JL Bourg en Bresse head coach Fauthoux enjoyed outstanding performances from his five reserves in beating defending champion Gran Canaria. 

Bodian Massa, Bryce Brown led Bourg’s standout second unit

When Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse went on its 15-0 run late in the first quarter to take charge of the game against defending champion Dreamland Gran Canaria on Tuesday night, it only had one starter in the game. And that starter, Isiaha Mike, took a seat after the first basket in that run was scored.

Yes, Bourg surged ahead with a lineup of Axel Julien, EJ Rowland, Bryce Brown, Maksim Salash and Bodian Massa. And for the game, those five players combined for a +/- of +27!

Bourg head coach Frederic Fauthoux played 10 men in this game. The starters spent a combined 135:26 minutes on the floor, which was 60.2 percent of the overall minutes. They scored a combined 48 points, which was 52.3% of the points.

Each of the reserves was noteworthy, though Brown and Massa stood at the top of the list. Brown scored 17 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting in just 18:13 minutes. The last of those threes gave Bourg the lead for good, breaking an 82-82 tie with a little less that 2 minutes remaining in overtime.

Bodian Massa, Bryce Brown led Bourg's standout second unit

Massa produced 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block for a PIR of 22 in just his fourth EuroCup appearance. Each of those numbers marked a personal best and he did that in 23:48 of playing time. Massa was the star of the extra session, scoring Bourg’s first 4 points as well as the game’s last 2. In between he assisted on the aforementioned Brown triple.

Salash corralled 7 rebounds in less than 14 minutes on the floor. Julien dished 4 assists. And while Rowland did not have good numbers – he committed 4 turnovers and had a PIR of -3, the veteran playmaker was the team’s joint-leader in +/- with +9, meaning Bourg played its best basketball with Rowland on the court.

Bourg will not have it easy going forward. As one of the hottest teams in the competition, now boasting a seven-game winning streak, Bourg is now the standard of Group B and the team everyone will bring its ‘A game’ for. But the key to winning some of those games will be depth and Bourg proved it can rely on its second unit with its performance this week.   

Game News

Game Videos

Coach Fauthoux enjoyed outstanding performances from his five reserves in beating defending champion Gran Canaria. 

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-12-26T18:30:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice forward Rayjon Tucker was arguably the most outstanding performer in his team’s matchup with Joventut Badalona, but as it so often happens in basketball, one man’s valiant effort was canceled out by a more balanced outfit capable of dictating the pace from start to finish.

Smooth offense carried Joventut past Reyer

Umana Reyer Venice forward Rayjon Tucker was arguably the most outstanding performer in his team’s matchup with Joventut Badalona, but as it so often happens in basketball, one man’s valiant effort was canceled out by a more balanced outfit capable of dictating the pace from start to finish.

Tucker posted a game-high and a EuroCup personal-best of 21 points, bedazzling his rivals at both ends of the court as he mixed slam-dunks with some monstrous blocks. However, Reyer was outdone 89-81 by Joventut as the home side dominated in two key departments on offense.

Joventut sank 9 of 19 three-pointers while Umana made only 3 of 20, courtesy of a barrage of open looks the hosts got thanks to a superior transition of the ball. In that department, Joventut also excelled as it racked up 22 team assists while Reyer only managed 14, having also committed 11 turnovers.

In addition, Joventut swiped 9 steals which underlined the home team’s aggressive defense, while Reyer collected 4. Although Tucker dominated, the star of the game was Andres Feliz, who racked up 15 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds which epitomized Joventut’s versatility.

“It was always going to be a tough game,” Feliz said after the game. “Reyer is a team that never gives up, they came out hard in the third quarter and our task was to stay focused, control the rebound and not give them too many second chances... I have to thank the crowd too. We need them every night, all of us together is how we are going to make it happen.”

