Illia Sydorov stepped up to guide Prometey into the quarterfinals

When Prometey Slobozhanske needed someone to turn to in its 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals matchup against Veolia Towers Hamburg on Tuesday evening, Illia Sydorov was the player who stepped up. 

Prometey was without D.J. Kennedy, who was on the sidelines in street clothes and will miss the postseason with an injury, while Caleb Agada was included on the bench but didn’t step onto the floor after an injury of his own. Then there was D.J. Stephens, who didn’t feature in the Estonia-Latvia League Final Four over the weekend due to injury but played 34:33 against Hamburg. 

Stephens was able to make a positive contribution on the night, pairing 15 points with 9 rebounds, but it was Sydorov that saw Prometey over the line. Up until the fourth quarter, the 26-year-old had enjoyed a decent night, scoring 12 points on 3-of-5 shots from two-point range and 2-of-4 from three, in addition to grabbing 1 rebound and dishing 1 assist. But, in the closing stages, he rose to the occasion [to help Prometey grab its first-ever win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/prometey-slobozhanske-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2022/181/) in the EuroCup Playoffs.

Illia Sydorov scored a game-high 21 points in Prometey Slobozhanske's 87-79 win against Veolia Towers Hamburg in the 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals.

Illia Sydorov's made field goals vs. Hamburg

"For sure \[I expected this type of performance\], because Sydorov is a winner," stated Prometey head coach Ronen Ginzburg afterward. "I keep him in the team first of all because of this. In the decisive time he will be there, and he was there today."

Sydorov went on to score a further 9 points, while he also grabbed 2 more rebounds and dished 1 more assist. Importantly, though, it was the moments in which the Ukraine international was able to put points on the board in the final quarter of play.

Just as Hamburg's Harrison Cleary seemed to be putting forward a case to become the game's hero, having scored 7 points in the opening 2:37 of the fourth quarter to move to 14 points in the game and cut the deficit to 1 point, 69-68, Sydorov took over. Coach Ginzburg decided to call a timeout after Cleary had brought Hamburg as close as it had been since the first quarter, and Sydorov immediately appeared with a timely three-pointer to create some breathing room once again, 72-68.

Yoeli Childs of Hamburg went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line to make it a 3-point game, 72-69, but – once again – Sydorov drained a triple to extend the gap to 6 points, 75-69. Then, it was the turn of Len Schoormann to go 2-for-2 from the charity stripe, 75-71, before Sydorov completed a three-point play to keep Hamburg at arm's length, 78-71.

Hamburg kept fighting, but Sydorov had managed to single-handedly hold off the visitors at a point in the game when they appeared to have the momentum. Prometey went on to win the game 87-79, and it was perhaps fitting that Sydorov's last action in the game was to grab a defensive rebound off a missed Cleary two-pointer with 00:49 remaining. 

Prometey Slobozhanske - Veolia Towers Hamburg | Eighthfinals Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

"I think he did a hell of a job," Prometey center Ondrej Balvin said of Sydorov's performance. "He had some tough moments during the season with his injuries, so he lost some of his rhythm. I think we've got the luxury that we've got amazing coming from the bench, or they didn’t have that many minutes at the beginning of the season, but right now they're showing what they can do. They're playing with their hearts and doing an amazing job."

Sydorov, who entered Tuesday night's game averaging 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists, managed to set new personal bests against Hamburg. He beat his previous personal high for points with 21, bettering the previous best of 13 he scored against Joventut Badalona in Round 4, and he set a new career mark for PIR with 17, improving on his 16 PIR against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Round 16. He hit 4 three-pointers against Hamburg, too, which is double his previous best mark of 2 in that Round 16 clash against Bourg.

In a game that easily could have become a banana skin-type fixture for Prometey, Sydorov made sure that it became a night to remember. His contribtuion means that Prometey's dream of reaching the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague continues, and the team's next oppoennt – Promitheas Patras or Bourg – will no doubt have Sydorov's name highlighted in the scouting report after his heroics in the first game of the 2023 EuroCup Eighthfinals.

