7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys put an end to a three-game losing streak in Group B by downing Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 100-96 last week at home thanks to Deividas Sirvydis, who stepped up with career-highs of 27 points and a PIR of 35.

Deividas Sirvydis, Lietkabelis: 'We are showing everyone that we can win'

A former ANGT MVP, [Deividas Sirvydis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/deividas-sirvydis/007029/) returned to Europe this summer and has been one of Lietkabelis's pillars this season, averaging 16.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a PIR of 15.2 in five BKT EuroCup games. His father, Virginijus Sirvydis, was a shooting guard who guided his career since Deividas started playing basketball at age 7. He still tries to give him advice, as he told Javier Gancedo in this exclusive interview. "Basically after every game, I speak with them, mom and dad, and they also watch my games," Sirvydis said. "My dad was also a shooter who has a lot of guidance for me. That's why I am right now where I am, thanks to him."

**Congratulations on the win over Bourg and snapping the losing streak. You were very focused from the beginning. Did that make the difference?**

"I wouldn't say like more focused, but probably it was because of a couple losses before, we were probably more hyped for the game and just wanted to start a winning streak, and that's what happened. And in the end, we just enjoyed playing basketball with each other. And when you enjoy basketball, then the results come."

**Coach Canak is back with the team and most players in the team are used to playing for him. Is that an advantage?**

"Yeah, I think so. The first day when he came back here, most of, or at least some of the guys who played with him the last seasons, they knew him and were in a good mood, you know? And everyone was smiling. Everyone was happy about it. Basically, he proved that he knows all of our team because he was coaching Lietkebalis in the last couple of years and most of our \[new\] guys played in different teams in Lithuania. As for me, he watched me playing in the United States, so he knew everyone. We feel that, and it's really nice to play for him."

"When you enjoy basketball then the results come."

**I am sure you had many options when you came back from the United States. Why did you choose Lietkabelis?**

"First of all, as I said before, not only Coach \[Canak\] but also our general manager Martynas Purlys showed a big, big interest in me a couple of years ago. So starting from that and talking about how I came here, it's basically that when I spoke with Martynas Purlys and our previous coach \[Roberts Stelmahers\], they said that it was going to be a good platform for me to play here, and I'm going to get playing minutes and this exact role on the court. And of course, the main reason was the EuroCup."

**You are the only team in the EuroLeague or the EuroCup with no Americans. In fact, you only have two foreign players. Does it show the power of Lithuanian basketball?**

"Definitely. I mean, I wouldn't say all the people, but most of the people say that we couldn't play because we didn't have Americans or players from other countries. And everyone in Lithuania thinks that Lithuanians only can be like a kind of role player or something. But with our team, we are showing everyone that we can win, and Lithuanians are also really good players."

**Like you said, you have a new role in this team, with the ball in your hands, making things happen. How are you enjoying this?**

"I love it! I just like to play basketball and basketball is not all about scoring points but for me. I like having the ball. I like to pass the ball to others, make big plays, and it just feels good to know what I can do, and that Coach knows what I can do. It is just incredible."

Deividas Sirvydis of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys is averaging 16.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a PIR of 15.2 in 5 BKT EuroCup games until now.

2023-24 EuroCup highlights: Deividas Sirvydis, Lietkabelis

**Vytenis Lipkevicius and Gediminas Orelik have led this team lately. How have they embraced you and accepted your role as another important player in the team?**

"I think we had no problems, only maybe in the first couple of games. It was kind of a little bit harder for us because no one knew what I could do and I didn't know what I could do when we were on the court. But after the first couple of games, we figured everything out and right now we are just easy. And as I said, it feels good to play in this team because we have really good chemistry. We just enjoy being with each other."

**You were a star in the ANGT tournament and earned MVP honors in 2018 playing for U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. What do you remember about it?**

"Really good memories! I think that was the maybe second or third time in the team's history that we won that championship. So it was great. It was funny that we played the qualifying tournament in Kaunas and played against the same team in the big tournament final. When we knew we were going to play against Stellazzurra in the finals in Belgrade, we knew it was going to be a very tough game. And it was a very tough game! It is even more fun when you win after a tough game, so only good memories!"

