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)

The 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals will get underway in the capital of Turkiye where Turk Telekom Ankara will take on ratiopharm Ulm. Turk Telekom reached the playoffs by placing second in Group B with a 13-5 record before holding off Germani Brescia in the eighthfinals. ratiopharm Ulm was third in the regular season in Group A with an 11-7 mark and then rallied to knock off Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in the opening round of the knockout stages. 

7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals breakdown: Turk Telekom Ankara vs. ratiopharm Ulm

The 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals will get underway in the capital of Turkiye where [Turk Telekom Ankara will take on ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/turk-telekom-ankara-ratiopharm-ulm/U2022/190/). Turk Telekom reached the playoffs by placing second in Group B with a 13-5 record before holding off Germani Brescia in the eighthfinals. ratiopharm Ulm was third in the regular season in Group A with an 11-7 mark and then rallied to knock off Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in the opening round of the knockout stages.

### The All-EuroCup candidates

Five players from this series are ranked among the top 10 in the EuroCup this season in performance index rating. Not only are these five stars all key figures for this showdown, but those from the winning team will see their chances to secure spots on the All-EuroCup Teams and even to be chosen as this season's MVP rise. Ulm center [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) tops the list; he leads all active players in average performance index rating with 19.0 per game. The only players above him either did not make the playoffs (Yogi Ferrell of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, 21.4) or were eliminated in the eighthfinals (Sam Dekker of London Lions, 19.6). However, what separates Caboclo from the pack is that he joined Ulm midway through the season and has played in only 10 games. A big game on this stage and getting Ulm to the semis would force voters to take notice.

Ulm's other top candidate is point guard [Yago Dos Santos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/yago-dos-santos/012044/), who is 10th with an average PIR of 17.4. Turk Telekom boasts a trio of All-EuroCup candidates in [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyrique-jones/011981/), [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jerian-grant/011204/) and [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/). Jones is tied for sixth in PIR with 18.1. Grant (17.9) is eighth and Bouteille (17.6) ninth. The big prize for winning this game is of course a ticket to the semifinals, but a nice shining All-EuroCup Trophy would be a nice bonus.

Best of Bruno Caboclo in his first EuroCup season

### Are upsets contagious?

On paper, Turk Telekom is the favorite in this game. It had the better regular-season record, is the higher seed and plays at home. However, all upsets must begin with some self-belief and no team knows quite how that feels like Ulm. Last season, Ulm made history as the No. 8 seed when it upended top seed Joventut Badalona in the eighthfinals and then gave eventual champion Virtus Segafredo Bologna all it could handle in the quarterfinals; Ulm led 73-77 with 3 and a half minutes remaining before Virtus took over in the final minutes.

Though there have been many changes on the Ulm roster – and the bench – since then, there are five returnees who give the team the experience needed to launch another upset. [Philipp Herkenhoff](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/philipp-herkenhoff/006997/) shined with 12 points and 7 boards as a starter against Joventut, but was injured and could not face Virtus. He was replaced by homegrown center [Nicolas Bretzel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/nicolas-bretzel/007952/), who went for 11 and 8 against Virtus. Guard [Thomas Klepeisz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/thomas-klepeisz/010582/) started both games and scored 14 points on 4-for-4 three-point shooting against Virtus. [Karim Jallow](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karim-jallow/005422/) and teenager [Fedor Zugic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/fedor-zugic/009033/) also played prominent roles last season and are back. Is that enough to trigger an upset against Turk Telekom? It's a good start!

Best of Tyrique Jones in his first EuroCup season

### Turk Telekom's advantage inside

Turk Telekom has found success going inside all season, whether by pounding the ball in the paint, throwing down alley-oops or getting put-backs through Jones and [Michael Eric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/michael-eric/007360/), getting mid-range jumpers from [Nate Sestina](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/nathan-sestina/011980/) and Bouteille, or penetration from Grant and [Tony Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tony-taylor/005850/). Altogether, they combined for Turk Telekom to make 60.7% of the team's two-pointers, which was second-best in the regular season, and 22.0 two-pointers per game, which was third-best.

That strength of Turk Telekom could be especially critical in the quarterfinals against Ulm, which allowed its opponents to make 58.0% of their two-point shots. That is the third-highest number in the competition this season. Ulm has also given up a higher-than-average amount of offensive rebounds (11.0 per game, seventh-most in the EuroCup). In the eighthfinals, Ulm held Buducnost to 46.8% two-point shooting (22 for 47) and 9 offensive boards, and the hope for Ulm is that it can duplicate that type of defensive effort led by Caboclo, [Josh Hawley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/joshua-hawley/012024/) and Herkenhoff, the latter of whom is first getting back to game speed after missing most of the season through injury.

Breakdown: Turk Telekom Ankara vs. ratiopharm Ulm

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

Paris Basketball survived a thriller to become the lone lower seed to advance past through the 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals last week. With nearly all the favorites advancing but just two scoring double-digits wins, things could be very tight in the quarterfinals. 

That begs the question: How well has this group of teams finished close games this season? The table below ranks the remaining contenders by their clutch efficiency differential. A clutch situation, in this case, is defined as any possession in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime with the margin on the scoreboard within 5 points. 

