With three teams averaging over 95 points per game, the league’s youngest group leading all teams in offensive efficiency, several standout scorers already emerging, and a rise in transition play, there’s no shortage of storylines building momentum through the first 2 rounds of the BKT EuroCup

Stats review: Understanding a faster, higher-scoring EuroCup 

With three teams averaging over 95 points per game, the league’s youngest group leading all teams in offensive efficiency, several standout scorers already emerging, and a rise in transition play, there’s no shortage of storylines building momentum through the first 2 rounds of the BKT EuroCup.  While it is still too early to draw many concrete conclusions about where this season is headed, there have been plenty of compelling games early on and a few numbers that have defined them.

 

### 3 – the number of teams scoring over 95 points per game

[ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/ulm/), [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/), and [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/) have all eclipsed that mark to this point. Playing at varying paces, bringing radically different levels of ball movement in the half court, using entirely different offensive hierarchies, those three teams have been similarly prolific offensively without playing particularly similar styles. Those differences have not extended to their Synergy Shot Quality - a measure of the expected value of a team’s shot attempts based on a variety of factors.

Historically, some EuroCup teams rely on shot-making talent and others thrive on their patience hunting quality looks to sit atop the overall offensive efficiency leaderboards. In contrast, all three of this season’s most productive offenses in the early going have nearly identical - and equally exceptional - shot quality with the encouraging shot-making to match. 

### 24.8 years old and 1.08 points per possession scored

Ulm is often the youngest team in the EuroCup as it integrates a casting of prospects each season into the rotation. With their lineups featuring an average age of just 24.8 years old, this year is no exception as its players are on average a full year younger than the next closest teams, [Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/trn/) and the other team currently undefeated in Group B, [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/) .

That has not stopped Ulm from jumping out to a stellar start, averaging a league-best 1.08 points per possession made even more impressive by how much of that work it has done in the half-court. The additions of [Mark Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mark-smith/013969/), [Christian Sengfelder](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/christian-sengfelder/013917/), and [Chris Ledlum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/christopher-ledlum/013968/) coupled with the growth of returning wings [Tobias Jensen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tobias-jensen/010726/) and [Nelson Weidemann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nelson-weidemann/006245/) as off-ball weapons, have had Ty Harrelson’s team looking like a well-oiled machine early.

 

### 8 teams generating over 15% of their offense in transition

It is not easy to play fast at this level; the level of organization and discipline getting back on defense makes it hard for teams to get shots in early offense. Even so, and with turnovers remaining relatively flat from last season, offenses have been very aggressive looking to push this season. At the end of last season, only Valencia Basket was generating more than 15% of its offense in transition - and only by a few possessions.  This season, eight teams sit at 15% or higher with five teams above 17%.  While that may not seem like a major difference, it is one of the main reasons the league has been moving around 4 possessions per game faster than it did a season ago.

 

### 38.2 points per 40 minutes

This season marks a bit of a changing of the guard in the EuroCup, and [Fatts Russell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/daron-russell/013943/) has emerged as the league’s most dangerous scorer early on, scoring nearly a point per minute thus far. The 27-year-old has a few years of European experience under his belt, but has looked as confident in the EuroCup to this point as he has as a pro. That is an encouraging sign for Cluj, which looks to turn its back-to-back postseason berths into a streak.

Sportradar looks at the trends that have led to more points early in the EuroCup season

Any time Zsombor Maronka was fighting through his difficult 2024-25 season, he just had to look at his wrist and the bracelet he wears. The gift from his family a decade ago reads: “Create what you want to be” and “Greatness is a choice”. And those words helped the young Hungarian talent get back on the court after 10 months out. 

Inspirational bracelet means even more for Zsombor Maronka after successful recovery

Any time [Zsombor Maronka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zsombor-maronka/008103/) was fighting through his difficult 2024-25 season, he just had to look at his wrist and the bracelet he wears. The gift from his family a decade ago reads: “Create what you want to be” and “Greatness is a choice”. And those words helped the young Hungarian talent get back on the court after 10 months out. 

