Gran Canaria pulled out a hard-fought road win 93-94 at ratiopharm Ulm on Wednesday night. 

Gran Canaria wins thriller, 93-94, in Ulm

The visitors entered the last minute trailing 93-90, but a jumper by Artem Pustovyi and another by AJ Slaughter helped turn the tables and keep Gran Canaria atop Group B with an 11-4 record. The winners were led in scoring by Dylan Ennis, who tallied 18 points and 4 assists. AJ Slaughter followed with 17 points in just 20 minutes, including the winning shot with 19 seconds remaining. Artem Pustovyi provided 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Andrew Albicy neared a double-double with 9 points and 10 assists. Fedor Zugic led the way for Ulm with career-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while Jaron Blossomgame had 18 points and 9 rebounds and Philipp Herkenhoff added 18 and 4 in the losing effort. Ulm dropped to 6-9 after losing its fourth straight.

Post-game quotes: Ulm vs. Gran Canaria

### ratiopharm Ulm head coach Jaka Lakovic: 

“I think we played a good game. I think offensive rebounds hurt us a lot tonight, 19 offensive rebounds, I don’t know how many second-chance points. I think it was decisive, but still the game in the end was decided by the offensive talent of their two guards, \[Dylan\] Ennis and \[AJ\] Slaughter. They made a couple of tough shots, and on the other side, we made one crucial turnover which prevented us from having one more possession to be able to score and win the game. The opponent was better. I’m happy with the effort and we have to keep going. The performance was good, but we lost the game.”

### Gran Canaria head coach Porfirio Fisac:

“I agree \[with Jaka Lakovic\] because today we won a very tough game, and we did it thanks to little details. At this moment of the regular season, everybody is working hard for wins, everybody plays for it as everyone wants to continue to the next stage of the competition. There are excellent players playing this competition, \[AJ\] Slaughter is a great person and an amazing player. He played really well the last decisions and I think today he was the key in this game.”

### Gran Canaria guard AJ Slaughter:

“We put it all on defense, we got big stops in the end, we really locked in when we needed it defensively and we made some good rebounds offensively in the end... It’s a very tough competition, teams are also getting better, but we have a good chance. We are in first place right now, still have the home-court advantage so that’s important for us.”

Porfi Fisac - Gran Canaria (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21-RS15

On a night when its opponent Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse set club records for shooting accuracy, Frutti Extra Bursaspor won thanks to its hustle.

Telling numbers: Bursaspor scored the hustle points

Bursaspor collected 9 offensive rebounds and allowed Bourg just 2. In doing so, the hosts scored 13 second-chance points and allowed only 2. Bursaspor also forced Bourg into 18 turnovers and capitalized on them to the tune of 23 points. In contrast, Bursaspor turned the ball over just 9 times and gave up 15 points from those turnovers. Those 36 hustle points played a big role for the winners.

With 28 assists, Bursaspor also smashed the club record in that category. Its previous best in that category was 23, which it accomplished twice, most recently in Round 3 this season against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. All eight Bursaspor players who took the court Tuesday dished at least 1 assist with Derek Needham, Andrew Andrews and Kevarrius Hayes leading the way with 6 each.

Even though Bourg lost, it was a historic night for the visitors too. Bourg set club records for two-point shooting (67.7%), three-point shooting (70.6%) and assists (25). The team made 21 of 31 twos to best its previous high; Bourg shot 24 for 36 on twos (66.7%) in a loss to Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in March of last season. Its 12-of-17 shooting from downtown eclipsed the club record from a 15-for-24 effort (62.5%), which also game in Turkey, against Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul, in September 2020. And the 25 assists were 1 better than the previous record, which was set against Bursaspor earlier this season.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2022-03-15T17:00:00.000Z)

Alexandre Chassang - JL Bourg en Bresse  (photo Bursaspor) - EC21-RS15

Frutti Extra Bursaspor rallied from a 16-point third-quarter deficit to defeat Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 96-89 at home on Tuesday. 

Bursaspor rallies to beat Bourg, 96-89

Bourg rode a three-point barrage to a 48-64 lead midway through the second quarter only to see John Holland and Andrew Andrews lead an improbable Bursaspor comeback. Andrews scored 22 points and dished 6 assists and Holland collected 20 points and 6 rebounds to lead Bursaspor, which won its third straight home game to improve to 5-9 and move ahead of Bourg for eighth place. Derek Needham added 14 points and 6 assists, David Dudzinski also scored 14, Kevarrius Hayes contributed 12 points and 6 assists and Onuralp Bitim scored 10. Pierre Pelos led all Bourg scorers with 19 points. Alexandre Chassang added 16, Rasheed Sulaimon scored 14 and dished 9 assists, JaCorey Williams 11 and C.J. Harris had 10 for Bourg, which fell to 5-10.