While some teams have played more clutch possessions than others – Prometey, for example, has played nearly twice as many as Hapoel – the fact remains that how these teams performed in key moments is a big reason they have made it this far.  The fact that all these teams have a positive differential and most of them are exceptionally high speaks to that fact. To this point, Hapoel, and Promitheas have set the curve in late game situations, but with five teams posting a differential above the 0.20-mark, most of these teams have done a spectacular job finding ways to make things work when the moment has called for it.

Making things work is the key here as the ways teams score late in games tends to vary and does not always line up with their playing styles. While some teams like Prometey stay true to form, putting steady pressure on the rim, others, like Promitheas, have gotten a huge boost from their timely free-throw shooting when holding late leads. 

Ultimately, clutch play is defined by whether a team gets the job done and not necessarily how they do it. Turk Telekom was perhaps the best example of that this season as they did not shoot the ball well in many tight contests but tightened the screws well enough defensively to come out ahead more often than not.

A team's ability to navigate late-game situations as a unit is also more crucial than usual because clutch scoring at the individual level has flattened out this season. No player on the remaining teams in the field has scored more than 0.26 on the season. Who can be expected to play the hero on a given night is anyone's guess. 

All of which sets up what should be an exciting finish, with the Prometey vs. Promitheas and Joventut vs. Hapoel matchups offering perhaps the most fireworks, given the spectacular way all of those teams have closed out wins this season. 

Ranking the quarterfinalist closers

When Joventut Badalona was eliminated by ratiopharm Ulm in a 1-8 matchup in the 2022 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals, it left many of the club's supporters wondering what could have been. This year, the Spanish side yet again made it to the eighthfinals, this time as the No. 2 seed, but it overcame its mental block to defeat the seventh seeded London Lions 89-78 to book its place in the quarterfinals. At last, Joventut's fans can dream again.

Joventut can start to dream after overcoming mental hurdle

When Joventut Badalona was eliminated by ratiopharm Ulm in a 1-8 matchup in the 2022 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals, it left many of the club's supporters wondering what could have been. This year, the Spanish side yet again made it to the eighthfinals, this time as the No. 2 seed, but it overcame its mental block to defeat the seventh-seeded London Lions 89-78 to book its place in the quarterfinals. At last, Joventut's fans can dream again.

It was not necessarily a vintage performance by Joventut, with London remaining in the game until the latter stages of the fourth quarter, but the hosts did enough to always keep the visitors at arm's length. In fact, in a game that Joventut led from start to finish, the closest that London got after the opening make of the game – a three-pointer by Guillem Vives – was finding itself down 24-20 a few minutes into the second quarter.

Joventut Badalona - London Lions | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

There were various points in the game where London appeared to be on the verge of a comeback, particularly in the third quarter, but Joventut always came up with big buckets to ensure the gap never got smaller than 6 or 8 points. For London head coach Ryan Schmidt, that was one of the big differences between the two teams: "That's a team tonight where every time we got it to 6 or 4, they'd make you pay and they'd get it back to 8 or they'd get it back to 10. That's just where we need to get to."

Joventut finished the game with six players in double figures, led by Ante Tomic with 16 points, and that variety to its offense caused London all sorts of problems. London, for its part, had three players reach double figures, while star player Sam Dekker, who was not 100% after suffering an ankle injury in Round 17, finished with 8 points. One of the keys to the game was Joventut's ability to get second-chance opportunities, as it more than doubled London's number of rebounds, bringing down 50 compared to 23 for the visitors. What's more, of those 50 boards, 15 came on the offensive end.

The 19 turnovers that Joventut committed will perhaps be a cause for concern for head coach Carles Duran, so that is something that his squad will look to clean up before it takes on another of the favorites to win the EuroCup, Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv, in the quarterfinals.

Game News

Joventut and Hapoel enjoyed equally impressive home records in the regular season, going 8-1, but this is where seeding becomes important. As the No. 2 seed from Group A, Joventut will be able to host this game at Palau Olimpic de Badalona because Hapoel ended the regular season as the No. 3 seed in Group B. For what it's worth, Hapoel is 5-4 away from Tel Aviv in 2022-23.

"The crowd always \[helps us\]. When the Olimpic is like this, it's much easier to play," said Tomic after the win against London. The Joventut fans will need to once again be out in full force when Hapoel comes to town, as the visiting team is expected to bring thousands of fans to Badalona in the hope of making it feel like a home game for their side. 

Yet, for Joventut, overcoming its nightmare from last season means that it can now start to dream, albeit in the knowledge that it will be a very difficult game against a Hapoel team that had eight MVP of the Round winners during the 18-game regular season (J'Covan Brown x2, Jalen Hoard x2, Jordan McRae x3 and Chinanu Onuaku). 

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

There is not much to separate the two teams, but with Tomic's ability to create from the 5 position, the playmaking of Vives and the scoring of youthful quartet Joel Parra, Kyle Guy, Henry Ellenson and Andres Feliz, Joventut has no reason to be pessimistic. All six players finished the eighthfinals tie with London in double figures and they will pose a big threat against a Hapoel side that has struggled on the road. 

