U-BT Cluj-Napoca played great defense to defeat Aris Midea Thessaloniki 59-61

U-BT Cluj-Napoca gave Aris a taste of its own medicine

U-BT Cluj-Napoca took to the historic Palais De Sports knowing that it would take on the second-best defense in the BKT EuroCup with an average of 73.8 points conceded in the first four rounds. Aris Midea Thessaloniki got off to a great start and led 15-3  just 4 minutes into the first quarter. No team in the competition had forced more opposition turnovers than Aris (18.3 per game) heading into Wednesday's duel and Cluj struggled to find answers to the Greek side’s aggressive defense in the opening stages.

"The first 5 minutes was the most difficult part of this game," Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan said after the duel. "We weren’t focused and we turned the ball over a bit too much. We allowed them to get confidence and take a 10-point lead."

Mareks Mejeris shined for Cluj against Aris

Cluj did bounce back and scored 16 points in the last 6 minutes of the first half, but Aris took a 22-19 lead into the second quarter. This is when the visitors tightened their defense and never looked back. Prior to this game, Aris had gone on a two-game winning run which was based on a defense that allowed just 63 and 66 points. The hosts managed to hold Cluj to 61 points, but got a taste of their own medicine on the other end. Aris scored 11, 13, and 13 points, respectively, in the last three quarters, with Cluj keeping Roberto Gallinat, who netted 10 points in the first half, to 5 points after the break.

"I believe that our defensive formula in the second half, the players who played the best defense, won the game for us," Silvasan said in the post-game press conference. "It was an extremely big defensive effort and that’s the reason why we won this game."

Game News

Cluj received important help from its second unit, getting 30 of its 61 points from the bench. Mareks Mejeris played a key role in helping the visitors complete the comeback. The Cluj forward scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, going on a perfect 5-for-5 from inside the arc and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Most importantly he showed hustle on both ends and finished the game with 6 rebounds, one of which came in the last seconds of the game to allow his team to clinch the road victory.

"Obviously, defense \[was the key to the win\]," Mejeris noted after the game. "It was a low-scoring game, but we knew it was going to be this way so we stayed locked in on the defensive end and tried to score on offense and it worked."

Despite struggling on offense throughout the game, Cluj matched Aris's energy on defense and managed to find the formula that allowed the team to secure its fourth victory of the season. Currently boasting a solid 4-1 record, the Romanian side will look to build on its narrow win at Palais De Sport by beating ratiopharm Ulm at home next week and extending its winning streak to three games.

Game Videos

The visitors turned in one of their best defensive performances to claim a road win in Greece. 

Cluj gave Aris a taste of its own medicine

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-11-01T18:00:00.000Z)

Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup sees the competition’s three remaining unbeaten records come under threat, as well as a series of direct matchups between playoff hopefuls. 

Big-time matchups in Round 5 could shape EuroCup playoff picture

[Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 74-68 Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/44/)

Besiktas bounced back from its first loss of the season with a triumph over visiting Reyer on Wednesday night at BJK Emlakjet Sports & Event Hall. Coach Dusan Alimpijevic's men remaining unbeaten at home this season as they improved to 4-1 in Group A. Matt Mitchell led a balanced Besiktas attack with 15 points and Derek Needham produced 13 points and 6 assists for the winners. Marco Spissu paced Reyer with 15 points and 4 assists. The loss dropped Reyer's record to 1-4.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">BKT EuroCup’ta 4️⃣. galibiyetimizi alıyoruz. 😎<br><br>Beşiktaş Emlakjet 74-68 Umana Reyer Venice | 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/EV8Fc3Otr6">pic.twitter.com/EV8Fc3Otr6</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1719788791387344946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Prometey Slobozhanske 79-96 Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-paris-basketball/U2023/41/)

Paris survived a slow start before turning on the afterburners for a victory at Prometey to remain perfect in Group A. The French side scored just 7 points in the first 8 minutes but ended up close to its scoring average of 99.2 points to improve to 5-0. Nadir Hifi paced five Paris players in double figures with 20 points and Leon Kratzer posted 12 points and 11 rebounds. Prometey dropped to 2-3 despite Ronald March pouring in 23 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Make it 5-0 ✋🫡<br><br>Toujours invaincus en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> 💪<br><br>La confiance est au 🔝 avant de vous retrouver à Carpentier dimanche 👀🏠<br><br>Paris pour Paris 🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/TXaFqLp5Vv">pic.twitter.com/TXaFqLp5Vv</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1719795202104189272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Aris Midea Thessaloniki 59-61 U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-u-bt-cluj-napoca/U2023/47/)

