Hapoel beats Besiktas, clinches second place and quarterfinals birth

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv clinched second place in Group A and a direct ticket to the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals by beating Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 73-94 on Wednesday night in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The victory means Hapoel finished the regular season with a 13-5 record and in second place, while Besiktas finished sixth in Group A with 9-9 mark. In the single-game eighthfinals, Besiktas will go on the road to face the defending champion Dreamland Gran Canaria, and the winner of that game will play on the road against Hapoel in the single-game quarterfinals.

Hapoel took control with a 3-12 run at the end of the first and a strong finish to the second quarter. Hapoel then ran away in the third, cruising to its seventh victory in nine road games this season.

Tomer Ginat and Will Cummings paced Hapoel with 16 points apiece, while Bar Timor and Kyle Alexander each scored 12 points. Angel Delgado collected 15 points plus 12 rebounds for Besiktas, Kyle Allman and Marko Simonovic added 13 apiece and Jonah Mathews finished with 12.

Game Videos

Delgado had a three-point play and Simonovic and Needham each nailed a triple to give Besiktas an early 14-10 lead. But Ginat scored 6 points for Hapoel, followed by 7 straight from Cummings to close the gap to 16-15. Besiktas got back-to-back dunks from Allman and Berkan Durmaz midway through the first quarter, but then was held scoreless for more than 3 minutes during which Hapoel went on a 0-7 run with Ginat scoring 5 more points. A three-point play from Timor helped the visitors hold a 23-27 lead after 10 minutes.

Needham knocked down his second triple early in the second quarter. Ginat and Cummings kept Hapoel in front, before Simonovic and Jonah Mathews helped Besiktas get within 35-36. That's when Hoard, Kyle Alexander, Braian Angola and J'Cowan Brown, all scoreless to that point, combined to score 11 points and build 39-47 halftime lead.

Game News

Hapoel then scored the first 8 points of the second half, including a triple apiece from Brown and Munford, opening a 16-point margin. Matthew Mitchell and Angel Delgado got Besiktas's offense going, but Ginat and Timor kept Besiktas at bay and the visitors' margin safe. Needham fouled out, and Hoard's layup extended it to 49-66, before the hosts managed to close the gap to 55-69 at the end of the third quarter.

The teams traded blows at the start of the fourth, with Besiktas having several opportunities to cut more into the lead, but Hoard's alley-oop dunk and a triple from Timor opened a 59-77 margin with less than 7 minutes to go. Besiktas did not threaten after that as Hapoel closed out the game.

Hapoel will face the winner of the eighthfinal duel between Dreamland Gran Canaria and Besiktas in its next game. 

Hapoel beats Besiktas to clinch second place and quarterfinals birth

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-02-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI beat CB Gran Canaria 90-77 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroCup season.

Buducnost ruins Gran Canaria's top-two hopes, 90-77

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica closed its participation in the BKT Eurocup with a meritorious 90-77 win over the visiting Dreamland Gran Canaria at Moraca on Wednesday evening. 

The home team needed no more than 6 minutes to take the reins of the game, going on a 10-2 run to finish the first quarter with a 22-16 lead. Buducnost made that difference grow step by step, reaching a 40-25 advantage midway through the second period that remained at the end of the third, 70-55. The visitors waived the white flag early in the fourth quarter after Yoan Makoundou scored 5 points in a row to raise the difference to 20 points, 77-57, and all but seal the outcome with 8 minutes remaining.

Yoan Makoundou led the winners with 21 points in as many minutes, while he also had a PIR of 27. Allerik Freeman followed with 15, and Kenan Kamenjias and Yogi Ferrell chipped in 12 apiece. John Shurna paced the visitors with 17 points, Roko Prkacin netted 14 and Pierre Pelos had 10 in the losing effort. The hosts improved to 8-10 while Gran Canaria slipped to 12-6, wasting the opportunity U-BT Cluj-Napoca had granted the Spanish side with its loss at 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys.

Both teams swapped baskets in the early going, as the game saw as many as eight lead changes in the first 5 minutes of the game. Everything the hosts produced when the score was 10-11 midway through the first period came from inside the paint, forcing a couple of three-point plays. Gran Canaria, meanwhile, had Andrew Albicy and Nicolas Brussino scoring from mid and long distance. Shurna punished the hosts again from downtown to put the guests up 12-14, but a 10-2 run based on Buducnost’s dominance under the rim established a 22-16 edge for the hosts at the end of the first period. 

