Tuesday night's action in the 7DAYS EuroCup sees Umana Reyer Venice host Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse at Palasport Taliercio, which means that two of the competition's best centers, Reyer's Mitchell Watt and Bourg's Pierre Pelos, will come head-to-head.

Watt is now in his fifth season in the EuroCup – his fourth straight with Reyer, having previously featured for ALBA Berlin in 2015-16 – and he got off to a good start in Round 1, as he put up 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in a narrow 81-80 defeat to ratiopharm Ulm. In fact, across his EuroCup career as a Reyer player, Watt has regularly found his way to the basket, averaging at least 11.8 points in each of the last three seasons.

Likewise, Pelos has demonstrated his scoring ability in the EuroCup with Bourg over the last three campaigns. In Round 1, during Bourg's 88-85 triumph over U-BT Cluj-Napoca, he recorded 16 points and 5 rebounds in just 15:14 minutes off the bench, which included going 4-of-5 from behind the three-point line. Pelos has often had to make an impact in a reserve role, yet he has still averaged 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 33 games for Bourg in the EuroCup.

Reyer and Bourg have met each other in each of the last two EuroCup seasons, but the 2021-22 campaign was the first time that fans got the chance to watch Watt vs. Pelos in this fixture, as Watt appeared in just five EuroCup games in 2020-21. The two teams split the regular-season series when they met last year, winning a road game apiece, and curiously both Watt and Pelos performed better away from their home arenas.

During the first meeting at Ekinox, Bourg's home, it was Watt who was the star of the show, as he finished with a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double in a 62-73 victory for Reyer. In the losing effort, Pelos had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Then, later in the season at Palasport Taliercio, Pelos got the better of Watt by finishing with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal, compared to 7 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal for his Reyer counterpart.

Yet, when comparing how Watt and Pelos did across the two games combined, there are some interesting similarities. Both centers averaged 11.5 points, for example, as well as an 83.3% night from the free-throw line on 5-of-6 shooting. On two-point shots, Watt made 9-of-18 attempts for a percentage of 50.0%, while Pelos saw 6-of-11 shots drop from inside the arc for a percentage of 54.5%. Their PIR numbers were comparable, too, as Watt finished with 14.5 and Pelos recorded 13.5. One area in which the two big men differ is with three-point shooting, as Watt did not put up a shot from distance whereas Pelos made 2-of-3 shots from deep for a percentage of 33.3%.

After grabbing a road win each last season, it will be interesting to see which of the two centers is able to come out on top at Palasport Taliercio on Tuesday night. Reyer, in its home opener, will look to respond from its Round 1 defeat to Ulm, with Watt likely to play a key part in any success that coach Walter De Raffaele's team has. Bourg, meanwhile, will hope that Pelos can have a similar scoring night to Round 1 en route to another victory, which would maintain the French club's 100% record in the EuroCup so far this season.

Head-to-head: Reyer's Watt vs. Bourg's Pelos

Umana Reyer Venice v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2022-10-18T18:00:00.000Z)

Joe Young, Promitheas: In the name of the father by Eurohoops

"Tonight, basketball died." The notorious quote of the late, great Petar Skansi made headlines after Boza Maljkovic's Limoges team beat Tony Kukoc's Benetton Treviso, coached by Skansi, at Peace and Friendship Stadium back in the trophy game of 1993 Final Four of the EuroLeague.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1405792/joe-young-promitheas-in-the-name-of-the-father)

Joe Young finally came to play basketball in Europe for Promitheas Patras in the 7DAYS EuroCup, honoring the legacy of his EuroLeague-winning father Michael Young.

### Makis Giatras, Patras head coach

"We play against a very competitive team, one of the most stable clubs in EuroCup. We want to come out and play aggressive from the first to the last second of the game. We will need our fans to attend the game and support us in order to achieve the victory."

### Dimitris Kaklamanakis, Patras player

"We are playing against Gran Canaria, a very good team, with great quality. We are ready to give our best in front of our fans in order to win this game, which will be very important for us."

### Jaka Lakovic, Gran Canaria head coach

"We must play with discipline on defense, with a special focus in the one on one defense because they are a team with so much talent where several players can solve the game. Our defense must be solid with good positions and helps. If we can do that, we’ll have our chances to grab a win."

### Damien Inglis, Gran Canaria player

"I think Round 2 will be a war as both teams won their first game in EuroCup. I think it will be a good game and test on the road for us."

