ros Casares

Gala: Perkins, J. (19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 34 minutes); Young, S. (12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 36 minutes)

Ros: Milton-Jones, D. (17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 35 minutes); De Souza, E. (8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 20 minutes); Snell, B. (8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 21 minutes); Hammon, R. (5 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal, 23 minutes)

 

Group B

Wisla Can-Pack (77-75) Gospic Croatia

Wisla: Burse, J. (31 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks, 35 minutes); Castro-Marques, I. (10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 32 minutes)

 

ESB Lille Metropole (57-76) MiZo Pecs

Pecs: Mazzante, K. (12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 28 minutes); Quigley, A. (9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 17 minutes); Ohlde, N. (8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 23 minutes)

 

Beretta-Famila (64-74) Halcon Avenida

Famila: Coleman, M. (3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 13 minutes)

Avenida: Willingham, L. (16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 35 minutes); Lyttle, S. (14 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 34 minutes)

 

Group C

Good Angels Kosice (70-65) KSSSE Gorzow

Kosice: McCoughtry, A. (25 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 35 minutes); Dupree, C. (13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 40 minutes)

Gorzow: Spencer, S. (3 points, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 19 minutes)

 

ZVVZ USK Prague (98-75) MKB Euroleasing

Prague: Whalen, L. (24 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 31 minutes); Kraayeveld, C. (8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 22 minutes)

 

Rivas Ecopolis (72-67) Bourges Basket

Rivas: Langhorne, C. (12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 36 minutes)

Bourges: Carson, E. (17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 44 minutes)

 

Group D

Szeviep (54-71) Frisco Sika Brno

Brno: McWilliams, T. (25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 36 minutes); Bonner, D. (17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 36 minutes)

 

Tarbes GB (70-83) Fenerbache

Tarbes: Houston, C. (9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 21 minutes)

Fener: Powell, N. (14 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 30 minutes); Taylor, P. (13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 23 minutes); Sutton-Brown, T. (9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 20 minutes)

 

Lotos Gdynia (70-77) Spartak Moscow Region

Lotos: Beard, A. (22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 37 minutes); Phillips, E. (12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 32 minutes)

Spartak: Taurasi, D. (20 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 36 minutes); Fowles, S. (13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 34 minutes); McCarville, J. (12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 28 minutes); Lawson-Wade, E. (10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 33 minutes); Jekabsone-Zogota, A. (10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 14 minutes); Miller, K. (5 points, 8 minutes)

 

Notes:

- So I mis-predicted this first game. TEO and its young Lynx duo are still winless, despite Montgomery's 29 points and, probably, thanks to her 5 turnovers. Hollingsworth played the whole game in foul trouble. (The entire team was pretty much in foul trouble, actually.) Brunson continues to play well for Taranto. She's only hitting 56.8% of her free-throws, though.

- UMMC looks far from elite without a solid point guard. Cappie Pondexter, injured in morning practice, did not play this game, and Celine Dumerc is still not yet ready. That said, it's not like TTT Riga would be able to hang with this team, solid point guard or not. UMMC actually shot over 50% from the field, as most players did not take a lot of shots. (By comparison, UMMC attempted 35 to Riga's 45.) Bibryzcka led the rout with 24 points. Someone sign her, quick!

- So I'm not the only one wondering what the heck is going on with Ros Casares. Had Jia Perkins not missed a free throw with time winding down, Ros might've lost this one. Becky Hammon is playing really poorly, and De Souza has slowed down in the past two games. It's as if after soundly thrashing UMMC, Ros decided it can start coasting. Not a good idea, you guys.

- Wisla is still undefeated, and Janell Burse is a monster. What are they feeding her? 31-15 on 75% (12-16) shooting? 4 blocks? And only 1 foul, 2 turnovers. But Wisla's win is thanks to Castro-Marques, who hit the winning shot with 29 seconds left. (Fun fact: In the Euroleague, it seems W players are automatically stars. Gospic coach Stipe Bralic: "Wisla was much better on rebounds and they have the stars like Janell Burse." Although, honestly, Burse has been playing like a star. Those are Lauren Jackson-esque numbers, sans the three-pointers.)

