In building a 23-point fourth-quarter lead over visiting ratiopharm Ulm on Tuesday, Promitheas Patras relied on great play between big men Dimitris Agravanis and Jerai Grant.

Big-man tandem led Promitheas 

The game's opening basket was an assist from Agravanis to Grant and it was like a fuse was lit for them and Promitheas. They combined on the Greek team's first 10 points and established a routine that would last most of the game.

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Promitheas would run its offense through Agravanis, a 2.08-meter power forward, and he would look to Grant, a 2.05-meter center, to clean up inside. The tactic worked to near perfection as Promitheas soared in front 61-48 in the early fourth quarter. A lapse after that saw Ulm get as close as 5 points twice before Promitheas slammed the door on a 79-68 win, its second over Ulm this season.

Grant finished with career highs of 22 points and a 34 performance index rating while also pulling down 11 rebounds. Agravanis skirted triple-double territory with 14 points, 6 rebounds and a career-high 8 assists, the latter a rare number for any player his size. 

The upshot was an even tighter Group B race in the 7DAYS EuroCup, with last-place Promitheas at 4-9, just two victories off the pace from Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (6-7) and Ulm (6-8), who hold sixth and seventh place, respectively. Only eight teams make the playoffs, but if Promitheas can make up ground and tie Ulm, it would win that tiebreak – and have its two big men to thank for it.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Grant finds the free way to the basket 💪<br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/6t47VEyd6A">pic.twitter.com/6t47VEyd6A</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1501269555405983745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Promitheas Patras v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-03-08T17:30:00.000Z)

Dimitris Agravanis - Promitheas Patras (photo Kostas Petsas - Patras) - EC21

Partizan came into the game making just 33.3% of its three-point attempts, which ranked 16th in the league. In Panevezys, head coach Zeljko Obradovic's men connected on just 7 of 22 tries from long range, or just 31.8%, and could not keep up with Lietkabelis's hot shooting.

The poor shooting kept Partizan to just 78 points – 7.4 points below its average. That total was also just 1.9 points more than what Lietkabelis had been conceding to opponents so far this season, 76.1 points on average, its defense ranking third overall. What's more, the Lithuanian side had specialized in making three-pointers tough on opponents, whose 35.0% rate from deep against the Lithuanian team was the sixth-worst in the league.

Lietkabelis did not just make life difficult for Partizan from the outside. The guests made just 46.5% of their two-pointers, too, which came as a real surprise since Partizan led the EuroCup coming into the game with 58.7% shooting inside the arc.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nothing but net 👌💦<a href="https://twitter.com/BCLietkabelis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCLietkabelis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/K2Qwf3sIgS">pic.twitter.com/K2Qwf3sIgS</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1501270374700380168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Lietkabelis Panevezys exposed one of Partizan NIS Belgrade's biggest weaknesses while cruising to a 93-78 home win in Group A of the 7DAYS EuroCup on Tuesday.

Lietkabelis exposed Partizan's weakness

Lietkabelis Panevezys v Partizan NIS Belgrade (2022-03-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Dovydas Giedraitis - Lietkabelis Panevezys (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica had a 7-2 record atop Group B of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season two months ago, in early January. But as its latest loss, a 92-78 decision at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana on Tuesday, made clear, spotty three-point shooting is dragging the team backward.

Three-point struggles holding Buducnost back

Buducnost shot 43.8% on two-pointers and just 23.1% from long range in the loss to Cedevita. And it wasn't the first time that its three-point shooting percentage has hurt head coach Aleksandar Dzikic's team, which has lost four of its last five games.

The Montenegrin club managed to hit 38.9% of its three-point attempts in its first loss of the season – back in Round 4 at Umana Reyer Venice, 72-67. But Buducnost's percentages from the outside in the team's other five losses were: 21.1%, 15.8%, 25.0%, 28.6% and the 23.1% versus Cedevita.

Not that Buducnost has been lights-out in its eight victories. It has connected on just 30.9% of its overall attempts from long range. That figure was 31.5% coming into Tuesday's game, ranked 18th in the league.

The result is that Buducnost has scored just 72.8 points in its six losses, as compared to 82.5 points in its eight wins, and sits third in Group B at 8-6, with either Reyer or Virtus Segafredo Bologna due to Buducnost when they play on Wednesday.

