The team is so excited that we will be playing in the EuroCup Finals. The staff, the fans, everybody. It’s been a process, Monaco has only been in the French first division for five or six years. They were in the fourth division just nine years ago! They went through a long process, playing in the Basketball Champions League and reaching the final four and losing, And now in our third year in the EuroCup, we are in the finals. I think it's a huge accomplishment and it's been a process. We want to go all the way.

It will be a great opportunity to play in the EuroLeague next season, too, at the highest level in Europe. But mostly for the team and the organization, it's a big step. We've been competitive and we want to play with the best. I think the way we've achieved this has been a process. We haven’t had an easy road with a smaller roster and playing against some tough teams in the first round and the Top 16. Then being down a game against Buducnost in the quarterfinals after losing the first game at home. I think we’ve shown a lot of resilience and perseverance and this is a great way to be congratulated with access to the EuroLeague. 

"When you win a trophy, that's with you forever." 

We are really, really excited about qualifying for the EuroLeague, but we can't think about that right now. We have a chance to win the EuroCup! So I don't think we've really realized that we have accessed the EuroLeague for next season. We were excited when it happened or maybe the day after, when we realized that we advanced officially to the EuroLeague, but it’s a long, long way until the EuroLeague next season. Winning the EuroCup is our main focus. When you are a winner, when you win a trophy, that's with you forever. It would be a great way to finish up the EuroCup campaign.

I think we played solid in both semifinals games against Gran Canaria. In the first game, we started with a really strong first half. In the second half, they came back stronger, but we were able to adjust and finish off the game. The second game was kind of similar. We were also up by a little bit at halftime. We were able to stay up, but then they came back and made a run. Obviously, Rob hit a big shot, but before that, we were up by 3 with one of our best players on the free-throw line and we had a chance to end the game, but unfortunately, Dee missed. After that, Andrew Albicy made 3 free throws and we were able to win the game on Rob's shot.

I think it was a big game for us because going back home to Monaco for Game 3 would have been tough physically because we have a smaller roster. But we just found a way to win. Rob hadn't played that much in the fourth quarter, but he always stayed ready and he was ready. That just shows a lot about our team, everybody being ready at any time to help the team.

We are tough players. We love to compete. When you have a smaller roster and less guys who can play, we hold each other accountable. We are just fighters. I think throughout the EuroCup, we've figured out that we have the level to play against any team regardless of who they have on their roster. And we showed that by beating Badalona, by beating Malaga as well. We got some big wins, especially on the road, and we realized we can play with any team, regardless of the roster they have. We just play to our strengths. We are a good defensive team. We battle on every play. We are strong on rebounds and through our defense and fastbreak, we can stay in any game against other teams. 

"We have the level to play against any team regardless of who they have on their roster." 

Coach Mitrovic knows the city and he also knows the organization well. His system is pretty good for us. We are athletic players, we run a lot. He knows this level. He has a lot of experience from coaching in the EuroLeague with ASVEL and I think that can be seen this season with Monaco. I think that experience has really helped us. 

Marcos Knight is one of our best rebounders. He's really a big guard, he's physical. I don't think there are a lot of guards as physical as he is at his position. He likes to battle out there. He likes to be in the paint. He doesn’t like to settle for being outside too much unless he has to. He posts up a lot and is always around the basket. I don't think there are a lot of guards who can box him out at his position. And not all guards enjoy going in the paint like he does. Plus, he has great timing, which makes him a great rebounder.

Rebounding is a battle and a lot of times, the big guys are fighting with other big guys and boxing out, so Marcos is able to get some rebounds because we box out the big guys from the other team. He has helped us a lot in rebounding. Especially when we are struggling to score, he is able to get in the paint and score some tough points because he is so physical.

Looking ahead, we know Game 1 against UNICS is going to be huge. It's important to start the series the right way. They just beat one of the best teams in the EuroCup after being down 0-1, so they know what it's like to have your back to the wall. I think they're gonna be ready. We have to come ready to play to our strengths and just battle. I think if we battle and play our game, we're going to be in a position to win the game. I think it's going to be a great battle between two great teams who had different paths to the finals.

