Week 2 Tuesday Play-In Games Preview

MIES (Switzerland) - Week two of the Basketball Champions League Play-Ins continues on Tuesday January 10 and will feature three teams going for the sweep in Game 2 of their respective series. On the flip side, there will be three teams fighting to keep their season alive.

Here's a look at the three games on Tuesday:

Game 1: Igokea m:tel v Hapoel Atsmon Holon (Holon lead series 1-0)

Where: Laktasi, Bosnia and Herzegovina

When: 18:30 CET

In Game 1, Holon won 103-79.

 

Igokea have lost three of their last four home games in the BCL, including the most recent two, after winning eight of their first 10 games at home; they suffered their heaviest defeat in the BCL during the first leg against Holon (103-79). Bryant Crawford has scored 16+ points in three of his last four games with Igokea in the BCL; he is averaging 18.7 points and 7.3 assists per game in his three home appearances this season. Holon have lost their last two away games in the BCL but have not lost more in a row since losing their first nine away games in the competition, between October 2017 and November 2018; Holon have scored 100+ points in two of their last three BCL games, as often as in their previous 47 games in the competition. Holon have made 21.8 assists per 100 offensive possessions, the highest ratio of any team in the BCL this season; they are the only team to have 30+ assists in a league game this season and they did it twice, including in the first leg of these Play-Ins (33). Holon's Joe Ragland has 7.4 assists per game in the BCL, the highest average of any player with at least 15 games in the competition; Ragland needs three more assists to reach fourth on the all-time list in the league: he currently has 304 and Tamir Blatt, who also played for Holon, has 306. [/unordered]

Game 2: Peristeri bwin v JDA Bourgogne Dijon (Dijon lead series 1-0)

Where: Peristeri, Greece

When: 18:30 CET

In Game 1, Dijon won 89-80.

 

In the first game of this Play-In series, Peristeri conceded more than 80 points for the sixth BCL game in a row; they conceded fewer than 80 points in each of their previous five games before that run. Peristeri's Miro Bilan needs 10 points to reach fourth place on the BCL all-time scoring list; he currently has 729 points, while TaShawn Thomas has 738; Bilan has scored 15+ points in his last two league games but hasn't had a longer streak since March – April 2021 when he did so in four consecutive games. Dijon have won their three Play-In games played in the BCL, but each by margins of fewer than 10 points; they won their last away game 85-72 against Dinamo Sassari but have not won consecutive away games since January 2020, when they won two in a row, including a trip to Greece (84-77 v PAOK). Dijon has scored 77 points per game in the BCL this season, with 56.4 percent of those points being scored from two-point shots, the highest ratio in the league; Dijon have made the most shots from two-point in the BCL this season (21.7, also Darussafaka). Dijon's David Holston needs nine assists to become the first player in the BCL with 700+ points and 350+ assists; he also needs two more steals to become the first player with 100+ steals in league history. [/unordered]

Game 3: Filou Oostende v Bahcesehir College (Oostende lead series 1-0)

Where: Oostende, Belgium

When: 20:00 CET

In Game 1, Oostende won on the road, 76-72.

 

Oostende have won their last three games in the BCL, including the last game against Bahcesehir (76-72), but have not won four in a row since November 2018-January 2019 (6-0); Oostende have won their last home game (95-86 v Holon) but have never registered consecutive wins in their last 12 home games in the competition. Oostende have made 10 or more three-pointers in each of their last four BCL games, their longest such streak in the competition ever; in fact, the Belgians are averaging 10.3 made shots from behind the arc per game in 2022-23 after never averaging 9+ in any of their previous six seasons in the competition. Vrenz Bleijenbergh recorded 10+ points and 15+ rebounds in each of his last two BCL games with Oostende after averaging 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in his previous 24 league appearances. Bahcesehir have lost four of their last six BCL games but have won their most recent on the road, 77-72 v Igokea; their last two away games have seen the team trailing at halftime winning the game. Bahcesehir's Jerry Boutsiele has combined for 16+ points and 8+ rebounds in four different BCL games this season, including in the first leg of these Play-Ins, more than any other player in 2022-23. [/unordered]

Play-In Game of the Week: Tofas Bursa v AEK (AEK lead series 1-0)

For the Game of the Week preview, click here.