Turk Telekom Ankara railed for 35 minutes, but turned it on late to race past ratiopharm Ulm 86-76 at Ankara Spor Salonu in the Turkish capital. 

Turk Telekom dominates late to beat Ulm, 86-76

Turk Telekom Ankara trailed for 35 minutes, but turned it on late to race past ratiopharm Ulm 86-76 at Ankara Spor Salonu in the Turkish capital. The victory sends Turk Telekom into the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals. Despite trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, the hosts rallied as Bouteille scored 5 in a 12-0 fourth-quarter run to take the lead for good. Over the final 7 minutes of the game, Turk Telekom outscored Ulm 31-13.

Tyrique Jones tied his career high with 20 points and Jerian Grant scored as many and dished 7 assists to lead the winners. Bouteille added 18 points – including 10 in the fourth quarter – and Tony Taylor and Nate Sestina chipped in with 12 apiece. Yago Dos Santos tallied 21 points on 6-of-8 three-point shooting plus 5 assists for Ulm. Bruno Caboclo posted 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks and Juan Nunez netted 16 points in defeat.

Game News

Turk Telekom started with a big lineup using both centers Michael Eric and Jones together on the floor. Ulm countered by pushing the ball at every opportunity and scoring the game’s first 6 points. Jerian Gran split free throws to get Turk Telekom on the scoreboard after nearly 3 minutes, but a pair of Dos Santos triples made it 1-12 and prompted a Turk Telekom timeout. The hosts finally got things going and Jones scored their first basket to get within 7, but Ulm remained in control and went up 5-19 after Caboclo rejected his third shot of the court and drained a three-pointer. Threes by Bouteille and Taylor kept Turk Telekom afloat as the opening quarter finished with Ulm on top 14-22.

The teams traded shots in the first few minutes of the second quarter with Turk Telekom getting within 6 several times. Dos Santos's third three of the game restored a double-digit margin, 22-32, midway through the quarter. Jones got more involved inside as Turk Telekom rallied back to narrow the gap to 34-35. A Caboclo jumper made it 34-37 at the break.

Game Videos

Caboclo drained a three-pointer and scored in the paint as Ulm stretched its lead early in the second half. The Brazilian big man made it 37-47, but Grant kept attacking, drawing fouls and chipping away at the deficit. Ulm maintain control, despite a wicked dunk by Erkan Yilmaz, as another Dos Santos triple and a free throw by Caboclo pushed the margin to 43-55. Jones's slam in the last second of the third quarter drew the hosts within 50-57.

Taylor made free throws to open the fourth quarter and a triple a few minutes later made it 55-60. Dos Santos drained a deep three, however, Turk Telekom wrested the momentum away with a three-point play by Nate Sestina and a long jumper by Bouteille to shrink the deficit to 60-63. A timeout by Ulm did little to slow down the hosts who, with the crowd at a fever pitch, got a pair of buckets from Grant to lead for the first time all game, 64-63. A three by Bouteille completed a 12-0 Turk Telekom run and prompted another Ulm timeout. Caboclo stopped the bleeding with a pair of free throws, but the Ulm offense remained otherwise stagnant. A three by Bouteille for a 73-67 lead with 1:31 on the clock was a dagger to the heart of Ulm, from which the visitors were unable to recover.

Turk Telekom dominates late to beat Ulm, 86-76 

Turk Telekom Ankara v ratiopharm Ulm (2023-04-19T15:30:00.000Z)

When Gran Canaria and Paris Basketball face off in the last game of the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals this Wednesday night, it will pit two teams up against one another with very contrasting histories in the competition. On the one side, Gran Canaria has played 225 games in the EuroCup, the third most ever, whereas Paris is in its debut campaign and has thus appeared in 19 EuroCup fixtures to date.

 

The history of the clubs is very different, and there's also a vast difference regarding the experience of the two teams' rosters, yet each side is able to call upon a young, athletic center who regularly makes Magic Moments: the 21-year-old Khalifa Diop for Gran Canaria and the 22-year-old Ismael Kamagate for Paris.

Diop and Kamagate going against each other will also be a duel between last year's EuroCup Rising Star award winner and one of this season's main candidates to take home the prize.

 

This is the third time that the two big men will have gone head-to-head against each other this season. In the previous two clashes during the regular season, Gran Canaria swept its two games against Paris, with Diop outperforming Kamagate on both occasions.

 

In Round 4 in Paris, Gran Canaria won 81-89. That night, Diop contributed 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 15 minutes on the floor, whereas Kamagate had 4 personal fouls before the end of the first half and finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes on the floor. Curiously, both players had a +14 in the plus-minus column.

Head-to-head: Diop, Gran Canaria vs. Kamagate, Paris

When they met again in Round 13, Gran Canaria crushed Paris 118-99, with Kamagate held to 2 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block in one of his two worst performances of the season. During that game, Kamagate was once again in foul trouble, as he had 4 fouls to his name with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Diop, on the other hand, came close to a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds, in addition to recording 2 blocks.

 

Diop, who stands at 2.08 meters, has been a steady performer for Gran Canaria in what is now his third year in the EuroCup, and this has been his best campaign to date.

