This is what the protagonists of the game had to say after such a close deal down the stretch.

Post-Game Quotes: Promitheas 68-78 Reyer


### Walter De Raffaele, Umana Reyer Venice
“I want to thank my players because they really sacrificed a lot and had a sense of urgency. We played eight players but changing defense gave us big energy and confidence to score a little more. It’s important for us to show it’s not how many players you have but how you do stuff. Today we executed and everyone sacrificed for each other.


Reyer finds its range after the break

Otherwise it was a series of misses, and the interval arrived with Promitheas going 3-of-14 from beyond the arc – all scored by Kendrick Ray – while Reyer went 2-of-11. But Reyer improved dramatically in the second half, with Michael Bramos and Valerio Mazzola finding their range as the visitors finished with 9-of-25 triples converted. The hosts only made 4-of-23. 

Tarik Phillip 2- Umana Reyer Venice (photo Patras) - EC21

Different players took turns to dominate the action with whirlwind passages of play. Promitheas center Jerai Grant starred in the opening stages, scoring the first 5 points of the game and advancing to 7 points with just over four minutes played. Reyer veteran Bruno Cerella nearly matched that in the second period, scoring the first 6 points of the quarter for the visiting team. 

Individuals take turns to star

In the third quarter it was the turn of Reyer guard Victor Sanders, who snapped a 10-0 Promitheas run by scoring 10 points in less than four minutes. Finally it was Dimitris Agravanis who took over, beating the third quarter with a long two-and-one, before adding 5 more points in the first four minutes of the fourth period.

Bruno Cerella - Umana Reyer Venice (photo Patras) - EC21

Frutti Extra Bursaspor won the game thanks to its dynamic duo of Derek Needham and Allerik Freeman. Both players scored 20 points as they came up with big shots whenever the team needed something.

Dynamic duo with Needham and Freeman

Needham drained 5 of 10 three-pointers and Freeman was a 7 of 9 from the foul line. The two also combined for 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in the win. Needham ended with a performance index rating of 18 and Freeman’s PIR was 16. 

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v ratiopharm Ulm (2021-12-21T17:00:00.000Z)

Allerik Freeman 2- Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Bursaspor) - EC21

Frutti Extra Bursaspor’s defense did a much better job in the second half forcing Ulm turnovers. The guests committed just 4 turnovers in the first half but lost 9 balls in the final 20 minutes compared to just 7 in the game for Bursaspor. 

By the numbers: Bursaspor forces turnovers in second half

The Turkish side also did a good job slowing down Ulm’s offense, which came into the game averaging 86.1 points a game - fourth-best in the competition. Bursaspor had been giving up 85.0 points a game - the fifth-most in the EuroCup. But Derek Needham and co. stepped up their energy and held Ulm to just 66 points - the second-fewest it’s scored this season and 30 points fewer than last week in the win over Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

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

Frutti Extra Bursaspor snapped a three-game losing streak by winning a thrilling back-and-forth battle 68-66 at home over ratiopharm Ulm. Bursaspor led by 13 points late in the second quarter before Ulm went on a 0-20 run spanning halftime. The hosts answered with the next 13 points and never let Ulm get back ahead to improve to 3-4 in Group B. 

Needham, Freeman combine for 40 as Bursaspor snaps losing skid, 68-66

Derek Needham and Allerik Freeman led the way with 20 points each and Egemen Guven chipped in 8 points and 6 rebounds. Ulm, which had won four of its last five games, dropped to 4-4 despite Jaron Blossomgame scoring 16 points and Cristiano Felicio adding 12 points and 8 rebounds. 

Needham started the scoring with a three-pointer and Freeman’s layup made it 5-0. Felicio gave Ulm its first points before Blossomgame knotted the game 7-7. The visitors’ offense dried up and Needham and Freeman hit triples in a 12-2 surge to open a 17-9 lead. Fedor Zugic knocked down a three-pointer for the Ulm, but Bursaspor nevertheless led 19-12 after 10 minutes.

Blossomgame started the second quarter with a dunk and added a three-pointer for Ulm. Nicolas Bretzel’s throwdown had the visitors within 21-19. The hosts responded with a 10-0 run, which included 4 points from Freeman. Ayberk Olmaz followed with a three-pointer as Bursaspor’s cushion grew to 34-21. Ulm followed with a run of its own, keeping Bursaspor scoreless for the final 3:40 minutes and Thomas Klepeisz’s three-pointer finished a 0-9 surge to make it 36-32 at the break. 

