MIES (Switzerland) - Three games were played in the Basketball Champions League on Wednesday, and there could not produced three more distinct storylines..
Promitheas Patras BC Vikos Cola 75-79 Galatasaray
One of the most impressive solo runs of all time took place in Greece, as Galatasaray were seemingly on cruise control, enjoying a 15-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Then, Jordan Walker decided to take over. He made a pullup two, followed up with a three-pointer and a floater, forcing a quick Galatasaray timeout to stop what was a 7-0 personal run.
It did not work. Walker came back to drill three 3-pointers in quick succession, making it a personal 16-0 against the entire Galatasaray team, and giving Promitheas a brief lead. Even when Otis Livingston answered, Walker made another one, creating a 19-2 personal run to put the team from Patras up by 2 with two minutes to play.
However, that incredible scoring sequence left him without any fuel in the final minute. Galatasaray were patient enough to wait for him to cool down, then gave the ball to Will Cummings - his layup gave them a 2-point lead with just over 20 seconds to play - and put James Palmer Jr. on Walker for the final defensive action.
It seemed Walker got by Palmer, but the forward's wingspan saved the day, as Palmer blocked the layup attempt, allowing Livingston to ice the game from the line.
Cummings finished the game as Gala's top scorer with 21 points, while Livingston had 17 with 5 assists and 4 steals. Angel Delgado was a force inside the arc, hitting all five of his shots for 14 points with 9 rebounds on the day.
Walker finished with 25 for the game, hitting seven three-pointers. Wes Iwundu had 17 with 5 assists, but Promitheas drop to 1-2, while Galatasaray get a chance to complete the sweep in Istanbul in two weeks' time.
Nanterre 92 83-88 FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets
For just the second time in BCL history, we have a German newcomer at 3-0. Wurzburg repeated what medi Bayreuth had done in 2017-18, getting three straight wins in their first three games in the Basketball Champions League.
This one was a close one, but with Zac Seljaas leading the way, the Germans found a way to get the lead, protect it and make clutch plays down the stretch, while Nanterre struggled to do so.
Seljaas, the leader of our MVP Race, was even better than in his first two games in this competition, collecting 27 points with 9 rebounds and an efficiency rating of 27.
"Zac is a fantastic player, a leader, a fighter and a great character. His level is very high, so I will not be surprised if he finishes in the EuroLeague next season. He is a great player and I am very proud that he is a part of our team. We took him from the Second Division in Germany, last season he already made a big improvement, this year even bigger, so the sky is the limit for him," coach Saso Filipovski said.
Mike Davis Jr scored 19 to follow Seljaas's lead, Jhivvan Jackson finished with 16 and 9 assists, while Owen Klassen had a number of big plays inside the arc to end the game with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Frank Jackson and Ahmad Caver had 19 apiece for Nanterre, but they join a three-way tie at 1-2, meaning Wurzburg are an inch away from booking a direct flight to the Round of 16.
Unicaja 112-77 Aliaga Petkimspor
Make it 13 straight wins for Unicaja in the Basketball Champions League! The defending champs are now just one win away from tying the longest winning streak in BCL history, AS Monaco's 14 wins in a row back in 2017 and 2018, and they set a club record in the process.
Interestingly, this was Unicaja's first BCL game passing the century mark since they joined thecompetition.
They knocked down 15-of-29 three-pointers, and nobody stands a chance against the Monstars from Malaga when they are this hot.
"It's a team that has been playing together for years and it's like wine, it just tastes better every year. They are very coherent, very in sync, playing together for so long bears fruit. They don't have to experiment with anything to win, they are like a big family and you notice this more each passing year," Aliaga Petkimspor center Jaime Echenique said.
Tyler Kalinoski had 21 points in 20 minutes, making five three-pointers, while Jonathan Barreiro (17), Tyson Carter (15), Nihad Dedovic (13) and Kendrick Perry (12) were also in double digits.
Petkimspor had four players with 10 or more points, but their defense was the bigger issue than their offense.