Joventut head coach Carles Duran heaped praise on Tucker and said his men must keep their feet on the ground. “Tucker played with such high intensity and although we relaxed a bit too much a couple of times after going up by 10 or more, it’s a good win for us,” he said. Our confidence is growing after winning five in a row, but we need more.”

Reyer head coach Neven Spahija was somewhat disappointed by the lack of depth from his team. “I expected more from the bench offensively and defensively,” he said. “It’s difficult to play basketball with just five or six players at this level, but we didn’t give up. We fought until the end but in general, our defense was bad.

“Joventut was more consistent over the 40 minutes, while we have to keep working hard and move forward. Also, this was the worst shooting performance this season, just 15 percent from three-point range.”

The home team did a better job shooting from deep and sharing the ball.

Joventut Badalona v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-12-26T19:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball cruised past the London Lions with a 94-77 victory at Halle Georges Carpentier for Round 13 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign. 

Paris completes sweep of London, 94-77

Paris Basketball cruised past the London Lions with a 94-77 victory at Halle Georges Carpentier for Round 13 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign. The hosts outscored the English side in three of the four quarters to sweep their opponents, having previously grabbed a 102-106 double-overtime victory in London back in October. Group A leader Paris improved to a 12-1 record, while London dropped to 9-4.

Nadir Hifi paced Paris with 26 points, with TJ Shorts and Collin Malcolm scoring 13 each. Bandja Sy paired his 10 points with 5 rebounds. Matt Morgan led the visitors with 18 points, Luke Nelson netted 15 and Gabe Olaseni added 14.

### Hifi helps Paris take charge

Conor Morgan opened the scoring from beyond the arc, but Sy answered immediately on the other end. Then, Olaseni opened his account with a layup before Shorts drilled a floater. Tyson Ward put Paris ahead for the first time from inside, 7-5, but Tarik Phillip tied things up with a transition layup. Hifi scored 9 straight points including back-to-back triples and Paris extended its lead to 18-9 midway through the first quarter. Mehdy Ngouama hit a buzzer-beating triple for Paris’s first double-digit lead of the night, 21-11. The hosts made the most of a couple of London turnovers to grab a 27-13 cushion, but the guests bounced back and went on a 2-7 run in the last two minutes to cut the difference to 31-22 heading into the second quarter.

### Matt Morgan leads London response

Leon Kratzer and Malcolm drilled a bucket each, but Phillip nailed one from downtown to bring London within 35-25. Then, Matt Morgan and Luke Nelson netted back-to-back triples to make it a two-possession affair, 39-33. A Hifi bucket was followed by a Matt Morgan triple, but Mikael Jantunen capped off a wonderful team play to make it 43-36. What followed was a stop-start duel with the two teams taking to the free-throw line to make it 47-44 with 2 minutes remaining in the first half. Shorts and Sam Dekker exchanged baskets before Malcolm took his tally to 11 points with a layup and Paris took a 54-56 lead into the third quarter.

### Ward and Hifi put Paris in driver's seat

Dekker had to head back to the bench 1 minute into the second half after picking up an injury. Sy and Nelson exchanged baskets before Kratzer dunked off a Shorts alley-oop pass to restore a double-digit lead, 59-48. A Ward triple was followed by a Shorts jumper and a Hifi layup for a 10-0 Paris run, 66-48. Conor Morgan netted a put-back basket and Matt Morgan hit a couple of free throws to trim the deficit to 66-52, but Hifi responded with a three-point play on the other end for a 69-52 Paris cushion. Back-to-back baskets from Hifi and Ward gave Paris a 73-54 lead before London went on a 0-6 run in the closing stages of the third quarter. A Sy basket in its last possession allowed Paris to take a 75-60 cushion into the last quarter.

Olaseni completed a three-point play to open the closing quarter, with Paris going scoreless for a couple of minutes before Shorts drilled a bucket, 77-64. Paris remained in cruise control and went on a 6-0 run to make it 83-66 with 5:05 left on the clock. The hosts maintained a double-digit lead in the closing stages to seal their 12th victory in 13 games.

