Broekhoff and Madgen go head-to-head in the EuroCup
In round 8 of the EuroCup, two Australian's squared off, with Ben Madgen's Lietuvos Rytas took on Ryan Broekhoff's undefeated Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar.
With their unblemished EuroCup record on the line, Lokomotiv hosted Lietuvos Rytas. They looked good early too, dominating the rebound count on their way to a commanding 25-12 lead at the first break despite a big three-ball from Madgen who was trying to get his team going. Madgen hit from long-range again in the second, but three triples from three straight possessions, including one from Broekhoff, ensured the home side led by 19 at half time.
Madgen continued to help lead the second half charge from Rytas, with the visitors managing to close the margin to as little as 3 points in the final quarter. However just as his side looked like they may break through for the lead, Broekhoff would answer with a big basket, with free throws in the final minute seeing Lokomotiv home 77-68 [video highlights].
Broekhoff was once again a consistent performer who finds a way to make big baskets. The Australian Boomer finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds is yet another solid performance. Madgen was also very good and helped Rytas remain in contention throughout, adding 13 points (2-4 3PT) and 2 rebounds. While Rytas fell to a 4-4 record, Lokomotiv secured top place in Group C.
Round 12 of the EuroLeague saw Maccabi Tel Aviv take on the red-hot CSKA Moscow on the road in front of 9,000 raucous fans. Jonah Bolden ensured Tel Aviv were leading early, draining a big three. However after a tight opening period where just 1 point separated them, the home side lifted in the second behind the play making of former NBA players Sergio Rodriguez (15 points and 11 assists) and Nando De Colo (26 points and 6 assists), creating a 15 point buffer at the main break.
Both sides traded blows in the third, however the visitors were unable to make inroads into the margin. Bolden stepped up in the final term to help his side close the margin to 6 points with 1 minute to play. Yet the vocal home crowd ensured CSKA kept their noses in front, pulling away for a 101-86 win [video highlights].
Bolden continued to demonstrate his capability at the top-European level, contributing 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 21 minutes. Tel Aviv remain in a pack of teams with a 7-5 record, snapping now falling behind CSKA who boast the best record in the competition at 10-2.
Despite leading by 9 points with with 5 minutes to play, Anadolu Efes Istanbul were overrun down the stretch by Baskonia to go down 80-81 in a thriller [video highlights]. Brock Motum played just 3 minutes off the bench and went scoreless. Efes fell to a 4-8 record and appear destined to miss the next stage.