Lietkabelis advances with long-range masterclass

It was a do-or-die game for both teams on Wednesday night when Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana hosted 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys. When the dust settled, the Lithuanian team won its fourth straight game in Group A, 87-94, and punched its playoffs ticket in the process.

The guests started the game rolling at 2-10, but after that they lost control of the situation and the hosts even jumped ahead, sometimes even reaching the six-point advantage that would have kept them alive for another week.

However, the solution for Lietkabelis came in the shape of three-pointers. The team ended with a solid 15 of 30 from downtown. Three players buried 13 of those 15 threes - Gediminas Orelik drained 5 of 9 for a game-best 22 points, Kristian Kullamae had an almost perfect 4 of 5 and Jamel Morris hit 4 of 8.

What the numbers do not tell is that many of those three-pointers came in key moments. Whether it was to counter a big play by the hosts to keep them from pulling away, or to silence a comeback attempt from Olimpija, the Lietkabelis snipers were always on guard to keep the game in a safe zone. Even the other two threes of the game - one by Stefan Peno, one by Paulius Murauskas - dropped just at the right moment.

The season will continue in the EuroCup for Lietkabelis, who will have a solid weapon by its side if it manages to keep shooting from long range like it did in Ljubljana.

Game News

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-03-08T19:00:00.000Z)

### Nenad Canak, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys head coach

"I am proud of my players. We reached the playoffs, which was our main goal in the EuroCup. Now, we will continue to fight for a better position. It was a very important game for us because we reached the playoffs. We started well in the first half, but after that we lost control. We had some turnovers and they played like they like: with some open threes. In the second half, I think the key was the rebounding battle that we won."

### Jurica Golemac, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach

"Congratulations to Lietkabelis, they deserved to win because they played better. We never found a way to stop them. Our defense on \[Gediminas\] Orelik was not good, but we will keep going. We were ahead for three quarters, but we never managed to stop their rebounds. We never found the way to stop Orelik, their main player, and we missed some shots on offense with quick and not very smart solutions. That led to us losing the game."

### Kristian Kullamae, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys guard

"I am really satisfied. It was important to come with good rhythm after the national teams break. I think that the team effort was the key with us. We shared the ball well."

Game Videos

Nenad Canak, Lietkabelis: 'I am proud of my players'

Lietkabelis Panevezys (8-7) punched its ticket into the playoffs from Group A on Wednesday when it defeated Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (3-12) by 87-94 with its fourth straight win. This loss has Olimpija say farewell to its 7DAYS EuroCup season as it could have only stayed alive with a win by at least six points against Lietkabelis. 

Lietkabelis makes playoffs, eliminates Cedevita, 87-94

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (8-7) punched its ticket into the playoffs from Group A on Wednesday after defeating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (3-12) 87-94 to record its fourth straight win. This loss caused Cedevita to say farewell to its 7DAYS EuroCup season, as it could have only stayed alive with a win by at least 6 points against Lietkabelis.

Gediminas Orelik led Lietkabelis with 22 points, while Jamel Morris added 20, Kristian Kullamae contributed 16 and Nikola Popovic scored 10 for the winners, who shot 15-of-30 from downtown. For Cedevita, Yogi Ferrell scored a team-high 22 points. Alen Omic and Zoran Dragic added 15 apiece, and Josh Adams posted 13 in the defeat.

A strong start by Lietkabelis, led by Gediminas Orelik and his 5 points, allowed the guests to jump out to a 2-10 start that forced coach Jurica Golemac's first timeout after just two minutes of play. Yogi Ferrell and Josh Adams added a few points to keep the hosts in the game, but Cedevita began to struggle on defense as Lietkabelis found ways to get to the rim with regularity. A huge dunk by Karlo Matkovic sparked the fire of the dragons, as a three by Yogi Ferrell capped an 11-0 run to make it 25-23 after 10 minutes.

Cedevita seemed to have found its rhythm and got back into it in the second quarter as Marko Jeremic and Dragic nailed a three-pointer apiece to make it 35-29 for the hosts. The guests stayed alive thanks to an impressive performance by Orelik and a few long-range points by Kristian Kullamae, who helped keep it tied at 40-40. The game was going back and forth until the buzzer signalled the halftime break with Cedevita ahead, 45-42.

The high pace continued into the second half as the points kept falling on both sides, but Cedevita could not manage to get above the 6-point cushion it desired. Omic was experiencing some joy in the low post, but Lietkabelis managed to stay close entering the last period, 67-65.