Petar Popovic stepped up when the game resumed and helped his team reach a double digit-margin, 28-18, with two quick buckets. Makoundu took over right after with a furious fastbreak dunk and the first Buducnost triple of the night to make it even bigger, 35-20. It wasn’t over just yet, however, as Prkacin and Shurna combined for 13 of the next 18 Gran Canaria points, good to reduce the difference to 47-38 at halftime.

Prkacin and Shurna kept punishing Buducnost after the intermission, which allowed Gran Canaria to get as close as 52-46. Knowing that a win would grant the visitors the second seed in the group, it seemed the guests were starting to create some momentum, but Freeman came to the rescue and scored 7 points, including a couple of threes, to return a double-digit advantage, 62-51, to Buducnost. Freeman had to leave the court soon after because of his fourth foul, which didn’t stop the hosts, though. An unsportsmanlike foul called on Miquel Salvo turned into a five-point play for Buducnost, bringing a 15-point gap back to the game, 70-55, at the end of the third period. 

The break didn’t help the visitors regroup, as Kamenjas dropped a couple of free throws to open fire in the last period, and Makoundou capped a dominant display with 5 points in a row that extended the difference to 20 points, 77-57, for the first time in the game. That turned out to be the last and definitive blow for Gran Canaria, which lowered its arms and seemed keen to avoid a more painful punishment until the final buzzer.

Petar Popovic of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica is guarded by A.J. Slaughter of Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 18 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Spanish side could have booked a direct route to the quarterfinals with a win, following Cluj's defeat at Lietkabelis earlier on Wednesday.

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2024-02-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki eliminated Dolomiti Energia Trento from playoff contention by beating the Italian side 84-77 at home in Round 18 on Wednesday night. Having already secured qualification after Turk Telekom Ankara’s win at Slask Wroclaw on Tuesday, Aris clinched fifth place in Group B. Trento was in control for most of the game, but Aris outscored the visitors 33-25 in the last quarter to seal the victory. The hosts improved to a 9-9 record, while Trento dropped to 7-11.

Aris beats Trento, 84-77, and clinches fifth place

Aris Midea Thessaloniki eliminated Dolomiti Energia Trento from playoff contention by beating the Italian side 84-77 at home in Round 18 on Wednesday night. Having already secured qualification after Turk Telekom Ankara’s win at Slask Wroclaw on Tuesday, Aris clinched fifth place in Group B. Trento was in control for most of the game, but Aris outscored the visitors 33-25 in the last quarter to seal the victory. The hosts improved to a 9-9 record, while Trento dropped to 7-11.

Vassilis Toliopoulos paced Aris with 17 points, Ronnie Harrell scored 15, Silvio De Sousa netted 14, Jonathan Stark had 12 and Eleftherios Bochoridis added 11. For Trento, Kamar Baldwin recorded a game-high 20 points, Prentiss Hubb bagged 15 and Paul Biligha registered 11.

Trento started strong, with Biligha and Andrejs Grazulis scoring easy baskets for a 0-6 run. Toliopoulos and Hubb traded triples before Harrell hit in transition to bring Aris within 5-9. What followed was an exchange of blows in the paint, with Kristeon Bankston, Baldwin and Stark netting their first baskets of the night, 9-15. A Baldwin triple was followed by a Stark midrange jumper, but Mattia Udom netted a layup and Baldwin completed a three-point play to extend Trento’s lead to double digits, 13-24.

The guests took a 15-25 cushion into the second quarter, but Toliopoulos netted 5 unanswered points that were followed by an Ismael Sanogo layup and a couple of Bochoridis free throws to cut the difference to 1 point. A Grazulis floater ended Aris’s 9-0 run before Dimitris Katsivelis and Hubb exchanged triples, 27-30. Then, Davide Alviti netted an off-balance jumper before sinking a triple to make it 29-35. Baskets from Derek Cooke Jr, Baldwin and Luca Conti gave Trento a 9-point cushion, but a De Sousa bucket from inside brought Aris within 34-41 at halftime.

The two teams were scoreless for the first 2 minutes of the second half before Bochoridis drilled a triple, which was followed by a Biligha three-point play, 37-44. Yet, 4 De Sousa points were followed by a Harrell fast-break bucket to trim the deficit to 1 point. Baldwin and Bochoridis exchanged baskets before De Sousa made it 47-48. Then, Bochoridis gave Aris its first lead of the game, 49-48, but Toto Forray and Baldwin put Trento back ahead, 51-52, heading into the closing quarter.