**Your father Virginijus Sirvydis was a professional player, too. How much of an impact has he had on your career?**

"A lot. I mean, not only him, also my mom. She played basketball before, too, but my dad was a professional basketball player. Right now he's a coach and basically after every game, I speak with them, mom and dad, and they also watch my games. If they somehow miss any of my games, they will watch it later. My dad was also a shooter who has a lot of guidance for me. That's why I am right now where I am, thanks to him. He was a good shooter. You know, I was still a kid, but yeah, I remember watching him and yes, he was crazy good."

"It just feels good to know what I can do and that Coach knows what I can do."

**He also played in Russia, Cyprus, Germany and the Czech Republic. Did you travel with him to all those places when you were young?**

"When he played in Russia, I was like a little kid, so I didn't remember much, but, I was living with him for a while in Germany, the Czech Republic and Cyprus. I think these three countries, maybe I'm missing something, but these three countries for sure. I was 7 years old when I started playing here in Lithuania, but when I was visiting my dad over in those countries, I always watched practices and after them we stayed on the court. And, I was learning to shoot, and he was also rebounding the ball for me. So yeah, basketball was everywhere."

**You finish the first round of games on the road against Slask and at home against Cluj. What does the team need to keep winning and get close to the playoff zone?**

"As our coach is saying every time, we need to start everything from our defense. And in the last couple of games, our defense was not the best, of course, but in the last game, in those key moments, it was pretty solid. But we have to figure it out. I mean, our tactics and game plan is, we're doing exactly as we are told but usually, it is more psychological issues than one-on-one defense, probably. We have to be better at that and I think that's the main goal because on offense, we score a lot of points. We share the ball and all shooters get good looks. So the main thing is our defense."

### Fred Fauthoux, Bourg head coach

"We need to rediscover a little of the identity that we had since the start of the season. We need to regain all that after a little slump. It's an experienced, rough team, which keeps a lot of control. ball in attack, we have to get into the match quickly."

### Giannis Kastritis, Aris head coach

"This is our second away game in a row against a team that are doing great in both BKT Eurocup and their domestic league. This means a lot for their quality and how demanding it will be for us. We have to be very focused in our game plan, control their fastbreak points and make smart decisions in our offense."

### Ronnie Harrell, Aris player

"Two days after a very strong game against Panathinaikos, we face a very good team for the BKT EuroCup. Bourg is having a very good season so far and they deserve it, as they have a deep roster with a lot of quality. We play everywhere for the win and we made it twice so far away from our gym. To get the result we want, we have to overcome the fatigue and have energy in defense, so that we low their scoring and in the same time, be effective in the offensive part."

Game News

Pre-game quotes: Bourg vs. Aris

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2023-11-14T18:30:00.000Z)

### Ronen Ginzburg, Prometey head coach

"It's good to win, but it is not great for us right now. Hapoel is a talented team, especially at guard. They have quality players and they score a lot of points. We have to avoid them from running and scoring. Then we have to be more aggressive on defense, we know what everyone can do, but it all starts with their fastbreak."

### Caleb Agada, Prometey player

"We are feeling well. It's been a while since we son, but everybody contributed their positive energy to push us ahead. They have a great roster and a great team. It will be a good challenge for us."

Pre-game quotes: Prometey vs. Hapoel

Prometey Slobozhanske v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2023-11-14T17:00:00.000Z)

The order of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 9 and 18 games between 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and U-BT Cluj-Napoca will switch to accomodate arena unavailability.

The order of the games will be as follows:

Round 9: U-BT Cluj-Napoca – 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys Wednesday, November 29 at 19:00 Local time.

Round 18: 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys - U-BT Cluj-Napoca Wednesday,  February 7 at 19:00 Local time.

Order of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, U-BT Cluj-Napoca games switched 

The BKT EuroCup Regular Season Rounds 9 and 18 games between 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and U-BT Cluj-Napoca will switch in order due to arena unavailability.

The BKT EuroCup Regular Season Rounds 9 and 18 games between 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and U-BT Cluj-Napoca will switch in order due to arena unavailability.

