### MoraBanc Andorra head coach Oscar Quintana:

"Our rival of tomorrow arrives in extraordinary shape and with a lot of confidence as the last matches show. We want to win this game and qualify for the final. The way they are playing and having eliminated Partizan and Cedevita, they are the favorites to win but we will do everything possible to come out on top."

### MoraBanc Andorra player Codi Miller-McIntyre:

"We're really looking forward to playing and taking the next step in this competition. The team is very motivated to be able to play this game in front of our fans, it’s a great oportunity". 

Pre-game quotes: Andorra vs. Bursaspor

Clevin Hannah - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-EF

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

The 7DAYS EuroCup's new single-elimination format flipped one of the competition's most notable trends on its head. 

Stats Review: Bursaspor's trend-setting rise

### The Top 16 and Balance

In three of the previous five seasons – all played under the former Top 16 format – the EuroCup's most-efficient offensive team did not advance out of the regular season. In the two exceptions, the teams that were out in front in points per possession were also fairly good on the defensive end, too. Teams with high-powered offenses but lackluster defenses struggled to gain meaningful traction in the previous format, often falling behind more balanced teams in the standings early in the season. Getting stops consistently was not just a key for the EuroCup's top teams in recent years – it was nothing short of a requirement.

### Single-Elimination and Scoring

Fast-forward to this season, which marked the introduction of a longer regular season and single-elimination postseason, and Frutti Extra Bursaspor – a team that comfortably leads the competition in offensive efficiency but ranks last in defense, allowing more points per possession than it scores – is through to the semifinals. 

The EuroCup's new format was inevitably going to create some new trends. The question was: which trends? They could be standard things like home teams dominating and top seeds taking care of business. Or they could tilt toward outlier possibilities like a lower seed catching lightning in a bottle to score multiple upsets, or maybe an underachieving favorite getting healthy or finding chemistry at the right time to push through the finals. 

While it's still too early to say what trend will hold, the first single-elimination playoffs have had a little bit of everything, including only one top-six seed breaking through to the semifinals and Bursaspor's referendum on one of the league's most glaring recent trends.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor Top Plays from Partizan NIS Belgrade vs. Frutti Extra Bursaspor, 04/20/2022 and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Frutti Extra Bursaspor, 04/27/2022

Frutti Extra Bursaspor's playoffs offense

While Bursaspor earned a postseason berth essentially on offense alone, benefitting from the EuroCup's larger playoff field, they also have found some answers defensively in wins over Partizan Nis Belgrade and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. Scoring 1.05 points per possession over 89.5 possessions per game, they have played fast and efficient in those victories while also improving to allow just 0.92 points per possession on defense – a huge leap from the 1.06 points per possession Bursaspor gave to opponents throughout the rest of the season. 

On Tuesday in the semis, Bursaspor will take on a MoraBanc Andorra team that has also exceeded expectations in wins over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and Gran Canaria. Ranking 10th in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency on the season, Andorra is playing a bit better now on both sides of the ball. Andorra's timely defense in the final 10 minutes against Gran Canaria was a pivotal, showing how a single-elimination format magnifies every minute of action.

The intrigue in the Andorra-Bursaspor matchup may be who controls the pace of play. The fastest- and slowest-paced EuroCup teams this season averaged 88.3 and 77.7 possessions per game respectively. Bursaspor's 89.5-possession average through two playoff games represents a similar gap to Andorra's 79.5, so Andorra's ability to either slow down Bursaspor's high-powered offense or match it should be decisive.

On the other side of the bracket there are two of the usual suspects. No team has lifted the trophy in the EuroCup as often as Valencia, whose second-ranked offense led to comfortable playoffs wins so far over Hamburg Towers and Boulogne Metropolitans. On Wednesday, Valencia hosts Virtus Segafredo Bologna, a team with great balance that was very competitive all season but bolstered their roster with the additions of Daniel Hackett and Tornike Shengelia in early March. Winning seven of the last eight games, Virtus is a different team than the one that lost to Valencia by 1 point in Round 4 and 6 points on the road in Round 13. The strength-against-strength matchup between Valencia's offense and Virtus's defense will be one of the highlights of the semifinals.

