### Walter De Raffaele, Umana Reyer Venice head coach

"It was a great win and game. Cluj is a very good team; I think it will be tough for everyone to win here. We played a really solid game, almost for the entire game, and we deserved to win. We need to keep rolling, to keep pushing and be better. It's a good start. We need to start somewhere."

### Marco Spissu, Umana Reyer Venice guard

"It was a tough game, especially after Sunday's game \[in the Italian League\]. We flew here yesterday, it was a strange trip for us, but we really showed up in the game with our character and our aggressiveness. I'm really happy with our first win away. We need to continue like this. It can happen \[like the other team comes back into it\], it's basketball, but we really showed up and I'm happy that we won."

Game Videos

Game News

### Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach

"We don't care too much about the great fight… I mean, we care, I congratulate my guys for that, but that was a game that we wanted to win and we didn't manage to do that. We need to see what we can improve so that we play with more courage, especially with these top teams in the EuroCup, because obviously we have our chances to win in each game. That's the first thing we need to do, to believe. That's the foundation. We fought good, we stayed in the game, but we missed a little luck to score one or two three-pointers more. I thought we fought good on rebounds, we dominated in that aspect. Our \[shooting\] percentages weren't great, but what can we do? This was the story of the game. We can't cry, we need to learn and move forward."

De Raffaele: 'Reyer needs to keep pushing and be better'

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-10-25T16:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice has recorded its first win of the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup season after beating U-BT Cluj-Napoca at BTarena on Tuesday evening.

Derek Willis led the way for Venice, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-11 two-pointers, while Marco Spissu and Michael Bramos played key roles in the victory with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Mitchell Watt also chipped in with 13 points. For Cluj, Jordan Taylor's 21 points and Leonardo Meindl's 17 points helped keep the team in the game, but ultimately, it was Venice who won 80-85 on the road.

Cluj started the game very well and seemed to have control of proceedings in the first five minutes, with Meindl shining in particular. Yet, Reyer kept plodding away and managed to go on a bit of a run in the final part of the quarter, ending the first 10 minutes with an 18-21 lead thanks to 8 points from Spissu and 5 from Willis. The momentum that Venice generated in the final part of the first quarter continued into the second, and from that point on, the Italians led until the final buzzer. Willis was causing plenty of problems for Cluj on the interior, while Spissu and Bramos came up with some big three-pointers to quieten the noisy home crowd. Cluj kept fighting, getting back to within six points in the third quarter, and it then made a big push in the last 10 minutes of action. In the last part of the game, Taylor came to the fore by scoring 13 points in the final 3:18 minutes, which helped Cluj get to within two points of Venice, but some crucial free throws by Spissu saw Venice emerge with the victory.

Reyer gets EuroCup campaign off the mark at Cluj

### Jaka Lakovic, Gran Canaria head coach

"London Lions are a very talented team, they have only lost one game in the whole season. It seems they'll have full roster tomorrow with Kostas Koufos, Sam Dekker, Luke Nelson, Ovie Soko, etc. We must play at our 100 percent, not only to win the game, but also to keep our confidence."

### Olek Balcerowski, Gran Canaria player

"We must continue with our game plan, doing the things we need on defense, helping each other. At home with our fans it's a good opportunity to keep improving because we are starting the season in this competition."

Pre-Game quotes: Gran Canaria vs. London

Gran Canaria v London Lions (2022-10-26T19:00:00.000Z)

Tomislav Zubcic, London Lions: 'If we keep building, we can do something special'

The London Lions made history in Round 2 of the 7DAYS EuroCup by becoming the first team from Great Britain to record a win in the competition in 18 years when it defeated Dolomiti Energia Trento at Copper Box Arena. One of London's star players so far this season has been Tomislav Zubcic, 32, who is averaging a team-high 17.0 points per game. During an interview with [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com), Zubcic gave an insight into London's project, as well as his own goals and his prediction for the future of British basketball.

**You have had a fine start to life with the London Lions, as you are the team's highest scorer so far in the EuroCup, averaging 17.0 points per game. How easy has it been to fit in with your new teammates?**

"Ryan \[Schmidt\] and Brett \[Burman\], the head coach and the GM, did an amazing job scouting the players for this team. We have a brand-new team and they did an amazing job of signing great individuals, especially in terms of character, and great players, so by combining these two things, we managed to get a great team, like you can see on the court and off the court. We're looking forward to these EuroCup games and the whole season; I think if we keep building like we have done so far, we have great potential to do something amazing."

