Turk Telekom Ankara (8-4) will look to get back to its winning way when it welcomes last-place Slask Wroclaw (1-10) to the Turkish capital in Tuesday's Round 13 opener. A win would qualify Turk Telekom for the playoffs, but the team can also advance if Dolomiti Energia Trento loses a day later, too. Slask enters this game winless on the road this season. In their Round 4 clash, Turk Telekom registered a 71-75 win.
In a battle with major implications in the race for the playoffs, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (4-8) hosts 7Bet-Lietkabelis Paneveyzs (5-7) on Tuesday. Cluj is the first team outside the playoff zone in Group A and will be looking not only for a win, but to overcome the 5-point margin by which Lietkabelis won, 89-84, in their Round 4 meeting. The visitors arrived at this game having snapped a four-game losing streak last week, while Cluj will be in search of its first home win in nearly two months.
Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (8-4) will try to protect its home court when it takes on Germani Brescia (5-7) on Tuesday. Bourg has a chance to become the first Group A team to secure a playoff spot, but for that, it needs to beat Brescia and see U-BT Cluj-Napoca lose, too. Brescia enters this game on a two-game losing streak and will try to avoid getting swept in this series, as Bourg registered a 69-71 win in their game in Round 4.
Veolia Towers Hamburg (4-8) hosts Promitheas Patras (7-5) in a battle of two teams hoping to build on last week's success. Hamburg ended its four-game losing streak last week with a 36-point thrashing of Slask Wroclaw and will try to win its first home game in almost two months as it battles for a place in the playoffs in Group B. Promitheas qualifies for the playoffs if it wins on Tuesday or if Dolomiti Energia Trento loses on Wednesday. When Promitheas and Hamburg met in Round 4, Promitheas pulled out an 81-77 win.
In a clash of two of the top three teams in Group A, Prometey Slobozhanske (8-4) faces visiting Joventut Badalona (8-4) on Wednesday. It is a clash of two teams currently playing winning basketball, With Prometey and its second-best offense (86.3 ppg.) on a five-game winning streak, while Joventut has won four of its last five games. Joventut beat Prometey 82-77 in Round 4 and that margin is worth keeping in mind.
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (7-5) will try to get back to winning ways in front of its fans when it welcomes London Lions (5-7) to town. When they met in Round 4, Buducnost coasted to a 78-87 win and will aim for a season sweep. Buducnost, the EuroCup top offensive rebounding team (13.8 orpg.), can secure a playoff spot with a win and some help, either with a loss by Dolomiti Energia Trento or by Veolia Towers Hamburg. On the other hand, London has lost four of its last five games entering this Group B encounter.
ratiopharm Ulm (7-5) will look to protect its home court when it matches up with Frutti Extra Bursaspor (6-6) on Wednesday night. Ulm has won four of its last five games and comes into this contest tied for the competition lead with 11.0 three-pointers made per game. Meanwhile, Bursaspor has lost three of its last four entering this round. When these two sides met In Round 4, Ulm stunned Bursaspor 86-90 and another win at home would give it a valuable sweep and keep it in the race for first place in Group A.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2-10) is in a must-win situation entering Round 13 as it welcomes Umana Reyer Venice (7-5) to the Slovenian capital on Wednesday. Another loss, a fourth straight, would all but eliminate Cedevita from playoff contention. Cedevita has the competition's worst scoring defense, allowing 91.3 points per game, while Reyer has allowed the second-fewest this season, 76.2 points on average. This is the fourth time in little over a year that these two teams will meet, and the home sides have won each of the previous meetings, including Reyer's 76-68 triumph in Round 4.
Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv (8-4) will aim for its sixth consecutive victory when it visits Dolomiti Energia Trento (2-8). Hapoel, playing in its first season in the competition and tied for the second-best record in Group B, enters this game knowing that a victory would secure it a place in the EuroCup Playoffs. This is also a clash of EuroCup's best and worst scoring offenses, as Hapoel leads the competition with 88.4 points per game while Trento averages 71.4, the fewest of all teams this season.
In a clash between the only two already-qualified teams, Gran Canaria (10-2) welcomes Paris Basketball (8-4) in Group B on Wednesday night. Gran Canaria, having two wins more than any other team in the competition, will look to sweep Paris and take another step toward securing home-court advantage all the way through the playoffs. Paris, on the other hand, is the best road team in the EuroCup with a 5-1 record entering this game.
