In Group B of this year's EuroCup, seven of the eight playoff spots have already been wrapped up. Now, there is a battle for the one remaining place, with only Hamburg and Trento in with a mathematical chance of reaching the postseason, following Slask Wroclaw's 89-85 defeat at Paris Basketball.
Curiously, thanks to the luck of the schedule makers, Trento heads to Germany next Tuesday night to take on Hamburg. Coach Molin's squad came out on top when the teams met in Italy in December, 85-80, and Trento has the chance to clinch the tiebreaker with a win. Should that happen, a fascinating Round 18 would be in store, with Trento hosting already eliminated Slask and Hamburg heading to Group B leader Gran Canaria.
"It’s kind of like life. Things get tough, but if you keep working you’ll break through, and hopefully tonight will be a break for us in the EuroCup," Lockett eloquently explained in his post-game interview. "We’ll have a chance to make the playoffs if we continue to play well."
Trento fans went from despair to elation after first seeing Hamburg lead and then lose, before later witnessing their team defeat Buducnost. Suddenly, the whole picture looks completely different. In the EuroCup, a lot can change in a couple of hours.