### Gran Canaria leans on its big men 

Gran Canaria relies on its frontcourt to make the difference in this game. Olek Balcerwoski, Artem Pustovyi and Khalifa Diop give Coach Porfi Fisac many different options to use against Mitchell Watt. Controlling the defensive boards and imposing its trademark high tempo are two of the biggest keys for Gran Canaria. The hosts only allow 10.1 offensive boards despite holding opponents to poor shooting percentages (49.4% 2FG) inside the arc. If Andrew Albicy, A.J. Slaughter and Dylan Ennis can run the floor and feel comfortable, things should be easier for the hosts.

Keys to victory: Gran Canaria vs. Reyer 

Dylan Ennis - Gran Canaria (photo Alessandro Scarpa - Reyer) - EC21

Gran Canaria v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-04-06T19:00:00.000Z)

### Slask needs new go-to guys 

Slask Wroclaw is without Travis Trice, Ivan Ramljak and most recently, Aleksander Dziewa, who missed a Polish League game this weekend. As such, D'Mitrik Trice should be Slask's main backcourt threat on offense along with Kodi Justice. Meanwhile, Kerem Kanter, the competition's leading rebounder (8.7 rpg.) is set to see most of the playing time around the basket against a physical frontcourt led by Moussa Diagne and Babatunde Olumuyiwa. Slask ranks 18th in scoring (73.4 ppg.) and needs to improve its two-point shooting percentage (47.3%) to boost its chances. 

### Andorra relies on its depth 

MoraBanc Andorra has a very deep roster and that works in its favor against an injury-plagued opponent. Twelve different players average at least 5.0 points for Andorra this season, and its top scorer, Codi Miller-McIntyre, scores 13.5 per night. Andorra is shooting the ball well inside the arc (55.5% 2FG) but needs to cut down on turnovers (14.0 per game) to be more competitive. Experienced players such as Clevin Hannah, Oriol Pauli and Miller-McIntyre should step up in this important game, as Andorra has the chance to gain the home-court advantage in the eighthfinals.

Slask Wroclaw takes on MoraBanc Andorra in Round 18. Both teams have qualified for the EuroCup Eighthfinals.

Keys to victory: Slask vs. Andorra

Travis Trice - Slask Wroclaw (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21

Slask Wroclaw v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-04-06T16:45:00.000Z)

Hamburg came into the game without guards Caleb Homesley – the team's top scorer and assist-maker – and Justus Hollatz, who ranks second on the team in assists. 

Lietkabelis stopped the hosts in their tracks after tipoff, holding Hamburg scoreless through almost 5 minutes and leading 6-20 in the final one of the first quarter. The Lietkabelis margins would hit 20 points in each half and settle on 72-87 at the finish.

One big reason was Hamburg's lack of assists. Coming into the game ranked fourth in the league with 20.0 dishes per game, Hamburg couldn't find that passing lanes due to the intense defense of Lietkabelis.

As such, the visitors ended up doubling the hosts in assists, 20 to 10, but doing so by committee. Gediminas Orelik had a game-high 4 while a quartet of his teammates – Nikola Radicevic, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Vytenis Lipkevicius and Kristupas Zemaitis – had 3 each.

It is easy to say that when players are missing from one team, the other should win. But undermanned teams pull out victories all the time, especially at home, and Lietkabelis Panevezys made sure early that the same would not happen in its makeup of a Round 13 game with Hamburg Towers on Monday.

Telling numbers: Lietkabelis doubled Hamburg in assists

Hamburg Towers v Lietkabelis Panevezys (2022-04-04T17:30:00.000Z)

Panagiotis Kalaitzakis - Lietkabelis Panevezys (Photo Marvin Contessi) - EC21-RS13

Lietkabelis lifted its record to 9-6 and took over fourth place in Group B due to its tie-break advantage against MoraBanc Andorra. Gediminas Orelik and Vytenis Lipkavecius led six double-digit Lietkabelis scorers with 16 points each. Panagiotis Kalaitzakis and Kaspars Berzins added 12 apiece while Djordje Gagic and Kristupas Zemaitis scored 11 each. Hamburg fell to 7-8 and now must beat Turk Telekom on Wednesday to finish any higher than seventh. Newly-arrived Trevon Bluiett paced Hamburg with 19 points, while Jaylon Brown added 17 and Maik Kotsar 16.  

