1/ * The Regular Season in A Bundesliga of Austria started. There was no lack of interesting games this round. Kapfenberg 78-62 Klosterneubu. Oberwart 84-73 UBSC Graz Furstenfeld 77-78 Zepter Vienna Arkadia 81-99 Gmunden Gussing 103-105 2OT Wels Arkadia - Gmunden 81-99 The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of Arkadia Lions (0-1) in Traiskirchen on Friday night. Hosts were defeated by Gmunden Swans (1-0) 99-81. The game was mostly controlled by Gmunden Swans. Arkadia Lions managed to win second period 27-26. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Gmunden Swans dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Arkadia Lions 42. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Gmunden Swans made 8 blocks. American forward Tyler Griffey (206-90, college: Illinois, agency: Pro Partner Sports Management) stepped up and scored 21 points and 7 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the winners and international Richard Poiger (202-87) chipped in 19 points and 5 assists. At the losing side Argentinian-Italian forward Fabricio Vay (207-86, agency: Interperformances) responded with 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and the former international point guard Benedikt Danek (176-86) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points, 5 rebounds and 12 assists. Five Gmunden Swans and four Arkadia Lions players scored in double figures. Arkadia Lions coach rotated eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Gmunden Swans is looking forward to face Redwell Gunners Oberwart at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Arkadia Lions will play against Zepter Vienna in Wien and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Gmunden: T.Griffey 21+7reb+1ast, R.Poiger 19+2reb+5ast, D.Friedrich 18+2reb+6ast, M.Mayer 15+2reb+2ast, B.McShepard 14+10reb+1ast, D.Green 12+4reb+3ast Arkadia: F.Vay 22+6reb+4ast, J.Blazevic 15+1reb, A.Vuletic 14+5reb+2ast, B.Danek 11+5reb+12ast, F.Trmal 7+1reb, W.Barycz 6+3reb Furstenfeld - Zepter Vienna 77-78 Furstenfeld Panthers were not able to use a home court advantage and were edged by the opponent from Wien 78-77 on Friday night. Furstenfeld Panthers were trailing by 6 points at halftime but managed to get 4-point lead after three quarters before a 23-18 charge of Zepter Vienna, which allowed them to win the game. Furstenfeld Panthers were plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. The former international guard Stjepan Stazic (199-78) stepped up and scored 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners and British power forward Ryan Richards (212-91, agency: Interperformances) chipped in 19 points and 11 rebounds. Four Zepter Vienna players scored in double figures. At the losing side Lithuanian power forward Petras Balocka (205-86, college: Hawaii) responded with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds and Lithuanian center Tautvydas Slezas (207-90, agency: Interperformances) scored 17 points and 9 rebounds. Zepter Vienna will face Arkadia Lions in Traiskirchen in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Top scorers: Zepter Vienna: S.Stazic 20+8reb+4ast, R.Richards 19+11reb, J.Detrick 18+5reb+3ast, C.Nagler 17+3reb, C.Greimeister 4+6reb, M.Markov 0 Furstenfeld: T.Slezas 17+9reb+1ast, P.Balocka 17+13reb+2ast, C.Lowe 17+2reb+5ast, L.Gvozden 9+2reb+1ast, A.Hajder 7+3reb, T.Blazan 5+1ast Oberwart - UBSC Graz 84-73 Redwell Gunners Oberwart used a home court advantage and defeated the opponent from Graz 84-73 on Friday night. The game was mostly controlled by Redwell Gunners Oberwart. UBSC Graz was better in second period 18-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Redwell Gunners Oberwart made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game. They also forced 20 UBSC Graz turnovers. American forward Rakeem Buckles (201-90, college: FIU) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 12 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import forward Gabe Knutson (206-91, college: Lehigh) chipped in 20 points. At the losing side the former international point guard Sebastian Schaal (189-90) responded with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists and Slovenian forward Elvis Kadic (201-80) scored 19 points. Five Redwell Gunners Oberwart and four UBSC Graz players scored in double figures. Redwell Gunners Oberwart will face Gmunden Swans in Gmunden in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. UBSC Graz will play at home against Gussing Knights and it may be a tough game between close rivals. Top scorers: Oberwart: G.Knutson 20+3reb, R.Buckles 15+12reb+1ast, C.Novas 15+1ast, H.Ochsenhofer 12+3reb+1ast, J.Mann 11+4reb+1ast, B.Vujosevic 7+2reb+6ast UBSC Graz: E.Kadic 19+3reb, S.Schaal 17+5reb+7ast, A.Hill 14+5reb+1ast, S.Grum 12+1reb+3ast, B.Weber 6+9reb, A.Domitner 3+2reb+1ast Kapfenberg - Klosterneuburg 78-62 Kapfenberg Bulls used a home court advantage and won against the opponent from Klosterneuburg 78-62 on Friday night. It was a very close game until the