April 11, 2013 - 2012-13 Eurocup MVP: Nick Calathes, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
Euroleague
Basketball is pleased to announce that point guard Nick Calathes of PBC
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar has been selected as the Eurocup MVP for the
2012-13 season. Calathes, 24, has been Lokomotiv's floor general and
most important player on its way to the final, which will take place on
Saturday at the RTL Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium. Thanks in no
small part to the leadership of Calathes, Lokomotiv has a chance to
lift its first international trophy when it faces Uxue Bilbao Basket of
Spain in the title game. Calathes set a Eurocup record by becoming the
first player to dish more than 100 assists in one season during the
competition's 11-year existence. In addition, ranked second on
Lokomotiv in scoring, rebounds, steals and fouls drawn. Read more here.
April 8, 2013 - 2012-13 Eurocup Rising Star Trophy winner: Bojan Dubljevic, Valencia Basket
Euroleague
Basketball is pleased to announce Bojan Dubljevic of Valencia Basket as
the fifth annual winner of the Eurocup Rising Star Trophy. The
21-year-old big man was chosen to the All-Eurocup second team in
2011-12 and comes off an equally solid season for semifinalist
Valencia. The Eurocup Rising Star Trophy recognizes the most
outstanding player in the competition who was younger than 22 on July 1
of the summer before the season started. Dubljevic, who will turn 22
years old on October 24, has played like a true veteran, changing games
with his post skills, long-distance shots and overall effectiveness.
Despite stepping on court just 21 minutes per night, Dubljevic was
Valencia's second-best player in both scoring (13.3 ppg.) and
performance index rating (13.7 per game), while ranking first in
rebounds (4.8 rpg.) and fouls drawn (3.4 per game). His great
contribution to Valencia's long run in the competition make Dubljevic a
resounding choice as the 2012-13 Eurocup Rising Star! Read more here.
March 28, 2013 - Semifinals, Game 2 MVP: Stefan Markovic, Valencia Basket
An
epic performance in a big home win allowed Stefan Markovic of Valencia
Basket to earn Eurocup Semifinals Game 2 MVP honors with a performance
index rating of 22. Markovic was all over the place for Valencia
against PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, leading his team to a 63-68 road
win. It was not enough for Valencia to advance to the title game,
however, as Lokomotiv won the two-series on points differential.
Valencia lost three players - Justin Doellman, Florent Pietrus and
Serhiy Lishchuk - to respective injuries during the game, forcing
Markovic - the Eurocup's all-time assists leader - to play power
forward in crunch time. Markovic finished the game with 14 points, 5
rebounds, 6 assists, a steal and a foul drawn to amass a 22 index. Leo
Lyons of BC Budivelnik Kiev also reached a 22 index but his team lost
against Uxue Bilbao Basket, making him uneleigible in the weekly MVP
race. Read more here.
March 27, 2013 - Game 2
Uxue Bilbao Basket 75 - 53 BC Budivelnik Kiev
Uxue
Bilbao Basket has reached the Eurocup Final! Bilbao advanced to the
Eurocup Final for the first time in club history by sweeping its
two-way series against BC Budivelnik Kiev. On Thursday, Bilbao defeated
Budivelnik 75-53 to win the two-way series by a total margin of XX
points and will face PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar at the RTL
Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium on Saturday, April 13. Lamont Hamilton
and Alex Mumbru paced the winners with 13 points apiece. Fran Pilepic,
Mamadou Samb and Kostas Vasileiadis each added 10 for Bilbao. Leo Lyons
led Budivelnik with 20 points. Artur Drozdov added 12 for the guests.
Malcolm Delaney, who scored 38 points in Game 1, was held scoreless for
31 minutes. Bilbao had a strong start, as Hamilton and Axel Hervelle
led their team to a 20-9 lead. Budivelnik used a 0-8 run that return to
the game, 20-17, early in the second quarter. Read more here.
March 26, 2013
Lokomotiv Kuban 63 - 68 Valencia Basket
PBC
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar made it to the Eurocup final! Lokomotiv
advanced to the title game despite a 63-68 against Valencia Basket.