Hubb and Toliopoulos swapped triples to open the fourth quarter before De Sousa tied the game, 57-57, with a three-point play. Yet, Trento responded with a 0-7 run behind 5 points from Udom and a Conti basket. Aris responded, as five unanswered Harrell points were followed by a couple of Stark free throws and Nikolaos Persidis’s first bucket of the night to put Aris back in front, 66-65. Then, Baldwin and Stark traded buckets before 2 Bochoridis free throws gave Aris a 70-67 lead. However, a Hubb triple and a Biligha jumper gave Trento a two-point lead. Harrell and Hubb exchanged triples before Stark tied it 75-75 with a couple of minutes left on the clock. Then, another Stark basket was followed by 2 Harrell free throws and Aris went up 79-75 with a minute to go. Sanogo gave Aris a six-point lead from the charity stripe before Toliopoulos also made 2 of 2 from the line to clinch it for the Greek side.

The Greek club finished the regular season with a 9-9 record in their return to the EuroCup.

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2024-02-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Lietkabelis defeated Cluj 92-87 in a game that, fortunately for the visitors, did not affect their situation regarding the EuroCup Playoffs.

Lietkabelis sinks Cluj, 92-87; visitors wrap up second spot due to Gran Canaria defeat

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (7-11) ended its BKT EuroCup campaign on a high note with a 92-87 home win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca (13-5) in Round 18 of the regular season. 

With only pride to play for, Lietkabelis produced an inspired performance while the visitors, who needed a win to secure a bye in the first knockout round of the competition, let their nerves get the better of them and fell short after trailing for most of the contest.

By falling in Panevezys, Cluj opened the door for Dreamland Gran Canaria to steal second spot, but the Spanish club and defending champion was defeated 90-77 on the road at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. As such, Cluj finishes the regular season in second position and has guaranteed direct qualification to the quarterfinals.

Deividas Sirvydis paced Lietkabelis with 22 points and 7 rebounds, Vytenis Lipkevicius chipped in with 17 points while Liutauras Lelevicius added 11. Gabrielius Maldunas and Dovis Bickauskas scored 10 each for the home team.

At the other end, Jarrel Eddie led Cluj with 20 points, Dennis Seeley scored 15 while Patrick Richard netted 13. Center Andrija Stipanovic racked up 11 points and 10 rebounds for the visitors.

Cluj made a jittery start and trailed 10-4 before serving up its best spell of the match to take a 13-20 lead on the back of a 3-16 streak.

However, the hosts turned the tide quickly and having led 27-26 at the end of the first quarter, they conjured a 12-2 run which had Cluj reeling.

The home team led 52-46 at halftime despite Cluj hitting 9 three-pointers from 14 attempts, as the visitors made only 8-of-19 shots from inside the arc, while Lietkabelis netted 14-of-21 from two-point territory.

Cluj looked capable of turning the tide after drawing level 73-73 early in the fourth quarter, but Lietkabelis pulled away again to 81-75 and never looked back. The visiting team played catch-up for the rest of the contest and ran out of time as the home side held firm in the closing stages.

Martynas Varnas of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys is guarded by Patrick Richard of U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Round 18 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Despite losing, Buducnost's triumph over Gran Canaria a little later saw Cluj clinch an automatic quarterfinal berth.

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-02-07T17:00:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to knock off Joventut Badalona 94-80 on Wednesday night. Prometey went on a 20-0 run in the final period and gave up just 4 points in the final 8 minutes for its third win the last four games and a 10-8 record, which propelled it ahead of Joventut via a tiebreaker for fourth place in Group A

Prometey rallies from 13 points down in fourth to beat Joventut 94-80

Prometey Slobozhanske rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to knock off Joventut Badalona 94-80 on Wednesday night. Prometey went on a 20-0 run in the final period and gave up just 4 points in the final 8 minutes for its third win the last four games and a 10-8 record, which propelled it ahead of Joventut via a tiebreaker for fourth place in Group A. Joventut had won their previous tie 79-76.

Gian Clavell led the way with 24 points, Issuf Sanon had 23 points, Ronald March scored 19 and Caleb Agada tallied 14 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Joventut finished the regular season with three straight losses for a 10-8 record. Shannon Evans was Joventut’s leading scorer with 17 points and 6 assists and Pau Ribas added 12 points.