Only a free throw by Zemaitis fell during 2 minutes until Gagic's hook shot put Lietkabelis up 0-3. Kalaitzakis added to the visitors' lead as Hamburg would wait almost 5 minutes until Kotsar spun in the lane for a basket. Dovydas Giedraitis and Robin Christen then traded layups but Lipkevicius and Orelik took Lietkabelis from there to a 6-16 advantage. Berzins winged in a pair of triples from there as Lietkabelis raced ahead 8-24 after 10 minutes. 

Hamburg went to Kotsar and Brown for pairs of baskets inside to quickly pull within 17-25 in the second quarter. Gagic's second score of the quarter fell but Kotsar and Brown kept it going, the latter with a nifty finger roll, as the hosts narrowed the gap to 21-27. Kalaitzakis steadied Lietkabelis with back-to-back triples before Orelik finished off a steal and suddenly it was 21-35. Lipkevius and Bluiett traded triples but Orelik lengthened the lead and Lipkevicius drilled another three-pointer for a 25-45 lead. Berzins banged home his third triple already but Brown answered in kind. Bluiett kept Hamburg going with his own before Kalaitzakis beat the halftime buzzer to leave a 35-52 score. 

Kotsar and Seth Hinrichs got Hamburg rolling after the break but Gagic soon matched them to make it 39-56. Brown and Max DiLeo responded for the hosts and Bluiett followed them from the corner to suddenly drop the difference to 46-56. Orelik beat the shot-clock buzzer with a triple and fed Lipkevicius for a reverse layup to reawaken Lietkabelis. Bluiett interrupted an exchange of free throws with a put-back in the final minute of the third quarter, after which Lietkabelis still led 50-65. 

Hamburg got the first two baskets of the fourth quarter from Bluiett. Zemaitis buried 2 triples around his own steal to end another threat with his team leading 56-71. Lipkevicius decided he liked the idea and hit his own shot from deep. Bluiett tried to rally Hamburg but Lipkevicius got 3 points the hard way and Berzins soon gave the visitors their biggest lead of the game, 60-81. With less than 3 minutes left, the outcome was clear and the win was headed back to Lithuania.

Lietkabelis Panevezys avenged an early-season home loss and boosted its quest for home-court advantage in the 7DAYS EuroCup Eigthfinals by rolling over host Hamburg Towers 72-87 in a makeup of their rescheduled Round 13 game. 

Lietkabelis rolls Hamburg to take over fourth place

Gediminas Orelik - Lietkabelis Panevezys (Photo Marvin Contessi) - EC21-RS13

This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 13 showdown between Hamburg Towers and Lietkabelis Panevezys.

Post-game quotes: Hamburg vs. Lietkabelis

#### Lietkabelis Panevezys head coach Nenad Canak

"We managed to stop their easy points from fastbreaks. We could have managed to do a better job, for sure, boxing out to deny their offensive rebounds. But at the end, I think it was a very important win for us because we still have a chance to be in the first four teams in our group. We were very focused. We tried to play better one-on-one defense. We tried to limit our rotation to deny them space for open shots. And I think we played smart by using our fouls well, which was very important today."

#### Hamburg Towers head coach Pedro Calles

"I think that we had a slow start. Even before the game, we had handicaps. So we couldn't recover from that. But I think that after the slow start, my players battled, and I think that this game helped us to get some players in rhythm. We didn't lose our heads, we kept playing basketball, and as I mentioned, a player like Trevon Bluiett, playing out of position, this game was good for him to find his confidence and his playing time."

#### Lietkabelis Panevezys guard Gediminas Orelik

"A win is a win, whether you like the game or you don't like it. We come to the court to fight. It doesn't matter if it was intense or no. We came here to win and we did our task. In two more days, we have one more game, so I hope we are going to win the second one and we're going to stay in third place. I think we've improved in every way as a team. In all communications. We have a great coach who puts everyone in the right places. I think that's why we are playing so good, because we're a team, not just on the court but outside of the court, too. I just play my game. Coach knows what I do. I am happy to help my team win."

Nenad Canak - Lietkabelis Panevezys (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21-RS17

#### [Hamburg Towers 72-87 Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/hamburg-towers-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2021/123/)

Lietkabelis avenged an early-season home loss and boosted its quest for home-court advantage in the 7DAYS EuroCup Eigthfinals by rolling over host Hamburg 72-87 in a makeup of their rescheduled Round 13 game. Lietkabelis lifted its record to 9-6 and took over fourth place in Group B due to its tie-break advantage against MoraBanc Andorra. Hamburg fell to 7-8 and now must beat Turk Telekom on Wednesday to finish any higher than seventh. Gediminas Orelik and Vytenis Lipkavecius led six double-digit Lietkabelis scorers with 16 points each. Newly-arrived Trevon Bluiett paced Hamburg with 19 points. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kalatzaikis at the buzzer to close the half! <a href="https://twitter.com/BCLietkabelis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCLietkabelis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/wHnEE2zmRb">pic.twitter.com/wHnEE2zmRb</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1511048853520195584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </center>

