Talented scorers Anthony Clemmons of Turk Telekom Ankara and Jaylon Brown of Hamburg Towers will lock horns in a major matchup on Wednesday.

Major Matchup: Turk Telekom’s Clemmons vs. Hamburg’s Brown 

Clemmons has been a boost for the Turk Telekom attack since he joined the team in Round 5. He is far from a one-dimensional scorer, alternating games where he relies mostly on outside shooting with games where he attacks the basket. He has drawn at least 6 fouls in half of his 12 appearances and had at least 4 assists on five occasions. For the season, Clemmons has averaged 12.0 points on 44.0% three-point shooting, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals for an average PIR of 14.8. He shined with 14 points, 8 assists and 5 steals for a PIR of 25 against Hamburg in Round 9, though his team lost by 20.

Keys to victory: Turk Telekom vs. Hamburg 

### Turk Telekom should keep Geyik involved

Turk Telekom Ankara will rely on Samet Geyik to play a more important role in the team going forward. Turk Telekom was with JaJuan Johnson and Octavius Ellis in Round 17, but Geyik stepped up with 32 points and a PIR of 35 against Lietkabelis Panevezys. Johnson and Ellis returned in a Turkish League game this weekend, but Geyik still got 22 points and a PIR of 23. Turk Telekom needs to be more aggressive on the boards against a physical team like Hamburg; the hosts rank 19th in offensive rebounds with just 8.6 per night.

### Hamburg needs its frontcourt to step up

Hamburg Towers was without leading scorer Caleb Homesley in a rescheduled game against Lietkabelis on Monday. If Homesley remains unavailable, players like Jaylon Brown and Maik Kostar must step up on offense. Kotsar needs to use his size and power against Ellis and Geyik, in what is one of the biggest keys to this game. Hamburg ranks second in offensive rebounds (12.7 orpg.) and first in steals (9.6 spg.), but allows opponents to make 58.2% of their two-point shots. Protecting the paint should be critical for Coach Pedro Calles's team.

Maik Kotsar - Hamburg Towers (Photo Marvin Contessi) - EC21

Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (10-5) hosts Lietkabelis Panevezys (9-6) with third place in Group A at stake. Only the winner will claim that spot. 

Keys to victory: Metropolitans vs. Lietkabelis 

### Metropolitans' diversified offense is key

Even though Metropolitans has a well-defined floor general and leader in Will Cummings, getting many different players involved on offense makee the team even better. That has given the hosts a very efficient offense, dishing 19.4 assists per game and committing just 12.2 turnovers per night. Not allowing Gediminas Orelik to take open shots or get one-on-one opportunities should be critical, and Metropolitans relies on Tomer Ginat and Bandja Sy to stop him. Finding Jordan McRae on offense could be a big key for Coach Vincent Collet's team.

### Outside shooting may be critical for Lietkabelis

Lietkabelis shot the ball really well in its road win against Hamburg Towers on Monday, making 69.0% of its two-pointers and 45.5% from downtown. Nikola Radicevic returned to its lineup, giving   Coach Nenad Canak much-needed experience and court sense at point guard. Lietkabelis has made 11.2 three-point shots on 41.1% shooting in wins and just 8.5 triples on 30.2% shooting in losses. Finding open looks for its best shooters - Orelik, Vytenis Lipkevicius, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis - should be really important for the visitors.

Boulogne Metropolitans 92 v Lietkabelis Panevezys (2022-04-06T18:30:00.000Z)

Bandja Sy - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) - EC21

Albicy was chosen to the 2018-19 All-EuroCup First Team and is in his sixth season in the competition. He leads the EuroCup in steals (1.8 spg.) and ranks fifth in assists (6.3 apg.), while averaging 6.0 points and a PIR of 12.8 in 12 games. In Round 9 against Reyer, Albicy had 6 points, 5 assists and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 10. He is a key player for Coach Porfi Fisac, as Albicy makes sure to keep everyone happy and put the ball in the right places.

Theodore will try to make sure that Albicy doesn't feel comfortable in this game. Theodore, a EuroCup finalist with UNICS Kazan last season, joined Reyer midway through the current campaign and did not get to play against Gran Canaria yet. He is averaging 12.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals and a PIR of 13.1. Both Albicy and Theodore are outstanding on-the-ball defenders, so get ready for a high-intensity matchup at Gran Canaria Arena on Wednesday.

Gran Canaria takes on Umana Reyer Venice in Round 18, giving EuroCup fans the chance to see Andrew Albicy face another experienced playmaker, Jordan Theodore. 