The new order of the games will be as follows:

**Round 9:** U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys Wednesday, November 29 at 19:00 Local time.

**Round 18:** 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca Wednesday, February 7 at 19:00 Local time.

Order of games between Lietkabelis and Cluj is switched

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-11-29T17:00:00.000Z)

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

EuroCup rookie Georginho de Paula signed for ratiopharm Ulm during the 2023 offseason and is looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Brazilians Cristiano Felicio, Yago Dos Santos and Bruno Caboclo, who all thrived at the German club.

ratiopharm Ulm’s Georginho de Paula wants to show all Brazilians can do ‘something special’

ratiopharm Ulm has developed a strong recent history with Brazilian players. Following in the footsteps of Cristiano Felicio, Yago Dos Santos and Bruno Caboclo is [Georginho de Paula](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/georginho-de-paula-/012703/), who wants to do something special with the German club, just like his predecessors.

A couple of seasons ago, in the 2021-22 campaign, former NBA big man Felicio made his mark in southern Germany until an injury got the better of him. Then, last season, Dos Santos and Caboclo played key roles as Ulm won its first-ever German League championship.

### Making the move to Ulm

When it became clear that star playmaker Dos Santos would not be returning, Ulm returned to the Brazilian market and found the 27-year-old Georginho, whose full name is George Lucas Alves De Paula. The club viewed him as the perfect replacement for Yago, who made the jump to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

“I made my decision when \[Ulm head coach Anton Gavel\] told me that I was going to play point guard,” said the 1.97-meter playmaker from Diadema, Sao Paulo. “That is my main position and they were really, really interested in having me here. It means a lot to me because they just won the championship and were the best team last season in Germany. So, it means a lot to me.”

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href=https://www.instagram.com/p/CyHJIeKsPua/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Georginho de Paula (@georgelucas14)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Having played 100 games with Franca Basquetebol Clube and the Brazilian national team, Georginho had not had the opportunity to follow Ulm, Dos Santos and Caboclo last season until the German League finals, which saw the club take on Telekom Baskets Bonn. After seeing how Ulm played and then speaking with Coach Gavel and his agent, he decided that was enough for him to commit to the reigning German champs.

Georginho signed a two-year extension with Franca at the end of June, but about a month later he joined Ulm after it paid the buyout included in his contract. 

“I was thinking about leaving Brazil anyway, either \[going to the\] NBA or Europe, because I wanted more,” he commented. “I wanted to go outside Brazil and keep growing my basketball skills and IQ. So, I made my decision before signing the contract.” 

Georginho did not, however, need to talk to any of the three Brazilian internationals who played at Ulm before.

“I made my decision before I talked to my Brazilian boys, but they say a lot of good things about the team and about the city and I was pretty comfortable when I said yes to them,” Georginho noted. “They had a great season over there. Everyone loved Cristiano. They say he was a lovely teammate, and Bruno and Yago had a great season over here – everyone’s talked about it.”

The top plays of ratiopharm Ulm guard Georginho De Paula through the first six rounds of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Georginho's best plays so far this season

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Georginho has started the season with some growing pains. Not only is he playing for the first time in Europe, just like Dos Santos last season, but he was a very late arrival. 

First off, Georginho played for Brazil at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where the Selecao bowed out after the second round. He averaged 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists across five games, with Brazil’s final fixture coming on September 3.

### His ‘last dance’ with Franca

Georginho then kept his word to his former club, Franca, by playing at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore in late September. After helping Franca win the Basketball Champions League Americas title in April 2023, Georginho went on to average 11.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 rebounds at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. What’s more, he had 8 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in the final, a thrilling 70-69 win over Telekom Baskets Bonn on September 24.

"I really appreciate Ulm letting me play for Franca for a couple more weeks,” Georginho declared. “I've been playing in Brazil for so many years and there are some goals \[I wanted\] to achieve in Brazil. And the highest point is the Intercontinental Cup.

“I told the team that even if I was leaving the team, I wanted to be part of everything that we fought for. So, the last dance was the Intercontinental Cup and we played three great games against good teams. And for Franca, it means the world to win the Intercontinental Cup.

