20 October, 2020
09 May, 2021
21 Tony Taylor (KSK)
02/03/2021
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Play-Offs Week 1 Wednesday games preview

MIES (Switzerland) - The opening week of the 2020-21 Play-Offs concludes on Wednesday as an eagerly anticipated Turkish derby in Group I lifts the curtain on the day's three-game slate.

Here's a closer look at what to expect from the three Wednesday games:

Pinar Karsiyaka vs. Tofas Bursa -- Group I, 18:00 CET

  • Tomislav Zubcic returned from injury at the weekend and will bolster the Tofas frontcourt. The Bursa team however will have to make do without the injured Semaj Christon in the backcourt.

  • Both rivals were in Turkish BSL league action on Saturday: Karsiyaka were 96-83 winners at Bahcesehir, behind 19 points and 5 assists from French star Amath M'Baye. Tofas meanwhile defeated Galatasaray 98-89 at home behind 26 points from DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and a career-high 14 assists from Berk Ugurlu, who added 6 points.

  • Karsiyaka and Tofas have already clashed twice this season, in the Turkish BSL, with the Izmir team winning both encounters. In October, Karsiyaka prevailed 88-78 on the road thanks to 26 points from Raymar Morgan. On January 31st, they won 90-71 at home behind 20 points from Tony Taylor.

  • Karsiyaka will face a fellow Turkish side for the second time in the BCL, after beating Besiktas twice in the 2016-17 Play-Offs. Karsiyaka, who have won their last three games in the competition, will tie their longest winning streak in the BCL if they win on Wednesday.

  • Tofas won all three road games they have played in the BCL. The Bursa team is averaging 92.3 points per game on the road and 84.0 points per game at home. They give up 77.3 points per game on the road and 83.3 points per game at home.

  • Karsiyaka give up the fewest fast-break points in this season's BCL, just 6.3 per game, as well as the fewest points off turnovers, 10.2 per game. On the other hand, Karsiyaka average a league-low 67.6 possessions per game.

  • Tofas give up the fewest points in the paint in this season's BCL, 26.3 per game, while scoring a league joint-high 39.7 points in the paint per game.

  • Tofas led the league in made two-point shots in the Regular Season, with 149 made two-pointers.

  • DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell of Tofas is the only player in BCL history to have scored in double digits in 20 consecutive games in the league and he's never had a single-digit game in the competition.

Igokea vs. Lenovo Tenerife -- Group J, 18:30 CET

  • Igokea are coming off an 87-82 defeat to Buducnost at home, in ABA League action on Sunday, despite 14-point displays from each of Steven Gray and Edin Atic.

  • By contrast, Tenerife enjoyed a 97-71 victory at Obradoiro in Spanish Liga Endesa action, behind 22 points and 6 assists from Marcelinho Huertas.

  • Igokea have won all three home games in the BCL. They give up 70.7 points per game at home on average, compared with 86 points per game on the road.

  • Tenerife are 1-4 in their five most recent road games in the BCL, after winning 20 of their 23 previous road games. The Spanish team gave up 90 or more points in two of their three road games in the BCL this season, as many times as in all their road games in the previous four BCL seasons.

  • Tenerife lead the league in scoring as they average 92 points per game. They had never averaged more than 81.1 points per game in any of their previous four BCL campaigns.

  • Tenerife score a league-high 1.3 points per possession, as they are shooting a league-high 54.1 percent from the floor and a league-high 86.3 percent from the free-throw line.

  • Anthony Clemmons is the only Igokea player to have scored in double digits in each of their six BCL games. Clemmons is shooting 53.6 percent from the field, including 45 percent from three-point range, and 94.1 percent from the line.

Happy Casa Brindisi vs. Hapoel Unet-Credit Holon -- Group I, 20:30 CET

  • Brindisi will have to make do without their leading scorer D’Angelo Harrison, who is still sidelined due to injury. The Italian team however have signed veteran swingman Joshua Bostic.

  • Holon have welcomed veteran point guard Yogev Ohayon back from injury, but center Richard Howell remains sidelined.

  • Holon traveled to Italy without Isaiah Miles, who is recovering from Covid-19 infection.
  • Brindisi are coming off an 81-74 win over Trieste in Italian Serie A action on Saturday, behind a Derek Willis double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

  • Holon on the other hand last saw Israeli Winner League action on February 14, when they fell 100-81 at Maccabi Tel Aviv, despite 18 points from Isaiah Miles.

  • Brindisi lost 90-86 to Burgos their most recent home game but have never lost consecutive games at home in the competition.

  • Brindisi are scoring a league second-best 89.7 points per game at home.

  • Holon have lost all six of their games against Italian teams in the BCL. The Israeli team give up 93.2 points per game on average against Italian teams.

  • Brindisi average a league-high 19.7 made free-throws per game and shot 90 percent or better from the line in three of their six games, as the only team to have done so in this season's BCL.

  • Holon's Tyrus McGee scored 15 or more points in each of his last two BCL games and is looking to extend that streak to three consecutive games for the first time in his BCL career, which currently counts 34 league appearances.