Game Videos

Game News

Pre-Game quotes: Patras vs. Gran Canaria

Promitheas Patras v Gran Canaria (2022-10-19T16:30:00.000Z)

On Wednesday, U-BT Cluj-Napoca will make history when it welcomes Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana to BTArena for the first 7DAYS EuroCup home game in club history. The two-time reigning Romanian League champions will be led onto the floor by team captain Nandor Kuti, who hopes to see a full house. After all, the Cluj faithful have already filled the arena to the brim for big games before and, after last week's agonizingly narrow road loss in France in Round 1, the home fans could make plenty of difference.

Kuti knows the club in the city of about 300,000 residents in northwestern Romania like no other player on the team. Despite being 25 years old, this is his 11th season with the "U" - as the club is affectionately known.

"Cluj is a city where people love sports and the fans expect us to win and to give everything on the court. The symbol of 'U' is a lifestyle for the majority of the people. Their love for the club is tremendous," Kuti said. "Fans will always be by our side, but I think the good results in the BCL helped us build a bigger fanbase and we will continue to build more to try to sell out the arena more often."

With Cluj being a sports city, Kuti said he is confident the club's fans will come out in strong numbers for EuroCup games: "I think if we will play quality basketball and have good results, people will come to support us in big numbers. Hopefully, we will sell out the arena again. That would help us a lot for sure. Fans are the sixth player on the court for us, we love them," he added.

"This club is like my family, I spent half of my life here. I have the 'U' symbol in my heart. I think it's so much different when you play for the club that you have loved since you were a child," said Kuti, a native of Sfantu Gheorghe. "We have come a long way. I love to see how the team is getting better and better every year."

"The symbol of 'U' is a lifestyle for the majority of the people. Their love for the club is tremendous."

Cluj reached the Round of 16 of the FIBA Europe Cup in 2018-19 and followed that by advancing to the FIBA Europe Cup Quarterfinals in 2019-20. And then came the run to the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals last season.

Kuti will not soon forget April 5 and April 19, 2022. Not only was his childhood and beloved U-BT Cluj-Napoca playing in the BCL quarterfinals, but a capacity crowd of 10,000 fans came out for both home games - an atmosphere he hopes the club and its spectators can replicate in the EuroCup.

Kuti and Cluj captured the first game of the best-of-three series against MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 76-73 fired on by the sold-out crowd at BTArena. After losing Game 2 on the road, the Cluj faithful came out and gave their all for Game 3, which the home side ended up losing 73-79 to end its run.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="art" dir="ltr">😍😍😍 <a href="https://t.co/a3yU7TbGxx">https://t.co/a3yU7TbGxx</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1580276060926590976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Being a decisive game, it put more pressure on us and the fans also understood how important it would have been for us to qualify. It was a mind-blowing atmosphere. Even now I get goosebumps when I think about it," recalled Kuti. "It was phenomenal. Playing in a sold-out arena, in front of our fans, was very special and it was a pleasure. Our crowd was loud and very supportive even though we didn't get to qualify for the final four. But still, it was a great experience and I will remember it all my life."

Kuti said the club's stronger showings on the international stage have helped bring in more fans. In fact, they even showed their devotion with several traveling to last week's season-opener in France against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Now that the team has stepped up in quality to the EuroCup and showed in Round 1 that it is not to be taken lightly, the stage is set for the fans in Cluj-Napoca to pack the arena and watch Kuti and co. put on a show.

Nandor Kuti, Cluj: 'I have the 'U' symbol in my heart'

### Mihai Silvasan, Cluj-Napoca head coach

"It will be our first game at home this season. We are very excited to play in front of our fans. We will face a competitive team and they have chances to go really far this season, even to win the 7DAYS EuroCup. For sure Olimpija is a top team, but we want the first victory in the group and we will do our best to win the game. Our fans are an important factor, so we hope they will help us accomplish some great results."

 

### Andrija Stipanovic, Cluj-Napoca player

"It will be our first game at home and we are very excited. We hope to have a full gym because we will play against a very good team. They have tradition in EuroCup, being trained by a very good coach. Also, they have talented domestic players and really good foreigners. It will be a hard game, but we will do our best to win."

### Jurica Golemac, Cedevita Olimpija head coach 

"We'll give everything we can in the game against Cluj, to get the victory. We have health problems, but we're not travelling to Romania with a white flas. It's going to be a tough match. Our opponents play smart basketball, and they're very dangerous on the home court. We'll do everything to be competitive in Wednesday's game, and to return to Ljubljana with a victory."

