FC Barcelona Regal vs. Galatasaray Medical Park – Turkish Euroleague Preview
To say that FC Barcelona Regal’s last victory was impressive would be an understatement. However, this is just the beginning and the Spanish giants will be tested in a six game stretch which will follow.
Barcelona Regal opens this critical stretch on November 17 at the Abdi Ipekci Sports Hall, where they will try their best to remain unbeaten in Group D as well as in the league and secure their fifth consecutive victory over Galatasaray
Medical Park.
Barcelona is one of only two undefeated teams in the Euroleague after four games. Medical Park is third with a 2-2 record, but they will play their first game at home and will be undoubtedly buoyed by that fact.
Regal won their fifth consecutive game of this season with a 92-75 victory over Montepaschi Siena on November 10 at the Palau Blaugrana. The Spaniards opened the game on a 19-4 run and headed all the four quarters of the game.
"The first quarter was the key to the game. We came out strong, very focused, we established a good lead and that helped us the rest of the game,” Regal guard Juan Carlos Navarro said after the game.
Regal shot 69.5 percent (32 for 46) from two-point range and limited Siena to just 47.9 percent (23 for 48). Chuck Eidson played his best game of the season since his arrival to this team and came off the bench with a game-high
22 points on a perfect 3 for 3 shooting from three-point range. Erazem Lorbek added 17 points and three rebounds while Boni Ndong racked up 15 points and seven rebounds.
Galatasaray, meanwhile, improved 2-2 with a 79-70 victory over Union Olimpija on November 09 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The victory snapped their two-game losing streak and put them in a strong position to at least tie for third place
at the end of this round.
Galatasaray’s forward Furkan Aldemir led all scorers with 18 points on a 7 for 9 shooting from two-point range and grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds in the victory. Josh Shipp posted 17 points and stole the ball twice while Preston
Shumpert tallied 11 points for Medical Park.
Union Olimpija Ljubljana trailed 44-37 at halftime but they made a terrific comeback in the second half of the game and made it a one-point contest, 64-63, with six minutes to go in the game. However, Galatasaray took over in crunch
time with a 15-7 run for a crucial win.
“It has been a great victory, considering that it was a very even game that either team could have won,” Medical Park Head Coach Oktay Mahmuti said.
Olimpija Ljubljana must stop Erazem Lorbek from the start of the game, as their group rival’s offense flows through him. At the same time, FC Barcelona cannot allow Olimpija’s Joshua Shipp, Jaka Lakovic and Aldemir to score as
all three are very descent players and can force them to foul trouble.
Tags: