7DAYS Eurocup MVP of the Week: Jaime Fernandez, Unicaja

Early elimination from the Top 16 did nothing to prevent ex-champion Unicaja Malaga’s pride from shining through in Round 5 nor point guard Jaime Fernandez from seizing the first MVP of the Week honor in his five-season 7DAYS EuroCup career. Fernandez set or matched three career highs – a performance index rating of 33, 10 assists and 6 rebounds – in leading Unicaja past host Joventut Badalona 77-90 on Tuesday. His 22 points fell one short of tying another personal mark. Will Cummings of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar was second this week with a PIR of 32 on near-perfect shooting in a do-or-die 61-83 road win at Boulogne Metropolitans 92. Cummings made 3 of 5 two-point shots, his only triple, and 9 of 9 free throws for 18 points to go with 4 assists and 2 steals. Two of the remaining members of the top five this week faced off in the same game, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica’s season-saving 89-92 road win at JL Bourg en Bresse. Zachery Peacock of Bourg had career highs of 29 points, 6 defensive rebounds and a 31 PIR despite the loss, while the center he played against, Willie Reed of Buducnost, recorded a 28 PIR on perfect 6-for-6 two-point and 2-for-2 free throw shooting. Matching his 28 PIR was Vince Hunter of Virtus Segafredo Bologna, whose 14 points on 5-for-5 two-point and 4-for-5 free throw shooting and 10 rebounds helped assure a 98-108 overtime road win against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Individual highs: Williams-Goss, Lokomotiv, 6 steals

Peacock of Bourg and Jaka Blazic of Olimpija were the week’s top scorers with 29 points apiece. Blazic is also atop the Top 16 scoring chart with 21.8 points per game. Lokomotiv’s Drew Gordon pulled down the most rebounds this week, with 12. Jordan Morgan of UNICS Kazan leads the Top 16 with 8.8 boards per game. Milos Teodosic of Virtus had 12 assists against Olimpija, matching his career high in the EuroCup and giving him the Top 16 lead with 8.0 per game. Nigel Williams-Goss of Lokomotiv made 6 steals this week, the second-most in the EuroCup this season. Marcquise Reed of Nanterre 92 leads all Top 16 stealers with 2.5 per game. And the top shot-blocker this week was Taylor Smith of Buducnost with 4. Maxime Roos of Metropolitans heads the Top 16 charts with 2.6 rejections per game.