Guards Lukasz Kolenda of Slask Wroclaw and Yam Madar of Partizan NIS Belgrade could be at the forefront of their teams’ matchup on Tuesday.

Major matchup: Kolenda, Slask vs. Madar, Partizan

Kolenda has started in two-thirds of his 12 appearances for Slask this season, during which he has averaged 5.8 points and 2.8 assists per game. He played a big role for Slask when it met Partizan in Round 7 with 9 points and a season-high 8 assists as the visitors nearly scored an upset and he will look to repeat that performance at home this week. 

Major matchup: Orelik, Lietkabelis vs. Noua, Andorra

Orelik is Lietkabelis’s leading scorer this season with 15.8 points per game. He has also contributed 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals. Orelik scored 23 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting, grabbed 7 rebounds and collected 3 steals against Andorra when they met in Round 7. He comes off his worst performance of the season; Orelik was held to a season-low 7 points on 1-of-7 shooting last week against Joventut Badalona and will look to bounce back against Andorra.

Noua, who joined Andorra last summer from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, has averaged 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds this season as a part-time starter. He has been through a rough patch with a pair of scoreless outings in his last two games. However, Noua has the skills to stick with Orelik on defense. On offense, he is an inside-outside threat, too, and a big game from the forward in Lithuania this week would greatly boost Andorra’s chances.

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

Gediminas Orelik - Lietkabelis Panevezys (photo Martin Imatge - Andorra) - EC21

When Turk Telekom Ankara hosts Dolomiti Energia Trento on Tuesday, the showdown between the hosts’ Anthony Clemmons and the visitors’ Dominique Johnson could be critical.

Major matchup: Clemmons, Turk Telekom, vs. Johnson, Trento

Both players joined their respective teams midseason. Clemmons debuted with Turk Telekom in Round 5 and came through with 18 points in his first game. For the season, he has averaged 11.8 points on 43.2% three-point shooting, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. However, Clemmons’s worst showing this season came when Turk Telekom visited Trento in Round 7 and he scored 2 points on 1-of-8 shooting for a PIR of minus-1. He will look to shine against Trento this time.

Johnson joined Trento recently and debuted last week at Slask Wroclaw with 8 points in 26 minutes. He was third on the team in minutes played and, at age 34, brings a wealth of experience that the team will need as it tries to make a late run to reach the elimination rounds. 

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

Anthony Clemmons - Turk Telekom Ankara (photo Trento) - EC21

We come off a very good week for us, winning two games at home to be in a better situation to make it to the playoffs. We were talking a lot about just how important it was this week. We kind of knew that we couldn't qualify for playoffs, but we could have probably lost our chance last week. So we were playing really, really hard. We went down early against Bourg. That's a good team, they moved the ball really well. But we have great fans at home, and I think it's such an advantage for us because really anytime there's a little bit of shift in momentum, the fans pick up on it and the gym gets really loud. And I think that's something that's really helped us a lot. So the Bourg win was very big for us because obviously when we played in France, we lost big. It was probably our worst game of the season. 

David Dudzinski, Bursaspor: 'I don't think we're afraid of anybody'

And then to come back on Friday against Reyer, a team that we already beat, but is very, very talented. They changed their team a lot and we know on paper this is one of the best teams in EuroCup. So it's really, really good to come out and get these two wins and put ourselves in a position. I feel like we can kind of control our destiny. We have two of our last three games at home, Valencia and Buducnost, and then Ulm on the road. I think one or two more wins will put us in for sure. We just have to focus on the next one now.

I cannot talk enough about our fans and the great support they give us. Especially coming after the pandemic without fans last year, it's amazing to have these fans. We are working very hard and our fans know basketball, they know that we are putting in a lot of effort. So they start coming to the games more and more and then I feel like it's kind of snowballed a little bit now. We really want every game to keep the stands full, keep them excited and, man, it is really a fun environment. It's one of the best environments I have ever been in anywhere in Europe and to have it at our home is amazing. And it helps a lot.

"It's one of the best environments I have ever been in anywhere in Europe and to have it at our home is amazing."

Against Bourg, there was a big momentum shift at the end of the third quarter where we were down 12, and then it was like 8, and then it was 5. But at the end of the third quarter, we were able to get a basket, a steal and another basket, and then that tied the game. And then from there, everybody in the gym believed that we can win. It was really tough, Bourg has shooters at every position, even their centers shoot the ball very well. So it's a type of team that can really extend you and in the first half, they did. We ended up kind of controlling it a little bit better. We forced a lot more turnovers, got some more steals, and yes, we did enough. I mean, it was not our prettiest game, but we did enough and I am very happy with the result.

