7DAYS EuroCup: Top 16 clubs locked
The Regular Season of the 2017/2018 7DAYS EuroCup has been completed and we finally know every club that progresses to compete in the Top 16 next year. It was an historic day in the 7DAYS EuroCup, with the final Top 16 only being decided after a triple overtime period. There was excitement and heartbreak on Tuesday and Wednesday, so here’s how the round played out:
GROUP A
Unics Kazan secured second place in the Group A standings with a handy 72-79 road win over Fiat Turin on Tuesday. The win lifted Unics to 7-3. Fiat Turin also progressed in fourth place, claiming the final qualification place with a 5-5 record. Cedevita Zagreb finished with the same 5-5 record after downing Levallois Metropolitans 94-79, but grabbed third place thanks to a better head-to-head over Unics. Group A winner Darussafaka Istanbul downed MoraBanc Andorra 68-69 to wrap its regular season with an 8-2 record, while Andorra was eliminated with a 3-7 record, joining Metropolitans as the two clubs leaving from Group A.
GROUP B
In a do or die clash, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica defeated Lietkabelis Panavezys 76-62 to secure its 7DAYS EuroCup Top 16 berth in fourth place (5-5). The loss stopped Lietkabelis from qualifying, the Lithuanian team finishing fifth on 4-6. Galatasaray Istanbul was too strong for already eliminated Hapoel Jerusalem and used an 87-68 win to finish in second place on a 5-5 record. Reggio Emilia joined the 5-5 club in Group B by defeating Bayern Munich 90-82. Arguably more interesting was the fact this was Bayern’s first loss of the EuroCup season, but the Germans qualified weeks ago.
GROUP C
Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius secured a 69-71 road win over Limoges CSP to tie up second place with a 6-4 record. Despite the loss, Limoges had already qualified and finishes fourth at 5-5. Amazingly, for the first time in competition history a team won a game without hitting a single three pointer. ALBA Berlin gained third place without playing but later celebrated with an 86-68 win over Bilbao Basket, the Spanish team already eliminated and falling to 2-8. All eyes will be on Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in the Top 16 as the Russian club completed the group phase as the only club not to lose a game. Lokomotiv finished 2017 in style with a 99-64 home win over Partizan Belgrade.
GROUP D
ASVEL ensured first place in Group D, but needed an historic game to defeat Gran Canaria 128-129. In a game that had it all, the French visitors scored more points away from home than any club in EuroCup history. A three overtime game, both teams were excellent and Gran Canaria is rewarded with a place in the next round. Zenit St. Petersburg completed the Top 16 picture by defeating Tofas Bursa 76-80 on the road.