Onuaku and Watt are centers of attention for Hapoel-Reyer clash

When [Chinanu Onuaku](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/chinanu-onuaku-/012076/) joined [Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/hapoel-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2022-23) in November, it raised some eyebrows. 

Why would a team off to a good start in the 7DAYS EuroCup and its domestic league make such a big move? Especially with the strong showings it was getting from starting center Chris Horton, who had collected 25 rebounds in the first two games of the EuroCup campaign. Hapoel's management was upfront about the signing of Onuaku being a "risk".

“From the position of a winning team, we chose to take a risk and strengthen ourselves in the paint with Chinanu," Coach Danny Franco said at the time. "There are probably not many players we would take at such an early stage of the season and in the near term we face a difficult task of adjustments, connection and chemistry, but Chinanu's availability presented us with a great professional and mental challenge. We will benefit from the move in the long run."

So far, Hapoel has benefitted. Onuaku has been a force in the paint averaging 11.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks in 14 EuroCup games. He is sixth in the competition in PIR per minute with an average of 28.9 prorated over 40 minutes. 

Best of Mitchell Watt from the 2022-23 EuroCup Regular Season

Onuaku had his best game of the season so far against an Italian team, Dolomiti Energia Trento, to earn MVP honors for Round 13 with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for a PIR of 35. 

While all of that is nice, the risk Hapoel took was to have Onuaku ready for the knockout stages. And when that begins with a clash against Italy's [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/roster/vnc/?season=2022-23), the Hapoel center will have his hands full against [Mitchell Watt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mitchell-watt/006332/).

Watt has been one of the top centers in the EuroCup since he joined Reyer in 2019. This season he leads Reyer in scoring (12.9 ppg.), rebounding (5.1 rpg.) and PIR (15.5) as one of only three players to appear in all 18 regular-season games for the club. 

What's more, Watt will be eager to have a big showing in the eighthfinals after fouls hampered his ability to impact Reyer's game last season against Boulogne Metropolitans 92. The French side won 87-66 with Watt posting a team-high 11 points, but being held to just 15 minutes and 16 seconds on the floor before fouling out in the third quarter. Ironically, Watt's fifth foul came when battling Tomer Ginat, now a Hapoel starter, for a rebound. 

The strength of Reyer, which placed third in Group A this season with a 9-9 record, has been its frontline that features Watt, Derek Willis and Jeff Brooks as its main pieces. All three have the edge in experience against the likes of Onuaku, Jaylen Hoard and Tomer Ginat. And who like Watt knows how getting one of the opposition's stars into foul trouble can change a game.

Best of Chinanu Onuaku from the 2022-23 EuroCup Regular Season

Of course, less Onuaku could mean more Hoard, who is the EuroCup leader in per-minute PIR (32.0 prorated over 40 minutes). So there is no easy solution to stopping Hapoel, which relies even more on its star-powered backcourt with EuroCup assists leader J’Covan Brown (6.8 apg.), three-time MVP of the Round Jordan McRae and Xavier Munford. 

Reyer has more experienced players in the backcourt, too, led by Jayson Granger and Michael Bramos. And Coach Neven Spahija, who himself spent two spells in Israel as Maccabi Tel Aviv's head coach, is a former EuroCup champion and more experienced on this stage than his Hapoel counterpart. 

On the other hand, Onuaku, who was the Israeli League MVP last season with Bnei Herzliya, was at his best in big games. After posting 15.7 points on 54.0% two-point shooting, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists for a PIR of 21.6 in 26 games in the Israeli regular season in 2021-22, he erupted for 17.4 points on 69.% two-point shooting, 11.9 boards and 3.4 assists for a PIR of 29.4 in eight playoff games – including averages of 21.0 points on 78.6% two-point shooting, 12.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists for a PIR of 34.7 against Turkish Airlines EuroLeague side Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the semifinals. 

How Spahija, Granger and Watt can use their collective experience advantage against a hard-charging Hapoel side in general and Onuaku in the paint, in particular, could ultimately tell the story of this game and the two teams’ seasons.

