The final stretch of this season's NIKEid Fantasy Challenge is here with the second half of the Top 16 bringing the last three weeks of the contest. Expect high drama after Last 16 Week 3 produced some of the highest scores of the season and energized the end-of-season race for prizes. Antonio Escobedo of Spain came away with Week 3's best score of 241.2 points - the second-highest winning total of the season so far - for his team Pardinyes. His was also the closest victory in recent memory as two other teams fell within six-tenths of a point behind him. Antonio wins an official Euroleague game ball and this season's official Media Guide on DVD. And he'll be entered in the end-of-season drawing for more prizes. High scores in Week 3 also meant that the race for the grand prize got even tigher. Regular season winner Vidas Kaluzevicius of Lithuania and his team "Lithuania 37th" still hold first place overall, but their lead was cut by more than half. Vidas now has a 13-week total of 2,183.3 points, just 4.1 points - think of it as 2 rebounds and 3 free throws - better than the second-place team. Two more challengers, in third and fourth place, sit 15 or fewer points behind Vidas. Of course, all are shooting for the grand prize, VIP status at the 2009 Final Four in Berlin as a guest of Euroleague Basketball. Meanwhile, in the Top 16 standings - whose winner gets a special prize, too - Daniel Boluda of Spain remains best after three weeks of the new phase with 603.8 points for his team "Pantomimotion". The NIKEid Fantasy Challenge deadline for Last 16, Week 4 is on Wednesday, February 25 at 17:15 CET, one hour before the first game, CSKA Moscow vs. Montepaschi Siena. Keep playing for your chance to win!
|
FANTASY CHALLENGE RUNDOWN
|
|
GROUP E
|
|
|
Tau Ceramica:
- Center Tiago Splitter is fit to make his first appearance of the Top 16 after missing three games with a muscle tear in his left leg. |
|
|
Olympiacos:
- Forward Josh Childress has undergone a hernia operation and could miss the entire Top 16. |
|
|
AJ Milano:
- Big man Pape Sow underwent surgery on his nose last week, but is expected to be available to face Tau Ceramica on Wednesday.
- Guard Ariel Filloy will be available after missing the last two months with a broken bone in his right hand.
- Big man Mason Rocca is questionable due to a knee injury. |
|
|
Asseco Prokom:
- Koko Archibong did not travel to Piraeus due to a slight injury. |
|
GROUP F
|
|
|
Regal FC Barcelona:
- Guard Jaka Lakovic will miss the rest of the Top 16 after undergoing nose surgery to remove a benign tumor. |
|
|
Real Madrid:
- Guard Raul Lopez returned to action in the Spanish King’s Cup after missing several games with a small hamstring muscle tear in his right leg.
- Newly signed small forward Kennedy Winston could make his Madrid debut in Thursday’s game in Tel Aviv.
- Small forward Quinton Hosley was released. |
|
|
Maccabi Electra:
- Center Yaniv Green is doubtful for Thursday’s game due to back pain. |
|
|
Alba Berlin:
- Center Patrick Femerling remains sidelined after undergoing knee injury.
- Big man Blagota Sekulic is expected to make his Berlin debut against Barcelona. |
|
GROUP G
|
|
|
Unicaja:
- Big man German Gabriel is sidelined with a microfacture in his right Achilles's tendon and will not play against Partizan.
- Berni Rodriguez missed practice early this week with ankle problems, but is expected to play at home against Partizan. |
|
|
Lottomatica Roma:
- Ruben Douglas could play his first Euroleague game for Roma against Panathinaikos on Thursday. |
|
|
Panathinaikos:
- Head coach Zeljko Obradovic has a full squad available for Thursday’s game at Lottomatica. |
|
|
Partizan Belgrade:
- Head coach Dusko Vujosevic has a full squad available for Wednesday's trip to Malaga to play Unicaja. |
|
GROUP H
|
|
|
CSKA Moscow:
- Team captain Matjaz Smodis will be a game-day decision after suffering an ankle injury in the Russian Cup on Friday. He has returned to practice and will try to play. |
|
|
Montepaschi Siena:
- Head coach Simone Pianigiani has a full squad available for the trip to Moscow. |
|
|
Fenerbahce Ulker:
- Guard Omer Onan has returned to practice after a leg injury and is expected to play on Wednesday against Cibona.
- Forward Emir Preldzic missed practice due to illness, but is expected to play on Wednesday.
- Swingman Devin Smith was hurt in Friday’s Turkish Cup semifinal game and need an injection to play in Saturday’s semifinal. He is expected to play Wednesday after resting earlier in the week.
- Center Omer Asik has yet to play this season after undergoing surgery this summer to repair damaged ligaments in his knee. |
|
|
Cibona:
- Head coach Velimir Perasovic has a full squad available for Wednesday’s game at Fenerbahce Ulker. |