 

The Gran Canaria center has scored in double figures in nine games this season, while he is averaging 8.8 points on 66.3% two-point shooting. Diop is also pulling down a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game, including ranking ninth in the EuroCup for offensive boards with an average of 2.4 per night. He is delivering 1.0 blocked shot per contest, too.

Kamagate, who is 2.11 metres tall, is in his first season in the competition, just like his team, but he has regularly shined on EuroCup floors ever since the season tipped off in October.

 

The young center averages 9.2 points on 76.1% two-point shooting, the second-best figure for any Paris player, having scored 10 or more points in 10 of his 19 appearances. Kamagate ranks fourth in the EuroCup this season with 8.6 rebounds, and he ranks third overall with 2.8 offensive rebounds per game. He also enters the quarterfinals ranking second overall for blocks, with 1.5 per contest.

Khalifa Diop's and Ismael Kamagate's 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals highlights

Diop's and Kamagate's eighthfinals highlights

Kamagate is coming off an impressive eighthfinals performance in which he posted 10 points on 4-for-5 three-point shooting, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 19 minutes in a road win over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Paneveyzs.

 

Diop, meanwhile, had 11 points on 5-for-6 two-point shooting, 4 rebounds and 1 block in a hard-fought home win over Frutti Extra Bursaspor.

 

Paris, which is tied for a EuroCup-best six road wins this season, will need Kamagate to stay out of foul trouble and be at his best if Wednesday's visitors are to defeat Gran Canaria, which is a perfect 10-0 on its home floor this season. Another high-level performance from Diop, however, would go a long way towards helping Gran Canaria keep its perfect home record intact and book its place in the semifinals.

Head-to-head: Khalifa Diop, Gran Canaria vs. Ismael Kamagate, Paris

Paris Basketball was the only team to win on the road in EuroCup Eighthfinals - it defeated 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 97-98 in a thriller - and the Parisians could not have done it without Tyrone Wallace. The guard stepped up in crunch time and buried a critical three-pointer in the final minute that gave Paris a 4-point lead and put his team in the driver's seat. He finished the game with 19 points and 10 assists for a PIR of 24. Wallace is in his first EuroCup season after six seasons split between the NBA and the G-League. He has averaged 15.9 points on 85.2% free throw shooting, 3.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals for a PIR of 18.6 in 14 EuroCup games. Paris has been without Kyle Allman since Round 10 and Wallace has taken over as the go-to guy, scoring at least 13 points in all but one game. He's averaged 21.7 points and 6.3 steals in his team's last three games. Wallace said in this interview that he wished Allman was back, but understood his role would increase in his absence. "I would much rather have Kyle on the floor with me. It makes things a lot easier for me," Wallace said. "But we always talk about just the next guy up and with Kyle out, I knew I would have to take more responsibility than I already had with handling the ball and being the guy that kind of can get my teammates going as well, as get myself going. So I have enjoyed it."

Tyrone Wallace, Paris: 'The only game that matters is this one'

Paris Basketball was the only team to win on the road in EuroCup Eighthfinals - it defeated 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 97-98 in a thriller - and the Parisians could not have done it without [Tyrone Wallace](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyrone-wallace/011925/). The guard stepped up in crunch time and buried a critical three-pointer in the final minute that gave Paris a 4-point lead and put his team in the driver's seat. He finished the game with 19 points and 10 assists for a PIR of 24. Wallace is in his first EuroCup season after six seasons split between the NBA and the G-League. He has averaged 15.9 points on 85.2% free throw shooting, 3.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals for a PIR of 18.6 in 14 EuroCup games. Paris has been without Kyle Allman since Round 10 and Wallace has taken over as the go-to guy, scoring at least 13 points in all but one game. He's averaged 21.7 points and 6.3 steals in his team's last three games. Wallace said in this interview that he wished Allman was back, but understood his role would increase in his absence. "I would much rather have Kyle on the floor with me. It makes things a lot easier for me," Wallace said. "But we always talk about just the next guy up and with Kyle out, I knew I would have to take more responsibility than I already had with handling the ball and being the guy that kind of can get my teammates going as well, as get myself going. So I have enjoyed it."

**Congratulations on the win against Lietkabelis. Did you expect such a high-scoring game in a do-or-die game?** 

"I think that's kind of our style of play. We like to get up the court quick, play in what we call 'green', which is just transition a lot. We are trying to push the ball as well." 

**You dominated all the hustle stats, getting more offensive rebounds, steals and blocks than Lietkabelis. How important is that physicality for your team?** 

"It's very important. Our key going into the game was to pick them up full court the whole game, try to speed them up. We knew they were a team that wanted to run through their sets. So in order to have success, we needed to kind of get them sped up. And so I think we did a good job over the course of the game of using our pressure to maybe wear them down a little bit. And that kind of plays to our advantage." 

"Every game from this point out is going to come down to all the little details."

