Aris Midea Thessaloniki strengthened its playoff push and improved to 6-7 with a comfortable home win, 93-71, over Slask Wroclaw, which dropped to 1-12 at the foot of Group B. 

Aris cruises past Slask, 93-71 

Aris Midea Thessaloniki strengthened its playoff push and improved to 6-7 with a comfortable home win, 93-71, over Slask Wroclaw, which dropped to 1-12 at the foot of Group B. 

The host jumped to a double-digit advantage in the first quarter and never looked like losing the lead, which reached 17 points before halftime. Vassilis Toliopoulos led the way with 18 points, while Roberts Blumbergs scored 17 by netting 5 of his team’s new club record 17 three-pointers. Roberto Gallinat added 16 points, and Jonathan Stark scored 12. Hassani Gravett shined for Slask with 23 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting, and Dusan Miletic just missed a double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds. 

Game News

Kris Bankston scored the game’s first two field goals and Toliopoulos struck from deep to give Aris an early edge, 9-4. Three-pointers from Gallinat and Blumbergs stretched the lead to double digits, 17-7. Eleftherios Bochoridis was also on target from deep, making it 22-11 after ten minutes. 

Gallinat and Bochoridis were again on target from deep early in the second, protecting a comfortable margin despite Gravett netting Slask’s first three-pointer. Toliopoulos scored from both close and long-range for a 36-22 lead. Gravett added three quick baskets to boost Slask, but Ismael Sanogo’s three helped make it 49-33 at the break. 

Game Videos

Gallinat opened the second half scoring before Gravett responded with 5 fast points. Gallinat was again on target from deep, and Ronnie Harrell’s steal and score stretched it to 58-40. The red-hot Gravett struck two more triples to keep Slask hoping, but Bankston’s fierce dunk and threeballs from Blumbergs, Sanogo and Stark protected a big lead, 71-50, at the end of the third. 

Miletic scored twice early in the final period as Slask enjoyed its best spell of the game with a 3-12 run, reducing the deficit to 76-64 with 5 minutes remaining. But a smooth layup followed by a three-pointer from Toliopoulos reasserted Aris, and further triples from Lundbergs and Stark ensured there would be no late scare for the host. 

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Slask Wroclaw (2023-12-27T18:00:00.000Z)

Prometey edges depleted Cedevita in a shootout, 105-100

Prometey Slobozhanske knocked down 16 three-point shots on the way to pulling out a dramatic 105-100 win over visiting Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana on Wednesday night at Arena Riga in the capital of Latvia. Prometey's record improved to 7-6 record for sixth place of Group A, while Cedevita remained the only winless team in the competition after 13 rounds and was eliminated from playoff contention. 

It was a back-and-forth affair with teams trading blows, and leads, for four quarters with Prometey ending up the team that made more plays down the stretch. The hosts had 7 scorers in double figures. Tai Odiase tallied 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Gian Clavell paired 17 points with 6 assists. Oleksandr Lypovyy scored 16 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting. Ronald March and Issuf Sanon netted 15 apiece, Rob Gray added 10 points, while Caleb Agada collected 10 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in less than 23 minutes on the floor. 

The visitors had just seven players in their rotation and five of them scored in double figures. Jaka Blazic led the way with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, while Justin Cobbs scored 23. Karlo Matkovic had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks, Shawn Jones scored 15 points and Gregor Glas finished with 14.

Cedevita took the lead from the start, and through Matkovic, Blazic and Cobbs led 7-13. The hosts answered with a pair of three-pointers from Lypovyy, and one from March, but Rok Radovic and Matkovic kept the visitors in front. March nailed his second triple, but Matkovic had a three-point play, and Glas finished the quarter with a three-point play, giving Cedevita 24-30 advantage after 10 minutes. 

Clavell and Matkovic traded triples to open the second quarter and back-to-back threes from Ondrej Balvin and Sanon cut the gap to 35-37. The teams kept trading blows, with defenses rarely making stops. Prometey got its first lead of the night after Clavell nailed his second triple and Sanon followed it up with a fastbreak layup, 42-41. Blazic answered with 5 points to restore the visitors' lead, and Jones gave Cedevita's offense another boost, but Odiase scored 9 straight points on the other end to put Prometey in front again, and Clavell beat the buzzer with a three-pointer for a 60-55 halftime lead.