Lokomotiv had recorded an 87-97 road win in Game 1 and won the two-way
series on points differential. As such, Lokomotiv sealed its ticket to
the Eurocup title game, which will takes place at the RTL Spiroudome in
Charleroi, Belgium on April 13. It will face the winner of the other
semifinal series between Uxue Bilbao Basket and BC Budivelnik Kiev.
Valencia lost the chance to become the first team to reach a fourth
final - and win a third title - in competition history. Nick Calathes
led the series winners with 19 points. Jimmy Baron had 11 while Mantas
Kalnietis added 10 for Lokomotiv. Stefan Markovic and Bojan Dubljevic
led Valencia with 14 points apiece. Read more here.
March 26, 2013 - Game 2: Two tickets to paradise!
It's
decision time in the Eurocup semifinals, as Game 2 will determine which
two teams advance to the title game at the RTL Spiroudome in Charleroi,
Belgium on Saturday, April 13. Both Uxue Bilbao Basket and PBC
Lokomotiv Kuban possess 10-point leads in their respective series
against BC Budivelnik Kiev and Valencia Basket. Bilbao and Lokomotiv
play Game 2 at home with the chance to finish the work in front of
their fans, but Valencia and Budivelnik have proved throughout the
2012-13 Eurocup season that they are capable of beating the
expectations. The last team to win a series rallying on the road was
Hemofarm Stada against Dynamo Moscow in 2004-05, so Valencia and
Budivelnik hope to follow that example. Hemofarm suffered an 81-84 home
loss in Game 1 of the 2004-05 ULEB Cup eighthfinals, but thrashed
Dynamo 75-96 – downing 12-of-13 three-pointers – in Game 2 to survive.
Read more here.
SEMIFINAL A
Uxue Bilbao Basket vs. Budivelnik Kiev 75:53 - Stats
March 21, 2013 - Semifinals Game 1 MVP: Simas Jasaitis, Lokomotiv Kuban
Fortunately
for PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, sharpshooter Simas Jasaitis is
peaking at the best possible time. The three-point marksman set a
Eurocup semifinals record Wednesday with 7 three-pointers in leading
his team to a valuable 87-97 road win at Valencia Basket to take a
gigantic step towards the Eurocup Final. Beyond the victory and a
Eurocup, Jasaitis can take pride in winning Eurocup MVP honors for the
second week in a row; he was Quarterfinals Game 2 MVP after a master
effort in clinching Lokomotiv’s sweep of Buducnost. On Thursday,
Jasaitis tallied a performance index rating of 33 to lead all players
on winning teams. He finished with 23 points on 7-of-10 three-point
shooting, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. The best overall rating for the week
came from Malcolm Delaney of Budivelnik Kiev, who set records with 38
points and a 47 index in defeat. Read more here.
PBC
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar struck first in the two-game Eurocup
Semifinals by downing Valencia Basket 87-97 in the opener in Spain on
Wednesday. Lokomotiv takes a 10-point lead into the deciding game next
week in Krasnodar, Russia. The aggregate winner will move on to the
Eurocup Final next month in Charleroi, Belgium. Simas Jasaitis led the
winners with 23 points on a Eurocup semifinals record 7 three-pointers.
Derrick Brown added 19 points, Mantas Kalnietis scored 17, Richard
Hendrix 14 and Nick Calathes contributed 8 points and 9 assists. Justin
Doellman paced Valencia with 28 points, Pau Ribas added 20 points and
Bojan Dubljevic 17. Lokomotiv got off to a strong start and a
three-pointer by Jasaitis gave his team a 5-13 lead. Valencia improved
off a timeout, but Calathes and Aleks Maric allowed the guests to get
an 8-point lead after 10 minutes. Read more here.
BC Budivelnik Kiev 83 - 93 Uxue Bilbao Basket
Despite
a record-breaking scoring performance by the hosts, a point-for-point
battle in the Eurocup Semifinals ended with visiting Uxue Bilbao Basket
defeating Budivelnik Kiev by 83-93 in the opener of their two-game
series on Wednesday in the Ukrainian capital. A 13-30 run over 9
minutes bridging halftime – from 40-35 behind to 53-65 ahead – proved
the difference in Bilbao going home with a double-digit lead to protect
in Game 2 next Thursday. The visitors needed all the scoring they could
get to withstand Budivelnik guard Malcolm Delaney's 38-point explosion,
the best scoring performance not only in any semifinal to date, but
also in any game later the regular season during the Eurocup's
11-season history. Delaney hit 6 of 9 three-pointers and 14 of 16 free
throws – another semifinals record – but it wasn't enough. Read more here.