Kevarrius Hayes - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21-QF

Derek Needham - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21-QF

MoraBanc Andorra guard Oriol Pauli returns with his blog before the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals to talk about his team's situation and its opponent on Tuesday, Frutti Extra Bursaspor of Turkey. Andorra comes off a quarterfinals road win against his former team, Gran Canaria, with whom Pauli reached the EuroCup Finals in 2015. Seven years later, he is aiming for a return!

Oriol Pauli, Andorra: 'It will be a hell of a game'

As you probably know, it is being a strange season for us. We are trying to avoid relegation in the Spanish League and at the same time, we made it to the EuroCup Semifinals. It is a bit strange, but it is what it is right now. We have to be happy about the work we did in the EuroCup, all season long. We did well, even when we didn't get the same results in the Spanish League. We kept winning and playing well in the EuroCup, and that allowed us to have more self-confidence and self-belief. We are in a complicated situation now in which the main goal is to avoid relegation and stay in the Spanish League, but at the same we have a great opportunity in the EuroCup. We have not only matched the club's best result to date in the EuroCup, be we playing the semifinal at home on Tuesday. Anything can happen and are looking forward to it!

We beat my former team Gran Canaria in the quarterfinals thanks to great defense down the stretch. It also happened to us in a Spanish League game against Burgos the previous weekend. Both were close games in which good defense allowed us to grow as a team. I think this is what we have to do, believe in our defense. We have more confidence now because in both games we were down 12 or 14 points, but the team kept working and never gave up. Those two wins were important and gave us a push for the final games of the season, which will be really hard.

"This is what we have to do, believe in our defense."

Oscar Quintana is our new coach. We were struggling before he came, and it wasn't easy. Oscar brought us fresh air and full trust in our skills. As soon as he arrived, he told us that he had signed for Andorra because he knew that we were great players who can change the current situation. He is making things simpler, too. When you have played a lot of games and had many losses and bad moments, you need a little bit of simplicity in terms of scouting and how we play. That has given us more freedom on the court because each player can focus on what he gives to the team and how to do it. 

I feel confident right now. In the end, all these changes, especially when you switch coaches, affected us whether we liked it or not. But I am in a good moment, playing with confidence, physically strong and looking forward to helping the team in the EuroCup and in the Spanish League. We have to keep winning games and keep our spot in the Spanish League. It is almost the end of the season and all players feel physically and mentally tired, but in my case, I am feeling good. I hope I can stay like that until the end of the season and help Andorra reach our goals. 

We played our EuroCup Quarterfinals game a day before the one between Cedevita and Bursaspor, so we had the chance to watch them and find out about our next opponent. We were watching a bit of it on the bus while we were still on our way back from Gran Canaria. I watched the second half at home. Those halves were very different. In the first, Bursaspor dominated. We were amazed to see them play like that. Cedevita bounced back in the second half and was close to winning it, but Jacob Pullen's shot came after the buzzer. All the games that I have seen in the EuroCup Playoffs are similar in the sense that this is a unique opportunity and no team wants to waste it. This is why we have seen epic comebacks. We have to be ready for everything. It is one game and everything can happen! 

Oriol Pauli Top Plays of the 2021-22 Regular Season

2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup highlights Oriol Pauli MoraBanc Andorra

In all honesty, we wanted to play at home to avoid a long trip. It has been a long season and we traveled a lot. Road trips from Andorra are not easy and wanted to play at home also to have more energy for the next Spanish League game. The more we can stay here, the better we will prepare, so we wanted Bursaspor to win so that we could play the semifinal at home, in front of our people. 

It is no secret that we will need to stop Andrew Andrews if we want to win the game. We watched their game against Partizan, all of us together at my place. We freaked out on the way Andrews controlled the game from the beginning until the end in such a tough place to play like Belgrade. They have good shooters like John Holland, who is also experienced. They play as a team, not as a bunch of individuals. They know how to play together, helping each other. It will be a tough opponent; not every team wins in Belgrade and Ljubljana. Right now, they are full of confidence and not bothered about playing at home or on the road. It will be a hell of a game. 

