EuroView: Goulding hot from downtown
Although there were not too many Aussies in action in the top European leagues over the past week, those that did play put in fine performances and played valuable role for their teams.
Over in Spain, Chris Goulding led from the front for CAI Zaragoza with 19 points in a disappointing 67-103 blowout loss to FC Barcelona. Goulding played a starring role, going 5/10 from the field and a vital 4/5 from three-point range. Rediscovering the form that has eluded him for the last few months and finding his stroke from outside, his renewed confidence also saw him attacking the rim (5/7 FT). However Goulding's efforts did little to prevent the powerhouse that is FC Barcelona.
Zaragoza kept it close until the third quarter when Barcelona absolutely decimated their opponent with a dominant 8-28 quarter. It was a large blow for Zaragoza as they now sit half a game behind Herbalife Gran Canaria in 9th position in the Spanish ACB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNCYG2IQhTA
Ryan Broekhoff scored 13 points in Besiktas Integral Forex Istanbul's 84-74 victory over Torku Konyaspor in the Turkish Basketball League. Besiktas were behind from the start as Konyaspor got out to a 12 point lead after the first quarter. However Besiktas made a massive comeback to put the game beyond doubt, outscoring Konyaspor 72-50 in the remaining quarters.
Broekhoff played 28 minutes and scored his 13 points on an efficient 6/8 shooting while also contributing 2 rebounds and 2 steals. The sharpshooting swingman was impressive, this time playing a secondary offensive role and played very well within the team's structures. It was an important victory for Besiktas as it put a gap on the other chasing teams as they sit in 5th place on the league table.
MoraBanc Andorra have continued their late season resurrection as they defeated UCAM Murica CB 73-77 to win their 6th across their last 9 games. Nathan Jawai played a solid role for Andorra with 9 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 18 minutes. Jawai was highly efficient (4/6 FG) and was valuable in a match with many momentum shifts as Andorra got out to a 9 point lead before Murica delivered a strong third quarter, to lead by 3 heading into the final term. Andorra showed composure and their talent in the final term to close out the match and record their 11th win of the season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTMlhX6Xi6A
Don't miss all the Eurocup and Euroleague finals action on Eurosport Australia via Foxtel who once again provide exclusive coverage of the best leagues in Europe!
Here is the Eurosport Australia TV schedule for the next week!
The 2015 Eurocup Finals have come down to Herbalife Gran Canaria and Khimki Moscow.
Australian Brad Newley's Gran Canaria lost by 25 points to Khimki in game 1 of the 2-leg home and away series and then lost 64-83 in game 2. As a result Khimki Moscow were crowned 2015 Eurocup Champions!
Game 2 - Replay
30 April: 6:00pm AEST
1 May: 8:00am AEST
The 2015 Euroleague quarterfinals have been completed and the Final Four has been set - here are the teams:
Real Madrid (ESP) vs Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul (TUR)
CSKA Moscow (RUS) vs Olympiacos Piraeus (GRC)
The Final Four commences on 15 May 2015.
* Times are subject to change. Times and Dates are AEDT. See http://tv.au.eurosport.com/ for details.