It’s the hottest team in the Top 16 against one of the coldest. While Fenerbahce has won eight straight in the Euroleague and is the lone unbeaten team in the Top 16, Unicaja has lost three in a row by double figures and finds itself slipping in the standings as we near the midway point in this phase. Fenerbahce has a well-balanced roster with aces on the perimeter – it leads the Top 16 in three-point percentage (41.3%) – and in the paint, where it’s 5.2 blocks per game is also best in this phase. The team is second in Top 16 scoring (87.3 ppg.), index rating (104.7) and two-point accuracy (58.2%). Unicaja is the best offensive rebounding team in the competition (14.5 in the Top 16), but even Richard Hendrix, Will Thomas and Mindaugas Kuzminskas will have it tough against Jan Vesely and Ekpe Udoh. Unicaja lost sniper Jamar Smith to an ankle injury, so it will need Edwin Jackson and DeMarcus Nelson to be at their best against Bobby Dixon, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kostas Sloukas. Forward Luigi Datome has been hot for Fenerbahce lately and his matchup with Kuzminskas could be a determining factor for the visitors. Fenerbahce has not lost a Euroleague home game in over a year; Can Unicaja score the upset to turn its fortunes around?