Nadir Hifi scored 26 points as the Parisians improved on their EuroCup-best record.

Paris Basketball v London Lions (2023-12-26T19:45:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona celebrated its fifth win in the last six games and improved to 8-5 in Group A of the BKT EuroCup after a hard-fought 89-81 home win over Umana Reyer Venice, with six of its players scoring in double figures. 

Joventut grinds out 89-81 win over battling Reyer

Joventut Badalona celebrated its fifth win in the last six games and improved to 8-5 in Group A of the BKT EuroCup after a hard-fought 89-81 home win over Umana Reyer Venice, with six of its players scoring in double figures. In contrast, Reyer slipped to its fifth defeat in the last six games and dropped to 4-9, although the Italian outfit did not go down without a fight.

Yannick Kraag paced Joventut with 17 points, shooting 6 of 7 from the floor and 2 of 2 from the foul line. Andres Feliz posted 15 points, Andrew Andrews netted 14, while Pau Ribas and Michael Ruzic scored 12 each. Ante Tomic chipped in with 10 points for the hosts, who shot 9 of

19 from downtown on the back of free-flowing offense for much of the contest. At the other end, Rayjon Tucker stood out for Reyer with a game-high 21 points, having garnished his fine individual performance with a couple of eye-catching dunks and a pair of spectacular blocks on Tomic and Feliz in quick succession. Jordan Parks scored 16 points for the visitors, Kyle Wiltjer added 14 and Amedeo Tessitori netted 12.

Three-point shooting made all the difference in the first half as Joventut sank 5 of 10 from long range while Reyer was 0 of 6, with the hosts gradually building a 41-31 lead in the closing stages of the second quarter before Reyer slashed the deficit with a late run.

Reyer looked capable of pulling off what would have amounted to a shock win on the road when the visitors closed in to 55-54 on the back of Tucker’s blocks on Tomic and Ruiz, but getting rejected only seemed to galvanize Ruiz who responded by sinking some tough shots in the closing stages of the third quarter.

In the blink of an eye, Joventut pulled away to 70-58 and the writing was on the wall for Reyer midway through the fourth, when the home team had an 80-64 cushion. Still, the visitors refused to roll over and pulled it back to 84-77, but Joventut did a good job of running the clock down and getting the win that kept last season’s semifinalist firmly on course to reach the playoffs.

The Spanish team was made to work hard by its Italian rival but prevailed thanks to a more balanced effort.

Turk Telekom Ankara has one of the hottest players in the BKT EuroCup at the moment and another career night by Tyrone Wallace as well as some strong second-half defense kept alive last season’s runner-up's chances of reaching the playoffs. 

On-fire Wallace, second-half defense kept Turk Telekom’s hopes alive 

Turk Telekom Ankara has one of the hottest players in the BKT EuroCup at the moment and another career night by [Tyrone Wallace](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tyrone-wallace/011925/) as well as some strong second-half defense kept alive last season’s runner-up's chances of reaching the playoffs.

Wallace connected on 7-of-8 three-pointers in scoring 31 points in Turk Telekom Ankara’s 79-85 win at ratiopharm Ulm. That was the Turkish side’s third victory in the last four games and gives Selcuk Ernak’s team a 4-9 record just outside a playoff spot with five games to play.

“It’s beautiful,” Wallace said about being so locked in offensively. “It’s always great to have a game like that where you just feel like you got it rolling. Credit to my teammates for finding me when I was open. It’s even better to get a W.”

Tyrone Wallace scored a career-high 31 points in Ulm

Wallace has been one of the top players in the EuroCup in December. Against U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Round 10, the 29-year-old scored 19 points with 7 rebounds and followed that with 22 points in helping Turk Telekom beat Buducnost VOLI Podgorica for a second straight win. Wallace poured in a then-career-high 30 points along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists in Round 12 but they were not enough in a loss to Aris Midea Thessaloniki.