Prometey Slobozhanske v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-04-11T16:00:00.000Z)

Ronen Ginzburg, Prometey: 'A great win for us, for Ukraine'

### Ronen Ginzburg, Prometey Slobozhanske head coach

"If I have the answer, I will tell you, but I don't have the answer \[about almost seeing a 16-point lead slip away\]. This is basketball! It's ups and downs, we play against really good teams, coachable teams. In the end, I'm happy that we made this important basket, we improved our defense a little bit. A great win for us, a great win for the club, for Ukraine. It's an amazing feeling.

"We understand that someone needed to step up – we missed too many players. About \[Illia\] Sydorov, players on the team all know how much I love him. This season he struggled a little bit, he was injured and that, but he's a winner and because of this he's in the team.

(On Prometey's playoff chances): "Let's go one by one and let's see.

"Great feeling. We played against a team that had a short roster – also us – but they showed all season that they are a really tough team. For us, it was important because we missed players and we showed that other players can step in and do the job. Great feeling, because there was a lot of pressure on us; you work the whole year and you lose the first game, it's \[not good\]. We had ups and downs during the game, but we won."

"We are now a little bit shaky in this area \[point guards\], but now \[Caleb\] Agada will come back I hope.

(On Sydorov's performance): "For sure \[I expected this type of performance\], because Sydorov is a winner. I keep him in the team first of all because of this. In the decisive time he will be there, and he was there today."

### Benka Barloschky, Veolia Towers Hamburg head coach

"I'm very proud of my team. We fought, we left everything we had on the court, but I want everybody to remember: we have a war in Europe. We are playing against a Ukrainian team, we cannot play in Ukraine because there's a war. There's \[things that are\] far more important than sports. As an organization, our prayers and our thoughts go out to all the people who are affected by this war in Europe. This is way bigger than sports tonight.

"It's a big journey for us in every game we play. We played competitively. It's a learning curve for us – we want to compete against the best teams in Europe, and we did. We learned a lot and I'm very happy with our campaign this year in the EuroCup.

"In the end, in these close games, it's about making or missing shots. Prometey made the big ones – \[Gian\] Clavell made a big shot to seal the game more or less. We had the shots, we didn't make them tonight, but there's nothing that I can ask for that my team didn't do tonight. I'm proud of them. I told them that they can be proud of themselves, because they left everything they had \[out on the floor\], we were competitive and that's all we can ask for."

### Ondrej Balvin, Prometey Slobozhanske center

"Hell of a fight from both sides. I think everybody knows what this is about; it's just one game, anything can happen. I think Hamburg had moments in the second quarter and the beginning of the fourth when they were starting to hit some tough shots, and it complicated the game for us. We just had to start focusing again 100%, and if you don't give it \[your all for\] every minute, anything can happen.

(On Illia Sydorov's performance): "I think he did a hell of a job. He had some tough moments during the season with his injuries, so he lost some of his rhythm. I think we've got the luxury that we've got amazing coming from the bench, or they didn’t have that many minutes at the beginning of the season, but right now they're showing what they can do. They're playing with their hearts and doing an amazing job."

Game News

Game Videos

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.

D.J. Stephens played through pain barrier to lift Prometey past Hamburg

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.

Prometey Slobozhanske's D.J. Stephens had 15 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals in his team's 87-79 win over Veolia Towers Hamburg in the 7DAYS EuroCup Eighthfinals.

D.J. Stephens's highlights vs. Hamburg

Stephens's desire to put his body on the line for his team is part of what has made Prometey one of the strongest teams in the EuroCup, with the side currently on a 12-game winning streak in the competition. Plus, with head coach Ronen Ginzburg announcing in his post-game press conference that Agada could soon be back, potentially a nightmare first playoff experience could end up becoming a fairytale in the later rounds.

 

Prometey has one of the most exciting players in the EuroCup in Stephens, and even when he is not quite at 100%, he finds a way to catch the opposition's attention. Coach Ginzburg's players can now watch on over the next couple of days in the knowledge that they are already into the EuroCup Quarterfinals – and the likes of Stephens and Agada can have a few more days to rest and recuperate against of a last-eight meeting with Promitheas Patras or Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

Prometey Slobozhanske is the first team to reach the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals after it defeated Veolia Towers Hamburg 87-79 in their eighthfinals matchup at Arena Riga on Tuesday evening. Despite being without D.J. Kennedy and having Caleb Agada not enter the game, the No. 1 seed from Group A found a way to extend its winning streak to 12 games in the EuroCup.