**You buried a critical three-pointer in the final minute that pretty much put you on the right track to win. Can you take us back to that play?** 

"Yeah. Throughout the game, I thought I got some good looks \[and they\] just didn't go down. I mean, it happens, some games you're going to make them, some games you're going to miss them. But throughout the game, I just try to stay aggressive and down the stretch, fourth quarter, I was attacking the basket and I was having success. And on that play specifically, I think I tried to get into the lane. I didn't have anything, so I passed it out to Jeremy \[Evans\] and he ended up passing it right back. And so they switched. They ended up switching, so I had a big on me and I knew he was going to play the drive and try to back up just because of the speed, probably speed difference. And so I felt him take a few steps back like he was playing the drive and I knew I'd have a good look at it. And I just rose up and took the shot."

**This is your first EuroCup season and your first experience in Europe. How do you like the EuroCup in terms of playing level and competitiveness?** 

"I think it's probably better than what I expected. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. Like you said, it's my first year over here, but I think it's been very competitive. The league has been very physical. It's a lot different than the States to me, just in terms of the rules, of course, no defensive three \[seconds\]. It kind of brings me back to the college days, but as well as the play style, I think the game's a lot slower. It's more of a grind-it-out game, where every possession teams are picking up full court. If there's switches, they're trying to go to the post, which is a little bit different than the States where it's more free-flowing and I feel like fast-paced. So it was definitely an adjustment to get used to this style of play more and to figure out where you can be successful and get your looks from."

Wallace is averaging 15.9 points on 85.2% free throws, 3.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals and a PIR of 18.6 in 14 EuroCup games this season.

2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup: Tyrone Wallace, Paris Basketball

**How about the competition system, with so many do-or-die games until we crown a champion?** 

"I definitely like the competition... For me, I feel like every game has been pretty much close. Like, there's very few blowouts, I feel like, and so with that, you have to come into every game with the mindset that even if you are an underdog or the team you are facing is an underdog, that these games can very well end in the last few possessions and who makes those plays that will determine who wins. So I think the competition is very good. Like I said, we just got away with a 1-point victory, so I feel like every game from this point out is going to come down to all the little details and will be close."

**You've played against Gran Canaria twice this season and lost twice. What is the biggest lesson you learned from those losses that you can use now?** 

"I think when you are playing a team that you are familiar with, from a scouting standpoint, you already know the players. There are some things you might tweak from a coverage standpoint or how you want to guard defense, certain things. But I think there's no real advantage for both teams, to be honest. We play on the road, so if anything, playing in front of their crowd, they might have the advantage there. But other than that, I think you still have to go out and you still have to execute your game plan. And they might have beat us two times this season, but the only one that really matters is going to be this one coming up next week. So I think that also when we went down there, we weren't healthy. I think we might have had 7-8 guys that were healthy in those games, we were missing a lot of guys. And that's been the case for us all year. So I think now we are pretty much healthy. This is probably the most healthy we have been all season, and we get a chance to go in there in a playoff environment and try to steal one. So I think it will be fun."

**Especially since Kyle Allman went down, you have played a leading role on the team. How much are you enjoying being the team's go-to guy?** 

"I mean, I would much rather have Kyle on the floor with me. It makes things a lot easier for me. But we always talk about just the next guy up and with Kyle out, I knew I would have to take more responsibility than I already had with handling the ball and being the guy that kind of can get my teammates going as well as get myself going. So I have enjoyed it. I feel like these are the type of things that you want as a player. You want your coach to be able to rely on you and to put the extra responsibility on you. I think at times it's been tough without Kyle, for sure. Just seeing the amount of attention that I have gotten in terms of scouts and defensive coverages, but I think I have taken a sense of pride and being able to get my guys involved. And then when I'm able to get them involved, I'm able to open up the game for myself and kind of free myself up when I do that. So I enjoy that responsibility and I think it's been fun, but I definitely will be happy to get him back."

"We as a team have been through a lot of adversity this season and I think as of late we've really started tapping into who we can really be."

**Now that you have been there for six months, what is the best thing about living in Paris?** 

"I don't know if I can choose one. I think the people are really nice in Paris. I have enjoyed my time here. I get to go to the city quite often and go eat at different restaurants and go to different places with some of my teammates. And I think I have just been just enjoying it as a whole. To be honest, I don't know if I can necessarily pick one thing, but I think people have been really great. All of our French staff, coaches have been outstanding, great people, and also the people that are here, that I have been able to be around. They have all been great and helped me in different ways to get accustomed to life here in Paris at one point or another."

**How difficult are these do-or-die games from a mental standpoint?**

"I think just being locked in no matter what's going on in the game. I didn't feel like I was having my best game early in the first half but we went into halftime and we were up 1 point, and so we were very much in a game where I'm like, 'we can win this game'. Even though I felt like I wasn't playing the best at that point, it's always just to stay locked in, stay ready, you're going to make the plays, do you know what I mean? And I think that's the biggest thing, to not let any moment feel like it's too big for you, and to know that if you are confident and you believe in your game, like you can make the plays and you will make the plays that you need to."

