Turk Telekom Ankara captured its fifth consecutive victory in Group B by downing Promitheas Patras 83-98 on Tuesday. It was a special game for Jerian Grant, for all the right reasons.

Grant is a member of a distinguished basketball family with many links to Promitheas. His father, Harvey Grant, played in the NBA, and so did his uncle, Horace Grant, a four-time NBA champion. 

Jerian Grant has two brothers, Jerai and Jerami, who are professional basketball players. Jerai played for Promitheas in each of the last two seasons. In the first one, Jerai and Jerian were teammates in Patras, even though Jerian did not play in the 7DAYS EuroCup that season.

Jerian Grant had 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and a PIR of 28 in Turk Telekom Ankara's road victory against one of his former teams, Promitheas Patras.

Grant does it all against Promitheas

Game News

Of course, Grant wanted to leave a good impression against his former team and did it right away, scoring 10 points in a 5-15 opening run that put Turk Telekom ahead for good. He finished the game with a career-high 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 7 fouls drawn and a PIR of 28, a new personal best. 

Grant knew the environment and some of his opponents and maximized those advantages. During the 33 minutes Grant played, Turk Telekom outscored Promitheas by 22 points, which means that in the 7 minutes he was resting, Promitheas outscored his team by 7. It was a true winning performance from Grant.

Game Videos

Grant returned to Patras and left victorious 

Promitheas Patras v Turk Telekom Ankara (2022-11-29T17:30:00.000Z)

Cameron Reynolds had a first quarter for the ages on Tuesday against Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv to lift Buducnost VOLI Podgorica to a 64-70 road win. Reynolds scored 17 points on 5-of-5 three-point shooting in the game’s first 6 minutes and 2 seconds to establish a 9-23 lead and his team held on the rest of the way.

Hapoel struggled early as it adjusted to being without the EuroCup’s assist leader, J,Covan Brown, who was out with an illness and big man Jaylen Hoard, who has an ankle injury. Moreover, the team is integrating recent signing Chinanu Onuaku into the squad at center.

Buducnost took advantage early, first by attacking the paint through its dominant center, Alpha Kaba, and then through the hot hands of Reynolds. And that blazing start proved valuable once Hapoel made its adjustments.

The hosts outscored Buducnost 37-29 in the middle two quarters and closed to within 2 with the first basket of the fourth quarter. But, as often happens when a team is chasing for so long – especially a short-handed team, Hapoel did not have the final push to take over in the fourth quarter.

Reynolds finished with a season-high 22 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting. Hapoel paid extra attention to him after his scorching start, but the damage was already done.

Kaba, who posted his fourth consecutive double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, spoke glowingly of Reynolds’s contributions after the game: "Today Reynolds just did his thing. I’m really happy for him. He’s a great shooter and we need him at this level every game."

If Buducnost can get Reynolds and Kaba at this level every game, they will be one of the most dangerous teams in the 7DAYS EuroCup.

Reynolds’s shooting display sparked Buducnost

Hapoel Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-11-29T18:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica never trailed in capturing a 64-70 road victory over Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv at Shlomo Group Arena on Tuesday night. Cameron Reynolds staked Buducnost to a big lead with 5 three-pointers in the opening quarter and finished the game with 22 points to lead all scorers. Alpha Kaba posted 17 points and 14 rebounds and Trae Bell-Haynes added 14 points for the winners, who improved to 4-2 in Group B. Xavier Munford paced Hapoel with 21 points and 6 assists, Chinanu Onuaku added 15 points and Tomer Ginat 10 for Hapoel, which was without point guard J’Covan Brown and big man Jaylen Hoard. The result dropped Hapoel to 3-3 in the standings.

Kaba dominated inside and Reynolds drilled 4 three-pointers in the first 5 minutes as the visitors jumped to a 7-20 start. A three by Bell-Haynes gave Buducnost a 14-26 lead after 10 minutes. After trailing by 14, Hapoel got 5 points from Munford in a 7-0 run to get within 28-35. The margin settled at 32-40 at halftime.

Onuaku and Munford led a Hapoel charge late in the third quarter and Jordan McRae free throws got the hosts within 4, which was how the quarter ended: 51-55. Tomer Ginat got Hapoel within 2 with the first basket of the fourth quarter, but Kaba came to life with a pair of blocks and 2 baskets in the paint as Buducnost stretched the margin to 55-63 and held on the rest of the way.