Ulm grabbed its first lead of the game with Felicio scoring the first 8 points of the second half - with a three-point play and a three-pointer - and Blossomgame added a triple to put Ulm up 36-43. Bursaspor finally got on the board in the second half after more than 4 minutes with Needham hitting a jumper as he and Freeman combined for 10 points in a 13-0 run to move ahead 49-43. David Dudzinski’s triple made it 54-47 before Ulm fought back to within 54-50 after 30 minutes.

Philipp Herkenhoff and Zugic knocked down three-pointers and Karim Jallow came up with a block and putback as Ulm evened the game again 58-58. Needham remained hot with a three-pointer that helped Bursaspor go up 63-58. Klepeisz nailed a long ball to snap a nearly 4-minute drought only to see Freeman’s next basket extend the gap to 67-61. Per Guenther punched back with a three-pointer for Ulm and Blossomgame’s dunk trimmed the deficit to 68-66 with 28 seconds to play. But Ulm could not get off a potential game-winner at the buzzer. 

Derek Needham - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Bursaspor) - EC21

Post-Game Quotes: Bursaspor 68-66 Ulm


### Dusan Alimpijevic, Frutti Extra Bursaspor
“For the first time in some time, we had a good game and that made me really happy. We played really good defense and we showed who we are and what kind of character we have. Because this is exactly how we played when we were in good shape and played some good games - EuroCup and also domestically. Technically we played an almost perfect 17 minutes and then we lost our concentration in the last 3 minutes of the first half - defensively especially. They had some easy layups and instead of being ahead by 12 or 14, we were only up by 4 at halftime. I told them the game is not 17 minutes or 20 but a whole 40 minutes. We have to stay focused until the last second. Because this team knows how to play basketball. I really want to congratulate them and their coach Jaka for their good season so far. We needed to put in a lot of effort to win against them. Once again, I want to say thank you to our fans. They showed some great support. Even though we had some bad times behind us, they supported us. They were really good for us and in some critical moments we felt that energy from the stands. We felt that energy like it was a sixth player on the court."



### Jaka Lakovic, ratiopharm Ulm
“I would like to congratulate Bursaspor for the victory. I thought it was a very physical, well-fought game. Their exterior players decided the game with their talent and quality. About us, we entered the game too soft. We were not ready for the physicality from Bursaspor and when we matched their physicality, I think we had a solid game. But in the end, Bursaspor deserved to win.”



### Derek Needham, Frutti Extra Bursaspor
“Good performance. I’m more satisfied with the team’s energy. We’ve been struggling the last few games and to get this win against Ulm, who has been playing really well in EuroCup right now, is huge for us on our home court.”


Per Guenther - ratiopharm Ulm (photo Bursaspor) - EC21

ratiopharm Ulm came into the game without its leading scorer Semaj Christon and Sindarius Thornwell was limited to 4 points and 7 rebounds as he dealt with foul trouble early. 

Blossomgame’s big game not enough for Ulm

Jaron Blossomgame was Ulm’s main man as he totaled 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists as well as 6 fouls drawn. All that game him an index rating of 24. But unfortunately for Ulm, it was not enough as Cristiano Felicio was the only other player in double figures with 12 points. 

Turk Telekom Ankara comes off its first road win of the 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup season, downing Dolomiti Energia Trento 70-76. A balanced offense allowed Turk Telekom to win the game, as four of its players scored in double digits. One of them was power forward JaJuan Johnson, who finished the game with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and a team-high PIR of 19. Johnson is in his fifth EuroCup season with as many different teams, after previous experiences with Besiktas JK Istanbul, Krasny Oktybar Volgograd, Darussafaka Istanbul and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. He helped Darussafaka win the EuroCup title in 2018, downing Lokomotiv in the Finals. Darussafaka played the underdog role to perfection and Johnson hopes to repeat that role with Turk Telekom. "I've had experience being a little bit of an underdog in this competition, so it will be interesting to see," Johnson told EuroCupBasketball.com. "I think we still have a chance to beat anybody."

JaJuan Johnson, Turk Telekom: 'I play to win'

**JaJuan, congratulations on the team's first road win. How important was beating a direct competitor for the next round like Trento on its own court?**

"Thanks. Anytime you can win on the road, no matter where you're at, it's a huge accomplishment because of the crowd, the travel -- it's always working against you. So it was a huge win for us and a step in the right direction."