Game Night: Lietkabelis rolls Hamburg to take over fourth place in Group A

Lietkabelis Panevezys celebrates (Photo Marvin Contessi) - EC21-RS13

Hamburg Towers, the only debutant in the 7DAYS EuroCup, has made it to the playoffs and its biggest star has been Caleb Homesley. The left-handed swingman ranks fourth in scoring in the EuroCup this season with 17.6 points per game in addition to 3.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Hamburg is the first European stop in his professional career and he's been making the most of it. As he and his team prepare for the knock-out stage, Homesley knows the pressure should be on other squads, as he said in this EuroCupBasketball.com interview. "Going into the EuroCup, we really had nothing to lose. People didn't expect us to do anything, so it's the same exact thing. We will probably end up going to play on the road somewhere and they won't expect us to win," Homesley said. "And we will play with a little chip on our shoulder like we do every game."

Caleb Homesley, Hamburg: 'I came here to win and help Pedro win'

**Hello Caleb, congratulations on a great season. It is your first season in Europe, how are you enjoying the experience of playing on this side of the Atlantic and in the EuroCup in particular?** 

"Thank you. I am enjoying it a lot. I knew taking this job would be different for me, just coming over here, different style of basketball and what I was accustomed to or used to. But I think Pedro \[Calles\] did a really good job trying to implement little things and kind of show me the right way to play over here. And I think that just kind of propelled me this season to help me have a good season and help the team have a good season. The travel is great. Obviously, it is my first time in Europe, but just being able to travel to different types of countries, coming from where I'm from... I live on the East Coast and it's hard to get to the West Coast of the States. It's a long flight. So being able to take a short flight somewhere here in Germany and end up in Paris or end up in Spain, any of these places that we go to play basketball is really neat."

**You proposed to your girlfriend in Hamburg, at Alster Lake. Now she is your fiancee. How was that moment?** 

"I knew a timeline, when I was going to do it. It just happened that I ended up taking this job and I was over here. She came over here to visit me for three months, so I decided, '[why not do it here](https://www.instagram.com/p/CaDLrKSOett/)?' It's something that's memorable and we will both remember it forever. It is something that not a lot of people get to do, going to go to another country to propose and get engaged. So I thought it was perfect timing." 

"Pedro [Calles] is not into wins and losses per se, but more about the process, and I think that's why we are winning."

**Hamburg started 1-6 in the EuroCup and is 6-3 since. You were the most inexperienced team in the EuroCup before it started. How much did you need that period of adjustment?** 

"Yeah. We just had to figure it out. I think we got more confident as the games went on. I think that going into it, we were kind of skeptical. We were using those games to get better for our domestic games. And it just so happened that by getting better in those games, we ended up winning some games. And once you start winning some games, guys on the team get confident and you just kind of keep it rolling. And I think that's what we did. I think we just go into every game just thinking, let's get better, let's focus on ourselves. I think when we do that, we have a good shot." 

**Pedro Calles is one of the best young coaches in Europe. How is it to work for him?** 

"It's great. Pedro understands the game of basketball, and most importantly, he understands you as a person as well. He knows that there's life outside of basketball, but once you step inside the court, he wants everything from you and I think that's a huge deal. I think that's the reason why we are having success. He's always telling us, just focus on ourselves, don't really focus on the other team, who the other team may have, or that the other team might have more talent than us. We just have to focus on ourselves, go out there and play. He is not into wins and losses per se, but more about the process, and I think that's why we are winning."

Caleb Homesley Top Plays of the 2021-22 Regular Season

2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup highlights Caleb Homesley Hamburg Towers

**Hamburg has a different basketball brand, playing physical, taking a lot of threes, putting pressure on the ball and powering the offensive rebounds. How fun is it to play for this team, considering all that?** 

"You just got to play hard. Once you play hard, with this system, good things happen. I think he has put us in perfect positions to beat big clubs, like when we go up against Andorra. It's just an unconventional way of playing at times, but it works for us because we might not be the most talented, but we are going to go out there and like he says all the time, we are going to go out there and be the most aggressive team on the court."