**You are now three wins away from winning the title. What would it mean for you to win the EuroCup and to take the club and the city of Paris back to the EuroLeague?** 

"Oh, man, I think it would be great. I know this is a fairly new team, Paris. This is our first year in EuroCup as well. My first year overseas, I think it's a lot of first-timers. But we as a team have been through a lot of adversity this season and I think as of late we've really started tapping into who we can really be. And I mean, what better time than right now in the playoffs for the EuroCup? And so I think just for everybody as a whole, we've got a lot of ambitious guys on our team, whether it be players, coaches who really put in the work and want to go further and improve. And so I think just winning the EuroCup would be great for Paris, for our team, for the players and the coaches and everybody that's putting in the work each and every day. I think it would mean everything and it would help everyone involved, for sure. So it definitely would be a blessing."

The last of the four 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals to tip off will feature one of the competition's classic clubs, Gran Canaria, against newcomer Paris Basketball. Gran Canaria finished the regular season with a league-best 14-3 record and eliminated Frutti Extra Bursaspor in the eighthfinals. Paris was the only team to win on the road in the eighthfinals, eliminating 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys. 

Breakdown: Gran Canaria vs. Paris Basketball

The last of the four 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals to tip off will feature one of the competition's classic clubs, [Gran Canaria, against newcomer Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/gran-canaria-paris-basketball/U2022/191/). [Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2022-23) finished the regular season with a league-best 14-3 record and eliminated Frutti Extra Bursaspor in the eighthfinals. [Paris](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/paris-basketball/roster/prs/?season=2022-23) was the only team to win on the road in the eighthfinals, eliminating 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys.

### Experience on hosts' side

Paris Basketball is in its first season in the competition, which gives Gran Canaria a big advantage in terms of experience. Gran Canaria is playing its 15th EuroCup campaign and is third in competition history in games played at 225. If it advances to the final, it will pass Valencia Basket (227) for second place. UNICS Kazan (231 games) in the all-time leader. [A.J. Slaughter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/aj-slaughter/003637/) ranks fourth on the all-time scoring list (1,378 points) and needs 19 to pass Jamar Smith. [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) ranks fifth in steals (139) and second in assists (510). [Oliver Stevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/oliver-stevic/000564/) is fifth overall in rebounds (500).

Gran Canaria will play in the EuroCup Quarterfinals for the eighth time in club history. It advanced past this stage three times. In 2015, Gran Canaria swept a two-game, total-points series against Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir and eventually reached the final where it lost to Khimki Moscow Region. In 2016, Gran Canaria eliminated Stelmet Zielona Gora on point difference. Five years later, Gran Canaria swept Boulogne Metropolitans 92 in a best-of-three playoff series without the home-court advantage. Gran Canaria lost in the quarterfinals against Panellinios in 2010, Hapoel Jerusalem in 2017, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2018 and MoraBanc Andorra in 2022.

### Young, talented centers 

Some of the best young centers in European basketball are set to battle in the paint in this series. Paris center [Ismael Kamagate](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ismael-kamagate/011926/) is likely the front-runner to win the 2022-23 EuroCup Rising Star award. Kamagate ranks second in rebounds with 8.6 per game and is second in blocks with 1.5 per game. He is 15th in average PIR (17.1) and second in two-point shooting (76.1% 2FG) despite seeing limited playing time. On a per 40-minute basis, Kamagate ranks fourth in PIR (29.6).

Gran Canaria centers [Olek Balcerowski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/aleksander-balcerowski/007553/) and [Khalifa Diop](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/khalifa-diop/008072/) won the Rising Star award in each of the last two seasons and are also eligible in the 2022-23 campaign. Diop has averaged 8.8 points on 66.3% two-point shooting, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and a PIR of 11.2. Balcerowski has very similar numbers: 8.7 points on 75.0% two-point shooting (third overall), 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a PIR of 11.2. 

### Gran Canaria: trouble vs. the French 

Gran Canaria has a 93-25 home record (78.8%) in the EuroCup, but some of its most important and spectacular home losses have come against French opponents. In 2006, SLUC Nancy shocked Gran Canaria with a 55-75 road victory. In the 2008-09 campaign, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne edged Gran Canaria 78-80 in overtime on a game-winning tip by Amara Sy. In 2016, Strasbourg grabbed a 76-85 win at Gran Canaria Arena as Mardy Collins scored 21 points. 

Perhaps the most talked about home loss in Gran Canaria history is a 128-129 triple-overtime defeat against ASVEL on December 27, 2017, one of the most spectacular games in EuroCup history. John Roberson led ASVEL with 42 points on 11-of-16 three-point shooting, which remains a EuroCup record. In the playoffs, Gran Canaria lost 77-78 against Limoges in 2016 and 74-76 against AS Monaco in Game 2 of the 2021 semifinals. Gran Canaria is 9-6 (60%) at home against French League squads.

Paris Basketball leads the 2022-23 EuroCup in blocked shot at 3.8 per game.

Paris Basketball's block party

### Paris's physicality is key 

Paris has to make the most out of its athleticism in order to challenge Gran Canaria. Paris leads the EuroCup in blocked shots (3.8 bpg.) and ranks fifth in offensive rebounds (11.3 orpg.). Against Lietkabelis in the eighthfinals, Paris dominated all hustle stats, collecting 8 steals, pulling down 12 offensive boards and blocking 3 shots. Lietkabelis had 10 offensive rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. 