Chassang got Bourg going with a three-pointer and Pelos erased Bitim's dunk with a layup for a 2-5 lead. Harris and Pelos joined the three-point shootout to boost the visitors’ lead to 2-11. Andrews stepped up for Bursaspor with 5 points in a 7-0 run that got his team within 9-11. Pelos hit a turnaround jumper, Andrews and Chassang each struck from downtown before Hayes's power layup kept the hosts close, 14-16. Sulaimon scored in penetration and Chassang added a mid-range jumper in a 7-0 run that Maxime Roos capped with a corner triple. Andrews and Holland made it 17-25 after 10 minutes.

 

Hugo Benitez struck from beyond the arc and matched Hayes's running floater with a backdoor layup for a 19-30 Bourg lead. Bitim and Holland each buried a corner three-pointer but Jalen Jones and Williams kept the visitors in charge, 25-36. Needham also struck from downtown and Andrews made his third triple, but Williams scored down low and Pelos downed a baseline jumper for a 32-40 Bourg lead. Sulaimon stepped up for the visitors and Williams added a wild off-balance layup to give Bourg a 33-46 cushion. Dudzinski made a jump hook which Harris improved with a three-pointer. Dudzinski and Needham got Bursaspor a bit closer, 44-53, at halftime.

The three-point barrage continued for the visitors as Axel Julien opened the second-half scoring with a shot from downtown. Hayes and Dudzinski scored the Bursaspor only to see a triple by Sulaimon make it 48-62. Holland gave the fans what to cheer about with a trio of threes, however, Pelos answered 2 of them with triples of his own. After a timeout, Holland made his fourth three of the quarter and Metin Turen went down the lane for a layup. The crowd erupted when Andrews’s triple made it 65-70. A three-point play and a last-second layup by Bitim ended the third quarter with the score tied 72-72.

 

Turen completed the comeback with a layup for Bursaspor on the first possession of the fourth quarter. Sulaimon split free throws and then scored on the break to push Bourg back in front. Free throws by Needham gave Bursaspor an 80-79 edge with 4 and a half minutes to play. After Holland drew an offensive foul from Sulaimon, Needham buried a three. Chassang responded for Bourg, but Needham set up Hayes inside and then made free throws to stretch the lead to 87-81 with 2 and a half minutes to go. A three by Andrews all but put the game away. However, a three-point play by Chassang and a three by Julien gave Bourg hope at 90-87 with 1:12 on the clock. Free throws by Andrews and a block by Bitim helped put the game on ice.

Onuralp Bitim - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Bursaspor) - EC21-RS15

This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 15 showdown between Frutti Extra Bursaspor and Mincideline JL Bourg en Bresse.

Post-game quotes: Bursaspor vs. Bourg

### Dusan Alimpijevic, Frutti Extra Bursaspor head coach:

“It was a simple thing. We were tougher than in the first half. We contested the three-point shots more. Also they scored some difficult shots, but this is the game, this is something that is a live situation. I am really proud. We showed great character, great comeback. I am really grateful to be the coach of this team and I am really happy for them. I am happy for this atmosphere. \[The fans\] didn’t give up They pushed us for more and more and I am really happy about this.”

### Laurent Legname, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse head coach:

“I was really proud of my team tonight. It is not always the case in the season, but tonight we played really great offensively. We played like a team and we controlled the game until the last 15 minutes. It is a real pity because we played well tonight.”

### John Holland, Frutti Extra Bursaspor forward:

“I think it was our defensive intensity. We really brought more energy \[in the second half\] and that’s what we had to do. They were beating our ass, so we had to bring some intensity. So I’m glad we were able to do that. I’m glad. All my teammates, I can’t thank them enough. This is like my fourth day here. I appreciate them for helping me out. It was just a good win for all of us and hopefully we keep it going. This is a tough competition and this is a good team, so we have to keep it going. The energy \[from the fans\] was crazy. I can't thank the fans enough. They energized us in the third quarter, brought us back and I appreciate them.”

Dusan Alimpijevic - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Bursaspor) - EC21-RS13

### Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse pleyer Rasheed Sulaimon:

"Tonight’s game will be a great test and a tough match on the road. Both teams need to secure a win tonight so it will be like a playoff game already. I predict the level and intensity of the match will be very high. To win this game on the road, we will need to be focused, play hard and play as a team. Only then will we have a good opportunity to win tonight’s match. I’m looking forward to competing."