We have a different rotation in which Andrew Andrews is our new scoring leader. Andrew is incredibly skilled and is the type of guy that's ready for that kind of responsibility. Two very good players, Allerik \[Freeman\] and Egemen \[Guven\] left and shortened our rotation. Also, we got Tolga \[Gecim\] back and he was playing really well for a few games, but then he got hurt. So it kind of simplified our rotation to the point where it's like, 'yeah, we are not that deep, but everybody knows what they have to do every game'. It kind of like forced Andrew to be that playmaker, and he is more than qualified to do this. I am not surprised that he was able to come into this role so well. He is playing really well and is a really tough person to guard for the opposing team. We run our sets, set good screens for him and, and put ourselves in a position where one night it could be him, one night it could be Derek \[Needham\], it could be Onuralp \[Bitim\], it could be me... I don't think if you were to just put all your concentration on Andrew to shut him down, that would be a good strategy because we do have other guys that can make big plays, too.

David Dudzinski Top Plays of the 2021-22 Round 15, 2021-22 Round 14 and 4 other Season Parts

Highlights David Dudzinski Frutti Extra Bursaspor

Onuralp played really well against Reyer. The thing is, especially since we lost Egemen, it moves me more to the '5' position and with the way that they play against me, usually, they will switch, and so that gives a good situation for either Andrew or Onuralp. And Onu is a very, very skilled Turkish player. He is not a typical domestic player where he kind of sits back. He is really a big-time attacker. He is one of the most athletic guys, American or European guys, that I have ever played with, and he is playing with a lot of confidence. When you have that kind of mixture, it's a dangerous thing for the other teams. So it's really good that he is taking these switches and attacking the other team. I would hate to be a big guy that has to guard that switch four or five times a night. That's a really tough ask of another big guy.

"Whoever is on the other side of the court, I think we have a chance, especially at home." 

I am feeling good, too. There was a while where, especially if Kevarrius \[Hayes\] gets into foul trouble, I play more '5' but recently we have been trying to keep me more at the '4'. And I think it is obviously the more natural role for me. Playing for Dusan \[Alimpijevic\] is great. He sees a lot of things and I have learned so much this season just from playing for him, about breaking down the game and taking what the defense gives you and adjusting. So I feel very comfortable here. I love this team. I think this is one of the closest teams I've ever been on, which is kind of unique given the fact that we have changed the roster so much. But it's just a great group of guys and we really are all committed. Dusan did a great job of getting the right personalities here. And I think that's an underrated thing in Europe: you just get talent and hope it works. But this is a group of guys that really enjoys being around each other and we all are focused on making the playoffs and seeing what we can do there. But this is a group of guys that I fit in well with. 

We played at home against Valencia this week. This is what it is about - playing against a great team in front of a great home crowd. Right now, I don't think we're afraid of anybody. And I know Valencia beat us pretty good at their place and they are a very, very good team. Whenever I watch them, I'm very impressed... but for whatever reason, I think right now I am feeling whoever is on the other side of the court, I think we have a chance, especially at home. Our fans will be there, they will be loud and... I don't know, I think we can win!

David Dudzinski - Frutti Extra Bursaspor (photo Matteo Marchi - Virtus) - EC21

Expect, therefore, a lot of intensity and no players sitting out any games, which is critical for EuroCup Fantasy Challenge managers. Other than injured players, expect everyone to be available. Keeping an eye on those teams with shorter rotations is critical at this time of the season. More playing time doesn't always lead to a higher performance index rating, but as a general rule, it helps a lot. It is just logical; the more time on court, the better a player's chances of adding positive actions.

Onuralp Bitim, Travis Trice, Jerai Grant, Oriol Pauli, Jordan Theodore Top Plays of the 2021-22 Round 15, 2021-22 Round 14 and 1 other Season Part

EuroCup Fantasy tips Regular Season Round 16

As always, we have five recommendations heading into Round 16. Featured this week are an all-around guard coming off a career-best game, a playmaker who just keeps getting better, a big man who has dominated in recent weeks, a well-rounded forward posting some of his best EuroCup numbers ever, and one of last season's finalists. Here they are: 

Onuralp Bitim, Frutti Extra Bursaspor (6.5 credits) – Just like his teammate Andrew Andrews, Bitim has improved a lot, averaging 16.2 points and 17.2 PIR in the last six games. Before that, he averaged 8.2 points and a PIR of 6.8. Last week, Bitim had a career-high PIR of 29 against Reyer, hitting 11 of 14 two-point shots. 