last quarter, when Kapfenberg Bullss pressure prevailed and they won that period 20-11 extending their advantage to 16 points. Kapfenberg Bulls outrebounded Xion Dukes 41-28 including 30 on the defensive glass. American swingman Ian Boylan (197-83, college: CS Northridge) stepped up and scored 10 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners and international forward Joe Dean Shaw (199-87, college: Nevada) chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds. At the losing side international center Jozo Rados (203-93) responded with 14 points and 9 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) and the former international guard Kevin Payton (196-86, college: Minnesota) scored 15 points and 4 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kapfenberg Bulls will face Raiffeisen Wels on the road in the next round. Top scorers: Kapfenberg: S.Ray 17+2reb+1ast, J.Dean Shaw 14+6reb+3ast, I.Boylan 10+7reb+7ast, F.Kramer 9+7reb+2ast, A.Woschank 8+6reb+2ast, N.Doaks 7+8reb Klosterneuburg: K.Payton 15+4reb+4ast, J.Rados 14+9reb, M.Lanegger 9+5reb+6ast, R.Suljanovic 9+3reb+1ast, L.Burgemeister 5, L.Mueller 5+4reb+2ast Gussing - Wels 103-105 2OT Wels needed two overtimes to tame Gussing in one of the most exciting games of the first round. Klette stepped up with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists to pace the visitors. Kapelan contributed 25 points for Wels in the victory. Tomas Klepeisz stepped up with 23 points for Gussing. Marcus Heard responded with 19 points in the loss. Top scorers: Wels: T.Klette 26+10reb+4ast, D.Kapelan 25+4reb+2ast, M.Barrow 16+4reb+3ast, D.Lamesic 15+9reb+2ast, W.Channels 10+5reb+7ast, R.Vieider 9 Gussing: T.Klepeisz 23+6reb+12ast, M.Heard 19+4reb+1ast, T.Taylor 18+9reb+2ast, C.Kostov 13+2reb, S.Koch 12+4reb+2ast, A.Georgiev 9+7reb 2/ * Euroleague 2014-15, RS, Group D analysis . OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS Coming off a season without any titles, recent back-to-back Euroleague champion Olympiacos Piraeus does not want such a scenario to happen again. The Reds already bolstered their frontcourt with rebounder Othello Hunter, and backcourt with Oliver Lafayette, to compliment the returning core players who already know quite well what it takes to climb to the Euroleague top, and bring more joy to Piraeus. I think that this season will be the last in Piraeus for Mpartzokas if he will be unable to achieve a distinction ! VALENCIA BASKET CLUB Eurocup champion Valencia Basket Cub became the first team to win that competition three times, and now comes for its third Turkish Airlines Euroleague appearance. The last time around, Valencia lost in a five-game playoff series against Real Madrid, and after keeping most of the key pieces from last year’s team, head coach Velimir Perasovic and his men have again set the bar high, hoping for another big Euroleague run. LABORAL KUTXA VITORIA Laboral Kutxa Vitoria enters the 2014-15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague eager to fight for big goals – as its trademark motto Baskonia Character suggests. Laboral played the Euroleague Top 16 for the 12th time in 13 seasons and expects more this year. Forward Tornike Shengelia was the first of the team’s offseason signings and more should follow as Coach Sergio Scariolo and co. reload to make for another deep run at glory. GALATASARAY LIV HOSPITAL Galatasaray Liv Hospital has firmly established itself as not only a true power in Turkish basketball, but a force to be reckoned with at the continental level too. Coach Ergin Ataman leads the club to its third Euroleague appearance in the last four years and the club has exceeded expectations each time. Last season, despite a crippling spate of injuries, Galatasaray reached the Euroleague playoffs for the first time in club history. CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE After the Serbian powerhouse made its Turkish Airlines Euroleague debut last season, and later went on a run to the Eurocup Semifinals, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade is set for its second consecutive Turkish Airlines Euroleague appearance. With the experience from the last season, and a little help from the army of its great fans, there is no time like the present for Zvezda to continue its rise. NEPTUNAS KLAIPEDA Coming off its best season ever, there is more history in the making for Neptunas Klaipeda when it makes its Turkish Airlines Euroleague debut. From the basketball-crazed country of Lithuania, a club that is considered a factory of young talents and produced sharpshooters like Saulius Stombergas and Arvydas Macijauskas among many others counts on its home floor and its fans to make this already historic campaign one to remember. POST-DRAW REACTIONS Olympiacos general manager, Christos Stavropoulos It is too early to talk about the teams. Everybody is now making their final rosters. The most important thing is to qualify for the next stage, and for us is to be in the first positions in the group and to qualify for