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.

Game News

### 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.

Game Videos

### 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

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

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).

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

Before Tuesday, the last time that Dolomiti Energia Trento had won consecutive BKT EuroCup games was on March 3, 2021, but the span of seven days, 20-year-old guard Quinn Ellis was key to changing that.

Near-perfect game by Ellis broke another spell for Trento

On Tuesday night, Dolomiti Energia Trento's 101-96 overtime victory against visiting Turk Telekom Ankara, which followed an equally thrilling 92-93 win in Panevezys, Lithuania, against 7bet-Lietkabelis, meant the Italian club had its first EuroCup winning streak in more than two full seasons.

In both games, Trento had to wait till the very end to confirm the outcome, and both times it found a main weapon in 20-year-old combo guard [Quinn Ellis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/quinn-ellis/012593/).

A week ago, Ellis became the hero for Trento when he recorded a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double and scored the winning basket on a floater that landed with just 4 seconds left to play. That ended Trento's 24-game road losing streak in the EuroCup.

Against Turk Telekom, Ellis went even further, finishing with career highs in points (21), rebounds (6), three-pointers made (4), steals (2) and PIR (31). He did all that in less than 22 minutes on the court.

Most remarkably, Ellis didn't miss a single shot the whole game. He made both of his two-pointers, 4 of 4 triples and 5 of 5 free throws. He added 3 assists and 2 steals against just 1 turnover.

Quinn Ellis scored 21 points for Dolomiti Energia Trento in a Round 5 win over  Turk Telekom Ankara.

Quinn Ellis's highlights vs. Turk Telekom

Ellis's near-perfect performance was not only about stats, though. Crucially, he forced an unsportsmanlike foul that turned into a five-point possession and an 99-93 lead for Trento with 1:14 left overtime. When Turk Telekom later pulled within 99-96, Ellis sealed the outcome by making 2 perfect free throws with 8 seconds remaining.

The victory has special meaning for Trento, which had missed the joy of chaining together victories for far too long.

 "\[It's so important\] to finally win two straight in the EuroCup, for Trento, after so many years," head coach Paolo Galbiati said after the game. "I'm very happy for all the people around the club."

With two milestones in as many games out of the way now, Coach Galbiati is setting his sights on Trento also ending a drought of two years without surviving the EuroCup Regular Season.

"We must set ourselves the objective of advancing from the group; I am convinced of it, I have been saying it since day one," Galbiati said. "We must go on the court and give everything we have, with the ambition to be able to compete in every match. Today, we made many mistakes, but we went beyond those mistakes."

Before Tuesday, the last time that Dolomiti Energia Trento had won consecutive BKT EuroCup games was on March 3, 2021.

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

Trento stuck to the plan to clinch second win in a row

"Shoot with confidence, don't stop sharing the ball," were the words Dolomiti Energia Trento head coach Paolo Galbiati shared with his team at halftime, when Trento made just 23.5% of its shots from downtown, just 4 threes out of 17 attempts.

Even though Trento was ahead 40-38 at that moment, the game was in no one’s hands, as both squads had swapped leads several times in the first 20 minutes and it stayed that way in the second half. Trento managed to amass a 9-point edge in the third quarter and a 7-point margin in the fourth, but Turk Telekom came back twice and even had a shot to win at the end of regulation time.

"We almost blew it, but it was a great win in overtime," Andrejs Grazulis said right after the game. "This win shows the character of the team, so I'm pretty happy. It was our first win at home, so I’m happy."

Grazulis finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds and a PIR of 29, and was dealt the final blow when he drilled a three-pointer right after an unsportsmanlike foul called on Tyrone Wallace that established a 99-93 advantage for Trento with less than 90 seconds to go in overtime. It was his third triple of the night and the eighth for Trento after the intermission.

