Bertāns' three-pointer lifts Dubai to Euroleague win as Kurucs and Baskonia suffer heavy defeat
In Euroleague round two, Dāvis Bertāns hit a three-pointer to help Dubai beat Barcelona, while Rodions Kurucs and Baskonia were routed away by Valencia.
Two Latvian basketball players had contrasting fortunes in Tuesday's ULEB Euroleague round-two games. Dāvis Bertāns helped his team secure a win, while Rodions Kurucs and his teammates suffered a heavy defeat.
Dubai beat Barcelona at home 94:87. Bertāns played just under 14 minutes, making one of his three three-point attempts. He also grabbed two rebounds, recorded an assist and drew a foul from an opponent, finishing the game with an efficiency rating of three. Chimezie Kabengele was Dubai's top scorer with 21 points, while Kevin Punter led the visitors with 25 points.
Kurucs and Baskonia struggle
Baskonia from Vitoria lost away to Valencia 88:111. Kurucs played 15 minutes but missed both of his three-point attempts. He recorded eight rebounds and three assists, but also committed three turnovers and five fouls while drawing two fouls from opponents, ending the match with an efficiency rating of three. Tadas Sedekerskis led Baskonia with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Armoni Brooks paced the home team's win with 17 points.
Twenty teams are competing in this season's Euroleague regular season, each playing 38 games. The top six teams advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams finishing seventh through tenth will compete in a play-in round. The Euroleague Final Four is scheduled for late May. Last season's Final Four was held in Athens, where Olympiacos Piraeus were crowned champions after beating Real Madrid in the final.