But the former NBA guard lit it up with 5-of-5 three-pointers in the first half and finished with 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals for a career-best index rating of 39.

“It was very important. We haven’t been doing very well in the EuroCup. They came to our house earlier in the season and beat us so we had this game marked as a game that we needed. And we were able to come out and get it,” Wallace said.

Besides Wallace’s standout performance, a major key was Turk Telekom’s defense in the second half. Ernak’s team held Ulm to 41 points in the first half but allowed the hosts to grab 11 offensive rebounds, leading to 14 second-chance points.

Ulm finished with three offensive rebounds and only 38 points in the second half. The 79 points were 11.0 points fewer than Ulm’s average as the fourth-highest-scoring team in the league.

“In the second half, we took care of (offensive rebounds) and started playing better defense. We kept Ulm under their average on their court. That was the key,” Ernak said.

Tyrone Wallace remained red-hot by improving on his EuroCup career-high for the second straight game. 

ratiopharm Ulm v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-12-26T18:30:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara remained alive in its late push for a playoff spot as it knocked off ratiopharm Ulm 79-85 on the road for its third win in the last four games. 

Turk Telekom still alive in playoff race after 79-85 win in Ulm 

Turk Telekom Ankara remained alive in its late push for a playoff spot as it knocked off ratiopharm Ulm 79-85 on the road for its third win in the last four games. Tyrone Wallace scored a career-high 31 points with 7 three-pointers and 6 assists for last season’s runner-up, which improved to 4-9 in Group B.

Steven Enoch collected 14 points and 8 rebounds and James Palmer chipped in 14 points. Ulm missed a chance to take a big step towards grabbing a spot in the playoffs as it lost its second straight game for an 8-5 record. Trevion Williams tallied 26 points and 11 rebounds in the loss and Thomas Klepeisz added 14 points.

Williams played a major role in Ulm jumping ahead early with an assist, an inside score, a three-pointer and an assist and offensive rebound for a 14-6 lead. Palmer hit a three-pointer and Wallace followed with 2 triples as Turk Telekom raced back ahead 16-17. The game was even at 19-19 after 10 minutes.

Ulm continued to grab offensive rebounds - snatching 8 of them in the first 12 minutes - but it struggled to make shots and another Wallace three-pointer had the guests up 21-24. Philipp Herkenhoff answered from deep and offensive rebound putbacks by Williams and Karim Jallow pushed the hosts up 28-24. Wallace remained hot though with 2 more three-pointers and the guests led 32-34. Ulm regained the lead and led 41-40 at the break.

The back and forth continued in the second half with Herkenhoff and Pacome Dadiet hitting three-pointers and Enoch scoring 7 points. New addition Brandon Brown knocked down 2 three-pointers and Wallace connected from deep again for a 52-58 advantage after 5 lead changes. The Turkish side was up 56-61 after 30 minutes.

Yet another Wallace three-pointer gave Turk Telekom a 62-68 cushion. Williams was not done as he had a three-pointer and three-point play to get within 65-68. Ulubay responded with a three-pointer and a three-point play from Wallace had the guests up 65-74 with less than 7 minutes left.

Ulm managed to get some defensive stops over a 4-minute stretch and trimmed the gap to 73-75. Ulubay drained a three-pointer and then after a steal, Ismail Ulusoy missed a layup, allowing Thomas Klepeisz to answer from deep. Enoch made it a two-possession game with 2 free throws with 15 seconds remaining. Williams committed an offensive foul and that was the end of Ulm’s comeback hopes.

Tyrone Wallace scored a career-high 31 points as last season's runner-up won for the third time in four games. 

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse secured a ticket to the BKT Playoffs and took sole possession of first place in Group B with a 92-84 overtime victory over defending champion Dreamland Gran Canaria at Ekinox on Tuesday night. 

