Euroleague Basketball's December MVP: Luis Scola, Tau Ceramica
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When
the final month of 2006 was starting, Tau Ceramica sat among five teams
separated by two victories at the top of Group A. After facing and
beating three of those teams over just 15 days - twice on the road -
Tau now heads into 2007 as Group A's exclusive leader, three victories
ahead of all except one of its challengers. Euroleague Basketball's
choice as the MVP for December, power forward Luis Scola, had
everything to do with Tau rising to the occasion in such a pivotal
month. From the rookie who reached a continental final in 2000 to his
all-Euroleague performance last season, Scola has come to symbolize not
only Tau's arrival, but also that of Euroleague players on the
international stage. December was no different. In Tau's three
victories, Scola averaged 17.4 points and 6 rebounds while making 62.9%
of his two-point shots and 81.8% of his free throws. He was
particularly effective away from home, leading Tau in scoring and
rebounding for both of the team's road wins. For helping to lift his
team to new heights heading into 2007, Luis Scola is the solid
selection as MVP for December.
Euroleague Basketball's MVP of
the Month honor is in its third season. Although statistics and
performance ratings are taken into consideration for the award, they
alone do not determine who is honored. The winner is named by
Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performance during
the previous month. The award for December was based on the three
regular season games played by all teams during that month.
No
stranger to top performances, Scola's first of December, on the road at
Le Mans, was his best-rated this season. Scola got Tau started with a
bank shot and kept scoring to provide his team early leads. When Le
Mans tried to come back late in the game, Scola was again part of the
answer to a key road win that he finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2
assists and 1 block, good for an index rating of 27. Next, at home in
Vitoria, Spain, it was a clash of co-leaders with Olympiacos, the only
team to have beaten Tau, way back in the first game of the season.
Scola got into early foul trouble and ended up attempting fewer shots
than he had tried in any game for more than two seasons, but he still
managed to score 11 points, saving a key basket to help Tau seal the
victory at the end. Back on the road for the last game of 2006, Tau
visited Dynamo Moscow, previously undefeated in its new arena. Here,
Scola outdid himself with 24 points on 8-for-12 two-point and 8-for-9
free-throw shooting while pulling 7 rebounds, dishing 2 assists and
blocking a shot. Once again, Scola was the catalyst for Tau, with 8
points in the opening quarter, and again he took over at times when
Dynamo drew close.
Against three top challengers, any one of
whom could have caused Tau's second defeat, Scola was a key contributor
to his team's undefeated month, making him more than worthy of the
December MVP honor. Scola will receive the new trophy awarded to the
Euroleague's monthly MVP at an upcoming Tau Ceramica home game.
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Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Euroleague.net
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