Prometey KOs Hamburg, 87-79, to advance

Prometey Slobozhanske is the first team to reach the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals after it defeated Veolia Towers Hamburg 87-79 in their eighthfinals matchup at Arena Riga on Tuesday evening. Despite being without D.J. Kennedy and having Caleb Agada not enter the game, the No. 1 seed from Group A found a way to extend its winning streak to 12 games in the EuroCup.

 

Illia Sydorov paced Prometey with a game-high 21 points. D.J. Stephens, who was initially an injury doubt, had 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Gian Clavell and Ondrej Balvin scored 14 points apiece. Issuf Sanon contributed 13 points, too. For the visitors, Yoeli Childs recorded a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double and Harrison Cleary finished with 19 points. Ziga Samar and Lukas Meisner also reached double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

The game was back and forth in the early going, but 5 straight points by Prometey's D.J. Stephens got the fans off inside Arena Riga off their seats. First, he detonated a big dunk, then he added a triple to make it 8-5. In fact, the threeball helped to calm down any potential nerves for Prometey. When Oleksandr Lypovvy nailed back-to-back triples with 2:12 remaining in the first quarter, Prometey had a game-high 24-14 lead and had gone 6-of-8 from deep (75.0% 3FG). If Stephens's dunk had earned a few gasps from the crowd, James Dickey looked to do the same with a thunderous slam off an Issuf Sanon assist, which made it 28-16. Hamburg scored 4 straight points to end the quarter, 8 points down, 28-20.

 

The second quarter began much like the first, but Hamburg could only trim the deficit to 6 points, 32-26, following a couple of made free throws by Christoph Phillips. That was as close as the visitors got, as Prometey soon put its foot on the gas, going on a 9-0 run to extend its lead, before an Ondrej Balvin triple opened a game-best 16-point advantage, 44-28. Childs tried his best to keep Hamburg alive, scoring 15 of his team's first 32 points, 44-32, and a late surge by the visiting team saw it close the first half with Prometey ahead by 8, 48-40.

A slightly slow start to the third quarter could have played into Hamburg's favor, but it was unable to capitalize. Instead, when Stephens nailed a deep three-pointer at the midway point of the quarter, Prometey's lead was back to 12 points, 56-44. The threeball carried a lot of weight in this game, and makes from deep by Sydorov and Sanon helped Prometey reopen its 16-point lead in the closing stages of the quarter, 69-53. But, a Cleary triple make it a 13-point game, 69-56, entering the final 10 minutes.

 

Hamburg got the fourth quarter underway in terrific fashion, with Cleary and Childs combining for an alley-oop, which seemed to instill a lot of confidence among the visiting side's players. Soon after, it became the Harrison Cleary show. The point guard completed a three-point play to cut the gap to 5, 69-64, before making 2 free throws, which made it a 3-point ballgame, 69-66. With 7:23 left in the final quarter, Cleary scored a mid-range basket to get Hamburg as close as it had been since the first quarter, 69-68. That basket forced a timeout from Prometey, out of which Sydorov scored a big three-point to calm some nerves, 72-68. In fact, Sydorov was vital in the closing stages, nailing another triple soon after, 75-69, and completing a three-point play, 78-71. Stephens's deep three seemed to create some daylight, 83-74, with 3:25 remaining, but Hamburg kept fighting and made it 83-79 after going on a 6-0 run, which finished with Cleary stealing the ball and scoring a layup. However, Clavell then stole the ball himself before dunking on Meisner, 85-79. He scored a mid-range shot on Prometey's next trip down the floor, 87-79, which allowed the hosts to see out a well-earned first-ever win in the EuroCup Playoffs.

Prometey fends off Hamburg, 87-79, to advance

Being that it's my first year in the EuroCup, it definitely was eye-opening that anybody can beat anybody no matter what the rankings are, so the fact that we are in the playoffs is a blessing. But the seeding, you can't underestimate anybody. Anybody could give you their best game on any given night. For instance, Prometey was first in our group and not a lot of people counted on them early in the season. D.J. Stephens is a freak athlete! I didn't get a chance to play against Bursaspor in Turkiye to really get a good feel for how they play, because the first time they came in and brought it to us. So the fact that I didn't get to go into Turkiye and really get a good feeling of if that's really the toughest team we have played, I feel like they are one of those teams as well that you can't underestimate. The one-game elimination is a game-changer, for real. 

