Rivero is posting impressive numbers in his first season in the competition, averaging 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and a PIR of 15.0 in less than 20 minutes per night. He ranks second in two-point shooting percentage (72.2%), only trailing his Valencia teammate Jaime Pradilla (80.7%). Rivero is in good shape, too, getting 21 points in each of Valencia's playoff games against Hamburg Towers and Boulogne Metropolitans 92, combining for 15-of-16 two-point shooting (93.8%). Valencia needs his energy and power down low in this critical matchup. 

Jaiteh comes off a career-best performance with 27 points on 12-of-16 two-point shooting, 11 rebounds and a PIR of 38 in his team's quarterfinals win against ratiopharm Ulm. Jaiteh has averaged 13.2 points until now, ranking fifth in the competition in PIR (18.6), fourth in rebounds (7.6 rpg.) and fifth in two-point shooting percentage (71.0%). Jaiteh is first in PIR per 40 minutes (33.6), and Rivero ranks third (30.2). When Valencia beat Virtus twice in the regular season, Rivero averaged 9.0 points and 8.0 rebounds and Jaiteh had 4.0 points and 6.5 rebounds.

Valencia Basket takes on Virtus Segafredo Bologna at La Fonteta on Wednesday for a spot in the championship game. It is time to see two of the best big men in the competition face off: Jasiel Rivero of Valencia and Mam Jaiteh of Virtus. 

Major Matchup: Valencia's Rivero vs. Virtus's Jaiteh 

Valencia Basket v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2022-05-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Mam Jaiteh - Virtus Segafredo Bologna - EC21

Bursaspor out-rebounded Andorra by 34-38 on Tuesday, pulling down 30 defensive boards. Andorra was limited to just 9 offensive rebounds despite its low shooting percentages (45.2% 2FG, 33.3% 3FG). Bursaspor pulled down 76.9% of all rebounds under its own rim, which was one of the biggest keys to this game. 

Visiting center Kevarrius Hayes stood out, grabbing as many as 12 defensive rebounds – a new EuroCup record for the semifinals or beyond. He finished the game with 16 total rebounds, which is the second-best mark ever in the semifinals, following Mario Austin's 17 for Hapoel Jerusalem against Dynamo Moscow on March 21, 2006. 

Telling numbers: Bursaspor, Hayes rebounded their way to victory

MoraBanc Andorra v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-05-03T18:00:00.000Z)

Kevarrius Hayes - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-SF

It was Bursaspor's third consecutive playoffs road victory, after knocking off Partizan NIS Belgrade in overtime of the eighthfinals and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana by a point in the quarters. Bursaspor, which earned a chance to fight for the EuroCup crown in just its second season in the competition, is set to face either Valencia Basket or Virtus Segafredo Bologna, who play the other semifinal on Wednesday. 

Andrew Andrews led the winners with 20 points. Onuralp Bitim added 18, Derek Needhan 13, David Dudzinski 12 and Kevarrius Hayes 11 for Bursaspor. Hayes added 16 rebounds for a double-double. Oriol Pauli led Andorra with 16 points while Drew Crawford and David Jelinek each added 11. Pauli and Crawford fueled a 15-0 run that gave Andorra an early 17-6 lead. However, Needham and Andrews led a 0-15 response that put Bursaspor in charge, 20-24, early in the second quarter. Andorra would regain the lead at 33-29, but Needham and Dudzinski pushed the guests to a 34-38 halftime edge. Bitim and Hayes boosted Bursaspor's margin to 40-57 before Jelinek and Codi Miller-McIntyre gave Andorra hope at 56-63, after 30 minutes. Hayes and Needham kept pacing Bursaspor in a 2-12 fourth-quarter run to a 58-75 margin and never looked back, making history in golden letters. 

Pauli got Andorra going with a driving layup. Andrews found his first points and Dudzinski struck from downtown for a 2-6 Bursaspor lead. Pauli buried a three-pointer and Crawford added a driving layup that restored an Andorra lead. Pauli followed a fastbreak layup with a three-point play, Clevin Hannah added a driving basket and Crawford struck from beyond the arc to make it a double-digit game, 17-6, after a 15-0 run. Andrews rescued Bursaspor with a layup-and-one that Hannah matched with a triple. After Dudzinski dunked, Needham, Metin Turen and Andrews each struck from beyond the arc to give Bursaspor the lead, 20-22, after 10 minutes.

 

Onuralp Bitim dunked off a spin move early in the second quarter, capping a 0-15 Bursaspor charge. Codi Miller-McIntyre banked in a floater and David Jelinek and Nacho Llovet each hit a three-pointer to put Andorra back ahead, 28-26, prompting a timeout from the visitors. John Holland joined the three-point shootout, Jelinek insisted from beyond the arc and Pauli's reverse layup boosted the hosts' margin to 33-29. Bitim buried a close jumper and Dudzinski added a three-pointer in a 0-9 run that Needham capped with a floater for a 34-38 Bursaspor lead at halftime. 

Dudzinski and Andrews each buried a shot from deep to lengthen Bursaspor's lead to 36-44 right after the break. Bitim joined the three-point shootout to supply the visitors' first double-digit lead, 37-47. Hayes hit a jump-hook that Hannah bettered with a three-pointer. Needham and Holland drilled triples around a layup by Hayes that broke the game open, 40-57. Jelinek sank his third three-pointer, getting help from Crawford and Miller-McIntyre to give Andorra hope at 50-59. Victor Arteaga downed a jumper and Jelinek got the hosts even closer, 54-61. Hayes and Arteaga traded baskets to fix the score at 56-63 after 30 minutes. 

Needham hit his third three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Crawford and Dudzinski exchanged layups and Hayes took over with a three-point play that brought Bursaspor closer to its goal, 58-71. Bitim silenced the crowd with a huge dunk off the baseline and Needham opened a 17-point lead, 58-75, with under 6 minutes left. Andrews splashed a deep three-pointer and Hayes's wild put-back slam sealed the outcome, 62-81. Andorra did not give up until the final buzzer but Bursaspor used long possessions to keep full control and seal yet another historical win! 

Frutti Extra Bursaspor is going to the 7DAYS EuroCup Final! Bursaspor reached the championship game by downing host MoraBanc Andorra 68-85 in front of a sellout crowd in the principality on Tuesday. 

Bursaspor romps in Andorra, 68-85, to reach the final!

Andrew Andrews - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-SF

This is what the protagonists had to say after the semifinals showdown between MoraBanc Andorra and Frutti Extra Bursaspor.

Post-game quotes: Andorra vs. Bursaspor

### Frutti Extra Bursaspor head coach Dusan Alimpijevic:

"Amazing! This is amazing! This is a fairy tale for the city of Bursa, for Frutti Extra Bursaspor and for us, personally. It's amazing! As I said before the game, it would be most important how we would treat them on defense and if we were mature enough to understand that we needed to be tough, to be aggressive on every ball. This is a team that needs to put the players' egos in your pocket, to go on the court and play, to share the ball, which we did. At halftime, I said 'Okay, we missed some open shots, don't be nervous about that, shots will come \[fall in\]'. The most important thing was that our defense was good. Defense is what kept us there and put us in the finals.

"First of all, I have to say a couple of words about Andorra. I wish their coach and the team the happiest things in the \[Spanish\] League. This team didn't deserve to fight to stay in the league because they have character, toughness and a good system on defense. They just need to find some offensive mood and I am sure they will stay in the league. I wish them to stay in the league. About us, what can I say? This is an unbelievable group of people who understand, from the first until the last second, what we have to do, what our plan is, and how we needed to attack and defend. To be Frutti Extra Bursaspor's coach today, yesterday and all this season is great. I am grateful for the chance to coach this group of people. When you play the eighthfinals, quarterfinals and now semifinals on the road, and when you play in full gyms in Belgrade, Ljubljana and Andorra, to win those kinds of games, you need to be concentrated and well-prepared. The main thing for me, which I said before the game, is that the players put their egos in their pockets and go to the finals. It was a game in which we had to share the ball, which we did. Thank you, guys, thanks to my players. And I will finish with this: Frutti Extra Bursaspor is in the final. Our fairy tale is going on, still going on."

### MoraBanc Andorra head coach Oscar Quintana:

"We came out well, as the game needed us to be. They are a physical team and know exactly the way they have to play; hitting a lot of three-pointers allowed them to reach this point and win today. Once we changed units, we didn't keep the same intensity on defense, which was the key to stay in the game. After that, in the second half, we missed open shots, they made contested three-point shots and we didn't do well from the foul line. We came out well, focused, and then took the game to a more physical level. They have great athleticism and we tried to compete, and this is why we might be more fatigued in the final minutes, because their physical level is very high, with a lot of contact, and we were not able to keep the rhythm we had at the beginning of the game."

### Frutti Extra Bursaspor center Kevarrius Hayes:

"It is easy; we always focus on defense. We knew defense would win us this game. We came out hard and tried to be the best pitbulls we can be. We came out to leash - grrrr!"