“Franca had a big, big party \[back in Brazil afterwards\] and I wasn't there. But my heart was with the team and I'm grateful to be part of something like what Franca had.”

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### Getting used to Ulm, Europe

Georginho is now working on getting comfortable at Ulm and with his new teammates as he looks to mesh his playing style into the system that Coach Gavel wants to implement. He is much taller than Dos Santos, is left-handed and can really finish at the rim, besides being an excellent distributor. 

Having averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a 15.0 PIR through his first six appearances in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season, the Brazilian playmaker is confident that he will catch on quickly and prosper in Europe. 

“I think it's going to be a great season for me to show all the world that I can play overseas and I can have a great career here in Europe,” he said. 

And Georginho is ready to live up to the expectations set by his countrymen before him.

“I'm aiming for something bigger than being just the best regular basketball player. I'm a Brazilian guy who wants to show that every Brazilian guy who steps in here is going to do something special.” 

More Ulm News

Georginho de Paula in action for ratiopharm Ulm in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The 27-year-old has already displayed his talent in his rookie BKT EuroCup season, but he still wants more.

Ulm’s Georginho wants to show that all Brazilians can do 'something special'

Round 7 of the BKT EuroCup features several key battles between direct rivals in the playoff races. Here's your quick guide to the action. 

This week: Streaks will be put to the test

### Tuesday, November 14

[7-bet Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/70/)

Boosted by last week's thrilling victory over Bourg, Lietkabelis (2-4) will aim to conquer a direct rival in the playoff race with a visit from struggling Turk Telekom (1-5). Deividas Sirvydis was the hero for Lietkabelis last week with 27 points, and he has scored 20+ in three of his five appearances this season, so stopping him will be key for the visiting team. Turk Telekom suffered its fourth straight loss last week despite a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds from Steven Enoch, and needs more than just him to improve an inside offense that has converted just 46.9% of two-point shots so far this season, second-worst in the league. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-lkb-ttk)

[Prometey Slobozhanske vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/U2023/61/)

Hapoel (4-1) will try to rebound from last week's pummelling at the hands of Paris by getting its playoff challenge back on track with a visit to Prometey (2-4). The home team, which has lost two games in a row, is the competition's top rebounding team with 40.8 boards per game and will look to dominate physically through Ondrey Balvin (8.5 rpg) and Davon Reed (7.0 rpg), but they face a formidable opponent in the form of Kyle Alexander, who averages 9.5 rebounds and scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in last week's game against Paris. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-pmt-hta)

After kickstarting a playoff-challenge with two straight victories, Wolves attempt to land three in a row against a Prometey outfit striving for consistency, despite holding the highest number of rebounds in the competition. The skills on show from Ondrey Balvin and Ronald March is sure to catch the eye.

Wolves Vilnius-Prometey Slobozhanske | Round 6 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

[ratiopharm Ulm vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-buducnost-voli-podgorica/U2023/67/)

Buducnost (2-4) will head into its trip to Ulm (4-2) under new leadership following the departure of head coach Petar Mijovic. The Montenegrin team has lost three straight and will look for leadership on the floor from McKinley Wright (13 points and 4.5 assists per game) as it seeks a return to winning ways. Ulm slipped up against Cluj last week despite 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals from young guard Juan Nuñez, who continues to look one of the continent's hottest backcourt prospects. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-ulm-bud)

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-aris-midea-thessaloniki/U2023/66/)

Bourg (4-2) needs to bounce back from last week's narrow loss at Lietkabelis against an Aris (3-3) battling to protect its position in the playoff places after overcoming Buducnost last week thanks to a strong finale from Dimitris Katsivelis, who scored 8 points in the last 6 minutes to seal a comeback win. Bourg leads the league in steals (10.3 per game), and the likes of Isiaha Mike (2.5 steals per night, joint best in the league) will look to unsettle the Greek team in a key game in the playoff race. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-bou-ari)

[Joventut Badalona vs. Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-paris-basketball/U2023/62/)