Watch the Game Highlights from Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, 03/08/2022

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs Buducnost VOLI Podgorica - Game Highlights_4845778.mp4

Jaka Blazic - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana - EC21

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-03-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Here is where you can watch the Round 9 game between Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana  and Promitheas Patras.

TV Info, Cedevita vs. Patras

Balcans: SPORTKLUB 4

Greece: NOVASPORTS 5

In-Flight Vision: IMG ARENA

Internet: [EUROLEAGUE.TV](http://EUROLEAGUE.TV)

Italy: ELEVEN SPORTS

Slovenia: SPORT TV1

Spain: DAZN

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Promitheas Patras (2022-03-10T19:45:00.000Z)

Mihajlo Andric - Promitheas Patras (photo Kostas Petsas - Patras) - EC21

Hamburg Towers guard Jaylon Brown has been one of the hottest players in the 7DAYS EuroCup since mid-December.

Who's hot: Jaylon Brown, Hamburg Towers

Playing in his first EuroCup season, like just his club, Brown has been one of the competition's most prolific scorers over his last four appearances.

Brown had an up-and-down start to the season. In his first six appearances, he netted 18 points in three separate games, but averaged 8.4 in the other three. 

However, Brown caught fire in a Round 7 win over Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in which he netted 21 points in 22 minutes, sinking 5 of 7 three-point shots. He followed that up with 20 points on 5-for-8 three-point shooting in a win over Dolomiti Energia Trento.

After missing a pair of games, Brown returned in Round 11 by scoring 10 points in a loss against Group A leader Joventut Badalona but rebounded to have one of the most impressive scoring performances by any Hamburg player the entire season in a road win over MoraBanc Andorra. Brown scored 32 points on 7-for-15 three-point shooting, adding 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals to his tally. That performance earned him the MVP of the Round honor, too.

Who's hot: Jaylon Brown Hamburg Towers

Thanks to scoring at least 20 points in three of his last four game, Brown improved his scoring average by more than 7 points, from 13.2 in the first six rounds to 20.8 over his last four games.

He improved in every other main statistical category, too, including rebounds and assists. Brown has almost doubled up on steals, picking up 1.8 per game in the last four games he played, and has averaged a PIR of 17.8, up from 9.7 in the first six rounds of the season.

Where Brown has been particularly hot is from beyond the arc.

After making 11 triples on his first 38 attempts, at an accuracy rate of just 28.9%, Brown has been one of the hottest shooters in the competition. 

He has almost as many attempts in the last four games (37) as he did in the first six (38), but he has knocked down more than half of those shots, 19 triples total, or 3.8 per game, on remarkable 51.4% shooting.

Interestingly, it cannot be said that Brown has found a favorite spot, because those long-range shots of his have been falling from just about every spot around the three-point arc.

As Hamburg returns to action this week on the road against Boulogne Metropolitans 92, Brown will try to get back to the scoring ways he has been displaying since Round 7.

Jaylon Brown - Hamburg Towers (Photo Marvin Contessi) - EC21

Valencia Basket dominated on the boards and was on fire from downtown in beating Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 77-88 on Tuesday. 

Telling numbers: Valencia’s great shooting, rebounding made the difference

Valencia left it to late to take care of business in a game that was tied with 4 minutes remaining, but the underlying numbers show what a strong game the visitors played. Valencia not only outrebounded Bourg 20-37, but allowed the home team to take a mere 2 offensive rebounds. Bourg missed 29 shots and only grabbed the rebound on 6.9% of them! Mike Tobey alone had 4 offensive rebounds for Valencia, which as a team collected 10.

Klemen Prepelic had a strong three-point shooting game with 5 triples from 11 attempts, but his shooting rate was lower than the rest of the team. Altogether Valencia’s players made 15 threes at a 51.7% conversion rate. It was tied for the second-most threes by the club this season and was the second-most accurate shooting night too. Xabi Lopez-Arostegui shot 3 for 3 from downtown for Valencia and Jaime Pradilla was 2 for 2. Eight Valencia players made threes.

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Valencia Basket (2022-03-08T19:00:00.000Z)

Mike Tobey - Valencia Basket (photo Jacques Cormareche - Bourg) - EC21

Alen Omic had nearly a perfect night in Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana’s 92-78 victory at home over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica - including hitting a three-pointer.

Telling numbers: Omic's almost perfect night included a three-pointer

The Slovenian center scored a season-high 19 points on 8-of-8 shooting and 2-of-2 on free throws to go with 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block while committing 1 turnover and 3 fouls. All that added up to another season-high - his performance index rating of 29.