Gran Canaria has better ball circulation which leads to better shots, especially from downtown. Gran Canaria leads the competition in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.56. Paris ranks 18th at 1.14 assists per turnover. Paris ranks 19th in three-point shooting percentage (30.8% 3FG) despite being fourth in attempts from beyond the arc (28.6 per game). Gran Canaria takes even more three-pointers, 29.4 per night, with more effectiveness (36.7% 3FG).

Gran Canaria v Paris Basketball (2023-04-19T19:45:00.000Z)

Two teams with realistic hopes of going all the way in this year's 7DAYS EuroCup come head-to-head in the quarterfinals, as Joventut Badalona hosts Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv at Palau Olimpic de Badalona on Wednesday night. Both sides finished the regular season with a 13-5 record, yet Joventut comes into this fixture as the second seed from Group A, whereas Hapoel finished the season in third spot in Group B. In the eighthfinals, Joventut downed the London Lions 89-78 and Hapoel beat Umana Reyer Venice 90-80.

7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals breakdown: Joventut Badalona vs. Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv

Two teams with realistic hopes of going all the way in this year's 7DAYS EuroCup come head-to-head in the quarterfinals, as [Joventut Badalona hosts Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/joventut-badalona-hapoel-vegan-friendly-tel-aviv/U2022/192/) at Palau Olimpic de Badalona on Wednesday night. Both sides finished the regular season with 13-5 records, yet [Joventut](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/jov/) comes into this fixture as the second seed from Group A, whereas [Hapoel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/hapoel-vegan-friendly-tel-aviv/hta/) finished the season in the third spot in Group B. In the eighthfinals, Joventut downed the London Lions 89-78 and Hapoel beat Umana Reyer Venice 90-80.

### Plenty of star talent on display

Fans of Joventut and Hapoel both know how good their team's rosters are and this quarterfinal matchup has all the hallmarks of a classic playoff tie. On the one side, Wednesday night's hosts can call upon a whole host of key contributors, including Ante Tomic, Joel Parra and Kyle Guy, whereas four Hapoel players – J'Covan Brown (twice), Jalen Hoard (twice), Jordan McRae (three times) and Chinanu Onuaku – were named MVP of the Round a combined total of eight times during the 18-game regular season.

In the eighthfinals, the 36-year-old Tomic used his experience to get Joventut over the line against London with a team-high 16 points, all of which came in the second half, plus 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 8 fouls drawn.  Tomic was joined in double figures for points by five teammates – Henry Ellenson (14 points), Guy (13), Andres Feliz (13), Parra (12) and Guillem Vives (11) – in a sign that slowing down Joventut will not be an easy task for Hapoel.

The best plays of Joventut Badalona in its 89-78 victory against the London Lions in the 2023 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals.

Joventut's best plays vs. London

Yet, the same can be said about Danny Franco's squad. Hapoel also had six players finish their game against Reyer with 10 points or more: Xavier Munford (13), Bar Timor (13), Brown (12), Onuaku (11), Tomer Ginat (10) and Idan Zalmanson (10). You may have noticed that McRae and Hoard, who earned MVP of the Round honors a combined five times, are not among those six. Well, that just goes to show the plethora of options available from a Hapoel perspective, as McRae and Hoard scored 8 and 3 points, respectively, in the eighthfinals.

### Joventut at home vs. Hapoel on the road

There are plenty of similarities between Joventut and Hapoel, and one such resemblance is their records at home. Both sides went 8-1 at home during the regular season before winning on their home floor in the eighthfinals, but now Joventut has the luxury of being Wednesday's hosts, given its higher seeding. Hapoel, like Joventut, went 5-4 on its travels in the regular season, so it will have to try and acclimatize to Badalona as quickly as possible if it is to come away with a positive result.

The best plays of Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv in its 90-80 win against Umana Reyer Venice in the 2023 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals.

Hapoel's best plays vs. Reyer

Fortunately for the Israeli club, it is expected that over a thousand fans will make the trip to Spain to watch Hapoel take on Joventut, so it should feel as close to a home game as can possibly be. Earlier this season, the Hapoel fans turned out in force during road games at Paris Basketball, Veolia Towers Hamburg and London, with the team going 2-1 in those fixtures. Another key element to bear in mind is that Hapoel is 3-1 on its travels in 2023, but that said, Joventut has not tasted defeat in Badalona since November 29, 2022, when it lost to Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Round 6.

### Keys to the game

All over the court, there are fascinating battles that are set to take place. Joventut may be without one of its main playmakers in Pau Ribas, who remains out injured, but Guy became more of a ball handler against London and provided a team-high 7 assists in the win. Hapoel, meanwhile, can lean on the player who has made things tick all season, J'Covan Brown, who had 8 helpers in his squad's victory against Reyer. They both know how to light up from three-point range, too. Although Guy and Brown are unlikely to be going up against one another directly, with Munford likely to be on Guy and Vives attempting to keep Brown quiet, the team that limits the opposition's playmaker the most may end up in a great position to win the game.

Kyle Guy of Joventut Badalona and J'Covan Brown of Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv come head-to-head in the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals.