In the first minutes of the last period, the guests got a boost from Stefan Peno for a 72-75 advantage that forced the hand of the hosts, as they looked to keep their season alive. The three-pointers kept raining on both sides, but it ended up working against Cedevita. Even though Ferrell and Omic did everything they could to keep the hosts on track, Orelik and Jamel Morris made sure that did not happen. That, together with a couple of bad shot selections, made Cedevita trail 79-87 with three minutes to go, a trend that would go on until the final buzzer.

Group A leader Prometey Slobozhanske extended its winning streak to eight games with a 78-83 road victory at ratiopharm Ulm on Wednesday, denying the hosts a chance to qualify for the 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs. D.J. Stephens, Caleb Agada and D.J. Kennedy led Promety with 13 points each.  Bruno Caboclo had 20 points for Ulm. Yago Dos Santos added 17 points and Juan Nunez 13.



 Prometey extends streak in Ulm, 78-83 

Group A leader Prometey Slobozhanske extended its winning streak to eight games with a 78-83 road victory at ratiopharm Ulm on Wednesday, denying the hosts a chance to qualify for the 7DAYS EuroCup Playoffs. Prometey improved to 11-4 and has not lost a game in 2023. Ulm dropped to 8-7 and fell into the Group A pack, instead of finding a way to separate itself.

D.J. Stephens, Caleb Agada and D.J. Kennedy led Promety with 13 points each. Agada had 5 of his team's 15 steals while Kennedy hit a key triple in the last half-minute. Bruno Caboclo had 20 points and 3 blocks for Ulm. Yago Dos Santos added 17 points and Juan Nunez 13.

All five of of Ulm's starters scored during a masterful 14-5 start in which Dos Santos dished 4 assists. Oleksandr Lypovyy snapped that run from deep for Prometey before Gian Clavell and Illia Sydorov quickly made it 14-12. Issuf Sanon's 5 points cut it further, to 18-17, but Karim Jallow's triple let Ulm hold a 21-20 edge after 10 minutes. To star the second quarter, James Dickey, Sanon and Clavell seized a 21-26 lead for Prometey. Nunez and Thomas Klepeisz, twice, kept Ulm close from deep until Robin Christen and Caboclo flipped Ulm in front, 35-31. Stephens took the lead back with 5 points in a row as Prometey reached halfitme ahead by 39-40.

Clavell, Stephens and Kennedy quickly lifted Prometey's advantage to 42-49 after the break. Dos Santos reeled it back to 54-57 with his triple and free throws, but the visitors pulled away again to a 56-64 lead after 30 minutes. Prometey took a first double-digit lead at 61-71 midway through the final quarter and kept matching every score Ulm could come up with until Nunez and Caboclo got the gap down to 72-79 with 2 minutes left. A technical foul and a triple by Nunez suddenly made it 76-79 with 45 seconds left, but Kennedy sniped from the corner to end the threat. 

Prometey extends streak in Ulm, 78-83

ratiopharm Ulm v Prometey Slobozhanske (2023-03-08T18:30:00.000Z)

Heading into this Wednesday's 7DAYS EuroCup clash between U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Frutti Extra Bursaspor, the two teams have their sights set on one thing: the playoffs. Eight sides from each group are able to make the postseason, but with Cluj (4-10) sitting in ninth and Bursaspor (6-8) in eighth, this has become a crucial game for both clubs.

 

Cluj enters this fixture on a three-game losing streak, which has dealt its playoff hopes a big blow. Its last fixture, a 103-84 defeat at Germani Brescia, was another setback, while the team has also lost each of its last three games on its home court. Yet, with just four games remaining in the regular season, it needs to find a reaction now before it is too late.

Germani Brescia - U-BT Cluj-Napoca | Round 14 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

In Round 14, Cluj's usual go-to man, Leonardo Meindl, was only able to contribute 11 points in his side's heavy loss to Brescia, but mid-season arrivals Kasey Shepherd and Jalen Jones showed what they can do with 17 and 14 points, respectively. Experienced center Andrija Stipanovic (12 points) and forward Karel Guzman (11 points) joined them in double figures, however it wasn't enough to prevent a heavy defeat on the road. As such, it will be important for Cluj to step up on defense if it is to keep its faint postseason hopes alive.