The teams kept playing at high pace after the break and Odiase scored twice more to extend the margin to 7 points. But Glas scored 9 points, including a three-pointer that restored a Cedevita lead, 67-70. The visitors could not capitalize on it, however, failing to convert on four of their next five possessions, while Gray hit pair of three-pointers to put Prometey back in front 73-71.  The hosts took 78-77 lead into the final quarter, which Cedevita started better. 

A three-point play from Cobbs and a triple from Blazic put the visitors in front 83-87, but it did not take long for Lypovyy to tie it at 88-88 with a three-pointer. March's third and Lipovyy's fourth three-pointers of the night opened 94-91 with 3 minutes to go. Cobbs hit a three of his own, while drawing a foul, but missed the ensuing free throw, before Agada scored 5 points, including a three-point play that made it 101-98 with 1:13 left. March's reverse layup on the ensuing possession made it a 5-point difference and the same player made a defensive stop that sealed the outcome.

Prometey Slobozhanske v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-12-27T17:00:00.000Z)

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul grabbed its first home win in three games by beating Wolves Vilnius 72-59 on Wednesday evening. 

Besiktas powers past Wolves, 72-59

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul grabbed its first home win in three games by beating Wolves Vilnius 72-59 on Wednesday evening. The Turkish side took its revenge on Wolves, which had beaten Besiktas 90-88 in the first game between the two teams back in October. With this victory, Besiktas improved to an 8-5 record, while Wolves dropped to 4-8.

Angel Delgado produced a sublime performance, having recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists, while Matthew Mitchell netted 15 points too. Tre'shawn Thurman paced the guests with 15 points and Garrison Brooks paired his 10 points with 8 rebounds.

Derek Needham scored the first basket of the game with a layup, but the two teams went scoreless for the next couple of minutes before Delgado made it 4-0 from inside. The Besiktas guard nailed a triple for an early 7-0 run, but Christian Mekowulu made 1 of 2 from the free-throw line for Wolves’s first point of the night. Mitchell scored 5 unanswered points for Besiktas’s first double-digit lead of the night, 12-1, midway through the first quarter. A Yigit Arslan three-pointer was followed by Kyle Allman’s first bucket of the game, 17-3. Vaidas Kariniauskas netted Wolves’s first field goal 8 minutes into the duel, but Besiktas took an 18-9 cushion into the second quarter.

A Regimantas Miniotas put-back basket was followed by triples from Mitchell and Mathews, but Adas Juskevicius and Garrison Brooks sank a basket each to cut the difference to 24-17. Brooks threw down a slam, but Mathews and Delgado responded with a bucket apiece on the other end to restore a double-digit lead, 32-20. Egehan Arna scored a corner triple before Delgado completed a three-point play and then Allman netted in transition for a Besiktas 43-23 lead heading into halftime.

Mitchell and Juskevicius exchanged baskets to open the third quarter, with the former taking his tally to 13 points after hitting a couple of free throws, 47-25. Delgado completed his double-double less than 4 minutes into the second half when he already had 11 points and as many rebounds, to allow Besiktas to maintain a 22-point lead. Arnas Berucka nailed Wolves’s first triple of the night midway through the quarter, 51-30. Arslan completed a three-point play, but the guests made 4 free throws to make it 54-34.

Besiktas was up by 20 points with the start of the closing quarter, with Leyton Hammonds drilling his first triple for a 61-38 cushion. Kariniauskas nailed one from downtown too, but a couple of Allman dunks and a Delgado basket allowed the hosts to grab a 67-44 lead with six minutes to go. The Turkish side dictated the tempo in the closing stages and gave some rest to their starters in head coach Dusan Alimpijevic’s attempt to manage their minutes. This allowed Wolves to fight back and reduce the deficit, but Besiktas managed to seal a comfortable win.

The winners improved their playoff hopes by distancing themselves from Wolves with the win. 

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Wolves Vilnius (2023-12-27T17:00:00.000Z)

Round 13 action, the last of 2023 in the BKT EuroCup, features 10 games on nine countries spread out over Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Game Center: Paris vs. London among four big Tuesday games!

[Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 72-59 Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-wolves-vilnius/U2023/122/)

Besiktas grabbed its first home win in three games by beating Wolves on Wednesday. The Turkish side took its revenge on Wolves, which had beaten Besiktas 90-88 in the first game between the two teams back in October. With this victory, Besiktas improved to an 8-5 record, while Wolves dropped to 4-8. Angel Delgado produced a sublime performance, having recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists, while Matthew Mitchell netted 15 points too. Tre'shawn Thurman paced the guests with 15 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Akatlar&#39;da galibiyet bizim! 👊 <br><br>Beşiktaş Emlakjet 72-59 Wolves Vilnius | Maç Sonucu<br><br>🦅 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Be%C5%9Fikta%C5%9FEmlakjet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeşiktaşEmlakjet</a> | <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/EPLSJLEGmv">pic.twitter.com/EPLSJLEGmv</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1740084730857468053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Prometey Slobozhanske 105-100 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/U2023/121/)

Prometey knocked down 16 three-point shots on the way to pulling out a dramatic win over visiting Cedevita on Wednesday at Arena Riga in the Latvian capital. Prometey's record improved to 7-6 for sixth place of Group A, while Cedevita remained the only winless team in the competition after 13 rounds and was eliminated from playoff contention. Tai Odiase tallied 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Gian Clavell paired 17 points with 6 assists for the winners. Jaka Blazic led Cedevita with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="in" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/BcPrometey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BcPrometey</a> tops Cedevita!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/EipT4PdL4R">pic.twitter.com/EipT4PdL4R</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1740082884491244015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 118-101 Veolia Hamburg Towers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/124/)

Hapoel made it six wins in a row and set a club scoring record in its victory over Hamburg at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall. Despite missing four of its top five scorers to injury, Hapoel prevailed in a game that it led by just 1 point heading into the fourth quarter. The victory kept Hapoel just behind Paris Basketball in second place in Group A with a 10-2 record, while Hamburg slipped 2-11. Bar Timor paced seven Hapoel scorers in double figures with a career-high 21 points and 6 assists. Aleksander Dziewa posted 23 points and 8 rebounds to lead Hamburg.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">כולם בשביל כולם!<br><br>עם 7 שחקנים שקולעים בספרות כפולות, הפועל מנצחת את המבורג, משיגה ניצחון 11 ברצף בכל המסגרות ועולה למאזן 2:10 ביורוקאפ.<br><br>הקבוצה תחזור מחר לישראל ותחל בהכנות למשחק מול קרית אתא (שבת, 19:20), בואו לתת אוויר לשחקנים, הם מחכים לכם👹 <a href="https://t.co/JPnaDqN4Fs">pic.twitter.com/JPnaDqN4Fs</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1740096946143109608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 77-79 U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/130/)

Cluj bounced back from its last home loss in the Eurocup by grabbing a hard-fought win at Buducnost at Moraca on Wednesday night. The visitors had to overcome a 15-point first-half deficit but finished strong and outscored their opponent 16-29 in the fourth quarter to turn the tables.  Patrick Richard and Andrija Stipanovic led the visitors with 16 points each to lift Cluj’s record to 9-4. Petar Popovic and Brandon Paul scored 13 points apiece to pace the hosts, who slipped to 5-8.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fourth away from home win of the season for <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UBTCluj</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/7HMmseXVu3">pic.twitter.com/7HMmseXVu3</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1740104301320470697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Aris Midea Thessaloniki 93-71 Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-slask-wroclaw/U2023/129/)

Aris strengthened its playoff push and improved to 6-7 with a comfortable home win over Slask, which dropped to 1-12 at the foot of Group B. The host jumped to a double-digit advantage in the first quarter and never looked like losing the lead, which reached 17 points before halftime. Vassilis Toliopoulos led the way with 18 points, while Roberts Blumbergs scored 17 by netting 5 of his team’s new club record 17 three-pointers. Hassani Gravett shined for Slask with 23 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">F I N Α L<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ARISSLASK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ARISSLASK</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/PHsUk1QlyZ">pic.twitter.com/PHsUk1QlyZ</a></p>&mdash; ARIS B.C. (@ARISBCgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARISBCgr/status/1740109690112221432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Dolomiti Energia Trento 76-70 Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/127/)

Trento protected its home floor and solidified its position in a tight playoff race by holding off visiting Lietkabelis on Wednesday night. With the win, Trento not only improved to a 6-7 record and a share of the fifth-best record in Group B, but also gave it a season-sweep of its direct playoff-chasing rival Lietkabelis, which dropped to 5-8. Andrejs Grazulis collected 18 points and 7 rebounds while Davide Alviti netted 14 on 4-for-5 three-point shooting to lead the winners. Deividas Sirvydis paced the visitors with 21 points and 7 rebounds.

