Busy Wednesday: Spartak hosting Dziki, Nordic duel at Bergen UPD
- Māris Noviks
- Jan 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 8, 2025
ENBL basketball awaits in Bulgaria and Norway on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Spartak Pleven are hosting Dziki Warszawa, and Fyllingen Lions will face Bakken Bears.
Playoff implications: Dziki Warszawa will qualify to the playoffs with a win. UPD on Jan 8
Spartak Pleven vs Dziki Warszawa
Series history: Spartak Pleven (0-5) will face Dziki Warszawa (4-2) for the first time.
The Bulgarians are 0-2 on the home floor.
Dziki Warszawa are 2-1 on the road.
Good news – Bulgaria and Romania fully joined Schengen area on January 1, 2025.
Key matchup: Trey Hollowell averages 13.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists for Spartak Pleven.
Morehead State University guard shoots 50.0% from the two point line and 36.1% from the three point line.
Rickey McGill averages 16.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists for Dziki Warszawa.
A former Iona Gael shoots 71.9% from the two point line and 33.3% from the three point line.
National championships: Spartak Pleven are 6-5 at the Sesame NBL.
Spartak defeated Levski, 87-60, on January 4.
Dziki Warszawa are 7-6 at the Orlen PLK.
Dziki lost to Trefl Sopot, 71-76, on January 5.
Know your referees
Crew chief: Vladimir Zanev (Bulgaria) – FIBA referee from 2017; has worked in Greece and Cyprus before moving to Bulgaria in 2022.
Umpire 1: Tomasz Langowski (Poland) – PLK referee from 2017, FIBA referee from 2021.
Umpire 2: Stefan Stefanov (Bulgaria) – referee from 2011, FIBA referee from 2019, Sesame NBL referee from 2018.
Observer (at the video): Oskars Lucis (Latvia).
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube
Fyllingen Lions vs Bakken Bears
Series history: Fyllingen Lions (0-5) will face Bakken Bears (3-3) for the first time in the ENBL.
Fyllingen Lions are 0-2 on the home floor after losses against Keila Coolbet and Bristol Flyers.
Bakken Bears are 1-2 on the road.
Key matchup: Dashawn Davis averages 26.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists for Bergen.
Mississippi State University graduate shoots 52.1% from the two point line and 40.0% from the three point line.
Skyler Bowlin averages 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists for Aarhus.
Missouri Southern State University guard shoots 35.7% from the three point line.
National championships: Fyllingen Lions are 13-3 at the BLNO.
They occupy first place in the standings.
Bakken Bears are 10-4 at the Basketligaen.
Anders Sommer and his men defeated Copenhagen, 95-76, on December 30, and Randers, 96-85, on January 3.
Bakken Bears advanced to the Danish Cup final after a 95-92 win against Horsens on December 14.
The final against Naestved/Randers Cimbria will take place on January 26, 2025.
Know your referees
Crew chief: Alexander Ochoa Svendberg (Norway) – FIBA referee from 2023, BLNO referee from 2018.
Umpire 1: Skirmantas Letukas (Denmark) – FIBA referee from 2021, Basketligaen referee from 2017.
Umpire 2: Simon Nordeide (Norway) – refereed three years in Australia, 2010-2013, at the QBL; BLNO referee from 2009, including finals in 2022 and 2023; has worked four times at the Nordic championship; has attended FIBA camps in Bulgaria.
Observer (at the video): Oskars Lucis (Latvia).
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube
STANDINGS, as of January 6, 2025
Group A
Valmiera Glass ViA 5-1, +62
Newcastle Eagles 5-1, +35
CSO Voluntari 4-1, +67
Dziki Warszawa 4-2, +48
BK Opava 3-2, -14
Donar Groningen 2-4, -6
Tartu Ulikool 1-4, -32
Spišski Rytieri 1-5, -103
Spartak Pleven 0-5, -57
Group B
Inter Bratislava 6-0, +25 Qualified
Bamberg Baskets 5-1, +66
Legia Warszawa 4-2, +29
Bakken Bears 3-3, +42
Basket Brno 2-2, +7
Bristol Flyers 2-4, -18
Dinamo Bucharest 1-4, -31
Keila Coolbet 1-3, -44
Fyllingen Lions 0-5, -76
Exciting matchups ahead! The Spartak vs Dziki game is crucial for the playoffs, especially with Dziki needing a win to secure their spot. It's impressive how both Trey Hollowell and Rickey McGill bring their scoring power to the court. If you're into basketball strategies, you might find some interesting insights on player builds over at VV Ultimatum Wiki for a deeper dive into performance analytics.
The upcoming match between Spartak Pleven and Dziki Warszawa is particularly intriguing, especially given the playoff implications for Dziki with a potential win. It will be interesting to see how Trey Hollowell's performance will stack up against Rickey McGill, as both are key players for their teams. As a fan of basketball, I often find myself following league updates closely, much like how I enjoy exploring different aspects of my favorite games on sites like Tomodachi Life.
The matchup between Spartak and Dziki is intriguing, especially with the playoff implications for Dziki. It's interesting to see how Trey Hollowell and Rickey McGill's performances will influence the game's outcome. With both teams having different home and away records, it will be fascinating to observe their strategies. While waiting for the game, I stumbled upon an engaging game that shares a bit of that competitive spirit – you can find it here: Scooby Doo Creepy Run.