Cluj grabbed their second road win of the season at Aris. The hosts hit the ground running in the first quarter, but Cluj matched their energy on defense and managed to turn the game around in the second half. The visitors improved to 4-1 and Aris dropped to 2-3 following its second home loss of the season. Andrija Stipanovic paired a team-high 13 points with 6 rebounds, while Mareks Mejeris scored 12 and downed 6 boards off the bench for a game-high PIR of 20 for the winners. Roberto Gallinat paced Aris with 15 points but committed 6 turnovers. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT a win on the road for <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UBTCluj</a> tonight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/RiwUqVqx6d">pic.twitter.com/RiwUqVqx6d</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1719809131089899650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ratiopharm Ulm 108-103 Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-slask-wroclaw/U2023/48/)

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Was für ein Krimi - das war nichts für schwache Nerven 🤯 Nach Verlängerung sichern wir uns den vierten Sieg im EuroCup 🏀👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uuulmer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uuulmer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weareone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weareone</a> | 📸 Achberger <a href="https://t.co/sRckq2MWWx">pic.twitter.com/sRckq2MWWx</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1719822626212729148?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 78-73 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-buducnost-voli-podgorica/U2023/46/)

Bourg celebrated an emotional 78-73 home win over Buducnost to improve to a 4-1 record in Group B after 18-year-old forward Zaccharie Risacher posted a personal record of 21 points in a rip-roaring contest. Earl Rowland, a 40-year-old veteran, pulled the playmaking strings and scored 13 points in 14 minutes on the court to steer Bourg past Buducnost, which dropped to 2-3 after being blown away in the second half. Brandon Paul paced Buducnost with 16 points, 13 of them in the first half.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙴 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<br><br>JL Bourg 78 🆚 73 <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKBuducnostVOLI</a><br><br>Après un gros sprint final et au bout du suspense, la JL s&#39;est dépassée pour s&#39;emparer de cette victoire !! 💫 <br>Bravo messieurs, un vrai combat ! <a href="https://t.co/YnVUxQyRJj">pic.twitter.com/YnVUxQyRJj</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1719813601949540847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Dreamland Gran Canaria 88-77 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/50/)

Gran Canaria remained perfect in Group B with a comfortable home victory over Lietkabelis thanks to a balanced performance. Miquel Salvo scored 15 points to pace four Gran Canaria scorers in double figures with Nicolas Brussino collecting 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals and Ethan Happ tallying 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. The game had a bittersweet taste for the reigning champion as John Shurna had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury. Lietkabelis dropped to 1-4 despite Martynas Varnas and Paulius Valinskas leading the team with 17 points each. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ht" dir="ltr">🏀 Final:<br><br>🐥 Dreamland Gran Canaria 88<br>🔵 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 77<br><br>🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VamosGranca?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VamosGranca</a> <a href="https://t.co/SjAaF40He9">pic.twitter.com/SjAaF40He9</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1719833638928339398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup saw group leaders Paris and Gran Canaria improve to 5-0 in Wednesday action. Round 5 will draw to a close after London Lions and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv meet on Thursday.

Game Center: Paris, Cluj strike on the road among Wednesday's 6 games

Dreamland Gran Canaria v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-11-01T20:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-10-31T19:00:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Slask Wroclaw (2023-11-01T18:30:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2023-11-01T18:30:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-31T17:30:00.000Z)

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-11-01T17:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-10-31T19:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v London Lions (2023-11-01T18:00:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v Paris Basketball (2023-11-01T17:00:00.000Z)

Brilliant Bourg stretches good start with 78-73 win over Buducnost

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse celebrated an emotional 78-73 home win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in their BKT EuroCup Regular Season clash, improving to a 4-1 record in Group B after 18-year-old forward Zaccharie Risacher posted a personal record of 21 points in a rip-roaring contest.

Earl Rowland, a 40-year-old veteran, pulled the playmaking strings and scored 13 points in 14 minutes on the court, while Isiah Mike chipped in with 11 points to steer Bourg past Buducnost, which dropped to 2-3 after being blown away in the second half.