Bourg holds off Gran Canaria 92-84 to clinch playoff spot

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse secured a ticket to the BKT Playoffs and took sole possession of first place in Group B with a 92-84 overtime victory over defending champion Dreamland Gran Canaria at Ekinox on Tuesday night. Bourg remained undefeated at home this season with its seventh straight win to improve to 11-2, while second Gran Canaria to its third straight loss and a 10-3 record. Despite the loss, Gran Canaria managed to retain the potential head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams.

Isiaha Mike paced the winners with 22 points and 8 rebounds. His wild three-pointer with 29.1 seconds left in overtime helped secure the victory. Bryce Brown added 17 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting, Bodian Massa netted 16 points and Jequan Lewis dished 9 assists for Bourg. A.J. Slaughter netted a game-high 23 for Gran Canaria in defeat. Nicolas Brussino chipped in 15 and Ethan Happ tallied 8 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals.

### Bourg uses a 15-0 run to take control

The offenses had their way early with the points coming freely. It was 13-13 after 5 minutes with Andrew Albicy playing a key role for the visitors and Mike starting to heat up for Bourg. Massa made an impact off the bench and free throws by Axel Julien put the hosts up 4. Maksim Salash’s runner made it 25-19 after 10 minutes.

Back-to-back threes by Julien and Brown to open the second quarter prompted a Gran Canaria timeout. Salash then capped a 15-0 run to lead 33-19. Sylven Landesberg drilled a triple to revive the visitors and Brussino’s third three of the game closed the gap. Free throws by Landesberg made it 38-33. Bourg scored the next 6 points to stay out of trouble and used another 7-0 spurt to surge ahead 51-36 at the break.

### Gran Canaria rallies

The visitors opened the second half with back-to-back threes by Slaughter and John Shurna. Bourg regrouped and managed to maintain a lead in the 9-to 11-point range. Brown kept Bourg in control as Gran Canaria turned the pressure up. Brussino scored in the paint and Ben Lammers added a second-chance bucket on the third-quarter buzzer to trim the deficit to 62-58.

Former Bourg star drilled a three to get Gran Canaria within 3 early in the fourth quarter, but a dunk and a jumper by Massa gave the hosts breathing room. A jumper by Slaughter made it 76-72 with 3 minutes remaining. Mike was called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Ethan Happ with 1:27 remaining, but Gran Canaria did not capitalize as the big man missed both of the resulting free throws and Slaughter missed a three on the ensuing possession. Slaughter got the champs within a basket with a jumper with 38.1 on the clock and – after Massa missed under the basket – Slaughter tied the game at 76-76 with free throws with 15.1 seconds left. Lewis missed a three at the buzzer and the game went to overtime.

### Massa leads Bourg to victory in OT

Massa scored the first 4 points of the extra session before Slaughter answered with a pair of triples, the second tying the game at 82-82. Massa then fed Brown for a go-ahead three. After a layup by Brussino, Mike beat the shot-clock for a miracle three and a 4-point cushion with 29.6 seconds remaining. Massa iced the game after grabbing a defense rebound, getting fouled and sinking 2 free throws with 18.1 seconds to go.

The overtime win sent the French side to its seventh straight win and put it atop the standings in Group B.

Umana Reyer Venice brought size and muscle to the paint with the addition of center Mfiondu Kabengele, which the club announced on Tuesday. Kebengele arrives from AEK Athens where he has been playing in his first season on the European continent.

Reyer bolsters frontcourt with Kabengele

Umana Reyer Venice brought size and muscle to the paint with the addition of center Mfiondu Kabengele, which the club announced on Tuesday. Kebengele (2.07 meters, 26 years old) arrives from AEK Athens where he has been playing in his first season on the European continent.

In six Greek League appearances this season, big man has averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, while in the Basketball Champions League he posted 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in four games.

A native of Canada, Kabengele attended Florida State University and started his professional career in 2019 with the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA. He played a total of 35 games with the Clippers over two seasons, before spending time with the Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks over the next three campaigns.

