EuroView: Madgen magic in win over Motum
Ben Madgen helped create some magic, as Lietkabelis Panevezys won a nail-biting contest against Brock Motum and his ladder-leading Žalgiris Kaunas.
In a battle between the two top teams in Lithuania, Žalgiris traveled to Lietkabelis where Brock Motum and Ben Madgen would square off against each other. In a game befitting of the league's best teams, the game was a classic, going right down to the last possessions. With the scores locked at 77, Lorenzo Williams would score the go-ahead basket with 4.8 seconds left to put Lietkabelis ahead. A last gaps three-point attempt by the visitors was off the mark, ensuring the home-town Lietkabelis recorded a thrilling 79-77 win.
Ben Madgen was the star of the show, pouring in a game-high 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. With 4 rebounds and 1 assist, he was also the game's most efficient player (23) and a driving factor behind the Lietkabelis inflicting Žalgiris' second loss of thee season. For Žalgiris, Motum was again very good offensively, going 4-of-6 from the field for 12 points (2-of-2 3PT), 1 rebound and 2 assists. Despite the road loss, Žalgiris maintains first place with a 19-2 record, while Lietkabelis improved to 16-5 and in outright second place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG4vMdhaKeg
FMP Belgrade were back to their winning ways in an 84-75 win against the higher ranked Cibona Zagreb in the Adriatic League. 6'10 forward Jonah Bolden again enjoyed a very good outing, compiling 12 points that included 2-of-4 three-pointers, with 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. FMP gained momentum in the second period to open up a 4 point half time lead, and then took control of the contest in the third term thanks to a 22-13 period. FMP remain 1 game behind eighth placed Union Olimpija.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aSpNeRoKCs
The Leuven Bears proved no match for Proximus Spirou Charleroi in the EuroMillions League in Belgium. While the Bears only trailed by 4 points after the first quarter, a blistering 29-16 second term saw Charleroi blow the game open and a position from which they would cruise to a 92-72 victory. Forward Clint Steindl went 0-of-5 from beyond the arc but a perfect 5-of-5 inside it, compiling 10 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 30 minutes. With the loss, Leuven falls back to the bottom of the table with a 5-11 win-loss record.
Tartu Rock were made to work hard for their 79-73 against third placed Rapla. Versatile 6'8 forward Venky Jois helped his side with 6 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. He played an important role defensively, while also pulling down 3 offensive boards at the other end. Tartu maintains first place in the standings, with Kalev/Cramo emerging as a serious contender.
In the British Basketball League, Daryl Corletto and Rhys Carter combined for 23 points as they helped guide the Plymouth Raiders to a 83-73 win over Leeds Force thanks to a 26-13 final quarter burst. Corletto connected on 3-of-6 three-pointers in adding 15 points with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, while Carter added 8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the win. Plymouth are now just 1 game outside the top 4 and in good form behind the coaching and on court play of Corletto.
Ladder-leaders Horsens IC went up against Naestved in a battle for the Danish Cup. In an absolute thriller, Naestved sunk two free throws at the end of regulation to steal the win 81-80. It was Naestved's first ever Danish Cup victory which came at the expense of the reigning champions, and not long after Matt Adekoponya joined the side. Neither Adekponya or Dan Trist had a major influence on the contest.