AS Monaco forward Wilfried Yeguete checks in to share what he's thinking now that has club has made history by advancing to the 7DAYS EuroCup Finals.

Wilfried Yeguete, Monaco: 'Winning the EuroCup is our main focus'

Among the leaders in minutes played on their respective teams, Okaro White and Jaleel O'Brien bring a lot more to their teams on both ends of the floor than what their numbers show. It is hard to find any teammate for either player who brings more intangibles to the floor than White does for UNICS and O'Brien for Monaco. These two well-matched and busy performers will be going up against the other in the EuroCup Finals series starting on April 27.

### Okaro White, UNICS Kazan

White has been a much-needed versatile big piece in the UNICS lineup. He has been a great contributor on the boards for UNICS the entire season, averaging 5.6 per game. However, his all-around contribution grew as the season progressed before peaking during the quarterfinals and semifinals. In both of those series, White has come up huge for UNICS. In the three-game quarterfinals against Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, he posted 14.3 points on 46.2% three-point shooting to go with 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game. In the semis, White showed how important his presence in the paint is to the team once center Jordan Morgan went down with an injury in Game 3. Not only did the team did not miss a beat, but White went on to pace UNICS to that do-or-die victory with a career-high 22 points. White led UNICS in the semifinals with 28:49 minutes per game while averaging 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, both the second-most on the team. The 29-year old forward is now looking to keep up these levels in the EuroCup Finals, too.

### Jaleel O'Brien, AS Monaco

One of the main reasons Monaco has a third-best scoring defense (75.4 ppg.) is the presence of O'Brien. Invaluable on both ends of the floor despite coming off the bench ever since the end of the regular season, O'Brien rarely leaves the floor once he enters the game. Only one Monaco player averages more minutes (26:33) than O'Brien, who puts up 9.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. An athletic bruiser inside, but also reliable with his shooting from the outside, O'Brien has knocked down 19 triples this season. But few things can show better how dangerous O'Brien can be than Monaco's semifinals sweep of Herbalife Gran Canaria. O'Brien averaged 13.0 points in two games while knocking down all 4 of his three-point attempts. He might have averaged just 2.0 rebounds in the series, but that did not stop head coach Zvezda Mitrovic from keeping O'Brien more than 30 minutes per game on the floor. Monaco will need O'Brien to bring all of his intangibles in the EuroCup Finals, too.

Finals matchup: White vs. O'Brien at power forward

Euroleague Basketball is proud to once again honor the best players from the soon-to-be-concluded season as members of the All-7DAYS EuroCup First Team. It has been a thrilling season, which will be capped with the best-of-three EuroCup Finals series that tips off next Tuesday, and in it, each member of the first team has enjoyed a stellar individual campaign. Milos Teodosic of Segafredo Virtus Bologna, Jamar Smith of UNICS Kazan, Isaia Cordinier of Nanterre 92, Mathias Lessort of AS Monaco and Willie Reed of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica were all among the best players in the competition, delivering some of the season's finest performances, often in key moments. For the fourth time, the selection process combined the results of fan voting with the opinions of Euroleague Basketball's in-house panel of experts.

### Milos Teodosic, Segafredo Virtus Bologna

A magician with the ball, the veteran point guard shined throughout the season as the undisputed leader of a dominant Virtus team, which had a 19-game winning streak to open the season before bowing out in a three-game semifinal series against UNICS. Teodosic ranked second this season with 6.9 assists per game and was consistent in finding his teammates, having dished 6 or more assists in 13 of his 19 appearances this season. Teodosic also ranked fourth in average performance index rating (19.1) and led Virtus in scoring (15.4 ppg.). The 34-year old playmaker averaged 3.0 rebounds over a team-high 27:30 minutes on the floor. Teodosic was selected as the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season MVP, a phase during which he came off the bench in every game before switching to the starting lineup as the season went on. Teodosic had many highlights during the season, including the semifinals when he earned weekly MVP honors for his performance in a Game 1 win in which he had 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. A six-time All-EuroLeague honoree, this is the first All-EuroCup selection for Teodosic in his fourth season in the competition.