**Round 1 of the EuroCup did not go to plan for London on the road against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Were there any major lessons that you learned as a team from this defeat?**

"We definitely had to learn a lot from this game, but we all know that we lost Sam Dekker \[just 4:37 minutes into the game due to injury\], who was a big part of our team and a starter. We missed him a lot, but we're looking forward to him recovering and playing again with us. We were definitely surprised by the way that they played, but like I said, if we keep building, we have a great chance to do something that people don't expect from us."

"We have a great team on the court and off the court. If we keep building and we're all helping, we can do great things."

**London was without Sam Dekker and Kosta Koufos against Trento in Round 2, yet the rest of the team stepped up and recorded the club's first-ever win in the EuroCup. How did that feel?**

"Being down by two guys, especially very important guys, we had to step up, in particular me, Ovie \[Soko\] and Vojtech \[Hruban\]. We knew what we had to do together on the court and we just stuck together for 40 minutes and, at the end of the day, we came out with the win."

**We are still very early in the season, having had just two rounds of fixtures in the competition, but how far do you think London can go in this year's EuroCup?**

"Nobody can predict that, but like I said, we have a great team on the court and off the court. If we keep building and we're all helping, we can do great things. It's going to take time, because this is a new team; there are people who have never played together, and it is going to take time to build something amazing, which we are capable of."

**As one of the most experienced players on the roster, with 42 EuroCup games and 39 EuroLeague fixtures to your name prior to this season, how have you been helping your teammates get acclimatized to the EuroCup?**

"With my age and my experience, I'm basically one of the oldest guys, so I try to help these young kids and to share my knowledge about what I've been doing over the last 17 years. It's amazing to be a part of what we are building here, especially bringing something new to British basketball and trying to put the London Lions on the map of European basketball."

Fantastic start to the season for London's Zubcic

Fantastic start to the season for London s Zubcic

**Your best season in the EuroCup came when you were with Cedevita Zagreb in 2013-14, as you scored totals of 122 points, 66 rebounds and 20 assists, while you also played 388:07 minutes across 16 games. Do you think you can beat any of those figures in the current EuroCup campaign?**

"If I keep playing like how I started this season, I'm definitely going to be on the edge of reaching those goals. For me, I am trying to improve myself every single day and be better as a player and as a person. I am looking forward to beating these records, but we will see. It's a long season and we have a lot of games, but for me it is \[all about\] team first and just trying to build something here with the London Lions."

**Your career has seen you play eight countries, and now you have added a ninth to the list with England. What was it that made you decide that you wanted to try a basketball experience in Britain?**

"When I started talking with the London Lions's GM and the coach, they presented me with a great opportunity, and I wanted to be part of history. What we did in the last game against Trento, for example, we ended up being the first team from Great Britain to get a win \[in the EuroCup\] after 18 years. For me, this is something amazing that is going to be in the books, so being a part of this team, being a part of this process is something that is really fulfilling."

**The London Lions are playing an important role in helping grow British basketball. Where do you see British basketball in five years?** 

"With what we are trying to do by putting British basketball on the map in Europe, I think we can achieve that by putting British basketball on another level, on a higher level, especially with the league, the organization and the players that are coming here, because living and playing here is an amazing opportunity for everybody."

### Jurica Golemac, Olimpija head coach

"Ahead of us is a challenging game with Joventut, probably the best team in our group in the 7DAYS EuroCup, aiming to return to the Euroleague. The team consists of quality and experienced players, and they are led on the floor by Ante Tomić, who has been part of Joventut for many years, and there are also experienced Spanish players such as Guillem Vivas and Pau Ribas, as well as excellent foreigners. We continue to face health problems that complicate the training process. Nevertheless, we must remain positive. We all want all players to return to the floor as soon as possible. Those who can will do their best even in the middle of the game to beat a top rival like Joventut. We invite the fans to come and help us in these moments, because we really need their help."

### Rok Radovic, Olimpija player

"Joventut might be the best team in our group in the 7DAYS EuroCup. We know that there is an extremely demanding match ahead of us, as the jersey of the club from Badalona is worn by many quality players. We focus all our energy on preparation for the match. I hope that, regardless of last week, the fans will fill the Arena nicely and come to cheer us on, as we want to get back on the winning track and record our first win in the 7DAYS EuroCup at the same time."

### Carles Duran, Joventut head coach

"We travel with the will to win, because we want to be at the top in our EuroCup group. We knew how difficult it would be to win on the road, especially against Cedevita. They have not won yet, and they will play with superior energy, so we will have to do things extremely well. We must be more consistent, try to limit turnovers and control rebounds."

