2009-10 TOP 16 - 2009-10 - Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL

May 25, 2013

2009-10 TOP 16

The 2009-10 Top 16 takes shape as one of the deepest ever with few teams, if any, assured of advancing to the Quarterfinal Playoffs without some blood, sweat and tears. Each group offers its own exciting storylines. Group E features three national champions and two teams from last season’s Final Four including the Euroleague’s only undefeated team from the regular season – Regal Barcelona. Group F also boasts three national champions, the two teams that have reached the most Euroleague finals of any teams – Real Madrid (14) and Maccabi Electra (13) and the interesting faceoff between star big men and twin brothers Ksistof Lavrinovic of Montepaschi Siena and Darjus Lavrinovic of Madrid. Group G will be warmed up by the old-time rivalry between former Soviet League rivals CSKA Moscow and Zalgiris Kaunas. Group H could be highlighted by its top two teams on paper, Olympiacos and Caja Laboral, slugging it out in the newest chapter of their budding rivalry. When the dust settles, there will be only eight teams still standing looking to clear on last hurdle on the Road to Paris.

Partizan celebrates in Athens - Partizan

Top 16, Game 1

A special to the Top 16 combined exciting basketball with heart-felt charity work at eight cities across Europe. Before each of the games this week, the players from both teams joined with Euroleague for Life and UNICEF in support of this week's appeal to help Haiti earthquake victims. However when the first balls went up, it was all business for the players and exciting action for the fans. MORE | MVP

	Top 16, Game 2
	The second week of action in the Top 16 has done nothing but enhance the idea that the entire round will be a tribute to great basketball. In a span of less than 30 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, Euroleague's last unbeaten team was edged at the buzzer, three road teams rocked someone else's house and half the games were decided by five points or fewer. MORE \| MVP

	Top 16, Game 3
	The halfway point of the Top 16 was reached in Week 3 with home teams taking all but one victory before everyone holds their breath for a one-week break in the competition. Two of the Euroleague's hottest teams staying undefeated in first place, while two other groups with multiple leaders face what are likely to be long, dramatic races to make the playoffs. MORE \| MVP

Top 16, Game 4

Week 4 of the Top 16, in which all but one game was decided by 8 points or less, will be remembered for eliminating the champions while denying three teams early playoff qualification. The biggest news of a drama-filled week came in the very last game, when Barcelona defeated Panathinakos 67-70 in Athens to end the title defense of the Greens and assure a new team will lift the 2009-10 Euroleague trophy. MORE | MVP

Top 16, Game 5

Two more teams reached the Quarterfinal Playoffs on Thursday, joining the four that did so the night before. However there will still be plenty of drama next week in Top 16, Week 6 as five teams chase the two remaining playoff berths and first place in two groups remains up for grabs. Group G is the only one where everything is settled. First CSKA held off Unicaja 70-76 at the end of Wednesday’s slate of action. MORE | MVP

Top 16, Game 6

It was an exceptional end to the Top 16 as more than half the games came down to the final seconds. When the dust finally cleared, the last of the eight quarterfinalists had advanced to the playoffs, the four groups had winners and mouth-watering quarterfinal pairings were set: Regal Barcelona vs. archrival Real Madrid, Maccabi Electra vs. Partizan Belgrade, Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Asseco Prokom and CSKA Moscow vs. Caja Laboral. MORE | MVP

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