Travis Trice, Slask Wroclaw (11.2 credits) – Trice was up-and-down early in the season and probably needed to adjust to a new competition. He has been just outstanding in the last four games, averaging 21.5 points, 8.0 assists and a PIR of 27.3. He had his first double-double – 29 points, 10 assists – against Hamburg in Round 15. 

Jerai Grant, Promitheas Patras (12.7 credits) – Grant has been rock-solid all season, averaging 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and a PIR of 16.8. In the last two games, however, he has been even better, averaging 22.5 points on 19-for-29 two-point shooting (65.5%), 8.0 rebounds and a PIR of 27.0.

Oriol Pauli, MoraBanc Andorra (9.9 credits) – In his sixth EuroCup season, Pauli is currently playing some of the best basketball of his career. In the last four showdowns, Pauli has averaged 10.5 points on 14-for-21 two-point shooting (66.7% 2FG), 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a PIR of 16.8. Andorra is third in Group A and needs him at his very best level to keep that spot. 

Jordan Theodore, Umana Reyer Venice (12.0 credits) – Theodore made it to the EuroCup Finals last season and was arguably UNICS Kazan's best player in those two losses against AS Monaco (15.0 ppg., 7.0 apg., 24.5 PIR). He joined Reyer midway through this season and has been the team's floor general since, averaging 17.8 points, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and a PIR of 16.5.

All of a sudden, we are three weeks away from the end of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season, the longest group stage in competition history. Nine teams have punched their ticket to the next round – Joventut Badalona, Partizan NIS Belgrade, MoraBanc Andorra, Boulogne Metropolitans 92 and Lietkabelis Panevezys in Group A, along with Gran Canaria, Valencia Basket, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Group B. Of course, more teams will join them soon. Remember, all teams are fighting not only to reach the next round, but also for the highest rankings possible in their group. The higher they rank, the better chance they will have to get home-court advantage in the knock-out rounds – if they survive! 

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Good options, affordable prices

Jerai Grant - Promitheas Patras (photo Luka Novakovic - Buducnost) - EC21-RS15

MoraBanc Andorra has already qualified to the playoffs and, after three consecutive victories, boasts a 9-6 record for third place in Group A. A road victory against Lietkabelis Panevezys would allow Andorra to lock up home-court advantage in the eighthfinals, the club's next goal in the competition. One of Andorra's pillars has been playmaker Codi Miller-McIntyre, a EuroCup veteran in his fourth campaign in the competition who leads the team in scoring (13.3 ppg.) assists (7.1 apg.) and performance index rating (16.6). Miller-McIntyre is interesting for more than his stats, though. He has his own clothing line, observes an extensive game-day routine and embraces an alter ego: The Wolf. "I realized that my natural personality is not good for on basketball court, because I'm not too aggressive. I'm passive and I kind of just go with the flow sometimes," Miller-McIntyre explained EuroCupBasketball.com. "I just decided that this would be my alter ego. When I'm on the court, I would try to become something different to help me mentally, be more consistent at basketball."

Codi Miller-McIntyre, Andorra: 'I call myself The Wolf'

**Hello, Codi. Not many teams have beaten Turk Telekom in Ankara. What worked there for Andorra last week?** 

"I think we were very focused from the very beginning of the game. We knew it would be a tough one to get there. But defensively, we helped each other out a lot. We got extra possessions, I think over 13 or 14 offensive rebounds, and then we shared the ball great, as well. So I just think it was an overall great game in terms of our focus and intensity."

**With three wins in a row, do you think that the team is peaking at the right time?**  

"For sure, especially in the EuroCup, staying focused and doing certain things that we need to do to win games. So yes, I think it's a good time for us to be playing very well and hopefully we can continue at this level and even pick it up some more."

Codi Miller-Mcintyre Top Plays of the 2021-22 Regular Season

2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup season highlights: Codi Miller-Mcintyre MoraBanc Andorra

**This is your fourth EuroCup season. What do you like the most about the competition?** 

"That we play a lot of different teams in different countries. So we are able to travel and I get to see a lot of different places all over, instead of staying in one country and only playing once a week. So I think just that exposure, going different places, for lifestyle and for basketball, I think it's great. I think it gives opportunities for people like myself to see the world."

**And to learn languages, too. Is it true that you try to learn a little of the local language in all the places you play?** 

"Yes, I lived in Russia for two years, and it always makes me feel a little bit better, a little bit more at home. Even just knowing a little bit of things to be able to say in people's language instead of expecting and hoping everybody can speak English. Of course, my Russian is starting to go away a little bit because I haven't been there in two or three years and I don't speak it a lot now, but I still have classes from time to time. I thought coming to Spain with Andorra would be a good opportunity to learn a little bit of Spanish, because in America, obviously, a lot of people speak Spanish as well. Marko Nakic is helping me. We hang out a lot, and he tries to teach me a lot of Spanish. We probably talk in Spanish every day. Not all day, but when we are texting or in person, we will say phrases and everything, just as a little bit extra practice."

