Cuban Jasiel Rivero in 'top five' of European basketball

March 5, 2021

The Cuban Jasiel Rivero received honors within the European Basketball Champions League after being selected among the five best players of the first playoff round.

At 27 years old and in his second Champions, Rivero maintains prominence with the current continental champions, the Spanish team Hereda San Pablo Burgos, and this week led with a double-double the Castilian triumph over Latvian VEF Riga (76-75).

The Cuban international drove with his 25 points and 11 rebounds the Burgos success in overtime against Riga, valid for integrating the 'top five' of the initial playoff day alongside Retin Obasohan (ERA Nymburk), Nick Johnson (Türk Telekom), Amath M'Baye (Pinar Karsiyaka) and Jonathan Barreiro (Casademont Zaragoza).

According to the organizers' reports, Jasiel Rivero is the type of player who makes sure that champions rise again even when they are knocked down and against Riga the Antillean forward-center made great plays in the final quarter so that Burgos forced overtime.

With this performance, the Caribbean player matched his maximum efficiency rating of the season in the Basketball Champions League at 29.

San Pablo Burgos and Rivero will return to the court tomorrow in Spain's ACB League against MoraBanc Andorra, in search of expanding their record of 15 wins and seven losses in sixth place in the overall standings.

Second in the Best Latin American ranking of the Spanish tournament, the Antillean basketball player increases his records with 232 points in 20 games and 105 rebounds under the boards; in addition he presents effectiveness above 63 percent in shots from mid-range and free throws, respectively.