Here's a breakdown of this season's two BKT EuroCup Semifinals based on the numbers
Stats review: What to look out for in the semifinals
Stats
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The best-of-three BKT EuroCup Semifinals are here, with the four teams with the best regular-season records all advancing. After surviving the competitive quarterfinals, three teams from Group A remain alongside Group B and point differential leader, Valencia Basket.
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria
Bahcesehir College Istanbul and Dreamland Gran Canaria split their regular season series with both teams winning at home - Gran Canaria by 3 in early October and Bahcesehir by 8 in early December.
In their victory, Gran Canaria had an uneven showing offensively but had all the answers on the defensive end to compensate. While the main lineups scored 31 points over 30 possessions, Gran Canaria committed 20 turnovers as its bench struggled with mistakes. The team persevered by holding the visitors to 41% shooting in finishing situations in the half-court in what was ultimately one of Gran Canaria's best defensive performances of the year.
In the second meeting, Gran Canaria shot just 1-for-8 on pull-up threes and missed a season-high 10 open catch-and-shoot attempts as it went cold from beyond the arc. Bahcesehir shot 63% at the rim and took control of Group A with that win while finding an offensive rhythm that eluded both teams in the first matchup.
How those previous results translate in a three-game series will be fascinating as Bahcesehir looks to break through to the finals in its debut campaign, while Gran Canaria tries to boomerang back to the top of the EuroCup after winning the championship two seasons ago. Depth may tell the story as Bahcesehir relies as heavily on its starters for minutes and production as any team in the EuroCup, while Gran Canaria’s bench scored 46% of its points - the third-highest percentage this season. With both teams finishing in the top-four in defensive efficiency, which group can find a way to break through offensively playing contrasting styles will be a point of interest.
Valencia Basket vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv
Valencia Basket and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv have no such history as the latter’s arrival in the EuroCup coincided with the prior’s departure to the EuroLeague. Sitting on different sides of the competition this year, they scored a matching 1.04 points per possession to lead all teams in offensive efficiency.
Taking very different routes to get there, Valencia attempted 100 more three-pointers than any other team this season and 199 more than Hapoel as it shot a league-best 39% from beyond the arc despite playing its bench more than its starters. Hapoel, in contrast, was this season’s lone team to shoot over 50% from the field as its consistency making midrange jumpers and floaters complemented extremely opportunistic scoring in transition. The acquisition of Yam Madar signaled a shift for the club mid-year as they scored 1.08 points per possession to close the gap on Valencia after his arrival.
That sets a compelling showdown between the EuroCup’s hottest team and its most dominant one. Valencia lost only one game in La Fonteta this season, but if any team is capable of matching the Herculean effort it took 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys to secure that victory, it is Hapoel.
How history repeats itself for these teams one way or another will make for compelling basketball as the hunt for the trophy barrels toward its conclusion.