**With so many new players this season, can we expect Turk Telekom to do much better after this first road win?**

"I think so. I think one of the problems that we've had this year is kind of like staying healthy. We've had a lot of injuries and whatnot this year, and we haven't had a chance to really play with each other at full strength for a long time. But, gradually we will get everyone back, and I think that, once we get everybody back, we will be a really dangerous team."

**What do you think about the new format of more games, little room for mistakes, and do-or-die games after the regular season?**

"Personally, I think that the format is OK. I think maybe it could have been like a best-out-of-three situation in the second round, but it is the formula they chose and at this point, anybody can win it. All it takes is one game in each round and anybody can win it. So I guess that's a good thing. Each game is important: right now, you are playing for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. For us, that is still a goal that we have a potential to reach, possibly."

**Can you take us back to the 2018 EuroCup Finals, when you helped Darussafaka win the title?**

"It was... very intense! That road game against Loko (Game 1 of the best-of-three finals) when Sant-Roos got the steal and passed it to Wilbekin for the three was definitely a moment I won't forget. Loko, at the time, had won a lot of games in a row before they played us. So I had a good feeling about going into Game 2 at home after we got that first one on the road. Like I said, road wins are so tough to get, so I knew we had a huge advantage in doing that."

**You are playing with another super scorer now, Aaron Harrison. How do you compare him with Wilbekin?**

"Obviously, Scottie is more of a point guard. But I think Aaron and, obviously, Scottie, they are both very talented, EuroLeague-level offensive players. And Aaron, with his size, his shooting ability, as well as his scoring ability, can do a little bit of everything. Scottie, obviously, is a little bit shorter, but he gets it done. He can penetrate, hit an outside shot, and is a little bit quicker. But they both get it done in a little bit of a different way."

**Your next opponent, Lietkabelis, has three wins already. Especially this season, how important is to stay focused for each and every opponent?**

"You definitely need to prepare well for all games. Anybody can win in this competition, and anyone can lose on any given night. That's the beauty of this competition. They are a really good team in their domestic league already. For us, we are still finding our groove, but are making some steps in the right direction. But yes, they are going to be a tough team to beat. Obviously, an advantage that we have is we are playing at home and we have to do our best to protect home court."

**You played with Gran Canaria playmaker Chris Kramer, who has also been in the EuroCup for several seasons, at university. Do you guys keep in touch?**

"Yes. I reached out to him when he got injured. You know, me and Chris, we talked here and there and more so on social media over the years. But obviously, Chris is like a guy that can do it on a little bit of everything: scoring, rebounding, passing, obviously defending... It was always a pleasure playing with Chris, and he made my job in college a lot easier. He was a very unselfish player and a very great defender. But I think the craziest thing is that all these years that we've both been over in Europe, we have never played against each other, so I think that's kind of crazy. But maybe this might be the year!"

**At 32 years old, do you feel like you're in the prime of your career, especially with all the experience you have?**

"I would definitely say so. Like you said, I have gained a lot of knowledge over the years. My body still feels pretty good. I'm able to run and jump still with the best of them. And, added to that, just being a smarter player from experiences with some pretty good coaches I played for over the years. And having that Euroleague experience last year with Coach Trinchieri and the Bayern Munich staff, I think it just really took me over the top when it comes to just the mental edge of the game. That's something that I really appreciated."

**Turk Telekom Ankara is your fifth team in the competition. What do you like the most about the competition?**

"This year, it's obviously a little bit different because of the new format. I did enjoy the old format, and now, I do enjoy the first round of this one. You can play every team twice, that's pretty cool. The competition is really tough, so I enjoy it. You can play against teams from very different countries and I think it is cool to have that different type of feel sometimes."

**What would make it a good EuroCup season for you and Turk Telekom?**

"Personally, I play to win. So for me, I want to make it as far as I can. I don't want to really just limit myself on saying just making it to the playoffs or making it to the second round of the playoffs. I think, from what I have learned over the years, that in the playoffs, it's a new season, pretty much. So in a way, everyone has the same opportunity to do it. And with this new format, it's only one playoff game, so anything can happen. It probably takes a little bit of luck as well, staying healthy with everybody. So yes, it's a lot of different things that factor into it, but anything can really happen."