To get through two overtimes on the road to stay unbeaten, everyone on Paris Basketball's roster contributed.

Paris's next-man-up mentality sealed double-OT win in London

Despite the London Lions sending the game to overtime twice and its star T.J. Shorts among several players who fouled out in the extra times, Paris Basketball leaned on its next-man-up mentality to [celebrate a golden road win at the Copperbox Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-paris-basketball/U2023/35/) on Tuesday. 

Paris was outscored 25-8 in the third quarter and London took a 66-56 lead into the fourth, but that's when Shorts scored 10 of his 24 points to inspire his team's comeback. The visitors were up 81-84 with 0:07 to go, but London star Sam Dekker knocked down a huge triple to send the game to its first overtime.

Despite receiving that blow, Paris saw Mikael Jantunen step up and score 4 points for an 87-92 lead. Nonetheless, London bounced back again and Gabe Olaseni scored a decisive basket to force just the third double-overtime EuroCup game in the last five years.

"I'm still speechless about the performance of the guys, because we were on the ropes a couple of times, especially in a very bad third quarter and then the fourth quarter," Paris head coach Tuomas Iisalo gushed after the spectacular victory. 

"We came back and we came very close to seal the game, but then an incredible shot by Dekker in a situation where we couldn't foul even if we wanted to. And then the same situation, again up in the first overtime... and to have that taken away… It says a lot about the character, says a lot about the mental fortitude of our guys."

Even more incredible in that second overtime was that the guests saw both Jantunen and Tyson Ward, who had netted 12 points each until then, foul out. Mehdy Ngouama, who had scored huge baskets late in regulation time, had already committed 5 fouls and Shorts, the team leader, was soon to follow them to the bench. But Paris didn't give up. More protagonists would emerge, as the visitors entered into Lernaean-Hydra mode.

"It's incredible," Shorts said afterwards. "Every single guy stepped up tonight. We had three guys fouled out, buys playing big minutes. From the top guy to the bottom guy, I can call out every guy that stepped on the court and think of big plays that they made to win this game.”

Nadir Hifi and Bandja Sy stepped up in the last minutes of the game, with the former sinking a triple and the latter being decisive at both ends, as he recorded 4 points and 2 steals late in the game to seal the guests' fourth victory of the season.

"Even though some of our key players fouled out, we always found new contributors from the bench," Iisalo added. "I'm very, very proud of our group."

Shorts scored a team-high 24 points, Hifi added 20 and Collin Malcolm had 16. Paris's bench scored 51 of the team's 106 points of the night. 

Most importantly, Paris demonstrated to other BKT EuroCup contenders that it has the roster and the resilience to keep competing even without its stars. That quality not only makes them unpredictable and one of the favorites to win the trophy this season.

London Lions v Paris Basketball (2023-10-24T18:30:00.000Z)

Bandja Sy’s decisive plays clinch Paris double overtime win

T.J. Shorts fouled out of the game just a few seconds into the second overtime and the London Lions made the most of the boost in morale they received to go on a 5-0 run and make it 102-97 with 3:37 left on the clock. When Nadir Hifi missed a jump shot in the next possession, the record-breaking crowd of 6,152 at Copperbox Arena may have instantly thought that it was time for the hosts to put the game to bed.

Enter an energized [Bandja Sy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/bandja-sy/005793/), who grabbed the offensive rebound and got Paris within 102-99 with a put-back basket before stealing the ball at the other end. Hifi sank an off-balance three-pointer on offense to tie the game up, 102-102, and then Collin Malcolm found Sy, who dunked with force off the baseline to take his tally to 11 points for a 102-104 Paris lead with 1:49 to go.

Bandja Sy's best plays against London

Sy stepped on defense again in the next possession and recorded his third steal of the night when Paris needed him most. The Paris forward produced an extraordinary performance off the bench, going 5-for-5 from the field, as he made 4 of 4 two-point shots and 1 of 1 triples. He also downed 6 rebounds for a team joint-high PIR of 21.

Shorts may have scored 24 points, and Hifi 20, but had it not been for a possessed Sy in the second overtime, Paris may have not managed to soak up London’s pressure, as the hosts had gained momentum after Shorts committed his fifth foul. The visitors are now the only team in Group A to have gone unbeaten in their first four games of the season and Sy’s display in London was key to clinching this victory in what was the most entertaining BKT EuroCup game so far this season.