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-04-12T18:00:00.000Z)

One of the main contenders to win the 7DAYS EuroCup this season is Joventut Badalona, who was also one of the frontrunners in 2021-22. Last year did not quite go to plan for Joventut when it reached the playoffs, however, as it suffered its first home defeat of the campaign to eighth seed ratiopharm Ulm in the eighthfinals. This time around, Joventut enters the eighthfinals as the No. 2 seed from Group A and it comes up against the team that finished seventh in Group B, an ambitious London Lions squad.

European heavyweight takes on up-and-comer when Joventut, London meet

One of the main contenders to win the 7DAYS EuroCup this season is [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/?season=2022-23), who was also one of the frontrunners in 2021-22. Last year did not quite go to plan for Joventut when it reached the playoffs, however, as it suffered its first home defeat of the campaign to eighth seed ratiopharm Ulm in the eighthfinals. This time around, Joventut enters the eighthfinals as the No. 2 seed from Group A and [it comes up against the team that finished seventh in Group B](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/joventut-badalona-london-lions/U2022/188/), an ambitious [London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/london-lions/roster/lli/?season=2022-23) squad.

For London, playing in its first-ever season in the EuroCup, there were high moments but also a few tough lessons along the way. The team finished with an 8-10 record – Joventut went 13-5 through its 18 games – yet London had the curious situation of having a better road record than it had at home, going 3-6 in home games and 5-4 on its travels. For Ryan Schmidt's side, they will be hoping to emulate Ulm's success from last year and pull off a shock result at Palau Olimpic de Badalona.

The best plays of London Lions star Sam Dekker in the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season.

Sam Dekker's best plays, 2022-23

Both teams will be looking to lean on their key players to get them over the line. In the case of Joventut, it has the experience of Ante Tomic (13.2 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 3.4 apg.) at the 5, although it will be without the 36-year-old Pau Ribas after he suffered a third-degree left ankle sprain. Fortunately for head coach Carles Duran, he also has the likes of Joel Parra (12.9 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 1.2 apg.), Kyle Guy (12.1 ppg., 1.6 rpg., 2.1 apg.) and Henry Ellenson (10.6 ppg., 4.4 rpg.) that he can call upon, all of whom are between the ages of 23 and 26 and are ready to make a splash in the EuroCup Playoffs. 

On the other side of things, London has a go-to star in the form of the EuroCup's top scorer in the regular season, Sam Dekker, who averaged 18.9 points per night. Dekker twisted his ankle on the final play of the game against Turk Telekom Ankara in Round 17, but he has appeared in his team's last two domestic fixtures and should start in Badalona on Wednesday night. Kosta Koufos (11.8 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 1.5 apg., 1.1 bpg.), another big-name arrival at London in the offseason, is questionable after being away from the team to tend to a family matter, but Miye Oni (11.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 3.2 apg.) should be a player that Joventut highlights on its scouting report due to his play on both ends of the floor.

The best plays of Joventut Badalona quartet Ante Tomic, Joel Parra, Kyle Guy and Henry Ellenson in the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season.

Best plays of Joventut's star quartet, 2022-23

In terms of history, there's almost no comparison between Joventut and London. Joventut, champion of the EuroLeague in 1993-94 and winner of the EuroCup in 2007-08, is one of Europe's most well-known clubs, whereas London is a team that is on the rise but still has to prove itself among the very elite on the continent. However, the single-game elimination format of the EuroCup means that anything could happen when these two teams face off.

Both Joventut and London share dreams of playing in the EuroLeague in the not-too-distant future, and this eighthfinals test will be a good indicator of where these two teams stand with their goals. One team will be able to continue its dream this season, while the other will have to watch the remainder of the competition from afar. Make sure to tune in from 20:00 CEST on Wednesday night to see how this knockout tie plays out!

Joventut Badalona v London Lions (2023-04-12T18:00:00.000Z)

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.