The Take
Group C champion will be visiting Spain in Round 9 when already-eliminated RETAbet Bilbao Basket (2-6) welcomes undefeated Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar (8-0). These two teams will be playing for protocol only as both sides’ fate is sealed.
This will be the third time RETAbet and Loko meet. The Russian team won both previous encounters, including the 2013 EuroCup final and the Round 4 game this season, 102-86.
Dejan Todorovic has led RETAbet this season (12.8 ppg.) with help from veteran Alex Mumbru (12.6 ppg.) and Jonathan Tabu (10.2 ppg.).
For Loko, Joe Ragland has paced the effort (13.9 ppg., 5.0 apg.), with help from Ryan Broekhoff (11.6 ppg., 5.6 rpg.) and Trevor Lacey (10.1 ppg.).
Oddly enough, RETAbet has better numbers in offense than Loko, but the guests have the second-best defense in the competition (72.6 ppg.), so the hosts will have a real challenge in front of them. It will also be RETAbet’s last home game of the season, so the team will want to end their participation on a high note, but Loko will not come with a white flag.
The Top 16 is around the corner and in order to maintain its momentum the team will need to compete in this game as well.