March 19, 2013 - Semifinals Analysis: Lokomotiv Kuban vs. Valencia Basket
Two
of the top contenders for Eurocup glory, Lokomotiv Kuban and Valencia
Basket both present impressive resumes. Lokomotiv, whose 11 wins this
season are tied for the most in the competition, was the only team to
sweep its quarterfinals series. Valencia, the only former champ alive,
was the lone club to win a quarterfinals series without home-court
advantage. Both teams have fared well at home this season, each with
just one defeat. Coach Evgeny Pashutin’s Lokomotiv squad has won eight
of its last nine Eurocup games. Coach Velimir Perasovic’s Valencia is
this season’s top-ranked team in average performance index rating
(94.1) and the best attack among the quarterfinalists (84.2 ppg.).
Lokomotiv is second in index (94.0) and leads the competition in
assists (17.9 apg.). Pashutin previously coached Unics Kazan to the
2011 Eurocup crown. Under Perasovic, Valencia reached last season’s
Eurocup title game. Read more here.
March 18, 2013 - Semifinals Analysis: Uxue Bilbao Basket vs. BC Budivelnik
Kiev
Uxue
Bilbao Basket and BC Budivelnik Kyiv were both Last 16 group winners
and used their home-court advantages in the quarterfinals to advance.
Both teams are quite strong at home, each with six wins and just one
loss. Bilbao is tied for the most wins in the Eurocup this season, 11,
along with fellow semifinalist Lokomotiv Kuban. This marks Bilbao’s
third trip to the semifinals in as many Eurocup seasons, while
Budivelnik reaches this stage for the first time. The two teams are
similar statistically and are the top two rebounding teams (Budivelnik
35.8 rpg, Bilbao 35.1 rpg.) to reach the quarterfinals. Budivelnik is
also this season’s leader in blocked shots (3.7 bpg.), while Bilbao
ranks second in steals (8.1 spg.). Another similarity, both teams have
balanced attacks with four players averaging double figures in points.
This will mark the first time these teams have ever met in official
competition. Read more here.
Euroleague
Basketball is pleased to announce that point guard Nick Calathes of PBC
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar has been selected as the Eurocup MVP for the
2012-13 season. Calathes, 24, has been Lokomotiv's floor general and
most important player on its way to the final, which will take place on
Saturday at the RTL Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium. Thanks in no
small part to the leadership of Calathes, Lokomotiv has a chance to
lift its first international trophy when it faces Uxue Bilbao Basket of
Spain in the title game. Calathes set a Eurocup record by becoming the
first player to dish more than 100 assists in one season during the
competition's 11-year existence. In addition, ranked second on
Lokomotiv in scoring, rebounds, steals and fouls drawn. Read more 
Euroleague
Basketball is pleased to announce 
An
epic performance in a big home win allowed Stefan Markovic of Valencia
Basket to earn Eurocup Semifinals Game 2 MVP honors with a performance
index rating of 22. Markovic was all over the place for Valencia
against PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, leading his team to a 63-68 road
win. It was not enough for Valencia to advance to the title game,
however, as Lokomotiv won the two-series on points differential.
Valencia lost three players - Justin Doellman, Florent Pietrus and
Serhiy Lishchuk - to respective injuries during the game, forcing
Markovic - the Eurocup's all-time assists leader - to play power
forward in crunch time. Markovic finished the game with 14 points, 5
rebounds, 6 assists, a steal and a foul drawn to amass a 22 index. Leo
Lyons of BC Budivelnik Kiev also reached a 22 index but his team lost
against Uxue Bilbao Basket, making him uneleigible in the weekly MVP
race. Read more 
Uxue
Bilbao Basket has reached the Eurocup Final! Bilbao advanced to the
Eurocup Final for the first time in club history by sweeping its
two-way series against BC Budivelnik Kiev. On Thursday, Bilbao defeated
Budivelnik 75-53 to win the two-way series by a total margin of XX
points and will face PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar at the RTL
Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium on Saturday, April 13. Lamont Hamilton
and Alex Mumbru paced the winners with 13 points apiece. Fran Pilepic,
Mamadou Samb and Kostas Vasileiadis each added 10 for Bilbao. Leo Lyons
led Budivelnik with 20 points. Artur Drozdov added 12 for the guests.