Maronka will remember September 24, 2025, for quite some time. It was the first time the 23-year-old got stepped on the parquet for a game since November 2024 after recovering from cartilage being removed from his foot. Hamburg lost 94-89 to Bamberg, but Maronka finally felt the rush of playing in front of fans again.

“Despite the loss, honestly, it was amazing and just uplifting to be back on the court. After such a long time of just watching the guys play and now finally being able to be on the court and help the team and do stuff, it was just amazing,” said Maronka, who totaled 8 points and 2 rebounds in 17 minutes in the game, told David Hein.

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMgHE7ysurU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Zsombor Maronka (@maronkazs)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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Maronka has been playing basketball since he was four years old and that was by far his longest stretch of being away from the game, having previously missed about two months with a sprained ankle. 

Back in November 2024, Maronka took a wrong step and said he heard a crack. An MRI could not really provide immediate clarity and surgery was needed to see exactly what had happened. 

Before the surgery, Maronka was told by doctors he could miss six weeks or six months. They wouldn’t know until they went into to examine the ankle. 

“When I woke up the doc told me: 'Everything went well, the surgery was successful and everything went according to plan. But there's going to be a longer recovery time.' So that's when the first moment of realization hit,” he remembered.

A large piece of cartilage at the front of his foot had broken off and had to be removed. Surgeons, he said, replaced the empty space with a matrix gel to help regrow the cartilage. Maronka was forced to wear a boot for six weeks to make sure the matrix stayed in place. 

He was on crutches for that time and it was a challenge for him to do every day tasks, including taking the stairs to his apartment on the fourth floor. 

Maronka initially was doing the math and thinking six months meant he could maybe get back in time for the end of the regular season or the playoffs in May. The progress turned out to be slower than he'd hoped and it was clear he would have to wait instead of risking it. 

“By the end, the most difficult part for me was knowing when you're at that point of almost coming back, but you still have to hold yourself back, be patient and not rush the end of the process,” said Maronka. 

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He did not go the rehab process alone. Beside family and friends, he also talked to Hamburg’s sports psychologist Renate Eichenberger throughout the entire rehab. Still, Maronka always tries to keep a positive mindset and believes things happen for a reason. And he said he used the rehab time to work on his body and his mental aspect of the game.

He worked out with the club’s strength coach on basketball-specific training. That and other work helped him eliminate previous lower back problems that had bothered him. Maronka joked that he worked out so much with the club’s assault bike – a stationary exercise bike for full-body, high-intensity workouts – that it became his best friend.

Right there with him also was that bracelet from his parents and brother, given to him when he left Hungary in 2016 to join Joventut Badalona. And the messages meant even more while he was rehabbing.

“There were a lot of moments last year where I felt like I could have accepted the mentality of I'm not playing, I cannot contribute to the team. But I feel like I attacked rehab even harder than I would do regular practices. I felt like this is a time that I can really create habits and a mentality that will help me even more moving forward once I'm back playing,” he said.

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CumtBsFMfg5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Zsombor Maronka (@maronkazs)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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Maronka is still in the process of creating the Zsombor he wants to be.

“I feel like first of all even more of a team player, a team guy. I was able to see aspects of how important it is the standards you hold for yourself to around the team.”

He may still be one of the younger players, but he came into last season with 13 EuroCup games played over three seasons with Joventut, starting with his debut in November 2020.

“I'm one of the guys who played at a pretty high level already, so maybe bring some tips, some experience with that energy and intensity. So I just want to be a supportive guy to my teammates and be the best version of myself.”

This past summer also saw Maronka sign a two-year contract with Hamburg. He had been in Hamburg last season on loan from Joventut – the club that loaned him to Neptunas Klaipeda in 2023-24 as well.

“I made the decision because after coming off of a long injury, I would need a lot of playing time. And I felt like this was a better place for me to be able to play,” he said. “I felt like the coaches' expectations for me here are more suitable for my plans. That's why I made the decision.”

Maronka actually signed the new contract while he was in Badalona this past July, saying goodbye to the people in the Spanish club. 

Maronka still had two more years on his long-term deal with Joventut so it didn’t seem odd at all to pen a two-year contract with Hamburg. 