### Tuesday, December 26

[JL Bourg en Bresse 92-84 Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/126/)

Bourg 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 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, while A.J. Slaughter netted a game-high 23 in defeat. Despite the loss, Gran Canaria qualified for the playoffs the next day through other results. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ + ⭐️<br><br>JL Bourg 92🆚 84 <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GranCanariaCB</a> <br><br>Mais quelle fin de match 🤩 La JL prend la tête de son groupe en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> <a href="https://t.co/GqzAMr7aBi">pic.twitter.com/GqzAMr7aBi</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1739747390372880773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ratiopharm Ulm 79-85 Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/128/)

Turk Telekom remained alive in its late push for the playoffs as it knocked off Ulm 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 change to take a big step towards grabbing a spot in the playoffs as it lost its second straight game to fall to 8-5. Trevion Williams tallied 26 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Deplasmandan galibiyetle ayrılıyoruz! 🤍💙<br><br>Maç sonucu: Ratiopharm Ulm 79 - 85 Türk Telekom <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AimToGlory?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AimToGlory</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnkaraBasketbolu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnkaraBasketbolu</a> <a href="https://t.co/97cmvofHgg">pic.twitter.com/97cmvofHgg</a></p>&mdash; Türk Telekom Basketbol (@TT_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/TT_Basketbol/status/1739747105114100069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Joventut Badalona 89-81 Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/123/)

Joventut celebrated its fifth win in the last six games and improved to 8-5 in Group A after a hard-fought 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 and Andres Feliz posted 15 points. At the other end, Rayjon Tucker stood out for Reyer with a game-high 21 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">💚🖤 FINAAAAL! Cinquena victòria seguida a l&#39;Eurocup!<a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Penya1930</a> 89-81 <a href="https://twitter.com/REYER1872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@REYER1872</a><br><br>🎯 Yannick Kraag: 17 punts / Andrés Feliz: 15 punts i 8 assistències<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Badalona%C3%89sFutur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BadalonaÉsFutur</a> <a href="https://t.co/jNVQ48gV4F">pic.twitter.com/jNVQ48gV4F</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1739759748222787913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Paris Basketball 94-77 London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/paris-basketball-london-lions/U2023/125/)

Paris cruised past London at Halle Georges Carpentier. 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.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A dominant home win for <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> 💯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/4ybEA8BgfM">pic.twitter.com/4ybEA8BgfM</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1739764250447347765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Round 13 action, the last of 2023 in the BKT EuroCup, saw two teams reach the playoffs: Bourg by virtue of a victory on Tuesday and Gran Canaria thanks to other results on Wednesday. 

Game Center: Cluj triumphs at Buducnost; Besiktas, Hapoel, Aris, Prometey, Trento win at home

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

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-12-27T17:30:00.000Z)

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

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

Dolomiti Energia Trento v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-12-27T19:00:00.000Z)

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

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-12-27T18:00:00.000Z)

Bourg displayed championship traits in win over champs

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse enters 2024 as the frontrunner in Group B of the BKT EuroCup after defeating defending champion Dreamland Gran Canaria 92-84 in overtime on Tuesday night. Bourg became the first team in the group to claim a playoff berth as it moved atop the standings with an 11-2 record.

Having now played Gran Canaria and third-place U-BT Cluj Napoca, Bourg can set its sights on winning the group and clinching a bye in the first round of the playoffs. It appears that the team is already thinking beyond that.

“Hopefully we can keep it going,” Bourg forward Isiaha Mike said after the game. “There’s a history of No. 1 teams getting to the finals and then losing, so hopefully we can change that and bring a championship home to Bourg en Bresse.”

Compliments also arrived from the opposing bench with Gran Canaria head coach Jaka Lakovic saying in the post-game press conference: “The last month Bourg is playing at a very high level. Probably the \[EuroCup\] team that is in the best shape at this moment, together with Paris.”

Lakovic had good reason for saying that as he witnessed Bourg win a tough game despite not playing its best basketball. After an excellent first half that ended with the hosts up 15, Bourg blew that lead and was forced to get the win in overtime. A big part of the reason for Gran Canaria’s comeback was the 19 turnovers Bourg committed. The visitors cashed in 20 points off those turnovers.