### Jamar Smith, UNICS Kazan

This veteran sharpshooter is in his seventh season in the competition and fourth with UNICS. Smith, 34, put together a career-best campaign while leading UNICS to the promised land and the club's first EuroCup Finals appearance in seven years. A former champion with Unicaja Malaga, Smith ranked fourth this season with 17.1 points per game, having scored 13 or more points in 16 games - more than any other player this season. Over his 20 appearances, Smith has made 58 triples for a league-high 2.9 three-point shots per game at an impressive 47.9% accuracy. He has averaged a team-high 16.9 PIR, ninth-best in the EuroCup this season, and led UNICS by playing 27:46 minutes per game. Smith also ranks second on the team in assists (3.5 apg.) and steals (1.2 spg.). A veteran of 108 appearances, Smith had his single-game career-highs in PIR (34), points (32), rebounds (6) and steals (4) during the season, and also moved into the first place all-time in three-point shots made and second place all-time in scoring. It all led to Smith being honored as an All-EuroCup selection for the first time in his career.

### Isaia Cordinier, Nanterre 92

At 24 years of age, Cordinier is the youngest player on the All-7DAYS EuroCup First Team this season. It is his first All-EuroCup honor following his second year in the competition. Cordinier ranked second in average PIR with 19.4 per game. The Nanterre forward was irreplaceable for his team as it competed for a place in the quarterfinals until the final game of the Top 16. Cordinier finished the season as the competition leader in minutes played, averaging 33:57 per game. He was also tied for sixth this season in steals (1.7 spg.) and ranked eighth in the EuroCup in scoring (15.8 ppg.) while making 44.9% of his shots from long range and shooting 56.8% on two-pointers. He also averaged 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists, both being second-best on his team. Such all-around contributions are exactly what separated Cordinier from everyone else in the EuroCup this season; he was the only player to post at least 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game and is a worthy All-EuroCup selection.

### Mathias Lessort, AS Monaco

Lessort, 26, is an All-EuroCup honoree for the second time in his career after earning 2018-19 All-EuroCup Second Team honors. An anchor in the paint for Monaco, Lessort helped the team make history by reaching the 2021 EuroCup Finals while ranking atop the charts in several categories along the way this season. The Monaco big man is tied for fifth in average PIR (17.7), second in offensive rebounding (3.0 orpb.) and fourth in blocked shots (1.1 bpg.). He ranks 10th in the EuroCup and first on the team with 6.3 rebounds per game this season. Lessort is Monaco's third-best scorer with 12.5 points per contest. A starter in all but five of his 22 appearances, and averaging 24:01 minutes per game, Lessort was especially productive in the elimination rounds. The Monaco center was chosen as the Quarterfinals MVP after averaging 24.0 PIR in three quarterfinal games against Buducnost, during which he averaged 18.7 points on 60% field-goal shooting, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks.

### Willie Reed, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica

The only member of the 2020-21 All-EuroCup First Team in his first season in the competition, Reed came up big over and over again this season for Buducnost, helping it to the brink of the semifinals. Reed pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 14 of his 17 appearances this season and finished his season ranking fifth in the competition with 6.8 rebounds per game. The 30-year old center was second on the team with 12.7 points and did so by making 70.5% of his two-point shots, which is the fourth-best accuracy in the competition this season. Reed's 17.7 average PIR is seventh-highest this season and he is one of only three players this season to reach a PIR of 30 in three different games. Those performances earned him a pair of weekly MVP awards, including for the opening week of the quarterfinals for his 24-point, 13-rebounds effort in a Game 1 road win over eventual finalist Monaco.

2020-21 All-EuroCup First Team

After winning its Top 16 group last season, AS Monaco started the 2020-21 7DAYS EuroCup season as a top contender. Coached by Zvezdan Mitrovic, Monaco has met and surpassed the expectations to reach the EuroCup Finals.

Monaco got off to a great start, winning the Battle of Microstates by downing MoraBanc Andorra 76-82 on the road behind 21 points from Dee Bost. The Principality squad went on to defeat Lietkabelis Panevezys and Telenet Giants Antwerp to improve to 3-0, but lost Khadeem Carrington to a season-ending injury. His replacement, Rob Gray, was not eligible to play until Top 16, because he started the season with another EuroCup squad, Boulogne Metropolitans 92.

