Hapoel Jerusalem have an 81-78 first leg advantage from their Eurocup quarter-final with Nizhny Novgorod in the Israeli capital, but the Russians will fancy their chances at home in the second leg next week.
Artsiom Parakhouski led Hapoel with 18 points and 8 rebounds as they have a slender three-point lead heading to Russia thanks to a buzzer-beating triple from Yotam Halperin. Dijon Thompson and Primoz Brezec both led Novgorod with 21 points each in a highly competitive showdown.
“It was a fiercely competitive game and I am proud of how our team played,” Hapoel Jerusalem coach Brad Greenberg said. “We have a mature group with a high basketball IQ and they played intelligently at the end of the game. Nizhny Novgorod is a very strong team and we realize it will be a quite a challenge to hold them off in Russia. But we embrace the opportunity. It will require us playing our best all-around road game of the year.”
Valencia routed Alba Berlin 86-54 in Spain as the German side now have to overturn a 32-point deficit in the second leg at the 02 World next week.
A second quarter shutdown by the Liga Endesa side was enough to settle the Valencia fans’ nerves. Alba Berlin had come into this game in good form after thrashing Brose Baskets 70-58 in the German league last weekend.
Valencia held the Berliners to just 5 points in the second period, while scoring 29 of their own though give the Spaniards the advantage.
Justin Doellman led the winners with 33 points and 4 steals.
Valencia coach Velimir Perasovic though still recognises that there is a second to be played, and that anything can happen.
“I do not consider it to be definitive, there is another game in Berlin and is necessary to play,” he said.
Eurocup favourites Unics Kazan, much like their first leg demolition of CEZ Nymburk in the previous round had no trouble beating Aykon Ankara 81-68 in their leg tie in Turkey.
Chuck Eidson led the Russians with 21 points on a quiet night for the free-scoring duo of Luke Harangody and Andrew Goudelock, as they scored 3 and 11 points respectively.
