Helsinki Seagulls - Kataja

Finland - Korisliiga, Playoffs, Semifinals

With a lot of pride and clear ambitions to win the championship title, Helsinki Seagulls will welcome Kataj in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Finish Korisliiga.
The club, founded in 2013, has been stopped in the semi-finals of the Finnish championship four times since 2017, and now it seems that the Seagulls are ready for their first appearance in the series for national title. The team from Helsinki has become a synonym in Finland for effective offensive basketball this season, and since mid-autumn has been in fantastic shape under the leadership of coach Jussi Laakso.
In the last 24 matches in all competitions, the Seagulls have only three defeats (since December 11), two of which were in extra time and one in the last seconds of the duel. How efficiently they play is evidenced by the fact that the team from Helsinki scored at least 92 points five times in the last seven matches.
On the other hand, Kataja also plays efficiently, but noticeably receives a larger number of baskets when playing away. In the period from mid-February to mid-March, this team was on a streak of as many as five losses, after which it managed to recover, primarily thanks to some impressive attacking games.
Kataja lost both previous away games, but in the crucial fifth match of the quarter-final series against KTP Basket, they took advantage of the home field and won 93:65 just three days ago. The Helsinki Seagulls routinely settled their quarter-final series and had much more time to properly prepare for the semi-final first leg. The home team will enter the duel with Kataj much fresher and with more energy.
In the last eight away games in all competitions, Kataja won only once. Against the Seagulls in Helsinki, in the match played on March 10, they lost 101:87, and that duel was already settled in the middle of the third quarter. Also, the Seagulls celebrated away from home against this rival on February 4 (90:77), again convincingly – thanks to an impressive output in the second half.
The impression is that the Seagulls have many more quality options for scoring when it comes to guards, and since the start of the playoffs, the forwards have demonstrated excellent form - Jeffrey Carroll with 19 points on average this season, but also Rene Rougeau (15 points and 6.8 rebounds on average).
Both teams play on a large number of attacks and it is unlikely that there will be a phase of the match when either team will insist on a slower game. In such a situation, the result will depend on inspiration and good shooting phases, and that's where the Seagulls have a clear advantage. As has been the case in most cases this season.