One year on from one of the toughest defeats in Joventut's recent history, the club can now look forward in the knowledge that it needs just three more victories to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. But ask anyone at the club and they'll tell you the same thing: "We're taking it one game at a time."

Joventut Badalona v London Lions (2023-04-12T18:00:00.000Z)

Look back at all the action in the Eighthfinals by checking out the best photos of the week!

Photos of the week, Eighthfinals

Turk Telekom aced a tough test for first-ever quarterfinal berth

It has never been easy for Turk Telekom Ankara in the 7DAYS EuroCup, and [its eighthfinal home game against Germani Brescia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/turk-telekom-ankara-germani-brescia/U2022/184/) of Italy on Thursday was no exception.

In six seasons until this one since first playing in the EuroCup back in 2004-05, Turk Telekom had managed just two winning campaigns.

The first and best of those, a 9-1 run through the 2007-08 regular season, ended abruptly with a 26-point loss in Game 1 of the Last 32 to UNICS Kazan that Turk Telekom could not make up despite winning the next and last showdown of the series 96-93 and dropping out on aggregate score. 

Three fruitless seasons over the next 12 years ended a year ago, when the team's 9-8 regular season record begat an eighthfinals berth. Again, however, Turk Telekom could go no further as it lost at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 93-80.

The current season has looked different from the get-go as an early five-game winning streak led to the team rising through Group B to finish second at 13-5.

Still, new head coach Erdem Can was well award before Thursday's tipoff of Brescia's quality and the risks of the do-or-die format.

"There is no favorite for this game; it's one and done," he warned on his way into the arena. "You need to be focused from the first second to the end of the 40 minutes."

And he was right.

It wasn't until almost 30 minutes into the game, after the two teams had been through 9 ties and 18 lead changes, that a put-back by big man Tyrique Jones on the third-quarter buzzer changed the momentum for good. Turk Telekom scored the first 8 points of the final quarter, too, for a 10-0 run that finally broke Brescia's upset bid.

Tyrique Jones (14 points) Highlights vs. Germani Brescia Leonessa, 04/13/2023

Tyrique Jones's perfect shooting vs. Germani Brescia

Where the first half had been a three-point shootout, with Brescia scoring 24 of its 38 points from downtown to lead by 2 at the break, Turk Telekom slowly turned the game inside during the last 20 minutes. With Jones making 5 of 5 inside two-pointers and the hosts seizing 9 offensive rebounds after halftime, Turk Telekom wore down the visitors.

"Our mindset \[changed in the second half\]," Can said afterward. "We were a little bit on our heels and slow. That's not our game. Defensively we were OK, but offensively we were too slow and nervous, and we changed that. We were more aggressive going to the rim, and then we started to get our rhythm, finding some open looks, and then we got what we needed."

That aggressiveness was epitomized, too, by forward Erkan Yilmaz throwing his body all over the floor to finish with 8 points, a career-high 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks to always keep the pressure on Brescia.

The result was not only Turk Telekom advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time ever, but getting to host that game next Wednesday against ratiopharm Ulm.

In do-or-die elimination rounds, the eventual winners almost always need to survive at least one game that looks like it can go the other way. Although Thursday's final score of 77-69 may not show it, Turk Telekom dodged a bullet. And Can knew it.

"Brescia is such a great team; they know how to play this level of competition," Can said. "So it was a great, great test for us."

Turk Telekom Ankara v Germani Brescia (2023-04-13T16:45:00.000Z)

Eighthfinals MVP: Anthony Cowan, Promitheas Patras

The 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals have come to a close and eight teams have advanced to the quarterfinals next week. Among plenty of impressive individual performances, none topped the one put on by [Anthony Cowan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan/012003/) of Promitheas Patras, who earned the MVP honor for the third time in the last four rounds. Cowan racked up a PIR of 32 in his team's [89-75](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/promitheas-patras-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2022/182/) win over Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, the first for Promitheas this late in a EuroCup season. Cowan's performance included 20 points based on making 5 of 5 three-pointers, which tied an eighthfinals record for perfect shooting from the arc. His 6 rebounds set a personal high and his 10 assists tied another. He also had 2 steals and drew 5 fouls.

Anthony Cowan |  Eighthfinals MVP | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

[Erick Green](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/erick-green/005159/) of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica followed with a PIR of 30 in his team's 92-83 road loss to ratiopharm Ulm. Green scored 29 points in 31 minutes and dished 3 assists. Third in line was [Arnoldas Kulboka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/arnoldas-kulboka/006180/), who was also instrumental in Promitheas's victory thanks to his 20 points and 5 rebounds for a PIR of 26. [Onrdej Balvin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ondrej-balvin/002644/) of Prometey Slobozhanske and [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) of Turk Telekom Ankara were the main factor in their respective teams advancing to the quarterfinals with PIRs of 25 each. Three players who pushed their teams into the quarterfinals posted PIRs of 24: [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) of Joventut Badalona, [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) of Ulm and [Tyrone Wallace](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyrone-wallace/011925/) of Paris Basketball.

Promitheas Patras v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2023-04-12T18:00:00.000Z)