Perfect Paris (6-0) is aiming for a seventh straight win as it travels to a Joventut (3-3) team that needs to respond from last week's home loss to London. Paris has looked simply unstoppable so far, with guard Nadir Hifi's average of 15.8 points per game just one of many weapons available to Coach Tuomas Iisalo, whose team leads the league with a whopping 101.2 points scored per game. Inconsistent Joventut is struggling with injury problems but has been superbly led by veteran shooter DeShaun Thomas, who has scored at least 16 points in each of the last five games.  Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-jov-prs)

With 100% records, plenty of offensive potential and five of the top ten individual performers on court, expect a scintillating showdown. Paris ranks second in scoring with 98.6 points per game, bettered only by Hapoel's 101.5 points per night, but who will emerge triumphant on this occasion?

Paris Basketball-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | Round 6 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### Wednesday, November 15

[Wolves Vilnius vs. Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/wolves-vilnius-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/65/)

After a thrilling high-scoring victory over Cedevita in Round 6, Reyer (2-4) will look to build more momentum with a tough trip to in-form Wolves (3-2), which has won three in a row. Barry Brown was key to Reyer's victory last week with 21 points, but the host boasts the Round 6 MVP after Rasheed Sulaimon powered Wolves to victory over Prometey with 30 points, 7 assists and 3 steals. Wolves rank second in the league in offensive rebounding with 13.8 per game, while Reyer is dead last with an average of just 7.8. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-wol-pvnc)

[Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul vs. London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-london-lions/U2023/63/)

After grabbing a great win in Badalona in Round 6, London (4-2) faces another major challenge on the road as it travels to Besiktas (5-1), which has won all four games at home so far this season. In a game between direct rivals in the playoff race, Besiktas will focus on delivering another tough performance from its defense, which ranks second in the league with just 72.3 points per game allowed. London will look for in-form big man Gabe Olaseni, who scored 21 points in Badalona last week, to get the better of his duel with Besiktas star Angel Delgado (8.2 rebounds per game). Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-bes-lli)

High-flying Besiktas may be optimistic of a fifth win in six outings as it welcomes a Hamburg still awaiting their first success of 23/24. The power of William Christmas can help the Germans compete physically, yet the form of the Turks' Angel Delgado and his 7.8 boards might be cause for concern.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 6 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

[Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Veolia Hamburg Towers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/64/)

Two winless teams are battling to finally grab a first victory of the season as Cedevita (0-6) receives a visit from Hamburg (0-6). The visitor needs to tighten up the league's worst defense, allowing 101.8 points per game, with particular attention needed for Cedevita playmaker Klemen Prepelic (13.7 points and 11.3 assists per game). Hamburg does crash the boards well, averaging 12.7 offensive rebounds per game, and will hope that Seth Hinrichs (8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game) can have a big night in this battle for a first win. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-lju-ham)

[Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/68/)

High-flying Cluj (5-1) will look for a fourth straight victory against a confident Trento (3-3) which has also won its last three games. Cluj bases its success on defense, allowing just 73 points per game (third best in the competition) as DJ Seeley averages 2 steals in addition to his 14.8 points. Kamar Baldwin is in good form for Trento, coming back from injury to score 28 and 17 points in the last two games. Trento has averaged 88.7 points during its three-game winning run, so will be confident of its chances of firing again despite the visitor’s excellent defense. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-trn-clu)

[Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-slask-wroclaw/U2023/69/)

It's top against bottom as unbeaten reigning champ Gran Canaria (6-0) receives a visit from Slask (0-6), the only team in Group B without a win. The Polish team's chances of causing a major upset rest on the shoulders of Dusan Miletic, who ranks second in the league in PIR (23.5) and recorded his second double-double of the season in last week's loss against Trento. Gran Canaria's balanced approach last week saw a starring role for Sylven Landesberg, who scored 20 points to help defeat Turk Telekom. But the Spanish team, which counts 22.3 assists per game (third best in the competition) among its strengths, possesses weapons all over the floor and will take some stopping. Game [Notes and Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ec2324-rs7-game-notes-facts-can-wro)

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-11-14T17:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Slask Wroclaw (2023-11-15T20:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-11-15T19:00:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2023-11-14T18:30:00.000Z)

Wolves Vilnius v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-11-15T17:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-11-15T17:30:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Paris Basketball (2023-11-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v London Lions (2023-11-15T17:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv will be without star forward Tomer Ginat for the enxt three weeks due to a sprained ankle. 

