17 October, 2023
05 May, 2024
12 Trevor Hudgins (MSB), 77 Hunter Hale (PROM), 26 Jaime Echenique (PROM)
08/01/2024
Preview
to read

20 things to look out for in Tuesday's games

MIES (Switzerland) - It's win-or-go-home time for four teams on Tuesday as PAOK mateco, Bertram Derthona Tortona, Le Mans Sarthe Basket and Filou Oostende need to tie their respective Play-In series or else will be eliminated from this season's BCL.

The first three teams will need to win on the road in order to do that and, to put that challenge into perspective, suffice is to say that only two sides so far (Hapoel Holon in the 2021-22 season and Bahcesehir in 2022-23) have managed to qualify for the Round of 16 after losing Game 1 at home.

Here are 20 things you need to know ahead of the four Tuesday games:

Tofas Bursa v PAOK mateco

Game 2 (Tofas lead the series 1-0) - 18:00 CET - Bursa, Turkiye


This is what it's like to start with a bang - Marcus Denmon had 21 points in his debut with Tofas

● Tofas won the first game in this series (95-63 in Greece) and if they win also on Tuesday it will be the first time they win consecutive games in the BCL since January-February 2022, when they won three on the bounce. Tofas are 1-5 in their last six home games in the BCL.

● PAOK are on a three-game losing streak in the BCL, their longest (within a single season) since 2021-22, when they lost four in a row: their last two games in the Regular Season and two games in the Play-Ins. PAOK scored fewer than 80 points in each of their last six BCL games.

● Tofas are leading the BCL this season in offensive rating, as they score 118.7 points per 100 possessions. They also lead the league in first-half scoring, averaging 46 points per game in the first half.

● PAOK are the team that plays at the slowest tempo in this season's BCL, as they average the fewest offensive possessions per game (68.5) and also the fewest defensive possessions (69.1 per game.) Not surprisingly then, PAOK are last in fast-break points, scoring just 6.1 per game.

● Tofas's latest signing, Marcus Denmon, led all scorers in Game 1 with 21 points. Denmon, who played in the BCL last season with Peristeri, has now attempted at least 6 three-pointers in each of his last five BCL games and converted at a rate of 50 percent (19 of 38). This stat includes his 5-of-7 three-point shooting in Game 1.


Galatasaray EKMAS v Bertram Derthona Tortona

Game 2 (Galatasaray lead the series 1-0) - 18:00 CET - Istanbul, Turkiye

 David McCormack: 3 games with Galatasaray, 2 double-doubles and the game-winning basket in Game 1

● Galatasaray are riding a three-game winning streak in the BCL and if they win on Tuesday they will extend the streak to four games, which would be their longest ever in the competition. The Turkish powerhouse however are 1-2 in their three BCL home games this season.

● Tortona, who are coming off a 71-70 loss in Game 1 of this series, have not lost back-to-back games in the BCL since joining the competition for the first time this season. Six of Tortona' seven games in the BCL were decided by margins of eight or fewer points.

● Galatasaray are tied with AEK for best defense within the arc in this season's BCL, as they hold opponents to only 46.2 percent shooting from two-point range, Tortona are the team which most relies on two-point shooting, as they lead the league in two-point attempts with 42.6 per game.

● David McCormack has posted two double-doubles in his three BCL games with Galatasaray and is averaging 15 points and 9.7 rebounds per game since he joined the yellow-reds from Darussafaka. Galatasaray are 3-0 in the BCL since McCormack and Klemen Prepelic joined the team.

● Tortona's Tommaso Baldasso scored 12 or more points in each of his last four BCL games. The Italian made at least 1 three-pointer in each of his nine BCL appearances and is yet to miss a free-throw (19 of 19 from the stripe).


Promitheas Patras v Le Mans Sarthe Basket

Game 2 (Promitheas lead the series 1-0) - 19:30 CET - Patras, Greece


Wilfried Yeguete is about to reach 350 BCL career rebounds

● Promitheas are on a two-game winning streak, their longest ever in competition history was four games. The team that was leading at half-time ended up winning each of the last five BCL games involving Promitheas.

● Le Mans are 1-2 in their three road games in the BCL this season, but that lone victory came on a trip to Greece, when they defeated Peristeri bwin 86-78 in Athens.

● Promitheas have the best defense in the BCL this season in terms of opponents' field goal percentage, as they hold opponents to just 39.2 percent shooting from the floor.

● Game 1 was the first time that Hunter Hale of Promitheas came off the bench in a BCL game, and he ended up scoring a BCL career-high 25 points. Hale, who was averaging 10.5 points per game as a starter, has made multiple three-pointers in each of his five games so far.

● Wilfried Yeguete of Le Mans is 4 rebounds away from becoming the fifth player in BCL history to reach 350 career rebounds. He had 6 or more rebounds in each of his last four BCL games.


Filou Oostende v Hapoel Holon

Game 2 (Holon lead the series 1-0) - 20:00 CET - Oostende, Belgium


Khalil Ahmad started for Oostende in the last two games and scored at least 18 points in each of them 

● The two teams have met in Belgium twice before and Oostende won both times, scoring 95 or more points in each of those two encounters. Oostende are 3-0 in their last three BCL home games and if they win on Tuesday it will be the first time in BCL history that they win four in a row at home.

● Holon are in the BCL Play-Ins for the third consecutive season; they won the road game in each of the two previous campaigns, advancing to the Round of 16 on both occasions. Holon, who won 93-74 at Bursaspor in what was their most recent road game, last won back-to-back road in March-April 2022.

● Holon have the best defense in this season's BCL in terms of disrupting opponents' passing, as they allow a league-best (lowest) 13 assists per game. Oostende dished 11 assists in the first game of this series, their fewest in a BCL game this season.

● Oostende's Khalil Ahmad scored 18+ points in each of his last two BCL games, his first two as a starter. He was averaging 11.2 points per game off the bench in his previous five games. Ahmad was either the leading or joint-leading scorer in Oostende’s last two BCL games

● Holon's Justin Smith has scored 15 or more points in four of his last five BCL games, including the latest two. Smith is also averaging 7.8 rebounds per game in that span.