Lietkabelis Panevezys had a balanced attack in its 88-75 home victory against MoraBanc Andorra as three of its players scored exactly 19 points. 

Lietkabelis: 19 is the magic number

Gediminas Orelik, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis and Djordje Gagic are very different players, but all of them had something in common in their team's Round 16 win against Andorra: all of them scored exactly 19 points. Orelik was the first to lead the way, scoring 13 points on 3 of 3 shots from beyond the arc in the first quarter. That allowed Lietkabelis to get a double-digit margin, 29-19, after 10 minutes. Kalaitzakis and Gagic each had 6 points in the first quarter as the trio combined for 25 of their team's 29 points.

Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Gediminas Orelik and 1 other Highlights vs. MoraBanc Andorra, 03/22/2022

Kalaitzakis Gagic Orelik make the difference against Andorra

Andorra managed to get within 35-30 midway through the second quarter, but Lietkabelis found a go-to guy in Kalaitzakis, who had 5 points in an 11-0 run that boosted his team's margin to 46-30. Gagic scored 7 points in the third quarter, allowing the hosts to keep a safe lead. When Andorra got a bit closer, 73-64, early in the fourth quarter, Kalaitzakis and Gagic stepped up again to make the difference, sealing the outcome way before the final buzzer. 

Gagic made 6 of 8 two-pointers and all of his 7 free throw attempts. Orelik buried 4 of 7 three-pointers, and also added 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Kalaitzakis scored three times both inside and outside the arc. The three players combined for a PIR of 71 - almost as much as Andorra's total team PIR of 73. 

Lietkabelis Panevezys celebrates (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21-RS16

Lietkabelis Panevezys v MoraBanc Andorra (2022-03-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara prevailed in a tough battle with Dolomiti Energia Trento 82-75 thanks to a big fourth quarter. And the biggest reason for the strong final push was Aubrey Dawkins.

Dawkins turned the game around for Turk Telekom with thrilling plays

Turk Telekom took the final frame 28-16 in coming back from a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter. The 26-year-old EuroCup rookie shined in the comeback. Dawkins scored just 2 points in the first three quarters and then used his athleticism to take over the contest.

Dawkins scores 15 fourth-quarter points against Trento

He went baseline and threw down a massive dunk to give Turk Telekom a 67-66 lead. He followed shortly with a three-pointer from the top of the key. Dawkins was far from done. He added a three-point play off a baseline drive, 3 free throws and then a spectacular alley-oop on the break in the closing seconds. All told, Dawkins scored 15 of his 17 points in the final 10 minutes.

It was not Dawkins’s biggest output of the season; he poured in 18 points against Slask Wroclaw in Round 3. But it was the second time Dawkins proved too much for Trento after he went for 15 points and 4 rebounds against the same team in Round 7.

Aubrey Dawkins - Turk Telekom Ankara (photo Turk Telekom) - EC21-RS16

Turk Telekom Ankara v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2022-03-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Just 18 years of age, Fedor Zugic is starting to shine in the EuroCup as he did on Tuesday in helping ratiopharm Ulm beat Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 72-85.

Teenager Zugic was again a factor for Ulm

Zugic collected 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in less than 17 minutes to go with 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and just 1 turnover for an index rating of 13. The Montenegrin guard also harvested the praise of Coach Jaka Lakovic after the win.

“I would really like to say that Fedor Zugic had a great game in only 17 minutes, a great game for an 18-year-old. Such a mature game. Making all the right decisions,” Lakovic said. “He was a huge help for us. I want him to build on that, which he already showed in the game against Gran Canaria. He’s becoming a factor in the top level of Europe.” 

Zugic was a big factor for Ulm against Bourg

Zugic, who in February 2019 became the youngest player to debut in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history for Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, has now put together three consecutive superb outings. He scored 11 points with 3 assists in 22 minutes against Promitheas Patras in Round 14 before pouring in 22 points with 2 rebounds and 1 assist for a PIR of 23 in just 20 minutes in Round 15 against Gran Canaria.

In those three games, Zugic, who will not turn 19 until mid-September, made 9 of 11 two-pointers (81.8%), 8 of 14 three-pointers (57.1%) and 6 of 7 free throws (85.7%) and committed just 2 turnovers in 59 total minutes. Over his last eight EuroCup games, Zugic has totaled just 5 turnovers despite playing at least 15 minutes in each game. It all points to a bright future for Ulm’s rising star. 

