Top 16 Week 2 MVP: Alan Anderson, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv

The historic 40th showdown of the decades-long rivalry between Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv and Real Madrid was not only an outstanding game of basketball at its finest, but also inspired the best individual performance in Top 16 Week 2. In front of a sellout crowd at Nokia Arena, shooting guard Alan Anderson led Maccabi to an 81-76 victory over Madrid with 20 points on 4-for-5 two-point and 9-of-9 free-throw shooting. What's more, Anderson posted his Euroleague career highs in defensive rebounds (8), assists (5), steals (4) and minutes played (37). All that plus a block and 11 fouls drawn gave Anderson a performance index rating of 40. Interestingly, that made Anderson the first player to amass an index rating of 40 or higher in any Top 16 game for almost 5 years. Another Maccabi player, former two-time Euroleague MVP Anthony Parker, was the last player to do so, also posting 40 in a Top 16 win against Montepaschi Siena on March 3, 2005. Second behind Anderson this week was teenager Jan Vesely of Partizan, who led his team to an incredible 67-66 overtime home win against Regal FC Barcelona with 13 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn, all good for a 27 index rating. His rebounds and rating were career highs for Vesely. Next, Lior Eliyahu of Caja Laboral helped his team overcome injuries to win their first Top 16 game in dramatic fashion by 75-78 over Cibona on the road in Zagreb. Eliyahu had 22 points by making 10 of 16 two-point shots to go with 9 rebounds and 4 fouls drawn for a 25 index rating. In a losing effort, Jamont Gordon of Cibona was fourth this week, with a 24 index rating, while tying for fifth were a pair of big winners, Viktor Khryapa of CSKA and Mario Kasun of Efes Pilsen, with ratings of 23 each.

Individual highs: Jan Vesely, Partizan, 15 rebounds

Marko Tomas of Cibona and Eliyahu were the best scorers in Top 16 Week 2, each with 22 points while playing against each other in Zagreb. Anderson leads all Top 16 scorers with 23 points per game. Vesely pulled down 15 rebounds in his team's overtime home win against Regal FC Barcelona. Adam Hrycaniuk of Asseco Prokom and Ioannis Bourousis of Olympiacos - who did not play this week due to a broken nose - tie for first place in rebounds at 11 per game, with Vesely right behind (10.5 rpg.). Daniel Ewing of Asseco Prokom, Marcelo Huertas of Caja Laboral and Doron Perkins of Maccabi Electra each dished 8 assists in their team's victories. Perkins is also the Top 16 assists leader at 6 per night. Anderson and Omar Cook of Unicaja each collected 4 steals in Top 16 Week 2. Four players - Dimitris Diamantidis of Panathinaikos, Charles Smith of Efes Pilsen, Terrell McIntyre of Montepaschi Siena and Khyrapa - tie atop the Top 16 steals table at 3 per game. D'or Fischer of Maccabi Electra, his teammate Stephane Lasme and Qyntel Woods of Prokom each had 3 blocks this week. Mirza Begic (2.5 bpg.) ranks first in this phase. Vesely, his Partizan teammate Lawrence Roberts, Gordon of Cibona and Romain Sato of Montepaschi registered respective double-doubles this week.

Press release: Euroleague Basketball