Game News

Bandja Sy's decisive plays clinched Paris's double overtime win

Superb Marco Spissu put Joventut to the sword with lethal shooting

Umana Reyer Venice earned its first BKT EuroCup win of the season against one of the toughest opponents the Italian club will face in Group A as it beat last season’s semifinalists Joventut Badalona 79-64 thanks to a rip-roaring second-half display from playmaker Marco Spissu.

The 28-year-old sank 4 three-pointers in the final quarter as Reyer turned a 50-52 deficit into a decisive 73-58 lead late in the game, which had the vocal home fans in raptures after a physical contest and a very low-scoring first half.

Marco Spissu shined for Reyer against Joventut

Reyer led 33-26 at the interval but Jovenut looked the more likely winner after turning the tables in the second half despite poor long-range shooting and being on the back foot in the paint. Ultimately, they were undone by impeccable artillery from Spissu, who racked up a game-high 24 points on 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

"The first win for us in the EuroCup, just 48 hours after a derby game \[in the Italian League\]," an elated Spissu said after the game. "We were a little bit tired but we showed up in front of our fans and right now we just want to keep going."

Joventut was comprehensively outplayed in all departments as Reyer racked up a whopping 42 rebounds against the visiting team’s 37.

Joventut shot a miserable 1 of 14 from three-point range while Reyer nailed 8 of 25. The home side also had more assists (21-16) and fewer turnovers (13-15), having shot 57% from two-point territory while the visitors managed a mere 44%.

Game Videos

Just as crucially, Spissu’s effort was complemented by sound performances from Amedeo Tessidori (16 points and 8 rebounds) and Ray Jon Tucker (14 points and 6 rebounds), while Deshaun Thomas cut a lonely offensive figure for Joventut with 20 points.

"We played a terrible game and I didn’t recognize my team out there," Joventut’s disgruntled head coach Carles Duran told the post-game press conference. "We made too many stupid mistakes. We gave ourselves a fighting chance in the fourth quarter, but Spissu was outstanding."

Duran’s Reyer counterpart Neven Spahija was delighted with the outcome.

"We were pretty consistent defensively and although we struggled on offense, we scored 31 points in the fourth quarter," he said. "Congratulations to the players and we are looking forward to the upcoming games."

The Italian international guard was perfect from long range as Reyer dismantled the visitors

Superb Spissu put Joventut to the sword with lethal shooting

Umana Reyer Venice v Joventut Badalona (2023-10-24T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris outlasts London after double overtime, 102-106

The London Lions pushed Paris Basketball for 50 minutes before the latter celebrated a 102-106 road win to stun a record crowd at Copperbox Arena on Tuesday night. The hosts pulled off some big buckets at the end of regular time and first overtime to get a second and third chance in the game, but Paris came out victorious from this clash despite its star T.J. Shorts fouling out early in the second overtime. Paris improved to 4-0, while London dropped to 3-1.

Shorts paced Paris with 24 points, Nadir Hifi added 20 and Collin Malcolm recorded 16. Matt Morgan scored a game-high 26 points for London, with Sam Dekker pairing his 19 points with 10 rebounds for a double-double. Gabe Olaseni netted 16 points and downed 11 rebounds for the hosts.

Donte Grantham opened the scoring for London and Dekker sank a couple of layups in a row for a 6-0 run. Paris shot 0-for-6 from the field in the opening stages, but made the most of back-to-back London turnovers to bring the game within 6-4. Conor Morgan drilled a triple off the bench and Tarik Phillip scored on the break for a 13-8 lead. Hifi took his tally to 7 points, as Paris tied the game, 15-15. Luke Nelson pulled up for a fade-away jumper to beat the first-quarter buzzer, but Tyson Ward knocked down one from downtown for Paris’s first lead in the game, 21-22.

A 0-6 Paris run gave the guests a 26-31 cushion and forced London head coach Petar Bozic to call a timeout. Hifi sank a three and Malcolm scored a basket for double-digit Paris lead, 28-38. Dekker and Matt Morgan inspired London to a 7-0 surge, but Ward and Sy sank back-to-back triples for a 41-48 Paris lead heading into halftime.

London hit the ground running in the second half with a 10-0 run to recover the lead, 51-48. Paris struggled on offense and committed 5 turnovers, scoring just a couple of points in the first 7 minutes after the break, but London had already secured a 61-50 lead following a strong start to the third quarter. Shorts and Malcolm scored a basket each, but Conor Morgan sank a three-pointer to restore a double-digit lead for the hosts, 66-56.

