While Allerik Freeman needed time to heat up and ended up with 25 points, the other bright spot for Bursaspor was Egemen Guven. The 25-year-old big man scored a career-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 2-of-2 free throws. 

Standout third quarter for Guven

 That bested his previous top showing of 15 points in Round 6 against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Guven, who has scored in double figures in five games this season, nearly matched his career high in the third quarter alone as he scored 12 straight points for the Turkish club in that period. 

Telling numbers: Valencia dominated the glass

The rebounding helped Valencia compensate for poor shooting from long range, where the hosts connected on just 4 of 23 three-point tries, or 17.4%. Bursaspor missed an opportunity to make up ground there, hitting just 5 of 22 from the arc, or 22.7%.

Sam Van Rossom - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21

Jasiel Rivero regained his stellar form from the first five games of the season in which the Valencia center scored at least 11 points. But he came into the game having scored just 7 points combined in his last two EuroCup contests; 1 point in 5 minutes against Umana Reyer Venice in Round 6 and 6 points in 16 minutes versus Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Riveting Rivero returned to form

The Cuban big man was outstanding against Bursaspor, however, with a career-high 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field and 8-for-11 free throws to go with 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 8 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 28, another personal high for the 28-year-old in his first EuroCup season.

Jasiel Rivero - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21

In a meeting held on January 3, 2022, Turkish Airlines EuroLeague participating clubs agreed on applying the following modifications, which have been ratified by the ECA Shareholders Executive Board, to the Special Regulations due to COVID-19 and to the Health & Safety Protocols.

EuroLeague clubs agree on Special Regulations and Health & Safety Protocols modifications

2021-22 Euroleague Basketball Health & Safety Protocols:

• Return to Play Protocol for vaccinated players to be shortened in time, from 14 to 7 days, provided that it is in line with local authorities’ regulations. This follows the trend of shortening quarantine/isolation periods that has already been applied in several EuroLeague territories. Current PCR, antibody and other medical testing that needs to be performed before a player receives clearance to play continues to be applied. Return to Play Protocol for unvaccinated and non-exempted players to remain at 14 days.

Euroleague Basketball Special Regulations due to Covid-19 (2021-22 Bylaws):

• Article 2 of the Special Regulations to be modified, adding the following: Should national/local regulations impose restrictions to the travelling and/or participation in a game of unvaccinated players, said player will be considered as available for the minimum number of eight players.

With EuroLeague and EuroCup team staff currently at 93% and 94% of vaccinated individuals, the modification will reduce the impact of an individual’s decision on the leagues’ game scheduling, as well as minimize the impact of such decisions on the home team.

The proposed modifications respond to the increased number of infected individuals across the league and the reported evolution of such cases. The analysis performed by the league’s medical officers has shown that while the spread of the virus has accelerated over the least weeks due to the new variant, the severity of the cases and recovery times have been greatly reduced.

The modifications to the H&SP will be applied to both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup with immediate effect and aim at protecting and promoting the regularity and fairness of the competitions. The modification to the Special Regulations will be proposed to the ECA Shareholders General Assembly for formal approval.

The clubs also agreed to explore additional testing measures related to return to play and to pre-game protocols, modifications to the player registration deadlines, as well as shortening the Return to Play Protocol for non-vaccinated individuals, which will be reviewed by the relevant Euroleague Basketball bodies.

A tiny principality on the Mediterranean Sea was the talk of the basketball world last spring when AS Monaco made history by becoming the 2021 7DAYS EuroCup champion.

Best of 2021: Monaco's march to the title

It was an improbable run in which Monaco played the role of a Cinderella to perfection, doing little to impress early in the season, but then going on an ever-stronger run that extended all the way to the final buzzer of the final game.

Monaco opened its EuroCup campaign with a modest 4-4 regular season record before going on to win 13 of its last 15 games. Monaco won its last two regular season games, topped its Top 16 group with a 5-1 record, then won its last six games out of seven over three playoff rounds.

None of it was easy.

Indeed, Monaco was shocked in the quarterfinals opener on its home floor against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, but won Game 2, which was played on the road in Ljubljana, 64-74. That turned out to be Monaco's only double-digit playoff win, as its last five games – all victories – were each decided by 5 points or fewer.

That final run included the EuroCup Finals, too, where Monaco pulled out a pair of thrilling wins over UNICS Kazan. Finishing strong became the team's modus operandi, so it was only fitting to get to seize the trophy in such fashion, too.

Monaco won Game 2 by scoring the game's final 5 points. After UNICS took 83-81 lead with 15 seconds left, J.J. O'Brien had a basket-plus-free throw to put Monaco in front with 10 seconds left, then Marcos Knight made 2 of 2 free throws with 4 seconds remaining to seal the victory and the crown.