Even so, Bourg never trailed and excelled with its shooting and rebounding. Coach Frederic Fauthoux’s men controlled the glass 46-37. The hosts also made 52.3% of their two-pointers and shot 44.8% from downtown. In contrast, Gran Canaria was 43.9% on twos and 34.2% on threes.

Much of Bourg’s success came from contributions from unexpected places. Backup center Bodian Massa, in just his fourth game in the EuroCup, scored 8 of his 16 points in overtime. Another reserve, Bryce Brown, made 5 of 8 three-pointers for 17 points.

The top dog was once again Mike, who finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Mike authored the basket of the night, a turnaround three with 29.1 seconds left in overtime that put his team up by 4 and all but sealed the win.

Bourg's Isiaha Mike shined against Gran Canaria

After he praised the team: “We’ve just been clicking, man. That’s all this says about this team. We’ve been rolling. We’ve been improving in all the areas we need to improve. Obviously, we have a little more we want to do. But I can’t be happier with this group.”

Coach Fauthoux knows a thing or two about winning. A star point guard during his playing days. Fauthoux won seven French championships with Pau-Orthez and made 47 appearances for the French national team. So to see his team show the mental toughness to overcome Gran Canaria when not playing its best basketball and to rely on some second-stringers to do are great signs for the future.

Fauthoux called it “a very good victory against the champion.”

“We believe \[in ourselves\] and that’s the principle. And in the end, with a team like this, it’s perfect,” he said. “It was a tough game… The players can be proud after this game.”

Belief can take a team a long way in basketball. And Bourg looks ready to take us all on a ride in 2024.

Playoff bound Bourg can set its sights high after vaulting past the reigning champs to the top of the standings. 

Paris flashed its defense in stopping the London attack

Taking into account that two of the best offenses in the BKT EuroCup faced each other on Tuesday night, many expected a high-scoring duel between Paris Basketball and London Lions at Avia Solutions Group Arena. Paris may have not reached the 100-point mark, as it had in eight of its first 12 games this season, but the Parisians claimed a 94-77 victory over the visitors. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo’s men managed to keep London to 77 points despite the English side coming into the encounter as the third-best offense in the competition with 92.0 points per game.

Paris did concede 46 points in the first half, but Iisalo stressed at halftime that his team should tighten up its defense and the players delivered on the floor after the break. The French side outscored London 21-14 and 19-17, respectively, in the last two quarters to record their second victory against London this season.

“For me, the biggest thing was that when we were able to play clean defense, rebound and then turn it into transition we were in the driver’s seat,” Iisalo said after the game.

Indeed, Paris scored 15 points in transition and added another 10 off rebounds. Yet, most importantly, it made the most of London’s turnovers to get 24 points.

“They stopped our ball circulation,” London head coach Petar Bozic admitted after the final buzzer. “We had some opportunities for an extra pass and we didn’t do it. We had 17 turnovers at the end of the game and that’s too much to give someone.”

Ten of the 12 Paris players who stepped on the floor scored at least 2 points, but the man who stood out was Nadir Hifi. The Paris guard finished the game with 26 points, which is his second-best mark of the season, having previously netted 27 away at Joventut Badalona in Round 7. Hifi was electric when the game was in the balance, bagging 9 straight points midway through the first quarter to give Paris a 18-9 lead. He finished the first half on 15 points and went on to score another 11 after halftime.

Nadir Hifi scored 26 points against the London Lions

“I had good rhythm today, I had open shots,” Hifi noted. “My teammates put me in good situations and that’s nice for me and the team.”

Hifi, who is currently leading the EuroCup in points scored per game with 18.3, didn’t manage to find his range from downtown (2-for-7, 28.6%) despite ranking second in three-pointers made with 2.9 per duel. However, he went 7-for-9 from inside the arc and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line for a PIR of 24.

“I think we have the best record, 12-1,” Hifi added. “This is good for us. That’s what we want. There was one loss against Besiktas at home, but it’s a nice season.”

Indeed, Paris ended the 2023 calendar year ideally, with a statement victory against one of the title contenders and extended its winning streak to 5 games. The French side will return to action on January 10 for another tough duel, this time against Prometey Slobozhanske at home for Round 14.

Known for their top-ranked offense, Coach Iisalo’s men turned things up on the defensive end to defeat London on Tuesday.

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.   

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

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.

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.