Paris responded with a 0-8 spurt in the fourth quarter, with Shorts scoring 7 points to get his team within 68-66. Mikael Jantunen sank a triple and Mehdy Ngouama scored 4 points to put Paris ahead, 73-77, with 3:40 left on the clock. A Malcolm monster dunk and a Shorts basket would have clinched the win for the guests had Dekker not drilled one from downtown to make it 84-84 and send the game to overtime.

Malcolm, Shorts and Jantunen scored a basket each for an 85-90 Paris lead, but Matt Morgan went 3-for-3 from the line to bring London within 90-92 with 2 minutes left on the clock. Shorts sank a jump-shot, but Dekker responded with a layup on the break after a Paris turnover. Hifi knocked down an off-balance triple with less than a minute to go, but Matt Morgan completed a three-point play at the other end. Olaseni tied the game up 97-97 with 7 seconds remaining. Paris had the last possession, but Shorts missed a jump shot and the game went to second overtime.

Paris was dealt a huge blow, as Shorts committed his fifth foul a few seconds into the second overtime. Olaseni scored a basket and Dekker sank a triple for a 5-0 run, but Paris responded with a 0-7 surge of its own to restore a 102-104 lead. Herrera remained ice-cold from the foul line, going 2-for-2 in the last seconds to seal the victory for the guests.

The hosts took the game to second overtime, but an inspired Paris side displayed a refuse-to-lose spirit.

Roaring Reyer picks Joventut apart, 79-64

Umana Reyer Venice celebrated its first BKT EuroCup win of the season after serving up a spectacular performance to defeat visiting Joventut Badalona 79-64 on the back of a magnificent effort from sharp-shooting guard Marco Spissu.

The 28-year-old playmaker sank a game-high 24 points, having nailed all 5 of his three-point attempts, 2 of 3 from inside the arc and 5 of 6 from the foul line. He also racked up 4 rebounds and 6 assists, while Amedeo Tessidori contributed with 16 points and Ray Jon Tucker added 14.

Deshaun Thomas paced Joventut with 20 points and Yannick Kraag contributed 12. Last season’s semifinalists shot a miserable 1 of 14 from three-point range.

Reyer improved to 1-3 in Group A following successive defeats to London Lions, Paris Basketball and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, while Joventut slipped to 2-2.

It was a rugged and physical contest from start to finish as Reyer laid the gauntlet with aggressive defense which Joventut struggled to cope with all night. The visitors led 17-19 at the end of the first quarter on the back of 8 points from Thomas but Reyer had already racked up 13 rebounds at that stage, 5 of them offensive.

The second quarter was a nightmare for Jovenut, however, as its center Vladimir Brodziansky limped off the court with a twisted ankle and Reyer conjured an 11-0 streak to take a commanding 31-23 lead. The home side held a 33-26 advantage at halftime, having amassed a staggering 24 rebounds (8 offensive).

Trailing 38-28 early in the third, Joventut hit back to slash the deficit to 48-47 at the end of the quarter, setting the scene for a dramatic finale that never came as Reyer ran riot in the final 10 minutes.

Steered by the unstoppable Spissu, the home team bounced back from a 50-52 deficit early in the fourth after Thomas had completed a five-point play for the visitors, having sunk a three-pointer, drawn a foul and then tipped his own rebound from a missed free throw. Spissu then nailed a pair of three-pointers to ignite a 13-0 run which turned the game on its head and moments later, he sank another two shots from way downtown as Reyer pulled away to 73-58 in the closing stages.

Oddly enough, Reyer coach Neven Spahija was only happy with the result. "The best thing tonight is that we won the game playing average basketball," Spahija said after the game. "It's not possible for us right now to play two \[good\[ games in three days and if we want to improve, we need to play better basketball. But I would like to congratulate my players, we found the best line-up and won the game."

The Italian side produced its best EuroCup performance of the season to stun its more heralded Spanish rival.

Wolves Vilnius's maiden EuroCup win was one to remember

"Well, what can I tell? Probably the best describing word would be 'wow'."

The above quote is how Wolves Vilnius head coach Kestutis Kemzura summed up his team's historic victory over Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on Tuesday night.

It's not often that a coach leans on the word "Wow" so prominently to describe a game. Perhaps the most famous example game from one of Kemzura's mentors.

Kemzura served as David Blatt's assistant coach at four different clubs – Dynamo St. Petersburg in Russia, Benetton Treviso in Italy, Darussafaka Istanbul in Turkey and Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece. When Blatt won the Turkish Airline EuroLeague in 2014 with Maccabi Tel Aviv, he opened the post-game press conference with [the following story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exLt0VIlLxs).

