Basketball
Samodurov: The fight between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos and coach Spanoulis
Alexandros Samodurov unraveled the competition in the Rising Stars, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos fight hard for him and Vassilis Spanoulis expects him in his arms in a few days. This is the 17-year-old super talent from DEKA.
At 17, he is one of the most important talents in European basketball. With a height of 209 cm and a huge opening of his hands, Alexandros Samodurov is rightly considered the next great player in Greek basketball, as the spectators of the Rising Stars final in Patras on Sunday (February 27) saw him beat the competition with 30 points and 13 rebounds in the 40 minutes he held down against Olympiakos.
Originally from Georgia, Samodurov was born in Thessaloniki and grew up in the western districts. He’s a hard worker, he’s a humble kid and very focused on his goal, he makes one-on-one fights with Giorgos Kyriazis, a man of known worth who has also worked with Sasa Vezenkov – Dino Mitoglou, and breaks up everyone he’s in the championship faces third nationality. It is not easy for a child to compete in the national championships, since basketball is very dynamic and often tough, but Samodurov not only stands, but also manages to dominate every Sunday.
The young big man destined for the power forward position has already spoken with Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. Piraeus met him via sporting director Christos Bafe in Stavroupoli, a day before the game with Aris in Alexandreio, the Greens met him in the previous Rising Stars, with Albertis, Diamantidis, Pappas on the field. Samodurov has one more season in youth, it is considered certain that he will say goodbye to DEKA at the end of the current season, but he has not yet made his decision about the next step on the way to establishment.
The young athlete’s dream, of course, is the NBA and his goal is to enter the 2024 draft. That means that if his improvement continues to be rapid, the team that pushes him to his potential will lose him in two, much in three years but will pocket a significant amount of the buyout that will be included in his contract will. At the moment he will continue to play with the men’s team of DEKA in the third national team and try to win the national championship at youth level.
The next big event we will see him at will be the Adidas Next Generation Tournament, which will take place in Patras at the Prometheus premises from March 25th to 27th. There, Samodurov will play in next-generation Patras, led by Vassilis Spanoulis, who will form an eight-player squad from Greek teams other than Olympiacos and Prometheus, as Piraeus and Achaia join CSKA Moscow, Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Stellachura and Helsinki.
As a reminder, in the three games at Rising Stars in Patras, Samodurov had 25 points and 12 rebounds against PAOK. 32 points and 12 rebounds against Panathinaikos, 30 points and 13 rebounds against Olympiakos with 21/33 two points, 9/23 three points and 18/24 shots.
I am a sports writer and journalist who has written for various online publications including Sportish. I’m originally from the UK but currently live in Toronto, Canada. I’m also an author on Sportish and have written several articles on a variety of sports-related topics.
Kirill Elatontsev may greatly regret his choice.
The departure of Russian center Kirill Elatontsev to the USA became one of the most discussed stories of the winter. A player with a valid long-term contract with Lokomotiv-Kuban suddenly appeared in the application of the University of Oklahoma and soon made his debut in the NCAA. This is an almost unprecedented case for Russian basketball. And for Kirill himself – a chance to start all over again.
A move that no one expected
Elatontsev, 23, was officially recruited by the Oklahoma Sooners, who expect him to quickly fit into the program.
— First of all, we are glad that Kirill is here, since a considerable distance has been covered. He will give us depth, which is extremely important. He’s older and has played against some really tough opponents, which will help us in conference games as well. In addition, he is skilled and has excellent instincts under the rim. “We are encouraged by his transition and are working to ensure that he quickly adapts to our program and system,” journalist Josh Callaway quotes Oklahoma coach Porter Moser as saying on his social media page.
Kirill’s debut took place immediately: on the night of December 30, Moscow time, he played 18 minutes in a match against Mississippi Valley State University. Oklahoma defeated the opponent with a score of 93:69, and the Russian scored 6 points and made 4 rebounds.
How it all started: from health problems to accusations of simulation
The formal conflict started on the night of November 8. Lokomotiv-Kuban reported that Kirill called an ambulance without notifying the medical headquarters. The examination – both at the club and in the clinic – did not reveal any serious problems, and hospitalization was not required. Lokomotiv-Kuban assessed the situation as a possible feigning of illness and a violation of discipline.
For the player, this was the first high-profile episode of the season, which he already missed due to problems with his foot. But in the fall there were rumors that the best young player in the VTB League in recent years was considering leaving for the NCAA. At the time it seemed frivolous. Now it’s reality.
The club’s reaction: “a dangerous precedent” and appeals to all authorities
After it became known that Elatontsev left Russia and signed up for the NCAA, Loko published a big statement. His key points:
The player has a valid contract until 2029, registered with the RFB.
The club called leaving without approval a gross violation of labor obligations.
History, according to the club, creates a dangerous precedent for Russian sports.
Official appeals and documents have been sent to the RFB, FIBA and NCAA.
The case is being reviewed by the Player Status Commission and the National Center for Arbitration for Sports.
Separately, it was reported that the club contacted FIBA to block Elatontsev’s transfer to teams under the auspices of the federation.