Back-to-back losses against Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar did not prevent Monaco from reaching the Top 16. Monaco routed bested Lietkabelis 64-88 behind 14 points from Abdoulaye Ndoye and finished the regular season with a 66-64 squeaker over Andorra at Stade Louis II.

Monaco left no doubt about its power in its Top 16 opener, thrashing Nanterre 92 65-93 on the road behind 20 points from Marcos Knight. Monaco went on to beat Unicaja Malaga 90-71. Mathias Lessort, who played for Unicaja in the 2018-19 campaign, led the way against his former team with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Gray had 24 points in just his second EuroCup game with the Principality powerhouse.

A road loss against Joventut Badalona did not slow Monaco down. Monaco hosted Joventut in Round 4 of the Top 16 and prevailed, 97-82, getting the tie-breaker against its main opponent in this group. Monaco advanced to the 7DAYS EuroCup Quarterfinals from first place for the second season in a row after claiming a 98-94 victory over Nanterre in a spectacular game. Bost led the charge with 22 points and 5 assists.

Monaco seemed to have everything under control and all of a sudden, it registered its most critical loss of the season, in Game 1 of the best-of-three quarterfinals series against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, 76-77. Justin Cobbs buried the go-ahead jumper with 2.4 seconds left and, after a timeout, Lessort missed a hook shot on the buzzer.

Monaco had to win two do-or-die games to make it to the semifinals. In Game 2, played in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Monaco regained the home-court advantage with a 64-74 victory against Buducnost. Game 3 came down to the final shot and Monaco won 90-87. Lessort combined for 43 points and 16 rebounds in Games 2 and 3 and was chosen as the EuroCup Quarterfinals MVP.

Monaco played Herbalife Gran Canaria in the semifinals and used an outstanding second quarter to dominate Game 1. It outscored Gran Canaria by 24-5 to get a 44-26 margin at halftime. Gran Canaria managed to get within 75-71 already in the final minute but a three-point play by Lessort sealed the outcome. Gray buried 5 of 6 three-point shots to lead the winners with 25 points. Lessort posted 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks.

History was made on April 9 when Monaco beat Gran Canaria to qualify for the EuroCup Finals and, for the first time, gained eligibility for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Gray nailed arguably the biggest shot in club history, a game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds left, to win it. Knight led the way with 17 points while Bost and J.J. O'Brien each had 15 points. Knight added 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a PIR of 21.

Monaco is the second French League team to reach the EuroCup Finals after Strasbourg played for the EuroCup crown in 2016 and lost to Galatasaray Istanbul. It is set to face UNICS Kazan in the best-of-three finals. In the teams' only previous matchups, Monaco downed UNICS twice in last season's Top 16: 78-84 in Kazan and 85-60 at home, but, of course, playing for a title is a whole different story, in terms of intensity and pressure.

Road to the EuroCup Finals: AS Monaco

AS Monaco center Mathias Lessort may usually start and UNICS Kazan big man John Brown come off the bench, but each played a vital part in his team's semifinals success, and now they are set to lock horns in the best-of-three 7DAYS EuroCup Finals starting on April 27.

### John Brown, UNICS

Playing in his first EuroCup season, the 29-year-old Brown has been giving UNICS a big boost all season long in his role off the bench. The 2.03-meter big man has started in just five games, but he averages 26 minutes on the floor, the third-most on the team. UNICS has benefited greatly from his consistent effort on both ends of the floor. He is averaging 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds this season. He ranks fourth among all EuroCup players with 1.9 steals per game and fifth with 2.6 offensive. Brown is coming off his best performance yet, which was worth the weekly MVP honor from semifinals Game 3. In that do-or-die encounter, Brown posted a season-high 20 points on 7-for-10 two-point shooting, 8 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive glass, and 2 steals in a record-setting 100-107 road win at Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

### Mathias Lessort, Monaco

Lessort has carried a large load in the paint this entire season for Monaco but elevated his game to another level during March and April. A starting center since the Top 16 go underway, Lessort plays 24 minutes per game and is third on the team with 12.5 points while ranking second in the competition this season with 3.0 offensive boards on average. The 25-year-old center also ranks fourth in blocks with 1.1 per game and 10th in total rebounds at 6.3 on average. Lessort elevated his game to another level in the elimination rounds. He was named the quarterfinals MVP after coming up huge in a three-game series against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, averaging 18.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, helping Monaco come back from a home loss in Game 1.

