One of the key matchups in Group A in Round 6 pits last season’s runner-up Frutti Extra Bursaspor against EuroCup debutant U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Bursaspor (3-2) comes in on a high after knocking off the last remaining undefeated team in the competition, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, 80-89 on the road last week. David Dudzinski and Zach Auguste both posted double-doubles in the win.
Plenty of points expected when Bursaspor meets Cluj
Bursaspor is 1-1 at home this season. Onuralp Bitim (16.8 ppg., 4.5 apg.) and Derek Needham (13.8 ppg., 4.8 apg.) have been Bursaspor’s most-productive players this season, but Coach Dusan Alimpijevic has many players who can rise to the occasion on any given night.
Cluj (2-3) is winless on the road this season, though both of its losses have come by small margins. Last week it defeated Germani Brescia at home 91-86 as Karel Guzman and Leonardo Meindl led six Cluj scorers in double figures with 15 points apiece. Meindl is fourth in the EuroCup in scoring (18.4 ppg.) this season and new signing Nemanja Gordic contributed 13 points and 4 assists in his debut.
It should be a high-paced game as Cluj is second in the EuroCup in scoring (86.8 ppg.) and Bursaspor is sixth (84.2 ppg.). While the visitors have excelled more in the paint – Cluj leads the EuroCup in two-point shooting (63.7%) and is second in offensive rebound (13.0 per game), Bursaspor is fourth in three-point accuracy (38.9%).