Valencia Basket leads the 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup in offensive rebounds at 13.5 per night.

Keys to victory: Valencia vs. Bourg

It ranks third in three-point shooting percentage (38.5% 3FG) despite taking more than 29 shots from downtown per game. Valencia should keep looking for second-chance opportunities while finding good looks for its best shooters - Sam Van Rossom, Klemen Prepelic, Bojan Dubljevic and Xabi Lopez-Arostegui. Valencia is last in steals, 4.8 per night, so being more aggressive in the passing lanes could give the hosts a better chance to win.

Marquee matchup: Valencia's Dubljevic vs. Bourg's Mika

Valencia Basket (2-2) faces Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (1-3) at La Fonteta in Group B.

Valencia, Bourg finally meet

Valencia comes off a big road victory against Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2-2), overcoming injuries and rallying from a 21-point deficit. Klemen Prepelic (15.0 ppg.) is its top scorer, followed by Jasiel Rivero (12.5 ppg.) and two-time EuroCup champion Sam Van Rossom (11.7 ppg.). Bourg comes off a 29-point loss against Gran Canaria (3-1) and hopes to bounce back right away, led by Eric Mika (10.8 ppg., 5.5 rpg.), Pierre Pelos (12.3 ppg.) and Hugo Benitez (7.3 ppg., 4.5 apg.). These teams face each other for the first time, which adds even more anticipation to this showdown.

Rebounding is certain to be critical when Partizan NIS Belgrade faces Lietkabelis Panevezys.

Keys to victory: Partizan vs. Lietkabelis

Though both teams are strong on the glass, Lietkabelis has enjoyed an average rebounding advantage of 9.3 per game and is third in the competition in offensive rebounds with 12.5 per game. The visitors will need to maintain their rebounding advantage through big guys Djordje Gagic and Gabrielius Maldunas to have a chance at winning in Belgrade.

Partizan’s scoring has decreased every week and last week it hit new lows with 60 points scored on 45% two-point shooting and 15.4% three-point shooting. Part of the issue was having 9 of its shots blocked. If Aleksa Avramovic and Yam Madar can get the offense moving and the shots fall early, Partizan may find the rhythm that saw it score 106 on opening night.

Partizan NIS Belgrade v Lietkabelis Panevezys (2021-11-17T19:30:00.000Z)

Kevin Punter of Partizan NIS Belgrade and Gedimas Orelik of Lietkabelis Panevezys are their respective teams’ leading scorers and will be looked on to carry the load again this week.

Marquee matchup: Partizan’s Punter vs. Lietkabelis’s Orelik

Punter is tied for third in the EuroCup with 19.0 points per game and Orelik is 10th with 16.8. Punter has been the master of the mid-range and is shooting 72.4% on two-pointers, but has yet to find his three-point stroke this season and is 20.8% from downtown after making 37.7% of his threes the past two seasons in the EuroLeague. Orelik has made 60% of his twos and 40% of his threes with at least 3 triples in three games so far. Because Punter is a shooting guard and Orelik a small forward, they may not match up often this week, but their scoring prowess will be central to the game’s narrative.

In a clash between two teams looking to bounce back from Round 4 losses, Partizan NIS Belgrade hosts Lietkabelis Panevezys on Wednesday.

Partizan, Lietkabelis look to bounce back

Partizan (3-1) suffered its first loss of the week last week 61-60 at MoraBanc Andorra. Lietkabelis (2-2), which is 2-0 on the road this season, lost 96-100 last week at the hands of Hamburg Towers. Despite the loss, Gediminas Orelik shined with a club record 31 points on 7-of-14 three-point shooting. The game is a return home for three men from Lietkabelis. Coach Nenad Canak was both an assistant and head coach at Partizan. Center Djordje Gagic had two stints with Partizan as a player, including during the 2017-18 season under Coach Canak. And point guard Nikola Radicevic came through the Partizan youth system.

Trento is the lowest-scoring team in the competition (67.5 ppg.) due to its poor shooting percentages; the Italian powerhouse has made just 46.7% of its shots inside the arc and 26.1% from downtown, ranking last in the two categories.

Keys to victory: Trento vs. Slask

 Improving those numbers should make Trento more competitive. Jordan Caroline missed the Italian League game this weekend. If he remains sidelined, Johnathan Williams and Cam Reynolds must step up. Desonta Bradford, who has averaged 6.0 points in EuroCup action, had 21 in the Italian League win.

Slask is allowing 85.8 points on average, which is the fifth-most. Even though Slask is rebounding well on the offensive end (12.0 orpg.), the Polish powerhouse has low shooting percentages (47.2% 2FG, 31.6% 3FG) and is averaging only 14.8 assists per night. Slask relies on its frontcourt duo of Cyril Langevine and Kerem Kanter to make the difference in the paint. Both of them should have more space if Kodi Justice and Travis Trice open the floor with their outside shots. Stopping Williams down low should also be important for Coach Andrej Urlep's team.

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Slask Wroclaw (2021-11-17T19:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento and Slask Wroclaw enter Round 5 without wins but face each other in Italy.

Marquee matchup: Trento's Williams vs. Slask's Langevine

 One of the keys to the game should be the matchup between the teams' starting big men. Trento relies on Johnathan Williams to make the difference in the paint. Williams is averaging 11.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting the ball well (65.4% 2FG, 75.0% 3FG) aside from the foul line (18.2% FT). Williams is an excellent rebounder, just like Slask's Cyril Langevine, who ranks second in the EuroCup (8.8 rpg.), only trailing Vince Hunter of Boulogne Metropolitans 92 (9.3 rpg.). Both Williams and Langevine play with high energy, and it should be a fun matchup.

Dolomiti Energia Trento (0-4) and Slask Wroclaw (0-4), the only two teams without wins in the 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup, meet at BLM Group Arena on Wednesday.

Trento, Slask look for first win

Trento comes off a road victory in Italian League action and looks to build momentum, led by Cam Reynolds (13.0 ppg.), Johnathan Williams (11.3 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) and Wesley Saunders (10.5 ppg.). Slask also looks to end its losing streak. Travis Trice (14.0 ppg., 6.3 apg.), Cyril Langevine (12.3 ppg., 8.8 rpg.) and Ivan Ramljak (5.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg.) are leading the team right now. Both teams want to win right before the break, so expect an intense, thrilling showdown in Trento.