Cedevita went from 3-7 to a six-game winning streak to secure a playoffs ticket in EuroCup and homecourt advantage, an impressive turnaround that is a product of trial and error.

Trademarks by Eurohoops: Cedevita’s lesson in turnarounds

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, the merged product of two historic European clubs, returned to the EuroCup for the third time this season with hopes to live up to its ambitions.

The season started with good omens, back-to-back victories in the first two rounds, before a long slumber which forced the team to a disheartening 3-7 record and their back to the wall. This could have been the end of hope for Cedevita, though they turned it all around to reach the EuroCup Eighthfinals with an impressive seven-game winning streak and it’s safe to say it can aim to advance to the later stages of the competition.

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Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana celebrates (photo Ales Ferves - Cedevita) - EC21-RS17

Kevin Hervey scored 10 of his 13 points in a 0-16 run that saw Virtus Segafredo Bologna take control of the game late in the third quarter.

Hervey was the executor in Virtus’s key run

JL Bourg en Breese had dominated Virtus in the first 20 minutes to lead 47-37 at the half. Daniel Hackett took the reins early in the third quarter to get his team going, but it was Hervey as the main executor of the decisive run that turned the tables in the last 4 minutes of the period.

Kevin Hervey played a big role in Virtus's win over Bourg

Kevin Hervey played a big role in Virtus s win over Bourg

With the score set at 55-48, Mam Jaiteh provided a three-pointer right before Hervey stepped on the court with 4 minutes to play in the third quarter. He contributed immediately; he drew 3 fouls that turned into 5 points to put his team up 55-56. Later, when Virtus was ahead 55-59, Hervey added a triple and a reverse layup to cap a 0-16 run that put the visitors on the right track, 55-64, for the remainder of the game. 

Kevin Hervey - Virtus Segafredo Bologna - EC21

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2022-04-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Justin Cobbs and Kendrick Perry both had special messages for their fallen Buducnost VOLI Podgorica teammate Willie Reed who served as an inspiration in grabbing an 86-89 victory over Frutti Extra Bursaspor.

Buducnost win for Willie

“Willie, we love you, baby,” Perry said after the game, wearing Reed’s warmup jersey for the post-game interview.

During the halftime interview, Cobbs said: “Shoutout to my brother Willie, we’re doing this for you boy.”

Reed, An All-EuroCup First Team selection last season, is Buducnost’s third-leading scorer with 11.3 points and leading rebounder with 5.8 boards per game. He went down late in the second quarter of the team’s Round 17 game against Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse with a right knee injury and had to be carried off the court.

Buducnost does not have a lot of depth in the low post and it used strength in numbers in battling on the boards against Bursaspor. The guests were outrebounded, but just 26-24 - though Bursaspor grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to just 3 for Buducnost and the hosts gave up 15 second-chance points and scored just two. Part of that is also because Buducnost converted 69.7% of its two-pointers, 47.1% on three-pointers and made all 19 of its free throws.

Buducnost will have a tough time playing without Reed, but the big man knows his teammates have him in their thoughts and will try to go deep in the post-season with him as an inspiration.

Willie Reed - Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (photo Luka Novakovic - Buducnost) - EC21-RS17

Frutti Extra Bursaspor v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-04-05T17:45:00.000Z)

Valencia closed the regular season the way it only hoped it would, in a runaway 103-71 win over a depleted ratiopharm Ulm to clinch second place in Group B.

Ferrando used first chance to set Valencia assists record

Valencia had one big goal ahead of the game against Ulm, and it was only to win.

"For us, it was a really important game for the second place", Bojan Dubljevic said after the victory. "Now we are focused on the playoffs. We don't have a preference. We have a home-court advantage, which is really important for us because we have a sixth player in our fans."

Guillem Ferrando sets a Valencia record with 13 assists

Those fans will have plenty to look forward to after Tuesday night's performance in which Valencia set a club record with 33 assists - just 1 shy of the EuroCup record. The team also netted 17 three-pointers on 31 attempts (54.1%).

Dubljevic dominated, scoring 19 points in 18 minutes, sinking 5 triples on 6 attempts, and also shining was Guillem Ferrando. Playing more than 17 minutes for the first time in his 10th appearance in the competition, the 20-year-old point guard dished 13 assists, more than any other Valencia player in competition history.

