When Paris Basketball and the London Lions first entered the BKT EuroCup in the 2022-23 campaign, they both had the same goal: to get to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as soon as possible. Now, in just their second year in the competition, just a best-of-three semifinal series separates them from a spot in the EuroCup Finals.

Semifinals breakdown: Paris Basketball vs. London Lions

When Paris Basketball and the London Lions first entered the BKT EuroCup in the 2022-23 campaign, they both had the same goal: to get to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as soon as possible. Now, in just their second year in the competition, just a best-of-three semifinal series separates them from a spot in the EuroCup Finals.

[Next Tuesday night (20:45 CET), Paris will host London at the brand-new adidas arena in Game 1](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-london-lions/U2023/189/), before the series heads to the English capital for [Game 2 next Friday night (20:30 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-paris-basketball/U2023/191/). Should a Game 3 be required, Paris will play the role of host thanks to its superior regular-season record.

### Not their first rodeo

This is a matchup that has become a must-watch affair in the EuroCup, with the two clubs having played their part in building up this rivalry. So far, though, it has been Paris who has thrived most in this fixture, holding a 3-1 record against the Lions, including [a 102-106 overtime win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-paris-basketball/U2023/35/) at Copper Box Arena back in Round 4. Tuomas Iisalo’s squad then did the double over Petar Bozic’s men in the French capital in Round 13, coming away with[ a 94-77 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-london-lions/U2023/125/).

Expect a high-scoring showdown with Paris leading in scoring (99.5 ppg), while London is ranked third (92 ppg.). Sam Dekker was the hero for the Lions with a late three-pointer to overcome Prometey, while T.J. Shorts continued his stellar campaign through an weekly MVP award in a gain over Hamburg.

Paris Basketball-London Lions | Round 13 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Yet, the picture looks somewhat different now as, particularly in the case of London, both sides are playing some excellent basketball at present. This is unchartered territory, too, for the second-year clubs, as Paris reached the quarterfinals last season while the Lions made it to the eighthfinals. In 2022-23, London fell 80-93 at home to Paris in Round 9 but got some revenge in Round 18 with a 85-96 triumph at Halle Georges Carpinter.

### London is rolling

After closing the 2023-24 regular season with a 14-6 record, the Lions blew Turk Telekom Ankara away in the eighthfinals by winning 100-77 – thus surpassing last year’s last-16 accomplishment – before grabbing a 79-91 win at U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the quarterfinals. Both of those victories were equally as impressive, but for different reasons.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EUROCUP SEMIFINALS BOUND! 🔥🦁<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/BPZ3xliwiU">pic.twitter.com/BPZ3xliwiU</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1768003080614707515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

By beating Turk Telekom, let alone doing so in convincing fashion, London knocked off one of the hottest teams in the EuroCup – the Turkish side was 7-2 in the second half of the regular season – and also made up for last year’s last-16 exit to Joventut Badalona. It was progress. Then, heading on the road to face Cluj, which was 7-2 on its home floor, the Lions made up for the absence of [Gabe Olaseni](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gabe-olaseni/006600/), who stayed in London due to the birth of his first child, by only trailing once (0-2) all night long.

Those two wins came with [Sam Dekker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/) on the floor, with the 29-year-old having made his return to action post-injury in the last 16. Not only does Dekker give London an All-EuroCup-level player, but he is able to dovetail perfectly with an individual who has taken the EuroCup by storm since making his competition debut in Round 14, [David Nwaba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/david-nwaba/012797/). Together, Dekker and Nwaba combined for 34 points and 14 rebounds against Cluj, which had no answer for the American duo. Paris will need to be wary of Dekker and Nwaba, but also Olaseni, [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matthew-morgan/012585/), [Jordan Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-taylor/005247/), [Conor Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/conor-morgan/009680/)…

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Led us to HISTORY 🫡🦁🔥<br><br>Big time outing for <a href="https://twitter.com/dekker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dekker</a>! ⤵️<br>21 PTS | 6 REB | 1 AST | 62.5 FG%<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/cBUZvzW5Oy">pic.twitter.com/cBUZvzW5Oy</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1768352051178656076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Paris looks the real deal

