The 29-year-old continues to impress in his rookie EuroCup season.
Braian Angola’s all-round play was key for Hapoel against the Wolves
Artikel
3 Lesezeit
Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv notched its fourth straight win in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season by downing Wolves Vilnius 81-89 in Round 11, with Braian Angola once again showing why he is one of the competition’s most exciting players.
The 29-year-old, playing in his first full season in the EuroCup, had another solid all-round game for Hapoel, posting 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 0 turnovers. That final stat is particularly interesting on a night that saw the Israeli side commit 18 turnovers, the same total as the Wolves.
Braian Angola made winning plays
Angola hit the first triple of the night at Avia Solutions Group Arena to make it 2-5, before then knocking down another shot from behind the arc after having grabbed a defensive board at the other end, 7-10. The Colombian played the remainder of the first quarter and then the last 4:48 minutes of the second.
Once 20 minutes were in the books, Angola had ended the first half with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Not spectacular numbers, but it shows how he impacted the game in many different ways, with Hapoel leading 38-46 at the break.
In the third quarter, Angola added a triple and a mid-range jumper as he moved to double digits in points, with the latter basket helping keep Hapoel in the driving seat, 53-57. Yet, it was in the fourth quarter where he really put his fingerprints on proceedings.
Hapoel had Angola to thank for its win
With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Angola appeared with a triple to make it 62-65 after Hapoel and the Wolves were tied 62-62 after 30 minutes. Then, he linked up with Jaylen Hoard for an alley-oop, 64-67, before hitting a stepback jumper over the outstretched arm of Christian Mekowulu, 64-69. That all came in the first 1:44 of the final period.
Angola wasn’t done there. With 5:01 left, Angola raced back and put enough pressure on Tre’Shawn Thurman that the Wolves player ended up missing a layup, which would’ve tied the game at 74-74. Hoard then went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe, 72-75, before Angola dished a beautiful assist to Tomer Ginat for an easy layup, 72-77.
What’s more, just when it looked like Angola’s work was done and Hapoel’s fourth successive win was in the bag, he appeared once more to put the cherry on top of the cake. With just 10 seconds to go, Angola knocked down a couple of free throws to make it 81-89 in what was the last score of the game. That meant his final numbers stood at 18 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 0 turnovers. Not a bad night’s work for Hapoel’s No. 11.