Joventut started hot from the outside with Pep Busquests, Michael Ruzic and Evans all hitting three-pointers for an early 7-11 lead. Clavell took over for the home side, scoring 10 points in a 12-2 Prometey run to pull ahead 21-15. Joventut veteran Ribas knocked down a three-pointer right before the end of the first quarter to make it 27-27 after 10 minutes.

The beginning of the second quarter saw four lead changes before Sanon drained two triples and a free throw for a 39-34 Prometey cushion. Prometey was up 43-38 after a March triple only to see two more Busquets three-pointers put the visitors back ahead 47-53 at the break with the hosts scoring just 2 points in the final 3 minutes. 

Joventut scored the first 6 points of the second half as the cushion grew to 47-59. Prometey needed more than 2 minutes to finally score via a Sanon three-pointer. Guillem Vives’s three-pointer extended the lead to 50-65. A three-pointer and 3 free throws from Clavell brought Prometey within 58-67. Another Ribas triple had the guests up 58-71 after 30 minutes.

After Prometey scored the first 6 points of the fourth quarter, Ribas sank a three-pointer and Joventut reestablished a 12-point lead with 8:20 minutes left. Prometey answered with the next 20 points for an 84-76 lead with March scoring 8 points, including the three-pointer to put the hosts back ahead, and Agada adding 6 points. Evans’s free throw finally snapped the drought but Sanon added another triple and the hosts led 87-77 with 2 minutes to play. Joventut could not muster any kind of offense the rest of the way.

With the win, the Ukrainian squad clinched fourth place in Group A and a home game in the eighthfinals.

Prometey Slobozhanske v Joventut Badalona (2024-02-07T17:00:00.000Z)

Follow all the BKT EuroCup action here as the regular season comes to an end and the playoffs composition is set in stone.

Game Center: Last round of the regular season!

The playoff picture is set following the first five games on Wednesday. Turk Telekom Ankara was the final team to qualify after winning on Tuesday and going through based on Wednesday’s results. The eighthfinals matchups will feature the London Lions against Turk Telekom, Prometey Slobozhanske against Aris Midea Thesaloniki, Dreamland Gran Canaria against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, and ratiopharm Ulm against Joventut Badalona. The single-game BKT EuroCup Eighthfinals will be played on Tuesday, March 5, and Wednesday, March 6.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The remaining post-season spot is for <a href="https://twitter.com/TT_Basketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TT_Basketbol</a> ✔️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/FVX4RUQ15V">pic.twitter.com/FVX4RUQ15V</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1755332241046081954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Wednesday, February 7

[7-bet Lietkabelis Panevezys 92-87 U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/179/)

Lietkabelis ended its EuroCup campaign on a high note with a home win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Deividas Sirvydis paced Lietkabelis with 22 points and 7 rebounds, Vytenis Lipkevicius chipped in with 17 points while Liutauras Lelevicius added 11. At the other end, Jarrel Eddie led Cluj with 20 points, Dennis Seeley scored 15 while Patrick Richard netted 13. Center Andrija Stipanovic racked up 11 points and 10 rebounds for the visitors.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ending on a good note for <a href="https://twitter.com/BCLietkabelis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCLietkabelis</a>. <a href="https://t.co/WESpj9sV0q">pic.twitter.com/WESpj9sV0q</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1755307241408770261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Prometey Slobozhanske 94-80 Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-joventut-badalona/U2023/171/)

Prometey rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to knock off Joventut and finish the regular season in fourth place in Group A. Prometey went on a 20-0 run in the final period and gave up just 4 points in the final 8 minutes for its third win the last four games and a 10-8 record. Gian Clavell led the way with 24 points, Issuf Sanon had 23 points, Ronald March scored 19. Joventut finished the regular season with three straight losses for a 10-8 record as well and lost the tiebreaker with Prometey after it had won the first matchup 79-76. Shannon Evans was Joventut’s leading scorer with 17 points and 6 assists.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Amazing W in Riga 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/TKHni0EdwA">pic.twitter.com/TKHni0EdwA</a></p>&mdash; BC Prometey (@BcPrometey) <a href="https://twitter.com/BcPrometey/status/1755325859173396802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 90-77 Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/178/)