"The one-game elimination is a game changer, for real."

I love playing the EuroCup. I definitely didn't like our losing streak, for sure. That was a tough moment for us and for me personally. But I liked adjusting a lot to the European competition, learning more and more how to change my game to be effective and efficient within the EuroCup, and just learning more about myself and how to fit in and improve in areas where I need to improve to make a name for myself. But it has definitely been a big challenge and I love it. We have a very, very skilled team. As you have seen, anybody, any given night can score 20 points, from James \[Palmer\] to even Kevin Kokila right now, who has been playing really well these past few games. We are going to need him in these coming weeks. I love watching Pepe \[Pierre Pelos\] play. That last game against Cedevita was insane. He just lit up! But because we have such a skilled team top to bottom, the ball has to move. It's hard for a team to really scout and lock in on just one player because if you take one player away, you don't help on one side. Somebody is going to take advantage of that. That's why moving the ball is so important for us because everybody's a threat.

We will play against Promitheas in the eighthfinals. It's definitely a new challenge. Like I said, you can't underestimate anybody. We are going to prepare and try to steal the game out there. Playing on the road isn't easy anywhere, so we have to lock in and just give it our best. Anybody can beat anybody, it's a beautiful time of the year! I am looking forward to it a lot because this is a chance to make a name for ourselves. Last year, Bourg didn't even make the playoffs and we got an invite back into the EuroCup to make the playoffs this year and have a chance to win a title. That's what you dream of as a basketball player, especially at the European European level, right under the EuroLeague. So it's a chance to shine. 

Isiaha Mike Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season

2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup highlights: Isiaha Mike, Bourg

If we want to be competitive, we need to have a consistent defensive stance. That's been the staple of our good games. When we play really, really good defense, we can get out in transition. And once we get out in transition and we get easy baskets, our scorers start to feel the rhythm a little bit better and we can control the tempo of the game as opposed to playing in a hole. Even when shots aren't falling, when we play really good defense, we can get out in transition a lot. So I feel like that, right there, will definitely help our half-court offense for sure, getting easy baskets out of defensive transition. 

"This is a chance to make a name for ourselves."

Basketball is 90% mental, to begin with. Even in these do-or-die games, it's just focusing, not letting the moment get too big. Yes, it's the playoffs. Yes, it's the EuroCup Playoffs. It's a chance to get to the EuroLeague. All these things are running through your head, but it's important to stay in the moment, not let all these other things cloud your mind, and just focus on the task at hand. And that's winning this game. Don't think, "Okay, we win this game, we are going to play these guys next". No, no. Let's just work. Let's just stay in this moment right here. Let's try to win this game. Let's give this possession our all. Let's stay together as a unit. All that stuff comes into play. I think staying in the moment is probably the biggest thing.

Isiaha Mike, Bourg: 'It's a beautiful time of the year!'

After the pandemic, the general public’s habits have changed and movie theaters are suffering. While fans are returning in big numbers to the sports arena, and 7DAYS EuroCup crowds are also a testament to that, people prefer streaming services more and more, watching movies from the comfort of their homes.

So if that’s also the case for you, before you leave your house and go to support your favorite EuroCup team, we have a proposal to make.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1488108/the-eurocup-eighthfinals-goes-to-the-movies/)

The EuroCup Eighthfinals goes to the movies, by Eurohoops

Here come the 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs! The exciting competition format leads us into single-game elimination rounds until a champion is crowned in early May. The [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.66639214.1731050278.1681152655-884385655.1669721726) continues until the end of the season, too. The fewer teams available, the more important your choices will be to make a difference in the standings and private leagues. Here are some recommendations ahead of the do-or-die eighthfinals, being played from Tuesday to Thursday.

[Ondrej Balvin, Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ondrej-balvin/002644/) (13.6 credits) – Prometey arrived to the playoffs with severe injury problems, as D.J. Kennedy and, probably, Caleb Agada are unavailable. Balvin has been its main frontcourt pillar all season long and should see even further responsibilities in this do-or-die situation.  