Kyle Guy vs. J'Covan Brown

At the 3 position, the matchup between Parra of Joventut and McRae of Joventut should be fascinating. At just 23 years old, Parra has taken a big step forward in his promising career and established himself as one of the EuroCup's best players. McRae, however, is nine years older at 32 and played a total of 123 games in the NBA in his career, so he will be looking to use his experience and quality to keep Parra as quiet as possible. Likewise, Parra will know that there are plenty of eyes on this tie, which makes this the perfect opportunity for him to truly announce himself to the European basketball community at large.

Finally, two centers with very contrasting styles are ready to battle in the paint: Tomic of Joventut and Onuaku of Hapoel. Tomic, a veteran playmaking big man, knows every trick of the trade and has his eyes set on a return to the EuroLeague, where he made a total of 283 appearances across 11 seasons with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. On the other side of things, there's Onuaku, a player who hit the ground running after joining Hapoel ahead of Round 5 and uses his force to get to the rim. The finesse of Tomic against the brute strength of Onuaku – it's hard to know which way this will swing, but it's yet another fascinating storyline to follow in what should be a must-watch playoff game in this year's EuroCup.

Breakdown: Joventut Badalona vs. Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv

Joventut Badalona v Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv (2023-04-19T18:00:00.000Z)

Ante Tomic could have chosen to sign with a club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague last summer, but ultimately he decided to return to Joventut Badalona, which has been his home since 2020. He signed a two-year extension and, thanks to his and his team's outstanding play, he may have the chance to get back to the EuroLeague with Joventut.

Ante Tomic fighting for one more EuroLeague chance

Ante Tomic could have chosen to sign with a club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague last summer, but ultimately he decided to return to Joventut Badalona, which has been his home since 2020. He signed a two-year extension and, thanks to his and his team's outstanding play, he may have the chance to get back to the EuroLeague with Joventut.

While the Spanish club had some ups and down and proved to be unlucky after the latest injury of Pau Ribas, they started the season as the favorites to make it to the top and at this point, they have as strong a chance as anyone of capturing the 7DAYS EuroCup trophy and with it a spot in the EuroLeague for the 2023-24 season.

That may end up being the last season of Tomic as a player, who is already 36 years old, but still a main contributor for his club.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1490903/ante-tomic-joventut-badalona-7days-eurocup-playoffs/)

Prometey Slobozhanske is already off to one of the best seasons by any debutant in the history of the 7DAYS EuroCup. And Prometey has done so against all odds, playing its home games outside Ukraine, handling injuries and remaining competitive throughout the season. One of its pillars has been center Ondrej Balvin, who is in his sixth EuroCup season. Balvin started his career with Cajasol Sevilla and made his EuroCup debut in the 2011 quarterfinals. After six seasons in Sevilla, Balvin went on to play for FC Bayern Munich of Germany, Estudiantes Madrid, Gran Canaria and Bilbao Basket of Spain and Gunma Crane Thunders of Japan before joining Prometey. His dog Charlie and his PlayStation go with him everywhere, and Riga is no exception. Keep an eye on Balvin's updates throughout the 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs!

Ondrej Balvin, Prometey: 'We know how much we can fight'

***Prometey Slobozhanske is already off to one of the best seasons by any debutant in the history of the 7DAYS EuroCup. And Prometey has done so against all odds, playing its home games outside Ukraine, handling injuries and remaining competitive throughout the season. One of its pillars has been center Ondrej Balvin, who is in his sixth EuroCup season. Balvin started his career with Cajasol Sevilla and made his EuroCup debut in the 2011 quarterfinals. After six seasons in Sevilla, Balvin went on to play for FC Bayern Munich of Germany, Estudiantes Madrid, Gran Canaria and Bilbao Basket of Spain and Gunma Crane Thunders of Japan before joining Prometey. His dog Charlie and his PlayStation go with him everywhere, and Riga is no exception. Keep an eye on Balvin's updates throughout the 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs!***

Hello there! First things first, we are in the quarterfinals! I think this victory gave us the energy boost that we really needed, because we had a lot of injuries, especially in the last two weeks. We lost, I think, five people. That was incredible. I have never, ever seen something like this. We played the Latvian-Estonian domestic league final. We played with basically six, six and a half people because we had six healthy players and Ivan Tkachenko had a shoulder injury, but he still had to play through it. So we know how much this team can fight and I think we showed it also in the EuroCup Eighthfinals against Hamburg because obviously, on paper, we were the favorites. But right now, in the situation we've been, I think the chances were 50-50 and Hamburg fought, they played really well. I think it was a perfect playoff game, with a lot of intensity, many score changes and some nice drama at the end. 

"I think this victory gave us the energy boost that we really needed."

Our fans were great, too. We are beginning to see more and more Latvian fans at our games. At the beginning of the season, nobody was really coming to our games besides a few Ukrainian fans and our family members, but throughout the season, the club started to bring some people and organize halftime concerts and stuff like that, something that could interest people and bring more fans to the game. And they started coming more and more. We feel that we have more fans at our games, which is amazing. We also get a lot of support from Ukrainian fans on the road. 