Brandon Paul paced Buducnost with 16 points, 13 of them in the first half. Marvin Jones and Jacorey Williams netted 10 each for the visitors, who dominated all the key departments in the opening two quarters before they fell apart early in the third.

Buducnost carved out a 13-21 lead late in the first quarter and stayed ahead throughout the second, although Bourg hung on and was able to slash the deficit several times. A buzzer-beating triple from Rowland on the stroke of halftime was a taste of what was to come after the break, as it ignited a 20-4 Bourg run and turned the tide.

The hosts never looked back after erasing a 38-43 halftime deficit and turned it into a 59-50 lead, their biggest of the night, with Rowland completing a four-point play as he drew a foul while sinking a tough three-pointer off the glass.

It was Risacher, though, who stole the show and turned on the heat in the third quarter with a barrage of three-pointers and Mike followed in his footsteps, as he mixed power in the paint with some perimeter prowess.

Buducnost was able to put together an 8-0 streak to slash the deficit to 59-58 early in the fourth and stayed in it right until the home straight, when Mike sank a triple and Risacher nailed 5 points to give the home side an unassailable 76-69 lead and prompt loud cheers from a jubilant home crowd.

"It is very important to win at home like this in an extremely tough group," Bourg coach Frederic Fathoux said in a flash courtside interview after the game. "Our team played with a lot of heart in the second half, we were patient on offense and had a good selection. It’s important to play with the right energy but it’s just as crucial to keep cool heads, especially because we have a lot of injured guys right now."

The French side improved its record to 4-1 in Group B with a gritty display on its home court.

ratiopharm Ulm outlasts Slask Wroclaw in overtime thriller, 108-103

ratiopharm Ulm (4-1) kept its charge for the playoffs on track with a thrilling 108-103 overtime victory, after a big fourth-quarter comeback, over winless but battling Slask Wroclaw (0-5). A high-scoring first half was closely contested, with the game finely poised 49-46 at the interval. The scoring initially slowed after halftime, but Slask soon pulled away with a 4-19 run and led by 13 points, 64-77, with 10 minutes remaining. Ulm roared back ahead with a 15-0 run at the start of the fourth, but Slask battled back for overtime before Ulm edged that extra period to take the win.

Karim Jallow paced the winning team with 23 points, while Trevion Williams added a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds plus 7 assists, which aided Ulm's EuroCup record 35-assist effort. Dakota Mathias scored 16, Thomas Kleipeisz netted 12 with 7 assists, and Juan Nunez contributed 11 points plus 7 steals on his return from injury. Lukasz Kolenda led Slask’s resistance with 29 points, and Dusan Miletic scored 17.

The early scoring came at a fast pace and was evenly shared with Jallow and Hassani Gravett both scoring three early baskets. Williams and Kolenda netted two apiece to make it 19-17. Michal Sitnik’s triple pushed Slask ahead, but the host responded through Tobias Jensen from deep to lead 25-22 after 10 minutes.

Miletic threw down a pair of dunks but Nunez pushed Ulm further ahead, 37-28, with two baskets. Georginho De Paula and Kolenda traded triples, while Pacome Dadiet netted twice to keep the lead for Ulm, 43-35. The outstanding Miletic added three more baskets to pull Slask closer, 49-46, at the break.

Nunez and Mateusz Zebski traded triples to start the second half before the defenses finally got on top. Kleipeisz struck from deep for Ulm, but Gravett and Mikolaj Adamczak sent Slask ahead, 57-58. Miletic, Kolenda and Aleksander Wisniewski stretched the lead before 5 points from Sitnik made it 64-77 after three quarters.

Williams scored 5 straight points to reduce the gap early in the fourth before Jallow and Kleipeisz scored from deep to make it 76-77, and Mathias added another triple for a 79-77 lead with a 15-0 run before Miletic ended the Slask drought. Georginho scored 5 fast points to seemingly seal the seal, but Kolenda’s three-pointer and Art Parakhouski’s free throws forced overtime.

Mathias sent Ulm ahead with 5 quickfire points, and a three-point play from Jallow sealed the deal even though Slask battled until the end.

Ulm made it three wins in a row with a thrilling 108-103 overtime victory over Slask, which remains without a victory at the bottom of Group B. 