Guard Rob Gray, a midseason addition to the roster, was named the EuroCup Finals MVP after leading all scorers in both games of the series. Gray had 23 points in Game 1, then followed it up with a 25-point performance in Game 2 to lead Monaco to a sweep.

Monaco became the second team to sweep a best-of-three final series in the competition, and the first French League team ever to win the 7DAYS EuroCup title, re-writing history books in more than one way.

All signs pointed to the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals series between UNICS Kazan and Virtus Segafredo Bologna becoming something special. And so it was.

Best of 2021: A record-setting semifinals finale

Whether using the eye test or crunching the numbers, all signs pointed to the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals series between UNICS Kazan and Virtus Segafredo Bologna becoming something special. And so it was.

Virtus entered the semis with an 18-0 record while UNICS, at 13-4, was tied for the EuroCup's second-best mark. Virtus boasted the regular season MVP in Milos Teodosic and the Top 16 MVP in Vince Hunter among its cast of stars. UNICS had Jamar Smith, who would soon be named the season-long EuroCup MVP, and defensive ace John Brown III among its leaders.

EuroCup fans got the excellence they deserved through the first two games, with each team winning by 4 at home to set up a do-or-die Game 3 in Bologna on April 14, 2021. The winner would advance to the EuroCup Finals and the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague; the loser's continental season would be finished.

Game 3 delivered a scoring bonanza that shattered many previous playoffs records. Indeed, UNICS's 100-107 road win went down in history as the highest-scoring non-overtime playoff game in either competition organized by Euroleague Basketball since 2000.

UNICS had three scorers in the 20s on that night led by Smith, with 24. Okaro White added 22 and Brown 20. Teodosic and Marco Belinelli combined for 49 for Virtus.

The game's combined total of 207 points was the most in any EuroCup or Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoff game except a double-overtime 2006 EuroCup Eighthfinals game between Aris Thessaloniki and Panionios that ended 112-105.

UNICS also tied the record for most points in a non-overtime game at the quarterfinal stage or later in the EuroCup or the EuroLeague. That accomplishment is shared by Hemofarm Vrsac, which downed Makedonikos Kozani 107-84 in the first leg of the two-game 2004-05 semifinals.

Finally, UNICS's point tally was the most ever by a road team in the playoffs of either competition, eclipsing Anadolu Efes Istanbul's total in a 68-102 victory at FC Barcelona in the 2019 EuroLeague Playoffs.

By all accounts, it was a game for the history books.

jamar-smith-unics-kazan-photo-unics-kseniya-bogdanova-ec20.jpg

Milos Teodosic of Virtus Segafredo Bologna made 7DAYS EuroCup history in January 2021 when he became the first player to win back-to-back Regular Season MVP awards. Teodosic was the leading man for Virtus, which was the first team to record a perfect regular-season record since 2017.

Best of 2021: Teodosic repeats as Regular Season MVP

Teodosic took part in eight of Virtus's 10 regular-season victories. He came off the bench in all of them to lead his team in average points and performance index ranking for the entire regular season. Teodosic, who turned 34 in March, was very efficient with 14.6 points, 6.4 assists and 4.9 fouls drawn for a PIR average of 18.4, all in less than 25 minutes per night. On a per-40-minute basis, Teodosic ranked 15th in scoring (24.1), fifth in assists (10.3) and eighth in PIR (30.3). He was also fifth in free throw accuracy (90.0%) and 20th in two-point accuracy (61.8%).

"When you have a 10-0 record, the merit must be shared with everyone. When you arrive to a great team, the expectations are certainly high," Teodosic said after receiving the award.

He scored 19 points and 7 assists in an early-season home win against Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, which would finish second in their group. He had a PIR of 31 against eventual champion AS Monaco in which he recorded his second-ever EuroCup double-double with 14 points and 12 assists. And, last but not least, Teodosic went for a career-high 29 points and 5 assists in a road win against Lokomotiv that clinched a Top 16 spot for Virtus earlier than any other team in the regular season.

Teodosic has similarly strong numbers in the Top 16 with 14.0 points on 65% two-point shooting and 7.2 assists for an average PIR of 17.5. He then averaged 14.0 points and 8.0 assists in a quarterfinals sweep of former champ Joventut Badalona. Teodosic shined with 27 points and a career-high PIR of 34 to lead Virtus to its 19th straight win in Game 1 of the semifinals against UNICS Kazan. Virtus lost for the first time all season in Game 2 on the road and, despite 25 points and 9 assists from Teodosic in Game 3, Virtus lost the best-of-three series.

A Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion with CSKA Moscow in 2016, Teodosic was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP in 2010 while playing for Olympiacos Piraeus and has been named to the All-EuroLeague team six times. He was named to the EuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team.