### Frutti Extra Bursaspor guard Andrew Andrews:

"It was a hard-fought game. Much respect to Andorra, they came out and fought. The game was crazy: my teammates, everybody showed up ready to fight, and now we look forward to playing in the final. We have one more and will try to get it done. We have to take it game by game and we will get ready for Valencia or Virtus."

### Frutti Extra Bursaspor forward David Dudzinski:

"Unbelievable night for our team, for our city. We showed tonight that we deserve to be in this final. We are making something special here!"

### MoraBanc Andorra guard David Jelinek:

"In the end, they hit shots in some moments in which we weren't scoring. They knew how to be better than us in certain moments and we made some mistakes, allowing them to score easy baskets. They took a big lead, we tried to come back and up to a certain point, we had chances to do it, getting within 6 points or so. But then again, some mistakes, some easy baskets and some loose balls that went their way because they wanted it more. It is what it is. We wanted to win, especially in front of our fans, playing at home."

Dusan Alimpijevic - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-SF

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/OnuralpBitim?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OnuralpBitim</a> shocks the crowd with a huge dunk off a spin move!<a href="https://twitter.com/BsBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BsBasketbol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/tgGziuo3IS">pic.twitter.com/tgGziuo3IS</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1521560976822136832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[MoraBanc Andorra 68-85 Frutti Extra Bursaspor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/morabanc-andorra-frutti-extra-bursaspor/U2021/194/)

Bursaspor is going the EuroCup Final thanks to a no-doubt-about-it 68-85 victory in Andorra that might have been the Turkish team's best game of three consecutive road wins in the elimination rounds. The visitors nursed small leads in the first three quarters that added up to a 56-63 advantage before exploding on a 4-18 run to start the fourth quarter and put the game away. Andrew Andrews and Kevarrius Hayes gave Burspor a one-two, inside outside punch, the former with 20 points while the latter paired 11 points with 16 rebounds, the second-highest total in semifinals history. Derrick Needham added 13 points for the winners while Oriol Pauli led Andorra with 16 in his 100th EuroCup game.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/oriolpauli7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@oriolpauli7</a> goes all the way!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/VgODJ6dI1O">pic.twitter.com/VgODJ6dI1O</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1521556791296897024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

The first finalist from the 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup season is Frutti Extra Bursaspor of Turkey, which won its third consecutive do-or-die road game on Tuesday on the court of MoraBanc Andorra. Bursaspor advances to the championship game on Wednesday, May 11, against either Valencia Basket of Virtus Segafredo Bologna, who play their semifinal on Wednesday.

Game Night: Bursaspor is first to the EuroCup Final!

Derek Needham - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-SF

Here are some insightful comments about the game from the protagonists themselves.

Pre-game quotes: Valencia vs. Virtus

### Valencia Basket head coach Joan Peñarroya:

"It is a very thrilling game, obviously, a EuroCup Semifinal here at la Fonteta against such a high-quality opponent as Virtus turns tomorrow into a great day. The game is as tough as it gets. We arrive well, with clear ideas and physically better than in other ocassions, which doesn't mean that we arrive to it in perfect condition. Martin \[Hermannsson\] and Josep \[Puerto\] joined a part of our practice, and even when they are not 100%, they want to be there tomorrow. They will try to help the team as much as they can. Knowing the kind of opponent we are facing, at the start of the season and in the two games we played against them, they already had a really important roster. Now, with \[Daniel\] Hackett and \[Tornike\] Shengelia, it turns into a maximum-caliber roster in any competition outside the NBA. In both games against them, neither team had a full roster. Tomorrow, both rosters will be very different than the ones they had in the regular season. We saw that in both games that there were moments in which they were much better than us and we had to be very focused to return to the game, because it looked like we were running out of chances. They had a strong start in the first game in Bologna, and here in Valencia, they dominated us in the third quarter, and it was hard for us to get back to the game. We are aware of their quality, individually on offense, and that their physicality can make us be less fluid on offense than we usually are." 

### Sergio Scariolo, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach

"It is a fascinating but very difficult challenge. Valencia is a club with a great tradition: the last 10 years they have won the EuroCup or reached the final or have participated in the Euroleague with excellent results. They have a very high number of high-level players with great experience, and we know that they will be able to count on the support of the home crowd. For our part, we prepared very seriously: in the two games we lost against them, we weren't that far off. We want to compete, and once we ensure a high level of competitiveness, there will be a moment of the match where we will have our opportunities and we will have to be good at seizing them without letting them slip away."

Nenad Dimitrijevic - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21

Tornike Shengelia returns to familiar territory where he will try to help Virtus Segafedo Bologna overcome Valencia Basket in the EuroCup Semifinals.

