Belgrade, Serbia – In the opening game of the last day of the Euroleague’s 2020 Adidas Next Generation Tournament, Asseco Arka Gdynia got its first win at the event, running past Panathinaikos 94-75 to secure seventh place. Asseco displayed a good small-ball game, seven of its players finished in double figures, as all twelve in the roster received playing time. Nikodem Czoska led the winners in scoring with 17 points and six boards, shooting 5-of-7 from the field, while Olaf Perzanowski (2002), a 6-5 perimeter player with good jumping ability and two-way game (a plus shot blocker) finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Asseco’s only true center, 6-9 Lukasz Walkowiak (2003) scored 16 points and grabbed five boards. As in the previous days of the tournament, the only light in the tunnel for Panathinaikos came from their best players – Emmanouil Kontoudis and Marios Giotis who recorded 21 points and 30 respectively.
In the game for the fifth place Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana prevailed over Crvena Zvezda 66-59 after a very solid first half performance (43-19). The main motors of the win were Egor Sytnikov who led his team in scoring with 20 points and six boards and Alen Malovcic who recorded a double-double – 16 points and 11 boards (ten fouls drawn, making all of his eight shots from the charity line). Stefan Gontar (2002), a 7-0 center added 11 points, eight boards, three assists, five steals and five turnovers. Marko Mihailovic (2003), a 6-5 shooting guard led Crvena Zvezda in scoring with 14 points and four boards in the loss.
Mega Bemax sealed third place in a game against Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv, after a blowout first quarter (34-16), winning it 96-80. Mihailo Musikic led the winners with the game-high 26 points and six points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field, while his teammate Luka Paunovic had another solid all-around performance at the event, recording 20 points, five boards and eight assists, while shooting 4-of-6 on 3s. Harel Rinski was the highest scorer for Maccabi with 21 points, shooting 4-of-7 on 3s. Amit Aharoni was two rebounds shy away from an impressive triple-double, having 11 points, eight boards and 14 assists.
In the most intriguing and well-anticipated game from the program, Partizan Belgrade outsmarted its opponent CFBB Paris, in front of a packed arena, to secure a 79-67 win. Partizan shared the ball well, creating situations on offense for everyone on the roster to contribute (10-of-11 players who played in the game scored at least four points). The Serbians played with more energy and hustle on both ends of the court from the beginning of the game, showing great competitiveness and toughness. On the other side, Paris relied more on the physical tools of its players, which turned out not sufficient at crucial moments of the game, playing at times too individually, even against double-teaming. Nikola Radovanovic led the winners in scoring with 12 points and five boards, showing his skill to penetrate to the hoop, finishing through contact, shooting 6-of-6 from the charity line. The starting point guard of Partizan, Mihailo Petrovic provided the needed energy on both ends of the floor, pushing his teammates in transition or organizing the game in half-court actions. Petrovic finished the game with eight points, seven assists and four rebounds. Daniel Batcho led Paris in scoring with a monstrous double-double – 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Rudy Demahis added 13 points, six assists and four turnovers in the loss.
Most Valuable Player – Daniel Batcho (CFBB Paris)
All-Tournament Team:
Luka Paunovic (Mega Bemax Belgrade)
Egor Sytnikov (Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana)
Nikola Manojlovic (Crvena Zvezda Belgrade)
Nikola Radovanovic (Partizan Belgrade), and Batcho
This article was written by Simeon Marinov, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
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