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

Pre-game quotes: Bursaspor vs. Bourg

Pierre Pelos - Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse - EC21

Frutti Extra Bursaspor guard Derek Needham, in his third 7DAYS EuroCup season with as many different teams, is currently playing better and more consistently than he ever has before in the competition.

Who's hot: Derek Needham, Frutti Extra Bursaspor

Needham is averaging career-high 12.9 points based on 48.5% three-point shooting and 50.9% two-point shooting, both his personal highs. He ranks second among all EuroCup players with 1.8 steals per game, another career best. He ranks ninth in assists, with 4.9 per game, while posting an average PIR of 13.4, yet another personal high for him.

Most of those better numbers are owing to Needham's improvement in the latter stages of the current regular season.

In the first eight games of this campaign, Needham scored in double figures just three times, albeit each of those times netting between 18 and 20 points while hitting at least 4 three-point shots per game. 

Needham dished 5.1 assists, had 2.1 steals, and shot a very good 43.2% from long range in those games, but also had three games without any three-pointers made.

Since those up-and-down performances, however, Needham has been one of the most prolific scorers in all of EuroCup.

Who's hot: Derek Needham Frutti Extra Bursaspor

Needham has scored at least 14 points in each of his last five games. He finished three of them with 17 points and bagged a season-high 26 in a Round 12 road loss against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Needham nearly doubled his scoring average before those last five games, posting 18.2 points on average but also improving his three-point accuracy to an impressive 55.2%.

The Bursaspor guard also significantly improved his two-point accuracy and his contribution in rebounds while more than doubling his average PIR to 19.6 from 9.5 before Round 9.

Still, the greatest part of his PIR jump comes from Needham's scoring, which he has done better than any EuroCup player in the last two months.

No player with more than four games played since Round 9 has averaged more than Needham's 18.2 points. And just seven players have scored more total points during that stretch, although each of them has played one game more than Needham.

This week, Needham and Bursaspor face visiting Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. The first time they met, in Round 6, Needham played his worst game of the season, being held to 2 points and 4 assists for a PIR of 3. He will be poised for the first game of Round 15 on Tuesday to flip that narrative and continue his hot streak in a must-win game for his team.

Derek Needham - Frutti Extra Bursaspor - EC21

Combo-guards Thomas Klepeisz of ratiopharm Ulm and AJ Slaughter of Gran Canaria could have big roles when their teams lock horns on Tuesday. 

Major matchup: Klepeisz, Ulm vs. Slaughter, Gran Canaria

Klepeisz has averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Ulm this season. Much of his offense comes from downtown and he has shot 45.8% on three-pointers this season. When these teams last met, Klepeisz’s biggest contribution came as a playmaker; he dished a career-high 8 assists to lead his team to an 81-96 road win. His ability to impact the game whenever he has the ball opens the Ulm offense and puts pressure on Gran Canaria’s defenders. 

Slaughter has been worth 11.2 points on 45.1% three-point shooting, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game in this, his second season with Gran Canaria. He went off for 18 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting plus 5 assists when these teams last met. That proved to be the only time this season in which Slaughter scored in double figures and Granca lost; it is 5-1 when he has at least 10 points and Slaughter figures to have an important role in this game, too.

Thomas Klepeisz - ratioharm Ulm (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21

Partizan NIS Belgrade takes on Boulogne Metropolitans 92 in Round 15 and Zech LeDay and Miralem Halilovic will go against each other in the paint.

Major matchup: LeDay, Partizan vs. Halilovic, Metropolitans

LeDay is in his first EuroCup season after playing for three teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. He is averaging 12.3 points on 43.9% three-point shooting and 84.4% on free throws plus 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 fouls drawn for a PIR average of 15.3 in 14 games this season. LeDay had a strong contribution in his team’s 82-89 road victory against Metropolitans in Round 6 with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 21 in almost 38 minutes on the floor. LeDay is a key player for Partizan at both ends.

Halilovic is less athletic but can be deadly around the basket due to his smooth post skills and mid-range game. He is averaging 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and a PIR of 9.8 as a part-time starter this season. Halilovic, however, had a season-low PIR of 0 against Partizan in Round 6, finishing that game with 2 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists before fouling out. Halilovic can play alongside Vince Hunter or Tomer Ginat, giving Metropolitans head coach Vincent Collet much-needed versatility for his team's visit to Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.

Partizan NIS Belgrade v Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (2022-03-16T19:30:00.000Z)

Miralem Halilovic - Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21