The two series will open in France on Tuesday, with the two regular season group winners hosting the first contests on the best-of-three series. The second legs will be on Friday night with Game 3, if necessary, next week.
This week: The EuroCup Semifinals begin
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Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse vs. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul
The semifinals will begin at Ekinox, where Group B winner Bourg hosts Besiktas at 19:00 CET. Bourg held off Prometey Slobozhanske in their semifinal duel while Besiktas rallied from 21 down to upset Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv. Frederic Fauthoux’s Bourg is 15-5 on the season, 9-1 at home and 2-0 against Turkish clubs, having defeated Turk Telekom Ankara twice. Dusan Alimpijevic improved to 5-2 as an underdog in EuroCup elimination games with his team's victory over Hapoel. However, all of his magic has come in single-game settings.
This marks uncharted territory for both teams. Besiktas will try to become the third straight Turkish team to reach the finals, following Frutti Extra Bursaspor with Alimpijevic and Derek Needham two years ago and Turk Telekom last season. Bourg seeks to become the first French finalist since Strasbourg in 2016.
Paris Basketball vs. London Lions
Adidas Arena will be the site when Group A winner Paris tips off against London at 20:45 CET. Paris enters this series on an 11-game winning streak after eliminating Joventut Badalona in the quarters. Opposite the team from the French capital will be the squad from the English capital; London stormed to the semis with a pair of double-digit do-or-die victories, including a 12-point road triumph against U-BT Cluj Napoca.
Led by playmaker TJ Shorts, Paris is 18-1 this season — and two of those wins came against London during the regular season. First, it was a 102-106 overtime thriller in London, then a comfortable 94-77 win on its home floor in Round 13. But London did not have David Nwaba nor Donte Granham in that last clash, while Sam Dekker got injured mid-game. Since that loss, London is 5-2 and a perfect 3-0 on the road.