That improvement from downtown was one of the keys that allowed Trento to prevail at the end of the day. Trento players, as its head coach demanded, didn’t step back despite the poor percentages they displayed in the first half and shot with confidence, going for 3-of-6 in overtime and totaling 8-of-18 (44.4%) after halftime.

The game plan was also accomplished when it came to sharing the ball, as Trento recorded 23 assists from 8 different players. Prentiss Hubb had 6 from the backcourt, while Paul Biligha dished another 6 from the frontcourt. Both combined for just one dime less than the Turk Telekom team (13).

Coach Galbiati looked quite satisfied after the game, once his team had confirmed its second win in a row by sticking to his words in the locker room. 

"We made a lot of mistakes, but we responded on time, that’s the most important thing... I’m happy for all the people around the club. I expect more fans in the next games because I think my players deserve it."

After some early shooting woes, Dolomiti Energia Trento kept its confidence and turned things around to claim a clutch win.

Joventut Badalona leaned on two strong performances from Andrew Andrews and debutant Kenny Chery as it defeated Hamburg Towers 108-76 in Round 5 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season.

Andrews, Chery stood out as Joventut overcame absences

Joventut Badalona came into [Tuesday night’s game against Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/joventut-overpowers-hamburg-108-76/) knowing that the absences of important players such as Andres Feliz, Chinanu Onuaku, Vladimir Brodziansky and Ante Tomic could affect the team and prove costly.

The hosts therefore had to lean on the experienced duo of Andrew Andrews and Deshaun Thomas, as well as [new signing Kenny Chery](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/joventut-badalona-signs-kenny-chery-on-two-month-deal/). Fortunately for Joventut head coach Carles Duran, all three veterans ended up delivering in a dominant 108-76 win.

### Pure dominance from Andrews

Andrews scored 22 points in the first half and finished the game with a season-high 33 after making 4-of-8 two-pointers, 5-of-8 triples and a perfect 10-of-10 free throws to go with his 4 assists and 7 fouls drawn for an extraordinary PIR of 42.

“We were ready to come out and fight,” Andrews stated after the game. “As you know, we’ve been suffering a lot of injuries and the last couple of games were not the best for us. So, coming out and fighting was more important than even getting the win.”

Andrew Andrews (33 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals) and new signing Kenny Chery (12 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) combined to lead Joventut Badalona to a dominant 108-76 win against Veolia Towers Hamburg in Round 5 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Andrews, Chery caused damage vs. Hamburg

### An impressive debut by Chery

Andrews produced a potential MVP-of-the-round performance on Tuesday night, but he had some much-needed help from Chery. Despite barely having time to gel with his new teammates, the new Joventut addition did a good job off the bench as he looked to fill Feliz’s shoes.

Chery paired his 12 points with 4 assists in less than 19 minutes on the floor, but most importantly he showcased his leadership skills and earned applause from the crowd for it. The 31-year-old guard gave a short, motivational speech to the starters before tipoff and constantly offered advice to his younger teammates, who were called upon to step up against Hamburg.

“We were coming off back-to-back defeats,” Coach Duran commented in the post-game press conference. “Of course, injuries hurt us. Seeing important players sitting out unbalances the team, but at the same time the team has taken a step forward.

“I think \[Chery\] played very well; he's only done one training session with the team. He's a very joyful guy, something we probably needed and I'm happy for him. He has come to a team that has lost some games and he has transmitted a joy, an excitement that we needed.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">😁 La teva alegria és la nostra alegria, <a href="https://twitter.com/KChery1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KChery1</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Badalona%C3%89sFutur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BadalonaÉsFutur</a> <a href="https://t.co/FBBoIpd41g">pic.twitter.com/FBBoIpd41g</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1719477660777087444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Thomas, who averaged a team-high 16.8 points heading into the game, came to the fore again, netting 16 points against Hamburg to help his team secure a win that saw Joventut improve to 3-2.

Next week, Joventut will take on a strong London Lions side as it looks to build on Tuesday’s morale-boosting victory. By then, Chery will have participated in more training sessions with his new teammates and some of the absentees could be fit to return to action.