"This is a unique opportunity and no team wants to waste it."

I don't know if you saw Holland's video on social media of his halftime interview from the quarterfinal game. We didn't make any interview saying we are pit bulls, but we have a lot of energy and are willing to play against them, beat them and make it to the final. It has been a long season, but the team is confident and focused right now. We know what we have to do, we are very aggressive on defense, and we play at home, at 'La Bombonera'. It is a small court, and they have a long trip ahead of them. Those factors work in our favor. And they may be pit bulls, but we have 'The Wolf', Codi Miller-McIntyre! Codi is playing with amazing confidence and is helping us a lot. He knows what the team needs and I hope he plays another great game. That will probably mean we will have a better chance to reach the EuroCup Final!

In a do-or-die battle of powerhouses seeking a championship game spot, Valencia Basket hosts Virtus Segafredo Bologna at La Fonteta on Wednesday. 

Semifinals breakdown: Valencia Basket vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna

### Valencia keeps making history

Valencia will play in the EuroCup Semifinals for the ninth time and the record of its previous appearances works in its favor. Valencia won its semifinals and ended up lifting the trophy in 2003, 2010, 2014 and 2019. It also made it to the finals in 2012 and 2017, when it lost to Khimki Moscow Region and Unicaja Malaga, respectively. That's six semifinal wins in eight appearances. Its only losses came against Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in 2005 and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2013.

Sam Van Rossom and Bojan Dubljevic have a chance to win their third EuroCup crown, something that only former teammate Rafa Martinez and Coach Rimas Kurtinaitis have done in the past. Van Rossom and Dubljevic won in both 2014 and 2019. Victor Claver, Louis Labeyrie and Mike Tobey are also former EuroCup champions. Claver lifted the trophy with Valencia as team captain in 2010. Labeyrie and Tobey claimed their first EuroCup crown in 2019.

VALENCIA BASKET Top Plays from VALENCIA BASKET vs. Hamburg Towers, 04/20/2022 and VALENCIA BASKET vs. Levallois Metropolitans, 04/27/2022

Valencia Basket 2022 playoffs highlights

### Virtus is back in the semis

Virtus has advanced to the semifinals for the 17th time in European competition, including four EuroLeague appearances at this stage (1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002). Toko Shengelia won the EuroCup with Valencia as an 18-year-old in 2010, but did not play after the quarterfinals. Milos Teodosic is a EuroLeague champion with CSKA Moscow in 2016, Marco Belinelli won the NBA championship with San Antonio in 201, and Coach Sergio Scariolo reached the EuroCup Finals with Khimki in 2009.

This will be Virtus's second consecutive EuroCup Semifinals appearance. Last season, Virtus had the home-court advantage in a best-of-three playoff series against UNICS Kazan and took the opener for its 20th consecutive victory in the competition. UNICS, however, went on to win the next two games. Six players - Amedeo Tessitori, Alessandro Pajola, Amar Alibegovic, Kyle Weems, Teodosic and Belinelli - from that squad remain on the Virtus roster.

### Earlier this season

Valencia and Virtus faced each other twice in the regular season. In Round 4, Valencia arrived in Bologna without Neno Dimitrijevic, Claver, Tobey and Labeyrie and beat Virtus 96-97 behind 20 points from Klemen Prepelic. Van Rossom scored 15 points, Martin Hermannsson and Jasiel Rivero both had 11 and Dubljevic finished with 10 points. Weems led Virtus with 30 points. Virtus led 46-25 late in the first half, but Valencia came back, took the lead with less than 3 minutes left and converted all 6 free throws in the final 35 seconds to secure the win.

In Round 13, Valencia held on to an 83-77 victory against Virtus at La Fonteta. Prepelic, who won't be available in the semifinals due to injury, led the way again with 19 points. Jaime Pradilla added 10 for Valencia. Weems had 17 points for Virtus, which was still without new signings Daniel Hackett and Toko Shengelia. Valencia outrebounded Virtus 47-33 in what was one of the keys to the game along with the hosts' free throw accuracy: 92% (23 of 25).

