Prometey Slobozhanske entered the 2023 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs with an injury crisis, as the No. 1 seed from Group A saw three of its main players – D.J. Kennedy, Caleb Agada and D.J. Stephens – all go down with injuries in the lead-up to Tuesday night's eighthfinals clash with Veolia Towers Hamburg. Kennedy is out for the season and therefore couldn’t suit up, but Agada was named on the bench and Stephens was in the starting lineup for Prometey's first-ever playoff fixture.
Although Agada never made it onto the floor, Stephens played the second-most minutes for Prometey on the night, having been on the court for 34:33. In that time, he scored 15 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and made 2 steals. There were moments when Stephens was clearly in some pain, particularly after his legs tangled with Len Schoormann early in the fourth quarter, but he found a way to step up time and time again.
It's worth bearing in mind that Stephens was unable to take part in the Estonia-Latvia League Final Four as Prometey became the champion over the weekend, so his presence on the floor in this EuroCup Eighthfinals matchup – let alone the fact he missed just 5:27 of Tuesday night's game at Riga Arena – came as some surprise. Yet, he was still able to wow the fans with a couple of high-flying dunks and highlight-reel plays, while he scored 5 crucial points in the final quarter of play to help keep Prometey on track.