This season has been almost perfect for Paris, which went 17-1 in the regular season and won Group A, allowing it to bypass the eighthfinals. That meant Paris immediately matched its achievement from last year, when it was knocked out at the quarterfinal stage by eventual champion Dreamland Gran Canaria. This time, though, the French side ended up making light work of Joventut en route to an 86-70 victory that guaranteed Coach Iisalo’s side would make club history with a first-ever semifinal appearance.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">ÇA C’EST DU WINNING FEELING DE ZINZINNNNNNNN 🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/fyLe9fbg8W">pic.twitter.com/fyLe9fbg8W</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1768395481334386942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That contest was the first to be held at adidas arena this season, too, giving Paris a 1-0 record in its new gym. The Paris fans were treated to yet more heroics by star backcourt duo [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) and [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nadir-hifi/012640/), who together had 36 points in the quarterfinals and will no doubt be circled on London’s scouting report coming into this series. It’s not just Shorts and Hifi, though, as the team-oriented play instilled by Coach Iisalo ensures that Paris is a tough matchup night in, night out.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">C’EST SA COMPÉTITION 👑<br><br>MVP🚀<br><br>🏀 21 pts <br>🎁 9 passes décisives <br>📈 28 d’évaluation <a href="https://t.co/WaQpQC12Sj">pic.twitter.com/WaQpQC12Sj</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1768593507898327463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Leading the EuroCup in PIR (116.6), points (98.6), turnovers committed (10.3) and two-point shooting accuracy (62.6%) is one thing, but the French team also holds its opponents to a competition low in PIR (78.9), steals (4.9) and two-point shooting (51.0%). It has the third-best defense, too, allowing 78.6 points per night. Paris will therefore be looking to ensure that London’s third-best offense (90.8 ppg.) can’t get going.

### The main matchup

There are several fascinating matchups in this series, but whoever comes out on top between Hifi and Matt Morgan could help determine which team makes it to the EuroCup Finals. Hifi has shown on several occasions this year that he has the clutch gene, coming up big for his team down the stretch of games, as he adds a punch from both inside and outside the arc for Paris. Having averaged 16.8 points for his team this season, shooting 60.2% on two-pointers and 38.1% from three, the talented 21-year-old has only failed to reach double digits in points once in 2023-24.

The top plays of London Lions guard Matt Morgan and Paris Basketball's Nadir Hifi in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season.

Best plays of Hifi, Morgan this season

Morgan, however, is London’s answer to Hifi. He’s also able to score from all areas of the floor, posting an identical 16.8 points to Hifi. Yet, following a 16-point outing against Turk Telekom, he had almost as many points (8) as turnovers (5) in the win at Cluj. London is talented enough that it was able to overcome an off night by Morgan, but if it is to overcome a Paris team that has been on fire this season, it will need the 26-year-old to rise to the occasion and, as a consequence, free things up for the likes of Dekker, Nwaba and Olaseni to do some damage.

This rivalry is set to go to another level, with a place in the EuroCup Finals up for grabs

Paris Basketball v London Lions (2024-03-26T19:45:00.000Z)

London Lions v Paris Basketball (2024-03-29T19:30:00.000Z)

As the coach of Bursaspor, Dusan Alimpijevic had a remarkable run in the 2021-22 EuroCup. He was voted the competition's Coach of the Year after leading his team to the final against Virtus Bologna despite not having home-court advantage in any postseason round. Getting the title in Italy was the only upset that Alimpijevic couldn't pull off.

They say that lightning doesn't strike twice, but two years later, Alimpijevic has already led Besiktas to two small miracles: beating defending champion Dreamland Gran Canaria on the road in the eighthfinals, and then coming back from being 21 points down to stop higher-ranked Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the quarterfinals.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/interviews/1645845/dusan-alimpijevic-the-upset-specialist/)

Dusan Alimpijevic talked to Eurohoops about the latest comeback of Besiktas in the BKT EuroCup and the coach's next big target -- creating one more upset in the semifinals

Alimpijevic, The upset specialist

The EuroCup Semifinals are set: Paris Basketball vs. London Lions on one side, JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Beşiktaş Basketbol on the other.

BKT EuroCup Semifinals at a glance

### Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse vs. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul

The first semifinal pairing to be set was this one after Group B winner Bourg held off Prometey Slobozhanske on Tuesday and Besiktas rallied from 21 down to upset Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv. Frederic Fauthoux’s Bourg improved to 15-5 on the season and is 2-0 against Turkish clubs, having defeated Turk Telekom Ankara twice. But Besiktas is a team of a different caliber than Turk Telekom, which it is ahead of by five spots in the Turkish League. Dusan Alimpijevic improved to 5-2 as an underdog in EuroCup elimination games with his team's victory over Hapoel.

This marks uncharted territory for both teams. Besiktas will try to become the third straight Turkish team to reach the finals, following Frutti Extra Bursaspor with Alimpijevic and Derek Needham two years ago and Turk Telekom last season. Bourg seeks to become the first French finalist since Strasbourg in 2016.

