Kevin Punter is Partizan NIS Belgrade’s go-to guy and ranks third in the competition in scoring with 19.2 points per game.

Marquee matchup: Partizan’s Punter vs. Slask’s Justice

He’s made a killing in the mid-range game by shooting 73.2% on two-pointers while slumping to 20.6% on threes, though his career numbers point to that percentage only rising. Slask Wroclaw’s first choice to slow Punter down will be Kodi Justice, who scored 15 points in his first start of the season last week. Justice has scored 15 points in three of his last five games and has made multiple threes in three of his last four. Now he will look to prove himself on both ends of the floor in this marquee matchup with Punter.

Partizan looks to extend winning streak at home against Slask

Partizan (5-1) comes off an 82-89 road win at Boulogne Metropolitans 92 last week in which Kevin Punter scored 28 points on 12-of-13 free-throw shooting. Slask (1-5) routed Hamburg Towers 87-71 in Round 6 for its first win of the season. Travis Trice shined with 18 points and 9 assists and Aleksander Dziewa posted 18 points and 10 boards to lead the way. Slask has lost seven straight road games in the competition. This will be the first meeting ever between the teams and Slask’s first visit to the Serbian capital since it defeated Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 81-88 after overtime in the 2004-05 season.

Kevin Punter 2- Partizan NIS Belgrade (photo Olivier d'Almeida - Metropolitans) - EC21

These two teams are among the worst offenders when it comes to turnovers. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana has committed the second-most in the competition this season with 16.2 per game and Umana Reyer Venice is third with 16.0.

Keys to victory: Reyer vs. Cedevita

Both must cut those numbers significantly to improve their chances. Moreover, Reyer is second in the EuroCup in steals with 9.8 per game and its ability to capitalize on Cedevita’s turnovers could be doubly important. 

The teams are on opposite ends of the three-point shooting spectrum. Cedevita leads the EuroCup in both threes made (12.0 per game) and accuracy (42.1%). Reyer is 18th of the 20 teams in three-point shooting at 30.3%. The hosts must contain the Cedevita outside shooters and make some triples of their own to become the favorites on Wednesday.

Umana Reyer Venice v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2021-12-15T19:00:00.000Z)

Andrea De Nicolao - Umana Reyer Venice - EC21

Umana Reyer Venice point guard Stefano Tonut was the MVP of the Italian League last season, but he has struggled recently.

Marquee matchup: Reyer’s Tonut vs. Cedevita’s Ferrell

After averaging 12.3 points and a performance index rating of 14 in his first four games, he has totaled 2 points on 1-of-12 shooting and a PIR of negative-2 in his last two. Tonut will look to turn things around for himself and his team this week when he matches up with Yogi Ferrell, who impressed in his EuroCup debut with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana last week when he scored 24 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting and dished 11 assists. Tonut can impact the game on both ends of the floor and he will need to do so against Ferrell to give Reyer a good chance of winning.

Yogi Ferrell - Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana - EC21

Two teams in desperate need of wins meet on Wednesday when Umana Reyer Venice hosts Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Reyer, Cedevita meet to snap losing streak

Both teams are in the midst of losing streaks, but only one of them can end its streak in this game. Reyer (2-4) has dropped its last two games, including a 67-81 loss against Valencia Basket last week, which was its second defeat at home in three games in Venice this season. Martynas Echodas was a bright spot in defeat with a season-high 16 points. Cedevita (2-4) has lost its last four games after starting the season with back-to-back wins. Last week it came up short against Virtus Segafredo Bologna 101-104 despite a spectacular debut from Yogi Ferrell with 24 points and 11 assists. This game marks the first time these teams have ever met.

Victor Sanders - Umana Reyer Venice - EC21

Hamburg Towers and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar are teams that like to push the pace and score in bunches.

Keys to victory: Hamburg vs. Lokomotiv

In that system, there are still a few things each team must focus on to increase its chances of winning. Hamburg has been outrebounded by nearly 10 rebounds per game this season and if it allows Johnathan Motley and Alan Williams to control the glass, it will be difficult to snag the win. While Lokomotiv is lighting up the competitor from downtown at 41.3% on threes, all players not named Motley are combing to make just 46.6% of their two-pointers. Shooting better from close range will help the team, especially if Motley has a rare quiet night.

Hamburg Towers v Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar (2021-12-15T18:30:00.000Z)

This game features three of the top four scorers in the EuroCup and two of them will duel on the wings.

Marquee matchup: Hamburg’s Homesley vs. Lokomotiv’s McCollum

Caleb Homesley is Hamburg Towers’ leading scorer with 19.0 points per game as the team’s sixth man. Round 6 MVP Errick McCollum is second on Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and in the EuroCup with 20.3 points per game. Homesley also leads Hamburg in assists (3.8 apg.) and has made 41.5% of his threes. McCollum’s 4.3 assists are second on Lokomotiv and he has made 42.9% of his triples. All signs point to a shootout with these guys putting up more big numbers.

Two ends of the Group A standings meet when Hamburg Towers hosts Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar on Wednesday evening.

Hamburg takes on Group A co-leader Lokomotiv

Hamburg (1-5), which has lost back-to-back games, seeks its first win at home this season. The Towers fell 87-71 last week at Slask Wroclaw despite a career-high 16 points from Seth Hinrichs. Lokomotiv (5-1) lost for the first time in Round 5 and got back on track last week with a 97-95 victory over Dolomiti Energia Trento thanks to monster games from Errick McCollum and Johnathan Motley. Before losing in Ankara, Lokomotiv had won six straight regular-season games on the road. This is the first game ever between these teams.

Ray McCallum - Hamburg Towers (photo Dawid Podsiadlo - Slask) - EC21

Buducnost has played stellar defense so far, allowing just 70.5 points per game, which are the second-fewest in the competition and the lowest mark in the group.

Keys to victory: Buducnost vs. Gran Canaria

It also holds opponents to a EuroCup-low 25.3% three-point shooting. Holding opponents to such numbers is a great recipe for success and the team should look to focus on its aggressive defense as it aims for another victory.

Gran Canaria has been perfect away from home this season with three wins in as many games. It averages 86.7 points in those games - fourth-most for road teams this season. What Gran Canaria has done better than any other team in the EuroCup this season is force turnovers, 17.7 per game. Against a tough defense such as the one Buducnost has, forcing turnovers and getting points off them is a must.

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Gran Canaria (2021-12-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Zoran Nikolic - Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (photo Patras) - EC21