Buducnost finished its EuroCup campaign with a victory over visiting Gran Canaria at the Moraca on Wednesday evening. Yoan Makoundou led the winners with 21 points in as many minutes and a PIR of 27. Allerik Freeman followed with 15, as Kenan Kamenjias and Yogi Ferrell chipped in 12 apiece. John Shurna paced the visitors with 17 points, Roko Prkacin netted 14 and Pierre Pelos had 10 in the losing effort. The hosts improved to 8-10 while Gran Canaria slipped to 12-6.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">And as long as we know how to play, We know we’re still alive - We will survive. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> and goodbye, till next year 🔵⚪️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HukMora%C4%8De?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HukMorače</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKB</a> <a href="https://t.co/r3bSQx16xz">pic.twitter.com/r3bSQx16xz</a></p>&mdash; KK Budućnost VOLI (@KKBuducnostVOLI) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI/status/1755320082077540794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Aris Midea Thessaloniki 84-77 Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2023/177/)

Aris eliminated Trento from playoff contention by beating the Italian side at home in Round 18. Having already secured qualification after Turk Telekom Ankara’s win at Slask Wroclaw on Tuesday, Aris clinched fifth place in Group B. Trento was in control for most of the game, but Aris outscored the visitors 33-25 in the last quarter to seal the victory. The hosts improved to a 9-9 record, while Trento dropped to 7-11. Vassilis Toliopoulos paced Aris with 17 points and Ronnie Harrell scored 15. For Trento, Kamar Baldwin recorded a game-high 20 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Win!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARISTRENTO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ARISTRENTO</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEUROCUP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEUROCUP</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARISBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ARISBC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@eurocup</a> <a href="https://t.co/JuKSSoo5u6">pic.twitter.com/JuKSSoo5u6</a></p>&mdash; ARIS B.C. (@ARISBCgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARISBCgr/status/1755342991139520608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 73-94 Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/U2023/172/)

Hapoel clinched second place in Group A and a direct ticket to the quarterfinals by beating Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 73-94 on Wednesday night in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The victory means Hapoel finished the regular season with a 13-5 record and in second place, while Besiktas finished sixth in Group A with 9-9 mark. Hapoel took control with a 3-12 run at the end of the first and a strong finish to the second quarter. Hapoel then ran away in the third, cruising to its seventh victory in nine road games this season. Tomer Ginat and Will Cummings paced Hapoel with 16 points apiece. Angel Delgado collected 15 points plus 12 rebounds for Besiktas.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">BKT EuroCup A Grubu 18. Hafta<br><br>Beşiktaş Emlakjet 73-94 Hapoel Tel Aviv | Maç Sonucu<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Potan%C4%B1nKartallar%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PotanınKartalları</a> <a href="https://t.co/czfvpmPAno">pic.twitter.com/czfvpmPAno</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1755324394690298029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[London Lions 80-85 Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-wolves-vilnius/U2023/174/)

Wolves finished its EuroCup season on a high note as it knocked off London on the road in its final game. The Lithuanian club grabbed its fourth win in the last five games to depart the competition with an 8-10 mark. Christian Mekowulu and Jeffery Taylor were Wolves’ leading scorers with 18 points each and Kristupas Zemaitis had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. London will go into the playoffs as the third seed from Group A after it had 12-6 record. It slumped to only a 4-5 home record and will face off against Turk Telekom Ankara in the eighthfinals. David Nwaba and Matthew Morgan led London with 16 points each.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Away from home W for <a href="https://twitter.com/wolves_bc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wolves_bc</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/WtwZFB7Y6R">pic.twitter.com/WtwZFB7Y6R</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1755347353555316737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Paris Basketball 119-66 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2023/173/)

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">+53 C’EST LA PLUS GROSSE VICTOIRE DE NOTRE HISTOIRE 💥🚀<br><br>Il fallait laisser une trace indélébile, c’est désormais chose faite. Carpentier : au revoir, et merci pour tout 🙏<br><br>Place désormais au niveau chapitre : cap sur l’adidas arena dimanche 👀🫡 <a href="https://t.co/yTkrBeQNiH">pic.twitter.com/yTkrBeQNiH</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1755348631744291291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Tuesday, February 6

[JL Bourg en Bresse 81-85 ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-ratiopharm-ulm/U2023/176/)