Buducnost triumphs in Tel Aviv, 64-70 

Turk Telekom Ankara registered its fifth consecutive victory in Group B by downing Promitheas Patras 83-98 on the road on Tuesday night. Turk Telekom improved to 5-1 in the standings. Axel Boutielle led the winners with 24 points to match his career-high. Jerian Grant added 18 points and 6 assists, Tyrique Jones posted 14 points and 10 rebounds, Nathan Sestina scored 13 and Semih Erden had 10 for Turk Telekom. Joe Young had 30 points for Promitheas, which dropped to 4-2. Arnoldas Kulboka added 19 and Trevis Simpson 10.

Grant had 10 quick points to give Turk Telekom an early double-digit lead, 5-15. Bouteille and Sestina each made a triple, and Tyrique Jones dunked to keep the visitors way ahead, 17-27, after 10 minutes. Kulboka and Young fueled a 7-0 run that brought Promitheas within 24-27. Young kept pacing the hosts but Tyrique Jones and an unstoppable Grant restored a 36-44 margin at halftime.

Kulbokas, Young and Simpson each struck from downtown to get Promitheas within 46-48. Boutielle rescued Turk Telekom and got help from Erden and Tony Taylor to establish a 63-69 lead after 30 minutes. Jones and Sestina stepped up early in the fourth quarter to give the visitors a 69-80 margin. Turk Telekom soon boosted it to 71-86 and never looked back.

Turk Telekom leaves Patras with 83-98 win

### Turk Telekom Ankara head coach Erdem Can:

"First of all, I would like to thank Promitheas's organization, honestly. They had great hospitality and we are really honored to be over here and I think they are giving a great example for EuroCup how to host opponents' teams, I really appreciate that. Secondly, this was the leader of our group and that was a really important game. There is a long, long way to go but the only target that we have, we just say that every day, we try to get better, and this is one of the days that we tried to get better."

### Promitheas Patras head coach Makis Giatras:

"First of all, I want to talk about the game. We made an effort, playing against a good team. When you accept 99 points on defense, you don't have too many chances to win the game. They punished every weakness we had on defense. They read the game very well, especially in the fourth quarter. Congratulations to Turk Telekom for the victory. I believe that the team will continue being in the high rankings of the EuroCup and with the support of our fans, our team can go as high as it can in the rankings."

### Turk Telekom Ankara guard Jerian Grant:

"They are a really good team, we were playing on the road and this puts us on top of the division \[group\]."

Coach Can: 'We try to get better'

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica head coach Vlada Jovanovic:

"We opened the game very well with excellent three-point \[shooting\] percentages. I expected their reaction in the second half and we could tell we had a problem on the offensive rebounds for almost 15 minutes. When we fixed that problem, we took control of the game. We have a lot of games in front of us."

### Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv head coach Danny Franco:

"We didn’t play good enough to beat a team like Buducnost. We had the feeling that we were always close; we had to pick up the level of our game, decision-making, creating shots a little better, be a little smarter on defense leading guys to where we know. Paying attention more to details. We didn’t do it good enough and unfortunately we were punished for that."

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica center Alpha Kaba:

"We lost the previous game against Paris, a game we should have won, so we had to react today. We know the way they play here – a lot of intensity, an amazing crowd, so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We just got the W and we’re happy. We just tried our best. Some days we’ll play good, some days we’ll play bad. Today Reynolds just did his thing. I’m really happy for him. He’s a great shooter and we need him at this level every game."

Kaba, Buducnost: 'We had to react today'

U-BT Cluj-Napoca is currently enjoying its debut season in the 7DAYS EuroCup, and one player who has already announced himself to the competition is Brazilian small forward Leo Meindl. Despite having never played in the EuroCup prior to this season, Meindl has made an immediate impact, ranking fourth in scoring (18.4 ppg.), 12th in rebounds (7.2 rpg.) and seventh in PIR (19.2). He has been hitting 44.4% of his shots from downtown, too. Cluj has a 2-3 record in Group A, yet Meindl has been remarkably consistent for the Romanian team.

After growing up in his native Brazil, Meindl spent two seasons in Spain with Fuenlabrada before joining Cluj in the offseason. Once Cluj's offer arrived, and with the possibility of playing in the EuroCup, Meindl did not hesitate about saying yes, as he told us in this [EuroCupBasketball.com](http://EuroCupBasketball.com) interview. "Cluj proposed a very good offer from a sporting point of view, as I got here to be one of the main players in the team and play in the EuroCup, which is what I wanted," Meindl explained. "This is a step forward in my career and it's going well so far; the people like me here and this is a very good team."

**Hello, Leo. Congratulations for beating Brescia. How great was it to win at home, knowing that you have such a big crowd behind you?**

"Yes, the people here really love basketball and, for us, this is incredible. We play in front of 10,000 fans in each EuroCup game, and the home-court advantage makes things different for us. Our fans get us into it, shout a lot and do their best to motivate the team, which help us a lot. We are having a lot of close games, played point to point, and our fans often make the difference."

