Currently seventh and eighth, respectively, in the standings, both need a top-six finish in order to reach the postseason.
Playoffs on the line when Trento, Buducnost meet
With just two games to go until the end of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season, Dolomiti Energia Trento (7-9) and Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (6-10) know that any slip up now could be devastating. Only the top six teams in Group B will make the EuroCup Playoffs and, heading into Round 17, Trento is seventh while Buducnost is eighth.
The good news, however, is that Turk Telekom Ankara in fifth and Aris Midea Thessaloniki in sixth both share a 7-9 record with Trento and remain within reach for Buducnost. As such, when Trento and Buducnost face off in Italy at 20:00 CET on Wednesday, only a win will suffice in their search for postseason basketball.
The impact of the other games
Two hours before Trento and Buducnost go to battle, Turk Telekom’s game at home to Group B leader Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (13-3) will have tipped off, while Aris’s fixture on the road at fourth-placed ratiopharm Ulm (9-7) begins at 19:30 CET.
Those two games will have a knock-on effect when it comes to Trento and, in particular, Buducnost, so there should be plenty of intrigue across the continent on Wednesday night. For Trento, it could capitalize on any potential slip-up by Turk Telekom or Aris and move into a playoff spot, whereas a Buducnost victory would see it enter Round 18 with everything to play for.
But, there is a catch. Buducnost needs to win by 2/4 points against Trento if both Turk Telekom and Aris are victorious in Round 17. Then, given that the Montenegrin side doesn’t hold the head-to-head advantage against neither Turk Telekom nor Aris, it needs to hope that one of the two comes unstuck in Round 18 and that it can also beat reigning EuroCup champion Dreamland Gran Canaria at home.
That said, a loss for Buducnost would see its dream of making the EuroCup Playoffs come to an end, but a Trento win coupled with defeats for Turk Telekom and Aris would see the Italian side book its spot in the postseason. Even in the event that Turk Telekom or Aris are able to win, a victory for Trento would result in an incredible showdown in Round 18 as the Italian side travels to Thessaloniki.
The tale of the tape
Trento comes into its Round 17 game on the back of one win in three, having most recently fallen 88-83 at U-BT Cluj-Napoca last time out. Buducnost is also looking to respond after suffering back-to-back defeats to Aris and Ulm, which have damaged its playoff hopes.
When Trento recorded a statement 76-98 win at Gran Canaria in Round 12 and followed that up with a 76-70 triumph over 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 13, it had a 6-7 record and looked set to secure a postseason berth. However, by only winning one of its next three, which came in Round 15 against Slask Wroclaw, Trento has seen itself fall out of the playoff zone.
For Buducnost, it has blown hot and cold since the arrival of Andrej Zakelj. The head coach’s first game in charge was back in Round 8 as Buducnost beat, curiously enough, Trento 98-96 on the back of a 23-point, 8-rebound night by Yoan Makoundou. Then, the team went through a stretch of winning one before losing the following week until it reached Rounds 15 and 16, where it lost back-to-back for the first time.
Some bad news came for Trento on Monday, too, as it was confirmed that guard Quinn Ellis will miss two to three months after suffering a metatarsal fracture. Therefore, Kamar Baldwin will be expected to keep playing at a high level in order to make up for his teammate’s absence. Trento will also hope that Prentiss Hubb can rediscover his best form, having scored just 9 points across the last three games.
Buducnost, meanwhile, will lean on its guard tandem of Yogi Ferrell and McKinley Wright as it looks to fight to keep its season alive. There is plenty riding on this game between Trento and Buducnost, so make sure to check it out from 20:00 CET on Wednesday. You won’t regret it.