Finals matchup: Brown vs. Lessort at center

Rob Gray is the go-to scorer on AS Monaco, the only team to sweep its 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals series this season. Gray led all scorers with 25 points in Monaco's 82-77 Game 1 victory over Herbalife Gran Canaria and his buzzer-beater to win Game 2 sent Monaco to its first EuroCup Finals. Gray's exploits paved the way for Euroleague Basketball to name him the 7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals MVP. His 17.0 points per game were second among players on winning teams in the semifinals and Gray's 71.4% three-point accuracy was tied for second-best in the quarterfinals behind only teammate J.J. O'Brien.

The Semifinals MVP award was introduced for the 2017-18 season. Scottie Wilbekin of Darussafaka Istanbul was the maiden award-winner and Peyton Siva of ALBA Berlin was chosen in 2018-19. The semifinals were not played last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard Milos Teodosic was chosen as the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season MVP and his Virtus teammate Vince Hunter was the Top 16 MVP. Monaco players have won the other two awards with Mathias Lessort capturing the Quarterfinals MVP and now Gray getting the semifinals nod.

A EuroCup rookie, Gray raised his already impressive numbers in almost every statistical category in the semifinals. He had averaged 16.3 points on 50% three-point shooting and 77.8% free-throw shooting plus 2.2 rebounds in 13 games through the quarterfinals. The first five of those games came playing for Boulogne Metropolitans 92 in the regular season before he moved to Monaco. Gray shined with 17.0 points on 71.4% three-point shooting and 90% on free throws plus 2.5 rebounds in the semifinals.

Gray scored 13 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter in Game 1 of the semifinals to help Monaco hold off Gran Canaria 82-77. After John Shurna drew Gran Canaria within 6 with the first basket of the quarter, Gray scored the next 5 points and kept pacing Monaco. His final basket was a three to make it 71-61 with 3 minutes to go before fouling out. Gray finished with a season-high 25 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting plus 4-of-4 from the foul line. In Game 2, Gray scored 5 second-quarter free throws and did not have his first basket until 2 minutes into the third when he made it 37-50. Gray watched from the bench as Gran Canaria rallied and he was called on in the final minute. After Andrew Albicy tied the game at 74-74, Coach Mitrovic called Gray's number on Monaco's final possession and he made a jumper over Shurna to win the game and series.

Gray made his EuroCup debut this season in what was his third as a professional player. He played college basketball at Howard College and the University of Houston before beginning his professional career in the G-League. Gray first came to Europe in March 2019 to play for JL Bourg-en-Bresse. He returned to France to play for Metropolitans last season and began the current season with the same club before joining Monaco in November. Gray will seek his first team trophy when he leads Monaco into the EuroCup Finals against UNICS Kazan.

7DAYS EuroCup Semifinals MVP: Rob Gray of AS Monaco

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A winning effort in a truly historic game has earned UNICS Kazan forward John Brown his first EuroCup MVP of the Week honor. Brown led UNICS to a 100-107 road victory in must-win Game 3 of the semifinals, sending his team to the EuroCup Finals for the third time in club history. He came off the bench and finished the game with a personal best of 20 points, hitting 7 of 10 two-point shots and 6 of 7 free throws. Brown added 8 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals and 8 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 31, another high in this, his first EuroCup season. Milos Teodosic of Virtus followed with a PIR of 29 based on his 25 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists and 10 fouls drawn in a losing effort. Jamar Smith of UNICS pushed his team off the bench, too, getting 24 points and 5 assists for a PIR of 23. Okaro White of UNICS (22 PIR) and Marco Belinelli (20) completed the top individual performances for the game and the week.