Segafredo Virtus Bologna Top Plays from Segafredo Virtus Bologna vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys, 04/20/2022 and Segafredo Virtus Bologna vs. ratiopharm Ulm, 04/26/2022

Virtus Segafredo Bologna 2022 playoffs highlights

### Offensive-minded squads

Valencia and Virtus have been two of the most efficient teams when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. Valencia ranks second in scoring (88.0 ppg.) this season and Virtus is fifth (83.9 ppg.). Virtus is first in assists (22.2 ppg.), with Valencia right behind (20.9 apg.). They rank fourth and 10th, respectively, in all-time assist average in EuroCup history. Teodosic leads the EuroCup in assists with 8.5 per game. Valencia had 33 assists in its regular-season finale against ratiopharm Ulm - 1 shy of tying the competition record, which is shared by Khimki Moscow Region and Aykon TED Ankara Kolejliler.

So many assists led to good two-point shooting percentages. Valencia leads the competition at 58.0%, having made 406 of 700 shots inside the arc. Virtus is fourth at 56.6%, converting 461 of its 814 two-point attempts. Players from both teams lead the individual rankings, too. Pradilla tops the charts (80.7%), Rivero is second (72.2%) and Mam Jaiteh of Virtus is fifth (71.0%). Four more Virtus players have made more than 60% of their two-pointers: Tessitori (64.6%), Isaia Cordinier (63.8%), Weems (61.1%) and Jakarr Sampson (60.2%). Valencia centers Tobey (61.9%) and Dubljevic (61.8%) are two more of the 36 players shooting better than 60% inside the arc in the EuroCup this season.

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

Hear from Frutti Extra Bursaspor's star guard Andrew Andrews in this week's interview. 

Andrew Andrews, Bursaspor: 'Everything we have done is history'

Frutti Extra Bursaspor has played the Cinderella role in the EuroCup playoffs close to perfection, upsetting two of the favorites to win the competition, Partizan NIS Belgrade and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, on the road in front of sellout crowds. Andrew Andrews has been a major reason for his team's success. After a mid-season lineup shakeup, Andrews embraced a larger role and has averaged 23.3 points and a PIR of 23.9 over his last 10 games, in which he's led Bursaspor to seven wins. Andrews had 24 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists against Partizan in the eighthfinals and 12 points against Cedevita in the quarters. Full of confidence after becoming one of the biggest stars in the competition, Andrews gave credit to his teammates for Bursaspor's recent run. "I just try to find ways, trying to figure out what the team needs. And it's not only me; everyone on the team stepped up, and we all were more than capable," Andrews said. "The role had to be spread out through all of us. We were all ready for the challenge."

**Hello, Andrew. Congratulations on a great win in Ljubljana. Both teams came into this game with great rhythm. What allowed you to have the chance to win it down the stretch?** 

"I just think the firepower of our team on both sides of the ball. I know our stats don't show that we are a good defensive team, but we are really good defensive players and we are able to get the stops when we need them. And also offensively, we just have a lot of guys in our team who can make plays and it's very hard to try and stop everything that we bring to the table as far as our offensive firepower. So I think that showed in the Cedevita game, knowing that they have won a lot in a row, but also we have played them twice. They were in our group and we beat them at home. And on the road, the second time we played them, we didn't have a full team, so we felt like we could beat them again." 

"I really know how to play basketball and if I'm not scoring, I can pass the ball, I can rebound the ball, I can defend." 

**You played in front of two amazing atmospheres in Belgrade and Ljubljana, but also had great home crowds behind you. How much fun is that, after being without fans for a long time?** 

"It's amazing! It brings you back to college. I think most of our guys here played at pretty prominent colleges or at least had atmospheres in college where they have been in packed houses and got to experience the energy of an arena and definitely, Partizan and Cedevita brought that energy back and turned it into more of a performance than a basketball game. Because now, you get to showcase not only to Europe but to the fans watching the game what you are capable of doing." 

