U-BT Cluj-Napoca – Neptunas Klaipeda, a very important duel in the EuroCup » There are 5 more home matches for the black and whites

U-BT Cluj-Napoca has a record of 5 wins and 5 losses in the current BKT EuroCup season and is in dire need of a positive result in the confrontation with Neptunas Klaipeda, one of the pleasant surprises of the competition.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca, full batch for the duel with Neptunas Klaipeda from the 11th round

Mihai Silvășan's band had a week off after the defeat in Istanbul, on Bahcesehir's ground. The black and whites played well for three quarters, but fell in the decisive act, and the Turks took advantage.

A return to the country followed with adventures for U-BT, the team's flight being cancelled. However, the players had time to rest, as they did not have any matches in the Adriatic League over the weekend.

At the last practice of the “students”, the atmosphere was jovial, with lots of jokes and laughter, the soul of the party being, as usual, veterans Mitch Creek and Patrick Richard. Ben Altit, one of the basketball players rarely used by Silvășan, made a surprise and reached the final of the 3-point contest, but was defeated by Creek.

Daron Russell and Jeffery Taylor, players who were absent in Istanbul, were also on the field. Moreover, the coach from Cluj confirmed that he has the entire team available for the duel with Neptunas Klaipeda and that the last two training sessions were very good.

Silvășan emphasized the importance of the confrontation with the opponent from Lithuania and asked for the public's help, which created an incredible atmosphere at the last home game, the one against Partizan Belgrade.

“Probably one of the craziest games I've played in,” Iverson Molinar said.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca, training before the match with Neptunas Klaipeda/Photo: David Istrate (GSP.ro)

Iverson Molinar, after the failure in Turkey: “We are professionals. We watched the video and learned”

The Panamanian defender had a modest performance against Bahcesehir Istanbul, but says the team has recovered.

“We are professionals. We know that when we have a bad game, we have to bounce back and move on. It's like that in life, you know? We watched the video, learned and regrouped. I have great teammates who have a positive mindset“, explained Molinar.

Neptunas has the same record, 5-5, and managed several surprises in this edition, including a win against Bahcesehir. Built in the style of Lithuanian teams, with disciplined players who shoot well from outside the semi-circle, Gediminas Petrauskas' side promises to be very dangerous.

Silvășan noted Neptunas' offense and high 3-point shooting efficiency and explained that defense will be very important.

“They run the ball very well. The idea is to find a blocking and blocking defense where we can switch as little as possible. We have options, we have trained them, now let's see if we will succeed. If we go into rotations, it's very important to have good reactions and challenge every throw. We have to force them to do an extra dribble, an extra penetration because then the chances of making mistakes increase”, explained the coach of U-BT.

The tour match between the two teams was spectacular. Neptunas performed excellently and dominated a good part of the game, but U-BT came back, sent the match into overtime and won 107-102, thanks to “Fatts” Russell's 37 points.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca, training before the match with Neptunas Klaipeda/Photo: David Istrate (GSP.ro)

EuroCup group A standings

Group A standings, before the U-BT Cluj-Napoca – Neptunas Klaipeda duel/Photo: Flashscore capture