### Individual highs: Teodosic, Virtus, 9 assists

Smith and Belinelli led all scorers this week with 24 points apiece. Belinelli was also the semifinals' top scorer at 23.0 points per night. Brown led all rebounders by pulling down 8, twice as many as anyone else. Matt Costello of Herbalife Gran Canaria led this category in the semifinals, with 8.0 rebounds per game. Teodosic had 9 assists to lead the weekly standings and also was first in the semifinals with an average of 7.7 per game. Four players – Brown, John Holland and Isaiah Canaan of UNICS, and Vince Hunter of Virtus – each collected 2 steals this week. Holland, Alessandro Pajola of Virtus, Stan Okoye of Gran Canaria and Wilfried Yeguete of AS Monaco averaged 2.0 steals in the semifinals. Five players – Stefan Markovic, Hunter and Giampaolo Ricci of Virtus, Holland and Jordan Morgan of UNICS – each recorded a block this week. Costello was the best shot-blocker in the semifinals (3.5 bpg.). There were no double-doubles in the EuroCup this week.

MVP of the Week: John Brown, UNICS Kazan

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When Virtus Segafredo Bologna hosts UNICS Kazan on Wednesday in a do-or-die clash for a spot in the 7DAYS EuroCup Finals – and 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague eligibility, the home team knows that small forward Kyle Weems is a player it can rely on under pressure. Weems reached the EuroCup Finals with Strasbourg in 2016 and wants to get there again. He is averaging 10.5 points on strong shooting percentages (67.0% 2FG, 41.3% 3FG, 83.3% FT), 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 20 EuroCup games this season. Weems hopes to take advantage of this opportunity and bring Virtus back to the EuroLeague, as he said in this EuroCupBasketball.com interview. "One of the main goals of this club, when I signed here two summers ago, was to was to be able to get this club to the EuroLeague, back where they wanted to be," Weems said. "And to be so close, there is only one way to do it: that is to come out with extreme energy, extreme focus and just be ready to go to battle for 40 minutes until the buzzer sounds. And when it does, hopefully, we will be on top."

**Hello, Kyle. First of all, how does it feel to be part of such an amazing playoff series?**

"It is awesome, especially because the body of work that we have had up until this point just kind of makes for a special stage. UNICS has a great team of great athletes, great shot-makers, great playmakers and a great coach, so we need to be focused, concentrate on our game plan, and play tough. And hopefully, we can get the job done tomorrow night."

**How do you approach a do-or-die game like this, with the EuroCup season on the line?**

"I think it's important to obviously understand the stakes of the game. I think everybody pretty much understands that from both teams, from both clubs. But I think as a player, it's important to keep your routine, keep your game day routine the same, kind of treat it as any old game and don't do anything out of the normal. Do all the things that have got you here to this point individually and collectively. And that's just going to be my own individual outlook on the game. Just treat it as another game. We have to go out and play physical. It's going to be a tough game. And like we have told ourselves all year long, we have to rely on our defense because we feel like we can score at any given time. But we need to rely on our defense and hopefully, that'll be enough to get the job done." 

"We need to rely on our defense and hopefully, that'll be enough."

**In Game 2, Virtus fought back from 18 points down to tie the game in the final minute. Despite the loss, is that a good sign going forward?**

"For sure, because I think we kind of took the momentum back a little bit if that makes sense. I don't really believe in moral victories, but watching the game film and seeing the mistakes that we had, we had a lot of, I call them 'killing turnovers'. When we turned it over, they were able to score. They also had some really big offensive rebounds that hurt us as well. And also, we didn't shoot at our best. Obviously, Belinelli was fantastic, but Teodosic wasn't able to make a three and I wasn't able to make a three on my own attempt. These are just some things we have to look forward to and hold our head high about."

**Game 1 was also really close. Were you a bit confident because of Virtus's amazing winning streak?**

"I don't know if it's necessarily that we hadn't lost the game; I think we have just been in so many close games like battling back in Monaco earlier in the season, around Christmas time. A few weeks ago, we had a similar type of game down 7, I believe, under 2 minutes against Cedevita Olimpija. Then against Joventut Badalona, it was tied with about 7 minutes to go in Game 1, them battling back in Game 2 in Badalona and us being able to close it out. So we have seen those types of close games before. I thought we did a good job of kind of staying poised and just kind of staying in the moment. And like I said earlier, really focusing on defense. We were able to get some key stops and Teodosic had a huge bucket. We had some free throws late and we were able to close it out."