Kabengele appeared in a total of 55 NBA games in four seasons, time during which he also played in the G-League with Ontario, Rio Grande and Maine.

Kabengele is now set to make his BKT EuroCup debut with Reyer, helping the team which currently sits with a 4-8 record in eighth place of Group A to make a playoff push.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Centro di 208 centimetri e 113 chilogrammi, fisicità, atletismo in entrambi i lati del campo. L&#39;Umana Reyer firma Mfiondu Kabengele.<br>Il comunicato 👉 <a href="https://t.co/TaqEjQCzxB">https://t.co/TaqEjQCzxB</a> <a href="https://t.co/7mbox56u3p">pic.twitter.com/7mbox56u3p</a></p>&mdash; Reyer Venezia (@REYER1872) <a href="https://twitter.com/REYER1872/status/1739590761832751492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Big man Mfiondu Kabengele signed with Umana Reyer Venice on Tuesday.

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse hosts Dreamland Gran Canaria hosts in Round 13 of the EuroCup knowing that a win could change the balance of power in Group B. 

Bourg-Granca showdown could be a defining moment for both clubs

What a difference two months can make. When Dreamland Gran Canaria hosted Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse on October 25 in Round 4, the reigning champs were riding high with a 3-0 record and an average margin of victory of 19.7 points. Bourg was also undefeated, though it had scraped out a couple of narrow wins among its three victories. 

On that night, Gran Canaria pulled away early and led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter before Bourg rallied. That rally came up short as the hosts won[ 84-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2023/36/). 

Bourg has been chasing Gran Canaria ever since. And its comeback will be complete if it wins when these teams meet tonight at Ekinox.

Coach Frederic Fauthoux’s Bourg is the hottest team in the EuroCup with six consecutive wins. Moreover, it is undefeated at home this season. A win against Gran Canaria will see Bourg go atop Group B with an 11-2 record and become the first team from the group to clinch a playoff berth.

Dreamland Gran Canaria-Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse | Round 4 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Gran Canaria has slumped to back-to-back losses for the first time since April 2022. Its 22-point loss last week against Dolomiti Energia Trento was the worst home defeat in terms of margins since 2015. 

The story of this game, however, is more than just Bourg riding high and looking to pile on the suddenly struggling champs. Gran Canaria center Pierre Pelos joined the club from Bourg, where he had played the previous three seasons. He is one of two Frenchmen on the Gran Canaria roster alongside Andrew Albicy. A.J. Slaughter also spent many years playing for French clubs.

They are part of an experienced club that is aiming high and seeking to use this game as a chance to turn things around and create a buffer at the top of the standings. That is the goal for Gran Canaria. 

Bourg is a club built on many young players looking to the future, but there are three who remain from the 2021-22 season when it suffered by far the worst offensive performance in club history… against Gran Canaria. Axel Julien and Maxime Courby both started and Hugo Benitez came off the bench when Bourg lost [78-49](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/stats/db/U2021/40/#boxscore) in Round 4 of that season at Gran Canaria Arena. 

That trio was also in uniform when Bourg next met Gran Canaria, in February 2022, and erased a double-digit halftime deficit to win [78-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-gran-canaria/U2021/130/#boxscore) on a C.J. Harris jumper with 3 seconds remaining. 

Five Gran Canaria players remain from that squad – Albicy, Slaughter, Nicolas Brussino, Miquel Salvo and John Shurna. 

Can this season’s Bourg complete the comeback by beating Gran Canaria and vaulting itself to the top of the standings? To do so, it will be relying on several players who had never even competed in the EuroCup by that season, such as forwards Isiaha Mike and Zaccharie Risacher and point guard Jequan Lewis, a mid-season replacement for the injured Benitez. 

However, history has shown that Bourg can come back against Gran Canaria. And tonight it will look to do so once again in what would be a historic moment for the French club. 

 

The top-of-the-table showdown between Bourg and Gran Canaria sees the best two teams in Group B face off in a pivotal contest.  