The Ukrainian side, which reached the semifinals last season, is not about to rest on its laurels.
Prometey stars look ahead after crushing Aris
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Prometey Slobozhanske center Ondrej Balvin had reasons to be pleased after his team’s 95-67 rout of Aris Midea Thessaloniki on Wednesday. He led all players with a PIR of 31 after posting 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in the team’s first playoff game of the season.
In doing so, Balvin posted his second-highest PIR of the season, tied for his most blocks and his second-most assists. And while saying he wasn’t happy with his or his team’s play would be unfair, Balvin certainly was not celebrating right after the game when the EuroLeague TV cameras caught up to him.
“We showed that we are not just a team to pass through the playoffs, we are actually here to fight for the championship and the way we played today is the way to go,” Balvin said. “We made some mistakes, but I think with our hustle and our energy, we were able to eliminate [them].”
The message that Balvin and his Prometey teammates were not content with simply beating Aris to reach the quarterfinals continued to echo after the game.
Gian Clavell, who scored 7 first-quarter points and added 9 more in the second to help Prometey to a 19-point halftime lead, added: “We are not satisfied. We still have a long way to go to finish where we want to go. But a win is a win. We have to enjoy now and get ready for Bourg.”
Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse was surely watching. And what they saw was a team that seemed to have it all together on both ends of the ball.
Prometey shot well, rebounded well and defended well against Aris. It made half of its 20 three-point shots, outrebounded 33-29 and forced 19 turnovers – which it turned into 25 points. Moreover, the 67 points allowed marked Prometey’s second lowest of the season.
“I think that we played great all game and all the respect to the players. We showed character, we fought,” Coach Ronen Ginzburg commented. He also credited a group of some 50 soldiers from Ukraine who attended the game for lifting his team. “I think maybe the soldiers from Ukraine that were here gave our players some inspiration.”
The Prometey players made it clear even before the game that they were eager to represent Slobozhanske and Ukraine. All of the players were draped in Ukrainian flags when they were introduced.
Prometey plays all of its home games in Riga, Latvia, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. To date, all four of its playoff games – including the three last season – have been played at Arena Riga. That will change next week when Balvin and co. head to France to face Bourg.
A playoff game on the road will surely be a new challenge for Prometey. However, the determination with which Balvin, Clavell and company spoke after beating Aris points to a team that is eager to keep playing beyond the quarterfinals.