More Joventut News

Kenny Chery has possession during Joventut Badalona's 108-76 win against Veolia Towers Hamburg in Round 5 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Spanish side got back to winning ways with a dominant performance against Veolia Towers Hamburg.

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

Dolomiti Energia Trento celebrated its second win in a row by defeating visiting Turk Telekom Ankara 101-96 after overtime at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Tuesday night.

Trento outlasts Turk Telekom in OT, 101-96

Dolomiti Energia Trento celebrated its second win in a row by defeating visiting Turk Telekom Ankara 101-96 after overtime at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Tuesday night. The game saw several lead changes and was knotted at 86-86 after Steven Enoch missed a short jumper in the final seconds of regulation time that could have decided the game the other way. Trento was stronger in overtime, with Quinn Ellis leading the way. 

Ellis finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Kamar Baldwin was the game's top-scorer with 28 points on 4-of-8 from shooting deep, while Andrejs Grazulis posted 22 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Jalen Adams paced Turk Telekom with 25 points on 6-of-8 shooting from downtown, Tyrone Wallace netted 19 points, and Enoch posted a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort. Trento improved to 2-3 and Turk Telkom dropped to 1-4.

The visitors took an early 5-8 advantage supported by Adams's accuracy from deep, as he drained consecutive three-pointers in the first 3 minutes. It didn't go further, though, as the visitors' turnovers and the appearance of Baldwin, who provided 7 points in a row off the bench, gave Trento a boost that established a 16-12 lead. The visitors reacted quickly and sparked a 0-8 run behind triples by Adams and James Palmer to regain the lead, 16-19, at the end of the first quarter. 

Trento came in strong in the second with a 9-0 run led by Derek Cooke's alley-oops that brought the fans to their feet and set a 25-19 edge. Wallace showed up to take the reins for Turk Telekom and bring his team back to the game, starting a nice back-and-forth battle with Ellis. The former scored 7 straight points to push Trento ahead, 34-30, and the latter closed the gap to 40-38 at halftime with a buzzer-beating three.

The hosts started strong after the break, improving their long-range shooting for a 55-46 lead after Grazulis provided a three-point play and Ellis went for a triple-plus-free-throw right after. The game pace slowed down a bit at that moment, with both teams going to the line more often. The visitors made the most of it with Palmer reducing the margin to 58-54 with a couple of free throws. The rally didn’t stop there, as back-to-back triples by Markis McDuffie and Adams evened things entering the last stanza. 

Adams and Wallace completed the comeback with free throws that put Turk Telekom on top, 64-67, early in the fourth quarter. Trento’s answer came from outside before Baldwin emerged again and provided three consecutive three-point plays and an additional bucket that restored a 77-70 advantage for the hosts. The game wasn’t over yet, as the guests also found three consecutive three-point plays from Palmer, Enoch and Adams to get back into the battle, 79-79. Another three by Adams turned the game upside down, 82-84, soon after, but Trento managed to recover and entered the last minute leading 86-84 after a couple of free throws by Grazulis. Palmer made it all square again with 50 seconds to go and Enoch missed the last offense to send the game to overtime.

The hosts seemed to be in good position to take control of the game after it resumed, with Adams and Wallace running the show and Enoch providing a three-point-play that made it 91-93. But Trento was resilient enough, once again, and first found Baldwin for a three then took advantage of an unsportsmanlike foul by Wallace that led to a 99-93 edge. Okben Ulubay sank a three to keep his team breathing entering the last minute, 99-96, but Palmer missed another from the corner with 22 seconds to play that Ellis converted into a couple of free throws to seal the outcome.

English guard Quinn Ellis shined once again for the Italian side, which has now won two straight.

Joventut Badalona got back to winning ways by defeating Veolia Towers Hamburg 108-76 at Palau Olimpic De Badalona in Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup on Tuesday night. 