**Brescia hit 12 three-pointers before the break and only 3 after that. What did you change at halftime that worked so well?** 

"Well, we knew that Brescia is an offensive-minded team with good three-point shooters. We were making mistakes on small details, which allowed them to take open shots. Not all of their shots were contested and, at this level, if you take an open shot, the percentage is much higher. This is what we talked about. If we made a mistake on defense, we had to recover as fast as possible and contest their shots. That way, they would have a smaller chance to hit the shot. That is what we did: being more aggressive on defense and contesting the shots without making that many mistakes. We did well in the second half and managed to stop them." 

**It is your first season in Cluj. Was playing in the EuroCup one of your main goals?** 

"Yes, for sure. I have the dream of playing in the \[Turkish Airlines\] EuroLeague. I had been in Spain for two years and proved that I can play in the Spanish League. I had two very good seasons, and I wanted to play the EuroCup. Cluj proposed a very good offer from a sporting point of view, as I got here to be one of the main players in the team and play in the EuroCup, which is what I wanted. This is a step forward in my career and it's going well so far; the people like me here and this is a very good team. Everybody on the roster trusts me. I didn't know much about the team when I arrived, but I knew that they are professionals and wanted to compete well in the EuroCup, not just play it. I wanted to be in a winning team in which I could play a leading role, and it's all worked out \[so far\]." 

**Now that you are in the EuroCup, what do you think about the competition level and the organization?**

"It's amazing. I like the rules on and off the court. In the EuroCup, you need to have a good structure to play in the competition. So, when you join a EuroCup team, you know that the club's structure will be very good. Moreover, there are very good teams in the competition, and that makes you a better player. I like everything about it – I love playing in the EuroCup, and I am very happy, to be honest." 

Leo Meindl is in his first 7DAYS EuroCup season with U-BT Cluj-Napoca, and is playing a leading role.

2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup highlights: Leo Meindl, Cluj

**Your next two games are against Frutti Extra Bursaspor and Joventut Badalona, two of the favorites to win the competition. Will those results be a good indicator of where Cluj stands right now?** 

"Well, we don't have to think much about our opponents' level. We need a good game plan and to follow it. In the end, \[we need to\] leave it all out on the floor and let the results speak for themselves. We don't need to think much about our opponents. We know these are two very tough teams, but we are here to compete. We will practice, have a game plan, play our game and see how it turns out in the end. If we win both games, these are not the wins of the season, and if we lose, we will not be that bad. We have to follow our plan, be focused, do what we have to do with a lot of heart and \[then\] see what happens." 

**You are a Brazilian player in Romania, which is rather unconventional. How is your daily life in Cluj?** 

"At first, I didn't know much about the country. Truth be told, you don't hear much about Romania in Brazil, so I was a little bit scared. I started to make some calls and contacted people who played here. I called Emanuel Cate, who is Romanian, played for Murcia \[in Spain\] last season and ended up in Cluj, too. Everybody gave me good feedback about the club and the country. I am used to playing in Europe after two years in Spain, and life in Europe is very good. There are a lot of things in Romania that are very similar to Spain, like Mediterranean food. It is a bit colder here, but the seasons are similar, too. I like it here. I knew that it is not very conventional to have Brazilian players over here, but maybe I am opening the way for other Brazilians in the future. I love being here, I like Romania a lot. I hope we will win a lot of games this season." 

**The World Cup is underway. Are you following Brazil's games?** 

"Yes, of course. I miss my friends and family, but I would miss that if I were in any other place in the world apart from Brazil. We have a wonderful tradition in Brazil to watch football together, especially during the World Cup, but I am alone right now. My family is coming for Christmas, so it is not an easy thing, because I will have to watch the games on my own. My family is there and I am here, but I have my goals. I came here to become a better player and a better person, and things like this are part of being a professional basketball player. I am not thinking too much about all this stuff, I just try to enjoy my life and keep moving forward. I am sticking to my goals, becoming a better player and better person \[in the process\]."  

"I want to win as many titles as possible"

**Back to basketball, everyone is crazy about the team in Cluj-Napoca. The club represents the city at the highest level. How cool is that?** 

"The club is really important in this city. The players are recognized on the streets, in markets, everywhere. All of the players are really appreciated here. There are two football clubs in Cluj, but there is a bigger basketball tradition. People know basketball and love to be there, watching games, supporting us, making the players feel like \[they're at\] home. Basketball is big here, and I like it a lot. Cluj is not a big city, but it is big enough and people love basketball. I love being here." 