- Pecs wins with a total of 30 points from the (ex-) Mercury trio, despite only hitting ONE free-throw all night in 5 attempts (but only a combined 8 turnovers as a team, which is impressive). Starting Pecs PF Anna Vajda, considered the best player on the Hungarian national team, led all scorers with 24 points. Okay, so the Euroleague itself doesn't baffle me. Teams like these do.

- Mystics (ex-) rookie Coleman also baffles me. Missed all 5 attempts from the field. She won't get any playing time with a performance like that. Willingham, despite only hitting 2-7 from inside, managed a perfect 3-3 beyond the arc. Five turnovers, though, which is a third of her team's total.

- Not only does Candice Dupree lead the league in minutes (38.6), she also leads in blocks per game (2.2), second in rebounding (10.2 behind Janell Burse's 13.0), third in double-doubles (3; Burse has 5), and third in points per game (20.0 behind, who else? Diana Taurasi is first with 22.3). Angel McCoughtry is getting comfortable, picking up right where she left off and dropping 25 points on 9-15 shooting (but missing both her three-point attempts). Despite all that, Kosice is 2-3 in Group C, tying Bourges and MKB, and above Gorzow which is at 1-4. Sidney Spencer is perfect from the field, making her lone three-pointer for a total of 3 points.

- MKB won't win any games when Milovanovic is out, I think, as they drop their third straight without her. Whalen managed 5 assists (okay, not exactly 5+ but good enough) and 24 points, but Prague really owes its victory to Greek national team forward Evanthia Maltsi and her 31 points on impressive shooting (10-18 from the field, 4-7 of that from three, 7-8 from the line).

- Rivas Ecopolis still remains undefeated, overcoming Bourges in overtime. Carson had 17 points, 3-6 from three, but only shot 2-8 elsewhere and dealt with foul trouble (4 fouls). Langhorne shot a perfect 5-5 from the field for Rivas.

- Naturally, Szeviep continues to find it hard to obtain a victory in the tough Group D. Taj McWilliams destroyed Szeviep with 25 points on 11-15 shooting (73.3%). DeWanna Bonner was able to bounce back from a rough last game performance with nearly a double-double, though she had 5 turnovers for the night (Brno had 21 as a team).

- Charde Houston is not enough for Tarbes to catch up with the top three teams of the group (Fener, Brno and Spartak), especially if she only plays 21 minutes a game and manages only 9 points. Fener got solid contributions from all its W players, but it was Turkish center Nevriye Yilmaz who led all scorers and had a double-double of 24-12 in 31 minutes.

- It took extended minutes from both Taurasi and Fowles to overcome an aggressive Lotos team, but Spartak kept its win streak alive. Lotos was playing without Shameka Christon, who injured her knee and is projected to be out for a week. Again, Taurasi led her team in scoring, though she only shot 6-15 from the field. I also don't understand how Fowles only grabbed 3 rebounds in 34 minutes of play, while Taurasi was able to pull down 9, McCarville 8, and even Lawson-Wade had 5.

 

The rest of the Euroleague might breathe easier knowing Australian F/C Lauren Jackson will not be returning to Spartak. Jackson will play the rest of the offseason out in her home country, and has signed with the Canberra Capitals of the WNBL. That said, Sue Bird is still poised for return to a still-undefeated Spartak team, solidifying an already strong backcourt. Spartak will probably keep Janel McCarville, who continues to play well in Jackson's stead, but Lawson-Wade may be released once Bird returns. (Although Korstin may be the better choice, as she hasn't been playing well at all.)

Now that we know Jackson won't be returning to Russia, and that Bird's and Taurasi's contracts are on their final year this season, I wonder if that means the Euro basketball power shifts somewhere else (to Spain, perhaps). If Bird and Taurasi are not re-signed, UMMC Ekaterinburg won't have to shell out Candace Parker money and may cut some of its more expensive contracts. (Personally, I don't want Diana and Sue to play on separate teams, because if that happens, the only times we'll be able to see them play together will be with the US national team, and in WNBA All-Star games. And that would suck.)

Five weeks of Euroleague action already in the books, and my prediction record stands at 34-10. That's not bad at all.

 

Upcoming Games:

(December 2)

Gospic Croatia - ESB Lille Metropole

Both at the bottom of Group B, ESB has one victory to Gospic's none--and that one victory was a rout of Gospic in the Euroleague opener. Look for a similar ending to this game, although it might not be a rout this time, as Gospic has home-court advantage. You know what? Gospic could win this one, too, thanks to home-court. ESB over Gospic.