With Klemen Prepelic out for the season and Neno Dimitrijevic and Sam Van Rossom sidelined, performances like the one from Ferrando are a big boost for Valencia ahead of the playoffs.

Valencia Basket v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-04-05T18:30:00.000Z)

Guillem Ferrando - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21-RS18

Valencia Basket had a great start to the game as it ran past ratiopharm Ulm 103-71 in a regular-season finale for both teams.

Telling numbers: Valencia's early dominance set the tone

Ulm arrived without its four top scorers - Jaron Blossomgame, Semaj Christon, Sindarius Thornwell and Cristiano Felicio – and as such was no match for Valencia which wasted no time to assume full control of the game. 

 

Valencia built a lead as big as 16 points in the first quarter in which it made 6 of 11 two-pointers and the first 5 of its 6 three-point attempts while dishing 10 assists with 0 turnovers.

Telling numbers: Perfection from the line aided Buducnost

Buducnost came into the game averaging 80.2% from the foul line and the team actually improved that percentage by converting 19 of 19 from the charity stripe in prevailing on the road. It was the second-best free-throw shooting night in club history. Buducnost made 22 without a miss in an 82-68 victory over Spirou Charleroi in November 2004.

Justin Cobbs entered the game having made 94 of 108 free throws (85.9%) and he made all 10 of his free throw attempts. Kendrick Perry and DJ Seeley both converted their 4 foul shots and Zoran Nikolic was 1 for 1.

Justin Cobbs - Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (photo Bursaspor) - EC21-RS18

Virtus Segafredo Bologna held Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse to only 21 points after halftime in claiming a road win in France.

Telling numbers: Virtus sky-rocketed in the second half

Milos Teodosic and Daniel Hackett both nailed buzzer-beating threes at the end of the first and the second quarters to keep Virtus breathing when Bourg seemed to be ready to escape. As such, the Italian champs trailed 47-37 at halftime and were down 51-40, early in the third. But Virtus reacted in style with a 4-24 run, turning the tables in less than 8 minutes. 

Virtus shot 9 for 13 on two-pointers (69.2%) and 9 for 17 (52.9%) from behind the arc while dishing 19 assists in the last 20 minutes. The visitors committed just 4 turnovers - after having 9 in the first half - and also outrebounding the hosts 12-24, which led to a PIR of 83 against Bourg’s 8 in the second half.

Isaia Cordinier - Virtus Segafredo Bologna (photo Jacques Cormareche - Bourg) - EC21-RS18

Virtus Segafredo Bologna pulled out a convincing win at the Ekinox in defeating Mincidelive JL Bourg en Bresse 68-90 on Tuesday night. 

Virtus rallies past Bourg, 68-90

The visitors trailed 51-40, but a 0-16 run in the last 4 minutes of the third quarter flipped the coin for good. Virtus improved to 11-7 and locked in a top seed in the eighthfinals, while already-eliminated Bourg dropped to 6-12. The winners were led by Daniel Hackett, who finished with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. Jakarr Sampson followed with 15 points and 7 boards, Kevin Hervey scored 13 and Mam Jaiteh contributed 11. C.J. Harris Jr. was Bourg’s top scorer with 12 points, Pierre Pelos posted 10 points and 5 rebounds and Axel Julien added 10 points and 5 assists in the losing effort.

Hackett got the visitors going with a three-pointer and a couple of free throws for an early 2-5 edge. Bourg reacted thanks to its multiple Virtus turnovers, which allowed a 7-0 run capped by a dunk off-a-steal by Jalen Jones. Hugo Benitez and Harris extended the hosts’ lead to 16-10, but Virtus managed to hold on, getting some offensive momentum once Milos Teodosic stepped on court. Julien showed up from the line first, then nailed a three to make it 21-16, as Teodosic closed the first quarter with a half-court buzzer-beating three that got the visitors within 23-20. 

 

Bourg didn’t get discouraged by that and had a strong reaction early in the second quarter. Maxime Roos chained together a couple of triples and a steal-plus-assist play for Julien that built a 34-22 advantage. Despite a quick Virtus timeout, the hosts managed to keep the visitors out of reach, 40-28, behind consecutive baskets by Pelos. Sampson and Tornike Shengelia tried to revitalize Virtus from inside, but Rasheed Sulaimon answered from outside with a jumper and a contested three to help the hosts head to the locker room with a safe double-digit margin, 47-37.