Fedor Zugic - ratioharm Ulm (photo Larry Langer - Ulm) - EC21-RS15

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-03-22T19:00:00.000Z)

Ulm executed better in the fourth quarter to improve to 7-9 in Group B. Semaj Christon collected 19 points and 12 assists and Jason Blossomgame added 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead Ulm. Sindarius Thornwell chipped in 13 points and Fedor Zugic tallied 12 in the win. Bourg dropped to 5-11 with its third straight loss and fourth in the last five games. Rasheed Sulaimon paced all scorers with 20 points while Jalen Jones had 12 points for Bourg and Pierre Pelos chipped in 11.

Ulm claims 72-85 victory at Bourg

Philipp Herkenhoff - ratiopharm Ulm (photo Jacques Cormareche - Bourg) - EC21-RS16

Ulm collected 42 rebounds in the road game to just 25 for Bourg, including 12 offensive rebounds. Jaron Blossomgame led the rebounding push with 12 boards - to go with his 17 points. He, Sindarius Thornwell, Nicolas Bretzel and Karim Jallow all grabbed multiple offensive rebounds.

Bourg came into the game as the worst team in offensive rebounds and total rebounds. The French side failed to use its strength as Bourg made 9 of 22 three-pointers (40.9%) - a shade below its season average of 43.5% from long range.

ratiopharm Ulm can feel a lot better about its chances of reaching the playoffs after a 72-85 victory at Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, thanks to dominating the glass - as expected.

Telling numbers: Ulm too much on the glass for Bourg

Jaron Blossomgame - ratiopharm Ulm (photo Jacques Cormareche - Bourg) - EC21-RS16

Lietkabelis Panevezys grabbed an 88-75 home victory against MoraBanc Andorra in Round 16. Taking better care of the ball made the difference. 

Telling numbers:  Lietkabelis - Andorra

Lietkabelis finished the game with 20 assists and just 9 turnovers. It was the club's fewest turnovers in a game not just this season, but in its entire EuroCup history. Lietkabelis had previously committed 11 turnovers four times, twice each in 2017 and 2020. Those 20 assists tie the club's third-best mark this season.

Kristupas Zemaitis was its biggest contributor to these good numbers with 5 assists and just one turnover. The assist-to-turnover ratio against Andorra, 2.22, was also Lietkabelis's all-time best mark in EuroCup action. On the other hand, Andorra was limited to just 14 assists and forced into 15 turnovers.

Boxing out was another big key to this game. Andorra outrebounded Lietkabelis by 29-30, but the hosts only allowed their opponents to grab 5 offensive boards, that is, only 20% of the rebounds under their own rim. Lietkabelis pulled down 9 offensive rebounds and, due to its overall aggressiveness, it drew 23 fouls and made 18 of 21 free throws (85.7%). Andorra only went to the foul line 13 times and drew 15 fouls.

Telling numbers: Lietkabelis takes care of the ball

Kristupas Zemaitis - Lietkabelis Panevezys (photo Karolio Kavolelio - Lietkabelis) EC21-RS16

This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 16 showdown between Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and ratiopharm Ulm.

Post-game quotes: JL Bourg vs. Ulm

### Jaka Lakovic, ratiopharm Ulm head coach:

“This was a very important game for us. We prepared well, especially mentally I would say. These games you win by controlling your emotions for the full 40 minutes and believing in your teammates. Today was a demonstration of that. The guys shared the ball. Everybody had an impact on the game, in various moments of the game. And the guys controlled their emotions excellently. I’m very happy for that. I’m very happy for them and they deserve all the credit. And hopefully, this win gives us a strong step to the top 16. 

"It was a very good game from both \[Christon and Blossomgame\]. Blossomgame played the full 40 minutes and Semaj is our floor general. We always need crunchtime help from him and he always delivers for the team: scoring, assisting, making the defensive plays. He’s a true wing. But I would really like to say that Fedor Zugic had a great game in only 17 minutes, a great game for an 18-year-old. Such a mature game. Making all the right decisions. He was a huge help for us. I want him to build on that, which he already showed in the one game against Gran Canaria. He’s becoming a factor in the top level of Europe.”  

### Laurent Legname, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse head coach:

“Every time it’s the same story. It’s the same story every time. You cannot qualify for the top 16 because every time you are losing games because of details, discipline. Our team made a great effort, they never gave up. But we missed too many things. Every time. When you play in this competition it is a great level. You play against great teams, great players, smart players. If you miss too many details… every time it’s the same story. You’re not consistent enough to win a game. It’s just that. It’s not a question of offensively or defensively finding a solution. You have a solution if you have five players on the same page. That is not the problem. The problem is consistency.”