Joventut Badalona overpowers Hamburg, 108-76

Joventut Badalona got back to winning ways by defeating Veolia Towers Hamburg 108-76 at Palau Olimpic De Badalona in Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup on Tuesday night. The hosts were dominant from start to finish, scoring a club-record 65 first-half points despite the absences of Andres Feliz, Chinanu Onuaku, Vladimir Brodziansky and Ante Tomic. Joventut improved to 3-2, while Hamburg dropped to 0-5 as it continues its search for its first victory of the campaign.

An extraordinary Andrew Andrews paced the hosts with 33 points, shooting 4-for-8 from inside the arc, 5-for-8 on triples and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Deshaun Thomas recorded 16 points and debutant Kenny Chery added 12. Seth Hinrichs led the visitors with 16 points, Mark Hughes added 13 and William Christmas paired his 11 points with 9 rebounds.

Andrews scored 5 of his team’s first 7 points, but four different Hamburg players got their names on the scoreboard in the first 2:30 minutes for a 7-9 edge. However, Andrews was on fire in the opening stages, taking his tally to 12 points, as Joventut secured a 17-12 lead midway through the first quarter. Hamburg constantly attacked the paint in its bid to make the most of Ante Tomic’s absence, but the Spanish side made 6 of 8 three-pointers to take a double-digit lead, 32-21, into the second quarter.

Joventut went on an 8-0 run, but Hamburg responded with a 0-9 spurt after Christmas drilled a three from the corner to bring the visitors within 40-30. Vives came off the bench to sink a triple that ended Hamburg’s momentum and then he connected with Miguel Allen, who threw down an alley-oop dunk that made it 47-30. Chery, who made his Joventut debut off the bench, scored 8 points in the first half, but Andrews was the man who stole the limelight by recording 22 points before the break and the hosts headed to the locker room up 65-42.

Hinrichs started the second half strong with 8 back-to-back points in the second half, but Andrews looked unstoppable on the court, taking his tally to 28 points midway through the third quarter and allowing Joventut to build a 72-53 lead. The Spanish side did not take its foot off the gas, taking an 86-65 advantage into the closing quarter.

Joventut held its lead over 20 points in the last 10 minutes and everything indicated that it was only a matter of time to reach the 100-point mark. The hosts managed to do so following a Pep Busquets triple with 1:40 left on the clock as they eased over the finish line.

The hosts dominated on a night when they were without several players.

Joventut overpowers Hamburg, 108-76

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

[Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 78-86 Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-wolves-vilnius/U2023/45/)

Wolves improved to 2-2 in Group A after a road win over Cedevita at Arena Stozice on Tuesday in the first game played in Round 5 of the EuroCup. The visitors led by as many as 16 in the first half and Cedevita fought back to get within 1 in the fourth quarter, but a pair of late threes by Zemaitis Kristupas helped Wolves finish on top. Rasheed Sulaimon led the winners with 22 points and 7 assists and Kristupas tallied 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Amadou Sow was one of four Cedevita scorers with 13 points and he also grabbed 13 rebounds in defeat. The loss saw Cedevita fall to 0-5.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Second consecutive win for <a href="https://twitter.com/wolves_bc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wolves_bc</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/WJiHFBE8HO">pic.twitter.com/WJiHFBE8HO</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1719439180785131586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Dolomiti Energia Trento 101-96 Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/49/)

Trento celebrated its second win in a row by defeating visiting Turk Telekom after overtime at Il T Quotidiano Arena. The game saw several lead changes and was knotted at 86-86 after Steven Enoch missed a short jumper in the final seconds of regulation time that could have decided the game other way. Trento was stronger in overtime, with Quinn Ellis leading the way. He finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Kamar Baldwin was the game's top-scorer with 28 points on 4-of-8 from shooting deep. Jalen Adams paced Turk Telekom with 25 points on 6-of-8 shooting from downtown. Trento improved to 2-3 and Turk Telkom dropped to 1-4.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Toto Forray spots Derek Cooke&#39;s cut to the basket and makes him fly for the dunk✈️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MagicMoment</a> I <a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AquilaBasketTN</a> <a href="https://t.co/fIrAknOMAt">pic.twitter.com/fIrAknOMAt</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1719442056395763938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Joventut Badalona 108-76 Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/43/)

