Two teams that endured different results last week clash in Group B when Promitheas Patras (4-2) welcomes the London Lions (3-3) on Tuesday. It will be Promitheas's first game in the competition following the news that Coach Makis Giatras has stepped down due to health reasons. In Giatras's last game with the team, Promitheas fell at home against Turk Telekom, 83-98, despite Joe Young's 30 points. London lands in Greece in the middle of a two-game winning streak, the last of which came at home against Slask, 97-80, led by Sam Dekker and his 18 points. This will be the first time that these two teams play each other.

The hosts boast the fourth-best offense in the competition (85.5 ppg.) mainly thanks to having the EuroCup's leading scorer, Joe Young (24.5 ppg.). However, the visitors seem to be a bit stronger in defense, and they are gaining momentum after back-to-back wins. Promitheas seems to be struggling to circulate the ball with the worst numbers in the league regarding assists (15.5) while London has the fourth-best mark overall (18.5). 

 

It's obvious that Young is the biggest offensive threat for the hosts, but London will have to also pay attention to Arnoldas Kulboka (14.3 ppg. and 8.3 rpg.). That duo has been making things happen for Promitheas, but the Lions' main strength is that six of its players are averaging 10 points or more per game, led by Tomislav Zubcic (15.5 ppg.) and Sam Dekker (14.2 ppg.). This combined effort makes the visitors a tough team to guard and Promitheas will have to watch out for that at the same time as it deals with the coaching change.

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Promitheas hosts red-hot London

Promitheas Patras v London Lions (2022-12-06T17:30:00.000Z)

Two teams in a sweet moment will clash on Tuesday night in a Group A showdown when Umana Reyer Venice (4-2) hosts Frutti Extra Bursaspor (4-2). This will be the third time they ever meet in the 7DAYS EuroCup; Bursaspor holds a 0-2 edge from a regular-season sweep last year. Reyer comes rolling in after a road win at Germani Brescia in an Italian derby, 60-80, led by Allerik Freeman's 22 points for its third straight victory. Bursaspor also succeeded at home last week, 95-80, against U-BT Cluj-Napoca led by Onuralp Bitim and his 26 points for its second straight win.

Bursaspor has averaged 86.0 points per game, which is second-best in the EuroCup, and will be facing the second-best defense in the competition; Reyer has allowed a mere 73.2 points per game. Bursaspor has picked it up where it left off last season and is among the three best teams in the league in average PIR, points, offensive rebounds and three-point percentage. The hosts will have to rely on its momentum and the support of its crowd to try to defeat the runners-up from last season.

 

To do that, Reyer will look to its trio of scorers - Freeman (13.5 ppg.), Derek Willis (12.5 ppg.) and veteran Mitchell Watt (11.5 ppg.) - and try to put its vast experience on the court to good use. Bursaspor is relying on Bitim (18.6 ppg.), Derek Needham (15.0 ppg.) and Anthony Clemmons (13.3 ppg.) to lead the charge in Italy. One of these two teams will prolong its winning streak while the other will have to start over again when all is said and done in Venice.

A winning streak will be snapped when Reyer, Bursaspor meet

Umana Reyer Venice v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-12-06T19:00:00.000Z)

Group A leader Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (5-1) welcomes Prometey Slobozhanske (3-3) on Tuesday night in a Round 7 showdown that will also be the first time that these two teams play each other. Bourg comes off a big road win at Joventut, 80-85, in which James Palmer led the way with 23 points and 5 assists. Prometey dropped an epic home game by a single point, 105-106, to Ulm, despite 34 points by Gian Clavell.

Prometey has the best offense in the competition (86.3 ppg.) and also leads the EuroCup in both steals (10.7 spg.) and turnovers (11.8) which makes it the most reliable team in terms of taking care of the ball. Bourg is the best team in the league from beyond the arc (40.0%), but aside from that, it's only among the top five teams in blocks (3.5 bpg.). That means that Bourg does not excel at anything in particular, but does everything well, hence its top spot in the group.

 

Clavell (19.8 ppg.) is the main offensive threat that Bourg must watch out for, but Caleb Agada (15.2 ppg.) and DJ Stephens (12.2 ppg.) complete a trio that almost averages 50 points per game. The hosts have four players averaging 10 points or more, with Jordan Floyd (15.5 ppg.) and Palmer (14.8 ppg.) the main threats. The latter also averages 48.1% shooting from beyond the arc, so Prometey will have to watch that backcourt danger as it looks to return to the winning path.

Group A leader Bourg faces Prometey

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Prometey Slobozhanske (2022-12-06T18:30:00.000Z)

After U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2-4) and Joventut Badalona (4-2) both suffered defeats in Round 6 of the 7DAYS EuroCup, there is an extra level of intrigue ahead of their meeting at BT-Arena on Wednesday evening. Cluj fell to an 80-95 road defeat at Frutti Extra Bursaspor last week. The good thing for Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan is that his team welcomes Joventut back on its home floor, where it is 2-1. 