Benitez ran the show for Bourg right after halftime, but Hackett responded quickly with back-to-back threes, followed by another by Cordinier that tightened things to 51-48. The home team stopped the game with a timeout and that also stopped the Virtus offense for a while. It didn’t last for long, though, as Mam Jaiteh scored a three-point play and Hervey contributed 5 consecutive free-throws that turned the game upside down, 55-56. The rally continued, with Hervey providing a triple and a reverse layup to cap a 0-16 run and close the third quarter with the visitors leading 55-64.

 

Isaia Cordinier extended it to 55-66 right before Pelos ended a 5-minute scoring drought for Bourg with a tap-in. Cordinier hit again from downtown to make it 57-69, turning on Bourg’s alarms with 8 minutes remaining. Alexandre Chassang and Harris set the tone offensively for the hosts, but Teodosic was already pulling the strings, both scoring and feeding his teammates. An open three by Alessandro Pajola dug it deeper, 64-80, midway through the last quarter, but the punishment didn’t end there. Two more threes by Hackett and Kyle Weems capped a 0-13 boost that widened the gap to 64-88, sealing the outcome with 3 minutes to play.

Maxime Roos 2- Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (photo Alexia Graziani - Bourg) - EC21-RS18

Valencia Basket never trailed and set a club record with 33 assists in beating visiting ratiopharm Ulm 103-71 on Tuesday night in the regular-season finale for both teams. 

Valencia crushes Ulm, 103-71, to clinch second place

Valencia improved to 12-6 and clinched second place in Group B, while Ulm, which entered the game locked into eighth place, finished the group stage with a 7-11 record and will play on the road against Joventut Badalona in the eighthfinals. Valencia knocked down 3 triples in a game-opening 17-4 run and never looked back. The hosts made 17 three-pointers and led by as many as 41 points on a couple of occasions in the second half. Bojan Dubljevic paced Valencia with 19 points on 5-for-6 three-point shooting, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Mike Tobey had 16 points, Jaime Pradilla collected 15 points plus 9 rebounds, Louis Labeyre netted 14 points and Guillem Ferrando set a club record with 13 assists. In the losing effort, Karim Jallow scored 19 points, Fedor Zugic added 13 and Moritz Krimmer had 11 for Ulm, which was without its four top scorers Jaron Blossomgame, Semaj Christon, Sindarius Thornwell and Cristiano Felicio.

Valencia stormed out of the gates. After Tobey and Pradilla scored inside, Victor Claver and Josep Puerto hit back-to-back triples to make it 10-2. Zugic hit a jumper, but another three from Claver and a dunk from Tobey opened a 17-4 lead. Zugic answered with a three-pointer and Jallow scored 4 points to cut it to 19-11, but Tobey's three-pointer and 5 points from Dubljevic, including a triple extended the lead to 29-13 before Marius Stoll made it 29-16 after 10 minutes.

 

Jallow opened the second quarter with a layup and a fastbreak dunk, but Ferrando and Dubljevic knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to restore a 15-point margin. Michael Rataj hit a baseline jumper before Nat Diallo and Zugic scored from close range to make it 37-26. Martin Hermannsson had a three-point play and, after Per Guenther answered with a triple to cut it to 42-29, Tobey scored twice inside to spark a 9-0 run, capped with a triple from Pradilla. Valencia went into halftime up 52-30.

Jallow opened the second half with a corner three-pointer, but Hermannsson also hit one from long range and Labeyrie scored twice from close range to help open a 61-35 margin. Moritz Krimmer had a triple for Ulm, but Jasiel Rivero's put-back was followed by back-to-back threes from Dubljevic for a 13-2 run. Labeyrie also made a pair of threes, with Dubljevic nailing his fifth in between, as Valencia surged to 82-45 heading into the fourth quarter.

 

A fastbreak dunk from Pradilla broke the 40-point barrier, 86-45 in the opening 30 seconds of the fourth quarter. Nicolas Bretzel and Tobey traded alley-oop dunks. Thomas Klepeisz had a three for the visitors, but Millan Jimenez made it 93-52 with a three of his own. Ulm scored the next 10 points, a run capped by a triple from Bretzel, to cut into the deficit. However, the game was long decided as Valencia cruised to a victory, but not before Alejandro Bellver hit a three-pointer in his EuroCup debut.

Martin Hermannsson - Valencia Basket (photo Miguel Angel Polo - Valencia) - EC21-RS18