"One of the greatest quotes that I ever read in my life was from the last moments of Steve Jobs’s life. Did anyone ever see or hear what he said before he passed away? He was a great man, one of the great modern-day leaders and visionaries. Did anyone ever hear about what he said just before he passed away? I can’t believe you didn’t see this story. He said, before he passed away, the last word he said was: 'Wow.' "

Wolves Vilnius-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Round 4 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Surely Wolves' exciting victory over Besiktas does not compare to winning the EuroLeague, but for Kemzura and Wolves, it was a historic watershed moment. Not only was it was the club's first-ever home game in the BKT EuroCup, but Wolves rallied to win the game in the closing seconds. And the victory was also Wolves' first in competition history.

"I like to use a lot of examples form basketball in our lives," Kemzura continued in the press conference. "You have to fight until the end and it's not over till it's not over. I'm very proud of my guys that we fought until the end… It was a tough game, as we expected. Our opponent came back in the second half more aggressive, more physical and we struggled. We struggled to execute, we struggled to score."

Kemzura then pointed to his heart to show what earned the team the victory.

The stats back that up as Wolves outnumbered Besiktas in nearly all the hustle categories including offensive rebounds (17-11), second-chance points (17-15), points off turnovers (13-9), fastbreak points (8-4), rebounds (33-28) and steals (5-4).

Though some of those advantages may be slim, the game was decided by just 2 points. In fact, the game-winning basket with 7.7 seconds left was the result of a Tre'Shawn Thurman's steal.

"I'm almost lost for words," Thurman said afterwards.

The Wolves forward was a hero so many ways after posting 31 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. He made 8 of 9 two-pointers and 4 of 6 threes in amassing a PIR of 37. But none of that mattered to him as much as the main goal.

"All I thought about was the win. That’s all I cared about," Thurman said.

Indeed, it was a historic victory in Vilnius.

Wolves' maiden EuroCup win was one to remember

Wolves Vilnius v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-10-24T16:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv came into its game at Veolia Towers Hamburg with a most potent offense, but the Israeli side outdid even itself with its outstanding performance on the road in Round 4.

Hapoel Tel Aviv out-did even itself with impressive offensive output 

Hapoel set several offensive club records in registering a 72-111 blowout of Hamburg for a perfect 3-0 record. The Israeli side, which averaged 98.5 points in the first two games, set a club record for most points in a quarter with 36 in the first 10 minutes. And the 59 points in the first half tied the club mark for most first-half points in a game. The final tally of 111 points also eclipsed the team’s record of 108. And Hapoel’s 39-point winning margin matched its EuroCup record as well set last season against Promitheus Patras.

Veolia Towers Hamburg-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | Round 4 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

“We just tried to play our game and with everything going on we just have more motivation to come out here and hoop,” said Braian Angola, who collected 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win as one of six players in double figures.

"Having six players in double figures is amazing for us. That is what we are trying to do: play together and play the full 40 minutes. It’s unbelievable the job that we are doing. We just hope to keep doing it.”

Hapoel was unstoppable on offense, making 26-of-33 two-pointers (78.8%), just better than its previous best of 78.7%. Hapoel was shooting 90.0% on two-pointers after 10 minutes, 82.4% at halftime and 82.6% after three quarters.

The visitors also nailed 50.0% of their three-pointers - 12-of-24 - while dishing out 29 assists and committing just 8 turnovers - none of them in the fourth quarter when the game was already long decided.

"It took some time after the good start to keep the flow, to keep our focus in the game and get some good minutes playing defense. But we came out of the locker room a little different for the second half, picking up the intensity on the floor and making a run that was tough for Hamburg to get back into it,” Hapoel coach Danny Franco said afterward.

Hapoel out-did even itself with impressive offensive output 

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2023-10-24T17:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv remained perfect in the BKT EuroCup as it rolled to a record-breaking 72-111 blowout victory at Veolia Towers Hamburg in Group A. 

Hapoel blows by Hamburg 72-111 to remain perfect 

Hapoel set club marks for most points in a game and in a quarter - 36 in the first 10 minutes. Xavier Munford paced six Hapoel players in double figures with 22 points while Braian Angola added 18 points and 11 rebounds, J’Covan Brown tallied 13 points and 6 assists and Kyle Alexander chipped in 10 points and 10 assists. Hamburg continues its search for its first win of the season at 0-4 despite VJ King scoring 22 points in the loss.