ZVVZ USK Prague - Bourges Basket

Bourges is the second most infuriating team to predict games for (the first being Kosice). Because of that, I'll give this game to Prague, just because I think Whalen is (hopefully) finally getting into a groove. How much will you bet that Bourges wins this just to spite me? Prague over Bourges.

Szeviep - Tarbes GB

First win for Szeviep? Well, it's at home, and the last time these teams met up it was at the opener (which Tarbes won 81-80). Houston needs to play much better, and clock at least 30 minutes on the court, if Tarbes wants this win. This is my obligatory makes-no-sense, root-for-the-underdog game. Szeviep over Tarbes.

Frisco Sika Brno - Spartak Moscow Region

Brno meets Spartak again, with the defending champions looking not-quite indestructible. Taj McWilliams has been playing very well for Brno, but I can never bet against Diana Taurasi. Initially, Sue Bird was supposed to return in December, but she has supposedly been delayed until January. This should be a competitive game. Spartak over Brno.

TEO Vilnius - UMMC Ekaterinburg

Sorry, but TEO will have to wait another game for that elusive first victory. Without Cappie Pondexter and Celine Dumerc, the Russian superpower hasn't looked too super lately, but it will take a combination career games from both Montgomery and Hollingsworth and really poor play by UMMC for TEO to pull off the upset. UMMC over TEO.

Good Angels Kosice - MKB Euroleasing

This should be a relatively simple task for Kosice, as MKB has been unable to win without star Milovanovic. That said, Kosice is as frustrating as it gets. Monster games from Candice Dupree, and they still manage to lose somehow. If Kosice plays up to its potential, this will be a rout. Kosice over MKB.

KSSSE Gorzow - Rivas Ecopolis

Rivas is undefeated. That shouldn't change any time soon. Crystal Langhorne doesn't even have to play lights-out for Rivas to win, and Gorzow has been consistently inconsistent. Rivas over Gorzow.

Wisla Can-Pack - Halcon Avenida

Avenida rolls into Krakow, Poland with a four-game win streak. Their one loss, interestingly, was a supposed shocker against Wisla. (Wisla wasn't even supposed to make the Euroleague, but were added after CSKA Moscow pulled out of the competition.) Willingham and Lyttle are steady for Avenida, and Burse is the real thing, at least in Europe, but Avenida has a chance to knock Wisla off the ranks of the unbeaten. Maybe not on the road, though. Wisla over Avenida.

TTT Riga - Ros Casares

Against 1-4 Riga, this should be a tuneup for Ros. Becky Hammon is not playing like Becky Hammon, and Erika De Souza has been struggling with foul trouble. Thankfully for Ros, Delisha Milton-Jones still plays (somewhat) like an Olympian. A Ros loss here would be very bad for the Spanish club's morale. Ros over Riga.

 

(December 3)

Lotos Gdynia - Fenerbache

The third most frustrating team in the league is Fener. With a roster containing Nicole Powell, Tammy Sutton-Brown and Penny Taylor, Fener should be much higher than third in Group D. Unfortunately, Group D also contains still-undefeated defending champs Spartak and red-hot Brno. Lotos was able to match Spartak play-by-play, but came up short in the end, though Lotos coach expects Shameka Christon will be able to play in this game. If Fener takes care of business, this shouldn't be too hard. Guard/forward matchup: Powell and Taylor vs. a rotation of Erin Phillips, Alana Beard and Christon. Fener over Lotos

Beretta-Famila - MiZo Pecs

All things considered, I expect Famila to win this game. Pecs just really needs some consistency right now, especially from the guard play. Nicole Ohlde cannot come to play, and then disappear every other game. Kelly Mazzante has to contribute, damnit. Famila over Pecs.

Cras Basket Taranto - Galatasaray

A game removed from almost beating Ros Casares, no thanks to a missed free-throw, Gala should get right back on track. The point-wing duo of Jia Perkins and Sophia Young has worked well for Gala so far, though Cras has a win against (surprisingly defeatable) Ros Casares as bragging rights. Both teams are head-to-head in rankings at 3-2 each. Still, I'll give Gala the nod due to consistency, as it has only lost to UMMC and Ros. Gala over Taranto.

 

That's it, you guys. Somehow each new post seems to get longer and longer.