**How much are you enjoying the new EuroCup format, with so many do-or-die games?** 

"This is my first year in the EuroCup, so the format to me is the only format I'm kind of used to. I think it's good, it obviously gives teams with lower budgets or teams who aren't expected to win or get to the finals to have a shot because, in one game, anything can happen. But also, a lot of these teams have gone on the road and won. The only bad part is, I guess, you don't have a chance to redeem yourself if you have an off night. The whole rest of the season can be thrown away off one bad night."

**Bursaspor had a couple of departures and an injured player when you stepped up to lead the team. What went through your mind in that process?**

"I just try to find ways, try to figure out what the team needs. And it's not only me: everyone on the team stepped up, and we all were more than capable. I mean, from Derek \[Needham\] to Dave \[Dudzinski\] to Hayes to Onuralp \[Bitim\], everyone came in new once obviously Al \[Allerik Freeman\] left, one of the leading scorers in the EuroCup, and we lost our big man \[Egemen Guven\]. The role had to be spread out through all of us. We were all ready for the challenge and it kind of showed through the practices leading up to their departures what we are capable of. And that just kind of brought us closer together. We knew that we could do something special."

Andrew Andrews Top Plays from 03/14/2022 to 04/28/2022

Andrew Andrews shines in leading role

**You have been rock-solid in the last three months, with great self-confidence. What's the secret?** 

"I think I just pride myself. I really know how to play basketball and if I'm not scoring, I can pass the ball, I can rebound the ball, I can defend. So I really try not to focus on scoring as much as just trying to make the right plays. And on the basketball floor, I take my shots when I see it fit and honestly, just putting in the work. I think me and my teammates come into the gym every day, work on some of the stuff that you guys see during the game and it has been paying off."

**How much credit does Coach Alimpijevic deserve for the team's success and your individual performance?** 

"I think he deserves a lot of credit. Obviously, he made decisions and some of the guys departed. So he saw something in us as far as what we were capable of doing. Like I said, Allerik Freeman was great for us, Egemen was great for us, Anthony Brown was great for us. And to be able to see that as a coach and still allow those players, and still give us a chance to flourish was an amazing job on his behalf. And then just for me personally, just challenging me to be who I am. I remember we had a team meeting when we played Cedevita on the road. I would sit out of that game, but he challenged me to be who I am or who he's seen me be. And he has challenged everybody in that way as well. So he is just giving you confidence and he is going to allow you to make mistakes and figure it out on the court."

**John Holland has been the missing piece in the puzzle. How has he helped you become an even better team?** 

"When we signed John, we collectively as a team knew that he was going to help get us to where we wanted to be. And we just knew that based off John's resume; we have all seen him play we know he's a big-time player. He stepped in and has done exactly that. And not only just his playing, just his energy. What he brings personality-wise to our team as well is something that we needed. He's just overall a really good player, a really good guy. He's going to help our team tremendously and he gave us more depth offensively and defensively. He has been tremendous for us."

"I don't think we feel any pressure as a team. We are fully confident in who we are as a team and who we are as players."

**He went viral with that halftime interview in the game against Cedevita. How did the team react to it?** 

"Yeah, we couldn't believe it. But after seeing it, it's 100% who John is. And that's what I'm talking about as far as who he is as a person and what he brings to our team. The charisma, the desire... just his energy as a whole. It's just been incredible. We got to showcase that in that interview."

**You will play against Andorra in the semifinals. Both teams have a unique chance to reach the final. Is that extra pressure a big factor in this game?** 

"I don't think so. I don't think we feel any pressure as a team. We are fully confident in who we are as a team and who we are as players. And we feel if we just go out there and try and play to the best of our capabilities, that's the best we can do. So there's no pressure when you're in that type of mindset. We have no expectations. We just know we need to go in there and play hard and let the results follow."