“Signing a two-year contract here also would give me more security. I don't have to rush things, and the club gave me that sign too. So I also really appreciate that."

Now things are in place for Maronka to create the best Zsombor Maronka he can be. 

More Hamburg News

The Hamburg forward wears a bracelet reading: “Create what you want to be” and “Greatness is a choice”

Look back at all the action in Round 2 of the 2025-26 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 2

Look back at all the action from Round 2 of the 2025-26 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

A stellar individual performance in a big road victory allowed DJ Stewart to earn MVP honors for BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 2 with a PIR of 41. Stewart led Cedevita to an 84-99 come-from-behind victory over Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem with 27 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting. He made 2 of 4 three-pointers and was perfect on 7 free throw attempts. Stewart added 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn. In 37 previous EuroCup career games with Cedevita, Stewart's highest PIR had been 23 until now. 

Round 2 MVP: DJ Stewart, Cedevita 

A stellar individual performance in a big road victory allowed DJ Stewart to earn MVP honors for BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 2 with a PIR of 41. Stewart led Cedevita to an 84-99 come-from-behind victory over Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem with 27 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting. He made 2 of 4 three-pointers and was perfect on 7 free throw attempts. Stewart added 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn. In 37 previous EuroCup career games with Cedevita, Stewart's highest PIR had been 23 until now. 

The Round 2 runner-up was Fatts Russell of U-BT Cluj-Napoca, who amassed a PIR of 38 in his team's 102-107 road win at Neptunas Klaipeda. Russell had 37 points on 7-of-13 three-point shooting. He also made 8 of 9 free throws, dished 5 assists, swiped 2 steals and drew 14 fouls, which tied the EuroCup single-game record. 

Marko Simonovic of Turk Telekom Ankara posted a PIR of 33 against Cosea JL Bourg en Bresse. He had 27 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting, 2-of-4 on three-pointers and 7-of-7 on free throws. Simonovic also collected 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 fouls drawn. Jaylen Hands of Panionios Athens, DeVante Jones of Dolomiti Energia Trento, and Skylar Mays of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, each with a PIR of 29, completed the top individual performances in Round 2. 

### Individual highs: Fatts Russell of Cluj, 37 points

Among the many players who stood out in Round 2, here are the weekly and season-long leaders in the main statistical categories:

Fatts Russell of U-BT Cluj-Napoca was the round's top scorer with 37 points in his team's 102-107 road win over Neptunas Klaipeda. He is also the competition's top scorer with 29.0 points per game. 

Zacharie Perrin of Veolia Towers Hamburg pulled down 14 rebounds in Round 2 to top the charts. Perrin also ranks first overall with 12.5 rebounds per night. 

Markel Starks of Panionios Athens was the only player who reached double digits in assists, dishing 11 against ratiopharm ulm. Arnas Velicka of Neptunas is the competition's assists leader with 8.5 per game. 

Dogus Ozdemiroglu of Turk Telekom Ankara collected 6 steals in Round 2, which matched a club record. Before him, Chris Williams had 6 steals for Turk Telekom in a 73-81 road victory over ALBA Berlin on January 15, 2008. Ozdemiroglu also leads the EuroCup in steals with 4.5 per night. 

Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu of BAXI Manresa, Jakob Forester of Aris Thessaloniki Betsson and Amedeo Tessitori of Umana Reyer Venice each had 3 blocks in Round 2. Akobundu-Ehiogu and Jerusalem’s Justin Smith are tied for first place at 2.0 blocks per night. 

Simonovic, Perrin, Trevion Williams of Bahcesehir College Istanbul and Nathan Mensah of Cluj all recorded respective double-doubles in Round 2.  

The 26-year-old guard erupted with a career-best performance

Cosea JL Bourg en Bresse has started the season on a roll. Fresh off last week's no-doubt-about-it victory road victory at Dolimiti Energia Trento, Bourg topped Turk Telekom Ankara 88-80 at Ekinox in front of a noisy atmosphere. Bourg fans have plenty of reasons to be hopeful, and one of them is playmaker Darius McGhee, who stepped up at the right times during the game to lead the hosts to a big victory.