### Paris Basketball vs. London Lions

The same will be true for the other French team in the semis, Group A winner Paris Basketball, which enters this best-of-three series on an 11-game winning streak after eliminating Joventut Badalona on Thursday. Opposite the team from the French capital will be the squad from the English capital, the London Lions, who stormed to the semis with a pair of double-digit do-or-die victories, including a 12-point road triumph against U-BT Cluj Napoca on Wednesday.

Led by playmaker TJ Shorts, Paris is 18-1 this season — and two of those wins have come against London during the regular season. First, it was a 102-106 overtime thriller in London, then a comfortable 94-77 win on its home floor in Round 13. But London did not have David Nwaba nor Donte Granham in that last clash, while Sam Dekker got injured mid-game. Since that loss, London is 5-2 and a perfect 3-0 on the road.

The ties will now be a best-of-three series

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2024-03-26T18:00:00.000Z)

Here are the leaders in the main statistical categories the quarterfinals of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

Individual highs: Ondrej Balvin of Prometey, 14 rebounds

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

Jonah Mathews of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul and Will Cummings of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv each scored 28 points in this round. It was a season-best scoring mark for each player.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

Ondrej Balvin of Prometey Slobozhanske led all rebounders by pulling down 14 in his team's 95-82 road loss at Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Balvin finished the season with a third-best 9.3 rebounds per game.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

TJ Shorts of Paris dished 9 assists in the quarterfinals. Shorts raised his EuroCup-leading assists average to 7.7 per game.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

David Nwaba of the London Lions and Ronald March of Prometey each collected 4 steals in this round, the most in the quarterfinals.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

Balvin, Kevin Kokila of Bourg, Conor Morgan of London, his teammate John Sharma, Kyle Alexander and his Hapoel teammate Jaylen Hoard each had 2 blocks this week.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=1000&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

Prometey's Balvin (19 points, 14 rebounds) and D.J. Kennedy (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Besiktas's Angel Delgado (11 points, 12 rebounds) all posted double-doubles in the quarterfinals.

T.J. Shorts played his first BKT EuroCup do-or-die game in style, delivering another outstanding individual performance and leading Paris Basketball to an 86-70 win over Joventut Badalona, all while earning another MVP of the Round honor. This is the fourth time Shorts has won this award this season, his first in the competition.

Quarterfinals MVP: TJ Shorts, Paris

[T.J. Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tj-shorts/012608/) played his first BKT EuroCup do-or-die game in style, delivering another outstanding individual performance and leading Paris Basketball to an 86-70 win over Joventut Badalona, all while earning another MVP of the Round honor. This is the fourth time Shorts has won this award this season, his first in the competition.

Shorts finished with a team-high 21 points, making 5-of-13 two-pointers and 3-of-5 threes, while dishing 9 assists without committing a turnover. Shorts also had 3 rebounds, 1 steal and drew 7 fouls. His 28 PIR was the highest among players on winning teams in the quarterfinals.

TJ Shorts | Quarterfinals MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

The quarterfinals' highest PIR, 32, belongs to Will Cummings of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in an 89-94 losing effort against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul. Cummings had 28 points on 3 of 4 three-pointers, 5 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals and 7 fouls drawn.

D.J. Kennedy of Prometey Slobozanske had a PIR of 27 in his team's 95-82 road loss against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Kennedy led Prometey with 10 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and 4 fouls drawn.

Jonah Mathews of Besiktas, Jaylen Hoard of Hapoel and Ondrej Balvin of Prometey, each with a PIR of 26, complete the top individual performances in the quarterfinals.

Paris Basketball v Joventut Badalona (2024-03-14T19:45:00.000Z)

After a competition-best regular season record, 17-1, Paris Basketball faced uncharted territory, having the home-court advantage in the single-game quarterfinals. T.J. Shorts made sure his team got closer to the EuroCup title. 


T.J. Shorts confirmed his MVP credentials against Joventut

After a competition-best regular season 17-1 record, Paris Basketball faced uncharted waters with the home-court advantage in the single-game quarterfinals. And star guard T.J. Shorts made sure the Parisians took a step closer to the EuroCup title. 

It was a strong test for Paris against a more experienced opponent. It was also Paris's first EuroCup home game at the brand new Adidas Arena. All eyes were on Shorts, who led Paris throughout the season, and he didn't disappoint anyone. In fact, he showed why he is a leading candidate in the race to become the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup MVP.