"It's a good time for us to be playing very well and hopefully we can continue at this level."

**Can you tell us about your clothing line, CMM Patience?** 

"Long story short, I used to have very bad anxiety when I was younger, around 16 or 17 years old. I think that was around the same time Instagram came out, so I would be on Instagram at my military school and I would see basketball players in the NBA wearing certain clothes, and it looked like they were living their dream life. So I used to have pretty bad anxiety with that and also some personal family stuff. And one day, I don't know, I just kept repeating 'patience'. Like be patient, be patient. So I think over the next four years, up until I was 21 or almost 22, I just kept saying this word over and over, and eventually people started to associate that word with me. I thought it would be a good idea [to start a clothing line](https://www.cmmpatience.com/). So that's kind of how it began."

**We were told that you like to be called The Wolf.  Why?** 

"Yes, I call myself The Wolf, I think, for different reasons. I always loved dogs growing up. I always had a strong attraction to having a dog, like many people, and then I realized that my natural personality is not good for on basketball court because I'm not too aggressive, I'm passive, and I kind of just go with the flow sometimes. Maybe I want to change something, but I don't change it. I realized that to play this sport at a high level, you have to have some type of very strong aggression consistently. And I just started looking at different famous people, different artists, rappers, singers, some famous basketball or football players. And a lot of these people go by different names. A lot of these people go by a name that's a different personality or almost an alter ego, you know? So I just looked more into that and maybe a few years ago, I just decided that this would be my alter ego. When I'm on the court, I would try to become something different to help me, mentally, be more consistent at basketball."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I almost publicly showed my full wolf transformation last game. Thank God it wasn’t a full moon 😂🐺🙌🏾 <a href="https://t.co/GFtMUNj25U">pic.twitter.com/GFtMUNj25U</a></p>&mdash; Codi Miller-McIntyre (@CMMPatience) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMMPatience/status/1314326876501008390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</center>

**Everyone told me your are very methodical. Can you tell us a bit about your game-day routine?** 

"I will just do the day of the game. If we are at home, I know every morning we will have shootaround, so I will wake up maybe an hour and a half before. I will have my oatmeal or yogurt, do regular shootaround and then everything kicks in. I usually don't talk most of the time on game day. I barely say any words. Sometimes, maybe one or two games, I have spoken a lot before the game, but usually I'm pretty silent and quiet. But once I get home from shootaround, I have my lunch. I sleep a minimum two hours, and once I wake up from that sleep, I light incense in the house for a smell. Every day, you read at a certain time, but you also light a candle or incense. It puts your body in a mood to make you understand, 'OK, it's time to read.' So, I know when I light this incense before a game, it helps me get a type of aromatherapy to get my mind focused on the game. And after I light the candles, I do... It's a guy named Wim Hof, a very famous guy. He teaches different breathing techniques, so I do that before I leave the house. And once I do that breathing, I am fully focused on the game. I get to the gym a minimum of two hours early -- when we play at home, obviously, because I can control when I come. The first five minutes is me just sitting around with no shoes on, just socks. Just like playing around, like reminding myself to be focused, but also, this is just a game and, it reminds me of shooting outside sometimes with no shoes on when I was a kid. So I do that for a little bit. Then for 30 minutes I stretch and then I go into a basketball ballhandling routine. Then I do form shooting. I do a type of shooting that makes me focus on my arc before the game, and then I have my normal basketball routine- shooting, dribbling and all that stuff. And four minutes before the game, I get into one of my little meditation positions and I just sit there focused, block out all the noise and try to become fully present in the moment and try to make that last little effort to get that Wolf personality to come out and be ready to play that game. So it is a kind of a lot!"

**Andorra is a different club, in the sense that a lot of players live in the same building, where the team's office is located, barely two minutes away on foot from the arena. How unique is that?**

"It is very different, but I really like it. I think it creates a very close bond. You know, maybe we always don't go out to eat together and hang out together because everybody has families and things. But I think this is one of the teams where everybody is... How can I explain it? We are nice to each other. There are no real big problems. If something happens, people get over it within like 30 or 40 seconds, from the management all the way down to the players. Our GM and the president are constantly in the gym speaking to us, communicating. So it's really nice. It feels like a family for sure."

"I'm excited because anything can happen once we make it to that next step."

