This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 16 showdown between Promitheas Patras and Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Post-game quotes: Patras vs. Virtus

### Sergio Scariolo, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach:

"In the third quarter, as we mentioned in halftime, we had excellent looks that we did not finish, either because open shots did not go in or we did not finish in the paint with decisiveness. In the third quarter, we did it much better. Especially Isaia Cordinier led us with his drives, attacking the rim with decisiveness and toughness. Then the rest of the guys followed. The defense was good throughout the 40 minutes. We are good with this."

### Ilias Zouros, Promitheas Patras head coach:

"When you play such a quality team, it is very difficult to compete, especially when you lose your concentration and you rush. I don't have bad things to say about my team, because all the players gave their heart on the court. We had injuries, we had players who did not practice and came in the game and played. We did not have a big rotation and that was a big problem for us. But at the same time, I am very happy because we used many young players. This was important to get experience and to be ready and prepared for the Greek League. Congratulations to Virtus, I wish them all the best for the rest of the EuroCup. Thanks to the fans who came and supported our team even when the margin was so big in the second half."

Virtus KO's Promitheas, 61-83

With the win, Virtus improved to 9-7 for a share of the third-best record in Group B, while Promitheas dropped to 4-12 and was mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. Virtus took control in the first quarter and opened its first double-digit lead in the second, before breaking the game wide open with a huge third quarter behind Isaia Cordinier who had 22 points and 6 assists. Kyle Weems netted 15 points, and Mam Jaiteh collected 11 points and 9 rebounds. Nikolaos Rogkavpoulos scored 20, and Jerai Grant had 12 points in the losing effort.

Baskets were few and far between early on. Rogkavpoulos hit a corner triple as the visitors needed almost 4 minutes to score their first field goal. A put-back from Jaiteh and a triple from Cordinier in a 0-8 run put the visitors in front. Kendrick Ray and Abdul Gaddy scored inside for the hosts, but Cordinier scored 5 points for Virtus before Kevin Hervey's triple make it 13-21 in the final seconds of the first quarter. That left just enough time for Rogkavpoulos to hit a mid-court buzzer-beater to make it 16-21 after 10 minutes.

Rogkavpoulos's third three-pointer cut the margin to 19-23, but Amedeo Tessitori scored twice inside and Cordinier's fastbreak dunk opened a 21-31 lead. Promitheas answered with a fastbreak layup from Gaddy and back-to-back three-point plays from Dimitris Agravanis and Ray. However, Daniel Hackett scored twice late in the quarter to give Virtus a 30-36 halftime lead.

Weems opened the third quarter with a triple and Cordinier opened a double-digit margin before triples from Gaddy and Rogkavpoulos cut it to 36-41. But Jaiteh sparked a 0-8 run with a pair of baskets inside and, after a timeout and a long jumper from Rogkavpoulos, it was Weems who strung together 8 unanswered points, including back-to-back three-pointers that opened a 38-57 margin. Rogkavpoulos snapped the hosts' drought with a pair of buckets, but Cordinier had back-to-back three-point plays that helped the visitors to a 44-68 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Nico Mannion nailed a three-pointer before baskets from Jakarr Sampson and Hervey made it 47-78. Grant and Georgios Tanoulis scored close-range baskets for the hosts. Grant's jumper from the top of the key cut it to 57-80 with just over 2 minutes to go, but the winner of this contest was long decided.

Alessandro Pajola - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Kostas Petsas - Patras) - EC21-RS16

When Buducnost VOLI Podgorica visits Gran Canaria in Group B on Wednesday, the visitors will be seeking a reversal of fortunes in their head-to-head 7DAYS EuroCup games, where Gran Canaria has been nothing short of perfect through five games.

Head-to-head: Gran Canaria vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

When the two teams were heading to their first meeting this season in Round 7, Buducnost was the outright Group B leader with a 5-1 record and Gran Canaria was one win behind. Since then, things have changed quite a bit.

In that mid-December contest, Gran Canaria beat Buducnost on the road 76-83, sparking a five-game win streak that eventually landed the Spanish team in first place in Group B with an 11-4 record.