Loko emphasizes that investments in players cannot be “cancelled for the sake of short-term personal interests.” Essentially, the club is afraid that other young players will see Elatontsev’s departure as a path to going abroad, bypassing negotiations.
Legal background: claim to the military registration and enlistment office
Amid the basketball conflict, another layer of history has emerged. It turned out that Elatontsev filed a lawsuit against the Krasnodar military registration and enlistment office. He disputes the legality of the subpoena, which he says was issued while he was studying full-time. The document also mentions “misuse of budget funds” on the part of the department. It is difficult to say to what extent this episode is related to his departure to the United States, but it is obvious that the talented basketball player is mired in legal conflicts.
Elatontsev is at great risk by fleeing to the United States in violation of contractual obligations and not resolving issues with the military registration and enlistment office at home. It will be extremely difficult for him to build a successful career in the NBA, because it is too late to begin adapting to American basketball at 23 years old. Elatontsev has a chance to make a name for himself in the NCAA, get an overseas education and stay in the USA. But this story is unlikely to be associated with basketball at the highest level.
Source: Sportbox
I am a sports journalist who has been writing for a news website since 2015. My work primarily focuses on sports news, but I have also written about other topics such as technology and the arts. I have an extensive background in journalism, having worked as a reporter for a local newspaper before moving to a news website.
Four games were played in the NBA regular season on the night of December 30-31.
Utah hosted and lost to Boston.
Jazz started the game well, took the lead from the beginning and increased the difference to 10 points in the middle of the first quarter: 24:14. As a result, Utah won the first quarter with a score of 38:31. The visiting team started the second quarter better and made a move with 18:2 to not only take the lead, but also take the lead by 9 points (49:40). However, at the big break, Utah managed to turn the game around and made a move at 16:3 to take the lead again at 58:55. It was Jazz who entered the big break as the leader with 64:59.
The third quarter was even. Neither team could make serious progress and the lead changed 12 times. The result is 99:96 in favor of Boston. Thus, the fate of the match was decided in the fourth quarter. The guest team gained a 6-point lead at 103:97 in the first quarter, then kept their opponent within two shots for a long time, and towards the end of the match, they increased their advantage to double digits with 129:119.
Svyatoslav Mikhayyuk In this match, he rested by sitting on the bench for the entire match.
The most productive player of the Celtics was White, who scored 27 points, while Brown also had a double-double with 23 points + 10 assists.
Detroit defeated the Lakers on the road.
The Pistons only allowed the home team to take leads of 6:5 and 9:8 at the beginning of the first quarter, then they were ahead throughout the whole game and gradually increased their advantage, reaching 26 points (122:96) by the middle of the fourth quarter. As a result, Detroit won with a score of 128:106.
Doncic, who made 11 assists in the match, also scored 30 points and scored a double-double, but this did not benefit his team much. The most productive name for Detroit was Cunningham, who had a double-double with 27 points + 11 assists.
NBA. Regular season, December 31
Utah – Boston – 119:129 (38:31, 26:28, 32:40, 23:30)
Utah: George (37 + 7 assists), Nurkic (26 + 8 rebounds + 8 assists), Markkanen (22 + 9 rebounds), Sensabaugh (5), Hendricks (3) – start; Filipovski (10), Collier (7 + 8 assists), Clayton (7), Williams (2).
Boston: White (27 + 7 rebounds + 6 assists + 7 blocks), Brown (23 + 10 assists), Pritchard (18 + 6 assists), Keta (12), Walsh (6) – starts; Simons (20), Garza (15), Houser (5), Gonzalez (3), Scheierman (0).
Lakers-Detroit-106:128 (30:36, 35:34, 23:26, 18:32)
Lakers: Doncic (30 + 11 assists + 8 losses), James (17 + 5 losses), Ayton (10), Larevia (9), Smart (6) – starts; Hayes (13), Knecht (10), Vanderbilt (8 + 8 rebounds), Smith (3), Thiero (0), James Jr. (0), Kleber (0).
of Detroit: Cunningham (27 + 11 assists + 5 losses), Düren (14 + 8 rebounds + 5 steals + 5 losses), Thompson (7), Harris (7), D. Robinson (6) – start; Sasser (19), Stewart (15), Holland (11 + 7 rebounds), Ivey (9), Green (8), Reed (3), Lanier (2), Jenkins (0).
Memphis – Philadelphia – 136:139 Overtime (40:34, 32:38, 28:31, 28:25, 8:11)
Memphis: Morant (40), Coward (28 + 16 rebounds), Jaren Jackson (15 + 12 rebounds), Wells (14), Koloko (0) – start; Aldama (15 + 4 blocked shots), Spencer (7), Jackson (6), Landale (6), Small (5).
Philadelphia: Maxey (34 + 12 assists), Embiid (34 + 10 rebounds + 8 assists), Edgecombe (25), George (17), Barlow (12) – start; Grimes (11), Bona (4), McCain (2), Edwards (0).
