The forward recorded career-highs in points (24) and PIR (23) when his team needed it most.
L.J. Figueroa's career night helped Ulm get back to winning ways
Article
3 Mins read
Having lost its last four games in the BKT Eurocup, the last one after wasting an 18-point advantage against U-BT Cluj Napoca, ratiopharm Ulm carried a heavy weight on its collective shoulders coming into the Round 16 game at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. Moreover, the German champ needed one more win to secure a playoff spot, so being able to beat its opponent on the road was twice as sweet.
Despite enjoying an 8-point lead at halftime and extending it to 14 points early in the fourth quarter, Ulm saw Buducnost rally back thanks to a 14-0 run that turned into a 72-71 home team advantage in crunch time. A free throw by Trevion Williams made it all square with 1:27 remaining and nobody was able to score from then on, which sent the game to overtime.
L.J. Figueroa came up big at that moment, hitting a deadly three-pointer to make it 76-79, then stealing a ball when Buducnost got within 1 point and providing another key shot from downtown to close the game, 80-84. He even grabbed an offensive rebound with 9 seconds to go when Juan Nunez missed, definitely locking down the victory for his team.
“It was a great game against a great team. They fought back”, he stressed after the game. “We had the lead most of the game and, you know, the crowd was great for them and kept them in the game. It was just a great game overall and we showed a lot of poise at the end.”
Figueroa's contribution was not only important in overtime, but for the whole game. He had to wait until the last minutes of the second period to score his first bucket, but once he found the way to score, he became unstoppable.
He first contributed 8 points in a 2-10 run that allowed Ulm to reach halftime up 30-38. Right after the intermission, he nailed a three to establish a double-digit lead for Ulm for the first time in the game, and he also was the one to establish a game-high 14-point difference early in the fourth quarter.
At the end, Figueroa presented a fantastic stat-line of 24 points - his best so far in the competition, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, going perfect on two-pointers (5 for 5) and shooting 4-of-10 from behind the arc. That gave him a PIR of 23, which tied with his best performance so far when he helped Ulm pull up an 83-85 road win in Trento on Dec 6, 2023.
This game in Podgorica confirms the good form of Figueroa, who has scored in double-figures in eight of his last 10 games, so Ulm can look to the near future with more confidence.
Game Videos
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Ferrell decides the game from deep! Magic Moment
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Essengue drops the bounce back dime! Magic Moment
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Jensen's monster dunk! Magic Moment of the Night
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Magic Moment: Roby with a one-handed dunk!
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Magic Moment of the Night: Jessup for the win!
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Magic Moment: Essengue throws down poster dunk!
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Magic Moment: Juwan Morgan with a big dunk!
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Magic Moment: Saraf feeds Roby for the dunk!
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Magic Moment: Kenan Kamenjas rocks the rim!
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Magic Moment: Nunez with the smart assist!
- 00:13
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Magic Moment: Williams' bullet pass finds Jallow for an easy score!
- 03:45
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![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/33b02518-e58e-4ddd-b67e-0d647e7ff672.jpg?crop=4800%3A2700%3Anowe%3A432%3A482]()
Magic Moment: Makoundou punishes the rim again!
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Magic Moment: Makoundou finishes the quarter with authority!
- 03:45
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/02/06/jHe32OECOO0uZMjyPrFnZ1gghNUrgRqf-1707252679143.jpg]()
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- 00:12
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Magic Moment: Dadiet with another dunk!
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/05516917-6cb9-4ea5-a99c-40a7b76cd326.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A135%3A146]()
Magic Moment: Dadiet races through to dunk!
- 00:06
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Magic Moment: Karim Jallow dunks on a fastbreak!
- 00:19
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/01/31/qPqU4wcUJ5Kqfr5feRiYqRbZDpY9HOCn-1706740404794.jpg]()
Magic Moment of the Night: What have you done, Makoundou!!
- 03:44
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/01/31/LaMcaMsFNendcigTv1Cl07S1TJbtZXrP-1706735821218.jpg]()
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- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9291f7b1-3c2a-42f9-a77e-40869a2e25ed.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A112%3A154]()
Magic Moment: What have you done, Makoundou!!
- 03:44
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2024/01/31/gqSx9c1iHMWFjAXAN1XYxwV2PuAl6KEG-1706734217961.png]()
ratiopharm Ulm-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Round 17 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
- 00:11
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Magic Moment: Bretzel's alley-oop dunk
