Last 16 Game 3 MVP: Nando De Colo, Valencia Basket

Former Eurocup champion and First Team All-Eurocup selection Nando De Colo added another achievement in the competition as he set career highs in scoring, steals and performance index rating en route to an important Valencia Basket victory and Last 16, Game 3 MVP honors. De Colo was the catalyst for Valencia in its 71-80 road win at CEZ Nyburk to capture sole possession of first place in Group I. De Colo made 7 of 8 two-point shots, 4 of 6 three-pointers and 6 of 7 from the foul line in racking up 32 points. He also had 5 assists and 5 steals as well as 10 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 40. Furthermore, De Colo tied former Asvel Basket guard Tony Parker for the best index rating in a Eurocup game this season. The week’s No. 2 performer was Last 16, Game 2’s MVP, Loukas Mavrokefalides of Spartak St. Petersburg. The center followed up last week’s impressive outing with 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 6-for-6 free throw shooting plus 5 rebounds and 3 assists for a 30 index in a 68-81 win at Krka Novo Mesto. De Colo’s teammate Nik Caner-Medley and Banvit BK guard Baris Ermis are next on the list with 26 index ratings. Caner-Medley posted 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Ermis led his team to a 68-61 win over Buducnost Voli with 9 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. Rounding out the list of the week’s best individual efforts was BC Khimki guard Vitaly Fridzon, who had 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals for an index of 25 in a 68-55 win over BC Donetsk. 

Individual highs: Baris Ermis, Banvit BK, 5 steals 

The 32 points scored by De Colo were not only the most of the night, but the most scored in the Last 16 so far. De Colo now leads the Last 16 in scoring with 23 points per game. Hilton Armstrong of Asvel Basket and Sam Muldrow of Aris BSA 2003 each hauled in 11 rebounds against each other – Aris won 77-60 – to lead all players in Last 16, Game 3. Muldrow is now third in the Last 16 with 7.7 rebounds per game, which is 3 per game fewer than Last 16 leader Jonas Valanciunas of Lietuvos Rytas. Spartak and CEZ Nymburk guards Yotam Halperin and Eugene Lawrence were the week’s best assisters with 7 apiece. With 6.3 assists per game, Halperin leads the Last 16. De Colo and Ermis each had 5 steals to rank atop the weekly charts in that category. Kyle Weaver of Alba Berlin is the Last 16 leader with 3 steals per game. Valanciunas, Pavel Pumprla of CEZ Nymburk and Serhiy Lishchuk of Valencia, each with 3 blocked shots, were the week’s best in that category. Valanciunas is this stage’s best blocker with 2.3 per game. Last 16, Game 3 also featured two players with double doubles: K.C. Rivers of Lokomotiv Kuban with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Ivan Radenovic of BC Donetsk with 10 points and 10 boards.