The best individual performances of the Second Round: Who did it best?

MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - There were too many fantastic individual performances in the Second Round to list them all, but we went back and selected the cream-of-the-crop games by the FIBA Europe Cup stars, starlets and under-the-radar heroes.

1. Peter Lorant (Alba Fehervar) - 38 EFF

Alba Fehervar captain Peter Lorant spearheaded the team's convincing campaign with rock solid contributions throughout the Second Round that allowed the Hungarians to top the Group J standings.

The 32-year-old power forward was particularly impressive against his former club Egis Kormend, exploding for a season-high 27 points, while adding 9 rebounds, 3 assists and a pair of steals in an 85-77 victory.

Lorant's efficiency index of 38 was the best individual performance of the Second Round among all players and a FIBA Europe Cup career-high for the Hungarian veteran, who has had a marvelous season so far.

2. Thomas Koenis (Donar Groningen) - 36 EFF

Thomas Koenis is by no means the offensive axis for Donar Groningen, but the 28-year-old Dutchman made himself the central figure in the 109-69 blowout win against Keravnos.

The player knocked down seven three-pointers and finished the game with 25 points on perfect 9-of-9 shooting from the field, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal for an overall efficiency of 36.

The Donar big man reached double figures in scoring on only three other occasions this season in the FIBA Europe Cup, never even coming close to the mesmerizing display against the Cypriot champions in Groningen.

3. Ivan Strebkov (Nizhny Novgorod) - 32 EFF

Ivan Strebkov's campaign in the FIBA Europe Cup has been plagued by inconsistency, but he did step up in a big way for Nizhny Novgorod in arguably the most important game of the season.

The 26-year-old shooting guard collected 27 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in a decisive clash against Istanbul BBSK that allowed the Russian side to clinch a spot in the Round of 16.

Nizhny Novgorod blew out the visitors from Turkey 110-86 on their home floor, as Strebkov went 8-of-10 from the field with five triples and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and finished the game with an efficiency index of 32.

Having converted 26-of-28 free throws this season, the Russian player leads the competition with a conversion rate of 93 percent at the stripe.

4. Strahinja Milosevic (Szolnoki Olaj) - 32 EFF

There wasn't much for Szolnoki Olaj fans to be particularly happy in the Second Round with the team struggling, but the excellent all-round play by Strahinja Milosevic kept their Play-Off hopes alive until the very last minute.

The 32-year-old Serbian forward stuffed the boxscores with averages of 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in six games in Group K, flirting with a triple-double on multiple occasions.

His best game came in a 100-96 road defeat to Bakken Bears, when Milosevic scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, while adding a steal and a block each.

His overall efficiency in the game was 32.

5. Ivan Buva (Istanbul BBSK) - 31 EFF

Istanbul BBSK center Ivan Buva turned into Hulk in the Second Round and finished at the top of the efficiency and scoring leaderboards for the phase, while also ranking among the top rebounders.

Having averaged 21.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal in six Group I contests, the skilled 26-year-old big man from Croatia posted his marquee performance in a 90-87 triumph over Nizhny Novgorod in Istanbul.

That time, Buva double-doubled with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while adding a pair of assists and a pair of steals for an efficiency ranking of 31, just one short of his personal season-high.

6. Lasan Kromah (U-BT Cluj-Napoca) - 31 EFF

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Lasan Kromah has quietly had a very solid season for U-BT Cluj-Napoca and further increased his across-the-board production in the Second Round, guiding the Romanian title-holders through to the Round of 16.

However, the 26-year-old American swingman was far from quiet in a 71-67 away win against Keravnos in Cyprus, posting season-best marks with 28 points and 5 assists, while also grabbing 6 rebounds and coming up with a couple of steals.

The performance yielded an efficiency index of 31, far and away Kromah's best game in the Second Round, though he did have a couple of big games back in the Regular Season.

7. Evan Bruinsma (Donar Groningen) - 31 EFF

After a magnificent run in the Regular Season, Donar Groningen power forward Evan Bruinsma struggled to find his rhythm in the Second Round but did have one explosive game.

The 25-year-old American power forward had 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in a 92-72 win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca, which turned controversial after Bruinsma scored a last-second basket with the winner already decided.

The last game between @Donar_Official and @UBTCluj in Group L ended with a bit of a controversy after Evan Bruinsma scored the cheapest points of his career.

Now, they meet again in the Round of 16! What are the chances? pic.twitter.com/BMWPFlZyUd

— Simonas Baranauskas (@LithuaniaBasket) February 8, 2018

"Maybe it would have been better if Evan would have finished the game with 21 points and not 23 points," Groningen coach Erik Braal said after the game about the situation.

It was Bruinsma's only game in double figures in the Second Round.

8. Diamon Simpson (Demir Insaat) - 30 EFF

Diamon Simpson marked Demir Insaat's unexpectedly early exit from the FIBA Europe Cup with a brilliant individual performance, though it did not stave off the eliminating defeat.

The 30-year-old American center scored 14 rebounds, grabbed 17 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, came away with 3 steals and blocked 2 shots, but the Turkish club fell to BC Nevezis, 90-77.

Had Demir Insaat won the game, they would have placed second in Group J and earned a place in the Round of 16. However, one person that certainly isn't to blame for the result is Simpson, who posted his best game of the season.

9. Jeffrey Crockett (Bakken Bears) - EFF 30

The story of Bakken Bears marching to the Play-Offs would not have been possible without one Jeffrey Crockett, who emerged as an essential part of the unstoppable two-man punch with countryman DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell.

Special attention from the opposition's defense couldn't stop Crockett from going off for 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists in a 100-96 win over Szolnoki Olaj, earning an efficiency ranking of 30.

Had he not picked up his fifth foul with 6:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, it is likely Crockett would have had an even more impressive performance.

10. David Kravish (Tsmoki-Minsk) - EFF 30

Tsmoki-Minsk center David Kravish is the embodiment of the side's hot and cold season in the FIBA Europe Cup, with the team's wins not-so-loosely correlating with games the big man was in double figures.

Each of the five times the 25-year-old turned in a double-digit scoring game, Tsmoki-Minsk won. The Belarusian side won seven times altogether this season and earned a spot in the Round of 16.

In one such game, a 96-75 triumph over Bakken Bears, Kravish paced his team to success with a 20-point and 10-rebound double-double and a pair of assists, amassing an efficiency index of 30.

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