Here are the biggest stories from around the League.
Chris Czerapowicz stars for Tsmoki in Perm
Tsmoki-Minsk turned heads at the beginning of the season and entered 2018 in position for a playoff bid. A six-game losing streak in the new year, however, meant the Belarusians desperately needed a spark to resuscitate their season.
They got one from Chris Czerapowicz in Sunday’s game in Perm.
The Swede matched the League’s season best with seven 3-pointers (7-11) and set a new career high for points in the League (33). More importantly, he led his club to victory over PARMA, helping Tsmoki draw even with the 8th-place Siberians in the win column.
Making the postseason won’t be easy. Six teams are in contention for the final two spots (Astana, PARMA, Tsmoki-Minsk, VEF, Nizhny, Kalev), but at least Minsk has some momentum entering the home stretch.
Loko adds Jonas Maciulis
Loko forward Ryan Broekhoff proposed to his girlfriend Katie in Paris on February 22. About the same time, Jonas Maciulis was stuck in bad situation in Madrid. After yet another game stuck on the bench for the Spanish powerhouse, the Lithuanian forward was ready to take drastic measures. Only a few weeks later, Broekhoff and Maciulis’ fates had become intertwined. Early in the morning of March 6, Loko discovered the Aussie swingman would miss six weeks with a hand injury. By the evening, Maciulis, who’d already exited Madrid and become a free agent, signed a contract with Loko.
Maciulis has a fascinating story, from growing up the son of a lumberjack to becoming the most decorated active player on the Lithuanian national team. Maciulis has played all over Europe, but he’s always been known as a reliable, hard-nosed player. He’ll demonstrate that in Krasnodar, where he’s certain to receive playing time. Krasnodar signed the experienced Lithuanian for the League, which speaks to the team’s goals and priorities. Maciulis has played in four of Europe’s top competitions and won titles in each of them (Lithuania, Italy, Greece, Spain, plus the EuroLeague). Can he do it again?
Ken Brown and Kaspars Berzins give VEF a win in the Baltic Derby
It’s always personal between Kalev and VEF, but with both teams hoping to make the postseason, the stakes are even higher.
The court was a war zone and the outcome of the game hung in the balance until the final seconds. Riga ultimately emerged victorious, powered by recent signing Ken Brown: 22 points, seven assists and ideal defense vs. Kaspars Berzins on a key possession. VEF could have used Brown at the beginning of the season!
The Latvian champions take revenge on Kalev for an earlier loss and improve their chances of a playoff bid.
Astana takes advantage of Khimki’s injury bug
Khimki traveled to Kazakhstan without Shved, Robinson, Gill, Honeycutt, Zubkov and Sokolov. Astana took advantage, demonstrating disciplined, intelligent basketball, which has become its hallmark under head coach Mikhail Karpenko.
Khimki tried to come back after giving up a 20-2 run to open the game and trailing by 19 entering the 4th quarter. But Astana held firm, refusing to let Khimki make it close down the stretch. Astana has now won four of its last five games to climb into 7th place in the standings.
CSKA wins the second half in Riga by 20 points
Prior to the game in Riga, CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis gave VEF its due for the team’s transformation in 2018. New additions Ken Brown, Kaspars Berzins and Paul Carter have made VEF a serious playoff contender and upset threat.
CSKA experienced this first-hand as the two teams battled to a virtual draw in the first half (46-45 in favor of VEF).
The Army Men, however, took control after the break, opening the 3rd quarter on a 10-0 run and shutting down VEF’s offense midway through the 4th quarter to seal the victory.
CSKA finished with 100+ points for the second game in a row (and fourth overall), extending the winning streak to six, and maintaining pressure on 1st-place UNICS.