 

In fact, his last made shot was a three-pointer - a step-back triple at that, and a shot that essentially broke Buducnost’s back given that it made the score 90-76 with 89 seconds left.

Cedevita coach Jurica Golemac might have a new weapon as Omic took just his second three-pointer this season - and made his second as well. He drained his first attempt against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 6.

 

The 29-year-old center had not made a three-pointer in his EuroCup career coming into this season - missing his four attempts in the EuroCup: 0/1 in 2014-15; 0/2 in 2015-16 and 0/1 in 2020-21. Omic has connected on 1-of-6 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague - 0/2 in 2012-13 and 1/4 in 2018-19.

Alen Omic - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana continued its climb up the standings as it raced past Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 92-78 at home on Tuesday for its third straight win in Group B. 

Cedevita rolls over Buducnost 92-78

Cedevita ripped away control with a 31-10 run spanning the second and third quarters for a 22-point advantage. Cedevita improved to 6-7 thanks to Jaka Blazic scoring 23 points and Alen Omic collecting 19 points and 8 rebounds. Yogi Ferrell chipped in 18 points and Zoran Dragic had 11 points for Cedevita, which will take on Promitheas Patras on Thursday, March 10 in a Round 9 makeup game at home. Justin Cobbs scored 21 points with 6 assists, but they were not enough for Buducnost, which has lost four of its last five to drop to 8-7. Petar Popovic and Willie Reed both scored 12 points in the loss.

Popovic opened the scoring for the visitors and Ferrell struck first at the other end. Vladimir Micov hit the first triple of the game to help Buducnost move ahead 6-11. Jaka Blazic responded from deep before Dragic and Blazic both converted three-point plays for a 17-13 cushion. Cobbs hit a long ball of his own and Buducnost went back up 17-19 only to see Ferrell’s first three-pointer give Cedevita a 24-23 lead after 10 minutes.

Buducnost was still close at 28-27 when the hosts started hitting from the outside. Edo Muric and Blazic sandwiched triples around three-pointers by Ferrell in four possessions to push the lead to 42-29. Popovic answered with 6 points for the visitors, who trailed 48-35 at the intermission.

Cedevita got out on the break for 6 quick points to start the second half to make it 54-35. Blazic’s next triple had the hosts up 59-37. Buducnost fought its way back into the game with 8 straight points and it was 59-45. Cobbs added a three-point play and Kendrick Perry’s three-pointer trimmed the deficit to 66-58. Cedevita finished the third quarter with the final 5 points to lead 71-58 after 30 minutes.

Perry’s three-pointer had the margin down to 73-61 early in the final frame only to see Ferrell hit from downtown and convert a three-point play as the gap was 81-63 with 7 minutes to play. The visitors were not ready to concede defeat with Cobbs scoring 5 points to chop the deficit to 10. The hosts had an answer each time - Pullen made a three-pointer and Omic followed Perry’s triple to lead 86-74 with 3 minutes left. All doubts were over when Alen Omic drained a three-pointer for a 90-76 lead with 89 seconds left.

Yogi Ferrell - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21

This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 14 showdown between Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and Buducnost VOLI Podgorica.

Post-game quotes: Cedevita vs. Buducnost

### Jurica Golemac, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach:

“Congratulations to the players, congratulations to the fans for this important win for us. We stuck to the game plan. We played good defensively. But we had problems with the defensive rebounds. This is what harmed us. But generally, we were playing good offense. We were attacking them whenever we wanted. We were running very well - which is very important for this team. In the end, I can say we managed to control the game with a couple of ups and downs, which is normal when you play against Buducnost. You cannot dominate them for 40 minutes.”

### Aleksandar Dzikic, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica head coach: 

“Congrats to the home team. They played better tonight. Especially in the first half, especially in the second quarter to be honest. We were missing wide-open shots and in the end, it was just that difference. In the second half, I think we were pretty much even. In some situations, we should finish closer to the rim. We didn’t hit those layups. But it is what it is. I mean the home team is really good, really good. They run, they shoot pretty well, their bigs are pretty good. It’s hard to beat the same team four times in a season.”

### Alen Omic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana center: 

“I would like to say first thanks to all the fans who came to watch us today. I hope they will come again in 48 hours with good energy. We need to keep playing like this. We need to play good like a team, like we did today. We are on a good road. We just want to keep enjoying how we are playing.”

Marko Radovanovic - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21