German champion ratiopharm Ulm ground out an impressive win at Bourg to secure a top-four finish in Group B and with it home-court advantage in eighthfinals. Bourg dropped to 14-4 while Ulm improved to 10-8. Bourg, who had earlier clinched the group’s top spot and a with it a bye in the first knockout round, lost its unbeaten home record after coming close to overhauling an 18-point deficit in a dramatic finish. Trevion Williams paced the visitors with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Pacome Dadiet added 15 points. At the other end, Zaccharie Risacher scored a game-high 20 points for Bourg, while Hugo Benitez netted 13.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Am letzten Spieltag der regulären Saison im EuroCup gewinnen wir nach spannenden 40 Minuten mit 81:85 gegen den Gruppensieger Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse und sichern uns damit das Heimrecht im Achtelfinale. 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uuulmer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uuulmer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weareone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weareone</a> | 📸 Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse <a href="https://t.co/440DHzoP4h">pic.twitter.com/440DHzoP4h</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1754967420505083930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Veolia Towers Hamburg 83-90 Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/veolia-towers-hamburg-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/175/)

Reyer ended its EuroCup season with a win by beating Hamburg in Germany on Tuesday night. With the victory, Reyer improved its record to 8-10 while Hamburg finished the campaign with a 2-15 mark, having gone 0-9 at home. Marco Spissu led the way for Reyer on offense by scoring a game-high 25 points, while teammate Amedeo Tessitori contributed on both ends with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. Hamburg’s William Christmas was the team’s leading scorer with 22, followed by Aleksander Dziewa with 15.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Vittoria orogranata sul campo di Amburgo!<br>Domenica tutti al Taliercio per dare la carica ai nostri leoni 🦁<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uniti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uniti</a> <a href="https://t.co/WI165YgptS">pic.twitter.com/WI165YgptS</a></p>&mdash; Reyer Venezia (@REYER1872) <a href="https://twitter.com/REYER1872/status/1754964091041443904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Slask Wroclaw 70-86 Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/slask-wroclaw-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/180/)

Turk Telekom defeated Slask on the road on Tuesday night and now needs results to go its way on Wednesday in order to clinch a playoff spot. Slask started strong, but the visitors gained control of the game in the last three quarters and finished it off with a 0-10 run in the fourth. With this win, Turk Telekom improved to 8-10, while Slask dropped to 2-16. James Palmer led all scorers with 22 points, Tyrone Wallace had 17 and Steven Enoch added 15 plus 10 rebounds. For Slask, Dusan Miletic paired his 20 points with 11 rebounds and Jakub Niziol scored 14.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ro" dir="ltr">Maç sonucu: Śląsk Wrocław 70 - 86 Türk Telekom <a href="https://t.co/eqrA8muE98">pic.twitter.com/eqrA8muE98</a></p>&mdash; Türk Telekom Basketbol (@TT_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/TT_Basketbol/status/1754969933648150879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Game Center: The playoff picture is set!

Slask Wroclaw v Turk Telekom Ankara (2024-02-06T19:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v ratiopharm Ulm (2024-02-06T18:30:00.000Z)

London Lions v Wolves Vilnius (2024-02-07T19:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-02-06T18:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2024-02-07T19:45:00.000Z)

The Greek side reached the BKT EuroCup Playoffs on Tuesday, whereas the Italian outfit still has it all to play for.

Aris meets Trento in a crucial game for both teams

When Aris Midea Thessaloniki (8-9) takes on Dolomiti Energia Trento (7-10) in Group B at Palais des Sports tonight, the game will have playoff implications for many. 

### Both teams are playing for something

While Aris secured its spot in the BKT EuroCup Playoffs on Tuesday, following Turk Telekom Ankara’s triumph over Slask Wroclaw, it still has seeding to fight for as it will finish fifth with a win against Trento or if it loses and Buducnost VOLI Podgorica beats Dreamland Gran Canaria. Should both Aris and Buducnost lose, however, Ioannis Kastritis’s side would end the regular season in sixth position.

Two teams locked on the fringes of the playoff places meet as Trento summons Aris with both on two-game losing streaks. A key matchup is expected to arise in the paint, where Andrejs Grazulis tackles visiting big man Silvio de Sousa, but will the path to success be sourced elsewhere on the court?

Dolomiti Energia Trento-Aris Medea Thessaloniki | Round 9 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Trento, meanwhile, will be through to the postseason in fifth spot if it is able to come away from Greece with a win and also see Buducnost lose against Gran Canaria. If Trento loses to Aris, it will be out of playoff contention altogether, making this Wednesday’s clash a must-win. 

