By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
The revamped EuroCup format proved to be a real challenge for the favorites and an excellent chance for the underdogs to get in the spotlight. The quarterfinals’ pairings were determined through the newly-introduced knock-out eighthfinals round, which left Group A leaders Joventut Badalona (1) and Partizan NIS Belgrade (2) empty-handed. Looking at the eighthfinals matchups on paper, it seemed virtually impossible for both Group A teams to be eliminated from quarterfinals contention, yet the Group B influence has just been too strong.
From the beginning of the season, the picture was pretty clear in Group A. Joventut and Partizan had a clear advantage, while Slask Wroclaw and Dolomiti Energia Trento seemed out of the playoff picture, leaving space for the rest of the teams to find a good spot in the standings. The suspension of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar brought Slask into the playoff zone effortlessly, a task the team didn’t seem ready for. History proved that only two Group A teams were able to withstand the pressure.
On the other hand, up until the last three rounds of the regular season, there were no clear favorites in Group B – plus no team had yet been mathematically eliminated. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana’s hot eight-game winning streak stirred the waters and it wasn’t until Round 18 of the regular season that the standings (and subsequent pairings) were determined. What seemed to be an effortless regular season for Group A competitors was a dogfight for teams in Group B.
To put that into perspective, the bottom two teams of Group A, Slask Wroclaw (8) and Dolomiti Energia Trento (9), accumulated a total of 4 wins in the regular season (3 and 1 respectively). In comparison, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (9) amassed six victories and Promitheas Patras won four games – a total of 10. The numbers are even more staggering if we add the bottom-third team of each group. In this case, Hamburg Towers, Slask, and Trento collected a total of 10 victories, while ratiopharm Ulm, Bourg, and Promitheas won 17 games.
With such strong competition, Group B teams had no other option but to “toughen up”. A prime example, besides Ulm’s upset over Group A leader Joventut, was Frutti Extra Bursaspor’s explosive win over Partizan to advance to the next round. Up until the final round of the regular season, Bursaspor could have finished anywhere between sixth and eighth place after its four-game winning streak. A defeat in the last round to Buducnost VOLI Podgorica sent Bursaspor to seventh place, yet the team’s momentum was impossible to hold back. It showed in Belgrade, where Partizan caved in to the pressure and allowed Bursa to advance thanks to some overtime heroics. Similarly, Ulm was just too strong for Joventut to handle in the second half. The Spanish side collapsed and the visitors fought to live another day in EuroCup.
Bearing in mind these results and the quarterfinals pairings, only two teams from Group A have made it through: Boulogne Metropolitans 92 and MoraBanc Andorra, which vastly increases the chance of an All-Group B semifinals stage. While the scenario of an “all one group” semifinals might have seemed like science fiction a few weeks ago, now it seems likely to happen with two All-Group-B quarterfinals pairings already in place (Ulm vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna, Cedevita vs. Bursaspor).
Experience plays a key role in knockout games like these, though preparation and the ability to fight are the keys to success. Ulm and Bursaspor had gone through thick and thin, both suffering ups and downs throughout the regular season, and this has worked to their advantage so far.
Photo credit: EuroCup