### Hapoel sets records early

Four different Hapoel players scored in the first 3 minutes for a 1-8 lead. Terrell Gomez and Seth Hinrichs both hit from deep for the hosts to make it 7-10. Hapoel’s offense continued to roll with 8 points from Angola and a Munford three-pointer in a 2-17 roll for a 12-30 lead. Hamburg managed to score a bit more consistently over the course of the first frame but trailed 19-36 after 10 minutes.

The 36 points were a Hapoel record for most points scored in any quarter, betting its previous mark of 34; while Hamburg set a negative mark for most points allowed in a quarter, eclipsing the prior worst quarter of 35 points.

Hamburg started the second quarter better with King draining back-to-back triples and adding another score and the hosts were within 27-38. King hit another three-pointer and was up to 13 points in the quarter and Hamburg was down 34-43. Hapoel regained its momentum offensively and closed the first half with a 2-9 surge and led 42-59 at the intermission.

Hapoel came out of the locker room in fine fashion with the first 5 points to extend the cushion to 22. Brown, Munford and Angola all knocked down triples as Hapoel’s cushion swelled to 45-74. Munford’s next score made it a 30-point game midway through the third quarter and it grew to 50-81. Hamburg managed to trim the gap to 25 points but trailed 57-86 after 30 minutes.

Hapoel did not take its foot off the gas in the fourth quarter with Bar Timor hitting a triple and Hoard throwing down a 360-degree dunk and a three-pointer as the advantage swelled to 63-97. The lead was as high as 40 points - 65-105 - with 4 minutes to go. And Hapoel eased over the finish line.

Wolves Vilnius put on a show their fans will never forget with a come-from-behind win in their first-ever home game in the BKT EuroCup.

Wolves Vilnius edge Besiktas Istanbul 90-88 for first-ever EuroCup win

Wolves led for much of the game, but needed to erase a late 8-point deficit to rally past Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 90-88 at Avia Solutions Group Arena in the Lithuanian capital on Tuesday. The victory was the club's first-ever win in the competition and saw it improve to 1-2 in Group A, while Besiktas fell to 3-1.

Tre'Shawn Thurman was the star of the game with 31 points and 7 rebounds, including what proved to be the game-winner after a steal with 7.7 seconds remaining. Kristupas Zemaitis added 17 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting and Rasheed Sulaimon contributed 13 points and 6 assists. Matt Mitchell paced Besiktas with 21 points, Jonah Mathews scored 20, Angel Delgado had 18 and Derek Needham 10.

### Wolves enjoy hot start

Wolves scored on each of their first seven possessions, with Thurman going off for 10 points in that span, to jump to a 17-8 lead. Delgado and Mitchell helped the visitors trim the gap and free throws by Samet Yigitoglu made it 19-16. The scoreboard showed 22-18 after 10 minutes.

Needham, who was limited to just 3:26 minutes of play in the first quarter due to foul trouble, was called for his third foul after just 1:14 on the floor in the second. Zemaitis made the resulting free throws and Sulaimon scored on the break to put Wolves up 31-22. A triple by Thurman soon gave the hosts a double-digit lead. Delgado and Mitchell provided the Besiktas resistance, while Thurman went to the bench with 3 fouls. Mathews got Besiktas as close as 41-35 and the halftime score was 44-37.

Mitchell and Delgado put the pressure on Wolves at the start of the second half, though threes by Zemaitis and Sulaimon kept the hosts in charge. Needham capped a 0-7 Besiktas run with a layup to even things at 50-50 only to see Zemaitis knock down a pair of triples for the home team. Needham remained hot to tie it from downtown and Mitchell gave Besiktas its first lead of the game, 62-63, with a three-point-play with 2:26 remaining in the third quarter. Needham then went to the bench with 4 fouls and Wolves regained the lead, 67-65, by the end of the quarter.

### Fourth-quarter thrills

Thurman extended the margin to 72-67 with a shot-clock beating triple early in the fourth quarter. Besiktas roared back with 7 straight points to take the lead on a Delgado put-back. Delgado continued to punish Wolves inside and a three by Leyton Hammonds made it 76-84 for Besiktas with less than 3 minutes remaining. Wolves halved the deficit, but a long jumper by Mathews made it 80-86 with 59 seconds left. Thurman converted a 4-point play with 10.4 seconds left to get the hosts within 1. Then the same player stole the ball and scored what would prove to be the game-winner with 7.7 seconds left as Mathews missed a jumper at the other end.