Alba Fehervar big man Heath gets hot in Bonn to headline Top Performers
MUNICH (Germany) - No one stood out under the bright lights of the Play-Offs quite like Jordan Heath, who put together a sturdy double-double against Telekom Baskets to headline the Team of the Week.
MUNICH (Germany) - No one stood out under the bright lights of the Play-Offs quite like Alba Fehervar five-man Jordan Heath, who put together a sturdy double-double against Telekom Baskets Bonn to headline the Team of the Week.
A first-half performance to remember by the 27-year-old American center saw the Hungarian side flirt with a first-leg upset on the banks of the Rhine before falling short 85-84 following a seismic fourth-quarter turnaround.
Having completed his double-double even before the halftime break, Heath was held scoreless after the intermission but made his impact felt in other ways, finishing the evening with 21 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals and a block for a league-high efficiency of 38 this week.
Despite ending up on the wrong side of a 16-point turnaround in the fourth quarter, Alba Fehervar will still be in a solid position to contend for a place in the Quarter-Finals when the teams meet again in Hungary in a week's time.
Also among the Top Performers, Stefan Bircevic emerged the drama in Bonn the sunny side up, helping the home side pull off a game-changing 23-0 run to put out the fire at the Telekom Dome. The power forward from Serbia went an efficient 8-of-9 from the field, collecting a team-high 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block.
Dinamo Sassari's close-fought 97-93 win over ZZ Leiden also provided two players to the Team of the Week, with guards Tyrus McGee and Maurice Watson Jr. delivering explosive performances to start the Round of 16.
Having pleased coach Gianmarco Pozzecco with an efficient 6-of-8 clip from the floor, McGee orchestrated the show with 19 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds for the Sardinian side. Meanwhile, Watson Jr. collected 25 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and had the second-best efficiency mark this week at 32.
Rounding out the Team of the Week lineup, Cameron Wells got s.Oliver Wurzburg off to an excellent start of the Play-Offs, crowning a 12-point, 8-rebound, 8-assist and 3-steal night in a 79-76 win over Avtodor Saratov with a go-ahead basket with time running out.
FIBA