**After two years playing with Teodosic, does he still surprise you sometimes?**

"Honestly, nothing that he does anymore surprises me, just because he is such a great talent. His basketball IQ is out of this world, his passing ability, his courage, honestly, I think is one of his best attributes. I mean, the guy is never scared at the moment. Like in the last game, we get the jump ball and he immediately breaks it down and just goes right to the bucket for a layup. So just his courage, his talent and obviously his IQ is something that I have never seen before."

**UNICS is a very physical team top to bottom. Is matching its physicality the biggest key to Game 3?**

"For sure. You have to be ready physically, just like you need to be ready mentally for this series They hit, and we like to think that we play physical and hit, too. So it is just going to be who can hit in the smartest way without fouling, obviously, and not make bad fouls in the bonus. I think that has been key for both games. They dealt with some bad fouls in the bonus in Game 1, we dealt with some bad fouls in different quarters of Game 1. And just trying to keep them off the free-throw line, but playing smart and playing physical within the confines of the rules of basketball, I think is definitely going to be huge for this game."

**You played the EuroCup Finals with Strasbourg in 2016. What do you remember about it?**

"I think it's very similar in effect to Galatasaray. They were physical as well and had a great group of foreigners, of guys on a team similar to this UNICS team. They were athletic, liked to throw the ball inside and did a lot of switching. And that's kind of similar to what UNICS is doing now. So just being able to slow down, not panic, not rush, read the game, take as smart shots as possible and also keeping UNICS out of transition, similar to what my Strasbourg team needed to do with Galatasaray, with those athletic guys that they had. The atmosphere in Game 2 was amazing. There is nothing that tops that game. Even though we lost it, was a great game to be a part of something that I'll never forget, pulling up to the arena and walking down the tunnel. It was already sold out between 12,000 to 15,000, whatever that arena [Abdi Ipekci] held. I could hear the fans screaming over my headphones. I have noise-cancelling headphones and I could still hear them! But that's what you live for, and that's what this time of the season is all about. These are the type of games that you want to be a part of. I really wish that our fans could be a part of this season with us on a physical basis. They've been great support, always sending a lot of messages on Instagram and Twitter and all social media and following us. But them being there during the games would definitely help, as I believe it helped UNICS in Game 2 – and that game was also fun to be a part of. But we definitely wish our fans could be in Virtus Segafredo Arena with us for Game 3." 

"You have to be ready physically, just like you need to be ready mentally." 

**You were really close to the EuroCup title once. Is that an extra motivation to try to go all the way in 2021?**

"For sure. The only title that I've been able to win over here in my nine years is the EuroChallenge title with no disrespect to the competition. It was a great competition last season. I had a lot of fun playing in it. I have been in the EuroCup now for, I believe this is my fourth year, and with this type of team, we have to take advantage of this opportunity. But first things first, it's all about the team. You have known me for years, I don't like to bring any of my own individual thoughts or accolades or goals to the table. It's all about winning. So I just want our team to be successful and play one of our best games of the year on Wednesday. And whatever the future holds, it holds."

**You played against Monaco earlier this season. Did you expect to see them in the Finals?**

"I am not really too surprised. That other side of the [playoff] bracket, it could have been a crazy toss-up. I felt the same about Gran Canaria, I thought they could have got there. I felt even Paris [Boulogne Metropolitans 92] could have got there. They had been playing well up until that point. Even Buducnost was playing well towards the end of the Top 16. But I think for me, Monaco is very well-coached. We played them twice in those close games, last season in our group stage and also this season. So it doesn't really surprise me: the coach and that organization have done a good job up to this point, so congratulations to them. They won the games that were in front of them and they deserve to be in the finals."

**Finally, the game has also become a do-or-die showdown to earn the right to play in the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Does it change anything, in terms of pressure?**

"No, I don't think that it puts any more pressure to the game. I think that any time you have a chance to compete for a championship, that's all you could ask for. But obviously, one of the main goals of this club, when I signed here two summers ago, was to be able to get this club to the EuroLeague, back where they wanted to be. And to be so close, there is only one way to do it: that is to come out with extreme energy, extreme focus and just be ready to go to battle for 40 minutes until the buzzer sounds. And when it does, hopefully, we will be on top."