Malcolm Delaney, who scored 38 points in Game 1, was held scoreless for
31 minutes. Bilbao had a strong start, as Hamilton and Axel Hervelle
led their team to a 20-9 lead. Budivelnik used a 0-8 run that return to
the game, 20-17, early in the second quarter. Read more 
Fortunately
for PBC Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, sharpshooter Simas Jasaitis is
peaking at the best possible time. The three-point marksman set a
Eurocup semifinals record Wednesday with 7 three-pointers in leading
his team to a valuable 87-97 road win at Valencia Basket to take a
gigantic step towards the Eurocup Final. Beyond the victory and a
Eurocup, Jasaitis can take pride in winning Eurocup MVP honors for the
second week in a row; he was Quarterfinals Game 2 MVP after a master
effort in clinching Lokomotiv’s sweep of Buducnost. On Thursday,
Jasaitis tallied a performance index rating of 33 to lead all players
on winning teams. He finished with 23 points on 7-of-10 three-point
shooting, 8 rebounds and 4 steals. The best overall rating for the week
came from Malcolm Delaney of Budivelnik Kiev, who set records with 38
points and a 47 index in defeat. Read more 
Despite
a record-breaking scoring performance by the hosts, a point-for-point
battle in the Eurocup Semifinals ended with visiting Uxue Bilbao Basket
defeating Budivelnik Kiev by 83-93 in the opener of their two-game
series on Wednesday in the Ukrainian capital. A 13-30 run over 9
minutes bridging halftime – from 40-35 behind to 53-65 ahead – proved
the difference in Bilbao going home with a double-digit lead to protect
in Game 2 next Thursday. The visitors needed all the scoring they could
get to withstand Budivelnik guard Malcolm Delaney's 38-point explosion,
the best scoring performance not only in any semifinal to date, but
also in any game later the regular season during the Eurocup's
11-season history. Delaney hit 6 of 9 three-pointers and 14 of 16 free
throws – another semifinals record – but it wasn't enough. Read more 
Two
of the top contenders for Eurocup glory, Lokomotiv Kuban and Valencia
Basket both present impressive resumes. Lokomotiv, whose 11 wins this
season are tied for the most in the competition, was the only team to
sweep its quarterfinals series. Valencia, the only former champ alive,
was the lone club to win a quarterfinals series without home-court
advantage. Both teams have fared well at home this season, each with
just one defeat. Coach Evgeny Pashutin’s Lokomotiv squad has won eight
of its last nine Eurocup games. Coach Velimir Perasovic’s Valencia is
this season’s top-ranked team in average performance index rating
(94.1) and the best attack among the quarterfinalists (84.2 ppg.).
Lokomotiv is second in index (94.0) and leads the competition in
assists (17.9 apg.). Pashutin previously coached Unics Kazan to the
2011 Eurocup crown. Under Perasovic, Valencia reached last season’s
Eurocup title game. Read more 
Uxue
Bilbao Basket and BC Budivelnik Kyiv were both Last 16 group winners
and used their home-court advantages in the quarterfinals to advance.
Both teams are quite strong at home, each with six wins and just one
loss. Bilbao is tied for the most wins in the Eurocup this season, 11,
along with fellow semifinalist Lokomotiv Kuban. This marks Bilbao’s
third trip to the semifinals in as many Eurocup seasons, while
Budivelnik reaches this stage for the first time. The two teams are
similar statistically and are the top two rebounding teams (Budivelnik
35.8 rpg, Bilbao 35.1 rpg.) to reach the quarterfinals. Budivelnik is
also this season’s leader in blocked shots (3.7 bpg.), while Bilbao
ranks second in steals (8.1 spg.). Another similarity, both teams have
balanced attacks with four players averaging double figures in points.
This will mark the first time these teams have ever met in official
competition. Read more 