Major Matchup: Gran Canaria's Albcy vs. Reyer's Theodore 

Gran Canaria v Umana Reyer Venice (2022-04-06T19:00:00.000Z)

Andrew Albicy - Gran Canaria (photo Alessandro Scarpa - Reyer) - EC21

McRae has averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in nine EuroCup games this season. He has been unstoppable since he returned from injury, giving Metropolitans another good-as-gold scoring option. In the last three games, McRae has been worth 20.0 points on 60.7% two-point shooting, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals for an average PIR of 18.0. He missed his team's first game against Lietkabelis due to injury, but McRae looks ready to help his team bounce back from its 96-89 road loss in Round 9 in Panevezys.

Lipkevicius will not make things easier for McRae or any other potential rival matching up with him. He comes off a big performance (16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and a career-high 26 points in a road victory against Hamburg Towers. Lipkevicius is averaging 9.7 points on solid shooting percentages (57.9% 2FG, 39.3% 3FG, 90.7% FT) and 4.6 rebounds for a PIR of 13.2 in 16 games. He had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 5 fouls drawn and a PIR of 13 to help Lietkabelis beat Metropolitans in Round 9.

Two players in very good shape, Jordan McRae and Vytenis Lipkevicius, are set to face each other when Boulogne Metropolitans 92 hosts Lietkabelis Panevezys. 

Major Matchup: Metropolitans’ McRae vs. Lietkabelis's Lipkevicius

Vytenis Lipkevicius - Lietkabelis Panevezys (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21

Williams has been one of Trento's pillars this season, averaging 10.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and a PIR of 12.1. In Round 9 against Partizan, Williams had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in a 97-65 road loss in Belgrade, but only amassed a PIR of 4. He is a good shooter who can extend his range beyond the arc, which should be important to bring Lessort out of the paint and create better one-on-one opportunities for Jordan Caroline or Diego Flaccadori.

Lessort won the 7DAYS EuroCup title with AS Monaco last season and looks for a second consecutive crown. He is averaging 13.1 points on 63.6% two-point shooting, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 fouls drawn and a PIR of 19.6 in less than 24 minutes per night. Lessort's first EuroCup game with Partizan came in Round 9 against Trento when he the game with 7 points on 7-of-8 free-throw shooting, 3 rebounds, 6 fouls drawn and a PIR of 13 in 19 minutes. His post skills and know-how make him a very important player for Coach Zeljko Obradovic.

A big battle is expected in the paint when Johnathan Williams of Dolomiti Energia Trento faces Mathias Lessort of Partizan NIS Belgrade in Round 18. 

Major Matchup: Trento's Williams vs. Partizan's Lessort 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Partizan NIS Belgrade (2022-04-06T18:00:00.000Z)

Johnathan Williams - Dolomiti Energia Trento (photo Dragana Stjepanovic - Partizan) - EC21

•	BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA has been sanctioned with a fine of €1,000 for the throwing of objects onto the playing court on occasion of its home game against Mincidelice JL Bourg-en-Bresse under Article 29.2. h) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code.

Euroleague Basketball has announced the following disciplinary sanction pertaining to incidents that occurred in Round 17 of the 7DAYS EuroCup regular season.

Round 17 disciplinary sanction

For the second consecutive season, Tomer Ginat of Boulogne Metropolitans 92 is joining us from Paris to communicate with fans through his EuroCupBasketball.com blog. Ginat signed with Metropolitans in June 2020 after starting his career in his native Israel. He played for Ironi Nahariya, Ironi Kiryat Ata and Hapoel Tel Aviv before joining Metropolitans. Ginat already helped his team reach the EuroCup Quarterfinals last season and hopes to do even better in this year's knock-out rounds. It will be EuroCup Spring Madness and Ginat is back to tell you all about it! 

Tomer Ginat, Metropolitans 92: 'Now, it's money time'

We have been playing well in 2022 and had a good streak. We won seven of our eight EuroCup games and I think we have just been playing together. We realized that the EuroCup is a tough one, with very good teams, and we have to play together and be aggressive all the time. That was very important for us. I think we started the season very, very good in the French League but we had a few bad losses in EuroCup, so we had to figure it out. But I'm very happy that we did it and now, it's money time. 

We have a good chance to finish third if we beat Lietkabelis at home next week. We are not afraid of anybody. I think that the game against Lietkabelis is going to be a big one, especially after our loss in Lithuania a few months ago. It is a very, very big game for us because it's really important for us to finish third. I think we worked very hard all season and it's very important for us to get the home-court advantage for the first playoff game and if we win, maybe also in the second one. So it's going to be a big one. We trust ourselves and are going to come ready to do everything we can to win the game.