### Amar Alibegovic, Cedevita Olimpija player

"We have a tough game ahead. Cluj has a great team with a lot of energy. It's important that we step on the court with the right attitude, especially because of the fact, that we're playing an away game. We need to have the right energy from the first until the last minute of the match."

Pre-Game quotes: Cluj vs. Olimpija

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2022-10-19T17:30:00.000Z)

### Matteo Cotelli, Brescia head coach

"We are very excited to play our first EuroCup home game. Prometey is an athletic and talented team. It will be a tough game. In the first game against Lietkabelis, they showed everybody how they are dangerous and aggressive on the fastbreak and to play off the ball. So, we want to play a solid game, starting from serious and physical defense. On offense, we have to trust in our system, bring our game face and sharing the ball as quickly as possible in order to build open shots." 

#### C.J. Massinburg, Brescia player

"Our first EuroCup game in Badalonna, we felt we played good for the first three quarters, but had a meltdown in the fourth quarter. Badalona was a good team, but they were able to push more than us and come out with the win. But our first game was good. We see the level of physicality and of intensity that we're going to have to bring to be successful. Our first EuroCup home game, we are very excited about it. We're going to give the fans a good show, execute our basketball, and come out to seal our first home EuroCup win."

### Ronen Ginzburg, Prometey head coach

"We have now one or two days to take a little time for recovery. But that’s our schedule. Well, it is not easy. I hope we will be okay in Italy. You know, until now, in the domestic league, the only game was really hard for us was VEF Riga, and it helped us to prepare for the EuroCup. The other two games were not too tough, but, you know, it’s better to play than not to play. Italian teams are good teams with a lot of tradition. They lost to Milan by one point, but they should have won. Milan is a EuroLeague team. Joventut is in our group, it’s a really great team, but Brescia is one of the top candidates in our group, one of the strongest teams."

### Dustin Hogue, Prometey player

"It's always hard to play back-to-back ganes, but we understand the EuroCup challenge and I am sure me and my teammates will be ready for this next game. In Italy they love defense, the atmosphere will be strong with loud fans. We will kind of play against six people. It's a beautiful place where I liked to play." 

Pre-Game quotes: Brescia vs. Prometey

Germani Brescia v Prometey Slobozhanske (2022-10-19T18:30:00.000Z)

Ziga Samar, Hamburg: 'A lot of great young players in the EuroCup'

Veolia Towers Hamburg had a stellar start to the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup, downing host Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 66-73 in the Montenegrin capital. A great team effort saw six of Hamburg's players score 8 points or more, including 21-year-old point guard Ziga Samar, who looked like a well-rounded veteran while making his EuroCup debut in Podgorica. It took just one EuroCup game for Samar, who is to Hamburg from ALBA Berlin, to show his great potential. He came off the bench to collect 11 points on 3-for-4 three-point shooting, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals for a performance index rating of 16. In an interview with [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com), Samar gave more importance to his team's win than to his good individual performance. "This is what I always try to do: help the team win," Samar said. "I am the kind of player that does a little bit of everything. That's who I am!"

**Congratulations on Hamburg's first win in a tough arena. What made it happen?**

"Thanks. We went to this game with an underdog mentality but wanted to win it. We knew it was going to be a very difficult game. Buducnost is a good team; everyone knows it. As the game went on, we saw we had a chance to win. We played as a team and that allowed us to win in Podgorica."

**You guys allowed just 66 points on the road. With so many new faces, how did the defense get so strong so soon?**

"Truth to be told, we give defense a lot of importance in practice. We got ready for the game in Podgorica, but also Buducnost made a lot of roster changes. They are not fully adjusted as a team, but I am sure they will do better and better in the next games."

"We need to play, take decisions, sometimes make mistakes...In a way, there is a competition between us."

**It was your first EuroCup game, but you looked very comfortable doing a little bit of everything for your team How did you feel out there?**

"I felt good, yes. In the end, it is important that we won because this is what I always try to do: help the team win. Like you said, I am the kind of player that does a little bit of everything. That's who I am!"

**How excited are you to play the EuroCup this season with Hamburg?**

"I am very excited, no question about it. The EuroCup is a great competition, the second-best European competition. It is a pleasure to be a part of this competition."

**You helped Real Madrid reach the 2018 ANGT Finals and win the 2019 ANGT title. Which are your favorite memories of those two weekends?**

"In Belgrade 2018, we felt bad for not winning the ANGT title. We worked all season to do it but we had just finished the Spanish junior championship, playing many games the previous week. But in the decisive game against Rytas, they were better than us and deserved to win. In Vitoria 2019, it was our first goal when we saw each other in Madrid after the off-season. We only changed two or three players from one year to another. We managed to win the tournament, which is the most difficult junior title to get in Europe. We were really happy. In 2018, we saw the Real Madrid \[senior team\] win the EuroLeague title and came back with them in the same plane. We were very happy, all of us. It was a privilege to be there, with them, traveling back from Belgrade. It was something special."