Shorts had 8 first-quarter points, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer that gave Paris a significant lead, 24-17. He went on to cap a 13-0 run with another bomb from downtown late in the third quarter, putting Paris well on its way to win the game. Finally, Shorts had 6 points and 4 assists in the final 8 minutes, making sure Paris rejected any comeback attempt and kept a safe lead until the final buzzer.

His numbers proved his great consistency throughout the game. Shorts had 21 points on 3 of 5 three-point shooting, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 0 turnovers and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 28. He earned MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time this season, which is unprecedented in competition history.

Paris Basketball playmaker T.J. Shorts had 21 points on 3 of 5 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, no turnovers and 7 fouls drawn and a PIR of 28.

Shorts sends Paris to the semifinals.

"It took the whole unit. It wasn't one of us, it was the collective. This group is special and we are trying to do something special," Shorts said after the game. "I am just glad I was able to contribute to this win. It is a win that kept our season going. We knew it was a do-or-die game and I guess you could say this is the most important win. And now, the next one is going to be the next most important."

Paris head coach Tuomas Iisalo highlighted the fact that his team in general (and may I add, Shorts in particular) tries to keep things simple and effective. 

"We have one way of doing things and expect to do the right things on the floor, do them as well as possible, do them as hard as possible for 40 minutes," Coach Iisalo said. "It sounds very simple, but it is extremely difficult. But when the guys see and everyone sees that it pays off, it brings a lot more motivation to keep working."

Shorts has averaged 17.5 points, 7.7 assists and 1.5 steals for a league-best PIR average of 22.8. He dishes 5.2 assists per turnover, too. His teammate Sebastian Herrera, who didn't play today, has totaled 26 assists and one turnover this season. Unsurprisingly, Paris leads the competition with the fewest turnovers at just 10.3 per night.

All that will be tested again soon, as Paris is set to face the London Lions in the semifinals, where Shorts will have another opportunity to prove why he can be considered the best player in the competition.

Game News

The EuroCup leader in assists and PIR produced another sterling performance in the quarterfinals 

Congratulations to Simone Crippa, the quarterfinals winner in EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Simone' team, SURPRISE, posted a round-high score of 212.5 fantasy points.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: quarterfinals winner

Congratulations to Simone Crippa, the quarterfinals winner in [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/)! Simone' team, SURPRISE, posted a round-high score of 212.5 fantasy points.

His squad featured the following players as starters: Isiaha Mike of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse as team captain, TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball, Ondrej Balvin of Prometey Slobohzanske, and a pair of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv players in Jaylen Hoard and Will Cummings. His sixth man was Andres Feliz of Joventut Badalona. The rest of his bench consisted of: Gabe Olaseni of London Lions, Joventut's Pep Busquets, Kerem Konan of Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul and Ivan Tkachenko of Prometey. Filip' head coach was Petar Bozic of London.

The prize for finishing first in the quarterfinals is a free subscription to EuroLeague TV for the 2024-25 season!

The overall leader after 20 rounds is Lukasz Lisowski whose Lisorze team is ahead of everyone with 3,645.75 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for the semifinals. From now on, unlimited trades are allowed before each round until the end of the season and, as always, you can also trade your head coach.

The first semifinals game is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, March 26, and thus marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

Glory is getting closer as we enter the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals, with the four seeded teams hoping their extra week of rest and homecourt advantage pay off. Here's your guide to the games.

This week: The race for EuroCup glory continues

### Thursday, March 14

[Paris Basketball 86-70 Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-joventut-badalona/U2023/185/)

Paris grabbed its 18th win of the EuroCup season and will face the London Lions in the best-of-three semifinals. T.J. Shorts led the winners with 21 points and 9 assists. Nadir Hifi added 15 while Mikael Jantunen had 12 for Paris. Andrew Andrews paced Joventut with 25 points. Andres Feliz added 14 for the visitors, who were eliminated with the loss. It was a close game for 25 minutes before Paris used a 13-0 run to get full control of the game and cruise to a well-deserved victory.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">EN DEMI-FINALE POUR LA PREMIÈRE FOIS DE NOTRE HISTOIRE 💥😍🫡<br><br>ET UN, ET DEUX, ET TROIS ZÉRO 😤<br><br>100% de win contre Badalone et on rejoint le dernier carré pour la première fois. Job’s not finished. Déjà focus sur la suite 🔐 <a href="https://t.co/kQbKjznBrl">pic.twitter.com/kQbKjznBrl</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1768402493157822887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Wednesday, March 13

[U-BT Cluj-Napoca 79-91 London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-london-lions/U2023/186/)