Joventut got back to winning ways by defeating Hamburg at Palau Olimpic De Badalona. The hosts were dominant from start to finish, scoring a club-record 65 first-half points despite the absences of Andres Feliz, Chinanu Onuaku, Vladimir Brodziansky and Ante Tomic. Joventut improved to 3-2, while Hamburg dropped to 0-5. An extraordinary Andrew Andrews paced the hosts with 33 points, shooting 4-for-8 from inside the arc, 5-for-8 on triples and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Deshaun Thomas added 16 points. Seth Hinrichs led the visitors with 16 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">💚🖤 FINAAAAL! Gran victòria en un partit rodó! <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Penya1930</a> 108-76 <a href="https://twitter.com/hamburgtowers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hamburgtowers</a><br><br>🎯 Andrew Andrews: 3⃣3⃣ punts, 4⃣2⃣ de valoració <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Badalona%C3%89sFutur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BadalonaÉsFutur</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ei9HAs898q">pic.twitter.com/Ei9HAs898q</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1719466838365438126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season began with three games on Tuesday.

Game Center: Round 5 starts with wins for Wolves, Trento and Joventut

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

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

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

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)

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

Rasheed Sulaimon and Kristupas Zemaitis were the heroes for Wolves Vilnius as they held on late for a big win

Rasheed Sulaimon, Kristupas Zemaitis combined for 19 fourth-quarter points

Rasheed Sulaimon and Kristupas Zemaitis are players whose hands you want the ball in down the stretch and they showed why on Tuesday night in leading Wolves Vilnius to a 78-86 road win at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.  

Sulaimon led the team with 22 points and 7 assists while Zemaitis went for 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. The bulk of their production came in the last 10 minutes. In the fourth quarter, the former scored 10 and dished 2 assists and the latter scored 9. Wolves only had one fourth-quarter basket that those players did not either score or assist on.

Sulaimon, Zemaitis led Wolves late in Ljubljana

Nearly all those points came in high-pressure situations after Jaka Blazic's free throws got Cedevita within 1, 67-68, with less than 6 minutes to play. Sulaimon set up Regimantas Miniotis for an open jumper and then canned a shot of his own to put the visitors up 5, only to see Blazic strike from deep to make it 72-74.

Zemaitis then traded threes with Klemen Prepelic before Sulaimon darted through the paint for a three-point play with 1:20 on the clock. After 2 Blazic free throws, Zemaitis struck again from behind the arc. And 3 free throws by Sulaimon in the final 30 seconds sealed the 78-86 outcome.

A beaming Sulaimon spoke about his team after the game and they most interesting part of what he said was the focus on team and character without nary a word about his own heroics.

"I just love my team. I love the character that we showed," he said. "Every game in the EuroCup is gonna be tough, especially on the road. We had a good lead in the first half, but… it was a little tougher \[in the second half\], but we showed great character, we stuck to our gameplan and we trusted in each other and we made some big plays down the stretch that led to our win, so I'm just really happy." 

Interestingly, it marked the second week in a row in which the star player for Wolves spoke only about his team and not about his own performance, after Tre'Shawn Thurman led the team to an overtime victory last week.

After getting run off the floor in its season opener in Paris, Wolves took mighty Joventut Badalona to overtime on the road and then claimed its maiden EuroCup victory over Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul. This was the team's first-ever road win and by now the rest of Europe must be aware that Wolves is a force to be reckoned with.  

It's a team sport, but with the game on the line Wolves Vilnius relied on two players to shoulder the scoring load.