MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - There are just four names left in the race for the FIBA Europe Cup title and the further process of elimination will begin on Wednesday night in Italy with the first-leg battles of the Semi-Finals taking place in Avellino and Venice.

After an all-French affair between Nanterre 92 and Elan Chalon in the Finals last season, Sidigas Scandone Avellino and Umana Reyer Venezia now have a chance to fly two Italian flags into the final phase of the competition.

Among those who would prefer other scenarios are their Semi-Final opponents, Bakken Bears and Donar Groningen. The Danish champions will be tasked with stopping Sidigas Avellino, with their Dutch counterparts taking on Reyer Venezia.

Sidigas Scandone Avellino v Bakken Bears

If results in the previous rounds of the Play-Offs are of any meaning, don't be surprised if Sidigas Avellino finish the first leg of the tie with Bakken Bears all level. After all, that's what they did against Tsmoki-Minsk in the Round of 16 and against Juventus in the Quarter-Finals. Having turned heads all season long, Bakken Bears continued to do so in the Play-Offs, eliminating the likes of BC Ventspils and ESSM Le Portel en route to the Semi-Finals. However, they are entering the clash with Avellino with some domestic issues weighing heavily on their mind after starting the Danish championship Semi-Finals with consecutive defeats against Team FOG Naestved.

Time: Wednesday, 20:30 CET
Domestic Form: After three losses in a row in the Italian championship, Avellino ended their cold spell with a convincing 95-72 victory over Cremona to stay in 4th place with a 16-9 record. After losing the first Semi-Final game against Team FOG Naevstved in the Danish league at home (91-83) on Thursday, Bakken Bears lost again on the road, 84-74, on Sunday. They're down 0-2.
Key Matchup: Bakken Bears and their starting five-man Michel Diouf have not dealt with an inside force like Kyrylo Fesenko all season long in the FIBA Europe Cup and the Danish team's chances of staying competitive will in a large part depend on how well Diouf holds his ground.
How They Qualified: Avellino transferred to the FIBA Europe Cup after finishing 5th in Group D of the Basketball Champions League Regular Season with a 6-8 record…defeated Tsmoki-Minsk 151-142 in the Round of 16… defeated Juventus Utena 162-145 in the Quarter-Finals; Bakken Bears finished 2nd in Group B of the FIBA Europe Cup Regular Season with a 4-2 record… won Group K of the Second Round with a 4-2 record… defeated Ventspils 168-154 in the Round of 16… defeated ESSM Le Portel 156-148 in the Quarter-Finals.
Live Stream: YouTube.com/FIBA

Umana Reyer Venezia v Donar Groningen

Reyer Venezia relied on their home form to progress past the first two rounds of the Play-Offs and will be looking to get themselves a solid cushion before a tough game at the MartiniPlaza next week. At least statistically speaking, Donar have been the most convincing team in the FIBA Europe Cup post-season, registering the biggest aggregate margin of victory among all teams both in the Round of 16 and the Quarter-Finals. Although they will likely receive the underdog label, Donar should not be taken lightly, especially in their best-ever international campaign.

Time: Wednesday, 20:30 CET
Domestic Form: Reyer Venezia maintained 2nd place in the Italian championship by moving their record to 19-6 with an 81-76 road victory against Reggio Emilia. Donar is clear at the top of the Dutch Basketball League table with a 23-3 mark, inscribing a 95-73 win over Dukes on Saturday.
Key Matchup: As a general rule of thumb, Donar Groningen have been a much better team when Brandyn Curry brings his best. He will be going up against an experienced opponent in MarQuez Haynes who will be trying to make the Donar star expend as much energy as possible on the defensive end to limit his production on the other end of the floor.
How They Qualified: Umana Reyer transferred to the FIBA Europe Cup after finishing 6th in Group C of the Basketball Champions League Regular Season with an 8-6 record… defeated Egis Kormend 169-139 in the Round of 16… defeated Nizhny Novgorod 176-170 in the Quarter-Finals; Donar finished 2nd in Group A of the FIBA Europe Cup Regular Season with a 4-2 record… won Group L of the Second Round with a 4-2 record… defeated U-BT Cluj-Napoca 179-145 in the Round of 16... defeated Mornar Bar 168-147 in the Quarter-Finals.
Live Stream: YouTube.com/FIBA

FIBA