The duo stood out for the Polish side in the opening round of the season
Kadre Gray, Jakub Niziol led Slask past Neptunas
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Regular Season
Round 1 of 18
Regular Season
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Slask WroclawWKS
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Neptunas KlaipedaNEP
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Overview
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Back in the BKT EuroCup after a one-season break, Slask Wroclaw celebrated its return with a home win, beating Neptunas Klaipeda 95-85 in Round 1. Jakub Niziol and Kadre Gray stood out as two of the game’s impact players.
Polish guard Niziol played with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a PIR of 26, while Gray added 21 points and 3 assists.
Niziol made his mark on the defensive glass, putting in significant effort on defense and helping Slask gain momentum. One of the key moments when the margin reached double digits for the first time came when Niziol grabbed his own rebound and converted it with a layup.
Gray carried the offensive load, scoring 21 points and stepping up with crucial three-pointers in key moments. Both guards created opportunities for teammates, with Noah Kirkwood benefiting from their contributions.
Despite committing 16 turnovers, Slask’s backcourt dominated offensively, compensating for the mistakes and securing the win.
In the postgame interview, Niziol highlighted the team’s effort, saying: ‘‘I couldn’t imagine a better start. We got the win, that’s most important for us. The fans came out first game. The first half wasn’t perfect for us but we competed the whole 40 minutes. We made mistakes but we made it up with great effort and I’m glad we got the win.’’
In the press conference, Gray noted how the team’s chemistry contributed to the win: ‘‘Just from day one, all the guys coming in here, it just seems like our personalities all match each other. We are a young group, I have never been on a team where I am one of the oldest guys now. I’m just kinda embracing that leadership role. I’m hungry, I want to make the most of this opportunity, so I'm just using it to motivate the guys and put us in position to win.’’