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When 2021 began, there was no telling when the best fans in the world – the lifeblood of Euroleague Basketball – would be able to witness a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague or 7DAYS EuroCup game in person again.

Best of 2021: Fans in arenas again

As the year ends, the very best thing that can be said about basketball in 2021 is that their magic is back and echoing loudly throughout arenas all over the continent.

From the murmured buzz that starts at tipoff to the joyful noise that erupts with game-deciding shots – and at countless moments in between – the fans have made basketball their own again, as it always should be.

It's true that during much of 2021, competitions could be followed despite empty gyms and fans could cheer their favorite teams in any number of ways from broadcast television to live apps. But nothing was the same at the courts where the games were being played.

The players say it now even when they are playing on the road. The viewers of games on television know, too. Even the referees agree:

The fans make the game. Simple as that.

And when you are talking about European competitions, those fans make a difference, too. They inspire their home teams, for sure, but they also energize the visitors. In so doing, they lift the game to a higher level. At times, they seem to make enough noise that the basketball could literally float on the sound waves.

In numbers greater or more limited, arenas around the continent have welcomed back the people who are the very reason for having basketball leagues of this elite caliber.

Nothing was normal about 2021, but at its end, this much we can celebrate: The greatest fans in the world were back where they belong.

While the pandemic and its impact aren't over yet, here's hoping they can cheer to their heart's desire in 2022.

Five teams sit atop two 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season groups with identical records of 6-2 each, but what lies below the surface of the standings?



Stats Review: Team efficiency differentials

### High-Gravity Matchup

Two teams earned wins in Round 8 that have shaped the top of the standings heading into the new year. In Group A, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar bested Partizan NIS Belgrade to join them at 6-2 alongside Joventut Badalona. In Group B, Gran Canaria notched a 20-point win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna to determine who between them would move to 6-2 and join Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in the lead.

### EuroCup landscape

With five teams sitting atop the standings of their respective groups at 6-2, the EuroCup race remains tight as the mid-point of the regular season approaches in Round 9. Still, there's more to the league landscape than just wins and losses at this stage.

The graph above plots every team in the EuroCup based on their offensive and defensive efficiency through the first eight games relative to the league average.

The numbers match the standings to a degree as the five teams at 6-2 are also the five teams that have performed at an above average on both ends of the court. However, the efficiency differentials of those teams vary wildly at this stage. Among that group, Joventut owns a league-best 0.16 points per possession margin thanks to their outlier-level defense while Gran Canaria has posted a comparably modest 0.04 differential due to some bad bounces on the defensive end. Partizan and Lokomotiv fall between Gran Canaria and Buducnost, who has been the league's most-balanced team so far as the only one ranked among the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

Outside of the top five in the standings, Virtus is the only team with a top five efficiency differential as they continue to battle Lokomotiv for the mantle of the league's top offense this season. Morabanc Andorra and Umana Reyer Venezia sit in very different positions on this graph as they have far different strengths and weaknesses, but they are nonetheless the last two of the eight teams with positive efficiency differentials.

Those two teams are also part of a larger group of 11 that have performed at an above average level on one end of the floor. While only one of those teams, Turk Telekom Ankara, has five wins through Round 8, this group is very compelling given their proximity to some of the top teams in terms of overall performance and the parity they have brought to the first season of the two-group format. That consistent competitiveness has been apparent in Group B, especially, where only two victories separate the team in fourth place from the team in 10th.

Reyer has perhaps the most intriguing profile of any team near the middle of the standing this season. While the Italian club has struggled to achieve balance it is not far off Joventut's staggering pace defensively. Reyer's ability to get a few more three-pointers to fall in 2022 could go a long way for not just their offense, but probably position them to challenge Joventut as the league's most efficient team. The main difference between the two on paper so far has been their transition defense.

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse has paid the steepest price for Group B's parity as they sit in ninth place at 2-6 despite their efficiency differential falling in step with teams with four victories. With 10 games remaining, there is plenty of time for teams to get into the thick of the playoff picture. It will be interesting to see how much first-half trends carry over to the second in the EuroCup's first long-form season.

### Looking Ahead to Round 9

The EuroCup's most efficient offensive team takes on its top defensive team in Round 9 as Lokomotiv visits Joventut to determine which team will take sole possession of first place in Group A. Lokomotiv has not been the season's top shot-making team nor has it committed the lowest volume of turnovers, but their blend of both and an ability to pick teams apart in a variety of ways on the perimeter has the Russian team on pace to become one of the three most efficient half-court offenses this decade. Similarly, Joventut is on pace to become the second-best half-court defense of the last five years, making this game a strength-on-strength battle of historic proportions.