Bursaspor, meanwhile, was able to end a run of three games without a win by beating Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 92-82 in Round 14. The Turkish team has the upper hand heading into this Wednesday's game against Cluj, as it has a two-win advantage over the Romanian outfit. As such, a victory for Bursaspor would not only extend that gap to three wins, but it would effectively end Cluj's chances of making the playoffs.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor - Mincidelice jl Bourg en Bresse | Round 14 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

The positive for Bursaspor head coach Dusan Alimpijevic is that last year's EuroCup runner-up appeared to find a way to right the ship and third-place Bourg. Last week, star players Onuralp Bitim and Derek Needham exploded for a respective 19 and 16 points, while center Zach Auguste stepped up with a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double. Similar performances in Round 15 will go a long way towards all but confirming Bursaspor's spot in the playoffs.

One thing is almost guaranteed coming into this game, though: there should be plenty of points scored. Cluj has the fifth-best offense in the EuroCup with an average of 85.1 points per night, whereas Bursaspor is fourth with 85.2. Conversely, on the other side of the ball, Cluj is 19th – second last – when it comes to defense, giving up 88.1 points on average, while Bursaspor is 15th with 84.7. Therefore, a high-scoring contest could be in store.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor - U-BT Cluj-Napoca | Round 6 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

Both Cluj and Bursaspor know that this Wednesday's meeting between the sides has big implications, which makes this a must-watch game for fans and neutrals alike. Bursaspor was able to down Cluj 95-80 in Round 6, so could revenge be on the cards for Cluj? This game has all the makings of a classic, so make sure to tune in from 18:30 CET to see how it all pans out.

Desperation time for Cluj, Bursaspor

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2023-03-08T17:30:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica put on a solid defensive display to end Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv’s seven-game winning streak with an 89-79 victory on home soil in Round 15. Heading into Tuesday’s game at Moraca, the visitors boasted the finest attack in the competition with an average of 87.9 points scored per game. Yet, Buducnost managed to hold the visitors to just 79 points by conceding fewer than 20 points in each of the first three quarters.

Despite leading the league in assists with an impressive average of 21.7 per game, Hapoel Tel Aviv struggled to create on offense; it recorded just 13 assists alongside 14 turnovers. Buducnost once again demonstrated that it has one of the finest defenses in the competition, averaging a EuroCup-low 74.7 points conceded per game.

The hosts practically killed the game off in the early stages of the fourth quarter by grabbing a 73-53 lead with 8 minutes to go.

“We didn’t start the game with the right attitude to compete with a team like Buducnost, especially at their home court,” Hapoel's head coach Danny Franco noted after the game. “The beginning of the game frustrated us, it made us take a lot of bad decisions on the offensive side and that’s not how we are leading the EuroCup in points and assists. We didn’t look like that today.”

The best scoring plays of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica guard Erick Green in his 21-point showing against Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv in the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season.

Erick Green's best scoring plays vs. Hapoel

Buducnost took advantage of Hapoel Tel Aviv’s frustration in the first half to build momentum through defense and went on a decisive 17-0 run in the second quarter. Erick Green scored more than 20 points for the second game in a row and the visitors could find no answers in their bid to contain the Buducnost guard, who recorded 13 points in the second quarter and finished with 21. Green shot 3-for-4 (75.0%) on two-pointers, 2-for-5 (40.0%) from behind the arc and 9-for-12 (75.0%) from the free-throw line, as he inspired his team off the bench to a statement win.

“For us, it’s so important to play not just average, or good defense. We have to be at the highest level in \[defense\] if we want to play a good game,” Buducnost's Coach Vladimir Jovanovic noted. “Today I think that all players were at the highest level in terms of being focused. On the other side, we were good on offense, we created lots of easy and open shots.”

With its win on Tuesday, Buducnost enhanced its chances for a top four finish and dealt a hard blow to Hapoel Tel Aviv, who saw its winning streak snapped. Buducnost will play away at Dolomiti Energia Trento in Round 16, while Hapoel will try to get back to winning ways when it welcomes Veolia Towers Hamburg to Israel next week.

Elite defense, Green’s contributions guided Buducnost

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv (2023-03-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara remained strong at home in Group B of the 7DAYS EuroCup, downing Promitheas Patras 85-75 to improve to 11-4 in the standings. Taking care of the ball and rebounding well on defense made the difference.

Turk Telekom ended up outrebounding Promitheas 38-31, finishing the game with as many as 30 defensive boards. That tied its second-best mark this season, and the only game in which Turk Telekom grabbed more defensive rebounds – 33 – came in an 81-66 home victory against Dolomiti Energia Trento back in Round 5. Promitheas could only grab 6 offensive rebounds, which means Turk Telekom pulled down 83.3% of all rebounds under its own rim. Erkan Yilmaz had a game-high and season-best 9 rebounds.