[Andres Feliz, Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andres-feliz/011247/) (9.3 credits) – Joventut lost Pau Ribas to an ankle injury and Feliz has already stepped up without him. He had 20 points and a PIR of 28 in a Spanish League win against Valencia Basket. It is time to ride his momentum as Joventut faces high-scoring London in the eighthfinals.  

Ondrej Balvin, Andres Feliz, Juan Nunez, Axel Bouteille and Kevin Kokila are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Eighthfinals

[Juan Nunez, ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/juan-nunez/010106/) (8.8 credits) – Another player on his way up, averaging a PIR of 12.2 in the last five games. Nunez has started to help on the boards and hit three-point shots, proving he is much more than a pass-first playmaker. Expect him to step up like the star-in-the-making that he arguably is.  

[Axel Bouteille, Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) (14.5 credits) – Turk Telekom plays on Thursday, which is a advantage in terms of fantasy, a chance for a late fix. Bouteille is one of his team's leaders and averaged a PIR of 21.3 in his last four regular season games. He should keep leading the team in the playoffs.  

[Kevin Kokila, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) (6.2 credits) – Not all your players can be expensive stars, right? Kokila is a cheap, interesting choice as backup center. He averaged a PIR of 15.0 in Bourg's last two regular season games, and has been playing really well in the French League, too.

Fantasy tips: on to the playoffs! 

It's been a year, but few have forgotten Frutti Extra Bursaspor's amazing run last season, in which it won consecutive road games against Partizan Belgrade, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and MoraBanc Andorra to reach the final against all odds, where it lost to Virtus Segafredo Bologna. 

Derek Needham, Bursaspor: 'I think we have a chance to win'

The 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs are back. It's been a year, but few have forgotten Frutti Extra Bursaspor's amazing run last season, in which it won consecutive road games against Partizan Belgrade, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and MoraBanc Andorra to reach the final against all odds, where it lost to Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Bursaspor is in a similar situation this season, as it will most likely play all of its potential playoff games on the road, starting with an eighthfinals showdown against Gran Canaria. Three of Bursaspor's starters from that Cinderella squad remain with the team this season, including playmaker Derek Needham, a 2021-22 All-EuroCup First Team selection. Needham leads the EuroCup in three-point shots made (3.0 per game) with an outstanding percentage (50.5% 3FG, 10th overall). He has also averaged 14.4 points, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 18 games this season. Needham said he believes his team's experience helps, but is not a decisive factor. "I think it can help us a little bit, not too much," Needham said. "It can just give us a sense of calm going on the road, not getting to ride it out if something doesn't go our way right away in the beginning of the game, staying composed and trying to pull off another victory on the road, which we had to do last year."

 

**Hello, Derek. Welcome back to the EuroCup Playoffs. How happy are you to be back to this stage?**

"Always excited to be back in the playoffs. It's never a guarantee that you are going to make it there, even after the historic run of last year. So we are definitely grateful to be back into those playoffs and excited to kind of retell the story of last year in a way." 

"We are excited to kind of retell the story of last year in a way."

**How special was last season's run, winning three road games to make it to the final?** 

"That was amazing. I think that's something that will probably live on forever, that you tell your kids and stuff about. We understood after Partizan that was like a big deal, but I don't think we really understood the whole run in itself, and how historic it was until maybe this year, when we got back to Europe and saw everybody talk about the run, even in America. People were talking about how crazy that run was, and just domestic and foreign players saying that they were cheering for us the whole time. That was really special. Against Partizan, the pressure really wasn't on us. It was on them being back in EuroCup with Zeljko \[Obradovic\], trying to get to the EuroLeague. Their home arena, many fans in there... I mean, we were the underdog, so it wasn't really any pressure on us and we were well-prepared for that." 

**You kept three starters and Coach Alimpijevic. How can that experience help you guys this year?**  

"I think it can help us a little bit, not too much. It can just give us a sense of calm going on the road, not getting to ride it out if something doesn't go our way right away in the beginning of the game, staying composed and trying to pull off another victory on the road, which we had to do all last year."

