Euroleague: Nikorla Mirotic named T16 W10 MVP
Nikola Mirotic’s record-setting display in an overtime victory at Zalgiris Kaunas was the top performance of the week, and it wasn’t even close. The two-time Euroleague Rising Star Award winner amassed career highs of 31 points and 11 rebounds in compiling a performance index rating of 37 to earn Top 16 Game 10 bwin MVP honors. Mirotic also dished 2 assists and blocked 2 shots, but the story of his game was at the charity stripe. Mirotic made 18 of 18 free throws to set Euroleague records for both most in a game and best accuracy. Moreover, 2 of his free throws with 3.4 seconds left in regulation sent the game to overtime and 1 more in the final 30 seconds of the extra session helped ice a 104-105 victory. Fenerbahce Ulker scorer Bojan Bogdanovic was second on the list of the week’s stars. He scored 26 points and grabbed 5 boards for a 29 index in an 85-94 loss to Maccabi Electra. Last week’s MVP, Nenad Krstic of CSKA Moscow, tallied a 28 index following his 17-point, 8-rebound and 4-assist effort in a 58-78 win at Brose Baskets Bamberg. Ricky Hickman of Maccabi Electra fueled his team to victory with 18 points, 6 assists and an index rating of 26. Rounding out the week’s top performances were Jordan Farmar of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Andres Nocioni of Caja Laboral Vitoria, Ksistof Lavrinovic of Zalgiris Kaunas and Dashaun Wood of Alba Berlin, each with index ratings of 25.
Individual highs: Zoran Planinic of BC Khimki, 9 assists
Mirotic was also the week’s top scorer with 31 points. Bogdanovic’s 26 points improved his Top 16-leading scoring average to 21.8 points per game, though he is second to Montepaschi Siena guard Bobby Brown (19.3 ppg. to 16.3 ppg.) for the full-season crown. Mirotic shared the weekly high in rebounds with CSKA forward Andrey Vorontsevich, each with 11. Vorontsevich’s CSKA teammate, injured forward Viktor Khryapa is the Top 16 leader with 8.2 boards per game. Zoran Planinic of BC Khimki Moscow Region boosted his Top 16 best assist average to 7.1 per game after dishing 9 in a victory over Siena. Six players – Bogdanovic, Omar Cook of Caja Laboral, Ksistof Lavrinovic of Zalgiris, Zach Morley of Alba Berlin, Sergio Rodriguez of Madrid and Devin Smith of Maccabi – topped the weekly charts with 3 steals apiece. Jamon Lucas of Efes sits atop the Top 16 standings with 2.2 steals per game. Smith also shared a spot atop the week’s best shot blockers. He, like Nate Jawai of FC Barcelona Regal, rejected 3 shots on Thursday. Maccabi center Shawn James, with 1.9 per game, is the Top 16 leader in that category. Fittingly in a week he so dominated, Mirotic posted the lone double-double of Top 16 Game 10.