Finding his "home away from home" in Romania, he had the shot to beat Wolves in the eighthfinals
Patrick Richard talks biggest win in Cluj's history, quarterfinal clash against Valencia
Trademarks
3 Mins read
With the clock ticking down in the final minutes of the second overtime period, everybody was biting their nails inside Twinsbet Arena. Zavier Simpson is handling the ball and being covered by Anthony Cowan Jr., with U-BT Cluj-Napoca up by a single point.
This was the matchup of the night as Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius’s leader tried to answer whatever was coming from his main opponent. Two double-doubles – 23 points and 12 assists for Cowan, 26 points and 13 assists for Simpson – had been already registered up to that point.
The home fans feared another penetration towards the basket, maybe concluding with Simpson’s special trick: the hook shot. Karel Guzman points toward his right side just before running to set a screen at the top of the key, freeing up some room.
Jeffery Taylor, who has never been a liability on defense even in his Real Madrid days, loses a millisecond of attention and Cluj’s No. 3 opts for what is likely the quickest two-handed pass of his career, finding Patrick Richard with enough freedom. He just has to let it go and hope for the best outcome.
“When the ball came to me, I didn't second guess or even think twice about it: I just let it fly, shot it with confidence and I was able to knock down a big shot,” Richard tells Eurohoops. The first three-pointer made after two misses and Cluj, importantly, up by four points.
It was the shot of the EuroCup Eighthfinals as it secured qualification for another do-or-die game in the quarterfinals, a stage the Romanian side has now reached in back-to-back seasons. “I was super excited, happy to be there, be a part of it, and be able to help the team advance to the next round,” he adds.
Read more HERE.