With two home wins and two away victories, there was a balance of outcomes in the first round of the EuroCup quarter-finals. There is a lot at stake at the end of this week, and basketball fans thrive on this thrilling state of affairs.
UNICS Kazan 94-88 Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
This is a tie between two familiar foes, and UNICS Kazan made the most of home advantage in the opening game on Monday. They grabbed a 94-88 victory and they know one more win takes them into the semi-finals.
UNICS grabbed 19 three-point shots, which is a record for any EuroCup game beyond the regular season. UNICS were driven on by Isaiah Canaan who grabbed 18 points in the win, but he was ably supported by Jamar Smith on 17 points and John Holland on 16 points.
There was a scintillating showing from Nigel Williams-Goss, who grabbed 31 points, but this will be no consolation after the defeat. Lokomotiv pulled things back to 2 points in the final quarter, but that was the catalyst for the home team to kick on.
AS Monaco 76-77 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica
Late drama is hard to beat, and there was a go-ahead shot with 2.4 seconds left on the clock in this game. Budocnost upset the form book to grab an away win, and they know if they clinch the win on Friday, they will be in the semi-finals for the first time.
Willie Reed delivered an impressive showing for the victors. His 24 points was a career high, and he also managed to grab 13 rebounds. Match-winner Justin Cobbs provided 21 points in the win.
Rob Gray grabbed 18 points in the defeat, but Mathias Lessort will be feeling low, and his buzzer shot bounced out. That was the margin between victory and failure for Monaco.
Boulogne Metropolitans 92 74-84 Herbalife Gran Canaria
The team from Gran Canaria grabbed a win on the road, and they have turned this tie in their favour. The side had momentum after winning their last three games of the Top 16, but they delivered in fine style.
Sean Kilpatrick provided 17 points in the win, but there were six players in double digits for Gran Canaria. David Michineau was the leading player for the Metropolitans, with 15 points.
Virtus Segafredo Bologna 80-75 Joventut Badalona
Virtus continued their undefeated record in the 2020/21 EuroCup with this win. If they maintain that status until the end of the week, they will progress to the semi-finals.
Marco Belinelli offered 24 points in the victory, Milos Teodosic grabbed 11 points and 10 assists while Julian Gamble picked up 10 points. Xabi-Lopez Arostegui grabbed 20 points in defeat.
This could be the night. An away victory for Monaco in Kazan will see the first French winners of the EuroCup. However, a home win sees the Finals move to a third match on Sunday. The stakes are high for this clash in Kazan. The game taking place on Friday 30th April is: UNICS Kazan... 
Finals are sometimes cagey affairs, with both sides fear of losing being the most dominant force. This wasn’t the case in the opening game of the EuroCup Finals, in France, with Tuesday night seeing an explosive game take place. AS Monaco 89 – UNICS Kazan 87 The next game in the EuroCup Finals takes place...