I read that during their war \[editor's note: in the 1991-92 season\], Partizan had to play outside its country and played in Fuenlabrada. I have to give a huge shout-out to our club's president because he's making sure that we get all we need, all the support. He prepared the buses that allowed people to come to our games, not just to Riga. For instance, we had a lot of support in our game in Venice, and then they came to Riga to watch EuroCup and domestic games. Our president is trying to bring people to our games and I think that is just amazing. It shows how much he appreciates the team, and we appreciate him, too. 

Ondrej Balvin is in his sixth season in the competition

2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup highlights: Ondrej Balvin, Prometey

I guess that if you follow the EuroCup, you have noticed my teammate D.J. Stephens and his many spectacular dunks. I don't think I have played with a more athletic player in my career. I played with some really good athletes, like my Czech countrymen Jan Vesely and Tomas Satoransky. These two are great athletes, but honestly, I never saw anyone dunking like this, with so much, like... electricity! It's the energy that he is giving us, I don't think that I've ever seen a player dunk like this outside the NBA. In practice, he doesn't dunk that much. Of course, he dunks from time to time. I always make fun of him. I think I saw a video in the EuroCup in which they were showing all of his dunks and I told him to stop doing just these regular dunks, that he had to do some windmill dunks or something. 

And there is actually this story. I don't remember which game it was, but we played at home and he was amazing. He had this huge volleyball block on a three-point shot. He went the other way and I thought: "Maybe he is going to do the windmill dunk now or something!" And he tried to do it and missed it! It was so funny because he was hyping himself so much! After the game, we were sitting in the locker room and started to make fun of him. And he was like: "It's on you, because I had you in my head, I knew that I would go and do the windmill dunk and Ondra is going to be all hyped up, but I missed! How the hell did I miss that!?!"

"Winning the EuroCup would mean everything, especially in this club, not just at the sports level."

We are going to play Promitheas in the quarterfinals. I know some of their players really well. I played with Arnoldas Kulbokas for two years in Bilbao and then Dustin Hogue started the season with us and is now with Promitheas. So it is going to be interesting. They made some changes during the season. Also, Kulboka has changed a lot since he left Bilbao. He went to the G League and is more experienced now. He is also a little bit different as a player than when I played with him. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, but I will. Soon. 

We haven't played but of course, I watched their game against Bourg, knowing the winner would play against us. I was switching between Promitheas and Joventut against London Lions. And then I went on to watch Gran Canaria against Bursaspor, I was trying to watch all the games, EuroLeague TV is a good thing to have! 

DJ Stephens flies high to block a shot but cannot capitalize at the other end. Ouch!

Stephens block and missed dunk!

It is time to focus on Promitheas and try to make it to the semifinals. Winning the EuroCup would mean everything, especially in this club, not just at the sports level. I would mean everything because the situation is not easy for everybody, not for the club or the players or the whole country of Ukraine. Of course, if we can cheer them up in any way, it is amazing. I think that if we have the chance to win it, it would be something huge, but it is a very long shot. There is a long road ahead for us and I don't even want to think about the possibility of winning. I just want to go game by game and if we can make it to the final, then we will see.

And then there were eight! The Road to Greatness continues in the 7DAYS EuroCup with the quarterfinals. Remember, all single-game elimination games are hosted by the highest-ranked team in the regular season. Fewer teams means fewer choices in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime. Still, there are some players from different price ranges who can do very well in the quarterfinals. Here are some Fantasy Challenge recommendations for the quarterfinals: 

[Anthony Cowan, Promitheas Patras](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan/012003/) (13.1 credits) – The Eighthfinals MVP has been on fire lately. Over his last five games, Cowan has averaged 22.0 points on 52.9% three-point shooting and 90.9% on free throws, 7.2 assists and a PIR of 26.6. He led Promitheas past Bourg last week with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 10 asssists. A must-have player right now. 

[Tyrique Jones, Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) (15.0 credits) – Jones has been Turk Telekom's main frontcourt reference all season long and the eighthfinals game was not different. Against Brescia, Jones had 14 points on 7-of-7 two-point shooting, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 25. If Turk Telekom wants to beat Ulm, it needs Jones's best version. 

Anthony Cowan, Tyrique Jones, Illia Sydorov, Bruno Caboclo and Jeremy Evans are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup fantasy tips: quarterfinals

[Illia Sydorov, Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/illia-sydorov/011966/) (6.2 credits) – Prometey is having severe injury problems at the worst moment, but that hasn't slowed the team down. Sydorov stepped up against Hamburg with season-highs of 21 points and a PIR of 17. At just 6.2 credits, Sydorov is one of the few bargains left in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge. 

[Bruno Caboclo, ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) (14.3 credits) – Caboclo has balanced Ulm's offense with his effectiveness around the basket, quickness and overall energy. He had 19 points on 7-of-8 two-point shooting, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks and a PIR of 24 in the eighthfinals against Buducnost. In other words, Caboclo keeps getting better and better!  

[Jeremy Evans, Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jeremy-evans/007432/) (11.0 credits) – Evans is in great shape which, given his athleticism and experience, is outstanding news for Paris. He had 7 points, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 17 in the eighthfinals against Lietkabelis, and followed that up with a monster game in the French League: 25 points, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 33!  