Ziga Samar Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season

Ziga Samar: a stellar 7DAYS EuroCup debut!

**There are lots of young talents in the EuroCup this season. How exciting is that, to see players of your generation and younger doing so well already?**

"It is special. There are a lot of great young players and, in a way, there is a competition between us. All of us want to do as well as we can, but also help our teams to do really well. We need to play, take decisions, sometimes make mistakes, to do better in the next game. That way, we will grow as players, and playing twice a week, in that sense, is a privilege."

**Which young players, in particular, do you expect to have a big impact in the EuroCup?**

"I played with Matteo Spagnolo \[of Dolomiti Energia Trento\] in Real. I didn't have that much contact with Juan Nunez \[of ratiopharm Ulm\], but without a doubt, these are two great talents and will surely be successful. There are three great talents in Gran Canaria: Aleksander Balcerowski, Khalifa Diop and Jovan Kljajic. Fedor Zugic is a great player, too. And I haven't mentioned a lot of other great players. Like I said, it is important to play a lot of games, because that can take you to the next level."

**From Union Olimpija to Real Madrid... sounds familiar. How much of an influence is Doncic in your career? How is your relationship?**

"We didn't talk to each other too much when we were in Madrid, but he helped me when I arrived to the city in my first year. Now, when you see him in practice with the national team and see what he does, you can learn a lot from Luka: his court vision, mentality, his magic. You can try to imitate what he does, too. No one can compare to him. He is at another level. We stay in touch, but not very often."

**Your next game is at home against Turk Telekom Ankara. What needs to be done to stop them?**

"Turk Telekom is a good team. I watched them a lot when they played EuroCup last season. Axel Bouteille is a very good player; I faced him in Spain. I don't know any other player as much as I know him, but it is only a matter of time. Winning at home is very important to be able to do something extra in the EuroCup. It will be an important game for us, no question about it."

**What would you consider a good season for you, personally, and for Veolia Towers Hamburg?** 

"For me, it would be a good season if I grow my game as much as I can, improve my game. This should make it a good season, but only if the team plays well. We need to qualify to the playoffs in both the EuroCup and the German League. If we make it to the EuroCup playoffs, anything can happen after that."

Paris Basketball has inked power forward [Jeremy Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jeremy-evans/007432/) to a one-month contract, the club announced on Monday. Evans (2.06 meters, 34 years old) most recently played for Panathinaikos Athens, where he averaged 5.5 points on 62.5% two-point shooting and 3.0 rebounds in 32 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyEvans40?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeremyEvans40</a> 👋<br><br>Suite à la blessure de <a href="https://twitter.com/EarlShmitty_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EarlShmitty_</a> , Jeremy Evans débarque dans la capitale en tant que pigiste médical jusqu’au 15 novembre 💥<br><br>Avec plus de 200 matches NBA dans ses bagages, Jeremy Evans apportera sa précieuse expérience dans l’effectif parisien 💪 <a href="https://t.co/G8x2IA0qCD">pic.twitter.com/G8x2IA0qCD</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1582023877458558977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He started his professional career with Utah of the NBA, winning the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2012 All-Star Game. Evans also played for Dallas and Atlanta of the NBA, Texas and Erie Bay of the G League, Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, Darussafaka Istanbul of Turkey and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan of Italy.

In 91 EuroLeague games with Darussafaka, Khimki, Milan and Panathinaikos, Evans averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds. He played two EuroCup games with Khimki in the 2016-17 campaign, averaging 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds. Six years later, Evans has another chance to showcase his outstanding athletic skills in the competition.

Paris adds Evans on short-term deal

### Carles Duran, Joventut head coach

"They are one of the teams that are competing for the EuroCup. They have an excellent coach and we will find a hot atmosphere in their arena. We hope to see the best version of Bursaspor with their fans, and we hope to be able to match that level."

### Kyle Guy, Joventut player

"It's very important to get a new win. The nice thing about playing two competitions is that you play twice a week. We have to focus now on the EuroCup and the game in Turkey. Bursaspor is a complicated team and it will be demanding on us."

Pre-Game quotes: Bursaspor vs. Joventut

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v Joventut Badalona (2022-10-19T17:00:00.000Z)