**Are you in touch with any of the other Brazilians in the competition, such as Yago Dos Santos of ratiopharm Ulm and Vitor Benite of Gran Canaria?** 

"Yes, of course. We were together two weeks ago, with the national team. We talked a lot. Benite is in the other regular-season group, \[but\] Yago and I are in the same group. Many times, we need to know which player can do what. We were all in different leagues and different teams last season, too. We don't know all of the EuroCup players, so we get in touch with each other to say which player does what, what players are good at \[certain things\]. That way, we know our opponents' strengths and weaknesses – it helps a lot. Yago is out of Brazil for the first time and always has a lot of questions about how things are in Europe. We are always in touch, not just us three but all the Brazilian players in Europe." 

**What would make a good season for you, personally, and for Cluj?** 

"As a team, I want to win as many titles as possible in all competitions I play in. I want to win the EuroCup, the Romanian League and the Romanian Cup. I would only be 100% happy if we won everything. Personally, it is obvious that I am working really hard and doing all I can to be the best player in the competition. If I don't make it, it's OK, but my main goal is to help the team win titles. I know it is not easy, but this is the only way I would be 100% happy: winning the \[EuroCup\] title. It is every player's dream: winning all titles and being the best player in the competition." 

Leo Meindl, Cluj: 'I wanted to play in the EuroCup'

Frutti Extra Bursaspor has confirmed that head coach Dusan Alimpijevic has signed a new contract extension that will keep him with the club until the summer of 2025. The 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup Coach of the Year is in his third season in charge of Bursaspor, having been appointed back in November 2020. Coach Alimpijevic has a record of 17-19 across his time with Bursaspor in the EuroCup, including 3-2 so far this season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Hep birlikte yeni hikayeler yazmaya! <br><br>Dusan Alimpijevic, 2025 ✍️ <a href="https://t.co/n63rAXQWNb">pic.twitter.com/n63rAXQWNb</a></p>&mdash; Frutti Extra Bursaspor (@BsBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BsBasketbol/status/1597574738817482757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Last season, Coach Alimpijevic was the mastermind behind Bursaspor's fairytale run to the EuroCup Final, but it came up short, losing 80-67 to Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Despite losing some of its key players, including Andrew Andrews, Kevarrius Hayes and John Holland, to Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs over the summer, Bursaspor has remained competitive in this year's EuroCup and has aspirations of making another deep run in the competition.

Bursaspor extends Coach Alimpijevic until 2025

Fantasy Challenge tips: Some solid choices

Round 6 is the last one in November, and with less than two months of competition, there are no undefeated teams left in the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup. That means that the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime, is arguably less predictable than ever. We have done our weekly analysis to recommend five players, not just superstars, but cheaper options that should help your team right away. Here they are: 

**Kyle Allman, Paris Basketball (12.9 credits) –** Paris features many players with good numbers but Allman plays a leading role due to his outstanding scoring skills. Allman is averaging 20.6 points and reached 30, with a PIR of 42, in Round 4 against Gran Canaria. He adds 3.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and a PIR average of 21.2. A really solid choice, anytime. 

**Alpha Kaba, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (13.8 credits) –** Right in the prime of his career, Kaba has been Buducnost's main frontcourt pillar. He averages 14.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and a PIR of 20.6 despite struggling from the foul line (10-of-21, 47.6%). Even with that, he had a PIR of 21 of higher in each of his team's last four games. What's not to like?

Kyle Allman, Alpha Kaba, Yoeli Childs, Nemanja Gordic, and Aleksander Balcerowski are featured in this week's article.

Fantasy tips: Regular Season Round 6

**Yoeli Childs, Veolia Towers Hamburg (11.8 credits) –** Childs needed some time to adjust to a new level of competition but once he did that, he has been rock solid. In the last three games, Childs averages 16.7 points on 24-for-33 two-point shooting (72.7% 2FG), 11.3 rebounds and a PIR of 22.7. He should play even better as the season goes on, becoming Hamburg's leader. 

**Nemanja Gordic, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (8.8 credits) –** Gordic needed just one game to become the team's new floor general. He helped Cluj beat Brescia 91-86 with 13 points, 4 assists, a 16 PIR and clutch free throws. Gordic was signed with a very specific role: provide his court sense and experience to his new team. At 8.8 credits, Gordic looks like a great pick.  

**Aleksander Balcerowski, Gran Canaria (7.1 credits) –** Fantasy-wise, Balcerowski is the kind of player who can stay on the bench or be used as a cheap starter. He has been playing better as the season went on, averaging 10.3 points on 13-for-15 two-pointers (86.7% 2FG), 5.7 rebounds and a PIR of 16.3. His PIR was 25 in Round 3 against London. Balcerowski is a rising value.