London overpowered Cluj, leading from the second minute onward to reach the semifinals for the first time. The margin reached 20 in the fourth quarter before a late rally by the Romanian champs. Sam Dekker scored a season-high 21 points to lead five London scorers in double figures and David Nwaba added 13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Bryce Jones scored a personal-best 23 points for Cluj in defeat.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">INTO THE FINAL FOUR!! 🦁<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/YLdpWz80T4">pic.twitter.com/YLdpWz80T4</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1767995051739676716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 89-94 Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/188/)

Besiktas pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks in EuroCup history to beat Hapoel in the quarterfinal at the Avia Solutions Group Arena in Vilnius on Wednesday. The guests trailed by as many as 21 points in the second quarter and Hapoel took a 57-39 lead into the second half, but the Turkish side outscored its opponent 32-55 after the break to clinch a spot in the semifinals. Jonah Mathews paced Besiktas with 28 points and Matthew Mitchell netted 22. Will Cummings recorded a season-high 28 points in defeat.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">BKT EuroCup&#39;ta YARI FİNALDEYİZ! 🖤🤍 <br><br>Litvanya&#39;da muhteşem bir geri dönüş! 👊🔥<br><br>Hapoel Tel Aviv 89-94 Beşiktaş Emlakjet | Maç Sonucu<br><br>🦅 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Be%C5%9Fikta%C5%9FEmlakjet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeşiktaşEmlakjet</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Potan%C4%B1nKartallar%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PotanınKartalları</a> <a href="https://t.co/bO6YsUwl86">pic.twitter.com/bO6YsUwl86</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1768000228357963839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Tuesday, March 12

[JL Bourg en Bresse 95-82 Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-shines-against-prometey-on-an-off-night-for-risacher-95-82/)

Bourg is the first team to book its place in the EuroCup Semifinals after defeating Prometey 95-82 at Ekinox on Tuesday night. The French side improved to 9-1 at home, with its only loss having come in Round 18 to ratiopharm Ulm, when it had already wrapped up top spot in Group B. Bourg will face the winner of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul in a best-of-three series, in which Frederic Fauthoux's group have home-court advantage.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">LA JL EST EN DEMI-FINALES D&#39;EUROCUP 🔥🔥🔥🔥<br><br>JL Bourg 95 - 82 <a href="https://twitter.com/BcPrometey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BcPrometey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadtoGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadtoGreatness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/SSdklK5Hhg">pic.twitter.com/SSdklK5Hhg</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1767653674526859265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Follow all the action of the BKT EuroCup quarterfinals in the Game Center!

Game Center: Paris completes the semifinal lineup after ousting Joventut

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2024-03-13T17:30:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v London Lions (2024-03-13T17:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Prometey Slobozhanske (2024-03-12T18:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball made club history on Thursday night, making it to the BKT EuroCup semifinals for the first time. It downed Joventut Badalona 86-70 in the single-game quarterfinals. 


Jantunen stepped up for Paris at the right time

Paris Basketball downed Joventut Badalona 86-70 in the BKT EuroCup single-game quarterfinals. 

Things were not easy at first, as Joventut tried to slow down the game tempo and using its size advantage in the paint through Tyler Cook and Ante Tomic. Starting center Leon Kratzer battled foul trouble throughout the game, picking up his third early in the second quarter and fouling out in less than 7 minutes. Kratzer, a 2.12-meter center, averaged 5.8 points and 4.9 rebounds before this game.

Paris had no other player available close to the combination of size and experience that Tomic brought to the table. Coach Tuomas Iisalo opted to play with a smaller lineup most of the way and power forward Mikael Jantunen gave Paris the consistency and toughness required to balance the battle in the paint.

Mikael Jantunen had 12 points against Joventut Badalona to lead Paris Basketball to the quarterfinals.

Jantunen plays critical role

Jantunen finished the game with 12 points and team highs of 6 rebounds and 3 steals in less than 25 minutes. All his baskets were critical: a three-pointer right before halftime to stop Joventut's comeback, giving Paris a 40-35 lead, a couple of close baskets in a 13-0 run that put Paris on track to win the game late in the third quarter, and another bomb from downtown in the fourth quarter to keep the hosts far away.

Iisalo spoke about his team's resilience after the game: "We have a lot of experience of winning, and that is one of the hallmarks of great teams however the game is going. We had difficulties with our three-point shots, we had good opportunities to finish but were not able to do it, but we found another way to win, and that was through our defense, especially in the second half where we locked in and made that third quarter run that proved crucial," he said.

Jantunen had a PIR of 19 for the fifth time this season. Paris is now getting ready for an exciting best-of-three semifinal series against the London Lions.

Paris made club history on Thursday night, advancing to the EuroCup Semifinals for the first time. 