Before Virtus Segafredo Bologna and UNICS Kazan meet for a spot in the 2021 7DAYS EuroCup Finals, Kyle Weems of Virtus spoke to EuroCupBasketball.com about this do-or-die Game 3.

Kyle Weems, Virtus: 'It's all about winning'

First of all, it's been a great playoff series between us and Virtus and it's amazing to be a part of it. This is what you play for! These are the moments, two great teams going at it, just trying to give everything they got to win and obviously, it's going to be a good one on Wednesday. We won Game 2 and took the series back to Bologna. I think it all really starts from our defense, just being locked in and aggressive. Throughout the year, that's what we've relied on. Obviously, we have great, great defensive players. We have Zhbanov, John Brown... We have guys like that, but everybody is helping each other and bringing energy to the defensive end. It has been our focus all year, so we just have to keep that up.

Nate Wolters was a great, great boost for us, and he's a real professional. To take all that time off, come back and kind of not miss a beat, that's a real testament to his work ethic. His professionalism is really amazing! He was able to come in and be so effective. Isaiah Canaan also stepped up big. It is easy because we've been rolling with him all year. He's been there for us all year, so we are going to be with him to the end. He is going to keep shooting. We just tell him to keep shooting because we knew it was not going to last. Everybody has his back and we are going to roll with him. So it is not hard to stick with him because that's our guy and he has been our guy all year. 

With Nate back, I think Game 2 was one of the first games in a while that we had a whole team. It's just something that we need to win, our guards are really important, and especially in this series going up against some great, great guards. So we definitely need everybody to step up and I think you saw that in Kazan. JT [Jordan Theodore] stepped up big, Nate stepped up big, Sip [Isaiah Canaan] stepped up big, and that's what we are going to need on Wednesday.

We will need to be more focused, too, because we were up by 18 in Game 2 and Virtus came back. I just think we kind of let our foot off the gas a little bit. I think we might have started looking at the score and us being up instead of just keep going, and there was still a lot of time left, obviously, in the game. We kind of let them back in because we stopped being as aggressive, I think. So we got to just keep on them, keep our foot on the gas and continue to play. They are a great team and have a lot of pride, so they are not just going to back down. We have to weather the storm and keep going.

We have no choice now. I am just happy we got the win, that we were able to pull it out and. Right now, it's all about one game on Wednesday where anything can happen, and hopefully, we'll come out on top. Virtus is a great team... and great victories require great opponents, and I think we have a great one, so we have an opportunity for a great victory and to do something special. 

"Great victories require great opponents." 

In Game 1, Teodosic kind of took over down the stretch. We made some mistakes and they capitalized. And so we weren't able to get the win, but that's what they do. They are a good team and we can't make those mistakes. We have to capitalize on their mistakes and have to do a better job of execution, just trying to finish out the game at the end. We had a little trouble, even in Game 2, finishing it out. But we have been working on it and hopefully, we will be able to get the job done. 

Belinelli played really well in Game 2. I think we understand what he and Teodosic bring and what they can do. I mean, it's obvious. So there are no secrets anymore, it is going to be the third time we play them. We understand what we're trying to do. We understand the things that they are looking for and we just have to stop it. And obviously, we have great players on our side. It's easier said than done, that's what it is, that's the type of game it is going to be. It is going to come down to it and hopefully, at the end of the day, we will do the things that we have to do to get the win.

It is a chance to win a European title and maybe to go to the EuroLeague. I mean, not like we need any more motivation, but that's another factor, that's something that is out there. I think we are focused on the task at hand and that's just trying to beat Virtus. That's the only thing that really is on our mind, just to be locked in for that. All of the other stuff that comes with it, with the win, is great, and that's going to be there, but right now, none of it happens without the win!

John Holland of UNICS Kazan checks back with a blog post right before the most important game so far this season. "We have no choice now," he explained in his blog ahead of Game 3.