 

**You will face Gran Canaria, the top-seeded team in the playoffs, in the eighthfinals. In your opinion, what are their main strengths?** 

"They are a very athletic team, experienced as well. I have been playing against Slaughter and Albicy for a while now in my career, so I'm very familiar with their guards. Their bigs have been getting better from young prospects to having main roles on this team now, and their coach was the coach of Ulm last year, so he's a really great young coach who probably will be in the EuroLeague in the next couple of years. So I'm very excited to compete against them."

Derek Needham Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season

2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup highlights: Derek Needham, Bursaspor

**You were an All-EuroCup First Team selection last year and are shooting over 50% from three-point range this season? Did that award allow you to play with more confidence and bring out an even better version?** 

"I think so. I really don't think about it too much, about what happened last year. Of course, it was a great honor, but it just made me want more, strive to be better, put more work in in the gym knowing that more people will come to you now because they see where you are and they want that spot."

 

**Onuralp Bitim has also taken a big step forwards, playing with great confidence. Did you expect him to play at his current level, given that he is just 23 years old?** 

"I don't think we saw this kind of jump coming, but I knew he would have a really great jump from last year. I think he is more comfortable this year just being with the team and being with the coach. And he knew he would have a bigger role since we lost Andrew \[Andrews\] and John \[Holland\] from last year as those scoring people. So he definitely stepped it up. One of the best young guys I've ever played with, so he's doing a great job."

 

**Like you said, you know Slaughter and Albicy really well from European and national team competitions. How much are you looking forward to playing against them?**

"I am really looking forward to it. A. J. Slaughter is a great scorer, also a great passer. He brings a real experience to that team. He's also been there a while and can get it going and score 20-30 points on any night, so he's going to have to be a high-alert focus for us. Albicy is, from the point guard position, one of the guards I respect a lot because he really knows how to run the show and he plays great defense. So it will be another exciting matchup playing against those two."

"We need to make as few mistakes as possible, and I think we need to be physical."

**It has been a tough year for Turkiye due to the devastating earthquake. One of your centers, Ahmet Duverioglu, left the team to be with his family. Sport has given Turkish fans some relief. Is that an extra responsibility?**

"It was definitely unfortunate with the earthquake and he lost a couple of family members, and he needed some time to get back mentally more than anything. Hopefully, we can go on another run and hopefully he's watching. Sports is always something that could take your mind off whatever you're going through for a couple of hours and cheer for your team and bring you together with some people who might be going through the same thing. So it definitely was an honor to get back to playing basketball and packing gyms again just so people can take their mind off such a devastating tragedy."

 

**From your own experience, what does it take to be successful in this win-or-go-home situation?**

"We need to make as few mistakes as possible and I think we need to be physical. I think those two things will really help us get over the top. And of course, we've got to play very solid defense. So with those three components, I think we have a chance to win. I think that's where our experience will come in, too, our returning players' experience will come in. Last season, Partizan started the game off with a dunk and then it kind of like it was almost over right there at the end, I think we were down 5 or something \[82-77, 20 seconds to go in regulation\]. So having that experience definitely helps us keep calm in these types of environments. And in Gran Canaria, hopefully, we can pull off another victory."

Gran Canaria v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2023-04-12T19:15:00.000Z)

Pre-Game quotes: Promotey vs. Hamburg

### Veolia Towers Hamburg head coach Benka Barloschky:

"The real issue that is paramount for me is that we don't have to play in Ukraine, but in Riga. For me, that is more important than sports. Not much needs to be said about that - because the team is the newly crowned champion in the Latvian-Estonian league, with a lot of quality. Despite the absence of two top performers, the results have always been right. As far as the performance of my team is concerned, I have no concerns. We've already proven that we can come back from serious defeats. We certainly need a special performance, but my team is definitely capable of it."

 

### Veolia Towers Hamburg forward Seth Hinrichs:

"I'm really looking forward to the playoffs, especially in what has been an extremely inconsistent season for us. It's an opportunity to show what we're really made of. It would be just the right time to reward us for our hard work and finally leave behind the adversities that have always set us back. We know it's a decider. We need a consistently high level of intensity throughout the game. The \[German League\] game in Ulm was one in which nothing worked, so I wouldn't use that as an example. I'm confident that we'll do a lot better again on Tuesday."