NANTERRE (FIBA Europe Cup) - Having qualified to the FIBA Europe Cup Semi-Finals on the back of Spencer Butterfield's magical game against Muratbey Usak Sportif, Nanterre 92 will be in for an even more difficult test against Telekom Baskets, who have been one of the most consistent teams in the competition.

The Pascal Donnadieu-coached Nanterre started the FIBA Europe Cup season by belting out a nine-game winning streak, but since then haven't been able to string together back-to-back wins.

They relied heavily on excellent home form at the Palais des Sports Maurice Thorez against Charleroi Spirou in the Round of 16 and against Usak in the Quarter-Finals after losing both of the first legs on the road in Belgium and Turkey, respectively.

However, there is a catch – Telekom Baskets also haven't lost at home. Therefore, with the first leg played in Nanterre, all the pressure will be on the French side to get a positive result. Not only in terms of getting a win, but also getting a much-needed cushion for the tough second leg on the road to come.

On the other hand, playing the first game on the road will be a novelty for Telekom Baskets as well. Bonn hosted the first leg of the ties against Kataja Basket and Ironi Nahariya at the Telekom Dome and won them handily, but they have been far from convincing away from home this season, with losses to Sodertalje Kings and APOEL.

Over the weekend, BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque handed a severe blow to the myth of Nanterre's invincibility at home, registering a big 88-67 victory in the LNB Pro A. Meanwhile, Telekom Baskets survived 90-86 against Ludwigsburg in the German Bundesliga.

"We spent a lot of energy against Ludwigsburg and will now have to find the right mix of preparing for the FIBA Europe Cup game in France and regeneration. Nanterre is a strong, deep and very athletic team. At the same time, we can be proud to be among the last four teams of the FIBA Europe Cup and approach the game with self-confidence," said the Telekom Baskets head coach Predrag Krunic following the close-fought win.

The victory did come at a cost, as Ryan Thompson, the team's leader in assists, was forced to leave the game late in the fourth quarter with a bruised pelvic bone.

Telekom Baskets turned a new page in the club's history books this season by qualifying for the FIBA Europe Cup Semi-Finals against Nanterre — never in the past have the Bonn side gone so far in a European competition.

Nanterre, on the other hand, already know what it takes to win on the international stage after triumphing in the FIBA EuroChallenge two seasons ago, under the guidance of their current head coach Pacal Donnadieu.

Although Mykal Riley is the only remaining player from French side's victorious international run in 2015, the Nanterre roster is once again a similar one stylistically, with the backcourt trio of Spencer Butterfield, Chris Warren and Heiko Schaffartzik burying opponents with a barrage of three-pointers on a nightly basis.

After a 39-point game against Usak, Butterfield has bumped his averages to 13.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 53.4% shooting from downtown, Warren is averaging 13.7 points and 4.9 assists, making threes at a 48.2% clip, while Schaffartzik collects 12.7 points and 5.0 assists per game on 46.8% accuracy from beyond the arc.

Telekom Baskets arguably aren't as front-loaded as the Nanterre squad, with the Predrag Krunic usually running an interchangeable 10-man rotation, with different players stepping up on a given night.

Averaging 14.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action per game, Kenneth Horton is the club's leading scorer, the team's captain Josh Mayo adds 12.4 points and 4.2 assists, while Julian Gamble, who averages 12.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, has been particularly hot of late.

The first leg of the tie will take place in Nanterre at 19:00 CET, while the return leg will be played in Bonn next week.

FIBA