EuroCup reaches its fourth matchday with a clash that will force one of Group C's two leaders to lose their unbeaten status. Before that, the three Spanish representatives face a week with very different storylines. Kids&Us Manresa needs a win to stay in contention. San Pablo Burgos seeks to turn things around on the road. La Laguna Tenerife, the best-performing of the three, wants to confirm their strong start in Germany.
Manresa Must Tighten Their Defense
Manresa opens Spanish participation on Tuesday at 20:30 at Nou Congost. They arrive with one win and two losses and an uncomfortable label: they are the team that allows the most points in the entire EuroCup. In Istanbul they conceded 100 against Bahcesehir. On offense, however, they have the competition's leading scorer, Timmy Allen, averaging 22 points per game. On the other side will be Roma Basketball (2-1), who last week pulled off a win in overtime against Balkan Botevgrad thanks to 17 points and 8 rebounds from Arturs Strautins. It's a direct clash for the upper part of Group D, and the Catalan team arrives with the added need to react after their 0-4 record in the Liga Endesa.
Burgos Seeks Reaction in Italy After Near-Miss
San Pablo Burgos visits Baglietto Derthona Tortona on Wednesday (19:00) with the same 1-2 record, in a crucial game to break into the top four of Group A. The Castilian team came within one point of completing a comeback against Hapoel Jerusalén (84-85), a game in which young point guard Joaquín Taboada broke out with 20 points. Tortona is the best rebounding team in the EuroCup, with Polish center Dominik Olejniczak as their reference in the paint, though their three-point shooting raised concerns in their loss in Naples, where they made just six threes. For Burgos, coming off a loss to Monbus Obradoiro in the Liga Endesa, controlling the boards will be the first requirement to win.
Also Read:
- EuroCup: One win and two losses for Spanish teams on Matchday 3
- La Laguna Tenerife 96-71 Maxima Roma: An 18-3 start sets the tone
- San Pablo Burgos 84-85 Hapoel Jerusalén: The comeback falls just short
Tenerife Defends Their Pressure in Frankfurt
La Laguna Tenerife travels to Skyliners Frankfurt (Wednesday, 19:30) in a clash between two 2-1 teams. Txus Vidorreta's squad arrives in fine form after crushing Maxima Roma by 25 points and beating Baskonia over the weekend in the Liga Endesa. Their defense forces the most turnovers in the entire EuroCup, and on offense Ethan Happ rarely misses near the basket. The Germans, who won in London last week, rely on the intimidation of Race Thompson, who averages 3.5 blocks per game.
Napoli-Tofas, the Main Event
The game that captures all eyes is played Wednesday at 20:00 in Naples. Napoli and Tofas share the lead in Group C at 3-0 and one of the two will lose their unbeaten status. The Italians have been lethal from three-point range, with Markel Brown as the main threat after going 5 of 8 in Wroclaw. Tofas depends on the penetrations of Zach Nutall, who was decisive in their narrow victory over Buducnost.
Three More Unbeaten Teams and a Defending Champion in Trouble
Aris, Bahcesehir College, and Hapoel Jerusalén will also try to reach 4-0. The Greek team visits Rostock Seawolves on Tuesday, who have only won at home, with Neno Dimitrijevic running their offense. Bahcesehir, who leads the competition in offensive and defensive rating, plays in Sarajevo against BOSNA, who haven't won yet but have lost all three games by fewer than ten points. Hapoel Jerusalén hosts Riga Zelli, the EuroCup's surprise team, after winning in Burgos with 28 points from Kenny Lofton. On the other end, defending champion JL Bourg remains winless and hosts Trento in a clash between two teams in crisis.