Back in Round 9, Trento edged Aris 69-67 behind 15 points from [Kamar Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kamar-baldwin/012597/). [Quinn Ellis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/quinn-ellis/012593/), who is now out injured, hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer, which has eventually allowed Trento to stay in the playoff race until the regular-season finale.

### Aris: can Harrell do it again?

Stats-wise, Aris guard [Ronnie Harrell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ronnie-harrell/012716/) comes off one of the most unique performances in EuroCup history. Harrell led Aris to a 66-86 road win against Ulm with a true all-around performance, getting 19 points on 5-of-8 three-pointers, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks. It is even hard to find similar performances. 

Bojan Popovic had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals for FMP Belgrade in an 83-79 overtime road loss against Dynamo Moscow on December 21, 2004. David White of Lukoil Academic Sofia got 14 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 steals in a 76-63 home win over Hapoel Jerusalem on November 20, 2013.

Ronnie Harrell of Aris Egalis Thessaloniki had 19 points on 5-of-8 three-pointers, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks against ratiopharm Ulm.

Harrell did it all against Ulm

Given the circumstances, Harrell could be the next player to get a triple-double in the EuroCup. Eight players belong to this club, while Donta Smith achieved it twice. Only one player got a triple-double with at least 6 steals: Quino Colom had 15 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists and 6 steals to lead UNICS Kazan to a 91-77 home victory over Buducnost on December 9, 2015. Harrell had season-highs in assists, steals and PIR (36). Those 5 three-pointers made rounded up a one-of-a-kind performance. Aris comes off a rare Greek League road victory over against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, its first against the Greens in the Greek capital since 1997, and Harrell is ready to keep leading the team.

### Trento: completing the turnaround

Reaching the playoffs would be a remarkable achievement for Trento, which struggled a lot in recent EuroCup seasons. Trento had a quick EuroCup, reaching the 2016 semifinals in its first season in the competition. It also made it to the Top 16 three times. Things went south in the last two seasons, with an expanded, 18-game regular season. Trento had a 1-15 record in the 2021-22 campaign, and followed that up with a 4-14 record last season. Quite simply, the team stopped winning, particularily on the road, going on a 24-game losing streak.

Magic Moment: Quinn Ellis wins it!

It all changed in Round 4 this season. After a 0-3 start, Trento snapped its road losing streak with a brilliant 92-93 victory over 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on a last-second shot by Ellis. Before that win, it took Trento 38 games to get five victories. This time, it got five wins in seven games, rejoining the playoff race. Soon after that, Trento sent a message that echoed all around the competition by thrashing defending champion Gran Canaria 76-98 and halting its 19-game home winning streak. Reaching the playoffs would complete a major turnaround, but Trento needs to focus on the task at hand and first grab a win in front of a tough basketball atmosphere in Thessaloniki.

Delgado has put together a few monster games in recent weeks and has been head and shoulders above everybody else when it comes to dominance in the paint, especially on the glass.

Who's hot: Angel Delgado, Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul

Few players in the BKT EuroCup have been as productive as Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul big man [Angel Delgado](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/angel-delgado/012647/), who has shined so far in his first season in the competition. 

Delgado has averaged 11.7 points and 9.8 rebounds for a PIR of 19.1 in 17 appearances, this season. Those numbers have been much higher in recent weeks with the Besiktas big man taking center stage in late December and the month of January.

No player has been even remotely as dominant on the glass as Delgado over the last six rounds. The Besiktas center collected 76 in that span for an average of 12.7 rebounds. That is almost full 4 rebounds per game more than the next-best player and 5.5 rebounds per game more than those in third.

Delgado was the top rebounder of the round on three different occasions during this six-game span. He collected 14 rebounds in Round 13 against Wolves Vilnius, had 16 rebounds in Round 14 against Umana Reyer Venice, and then pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds in Round 15 against Veolia Towers Hamburg.

Moreover, of Delgado's 76 rebounds since Round 12, 31 have come on the offensive glass - an average of 5.2 per game. No other player has had more than 18 offensive boards over that span.

Angel Delgado has put together a few monster games in recent weeks, and no player has been even remotely dominant on the glass as Delgado has been since Round 12.

However, Delgado's production has not only come on the glass.

Over the last six games, Delgado has also posted 14.2 points on 64.7% shooting. 

He produced double-doubles in four consecutive games between Rounds 12 and 15. He started that run with a personal best 19 points along with 12 rebounds in a win over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and then went off for 16 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists against Wolves.