### Semaj Christon, ratiopharm Ulm guard: 

“We just had to stay together. The first half was a really good game, a close game. But we knew once we had a chance to pull away we had to just stay together and do the right thing, do the little things. They do a lot of different things on defense. We just had to figure it out and make open shots. This was a good one for us. Now we’re looking forward to the next one. But we really needed this one. That’s what we talked about all week, just trying to get this one.”

Semaj Christon - ratiopharm Ulm (photo Jacques Cormareche - Bourg) - EC21-RS16

[Lietkabelis Panevezys 88-75 MoraBanc Andorra](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/lietkabelis-panevezys-morabanc-andorra/U2021/155/)

Lietkabelis took a critical step forwards to fight for the home-court advantage in the eighthfinals by downing Andorra 88-75 at Cido Arena in Group A. Lietkabelis improved to 8-5 in the standings while Andorra dropped to 9-5. Both teams had already qualified to the knock-out rounds. Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Djordje Gagic and Gediminas Orelik led the winners with 19 points apiece. Codi Miller-McIntyre paced Andorra with 17. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kalaitzakis nails the three-pointer at the buzzer 🎯<a href="https://twitter.com/BCLietkabelis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCLietkabelis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ndqryw9WWW">pic.twitter.com/Ndqryw9WWW</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1506328749301592066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Turk Telekom Ankara 82-75 Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/turk-telekom-ankara-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2021/151/)

Turk Telekom returned to the winning column as it defeated Trento 82-75 at home to snap a three-game losing streak. Turk Telekom rallied from a 10-point deficit late in the third quarter to move to 6-8 after having lost five of its last six games. Aubrey Dawkins scored 15 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter for Turk Telekom while Anthony Clemmons and Jared Terrell both scored 13 points. Trento lost its ninth straight game to fall to 1-12 despite 15 points from Jordan Caroline. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome to Aubrey Dawkins airlines ✈️<a href="https://twitter.com/TurkTelekom_SK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TurkTelekom_SK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/ftyTpm4xt8">pic.twitter.com/ftyTpm4xt8</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1506341989150707714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Slask Wroclaw 71-93 Partizan NIS Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/slask-wroclaw-partizan-nis-belgrade/U2021/153/)

Partizan led from start to finish in a dominating 71-93 road win over Slask on Tuesday. This was Partizan's first win away from home after four consecutive road losses, improving it to 11-4 in Group B. On the other hand, despite a loss and dropping to 3-11, Slask booked its playoff ticket thanks to a loss by Dolomiti Energia Trento. Kevin Punter scored all of his 15 points in the first half and Yam Madar also had 15 for the winners. Jakub Karolak paced Slask with 14 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Balsa Koprivica denies it at the rim!<a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PartizanBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/stSxhK3UJy">pic.twitter.com/stSxhK3UJy</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1506331346704117762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 72-85 ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-ratiopharm-ulm/U2021/157/)

Ulm grabbed an important victory in its fight to reach the playoffs as it knocked off Mincidelic JL Bourg en Bresse 72-85 on the road to snap a four-game losing streak. Ulm executed better in the fourth quarter to improve to 7-9 in Group B. Semaj Christon collected 19 points and 12 assists and Jason Blossomgame added 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead Ulm. Bourg dropped to 5-11 with its third straight loss and fourth in the last five games.

When the dust cleared after Tuesday's four Round 16 games, Slask had clinched a playoff berth despite losing and Partizan locked up at least second place in its group. 

Round 16, Tuesday: Partizan, Ulm gain road wins; Lietkabelis, Turk Telekom thrive at home

Partizan snapped its four-game road losing streak in a resounding fashion with a 71-93 win over Slask Wroclaw thanks to aggressive defense and its dominance on the offensive glass.

Telling numbers: Boards and steals set the tone for Partizan

Partizan finished the game with 5 more offensive rebounds, grabbing 15 compared to Slask's 10, but the greatest difference came in the key part of the game – the first quarter.

In the first quarter, Partizan made 10 of 15 two-pointers and 2 of 4 threes, but on those 7 missed field goals the team had 5 offensive rebounds. Balsa Koprivica grabbed a couple early on and it played a big part in Partizan opening the game in style, outscoring Slask 4-21 in the first 6 minutes.

The other significant factor was the visitors' defense. Partizan had 3 steals in those first 6 minutes. Combined with the control of defensive glass, it led to half a dozen fastbreaks and many easy points in the first quarter.

 

It set the tone from the get-go and Partizan led by double figures the entire game. Partizan forced 18 turnovers for the night, half of those coming as products of steals, paving the way for a 22-point win.

Slask Wroclaw v Partizan NIS Belgrade (2022-03-22T17:45:00.000Z)

Aleksa Avramovic - Partizan NIS Belgrade (photo Wojciech Cebula - Slask) - EC21