Darius McGhee shows credentials right away 

[Cosea JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/jl-bourg-en-bresse/roster/bou/) has started the season on a roll. Fresh off last week's no-doubt-about-it victory [road victory at Dolimiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-blasts-past-trento-48-79/), [Bourg topped Turk Telekom Ankara 88-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-outlasts-turk-telekom-88-80/) at Ekinox in front of a noisy atmosphere. Bourg fans have plenty of reasons to be hopeful, and one of them is playmaker [Darius McGhee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/darius-mcghee/013859/), who stepped up at the right times during the game to lead the hosts to a big victory.

McGhee took off early, burying a couple of three-pointers in a 10-0 run that gave Bourg its first double-digit lead, 18-8. [Turk Telekom](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/roster/ttk/) fought back through an amazing [Dogus Ozdemiroglu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dogus-ozdemiroglu/006640/), who tied a long-lasting club record with 6 steals to go with 14 points and 8 assists. Ozdemiroglu, a 2018 EuroCup champion with Darussafaka Istanbul, helped Turk Telekom to a 60-67 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Again, McGhee rose to the challenge, scoring back-to-back layups to bring Bourg within 67-69 soon after that. [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/) gave Turk Telekom its last lead, 75-76, with over 3 minutes left. McGhee didn't panic and nailed a three-pointer and added a pair of free throws and a wild step-back jumper for a 82-76 advantage in the next-to-last minute. [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) sealed the win with a corner triple with 20.6 seconds remaining.

"It was a great atmosphere tonight. We love playing basketball together, our team. As you can tell, we are a super connected team," McGhee said after the game. "I think this game was a great test for us because they were on a run, but we stayed connected in the fourth quarter and it is a testament to our character and how much we believe in each other. It was a great game for us."

McGhee finished the game with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists for a PIR of 23. In Round 1 against Trento, McGhee buried 6 three-pointers to his way to 22 points. After the win against Turk Telekom, McGhee also spoke about the future and how much he think Bourg can grow throughout the season.

"They are a very talented team and we knew that they were going to make a run. We had to stay poised with a couple of guys into foul trouble"; McGhee said. "I think it was a great learning experience for us. Obviously, we wanted to get the win but also keep building throughout the season so that way, at the end of the season, we are at our best."

Game Videos

Game News

The 26-year-old point guard needed just two games to alert the entire competition of his arrival


Darius McGhee is showing his credentials right away 

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Turk Telekom Ankara (2025-10-08T17:30:00.000Z)

A fast start to the third and fourth quarters put BAXI Manresa on track to defeat Slask Wroclaw in Round 2 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season.

Manresa planted seeds in first half, harvested in second to beat Slask

[BAXI Manresa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/baxi-manresa/man/) was able to celebrate its first-ever BKT EuroCup win at home when [it defeated Slask Wroclaw 74-62](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/manresa-gets-first-ever-eurocup-win-against-slask-74-62/) at Pavello Nou Congost on Wednesday night. 

The hosts struggled to take control of the game in the early going and trailed 20-21 after 14 minutes, but a strong 11-0 run at that moment allowed Manresa to stay calm, reach the break in charge at 36-28, and kill Slask in the second half.

BAXI Manresa-Slask Wroclaw | Round 2 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroCup

A 7-0 run to start the third period and an 11-3 to begin the last quarter boosted the home team's lead to 64-47 with 5 minutes left, a fair reward for its effort all game long.

“I think we did a pretty good job in the first half in terms of executing what we wanted. Shots didn't fall for us, even though we played okay,” reflected Manresa center [Grant Golden](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/grant-golden/013849/) right after the final buzzer.

“Defensively, a couple mistakes here and there, but definitely came out strong in the second half. That sort of helped lifted us for the rest of the second half, and we were able to hold on to the lead and keep it throughout.”

Despite shooting with low percentages from behind the arc (17.9% 3FG), Manresa kept working hard in all those other aspects that matter, wearing down its opponent slowly. Especially on defense, as Slask was able to score only 10 points when combining the first 5 minutes of the last two periods.