### Jarrod Jones, Joventut player

"It's an important game for both teams because we come from EuroCup losses. We must focus on our identity. We know about the difficulties of road games, and we have to focus on playing our game. When I played there, even if it was in COVID times, I could feel the great atmosphere of that arena during the playoffs, in which there were fans in the stands."

Pre-Game quotes: Olimpija vs. Joventut

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Joventut Badalona (2022-10-26T17:30:00.000Z)

### Ronen Ginzburg, Prometey head coach

"We will face one of the hottest teams in Europe. They didn't lose yet. They defeated Joventut, one of the favorites for the title. They also beat Efes, the EuroLeague champs. They are an amazing team. It will be a challenge for us, but we need the right attitude and compete in a tough game. I think if they played the EuroLeague right now, they would be among the top five or six teams there."

### Ondrej Balvin, Prometey player

"I think they are one of the favorite teams to win the EuropCup. They play well, organized. They were a bit of a suprrise last season making it to the finals, but watching the games, they deserved it. That may put a bit of extra pressure on them because many expect them to repeat that result. They are one of the favorites with Joventut, so I expect an extremely tough game and high-level basketball."

Pre-Game quotes: Prometey vs. BUrsaspor

Prometey Slobozhanske v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-10-26T16:00:00.000Z)

### Jean-Baptiste Lecrosnier, Bourg assistant coach

"It's a team that is able to put a lot of intensity, a lot of energy, there is height on the interior players and talent. We will have to canalize all that to go for the victory. We must prepare our players for this type of basketball which is different from the one we see in the French league."

### Pierre Pelos, Bourg player

"The stakes of this game are to make a 3rd consecutive victory for our 1st place in Eurocup. Lietkabelis has 1 defeat & 1 win, they will be keen to seek a second victory to move up the rankings and remain good challengers. We will have to be suspicious, the threat can come from several points so we have to stay focused."

Pre-game quotes: Bourg vs. Lietkabelis

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2022-10-26T17:30:00.000Z)

Fantasy tips: four role players and a star

We have played two 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season rounds and only four teams remain undefeated: Frutti Extra Bursaspor and Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Group A and Hapoel Tel Aviv and Promitheas Patras in Group B. That proves how balanced the competition is this season. 

This week, we recommend four players in the range of 7-10 credits and another worth just a tad bit more. Without further ado, here are the players who we the [Fantasy Challeng](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home)e experts believe can help your team to a good score this week: 

**George Conditt, Promitheas Patras (9.8 credits)** – Conditt has a lot of fantasy value because he does many things well and makes very few mistakes. He's averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in two games, in which he's had just 1 turnover and zero fouls committed, but 8 drawn. Interesting. 

**Stefan Bircevic, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (10.0 credits) –** Bircevic led Cluj to its first-ever EuroCup win in Round 2 with 24 points, 6 rebounds and a PIR of 26 against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. At age 32, he has the experience to be one of Cluj's leaders this season. 

Tony Taylor, George Conditt Iv, Stefan Bircevic, Christen Robin and James Woodard are featured in this week's article

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Round 3

**James Woodard, Veolia Towers Hamburg (8.0 credits) –** Woodard made his EuroCup debut in Round 2 and left a positive impression with a nice stats line: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a PIR of 14. An all-around player for 8.0 credits? Buy him now! 

**Robin Christen, ratiopharm Ulm (7.5 credits) –** Ulm is a team with a lot of young players, but Christen plays a key veteran role at forward. He is averaging 13.5 points on great shooting percentages (75.0% 2FG, 62.5% 3FG, 100% FT) plus 4 rebounds. Ulm plays at home and he should keep it going.

**Tony Taylor, Turk Telekom Ankara (10.9 credits) –** Taylor missed Round 1 but had a great performance in Round 2 with 25 points, 5 assists and a PIR of 24 in a winning effort against Hamburg. He also had a PIR of 20 in Turkish League action and plays high-scoring Hapoel Tel Aviv. You can't forget him!

Fantasy tips: Four role players and a star

After playing for more than a decade in Greece, Turkey, and Israel, Brown is a well-known and well-respected player across southern Europe. And now, at 32 years of age, he is a EuroCup rookie and taking the competition by storm.

Sharing the MVP of the Round honor last week with top scorer Joe Young and Ovie Soko may be just the tip of the iceberg. 

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1409758/eurocup-rookie-jcovan-brown-is-a-man-on-a-mission/)

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s J’Covan Brown is turning heads in the 7DAYS EuroCup while fighting for a greater cause.