EuroView: Landale earns bragging rights over Bairstow

While Duop Reath's star continued to rise in Serbia with FMP Belgrade, Jock Landale and Cameron Bairstow went head-to-head in Lithuania on the weekend.

Jock Landale helped Zalgiris Kaunas win their first EuroLeague game of the season last week when they came away with a 86-73 result against Real Madrid at Zakgirio Arena.

The 2019 FIBA World Cup representative only played 15 minutes after starting, adding 5 points and 2 rebounds and a massive alley-oop slam dunk.

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With a win under their belt, Zalgiris and Landale looked to keep the momentum going against fellow undefeated team Rytas Vilnius - a side boasting another Australian in Cameron Bairstow. With Bairstow in the starting lineup for Rytas, the opening term was a close one, with Zalgiris edging ahead by 2. The former Brisbane Bullets big man was active, providing 7 points that included a three-pointer to keep his team in touch.

The second quarter however saw the home team pull away, with Landale the catalyst. The versatile centre poured in 10 points for the term, with Zalgiris opening up what would prove to be a match winning 16 point lead. With Zalgiris able to withstand every challenge in the second half, they would go on to register an 88-70 win to become the only remaining unbeaten team in the league.

https://youtu.be/bPlj-hGR_Mo

Landale would finish with 15 points and 3 rebounds in 15 minutes, draining his only 2 three-pointers attempted. For Rytas, Bairstow continued his good form by providing 12 points on 4 of 4 shooting with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 19 minutes.

For Rytas, the loss against Zalgiris followed a heartbreaking 61-66 loss to Partizan Belgrade in the EuroCup. Bairstow added 5 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in playing 18 minutes in the loss.

In the Adriatic League, Duop Reath continued to star for FMP Belgrade in a very good 81-63 win against Cibona. With FMP holding a 6 point lead heading into the final term, they unleashed a 24-12 final term onslaught to secure a big win. Reath was again the most dominant player on court, amassing a game-high 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting alongside 9 rebounds and 2 assists to take out the player of the game award for the second straight game and ensure his club remained unbeaten.

Playing against his former club Anadolu Efes Istanbul for the first time, Brock Motum and Valencia could not come up with their first win of the EuroLeague season, falling short 78-83. The loss came down to a devastating 30-17 third term by the Turkish side, who eventually held on for a 5 point win. Motum was rock solid for Valencia, coming off the bench to score 11 points (5-8 FG) with 2 rebounds and 18 minutes.

For Valencia, things did not get any better upon their return to the Spanish ACB, with Unicaja using a dominant first half to complete a 79-63 victory. Returning to the starting lineup, Motum played 19 minutes for 5 points and 1 rebound in a tough outing.

Crafting a 6 point first half lead, Pistoia were then outscored 47-30 by Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia to go down 72-84 in the Italian Serie A. Angus Brandt started for Pistoia, logging 29 minutes for 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in a tough loss. His side now sits at the bottom of the standings without a win, burdened with a 0-5 record.

Across in Poland, Keanu Pinder had a quiet outing as Lega Warszawa were crushed 64-103 by Stelmet Zielona Gora. Pinder contributed just 3 points and 5 rebounds before fouling out in just under 18 minutes.

Matt McCarthy is making an impact for Groningen in the Netherlands, providing another valuable contribution in coming off the bench in their latest 100-72 victory over Den Helder. McCarthy came off the bench to contribute 14 points on an efficient 7 of 8 shooting, also pulling down 3 rebounds in 18 minutes. If he can maintain his output, he may even work his way into the starting lineup before to long.