Hapoel forward Tomer Ginat out with ankle injury 

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv will be without star forward [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) for the next three weeks, though it could have been ever worse. Ginat, 29, injured his ankle during practice last week in Paris and was flown home to Israel for further diagnoses. An MRI on Sunday in Tel Aviv confirmed that there was no break and that he is suffering from a sprain. Ginat has already begun the rehabilitation process and the team hopes to have him back in uniformin early December.

Tomer Ginat highlights - October-November 2023

Tomer Ginat highlights - October-November

Ginat has played some of his best basketball for Hapoel this season with averages of 18.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists through five games. He is tied for fourth in the EuroCup in scoring and alone in fifth place in average performance index rating (21.0 per game)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">לאחר סדרת בדיקות מקיפות שערך תומר גינת היום בבית החולים איכילוב, נשללה האפשרות לשבר בקרסולו אך התגלה כי הוא סובל מנקע חמור.<br><br>תומר צפוי להיעדר מהמגרשים כשלושה שבועות, ויחל כבר מחר בהליך שיקום כדי לחזור כמה שיותר מהר למגרשים.<br><br>החלמה מהירה תומר! <a href="https://t.co/yjSJIODAuS">pic.twitter.com/yjSJIODAuS</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1723758450214142179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ginat will miss an estimated three weeks with a sprained ankle. 

With six rounds of action in the books, there is enough data to start examining how excellence on offense and defense is affecting teams' records.

Stats review: The premier offenses and defenses and how they affect the standings

Round 6 of the BKT EuroCup featured a marquee matchup in Group A and a rematch of last year’s championship game in Group B.  With [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/paris-basketball/roster/prs/?season=2023-24) handing [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2023-24) its first loss in a blowout and [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2023-24) renewing its 2022 EuroCup Championship rivalry with a 13-point win over [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/roster/ttk/?season=2023-24), it was an eventful week that provided a rough outline of what the league landscape may look like moving forward.

The graph above depicts the efficiency of this season’s field in terms of how far above and below the league average they have been on both ends of the floor.  On its surface, it captures the distance Paris and Hapoel have made on the field offensively, Gran Canaria’s impressive two-way efforts that have it looking like a real threat to become the competition’s first repeat champion, and the massive glut of teams that are still jockeying for position in the middle of the field.

Digging a little deeper, we see that offense has been the biggest differentiator among the teams that have gotten off to a fast start in the standings, but not a source of parity in the middle of the pack; there are a dozen teams all within striking distance of one another with the way they put the ball in the basket in the early going. 

The spread is only a little wider among that group on the defensive end, but in contrast, there is no team running away with things defensively. Newcomer [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/aris-thessaloniki/roster/ari/?season=2023-24) is on the cusp of achieving that kind of separation as it has overcome some tough shooting nights with its ability to string together stops to get to 3-3, but still finds itself in limbo in the middle of the standings early on.

[Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/besiktas-istanbul/roster/bes/?season=2023-24) also warrants mention among newcomers as it sits alongside the [London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/london-lions/roster/lli/?season=2023-24) and [Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/roster/bou/?season=2023-24) in the second tier of three teams who have been outplaying their opponents on both offense and defense. 

Besiktas will be a team to watch in the coming weeks as it will have a chance to sink or swim in Group A with its next three games coming against London, Paris, and Hapoel.

Regardless of where a team finds itself in the standings, most will have to reckon with how different the stakes are this season due to the new postseason format. 

While nothing ever comes easy for the teams in the middle of the field in the EuroCup, last season, .500-level basketball was enough to comfortably secure a playoff spot. That will not be the case this season as it appears likely the .500 will be the minimum requirement to sweat out a postseason berth and not the green check it was last season.  That will make the action in the middle of the standings especially compelling this season.