Buducnost, on the other hand, has had a 4-5 record in that same span, finding itself on the losing end in four out of five games before downing last-place Promitheas Patras a week ago.

In thr nine-game stretch that started with their Round 7 game, Gran Canaria is putting up 5 points more per game than Buducnost by knocking down almost twice as many three-pointers and shooting at much higher percentages, especially from downtown.

In addition, Gran Canaria has posted 20.5 assists and 8.3 steals compared to the 14.9 assists and 5.5 steals that Buducnost has averaged over that span.

Buducnost is already qualified to the playoffs and still manages its own destiny from third place in Group B, with a 9-6 record. To defend that position and retain home-court advantage in the first elimination round, one thing Buducnost would love to do on Wednesday is finally win a EuroCup game against Gran Canaria.

The two teams have played five EuroCup games since first meeting in the 2010-11 season, and Gran Canaria has won every time. The only win Buducnost has ever managed against Gran Canaria actually took place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, when the two sides split home victories in the 2018-19 campaign.

In the five EuroCup games between them, Gran Canaria has won two by 23 or more points and the other three by or less. Buducnost has averaged only 70.8 points in those five games against Gran Canaria and has managed to make only 29 three-point shots on 111 attempts. 

On Wednesday night, Gran Canaria will be gunning for a victory that would keep it firmly atop the Group B standings. Buducnost, meanwhile, will be trying to change two losing trends: the overall one that started when these teams last played, but also its winless record against Gran Canaria all-time in the EuroCup.

h2h Gran Canaria vs Buducnost since 2010-11

Dylan Ennis - Gran Canaria (photo Buducnost) - EC21

Gran Canaria v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-03-23T20:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket is on a three-game winning streak and the winner in seven of its last eight games. The hottest player on one of the hottest teams in the 7DAYS EuroCup is sharpshooter Klemen Prepelic.

Who's hot: Klemen Prepelic, Valencia Basket

The veteran guard is playing in his sixth season in the competition with a sixth different team. Prepelic has been knocking down shots better than any player on the team in recent weeks and better than just about any player in the competition.

Over the last four rounds, Rounds 12 through Round 15, only one player in the EuroCup has scored more points than Prepelic.

Prepelic has totaled 74 points since Round 12, good for an average of 18.5. In that four-round span, he's bagged more points than any player not named Jarron Blossomgame of ratiopharm Ulm.

Prepelic got his hot run going after halftime of the overtime road loss against Gran Canaria. He scored all of his 18 points that night in the second half, making 4 of 10 triples for the game.

The Valencia sharpshooter topped that performance the following week in a resounding home win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna. In a rare appearance in the starting lineup, he netted 19 points in 18 minutes, making 3 of 7 three-pointers.

Prepelic's run did not stop there. He scored 18 points again in the Round 14 win at Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, knocking down 5 of 11 shots from three-pointer range and then followed it up with another 19-point performance in a home win over Umana Reyer Venice, a game in which he shot 3 for 9 from downtown.

Since Round 12, Prepelic has made 15 triples in just four games, after netting 18 threes in his first nine appearances. Apart from making three-point shots and averaging 18.5 points, after scoring 12.3 in his first nine games of the season, Prepelic also improved his three-point accuracy, shooting 40.5% during this three-game stretch, up from 29.0% before Round 12.

Prepelic is now poised to continue his hot streak in Round 16 on the road against Frutti Extra Bursaspor, a team that has allowed a EuroCup-high 41.0% shooting from behind the arc.

Klemen Prepelic - Valencia Basket (photo Jacques Cormareche - Bourg) - EC21

Partizan won away from home for the first time since early December when it ran past Slask Wroclaw 71-93 on Tuesday night.

Youngsters left their mark in Partizan’s road win

Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic was pleased and relaxed after his team's surprisingly comfortable road win over Slask. His team opened the game with a 4-21 run and never led by fewer than 11 points the rest of the way. 

What must have made Obradovic additionally happy were the contributions, and the level of performance, of his young players, who have all clearly displayed improvement over the course of the season. Tristan Vukcevic turned 19 last week, Gregor Glas is 20, while Yam Madar, Uros Trifunovic, Alen Smailaigic and Balsa Koprivica are all 21 years old.