**You will play against Lietkabelis this week in a big battle to earn home-court advantage in the playoffs. How important would it be to get it?** 

"I think it's very important. It is extremely important for us to try to keep taking that step forward, whether we go there and we play extremely hard and we lose, but we still take a step forward as a team. Or we go there and we win. I just think it's extremely important for us to stay focused and understand we want to go as far as we can in EuroCup. It won't be easy with the long travel, but people also have to come to Andorra so we can't use that as an excuse. They're a great team and we just have to go there 100% focused on each possession." 

**It is going to be your first time in the EuroCup playoffs. Looking forward to it?** 

"I'm excited because anything can happen once we make it to that next step, especially if we can secure home-court advantage. And I think that would be great for each individual on the team. I think that would be great for the coaches on the team and obviously for the management and the club in general. So I am definitely excited for that. But obviously, my focus is next game at a time, or one game at a time. So if we can take care of what we need to when we travel to Lithuania, everything else will fall into place."

Codi Miller-McIntyre - MoraBanc Andorra (photo Dragana Stjepanovic - Partizan) - EC21

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

"At Bursaspor it was already an important game for us but vital for them. This time it's this game against Ulm which is really vital for us. We're going to do everything to make a hold up and continue to look ahead, with the next phase."

### Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse Pierre Pelos:

"Ulm is a very physical team, we had a lot of problems in the first round against them with a lot of intensity. We have to catch up and if possible beat them and take back the point average. By winning, we continue to believe in our chances of qualifying. We won in the French league on Saturday, it did us good, it gives us a little confidence so we hope to start a series of wins."

### ratiopharm Ulm head coach Jaka Lakovic:

"We are expecting a very difficult game, which is an important game for both teams too. There are three games to go and now all the teams are playing extremely focused and hard to get wins to position them inside the playoffs or to get to the playoffs. Bourg is an opponent that plays very disciplined on offense and on defense so we will have to be very solid defensively as well and execute very precisely in our offense in order to be successful. I wouldn’t call it a do-or-die game but since it is a direct matchup it is a very important game for us."

Here are some insightful comments about the game from the protagonists themselves.

Pre-game quotes: Bourg vs. Ulm

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

Pierre Pelos - Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse - EC21

### Slask Wroclaw player Jakub Karolak:

"I think we are in really good shape, but Partizan is a high-class team with a strong roster. It will be a very tough game for us, but if we do our best, we can try to surprise everybody. They have an amazing history and a great coach, so I hope it will be a great show and our fans will really like it." 

### Partizan NIS Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic: 

"The fact that we played a very tough game against them in Belgrade is calling for a very serious approach to our next clash. We have to realize that despite the position on the table in both competitions we play, there are no easy opponents. Slask is a very specific team as they play pick and roll defense in a very special way, and that is the most important thing in our pre-game preparation. Everything else is more or less well-known to us. We have to play 40 minutes in the rhythm which will enable us to win the game."

### Partizan NIS Belgrade player Alen Smailagic: 

"My opinion is that we can't loosen up. We played a few good games recently, but we are a young team and I hope that we will not loosen up. I hope that experience of our coach will get us back on track in case we allow ourselves to  loosen up. We are a much better team than we used to be in our first game against Slask and I hope we will get the win we need to lift up our form tight before the end of the league part of the season in both competitions we play."

Pre-game quotes: Slask vs. Partizan

Zeljko Obradovic - Partizan NIS Belgrade (photo Dragana Stjepanovic - Partizan) - EC21

Group B leader Gran Canaria will go for a regular-season sweep of third-place Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in a game with major playoff-seeding implications.

Keys to victory: Gran Canaria vs. Buducnost

### Gran Canaria needs a win on the glass

It will be imperative for Gran Canaria to win the rebounding battle. The two teams are below-average in rebounding, with Buducnost ranking 13th (34.8 rpg.) and Gran Canaria 14th (14.7 rpg.) this season. But Buducnost has won seven of eight games when it had an advantage on the glass. When they met earlier this season in Podgorica, Gran Canaria dominated the boards, outrebounding Buducnost 41-34 and also 15-9 on the offensive glass en route to a 76-83 win. Gran Canaria will need to do the same in this game.

### Buducnost to keep turnovers low

Buducnost commits the third-fewest turnovers this season (11.9 per game), but its veteran backcourt will be put to the test against Gran Canaria's opportunistic defense, which forces the second-most turnovers (15.6 per game) and ranks second in steals (8.9 spg.). On a court where it has never won, Buducnost must take good care of the basketball, which is one way to minimize Gran Canaria's fastbreak opportunities.

Vladimir Micov - Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (photo Buducnost) - EC21

Gran Canaria v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-03-23T20:00:00.000Z)