Balkan Botevgrad will host PAOK Thessaloniki in the seventh round of Group D in the EuroCup. The game will be played at “Arena Botevgrad” at 19:00, with the hosts seeking a second win in their debut appearance in Europe’s second-tier club competition.
The Bulgarian champions entered the game after recording their first win in the competition. On November 4, Balkan won their away game against Bosna Telecom in Sarajevo 78-69. Javante McCoy was the top scorer with 27 points, Aleksandar Stoimenov added 21, while Gael Bonilla finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The “Greens” have one win from six games in the group. In their last game, PAOK defeated Roma 113-111 after a high-scoring game in Thessaloniki and arrive in Botevgrad with a 4-2 record.
PAOK will be without Cedi Osman
The Greek side will be without Cedi Osman. The Turkish international, who was among PAOK’s leading scorers, suffered a knee injury in the win over Roma and will miss the game.
The visitors’ roster includes Nick Calathes and several other experienced basketball players, while the team is led by Italian coach Andrea Trinchieri. PAOK will also count on strong support from the stands. According to bTV Sport, supporters of the Thessaloniki club have purchased 550 tickets for the game.
Karaicic: The focus is on the things we can control
Balkan coach Bogdan Karaicic told BGbasket that the team must focus its attention on its own preparation and performance.
Balkan will try to make the most of home-court advantage after already winning in Sarajevo. Following the game against PAOK, the Bulgarian team will have another home game against Ratiopharm Ulm on November 17.
Sources: btvsport.bg, bgbasket.com