"We trust ourselves and are going to come ready to do everything we can to win the game."

A lot of players have stepped up during the season. For instance, Jordan McRae is a super talented player and he was injured for three months, so it wasn't the best situation for him. But since he came back, he is really stepping up and playing great for us. He is really important to the team. But I think that what's so good about our team is that every night somebody else can play well, take a step forward to help the team win. Of course, Will Cummings and Vince Hunter have been playing great all season, but I think everybody on our team helps them in one way or another. It is the best thing about our team, I would say. 

I feel comfortable on the team. I am just going out there to play as strong as I can, doing everything I can to help the team get more wins. I am getting more rebounds this season, but I don't have any explanation for this. I'm just playing as strong as I can, and I am happy I am doing this. Vincent Collet is a great coach. We all know he's a legend here in France, so it was a great experience to meet him at the beginning of the season and work for him. The tempo of our games is super high. I think we are very good in the open court, getting the rebounds and running. And it is really good for us because we have a lot of players who know how to do it and do it well. I'm really enjoying working with him. I'm learning new things every day and it's a great experience.

Best of Tomer Ginat in 2021-22 EuroCup

The competition format has helped us do better, too, as we improved our results in the second half of the regular season. It is great that every team plays 18 regular-season games. Like I said, you have the chance to make progress for a longer time. At the same time, it is only one game in each playoff round, so we have to be as focused as we can and come ready to play because on any given night, you can win or lose basically against everyone. All the teams in this competition are very good. So you have to be super focused when it comes to the playoffs. As for the regular season, for sure, I think it's a good thing to play a lot of games and get a rhythm. It was a great experience. 

So we will have the home-court advantage in the eighthfinals and if we advance, maybe in the quarterfinals, depending on other results. As I said, I think it's all about focus. From the beginning of the season, we have only lost two games at home. We lost one EuroCup game to Partizan and one game in the French League. So we trust ourselves and I think we are a very good team and we know our quality. But as I said, there are a lot of good teams in this competition that can come and surprise you on any given night. So we have to be focused, play strong and stay concentrated the whole time. Our goal is to come to work and be prepared because it's not going to be easy, that's for sure.

"This year, I have the opportunity to experience Paris and it's probably the most beautiful city in the world."

Obviously, one of the great things about this club is that I get to live in Paris. The food is amazing! I have been living here for two years, but the first year was a little weird with COVID and lockdowns, everything was closed. It was a little bit of a different situation. But this year, I have the opportunity to experience the city and it's probably the most beautiful city in the world. It is an amazing experience and an amazing opportunity for me to live in the most beautiful city in the world. Everybody knows Paris for the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, its museums and probably also its boulangeries and patisseries, which make a lot of special things. But what makes it also special for me is that no matter where you go, it doesn't matter which restaurant you sit in, the food is going to be so delicious and so special. So it was amazing to see it. This a great country and Paris is a great, great city. I love it! 

Now that we have the home-court advantage in the first round, we have to make the most out of it. As I said, we've only lost two games at home since the beginning of the season. We feel very comfortable playing in our home, thanks to our fans. And yes, we need our fans, for sure, especially in the EuroCup playoffs. It will be a big game and we are expecting our gym to be full. We trust our fans to come and help us get the job done.

Tomer Ginat - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) - EC21

### Slask Wroclaw assistant coach Andrzej Adamek:

"In our last league game we had an extremely difficult task, because our team was decimated by the stomach flu virus. Taking into account what happened during the night before the game, some players should have not played at all, but they went out onto the court and fought. Also our head coach, Andrej Urlep, had to stay home because of the disease. Sick guys are getting better every day and I hope that as many as possible of them will be available for tomorrow." 

### MoraBanc Andorra head coach David Eudal:

"It will be a difficult game because Wroclaw at their home court is a very tough opponent. We know we have to win to have the opportunity to be among the top four. We are in a good moment of the week at the practices and we need to put that on the court. We will try to do it tomorrow in Poland."

### MoraBanc Andorra player Guille Colom:

"We’re ready to face a tough team and we know that we should do one great game to win. We’re motivated to be among the top four at the end of the Regular Season, that’s our goal since the beginning of the season."

Here are some insightful comments about the game from the protagonists themselves.


Pre-game quotes: Slask vs. Andorra

Slask Wroclaw v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-04-06T16:45:00.000Z)

David Eudal - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21