Trademarks by Eurohoops: Tornike Shengelia’s EuroCup journey coming full circle

History repeats itself, though sometimes it happens to be just the opposite, especially when it comes to sports. Such is the case for Virtus Segafredo Bologna’s Tornike Shengelia, who is headed to the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals to face his former team, Valencia Basket, for a chance to reach the final and chase his second EuroCup title.

Two years after making his professional debut with Valencia in 2008, Shengelia was part of the squad that lifted the 2010 EuroCup. The Georgian forward only took part in three EuroCup contests in the 2009-10 campaign, scoring 3 points per game. His role wasn’t major by any means, yet this two-year stint was the perfect starting point to become one of the most dominant players in Europe.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1340547/tornike-shengelias-eurocup-journey-coming-full-circle/)

Tornike Shengelia - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Matteo Marchi - Virtus) - EC21-RS17

Here are five players we recommend you consider for your EuroCup Fantasy Challenge teams this week. 


Fantasy tips: And then there were four! 

The 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs have been as exciting as ever - if not more - with upsets, big wins, strong individual performances and wild game nights that some fans will never forget. Two weeks ago, 16 teams stood tall in the race for the EuroCup title. Only four teams are left and I bet not many had these four names in mind when the playoffs began. 
 
Frutti Extra Bursaspor was the only team to get back-to-back road wins to reach the semifinals; it defeated Partizan NIS Belgrade and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in front of massive sellout crowds to stay alive in the competition. It faces Andorra, which knocked out the top-seeded team, Gran Canaria, with a fourth-quarter comeback last week. On the other side of the bracket, Valencia Basket and Virtus Segafredo Bologna won both of their home games to reach the semifinals and battle for a championship game spot at La Fonteta. 
 
As for the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, only players from these four teams are available. Let's avoid each team's star - Andrew Andrews of Bursaspor, Codi Miller-McIntyre of Andorra, Bojan Dubljevic of Valencia and Milos Teodosic of Virtus - and look for cheaper options that can give you an edge in the race for the playoffs and finals prize. Here is one suggestion per team. 

Marco Belinelli, Onuralp Bitim, Sam Van Rossom, Oriol Pauli Top Plays of the 2021-22 Regular Season

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge tips semifinals

Onuralp Bitim, Frutti Extra Bursaspor (9.3 credits) - Andrews may get most of the attention, but Bitim has been outstanding since Bursaspor started to use a new rotation. Bitim had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the quarterfinals against Cedevita and was even better (20 points, 10 rebounds) in the eighthfinals against Partizan. 
 
Oriol Pauli, MoraBanc Andorra (9.1 credits) - Pauli made it to the EuroCup Finals with Gran Canaria in 2015 and wants to return with Andorra seven years later. He played really well in the eighthfinals against Buducnost VOLI Pogdorica with 8 points, 7 rebounds and a PIR of 13. Andorra needs his versatility, character and experience on this stage. 
 
Sam Van Rossom, Valencia Basket (9.5 credits) - Speaking of EuroCup experience, few have more than Van Rossom, a two-time champion with Valencia. Fully healthy now, Van Rossom had a season-high PIR of 20 - 15 points, 6 assists - against Virtus in Bologna earlier this season. When the game is on the line, Van Rossom should be running his team's offense. 
 
Marco Belinelli, Virtis Segafredo Bologna (10.8 credits) - He has been quiet lately, but everyone who follows European basketball knows that Belinelli always steps up in big games. Belinelli and Virtus lost in the EuroCup Semifinals against UNICS Kazan last season and he will do his best to avoid that feeling again. 

Sam Van Rossom - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21-QF

Crawford is in his first season with Andorra and averaging 9.6 points on 41.0% three-point shooting and 2.6 rebounds in 19 EuroCup games as a part-time starter. Other than being a reliable three-point shooter, Crawford is a physical player who can attack the rim effectively and help on the boards; he grabbed 9 rebounds in the eighthfinals showdown against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. His energy, versatility and deep shooting range should be important in one of the most critical matchups in this game. 

Bitim is enjoying a breakthrough season with Bursaspor, averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 17 games. He has been even better in the playoffs, getting his first-ever double-double - 20 points and 10 rebounds - in the eighthfinals against Partizan NIS Belgrade, and contributing 14 points and 6 rebounds against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in the quarters. A very versatile player, Bitim offers high intensity at both ends due to his quickness, character and off-the-charts self-confidence.

MoraBanc Andorra and Frutti Extra Bursaspor face each other for a spot in the finals. Drew Crawford of Andorra and Onuralp Bitim of Bursaspor should play important roles. 

Major Matchup: Andorra's Crawford vs. Bursaspor's Bitim 

Drew Crawford - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21-RS16