**The EuroCup playoffs are around the corner. It's like a 16-team NCAA tournament, but with professional players, something unprecedented in European basketball. How much are you looking forward to EuroCup Spring Madness?** 

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It is win-or-go-home. Those games are always fun. It puts a little bit more tension into the games. On any given night, anybody can be hot, anybody can play their best basketball. So it's not more of a five-game series. It's just one and done, so I'm looking forward to it."

**We were told that you are logging your basketball experience and thinking of writing an autobiography down the road. Is that true?** 

"Yes, yes, down the line. I think that I'm going to start just about my basketball experience in general. And I think I just thought whenever I got out here, just knowing that I have been to different countries and I can talk about my experience there, how I played, what the atmosphere was like and just different things like that. Just memories, man. It's one of those things you see basketball players do it all the time. Whether it's about that, whether it's about a motivational book... For me, I just want to talk about my experiences and how to overcome different things and different obstacles." 

"We might not be the most talented, but we are going to go out there and... be the most aggressive team on the court."

**Hamburg plays two games this week, and one of them is agaisnt Turk Telekom Ankara. Earlier this season, you had 29 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists against Turk Telekom. What do you remember about that game?** 

"It was a fast-paced game. I also know that they were down some players when we played them the first time. So it's going to be a totally different game and it's always a different game when you play on the road as well. I think, for us, we just got to keep doing what we are doing and focus on ourselves. And I think that good things will happen."

**You are building a basketball culture in Hamburg, with a young coach, ambitious players and good scouting. How does it feel to be part of this culture, to put Hamburg on the European basketball map?** 

"I think it's important. I came here to win and help Pedro win. I think that he knows my goal and I think I know his goal. And I think that the way he communicates to the team is 'let's go out there, let's play our basketball'. And any time you can give us the confidence to go out there and play the right way, and we know that he has our back, I think that's a good culture building." 

**Hamburg is the only EuroCup newcomer. In the elimination rounds, all the other teams should have more pressure. Could that work in your favor?**

"We have nothing to lose, man. I think going into the EuroCup, we really had nothing to lose. People didn't expect us to do anything, so it's the same exact thing. We will probably end up going to play on the road somewhere and they won't expect us to win. And we will play with a little chip on our shoulder like we do every game."

Caleb Homesley - Hamburg Towers (photo Trento) - EC21

Benitez is one of the most talented young players in the EuroCup this season. At age 21, he is averaging 5.9 points on 95.7% free-throw shooting, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and a PIR of 9.2 coming off Bourg's bench. This will be Benitez's first game against Teodosic this season. He already played well against 'Teo' in the 2020-21 EuroCup campaign with 9 points and 7 assists in an 87-99 home loss. It should be another learning experience for Benitez, with a chance to beat him.

Teodosic did not play against Bourg earlier this season, but averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 assists and a PIR of 13.5 against Benitez's squad in the 2020-21 campaign. Teodosic, back in action after missing the last couple of games, leads the EuroCup in assists with 9.3 per game. No player has averaged more assists in a season (minimum 10 games played) in competition history. Teodosic has also been worth 12.2 points on 90.6% free-throw shooting and a PIR of 17.8. Benitez is a steals specialist, so Teodosic must keep an eye on him at all times.

An up-and-coming playmaker, Hugo Benitez of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, has the chance to test his skills against one of the greatest: Milos Teodosic of Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Major Matchup: Bourg's Benitez vs. Virtus's Teodosic

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2022-04-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Hugo Benitez - Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (photo Matteo Marchi - Virtus) - EC21

Hermannsson has become Valencia's main floor general, as its two other part-time starting playmakers, Neno Dimitrijevic and Sam Van Rossom, are sidelined. He is averaging 8.5 points and 4.6 assists in 16 games, shooting 41.7% from downtown and 95.2% on free-throw attempts. In Round 9, Hermannsson helped Valencia register a 70-76 road win at ratiopharm Arena with 8 points and 5 assists. If the game is on the line, Hermannsson should be ready to make good things happen.

Christon is a faster, more physical playmaker whose athleticism could help against Hermannsson. In Round 9, despite his team's home loss, Christon had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a PIR of 19 against Valencia. He is averaging 17.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists for the season. Christon ranks fifth in PIR (19.5 per game) in the EuroCup. Both Christon and Hermannsson have polished one-on-one skills, so expect nothing but good plays in this matchup.

A big point guard battle is expended at La Fonteta in Round 18 when Martin Hermannsson of Valencia Basket faces Semaj Christon of ratiopharm Ulm.

Major Matchup: Valencia's Hermannsson vs. Ulm's Christon

Valencia Basket v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-04-05T18:30:00.000Z)

Semaj Christon - ratioharm Ulm (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21