Ulm outlasts Slask in OT thriller, 108-103

U-BT Cluj-Napoca  edges Aris Midea Thessaloniki , 59-61, on the road

U-BT Cluj-Napoca grabbed a 59-61 win away at Aris Midea Thessaloniki in Round 5 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign on Wednesday evening. The hosts hit the ground running in the first quarter, but Cluj matched their energy on defense and managed to turn the game around in the second half. The visitors improved to 4-1 and Aris dropped to 2-3 following its second home loss of the season.

Andrija Stipanovic paired a team-high 13 points with 6 rebounds, while Mareks Mejeris scored 12 and downed 6 boards off the bench for a game-high PIR of 20. Patrick Richard was the third Cluj player on double-digits in scoring with 10 points. Roberto Gallinat paced Aris with 15 points but committed 6 turnovers. Dimitris Katsivelis, who filled in for the injured Vassilis Toliopoulos, had 11 points and Ronnie Harrell added 10.

Aris started strong at a buzzing Palais De Sports, with Gallinat scoring back-to-back triples and Surtan Sanogo sinking another one from deep in the first three possessions for a 9-2 lead. Cluj struggled against Aris’s rigid defense and scored its first field goal 4 and a half minutes into the first half, 15-5. Stipanovic took his tally to 4 points, all scored from the free-throw line, and Karel Guzman capitalized on a smooth Cluj team move to get his team within 19-14. Aris was held scoreless for more than 2 minutes, but Kristeon Bankston netted a bucket for his first points of the game. Emanuel Cate converted from the line to complete a three-point play on the other end, but Aris took a narrow 22-19 lead into the second quarter.

Bankston posterized Cate with a monster dunk, but Cluj bounced back, with Jarell Eddie opening his account to tie the game at 25-25. Stipanovic scored a put-back basket and D.J. Seeley got his first points with a fade-away jumper for Cluj’s first lead in the game, 27-29. The two teams exchanged leads in the last 2 minutes of the second quarter, with Aris making 4 from the line to get back in front, 33-32, just before the break.

Backdoor cuts by Richard and Mejeris led to three uncontested baskets for a 0-6 Cluj run in the opening stages of the second half. Sanogo responded to Mejeris’s dunk with a slam on the counter and Katsivelis scored a layup to draw Aris within 39-42. Eddie sank back-to-back triples for an 8-point Cluj lead, but Eleftherios Bochoridis drilled a jumper and Harrell scored a three-pointer on the break to bring Aris within 46-49 heading into the last quarter.

Another Harrell triple allowed Aris to tie the game 49-49, but Cate got an easy basket and Stipanovic took his tally to 13 points for a 49-53 Cluj lead. Katsivelis completed a three-point play on the other end. Mejeris scored his fourth basket from inside the arc and Cluj held a 52-55 cushion. Gallinat drilled a tough triple and Marcus Carr made 2 of 2 from the line for Aris’s first lead in the second half, 57-55, with 3:42 left on the clock. The two teams went scoreless for 2 minutes before Adam Mokoka scored 1 of 2 from the charity stripe. Two converted Gallinat free-throws were followed by a Mejeris basket and a couple of Guzman points from the line for a 59-60 Cluj lead with 25 seconds to go. Neither Gallinat nor Silvio De Sousa, who pounced on the rebound, managed to score in the last Aris possession and the visitors escaped with their second road win this season.

The Romanian side held on in a thriller to remain near the top of the Group B table. 

Cluj edges Aris, 59-61, on the road

Road warrior Paris Basketball wins fourth straight away from home 

Paris Basketball came into the season as a strong contender for the BKT EuroCup title. And Coach Tuomas Iisalo’s French side has not disappointed its fans in fighting past Prometey Slobozhanske 79-96 to improve to 5-0 - especially after booking a fourth straight road win.

Paris rebounded from a tough double-overtime battle at London Lions in Round 4 for a comfortable 17-point victory over Prometey.

"No game is comfortable nowadays. You can be up by 20 points and it can be over in a hurry or it can get into single digits with just 4 shots. We did what we needed to do," Iisalo said. "We played with better identity after the very poor start to the game. The second half we controlled it pretty well, even if we didn’t make our shots in the beginning of the fourth. But we were able to get some stops and keep the difference around 15 points."

After winning the opening game of the season 105-78 over Wolves Vilnius, Paris has now reeled off four consecutive road wins. It beat Umana Reyer Venice 75-81 and then polished off Veolia Towers Hamburg 69-105 before out-lasting London 102-106.

