There were four games to start perhaps the most awkward week of basketball in recent memory. Week nine of EuroLeague, regular season action coincide with the start of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
Either way, there were four thrilling games to start week nine, led by Olympiacos’ escape in Milan, as they survived a Curtis Jerrells attempted buzzer-beater to claim an 86-85 win.
Jamel McLean led Olympiacos with 22 points and 7 rebounds against his old team, as Olympiacos improved to 7-2 to retain a share of first place, while Milano fell to 3-6.
Comeback kings Brose Bamberg finished the game on a 14-1 tear to complete a comeback from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Valencia 83-82.
Ricky Hickman led the winners with 26 points and it was he who made three free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining to win a game that the hosts had trailed since the first quarter.
On a landmark night in Catalonia, Barcelona secured a comfortable 89-67 win over Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv with Petteri Koponen hitting 20 points for the winners.
The game marked 20 years since Juan Carlos Navarro signed for the club.
#Navarro20 pic.twitter.com/BzKM4XdI0B
— TalkBasket (@TalkBasket) November 23, 2017
Baskonia improved its winning run to three games with an 85-81 road win against Crvena Zvezda, who in contrast dropped their fifth straight game.
Johannes Voigtmann paced Baskonia with 17 points.
Zalgiris used a big advantage on the glass and fine performances by Edgaras Ulanovas in the first half and Paulius Jankunas in the second to hold off Anadolu Efes Istanbul 91-83 on Thursday.
Ulanovas scored 20 of his career-high 22 points in the first half, Jankunas scored 17 points for Zalgiris.