There have been very impressive crowds at BT-Arena in Cluj's opening three home games and the fans will no doubt come out in force for the visit of one of the favorites to win this year's EuroCup. Cluj has the third-best offensive record in the competition, averaging 85.7 points per game, so it will be important that the likes of Leonardo Meindl (17.3 ppg.), Jordan Taylor (14.2 ppg.) and Karel Guzman (12.8 ppg.) all step up for the visit of Joventut.

 

Joventut comes into this clash on the back of an 80-85 loss at home to Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, however, the visitors have the No.1-ranked defense in the EuroCup and could make life difficult for Cluj. Joventut lost its first road game in Round 2 but then bounced back by recording impressive wins away from Badalona at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and ratiopharm Ulm in Rounds 3 and 5, respectively. After seeing just Henry Ellenson (12.2 ppg.) and Pep Busquets score a double-digit number of points against Bourg, Joventut head coach Carles Duran will want some of his more experienced players, such as Ante Tomic and Pau Ribas, to play key roles in quietening down the noisy crowd at BT-Arena.

Cluj, Joventut look to get back on track in Round 7

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Joventut Badalona (2022-12-07T17:30:00.000Z)

Slask Wroclaw will look for its first win of the EuroCup campaign on Wednesday when it hosts Paris Basketball. Slask (0-6) comes off a blowout defeat in London, but its last two home games were close calls, decided by a total of 6 points, and Coach Andrej Urlep will hope that this time it can get the monkey off its back at home. Paris (4-2) has won back-to-back games and is 3-0 on the road in its first season in the competition. 

Point guard Jeremiah Martin (16.8 ppg., 5.0 apg., 3.0 spg.) has been Slask’s most dangerous weapon so far this season while center Aleksander Dziewa (11.3 ppg., 7.0 rpg.) has been a force in the paint. Paris will turn to Kyle Allman (19.8 ppg., 4.7 apg.), who is second in the EuroCup in scoring, to take on Martin and Ismael Kamagate (10.5 ppg., 9.5 rpg., 2.5 bpg.) is the man the visitors can count on inside. 

 

The teams play at much different paces with Paris ranked fifth in the EuroCup in scoring with 85.3 points per game and Slask 19th with 74.8. The stat that could tell the story of the game is two-point shooting as Paris has converted so far this season at a 57.6% clip and Slask at 49.3%. The hosts must shoot better or deny Paris inside to improve their chances of finally getting their first win this season. 

Slask hunts its first win against Paris 

Slask Wroclaw v Paris Basketball (2022-12-07T19:00:00.000Z)

Two teams in good spirits will clash when Buducnost VOLI Podgorica hosts Dolomiti Energia Trento in Group B action on Wednesday. Buducnost (4-2) survived a tough test in Tel Aviv to defeat Hapoel last week and remain undefeated on the road this season. However, Coach Vlada Jovanovic’s men are only 1-3 at home. They will look to please their home fans against Trento (1-5), which snapped a 17-game EuroCup losing streak by defeating Gran Canaria last week. Coach Lele Molin’s men will now look to exercise another curse; Trento has not won on the road since November 2020 - a run of 17 consecutive road losses. 

Alpha Kaba (14.5 ppg., 11.3 rpg., 2.3 spg.) has been a monster inside for Buducnost recently with four consecutive doubles, while the red-hot shooting of Cameron Reynolds (12.2 ppg.) made the difference last week in Tel Aviv. Darion Atkins will be one of the players charged with slowing down Kaba for Trento, while do-it-all swingman Drew Crawford could match up with Reynolds. Another key duel will be at point guard where Trento’s Diego Flaccadori (13.5 ppg., 4.8 apg) takes on Trae Bell-Haynes (12.3 ppg., 4.8 apg.). 

 

Buducnost boasts one of the best defenses in the EuroCup; it has allowed the second-fewest points this season (73.2 ppg.). Trento is last in scoring with just 73.5 points per game. The game could be decided in the paint; Trento is last in the EuroCup in two-point accuracy (44.3%) and has been outrebounded by 3.7 boards per game. Buducnost leads the EuroCup in rebounding (44.7 rpg.) and offensive boards (14.0 orpg.) and is third in blocks (3.7 bpg.). Even though Buducnost hasn’t shot well, its strong inside play has made the difference and that could be the key this week, too. 

Play in the paint will be key when Buducnost faces Trento 

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2022-12-07T18:30:00.000Z)

In a never-seen-before showdown in European competitions, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (3-3) takes on Germani Brescia (2-4) at Cido Arena on Wednesday. This will be Brescia's first-ever trip to Lithuania, which adds even more anticipation to this interesting showdown. Lietkabelis is 3-0 at home this season, having won all three games by 6 points or less, but it is only 1-3 against Italian teams at Cido Arena in European competition. Brescia is looking for its second road victory and to snap its current three-game losing streak. 