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Fewer teams, more important choices! 

Prometey Slobozhanske and Promitheas Patras will clash for the first time in the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals. Prometey, the Group A winner, enters the quarterfinals on a 12-game winning streak. Promitheas is also in good form having won six of its last eight games. 

7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals breakdown: Prometey Slobozhanske vs. Promitheas Patras

[Prometey Slobozhanske and Promitheas Patras will clash for the first time](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/prometey-slobozhanske-promitheas-patras/U2022/189/) in the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals. [Prometey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/prometey-slobozhanske/roster/pmt/?season=2022-23), the Group A winner, enters the quarterfinals on a 12-game winning streak. [Promitheas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/promitheas-patras/roster/pat/?season=2022-23) is also in good form having won six of its last eight games. 

### Uncharted territory

Both Prometey and Promitheas will play in the quarterfinals of a pan-European competition for the first time. Prometey, in its first EuroCup campaign, becomes the third Ukrainian team to reach the EuroCup Quarterfinals. Budivelnik Kiev did so three times, beating Spartak St. Petersburg in 2013 and losing against Cajasol Sevilla in 2011 and Crvena Zvezda Belgrade in 2014. Donetsk advanced to the 2012 EuroCup Quarterfinals where it lost to Rytas Vilnius. 

Promitheas is in its fourth straight EuroCup season. Its previous best result was making it to the Top 16 in the 2019-20 season. That season it qualified for the quarterfinals, but the season was soon after aborted due to the COVID-19 pandemic Promitheas will become the first Greek team to compete in the EuroCup Quarterfinals since 2010. That year, Panellinios Athens beat Gran Canaria and Aris Thessaloniki lost to Valencia. In 2005, three Greek teams reach the quarterfinals: Makedonikos eliminated Maroussi and PAOK Thessaloniki lost to Rytas. In 2006, Aris defeated LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. 

Dustin Hogue has played for Prometey Slobozhanske and Promitheas Patras this season. Both teams face each other in the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals!

Dustin Hogue: from Prometey to Promitheas

### We meet again 

Promitheas center [Dustin Hogue](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dustin-hogue/008067/) started the 2022-23 EuroCup season with Prometey and averaged 3.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and a PIR of 5.9 in nine games, during which he played less than 16 minutes per night. He has improved his numbers with Promitheas, posting 7.4 points on 74.2% two-point shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 11.3. 

Two of the stars in this series, Prometey center [Ondrej Balvin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ondrej-balvin/002644/) and Promitheas power forward [Arnoldas Kulboka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/arnoldas-kulboka/006180/) played together for Spanish side Bilbao Basket over two seasons, from 2019 to 2021. Moreover, [Gian Clavell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/gian-clavell/011942/) of Prometey briefly played for Promitheas at the end of the 2020-21 season; he averaged 15.5 points in 11 Greek League games and helped the team reach the Greek semifinals. 

### Cowan: Promitheas's new go-to guy 

Promitheas had a change of roles midway through the season due to roster changes. [Anthony Cowan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan/012003/) has been unstoppable ever since, leading the team in the past few games. Earlier this season, Cowan had ups and downs, averaging 9.1 points on 32.1% three-point shooting and 81.6% on free throws plus 4.3 assists and a PIR of 9.4 in his team's first 14 games. Cowan scored in double digits in five of those contests. Things have changed lately and Cowan has been on fire. 

Over the last five games, Cowan has averaged 22.0 points on 52.9% three-point shooting and 90.9% on free throws, plus 7.2 assists and a PIR of 26.6. He had a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds in the eighthfinals against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. That was his second double-double in this stretch after going for 26 points and 11 assists against London Lions. He set a EuroCup season-high scoring mark with 38 points against Paris Basketball in Round 17 and made the game-winning shot. Cowan is arguably the hottest player in the EuroCup right now and Prometey's top priority should be stopping him. 

Anthony Cowan of Promitheas Patras averages 22.0 points on 52.9% three-pointers and 90.9% free throws, 7.2 assists and a PIR of 26.6 in the last 5 games.

Cowan steps up in crunch time

### Prometey: almost perfect at home 

Prometey enters this game with a 9-1 home record in the competition. Its only home loss came against ratiopharm Ulm in Round 6, 105-106. Prometey trailed 61-82 late in the third quarter, but rallied and took a 105-104 lead on a layup by Clavell with 9.3 seconds left but Karim Jallow had the final word, scoring the game-winning basket for Ulm. Since then, Prometey has won seven straight games at Arena Riga. 

Prometey leads the EuroCup in scoring at home with 92.6 points per game compared to 83.8 on the road. It plays at a high rhythm, too, ranking third in three-point attempts (29.1), eighth in two-point shots (37.7) and fifth in free throw attempts (21.5) when playing at home. On the road, Prometey ranks last in three-point shooting (27.8% 3FG), but things are much different at Riga Arena (37.5% 3FG). Clavell has averaged 17.0 points in home games and just 12.1 on the road.

Breakdown: Prometey Slobozhanske vs. Promitheas Patras

Prometey Slobozhanske v Promitheas Patras (2023-04-19T16:00:00.000Z)