Basketball Champions League Week 4 Preview – Unicaja - Peristeri highlights 8-game week
Darüssafaka Lassa vs Cholet Basket Preview
Tipoff Time: 17:00 GMT
Date: Tuesday November 7th, 2023
Location: Volkswagen Arena, Istanbul, Turkey.
Group C leaders Darüssafaka host Cholet in their 3rd BCL game of the season, looking to make it three consecutive wins and virtually punching their ticket to BCL postseason. Cholet travel to Istanbul with the chance to make it 2W 1L and make things even more interesting in a wide-open group.
Darüssafaka approach the game in fine form, having won their last three games in all competitions, including a home win over Pinar Karsiyaka, and a road win against Bahçeşehir. They currently rank 3rd for offensive efficiency in the BCL, led by the dynamic duo of David McCormack and Abdur-Rahman.
Cholet will want to rebound from this weekend’s Overtime loss at Le Portel and build on a good run that brought them to Pro A 4th place. TJ Campbell was kept quiet this weekend and will look to bounce back when the teams lock horns in Istanbul.
Watch Darüssafaka Lassa vs Cholet Basket live on Courtside 1891.
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg – Banco di Sardegna Sassari Preview
Tipoff time: 19:00 GMT
Date: Tuesday November 7th, 2023
Location: MHP Arena, Ludwigsburg (Germany).
Meeting for the fifth time, Dinamo Sassari and MHP Riesen have a 2-2 record as they face each other in the third week of the Basketball Champions League.
If the German side have managed to come back against King Szczecin and get their first win, Dinamo are 0-2 in Group D of the BCL and need a win to keep their hopes alive. Having lost to Varese at the weekend, the Sardinians are in desperate need of some confidence, having started the season with an overall record of 1-7.
They face an energized Ludwigsburg side, with Graves in full confidence mode after leading the Giants to three consecutive wins, the last of which against Rostock in the Bundesliga. The former Buffalo Bill and Austin Spurs players is averaging 15 ppg in Germany, and is 7th overall in the Basketball Champions League in points per game (19.5).
Watch MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg vs Banco di Sardegna Sassari live on Courtside 1891.
Unicaja Málaga vs Peristeri bwin Preview
Tipoff: 19:30 GMT
Location: Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena, Malaga
Date: Tuesday November 7th, 2023
The headliner of the week sees unbeaten Group A leaders Unicaja host Vassilis Spanoulis’ Peristeri in Malaga.
Unicaja have looked great in their two BCL wins in Hungary and at home against Le Mans, boasting the 5th Net Rating in the Basketball Champions League so far and impressing with their offensive fluidity.
Coming to their third BCL game on a six-game winning streak, the Andalusians are high on confidence, but need to look out for Peristeri’s talent. After their heavy defeat in Le Mans, the Greeks have won three games on the spin, taking down Promitheas and Maroussi in the GBL.
Spanoulis can count on one of the most talented backcourts in the competition, with Ragland and Kenny Williams starting and Jaylen Hands bringing instant offense off the bench.
Unicaja will look to dominate the paint, though, where they’ve scored 39 points per game this season in the BCL. It will be an interesting clash at the Palacio de Deportes, where Peristeri look to shake standings in Group A.
Watch Unicaja vs Peristeri bwin on Courtside 1891 (blackout restrictions apply).
Le Mans Sarthe Basket – Falco Vulcano Szombathely Preview
Tipoff: 19:30 GMT
Date: Tuesday November 7th 2023
Location: Antares, Le Mans.
Le Mans will be looking to cement 2nd place in Group A as they host 0 and 2 Falco Szombathely. After their impressive performance against Peristeri, Le Mans lost to Unicaja, and will realistically have to fight for the 2nd spot in the group.
The Hungarian champions, currently without a win, will be looking to shake Group A with a road win. The French side have won two games on the spin in the Pro A, and will hope to take their domestic form, fueled by their playmaker and leading scorer Devante’ Jones.