Youngsters left mark in Partizan’s road win

Youngsters left mark in Partizan s road win

On Tuesday night, they all got extended playing time and delivered. Playing a team-high 24:31 minutes, Madar had 15 points sharing the honor of the game's top scorer with Kevin Punter. Koprivica collected 10 points and 8 rebounds in fewer than 20 minutes, and Vukcevic netted 6 points in just under 14 minutes. Smailagic made another step in his return from injury with 6 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes, while Trifunovic was scoreless playing 19 minutes, but has developed into one of the team's top defenders. 

"They are talented players, but they need a lot of work. It is something that makes me happy, that I have an opportunity to work with really young players", Obradovic explained. "On the other side, I am really happy I have guys like Kevin \[Punter\], like Zach \[LeDay\], \[Matthias\] Lessort and Dallas Moore that are experienced players, and they are trying to help the young players. That is very important."

That mixture of youth and experience is a formula that has been jelling nicely for Partizan as it closes towards the regular-season finish line sitting in second place Group A.

Zeljko Obradovic - Partizan NIS Belgrade (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21

Slask Wroclaw v Partizan NIS Belgrade (2022-03-22T17:45:00.000Z)

Lietkabelis Panevezys had a balanced attack in its 88-75 home victory against MoraBanc Andorra as three of its players scored exactly 19 points. 

Lietkabelis: 19 is the magic number

Gediminas Orelik, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis and Djordje Gagic are very different players, but all of them had something in common in their team's Round 16 win against Andorra: all of them scored exactly 19 points. Orelik was the first to lead the way, scoring 13 points on 3 of 3 shots from beyond the arc in the first quarter. That allowed Lietkabelis to get a double-digit margin, 29-19, after 10 minutes. Kalaitzakis and Gagic each had 6 points in the first quarter as the trio combined for 25 of their team's 29 points.

Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Gediminas Orelik and 1 other Highlights vs. MoraBanc Andorra, 03/22/2022

Kalaitzakis Gagic Orelik make the difference against Andorra

Andorra managed to get within 35-30 midway through the second quarter, but Lietkabelis found a go-to guy in Kalaitzakis, who had 5 points in an 11-0 run that boosted his team's margin to 46-30. Gagic scored 7 points in the third quarter, allowing the hosts to keep a safe lead. When Andorra got a bit closer, 73-64, early in the fourth quarter, Kalaitzakis and Gagic stepped up again to make the difference, sealing the outcome way before the final buzzer. 

Gagic made 6 of 8 two-pointers and all of his 7 free throw attempts. Orelik buried 4 of 7 three-pointers, and also added 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Kalaitzakis scored three times both inside and outside the arc. The three players combined for a PIR of 71 - almost as much as Andorra's total team PIR of 73. 

Lietkabelis Panevezys celebrates (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21-RS16

Lietkabelis Panevezys v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-03-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara prevailed in a tough battle with Dolomiti Energia Trento 82-75 thanks to a big fourth quarter. And the biggest reason for the strong final push was Aubrey Dawkins.

Dawkins turned the game around for Turk Telekom with thrilling plays

Turk Telekom took the final frame 28-16 in coming back from a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter. The 26-year-old EuroCup rookie shined in the comeback. Dawkins scored just 2 points in the first three quarters and then used his athleticism to take over the contest.

Dawkins scores 15 fourth-quarter points against Trento

He went baseline and threw down a massive dunk to give Turk Telekom a 67-66 lead. He followed shortly with a three-pointer from the top of the key. Dawkins was far from done. He added a three-point play off a baseline drive, 3 free throws and then a spectacular alley-oop on the break in the closing seconds. All told, Dawkins scored 15 of his 17 points in the final 10 minutes.

It was not Dawkins’s biggest output of the season; he poured in 18 points against Slask Wroclaw in Round 3. But it was the second time Dawkins proved too much for Trento after he went for 15 points and 4 rebounds against the same team in Round 7.