Promitheas finished the game with 25 defensive rebounds, allowing the hosts to record 8 offensive boards. In other words, Promitheas took 75.8% of all rebounds under its rim. Turk Telekom also shared the ball much better, finishing the game with 17 assists and 12 turnovers. On the other hand, Promitheas had more turnovers (14) than assists (12). The hosts excelled at two-point shooting (66.7% 2FG), doing much better than their opponent (48.4% 2FG).

Turk Telekom dominated the boards against Promitheas 

Turk Telekom Ankara v Promitheas Patras (2023-03-07T17:00:00.000Z)

### Erdem Can, Turk Telekom Ankara head coach

"First of all, we only had 10 points in the third quarter and this was all \[thanks to\] our mistakes. In the first half, we made 14 assists and then we finished the third quarter with 0 assists, so it is impossible to play like this; it is not our game. We couldn't reflect the effort offensively from the first half to the third quarter, and then we woke up a little bit, and were able to be in our rhythm, let's say. So congratulations to my players, but we have three more very, very important games in front of us, and we want to get better every day.

"I would like to thank our fans for their great support today, from the first second until the end. Obviously, it is not possible to be successful without them, so we always want them to keep supporting us. That is going to be the first thing for us, thanks to our fans."

### Ioannis Christopoulos, Promitheas Patras head coach

"First of all, congratulations to Telekom for the win. It was a tough game, I think we have to learn a lot from that. I thought we demonstrated the right personality in the second half. There is a lot of room for improvement for us. We have to move on, that's it.

"We tried hard in the second half and demonstrated a totally different face. It is a game of details and I think we did, for the most part of the second half, like I said before, a great job. We should learn and move on."

### Nathan Sestina, Turk Telekom Ankara forward 

"We stuck to Coach's game plan. I was able to get a lot of open shots in the first half and, hopefully, me being able to do that opened up things for other guys in the second half. As you can tell, the second half was super balanced; guys got going, Axel \[Bouteille\] actually got going, Tony \[Taylor\] and Jerian \[Grant\] took over in the second half, and did what we needed to do."

Nathan Sestina, Turk Telekom: 'We did what we needed to do'

### Vladimir Jovanovic, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica head coach

"It was an important and difficult game for us. Like I said before the game, Hapoel has very good players in every single position. They have players who have the quality to play at a very high level for almost all the clubs in Europe. Like I say in every single press conference, for us it’s so important to play not just average or good defense. We have to be at the highest level in this part if we want to play a good game. Today, I think that all the players were at the highest level in terms of being focused. On the other side, we were good on offense, we created lots of easy and open shots. I want to congratulate Hapoel on a good game and wish them all the best in all competitions. I also want to congratulate my players on the approach they had for this game."

### Danny Franco, Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv head coach

"We didn’t start the game with the right attitude to compete with a team like Buducnost, especially on their home court. The beginning of the game frustrated us; it made us take a lot of bad decisions on the offensive side and that’s not how we are leading the EuroCup in points and assists. We didn’t look like that today.

"We got ourselves into a big hole. We lost J'Covan Brown with his fifth foul early and this didn’t help us, for sure. I think that in the second half we did a better job on defense, but to win here you need to play 40 minutes of good basketball as a team. We didn’t do this today, unfortunately. I’m happy that we fought it through all the way to the end and we didn’t just give up. I’m happy that my guys stuck together to fight through to the last possessions, even if they didn’t have a good night. I want to thank Buducnost for the very good hospitality and I wish them success in the next games of the competition.

"This group is close and I think that every team proved that they can beat other teams. Of course, it’s a double win for Buducnost against us, but they have upgraded their team – they were a different team in the first round. They deserved the win. I think that we can play a lot better and I am sure we will play a lot better in the upcoming games."

### Erick Green, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica guard

"It was an awesome team win and a big night. We played great defense, hit shots and moved the ball well. We’ve got to continue and build on this and keep winning games so that we can get higher in the EuroCup standings."

Lietkabelis advances with long-range masterclass

Nenad Canak, Lietkabelis: 'I am proud of my players'

Lietkabelis makes playoffs, eliminates Cedevita, 87-94

Prometey extends streak in Ulm, 78-83

Desperation time for Cluj, Bursaspor

Elite defense, Green’s contributions guided Buducnost

Turk Telekom dominated the boards against Promitheas

Nathan Sestina, Turk Telekom: 'We did what we needed to do'

Erick Green, Buducnost: 'We've got to build on this'