Clippers – Sacramento – 131:90 (34:20, 39:20, 27:31, 31:19)
cutting machines: Leonard (33), Harden (21), Collins (16), Dunn (10), B. Lopez (8) – starter; Niederhaeuser (16), D. Jones (8), Senders (7), Miller (6), Brown (3), Batum (3), Christie (0).
sacramento: Westbrook (12), Reynaud (12 + 12 rebounds), Murray (11), DeRozan (8 + 7 rebounds), Achiuwa (0) – start; Clifford (18), Schroeder (11), Eubanks (6), Carter (4), McDermott (3), Monk (3 + 5 turnovers), Ellis (2).
tournament tables
Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Source: Sport UA
Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.
On December 30, four matches were played in the 19th round of the Euroleague regular championship.
Hapoel Tel Aviv lost sensationally at home to Zalgiris.
The home team started the match successfully, quickly took the lead by 7 points, 9:2, and was ahead +12 – 25:13 towards the end of the first quarter. Only after this did the Lithuanians begin to close the gap. They made a 9:0 move at the intersection of the first and second quarters and came back with one shot at 25:22. After that, Hapoel again managed to lead by 9 points at 35:26, but even before the big break Zalgiris was ahead by 1 point at 40:39.
In the third quarter, the Lithuanians quickly took the lead and then made a 10:0 move to pull away by 11 points, 58:47. In fact, this decided the fate of the match, because afterwards Zalgiris maintained a double-digit advantage in the score and took the match to victory 93:80.
The most productive player of the winning team was Williams-Gross, who scored 17 points.
In the main match of the matchday, Barcelona lost to Monaco.
Monegasques started the game well and were ahead by 9 points in the first quarter – 22:13. They increased the advantage in the second 10 minutes and brought the score to 21 points at 47:26. At the big break, Barça reduced the difference to -17 – 30:47, but could not increase this local success further in the third quarter. Monaco then calmly controlled the course of the game, retained the double-digit advantage and won a landslide victory – 90:74.
James scored 19 points for Monaco and became the team’s top scorer.
Europa League. Regular season. 19th round, 30 December
Hapoel Tel Aviv – Zalgiris – 80:93 (25:18, 15:21, 13:24, 27:30)
Hapoel: Jones (18+5 assists), Bryant (14 points + 4 rebounds + 1 assist), Oturu (12+2+1), Motley (10+3+2), Blakeney (9+2 rebounds), Wainwright (9+3+6), Madar (4+3+5), Malcolm (4).
Zalgiris: Williams-Gross (17+2+4), Wright (15+3 rebounds), Francisco (13+2+8), Tubelis (12+8 rebounds), Brazdeikis (10+3 rebounds), Butkevicius (9), Law (8+2 rebounds), Sol (7+6+2), Ulanovas (2+4+2), Biruttis (2 rebounds + 1 assist).
ASVEL – Paris – 94:89 (20:23, 21:23, 20:18, 33:25)
ASVEL: Watson (28+3+1), De Colo (17+5+5), Harrison (10+5+1), Ndiae (9+9+2), Massa (8+6+1), Yurtel (8+1+8), Vautier (7+4 rebounds), Traore (4+2 rebounds), Lighty (2+1 rebounds), Jackson (1+1+1), Ajins (3 rebounds + 2 assists).
Paris: Heaphy (26+4+7), Herrera (11+4 rebounds), Willis (10+2 assists), Robinson (8+2+5), Fae (8+4 rebounds), Dokossi (6+1 rebounds), Morgan (6+7+2), Cavalier (5+5+1), Stevens (5+7+1), M’Baye (2+1+2), Ouattara (2+3+1).
Barcelona – Monaco – 74:90 (13:22, 17:25, 23:22, 21:21)
barcelona: Brizuela (25+1 rebounds), Norris (14+4+2), Fal (8+6 rebounds), Panther (8+2+4), Hernangomez (7+3 rebounds), Cale (7+3+1), Laprovittola (2+1 rebounds), Satoranski (2+4+4), Parra (1+3 rebounds), Marcos (2 assists).
Monaco: James (19+4+5), Hayes (15+5+1), Mirotic (13+4 rebounds), Okobo (12+4+5), Diallo (9+4 rebounds), Nedovic (8+1+1), Theis (7+4+3), Strazel (5+1+2), Blossomgame (2+5+2), Tarpey (2 rebounds).
Valencia – Partizan – 86:73 (18:22, 25:21, 22:20, 21:10)
Valencia: Thompson (17+3+6), Badio (14+1+3), Rivers (14+7 rebounds), Montero (13+3 rebounds), Pradilla (11+7+2), Costello (9+2 rebounds), Sakho (5+7+1), Taylor (2+1+2), Key (1+1 assist), Moore (2 rebounds + 2 assists), Puerto (2 rebounds + 1 assist).
Partisan: Bonga (17+7+2), Brown (15+2+2), Jones (9+6+1), Washington (7), Parker (7+4+1), Fernando (6+3 rebounds), Osetkowski (6+2+3), Payne (6+1+4), Calathes (4 rebounds + 6 assists).
tournament table
Source: Sport UA
Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.
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