Watch Le Mans Sarthe Basket vs Falco Vulcano Szombathely live on Courtside 1891.
King Szczecin – AEK Betsson BC Preview
Tipoff: 17:30 GMT
Location: Netto Arena, Szczecin
Date: Wednesday November 8th, 2023.
King Szczecin host Group D leaders AEK Betsson as they look for their 2nd win in front of their home fans. AEK, currently undefeated in the BCL, look for their third win to ensure first place is safe in their hands.
While performing inconsistently in the GBL, internationally AEK have been able to win their two games thanks to their fast basketball (4th in the BCL per Viziball) while not being particularly effective offensively.
King Szczecin are not to be taken lightly, though: the Polish champions comfortably beat Sassari in their BCL opener, and only their 4th quarter collapse after leading for 35 minutes in Ludwigsburg saw them surrender a game.
To maximize their chances of winning on the road, AEK will need to limit Andrej Mazurczak, currently doing it all for Szczecin and being the 2nd player by PIE (player impact) in the BCL, with 22.86% over two games, averaging 13 points and 9 assists on only 3 total turnovers.
Watch King Szczecin vs AEK BETSSON BC live on Courtside 1891
Telekom Baskets Bonn – Rio Breogan Game Preview
Tipoff: 19:00 GMT
Location: Telekom Dome, Bonn (Germany).
Date: Wednesday November 8th, 2023.
Bonn host Rio Breogan hoping to avoid consecutive home defeats in the BCL. Stunned by Holon, the current champions blew a 15-point lead to lose the game, and then got blown out by Ulm in the Bundesliga in the weekend.
Things aren’t ideal for Breogan either, as the Galicians currently sit at the bottom of the Liga Endesa. However, they won their first BCL game against Bursaspor, conceding only 48 points. Achieving the same against Bonn will be a different task for Veljko Mršić’s players as they travel to the Telekom Dome.
Watch Telekom Baskets Bonn vs Rio Breogan on Courtside 1891
Lenovo Tenerife – VEF Riga Preview
Tipoff: 20:00 GMT
Location: Santiago Martin Arena, San Cristobal de La Laguna.
Date: Wednesday November 8th, 2023.
It’s the fifth meeting between BCL veterans Lenovo Tenerife and VEF Riga. Still winless, VEF Riga don’t look forward to this reunion, as the Canarians currently have a very favorable 4-0 record against the Latvian champions, with the humiliating 92:59 win by the home side in 2020 still fresh in the visitors’ minds.
Center Alexander Madsen, the only Riga player present that day, will want to fuel the feeling of revenge as VEF travel to San Cristobal with a hard task at hand to move their BCL season.
The home side come off the back of two wins against Bilbao and Andorra to bounce back from their defeat against Darüşşafaka, and will be hoping to go 2-1 to keep the pressure of the Group C leaders as they face Cholet.
Watch Lenovo Tenerife vs VEF Riga live on Courtside 1891
SL Benfica – Hapoel Bank Jahav Preview
Tipoff: 20:00 GMT
Location: Pavilhao Fidelidade, Lisbon (Portugal)
Date: Wednesday November 8th, 2023.
With their respective BCL seasons only started, SL Benfica and Hapoel Bank Jahav battle to decide which team will still be undefeated after 2 Gamedays in the Basketball Champions League.
Fresh off their largest win in the BCL over PAOK, Benfica looked strong in their opener and will once again count on Cape Verdean Ivan Almeida to repeat his unforgettable performance against PAOK. With 28 points on 32 efficiency, coupled with his two steals and 1 block on the defensive end, Almeida tops the BCL in player impact, with a top 15 offensive efficiency.
In Belgrade, Khadeen Carrington carried the Jerusalem comeback over Galatasaray, in control for large parts of the game. The American guard scored 27 points off the bench, making Hapoel’s comeback from 15 down a reality and ensuring the Israeli team secured a win in their BCL opener.
Watch SL Benfica vs Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem on Courtside 1891
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