No game can be labelled easy in the EuroLeague as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona fell victim to surprising defeats in the season opener. FC Barcelona could not stop Zalgiris in the final quarter and went to lose to the Lithuanians, while Real Madrid could not handle Bayern Munich in the newly-opened SAP Arena.
In Berlin, Panathinaikos played well enough to secure the win vs. ALBA in the Arena, where the team won the EuroLeague title 131 days ago.
AS Monaco dominated Olimpia Milano in a disappointing performance for Ettore Messina’s squad. As for Baskonia, they survived a battle against Partizan in Buesa Arena, while Maccabi Tel Aviv used a late run to push aside LDLC ASVEL.
Zalgiris Kaunas (1-0) vs FC Barcelona (0-1) 74-67
The Stat Line:Â
Sylvain Francisco: 19 PTS, 6-10 FG, 3-4 FT, 4 3PTs, 4 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV
Keys to victory:
Francisco changed the game with his clutch performance, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, with 10 consecutive points during the final minutes of the game. Ignas Brazdeikis showed how comfortable he feels playing in Kaunas, scoring 17 points and gobbling 5 rebounds in his return to the Zalgirio Arena.
AS Monaco (1-0) vs Olimpia Milano (0-1) 93-80
The Stat Line:
Alpha Diallo: 20 PTS, 7-11 FG, 4-5 FT, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 1 TOV
Key to victory:
AS Monaco appeared poised to start the contest and limited the disappointing Milan team to 26 points in the first half. In addition, they outrebounded Etorre Messina’s squad 36-23, with 15 offensive rebounds registered through 40 minutes. Total domination for the hosts.
Baskonia (1-0) vs Partizan (0-1) 88-82
The Stat Line:
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: 15 PTS, 6-12 FG, 2-2 FT, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 2 TO
Key to victory:
Tadas Sederkeskis, Markus Howard and Chima Moneke combined for 44 points, but newcomers Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Trent Forrest (10 PTS, 4 AST) were crucial in the final stretch of the game. Luwawu-Cabarrot earned the player of the game award, while Trent Forrest hit a clutch three late in the 4th quarter that capped a comeback from a 5-point (64-69) deficit.
Bayern Munich (1-0) vs Real Madrid (0-1) 97-89
The Stat Line:
Johannes Voigtmann: 19 PTS, 7-12 FG, 0-2 FT, 10 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 TOV
Key to victory:
Bayern Munich survived a horrendous third quarter that led to a 10-point (61-71) deficit against the last season’s EuroLeague finalists. The Bavarians started the 4th quarter down by 63-74 but pushed back, with Shabazz Napier (25 PTS) making huge plays down the stretch in his first game with Bayern.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (1-0) vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (0-1) 89-82
The Stat Line:
Tamir Blatt: 21 PTS, 8-9 FG, 1-1 FT, 4 3PT, 12 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL, 1 TOV
Key to victory:
It was a fiercely contested game but Maccabi was able to finish the encounter with an impressive 12-2 run to put the LDLC ASVEL away.
ALBS Berlin (0-1) vs Panathinaikos (1-0) 77-87
The Stat Line:
Mathias Lessort: 16 PTS, 6-9 FG, 2-2 FT, 8 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL
Key to victory:
Panathinaikos were in control for the majority of the game, but the Berliners came back multiple times. The EuroLeague reigning champions made big-time shots, though, in the fourth and kicked off their EuroLeague campaign with a road win. The EuroLeague defending champions finished the contest with 21 assists and just 4 turnovers!