Delgado followed that up with 15 points and 16 rebounds against Reyer and 17 points plus 17 rebounds against Hamburg.

In each of those four games, Delgado had a PIR of at least 26, including a season-best 36 against Hamburg.

Even though Delgado's production slightly fell off the past two weeks, with 10 points and 8 rebounds in Round 16 against London Lions and 8 points plus 9 rebounds last week against Paris Basketball, he has accumulated 145 performance index rating points for an average of 24.2, just slightly behind Justin Cobbs and PJ Shorts, over that span.

Delgado will be poised to finish the regular season in style, with Besiktas hosting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv as both teams still have something to play for on the final day of Group A action.

Türk Telekom B.K. responded to its terrible first half of the EuroCup season by being one of the hottest teams in the competition in the second half of the campaign.

Excellent second half of the season has allowed Türk Telekom B.K. to dream

A 1-8 record to start the BKT EuroCup season could have been enough for some teams to throw in the towel. Well, not [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/carousels/turk-telekom-ankara/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22ttk%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Turk%20Telekom%20Ankara).

After reaching the 2022-23 EuroCup Championship Game, where it lost 71-67 to Dreamland Gran Canaria, Turk Telekom saw the majority of its stars seek a new adventure. As such, a rebuild was required.

Jerian Grant, Tyrique Jones and Axel Bouteille, who combined for 50 of their team’s 67 points in the championship game, departed last summer, with only two members of that roster staying put. Meanwhile, head coach Erdem Can, whose first season in charge of Turk Telekom couldn’t have gone much better, joined Efes.

Coach Can’s successor, Nenad Canak, failed to make an impact at Turk Telekom as the club had a rocky start to the 2023-24 campaign. The Turkish side decided to part ways with Coach Canak on October 24, with Selcuk Ernak taking charge of the team a couple of days later.

### Responding to a rough start

Turk Telekom had a 1-2 record when Coach Ernak arrived, but it’s fair to say that he didn’t get off to the best of starts as the team lost five straight EuroCup games, dropping to 1-8 in the process.

It would have been easy for Turk Telekom to give up after one of its tough losses, like its 71-80 defeat to Group B’s basement club Slask Wroclaw in Round 9, but instead it decided to use those setbacks as a chance to turn its season around.

Turk Telekom fought back and won seven of its last nine games, including crucial victories on the road at title contenders ratiopharm Ulm and Gran Canaria. Turk Telekom also [avenged its home loss to Slask by beating its opponent 70-86 in Round 18](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-bk-beats-slask-wroclaw-70-86-to-keep-playoff-hopes-alive/) to keep its playoff hopes alive.

“This is our fourth win on the road in the second half of the regular season,” Ernak said in the flash interview after the game. “We started \[by winning\] one out of nine and in the second half \[of the season\] we won seven out of nine. I want to thank my players for their serious attitude \[against Slask\] and this clear win on the road.”

Group B's last-placed Slask seek reprieve from a troublesome campaign and to ruin the playoff-ambitions of Turk Telekom, which most likely needs a victory to advance. The Polish side gained one of its two victories by triumphing in Ankara during November 2023 and the Turks may be wary of complacency.

Slask Wroclaw-Turk Telekom Ankara | Round 18 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### Postseason basketball is possible...

Yet, its road victory on Tuesday night may not be enough to clinch it a playoff spot, as it also needs results to go its way on Wednesday night. Turk Telekom will make it through to the playoffs in sixth spot if Dolomiti Energia Trento loses at Aris Midea Thessaloniki or if Buducnost VOLI Podgorica beats Gran Canaria. However, the Turkish side will be eliminated should Trento win and Buducnost lose.

“The team showed good character as a group \[against Slask\],” Ernak added. “Of course, the bitter taste is that we don’t know if it’s going to be enough to go through. The results of the games tomorrow are very important.”

Many had written Turk Telekom off following its disappointing start to the season, but the Turkish side has proven that it has what it takes to deserve an opportunity to compete in the playoffs.

Qualification may not be in their hands anymore, but Ernak’s warriors know they have done everything they could to pull off an incredible comeback in the second half of the regular season and keep dreaming until the very last moment.

More Turk Telekom News

Tyrone Wallace of Turk Telekom Ankara is guarded by two Slask Wroclaw players in Round 18 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Turkish side looked buried, but its turnaround has left it within touching distance of the EuroCup Playoffs.

Hapoel beats Besiktas to clinch second place and quarterfinals birth