"Results-wise it couldn’t be better. But there is a lot of potential to improve and the difficulty is how to do it with the lack of practice time. I’m satisfied with how the guys are showing up in every game to compete," the coach said. "It’s a huge challenge with the schedule of two-three games every week but guys are finding energy for every game. And it’s a big pleasure to coach these guys."

Paris, which has picked up a 3-1 road record as part of its 7-2 mark in the French League, scored just 7 points in the first 8 minutes against Prometey in falling behind 20-7 and trailed 22-17 after 10 minutes. It was the first time Paris struggled coming out of the games of a game, making just 3 of its first 12 shots.

"It’s not always easy when you travel a lot and you have to be ready. We gotta be ready, but we didn’t do it. Still we found a way to manage the win," said Paris big man Leon Kratzer, who tallied a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Kratzer’s effort helped the French side still nearly end up reaching its scoring average of 99.2 points coming into the game.

"We kept the game in a one-on-one and did a great job there. The beginning was not so good but we kept going and found a way and in the end we deserved the win," Kratzer said.

And that in winning another road game.

The win made Paris the first team to notch 5 wins in the EuroCup this season.

Road warrior Paris wins fourth straight away from home 

Perfect Paris Basketball survives slow start, pushes past Prometey Slobozhanske 79-96 

Paris Basketball pounded Prometey Slobozhanske 79-96 on Wednesday to remain perfect in Group A. The French side scored just 7 points in the first 8 minutes but ended up close to its scoring average of 99.2 points to improve to 5-0.

Nadir Hifi paced five Paris scorers in double figures with 20 points, Mikael Jantunen scored 15 points, TJ Shorts had 11 points and 6 assists and Leon Kratzer chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds. Prometey dropped to 2-3 despite Ronald March pouring in 23 points and Issuf Sanon tallying 11 points. Marcus Keane and Tai Odiase were held to 14 points combined, well below their combined average of 24.5 points.

### Prometey started strong

The expectations of a high-scoring encounter did not live up to the billing in the early going as both teams had just one basket in the first 3 minutes and Prometey was ahead 6-3 after 4 minutes. The home side took advantage of a couple of turnovers by Paris and Caleb Agada went for 4 points to lead 10-5 more than halfway through the first quarter. Paris’s offense continued to sputter and March knocked down two triples for a 20-7 Promotey cushion nearly 8 minutes into the game. Having made just 3 of its first 12 shots, Paris scored on its four final possessions - including a Tyson Ward three-pointer - and trailed 22-17 after 10 minutes.

 

### Paris fought back

An early Kratzer put-back for Paris trimmed the deficit to 22-19 only to see March drain another triple as Prometey moved ahead 27-21. Shorts began taking charge for the guests with two driving layups and a jumper for 7 straight points. A Hifi three-pointer got Paris within 32-31. Collin Malcolm’s three-point play put the guests ahead and two Hifi layups made it 36-40. An unsportsmanlike foul on Keane resulted in Jantunen foul shots and a Kratzer layup for a 38-46 advantage. The score was 41-48 at intermission.

### The visitors extend the margin

Ondrej Balvin sank a three-pointer early for Prometey to cut the margin to 44-50. Paris continued its strong form from the second quarter and a triple and big dunk from Jantunen increased the cushion to 44-57. The lead grew to 18 points on Hifi’s three-pointer. Prometey tried to get back into the game and fought to within 55-68. Paris responded with the next 4 points and did not let the hosts get closer than 14 points the rest of the quarter, which ended with the French side ahead 60-75.

Paris scored only 2 points in nearly the first 3 minutes of the final frame but still led 63-77. Prometey managed to get the margin down to 71-83 after a Viacheslav Petrov three-pointer with 4 minutes to go. Prometey could not make the final push though as it could not stop guards like Hifi and Mehdy Ngouama from getting to the basket on drives and Paris coasted to the finish line.

The squad from the French capital survived a slow start before turning on the afterburners for the big win.

Perfect Paris survives slow start, pushes past Prometey 79-96 

Besiktas Istanbul holds on to beat Umana Reyer Venice, 74-68

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 74-68 triumph over visiting Umana Reyer Venice on Wednesday night at BJK Emlakjet Sports & Event Hall. Coach Dusan Alimpijevic's men remaining unbeaten at home this season as they improved to 4-1 in Group A of the BKT EuroCup.

