European Hoops Recap: Eurocup oddities and Vezenkov’s big day

We’ve hit the stretch run in European competition. Playoffs have started in the FIBA Champions League, while the Top 16 of Eurocup concluded last week. Most European teams are now focused on finishing strong in domestic play, and the high stakes of playoff basketball will be kicking into gear come March, starting with the FIBA competition. Eurocup will follow at the end of February, while we’re just eight games from the end of the Euroleague regular season.

Bayern Munich hammers Khimki in OT

Bayern Munich and Khimki Moscow matched up in the final day of Eurocup, with both safe to advance to the quarterfinals. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t combine for one of the competition’s weirdest endings. Bayern sprung out to a comfortable second quarter lead behind forward Max Kleber, but Khimki was able to battle back, as Eurocup MVP favorite Alexey Shved had 20 of his 31 points in the second half. His clutch free throws with 28 seconds left tied the game at 72, and that’s when things got weird.

I say that because Bayern won 96-74. In a game that went to overtime. That’s insane. A 22-point deficit in an overtime game hasn’t happened in the NBA since at least 1983. This was a perfect storm of red-hot shooting from Bayern and disastrous play from Khimki, who turned the ball over four times and didn’t hit a field goal in the five-minute period, while Bayern hit 8-of-10 from the field.

Bayern started the period on a 17-0 run, as Kleber, former Houston Rocket Nick Johnson and Nihad Dedovic took to the reigns and hit six of Bayern’s first seven shots. Meanwhile, the Germans’ always air-tight defense took flight, as Khimki went missed free throws, missed shot, missed shot, turnover to start. When the lead got to ten, Shved finally snapped, and was called for an unsportsmanlike foul. At that point, Khimki folded, and Bayern continued pouring it on to create one of the most lopsided overtime games ever.

Bayern closed the Top 16 undefeated, and has won nine straight games in the competition overall. They’ve become the frontrunner for the Eurocup title, thanks to a stifling defense and the frontcourt combo of Kleber and Devin Booker. They should handle Unicaja Malaga in the next round, and be a lock for the Final Four.

Upsets reign in FIBA Qualifiers

The FIBA Champions League playoff qualifiers started after a week off, and they went exactly opposite of what was anticipated. Sure, MHP Ludwigsburg beat Maccabi Rishon, and AEK Athens/Juventus was a tight, even game that ended with an AEK victory. But outside of that? Absolute madness.

A seemingly overmatched Fraport team beat Pinar Karsiyaka, thanks to 35 points from former George Mason forward Michael Morrison. Partizan hung on to a close win over PAOK on the road. Aris destroyed Strasbourg. Avtodor edged Oldenburg. And Ventspils clung to an upset of Reyer Venezia, behind 16 points from 36-year old Willie Deane.

This was not how this was supposed to go. Several teams will have some big-time work to do in the return leg, as aggregate score decides who advances. Home court advantage will help some squads, but some of the stronger teams from the regular season may be facing elimination earlier than expected. Expect some weirdness from these games if aggregate comes into play for some games, particularly for Strasbourg (down 19 points) and CEZ Nymburk (down 22 points), who may need to pour it on their opponents to even sniff the Top 16.

A memoir for Chaos Team

Ah, Lietuvos Rytas. Rytas became my favorite Eurocup team to follow this year, thanks to a penchant for playing insane games and having baffling inconsistency. Highlights included a double-OT thriller against Alba Berlin, a three-game win streak in the regular season that featured a win over Khimki Moscow, and just when the magic appeared to be fading, two blowout wins over Nizhny Novgorod that effectively ended the Russians’ run in the competition. With Kings draft-and-stash Arturas Gudaitis, former Sixer Drew Gordon, and veteran point guard David Logan leading the charge, Rytas consistently killed teams on the boards, created highlight plays, and when things were clicking, had a very dangerous offense.

Rytas was eliminated from the tournament this Wednesday, as they needed to beat Zenit St. Petersburg by double-digits to advance. However, they had to go out with one more banger of a game, overcoming multiple double-digit deficits to beat Zenit 86-84. They were able to do so thanks to Logan, who had 28 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 5 steals. His off-the-dribble game was firing on all cylinders, as he was able to out-quick Zenit’s slower guards to work himself into open shots:

Zenit was also firing on all cylinders offensively, as Janis Timma and Sergey Karasev combined for 45 points in the loss. Karasev helped Zenit build their early lead, attacking off the dribble and facilitating as a hybrid point guard, while Timma helped Zenit keep pace in the second half, hitting five 3s. But when Rytas flipped the switch and gained control in the second half, it was Gudaitis, who had 11 points all on free throws, and Gordon, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds, who took the driver’s seat.

Rytas was incredibly volatile and incredibly fun in Eurocup. They weren’t always particularly good, but they almost made the quarterfinals anyway. We will miss them.

Aleksandar Vezenkov’s big day vs. Galatasaray

Barcelona’s 69-62 loss to Galatasaray essentially killed their playoff chances, as they’re now three games back of the eighth seed with eight games to play. This game was a bit of a rock fight, as the teams combined to hit just 13 of 49 3s, and Barcelona suffered from the same offensive stagnation they always seem to, devolving into failed Ante Tomic post-ups and Tyrese Rice isolations. But they did have a bright spot, as 2017 NBA Draft prospect Aleksandar Vezenkov was red-hot in the first half, scoring 15 of his 18 points and finishing 8-of-12 from the field.

Vezenkov dealt well with the overall lack of spacing in this game, showing he has more than rhe 3-point shooting that got him on NBA radars. Vezenkov was most effective around the rim, showing he could be capable of playing some four at the NBA level. Vezenkov hit his first five shots in the paint, out-muscling Vladimir Micov, and hitting a nice touch shot off an inbounds pass early in the game.

Vezenkov had one assist in the game, and it was an impressive one. He has always been a useful passer at the Euroleague level, and his feel for the game is very good. He deals with some contact here from Blake Schlib on the drive, but this is excellent recognition to find a wide-open Rice on the opposite wing:

And of course, we can’t forget his outside shooting, which is still dynamite. The 52.4 percent marksman hit 2-of-4 3-pointers in this game, and his lightning-quick release wasn’t phased by tight contests on both shots:

Vezenkov’s surge back into the draft consciousness has been marked by these improvements in his offensive game. If he can consistently become a good finisher on the interior, he’s going to be a useful stretch four in the NBA, thanks to his deceptive agility and that brilliant three-point shooting. He’s been the brightest spot in Barcelona’s disappointing season, and he’s rounding into form right as NBA scouts are starting to get prepared for the draft.

Elsewhere around the continent

Real Madrid fought through a close game with Unics Kazan, winning 81-77. Once again, Luka Doncic was the star of the show, posting a career-high 11 assists. All of Doncic’s passing skills were on full display, as he took over lead ball-handling duties and dissected Unics’s defense. He’s proving week in and week out that he can be a dangerous primary initiator for an offense, thanks to his court vision, passing touch and driving ability.

Frank Ntilikina wasn’t statistically effective in Strasbourg’s 71-52 loss to Aris. But he was the only player on Strasbourg that had a positive plus/minus, as he finished +4 in 17 minutes, in a game they lost by 19. He finished with 5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, which is right around his average production for the last month. Ntilikina may not be putting up the same statistical output as Doncic, but he’s showing to be an effective defender and secondary facilitator.

Ndamukong Suh was at Olympiacos’s game against Zalgiris, watching high school teammate Dominic Waters play. This has to be the most random celebrity appearance of the year.