the next round. That is the first step. As always, our target is to return to Spain, but to Madrid for the Final Four. We are also very happy to play with Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, that is a team we have a very special relationship with. Olympiacos Piraeus head coach, Georgios Bartzokas “If we want to make a complete comment for the group we will have to wait for the teams’ rosters to be ready. We are in a group with teams that have big basketball traditions such as Valencia and Laboral Kutxa. Galatasaray and Crvena Zvezda are making a big effort the last years and they are teams that no one wants as opponents and also we will face Neptunas Klaipeda, which comes from a country that loves basketball. Last season taught us that there is no point in winning all the games at the first stage and being undefeated. The point is to be ready at the Top 16 and afterwards. We will take one step at a time and our first goal is to qualify to the Top 16 and get better and better through each game.” Valencia Basket Club, sports director, Chechu Mulero “Tough group! There is no team that played in last season’s Final Four, but Olympiacos and Galatasaray were close. We know Laboral Kutxa is a good Spanish team. And Crvena Zvezda we saw last season when they played the semifinals in the Eurocup. We are ready to compete in the Euroleague; we are ready to play this competition. Laboral Kutxa Baskonia sports director, Felix Fernández Were talking about the top 24 teams in Europe. Specifically in our group, teams are very balanced, with Olympiacos as one of the greatest in Europe, which will fight to be back in the Final Four. We have two teams like Valencia and Neptunas Klaipeda who are new to the competition. We also have Galatasaray, which is an important team in Turkey, and then we have a veteran team with a lot of history as Crvena Zvezda. It is hard to determine the favorites and who is going to get into the Top 16. We have to be very focused from day one and try to play at the highest level every game.” Laboral Kutxa Vitoria guard, Fernando San Emeterio I think it will be a group where Olympiacos perhaps has some advantage from these previous years, but overall it is a very evenly-matched group with some teams that we do not know like Neptunas and tough arenas such as in Belgrade and Galatasaray. The road games will be hard, so we have to be strong at home. That has to be the goal, to be in the Top 16 and for that we have to start from the first game to win and fight every minute because as each victory can be vital to qualifying. Galatasaray LIV Hospital sports director, Murat Ozyer First it was very enjoyable season last season. We made the top eight and were the only Turkish team in the top eight. We were very proud. This season we have not yet built our team; we are working on it. I cannot yet know how strong we will be, but as I see the other teams, there is a culture of basketball in our group. I think we will have very good games and our fans will enjoy the games. It will be a pleasure to watch the games. Good luck to all the teams without injuries. I hope we will repeat our success from last season. Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade director, Davor Ristovic “We are happy with the group. We are going to have interesting games in Belgrade. Our fans will love it, and we can’t wait for the start of the season. This year will be little easier because we are not a rookie in the competition anymore. We want to take a step up, and qualify for the Top 16. But we are going to enjoy it, like we did last year.” Crvena Zvezda Telekom head coach, Dejan Radonjic The first impression is that Group C is the strongest, and good thing we are not in it. But our Group D is also made out of very good teams that some of them have been in the Euroleague for years. Compared to last season, we avoided a team from the qualifying rounds, and if that happens to be Unics, it would be one of the strongest teams in the competition. It is early to talk about our rivals, when rosters are currently being put together. We are more experienced than last year, we have one year of Euroleague experience, and we are expecting a lot of good games. Against our friends Olympiacos Piraeus I expect two games with fantastic atmospheres and two quality matches. Neptunas Klaipeda general manager, Osvaldas Kurauskas It is impossible even to imagine how we will feel. We are a country crazy about basketball, and always have a crowded arena, which was built in 2011 for EuroBasket. Of course, this is a big step forward for us. Keep in mind, this year is 50th anniversary for the club; we made big steps the last two years. This is very huge for our club, for our town, for our country. Our Group D is hard, all the teams are good. But it is the Euroleague, with the best teams on the continent. We have to prepare to represent our club, our town and our country.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 21:01:35 +0000
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