Lietkabelis ranks second in home scoring this season, averaging 91.0 points. It is shooting the ball really well at Cido Arena, hitting 60.5% of its two-point shots and 41.1% from beyond the arc. It also averages 12.7 offensive rebounds per game in home games. Being able to keep playing with such overall effectiveness should be its main goal. Jamel Morris (16.3 ppg.) has been Lietkabelis's top scorer until now, followed by Zeljko Sakic (14.3 ppg.) and Kristian Kullamae (12.8 ppg.), who comes off a monster game (24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists) against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in Round 6. 

 

Brescia needs to improve its offense to end its losing streak. In the last three games, Brescia averaged 71.7 points but has enough firepower to turns things around. Experienced players like Amedeo Della Valle (13.5 ppg.) and Kenny Gabriel (7.5 ppg.) will need to take on extra responsibilities on offense now that Troy Caupain (14.5 ppg.), Brescia's leading scorer, is injured. Coach Alessandro Magno's team needs to improve its ball circulation to raise its three-point shooting percentage (33.1% 3FG) in what should be a key for Brescia going forward.

Brescia makes its first trip to Lithuania to face Lietkabelis 

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Germani Brescia (2022-12-07T17:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara (5-1) takes on Gran Canaria (4-2) at Ankara Spor Salonu in the Turkish capital on Wednesday in an important showdown in the fight for first place in Group B. Turk Telekom lost its first game of the season against Paris Basketball and has been unstoppable ever since to reel off five straight wins. Gran Canaria comes off a road loss against Dolomiti Energia Trento that ended a three-game winning streak. Both teams have deep, experienced rosters, which should make this an entertaining game for basketball fans. 

Turk Telekom is one of the best defensive teams in the competition, allowing just 78.3 points per night. It needs to work on its three-point defense, however, as opponents are hitting 40.8% of their shots from downtown. Turk Telekom has done a great job of boxing out, allowing just 8.0 offensive rebounds per night while ranking sixth in defensive boards (25.7 drpg.). With scorers like Axel Boutielle (17.7 ppg.), Tony Taylor (13.8 ppg.) and Jerian Grant (13.7 ppg.), offense should not be a problem for Turk Telekom if it sticks to its defensive standards. 

 

Gran Canaria leads the EuroCup in three-point shots made at 12.5 per night. It is also tied for first place in assists at 20.5 per game. Ferran Bassas (5.2 apg.) and Andrew Albicy (5.0 apg.) will share the ball in a key battle to control the game tempo against lightning-quick playmakers like Taylor and Grant. Gran Canaria must do its best to make the most out of its size advantage in the paint, finding Khalifa Diop and Aleksander Balcerowski down low to get Tyrique Jones into foul trouble.

Turk Telekom and Gran Canaria meet in pivotal Group B showdown 

Turk Telekom Ankara v Gran Canaria (2022-12-07T17:00:00.000Z)

 Stats Review: Pressure possessions 

While we are only six games into 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season, the last several weeks have felt much longer for some teams than others – a fact that has surprisingly little to do with where those teams currently sit in the standings. 

The graph above tracks the percentage of each team's total fourth-quarter possessions this season where the margin on the scoreboard has been no more than 5 points. So far, nearly 43% of all possessions in the fourth quarter of EuroCup games have been played under those circumstances, though the spread among teams is significant.

On one extreme, Gran Canaria has played 69% of its fourth-quarter possessions with the score inside of 5 points. That's a little confusing given the team has a pair of double-digit wins and an 11-point loss, but the math works nonetheless as the Spanish club has kept things close in the first 5 minutes of the fourth quarter of nearly every game this season before seeing the scoreboard swing wildly one way or the other. The team's Round 6 matchup with Dolomiti Energia Trento was the notable exception; neither team ever led by more than 6 points in one of this season's closer contests.

In contrast, the London Lions have seen relatively little drama in their games. A mere 20% of their late-game possessions coming under duress despite a 3-3 record that includes a pair of road wins. When the Lions have won, they've won big, but the pendulum has swung just as far the other way in several of their losses.

The respective group leaders at present, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in Group A and Turk Telekom Ankara in Group B, both fall in the middle of the pack. Second place-teams Joventut Badalona (A) and Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (B) have dealt with significantly less late-game stress to this point. Interestingly, Bourg and Turk Telekom are the only two teams eclipsing +20 close-game fourth-quarter point differentials. For that duo, their high level of play in close games has been dramatically more relevant to their record than the volume of opportunities.

ratiopharm Ulm and Veolia Towers Hamburg represent the other outliers, keeping fans on the edges of their seats night-to-night. Hamburg, in particular, has put up a ton of fight on the road against quality opponents. That leaves room for optimism after their 2-4 start. Ulm, on the other hand, has already played three games with final margins of 2 points or less and earned a 106-105 win in Round 6 after scoring only 54 points in Round 5. Wild finishes in close games have been perhaps the most consistent characteristic of their season to this point.

Hapoel Tel Aviv falls on the other end of the spectrum with three blowout wins and only a single one-possession loss. When Hapoel has found an early rhythm, it has been very difficult to beat.

Ultimately, the competitiveness of the EuroCup in its current format means there will always be plenty of heart-racing action week to week. Some teams even seem to gravitate to it, but that does not always mean as much to their record as one might expect.