Quarter-Finals preview: Nanterre 92 v Muratbey Usak Sportif

NANTERRE (FIBA Europe Cup) - As difficult as it might seem to believe, the first leg of the FIBA Europe Cup Quarter-Final tie between Muratbey Usak Sportif and Nanterre 92 will probably have given optimism to both sides, although the Turkish club will be the one with a slight edge.

Having dominated the first game in Turkey for the better part of three quarters, coach Ozan Bulkaz's had to settle for an 85-82 victory and a three-point cushion before the return leg at the Palais des Sports Maurice Thorez on Tuesday evening in France.

In spite of having a slender head start, there might be a sense of slight disappointment in the Usak camp after allowing Nanterre to take a big chunk out of their 18-point lead in the closing stages of the contest.

"With a final four place at stake, the game was always going to be difficult. Everything went smoothly in the first half when we were up by nearly 20 points, but they simply weren't knocking down their open shots," said the Turkish team's point guard Sarunas Vasiliauskas, who finished the game with 13 points and 6 assists.

Shaquielle McKissic had a team-high 19 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals for Usak, Zach Auguste added 18 points, while Rolands Freimanis was also a big factor, collecting 15 points and 6 rebounds in the first leg.

The team's play-caller Ozan Bulkaz did not make much of the three-point advantage before the second leg, but hoped valuable Turkish Basketball Super League experience will have prepared his side for the road trip to France.

"We will go to France and try to win there as well. Nanterre isn't as difficult a game as an away fixture against Fenerbahce or Galatasaray for example, so we will try to win the game and advance to the Semi-Finals," said Bulkaz.

Nanterre will surely have other ideas. Having overcome a symbolic one-point away deficit in the Round of 16 against Proximus Spirou, they will have a similar task at their hands against Muratbey Usak Sportif.

Heiko Schaffartzik and Spencer Butterfield had big performances in Turkey, with the German guard scoring 20 points on excellent 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range and the American swingman adding 17 points and 4 assists.

"We made a good comeback in the second half. We showed character and our efforts paid off. I think everything remains possible in the tie," said the 33-year-old veteran Schaffartzik, who scored the majority of his points in the first half before passing the torch to Butterfield after the break.

Nanterre head coach Pascal Donnadieau echoed his players' thoughts and was relieved his side found the necessary resources to work their way back into the game and preserve decent chances before the home leg of the tie against a tough opponent.

Les joueurs ont un message pour les supporters ! #WeAreJSF venez nombreux mardi prochain !! @FIBAEuropeCup pic.twitter.com/QS0STRVSnq

— Nanterre 92 (@Nanterre92) March 7, 2017

If they hope for a better outcome in France, they will have to address the fact that their opponents from Usak made 25-of-34 shots from inside the three-point line. Paradoxically, the Turkish side performed exceptionally well, when Mathias Lessort, one of the elite rim protectors in the competition, was on the court.

Although Lessort had a solid game offensively, with 14 points and 6 rebounds, he will need to do a better job closing down the paint against the likes of Auguste and Freimanis, who did most of the damage inside.

Coach Donnadieau will also have his fingers crossed for a better game from Chris Warren, who needed 16 field goal attempts in Turkey to collect 13 points in the first leg and added just 3 assists.

FIBA