Aubrey Dawkins - Turk Telekom Ankara (photo Turk Telekom) - EC21-RS16

Turk Telekom Ankara v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2022-03-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Just 18 years of age, Fedor Zugic is starting to shine in the EuroCup as he did on Tuesday in helping ratiopharm Ulm beat Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 72-85.

Teenager Zugic was again a factor for Ulm

Zugic collected 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in less than 17 minutes to go with 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and just 1 turnover for an index rating of 13. The Montenegrin guard also harvested the praise of Coach Jaka Lakovic after the win.

“I would really like to say that Fedor Zugic had a great game in only 17 minutes, a great game for an 18-year-old. Such a mature game. Making all the right decisions,” Lakovic said. “He was a huge help for us. I want him to build on that, which he already showed in the game against Gran Canaria. He’s becoming a factor in the top level of Europe.” 

Zugic was a big factor for Ulm against Bourg

Zugic, who in February 2019 became the youngest player to debut in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history for Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, has now put together three consecutive superb outings. He scored 11 points with 3 assists in 22 minutes against Promitheas Patras in Round 14 before pouring in 22 points with 2 rebounds and 1 assist for a PIR of 23 in just 20 minutes in Round 15 against Gran Canaria.

In those three games, Zugic, who will not turn 19 until mid-September, made 9 of 11 two-pointers (81.8%), 8 of 14 three-pointers (57.1%) and 6 of 7 free throws (85.7%) and committed just 2 turnovers in 59 total minutes. Over his last eight EuroCup games, Zugic has totaled just 5 turnovers despite playing at least 15 minutes in each game. It all points to a bright future for Ulm’s rising star. 

Fedor Zugic - ratioharm Ulm (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21-RS15

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-03-22T19:00:00.000Z)

Ulm executed better in the fourth quarter to improve to 7-9 in Group B. Semaj Christon collected 19 points and 12 assists and Jason Blossomgame added 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead Ulm. Sindarius Thornwell chipped in 13 points and Fedor Zugic tallied 12 in the win. Bourg dropped to 5-11 with its third straight loss and fourth in the last five games. Rasheed Sulaimon paced all scorers with 20 points while Jalen Jones had 12 points for Bourg and Pierre Pelos chipped in 11.

Thornwell opened the game with free throws and Zugic’s three-pointer put the visitors up 0-5. Alexandre Chassang answered from deep for Bourg’s first points while Blossomgame tallied 6 straight points as Ulm stretched ahead 5-13. Bourg reeled off the next 9 points – including 5 from Jones - to move back ahead 14-13. Ulm twice nosed back in front by 3 points, but it was Bourg that led after 10 minutes 21-20.

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Pelos and Maxime Roos picked up three-point plays to start the second quarter and Bourg increased the lead to 27-20. Blossomgame continued his superb game with 6 more points in a 0-12 run over more than 4 minutes for a 27-32 lead. Axel Julien stopped the drought and then CJ Harris scored 5 points to help the hosts move back ahead 38-36. The teams went into the break deadlocked at 38-38.

Zugic started the second half with a dunk only to see Sulaimon make a triple as Bourg went up 41-40. Ulm executed better offensively over the next few minutes with Christon and Zugic both knocking down triples as the lead was 46-52. Pelos and Thornwell swapped three-pointers and Ulm led 51-57 after 30 minutes.  

 

Hugo Benitez had the first points of the fourth quarter for the hosts, but Per Guenther hit a three-pointer to push the lead to 53-60. Jones and Thomas Klepeisz swapped three-pointers and Philipp Herkenhoff’s triple made it 60-71 with less than 5 minutes to play. The hosts used the long ball to get close with Sulaimon sandwiching three-pointers around a Julien triple to close within 69-73. Bourg failed to score on four straight possessions and Ulm pulled away 69-79. Benitez hit a three-pointer with 46 seconds to play, but it was not enough.

ratiopharm Ulm grabbed an important victory in its fight to reach the playoffs as it knocked off Mincidelic JL Bourg en Bresse 72-85 on the road to snap a four-game losing streak. 

Ulm claims 72-85 victory at Bourg

Philipp Herkenhoff - ratiopharm Ulm (photo Jacques Cormareche - Bourg) - EC21-RS16