**Bursaspor is a young club but also very ambitious, two steps away from winning a European title. Do you feel like you have a great opportunity to make history?** 

"Yeah, for sure. the club was in the Turkish second division two years ago. So everything we have done up to this point is history. So we don't really try and look too far ahead. Like I said, we know we have to play against Andorra. A lot of our motto has been just to try and take things step by step and just keep trying to find ways to stay consistent and keep getting better."

Andrew Andrews - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Bursaspor) - EC21-RS13

Fourth-seeded MoraBanc Andorra hosts seventh-seeded Frutti Extra Bursaspor in the first 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals on Tuesday. Both teams are looking to reach the championship game for the first time.

Semifinal breakdown: MoraBanc Andorra vs. Frutti Extra Bursaspor

### Unlikely collision

After finishing fourth in regular season Group A, Andorra did not expect to be hosting its semifinal game, but it is playing at home thanks to – Bursaspor. As the seventh seed, Bursaspor first rallied in the final 14 seconds of regulation before downing Partizan NIS Belgrade 95-103 in overtime in the eighthfinals and then held off Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 83-85 in the quarterfinals last week.

No. 2 seed Partizan and 3 seed Cedevita would have both had the right to host Andorra, which reached the semifinals thanks to a pair of come-from-behind wins. Andorra beat Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 74-64 in the eighthfinals through a big second half in which it outscored the opponent 38-22 over the final 19 minutes of the contest. In the quarterfinals, Andorra trailed 54-41 midway through the third quarter before rallying to beat fellow Spanish League side Gran Canaria 77-79.

MoraBanc Andorra Top Plays from 11/01/2021 to 05/02/2022

MoraBanc Andorra's best plays of the season

### Playmaking battle

Point guards on both sides will have key roles in this game. Codi Miller-McIntyre has been Andorra's motor as the team's top scorer (13.7 ppg.) and sometimes even more so with his 7.0 assists, which rank him second in the EuroCup this season. Miller-McIntyre has also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Hannah is the only other Andorra player averaging double-digits in scoring (11.8 ppg.) and he has improved that number to 18.0 points during the post-season. Hannah also ranks second on the team in assists (3.7 apg.).

On the other side, Derek Needham and Andrew Andrews pull all the strings for Bursaspor. Andrews is posting 14.2 points and 4.3 assists, while Needham has 13.3 points and 4.8 assists. In the knockout stage, Andrews has averaged 18.0 points and Needham 17.0 with both playing more than 33 minutes per game. Bursaspor has committed the second-fewest turnovers (11.8 per game) and, led by Needham and Andrews, it will try to keep it that way against an Andorra side that has forced the third-fewest turnovers (11.7).

### Long-range artillery

Both teams rely heavily on their long-range shooting and no team has made more three-pointers in the postseason than Bursaspor, which was tied for the most triples in the eighthfinals (13) and topped that mark by hitting a quarterfinals-high 14 threes. Bursaspor has done it at 46.6% accuracy, led by John Holland who is shooting 8-for-13 and Needham who is 8-for-15 in the two elimination games.

Andorra, on the other hand, has not shined with its three-point shooting like Bursaspor, but it has been an important factor. Hannah shot 6-for-10 in the eighthfinals against Buducnost and David Jelinek made 5 of 7 threes in the quarterfinals against Gran Canaria. During the regular season, in 10 wins Andorra averaged 10.1 triples on 39.6% shooting but just 8.3 per game on 33.2% in its six losses.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor Top Plays from 11/01/2021 to 05/02/2022

Frutti Extra Bursaspor's best plays of the season

### Sticking to coaching recipes

Andorra appointed Oscar Quintana as head coach days before its eighthfinals clash and he has guided the team to two big wins and a return to the semifinals, where Andorra already played in 2019. Quintana has spread the minutes evenly in those two games, using 11 different players in the eighthfinals and 10 different players in the quarterfinals, with all but one player spending more than 11 minutes on the floor. That approach has worked for Andorra, just like Coach Dusan Alimpijevic's plan has worked for Bursaspor.

