Very expected game when 16th ranked Serbian Crvena Zvezda (1-5) was defeated on the road by second ranked French Monaco (5-1) 85-77 on Friday. Monaco dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Crvena Zvezda’s 28. The best player for the winners was American swingman Jordan Loyd who scored 20 points. The other American import guard Mike James chipped in 21 points.

At the other side the best for losing team was center Filip Petrusev who recorded a double-double by scoring 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists and Ghanian-American Ben Bentil added 14 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Monaco have a solid three-game winning streak. They used an opportunity after Fenerbahce lost their game and moved up joining them at the top position.

Defending Serbian champion Crvena Zvezda dropped to the bottom place with five games lost. They share the position with Panathinaikos and Bayern. Monaco will meet Valencia (#7) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Crvena Zvezda will play against the league’s leader Fenerbahce (#1) in Istanbul and hope to win that game. 

Top scorers: 
Crvena Zvezda: F.Petrusev 16+12reb+4ast, B.Bentil 14+5reb, N.Nedovic 13+1reb+2ast, S.Markovic 8+2reb+3ast, S.Lazarevic 7+4reb, J.Holland 5+2reb+1ast 
Monaco: M.James 21+2reb+2ast, J.Loyd 20+2reb+3ast, D.Motiejunas 13+6reb+1ast, A.Diallo 9+1reb+1ast, D.Hall 8+7reb+1ast, E.Okobo 5+1reb+3ast 

Zalgiris – ALBA 88-81 

There was a minor upset in Kaunas where higher ranked German ALBA Berlin (3-3) was defeated by eleventh ranked Lithuanian Zalgiris (3-3) 88-81 on Friday. Zalgiris shot the lights out from three sinking 16 long-distance shots on high 53.3 percentage. The best player for the winners was Edgaras Ulanovas who scored 21 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field).

American guard Keenan Evans chipped in 15 points and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American-Croatian Jaleen Smith who recorded 14 points and 6 rebounds and Israeli point guard Tamir Blatt added 12 points and 8 assists respectively.

Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Zalgiris moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 6 other teams including defeated ALBA Berlin. ALBA Berlin lost third consecutive game.Zalgiris will meet ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket (#12) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. ALBA Berlin will play against Bayern Muenchen (#17) and hope to secure a win. 

Top scorers: 
ALBA: J.Smith 14+6reb+3ast, T.Blatt 12+8ast, P.Gabriele 11+6reb+1ast, L.Olinde 10+5reb+1ast, J.Thiemann 8+1reb+3ast, Y.Wetzell 7+3reb 
Zalgiris: E.Ulanovas 21+3reb, K.Evans 15+4reb+4ast, R.Smits 14+7reb+1ast, I.Brazdeikis 14+3reb+2ast, K.Lukosiunas 6+1ast, T.Cavanaugh 6+1reb+1ast 

Olympiacos – Valencia 82-83 

Very important is a home loss of third ranked Greek Olympiacos (4-2) against fourteenth ranked Spanish Valencia (3-3) on Friday night. Host Olympiacos were edged by Valencia in a tough game in Piraeus 82-83. Valencia forced 20 Olympiacos turnovers.Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. American-Armenian guard Chris Jones notched 17 points and 7 assists to lead the effort and Montenegrin center Bojan Dubljevic  supported him with 17 points. Even 20 points and 7 assists by Cypriot-Bulgarian forward Aleksandar Vezenkov did not help to save the game for Olympiacos.

Forward Kostas Papanikolaou added 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Olympiacos players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Valencia moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 6 other teams. Defending Greek champion Olympiacos keep the third position with two games lost.

They share it with 3 other teams. Valencia will play against league’s second-placed Monaco at home in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Olympiacos will play against Partizan and hope to get back on the winning track. 

Top scorers: 
Olympiacos: A.Vezenkov 20+3reb+7ast, T.Walkup 12+2reb+6ast, K.Sloukas 11+1reb+6ast, M.Fall 10+6reb, K.Papanikolaou 9+7reb+4ast, T.Black 9+1reb 
Valencia: B.Dubljevic 17+3reb, C.Jones 17+3reb+7ast, K.Alexander 10+1reb, J.Harper 9+3ast, J.Webb III 9+5reb+3ast, V.Claver 7+1ast 
 
Barca – Fenerbahce 81-80 

The most surprising game was the first loss of Turkish Fenerbahce (5-1) in Barcelona on Friday night. Visitors were edged by sixth ranked Spanish Barca (4-2) 81-80. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Fenerbahce. Argentinian guard Nicolas Laprovittola scored 26 points and 7 assists to lead the charge for the winners and American-Slovenian center Mike Tobey chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds during the contest.

The best for the losing side was American power forward Johnathan Motley with 23 points and 7 rebounds and Serbian swingman Marko Guduric scored 11 points. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.Barca moved-up to third place, which they share with 3 other teams. Defending Turkish champion Fenerbahce still keeps top position with one game lost.

They share it with Monaco. Barca is looking forward to face Maccabi Tel-Aviv (#6) in Tel Aviv in the next round. Fenerbahce will play at home against Crvena Zvezda (#18) and is hoping to win this game. 

Top scorers: 
Fenerbahce: J.Motley 23+7reb+1ast, M.Guduric 11+3reb+3ast, M.Mahmutoglu 11, N.Calathes 8+3reb+2ast, S.Hazer 6+3reb+1ast, S.Wilbekin 6+2reb+4ast 
Barca: N.Laprovittola 26+1reb+7ast, N.Kalinic 14+2reb+3ast, M.Tobey 13+7reb+1ast, R.Jokubaitis 8+2reb+1ast, S.Sanli 6+5reb+1ast, N.James 4+2reb 

 
Virtus BO – ASVEL 79-84 

Everything could happen in Bologna at the game between two tied teams. Both thirteenth ranked French ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket and 14th ranked Italian Virtus BO had identical 2-3 record. But Virtus BO was not able to use a home court advantage and lost to the opponent from Villeurbanne 84-79 on Friday night.

The best player for the winners was forward David Lighty who scored 16 points and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Amine Noua chipped in 14 points. At the other side the best for losing team was Nigerian-American Semi Ojeleye who recorded 11 points and 8 rebounds and Danish guard Gabriel Lundberg added 13 points respectively.

Five ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket and four Virtus BO players scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players in such tough game. Defending French champion (3-3) moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 6 other teams. Virtus BO at the other side keeps the fourteenth position with four games lost. They share it with Anadolu Efes.

ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne Basket will meet at home Zalgiris (#11) in the next round. Virtus BO will play against Milano and hope to secure a win. 

Top scorers: 
Virtus BO: M.Teodosic 14+1reb+3ast, G.Lundberg 13+3reb+2ast, I.Bako 12+6reb, S.Ojeleye 11+8reb+1ast, M.Jaiteh 8+1reb, T.Shengelia 7+3reb+1ast 
ASVEL: J.Mathews 16+1reb, D.Lighty 16+4reb+4ast, A.Noua 14+2reb+2ast, N.De Colo 12+5ast, Y.Fall 10+7reb+1ast, R.Obasohan 6+1reb+2ast