Matt Mitchell led a balanced Besiktas attack with 15 points and Derek Needham produced 13 points and 6 assists for the winners. Leyton Hammonds also scored 13, Angel Delgado posted 12 points and 8 rebounds and Jonah Mathews contributed 11 points. Marco Spissu paced Reyer with 15 points and 4 assists and Kyle Wiltjer added 10 points. The loss dropped Reyer's record to 1-4.

### Besiktas controlled the early action

It was all Besiktas at the start with two great defensive stops in jumping to a 5-0 lead, prompting a Reyer timeout after just 58 seconds. Amedeo Tessitori got Reyer on the board, but the hosts remained in control thanks to Delgado and Mitchell, who pushed the difference to 17-9. Wiltjer and Barry Brown helped Reyer trim the deficit, however, a Hammonds triple made it 25-16 after 10 minutes.

### Reyer rallied with a big second quarter

Reyer scored the first 5 points of the second quarter and clawed its way to within 27-24 on an Andrea De Nicolao three-pointer. Spissu completed the comeback with a triple for Reyer's first lead of the game, 29-30. The teams traded shots for several minutes as Reyer maintained a slim advantage. A Tessitori jumper gave Reyer its biggest lead of the half before Mitchell answered with a three to end the first half with the visitors up 40-42.

### Mathews fueled the hosts after the break

The visitors scored the first 5 points of the second half before Hammonds connected from behind the arc. Besiktas had several shots to tie it and then did on a jumper by Needham with 4 minutes left in the quarter, 49-49. After a timeout, Berkan Durmaz's hook shot put the hosts ahead. Mathews then took over with a triple, a steal and a layup, and a jumper to lead 58-52. Alexander O'Connell made a jumper for Reyer, but a three by Hammonds made it 61-54 through three quarters.

### Reyer's late push fell short

Despite a slam by Simms to begin the quarter, Reyer could not gain any real momentum. Besiktas scored the next three baskets as Needham's pull-up jumper made it 67-56. Baskets by Brown and Jeff brooks kept Venice afloat. Brown sank free throws to make it 70-64 with less than 4 minutes remaining. Point became harder to come by down the stretch. Wiltjer got the visitors within 4, but a costly turnover by De Nicolao led to a Mitchell layup to lead 74-68 with 41 seconds left and Besiktas held on the rest of the way.

The home team used a big third quarter to grab the game by the horns and held off Reyer's late rally. 

Besiktas holds on to beat Reyer, 74-68

In the past two rounds, no player has scored more two-point shots and only three have totaled more points than Collin Malcolm of Paris Basket.

Who's hot: Collin Malcolm, Paris Basketball

Going into Round 5 of this BKT EuroCup campaign, no team has scored more points or registered more wins than Paris Basketball. One of only three undefeated teams, and the Group A leader with a 4-0 record, Paris is averaging 99.3 points.

The second-best scorer on this squad is the first-year small forward Collin Malcolm who is averaging 16.2 points while converting on 78.6% on two-pointers and 62.5% on threes after four games. He is also posting 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Malcolm has come off the bench in every game but is averaging almost 25 minutes, second-most on the team. And he has stepped up the last two weeks, especially.

In Rounds 3 and 4, just three players have scored more points than Malcolm, who totaled 38 points, good for 19.0 per game.

First, in a big 69-105 road win at Veolia Towers Hamburg, Malcolm shined with 22 points, going 8-for-11 on two-point shots while making his only three-pointer and 3 of 3 free throws. He also contributed 3 rebounds, 1 assist and a steal in that win.

In Round 4's thrilling 102-106 double-overtime road win against London Lions, all of Malcolm's points came inside the arc. He was 8-for-10 on two-pointers while missing his only three-point attempt. He contributed even more in other facets of the game, posting 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.

In those two games combined, Malcolm was 16-for-21 from two-point range, good for 76.2%. Those 16 two-point shots made were more than any other player those two rounds.

Interestingly, this production came after an opening two rounds in which Malcolm made 6 two-point shots on 7 attempts while netting 4 triples on 6 attempts.

Such variety of ways to score is what has helped Malcolm to be so unstoppable so far this season. He is poised to put that variety on display once again on Wednesday when Paris visits last year's semifinalist Prometey Slobozhanske (2-2).