Alimpijevic has gone the opposite way, using an eight-man rotation where playmaker Omer Al has made a brief 5-minute appearance. Each of the seven heavily-used Bursaspor players has averaged more than 22 minutes during the postseason and five of them are averaging double-digits in scoring in the last two games.

MoraBanc Andorra celebrates (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21-EF

Players Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21-QF

Valencia Basket and Virtus Segafredo Bologna were among the preseason favorites in the 7DAYS EuroCup and now they will clash for a ticket to the championship game. 

Keys to victory: Valencia vs. Virtus

### Valencia must find more perimeter production

Valencia swept two games from Virtus in the regular season, but it will need a new game plan this time. Star guard Klemen Prepelic accounted for 21.7% of the team’s points (39 in total) in those two games and point guard Sam Van Rossom was the only other player to average at least 10 points (13.5 ppg.) in those games. Valencia dominated the boards, outrebounding Virtus by a total of 23 in the two games, but only managed to shoot 45.5% on two-pointers against Virtus. Valencia must shoot closer to its EuroCup-leading 58.0% on twos and find someone to make up for Prepelic’s perimeter production to keep Virtus at bay.

### Winning the turnover battle would bode well for Virtus 

Virtus won the turnover battle in each of its two knock-out round games, forcing Lietkabelis Panevezys into 6 more turnovers than it committed and ratiopharm Ulm into 9 more. It needed those extra possessions because Virtus’s three-point shooting has fallen into a dangerous slum; the team is shooting 13.9% from deep (6 for 43) over those games, despite shooting 36.4% on threes during the regular season. Virtus needs its marksmen like Marco Belinelli and Kyle Weems to knock down their threes and for the quick hands of Alessandro Pajola and Weems to force turnovers that can be cashed in for some easy buckets to improve Virtus’s chances of getting to the final. 

Marco Belinelli - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21

The identity of the first EuroCup Finalist for this season will be known after MoraBanc Andorra and Frutti Extra Bursaspor meet on Tuesday night. 

Keys to victory: Andorra vs. Bursaspor

### Andorra must control the glass, limit the turnovers

Rebounding has been a strength for Andorra this season with the team averaging 2.5 more rebounds per game than its opponent. Bursaspor has been outrebounded by 1.6 boards per game. It outrebounded Buducnost VOLI Podgorica by 20 in the eighthfinals and lost the rebounding battle by just 2 in the quarterfinals at Gran Canaria. A strong showing on the glass would help Coach Oscar Quintana’s side. Andorra has struggled this season with turnovers; its 13.9 per game are fifth-worst in the competition. Lowering that number would also benefit the team in its bid to reach the title game.

### Threes have been key to Bursaspor’s run

Bursaspor was already one of the best three-point shooting teams during the regular season when it made 38.4% of its shots from downtown, which was third-best in the competition. That number has skyrocketed in the knockout rounds after it made 13 of 25 shots in stunning Partizan NIS Belgrade in the eighthfinals and 14 of 33 to topple Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in the quarters. That 46.5% conversion rate in those two-pressure-filled games is somewhat otherworldly and explains a lot about the team’s success since more than 43% of the team’s points in those games came from threes – including nearly half against Cedevita! Another hot night from John Holland, Derek Needham and co. from deep could make the difference on Tuesday. 

Here is where you can watch the Semifinals game between Valencia Basket vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

TV Info,  Valencia vs. Virtus

**Balcans:** SPORTKLUB 3

**Baltics:** TV3 SPORT OPEN / GO3

**Bulgaria:** MAX SPORT 3

**France:** MCS BASKET

**Greece:** NOVASPORTS 5

**Georgia:** SILK SPORT 2 HD

**In-Flight Vision:** IMG ARENA

**Internet:** [EUROLEAGUE.TV](http://EUROLEAGUE.TV)

**Israel:** SPORT 1

**Italy:** SKY SPORT UNO and ELEVEN SPORTS

**Poland:** POLSAT SPORT EXTRA

**Portugal:** SPORT.TV6

**Slovenia:** SPORT TV2

**Spain:** DAZN & DAZN1 and TELEDEPORTE