Regular Season
- November 04, 2009
- ASTROBALLE
Local time: 7:00 PM
TV
CET: 7:00 PM
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Head Coaches
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COLLET, VINCENT
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Asvel Basket head coach
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"From the very beginning, we've never thought we could beat this team. Tomorrow, the hardest thing will be to rise up to their outstanding level. Siena stands out in European basketball, they play collectively with individuals at the top European level. We’ll have to play very hard tomorrow just to look at them in the eyes."
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PIANIGIANI, SIMONE
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Montepaschi Siena head coach
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"Obviously, to play a Euroleague game on the road we need to have a system, to approach the game from the beginning in the right way, with the right execution, because everybody knows that Villeurbanne is a team with good athletes and they can run the fastbreak. Dixon is a point guard who pushes the ball very quickly, so we need put immediately into our system the half-court offense and not run up and down all game. I think that steals and turnovers will be important keys, like every time we play on the road in Euroleague games. For us, to win another game on the road can be an important step to overcome the first round and then we can play for the position, but now we have to stay focused only game by game and step by step, which means we are focused only on the Villeurbanne situation."
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Players
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SAMNICK, VICTOR
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Asvel Basket forward
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"Siena is an elite European team. Its players are intense and disciplined. Tomorrow we'll have to reach their discipline and cohesion levels. We have to be ready and improve our game. If not we'll suffer the consequences."
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SATO, ROMAIN
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Montepaschi Siena forward
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"We have to play hard, because anyroad game is a tough game, especially in the Euroleague, so we want work hard and see what happens in the next one. Asvel is a tough team, especially when they play at home, so it’s going to be a hard game for us because they are in a good shape. We have to try to play our good defense as we always do."
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Asvel Basket seeks its first win of the 2009-10 Euroleague season when it hosts the most dominant team of the opening weeks, Montepaschi Siena, in a showdown between the French and Italian champions on Wednesday in Lyon, France. Asvel is coming off a promising showing with a disappointing result – a 76-78 overtime loss to Fenerbahce Ulker with star center Curtis Borchardt out with a hand injury. In his place the team got a monster game from Ali Traore, who produced 29 points and 13 rebounds in his first Euroleague start. With Borchardt not expected back yet, Traore will look to newcomer Victor Samnick to help inside against the tough Montepaschi frontline. Montepaschi routed Zalgiris last week 84-64 and now boasts an average margin of victory of 32.5 points thus far. Center Benjamin Eze matched his career high with 16 points and Romain Sato produced a double-double as head coach Simone Pianigiani divided his minutes well among 10 players with more than 10 minutes each. And that was without star big man Ksistof Lavrinovic out with back problems. Lavrinovic remains a question this week. A key factor in the outcome of this game could be experience as Asvel’s younger roster tries to cool down a sizzling hot Montepaschi. It will be a true test for Traore to go against Eze and Denis Marconato, who have sizeable experience and height advantages over Traore. His backup, Bangaly Fofane, has the body to bang with the Montepaschi centers, but the 20-year-old made his Euroleague debut just last week. Power forwards Samnick and Eric Campbell must play well in support of the centers, but will encounter Shaun Stonerook and perhaps Lavrinovic. Meanwhile Asvel playmakers Bobby Dixon and Aymeric Jeanneau tangle with All-Euroleague playmaker Terrell McIntyre and Nikos Zisis. On the wings, Asvel sends Mindaugas Lukausksis, Ben Dewar, Laurent Foirest and Kristjan Kangur against David Hawkins, Henry Domercant, Sato and Marco Carraretto. Montepaschi’s recent form makes it the favorite, but Asvel showed last week that it can’t be overlooked, certainly not at home. If Traore and co. can produce inside at the same success rate they did last week, Asvel will have a fair chance at a big upset that would shake things up a bit in Group A.
REFEREES: Jose Martín, Matej Boltauzer, Renaud Geller
GAME NOTES
Asvel Basket
Mindaugas Lukauskas was a teammate of Montepaschi big man Ksistof Lavrinovic on the Lithuanian national team at EuroBasket 2009 this summer.
Asvel Basket looks to snap a nine-game Euroleague losing streak this week. Asvel’s last Euroleague win came at home against Zalgiris 85-83 in December 2004.
Big man Ali Traore registered 29 points ad 13 rebounds – both career highs – in last week’s overtime loss to Fenerbahce Ulker.
Montepaschi Siena
Center Denis Marconato needs just 2 more offensive rebounds to reach Luis Scola for third place on the career list. Marconato has 274 offensive boards in his career.
All-Euroleague point guard Terrell McIntyre has drilled at least one three-pointer in 18 consecutive Euroleague games.
Center Ben Eze has a chance to move up on the Euroleague career shot-blocking charts. He is now in 13th place with 76 career blocks, needing just 4 more to crack the top 10.
Henry Domercant needs just 2 more three-pointers to crack the Euroleague career top 20. Domercant has made 164 triples.
Domercant has made 30 consecutive free throws over his past 15 Euroleague games.
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Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Euroleague.net
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Stats Comparisions: Teams and players
| 64.0 |
Pts. |
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TRAORE, ALI |
17.5 |
Pts. |
13.5 |
SATO, ROMAIN |
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Pts. |
84.5 |
| 51.22 % |
2FG% |
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CAMPBELL, ERIC |
100.00 % |
2FG% |
100.00 % |
CARRARETTO, MARCO |
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2FG% |
52.50 % |
| 20.45 % |
3FG% |
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KANGUR, KRISTJAN |
66.67 % |
3FG% |
80.00 % |
LAVRINOVIC, KSISTOF |
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3FG% |
40.00 % |
| 36.5 |
Rebounds |
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TRAORE, ALI |
8.5 |
Rebounds |
6.5 |
SATO, ROMAIN |
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Rebounds |
32.0 |
| 11.5 |
Assist. |
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LUKAUSKIS, MINDAUGAS |
4.0 |
Assist. |
9.0 |
MCINTYRE, TERRELL |
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Assist. |
18.5 |
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