<center>
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Come the end of the game, Slask had committed 19 turnovers and dished just 8 assists. On the other side, Manresa stole 8 balls and got 21 assists, which allowed the home team to control the rhythm and neutralize any Slask comeback attempt in the crucial moments.

“We played better defense, we were solid in one-on-one situations, and we controlled the rebounds, so we could run,” acknowledged Manresa head coach Diego Ocampo.

“In life, there is one thing you cannot buy, and that’s experience,” Slask head coach lamented in the post-game press conference. “You can cover experience with physicality, with aggressiveness, with hard playing. We were in the game all the time, I would say, but experience, our decisions, offensively, against their defense, we weren’t able to organize our offense well, and Manresa leaped on our decisions offensively.

“We gave a lot of presents to Manresa; there is no other explanation for me. We had 19 turnovers.”

The Spanish side secured its first-ever victory in the competition

BAXI Manresa v Slask Wroclaw (2025-10-08T18:45:00.000Z)

After logging just a single point in 11 minutes of his EuroCup debut, Trento's 17-year-old forward Cheickh Niang stepped up to take the visitors over the line, adding 3 assists and 3 boards to his 14 points. He wasn’t the only breakout star of the contest, however, as 18-year-old Patrick Hassan backed him up with 11 points of his own. Their coach feels the duo is just getting started.

Undermanned Trento relied on young talent to get its season rolling

With key players Khalif Battle and DJ Steward sidelined through injury, [Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/trn/) had a mountain to climb on Wednesday night as it travelled to the MORACA Sports Center [to face Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-overcomes-buducnost-in-high-scoring-clash-96-107/). That mountain appeared even more daunting, given its underwhelming 48-point scoring performance in their EuroCup opener last week.

However, head coach Massimo Cancellieri put his faith in youth and it paid off significantly. After logging just a single point in 11 minutes of his EuroCup debut, 17-year-old forward [Cheickh Niang](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/cheickh-niang/013756/) stepped up to take the visitors over the line, adding 3 assists and 3 boards to his 14 points. He wasn’t the only breakout star of the contest, however, as 18-year-old [Patrick Hassan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/patrick-hassan/012242/) backed him up with 11 points of his own. Their coach feels the duo is just getting started.

“Without two very important players like Battle and Steward, we showed up,” Cancellieri said of his team. “I believe that this shows how this group has a big upside, because they stick together, they don’t give up in tough moments and this win is huge for our confidence. We have to believe we can grow up and this win is dedicated to our players, they were able to win this and I’m very happy for them.”

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica-Dolomiti Energia Trento | Round 2 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroCup

With so little experience at this level, Hassan and Niang made a mark in the excellent victory, which saw their team score 59 more points than in last week’s loss to Bourg. The pair took the increased offensive responsibility and ran with it, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can make a dent in the team’s regular rotation as the season progresses.

Not to be outdone, Trento’s star guard [DeVante Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devante-jones/013260/) put on a tremendous offensive display, improving on his EuroCup career high with 24 points while also handing out 7 dimes. Jones was impressed by the way the squad stepped up despite the absence of multiple missing pieces.

“I think it was a big game for us,” he said. “We knew everybody had to step up and everybody showed up really well for this game.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big one 🔥🖤🦅 <a href="https://t.co/LUgw8hEjPM">pic.twitter.com/LUgw8hEjPM</a></p>&mdash; Dolomiti Energia Trento (@AquilaBasketTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN/status/1976019659163050168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Conversely, Buducnost coach Andrej Zekelj was less pleased, despite his team getting 96 points on the board.

“We didn’t play defense, it was too soft. 100 points in your home court? It’s totally unacceptable.”

Cheickh Niang and Patrick Hassan shined bright for the Italian side

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-10-08T18:00:00.000Z)

The Aris fans couldn’t have asked for more as a historic evening unfolded at Palais des Sports, with the Greek side hosting Veolia Towers Hamburg in what was its first home game under the club's new management. This summer Aris entered a new era, with Canadian entrepreneur Richard Hsiao taking over the club and former EuroLeague champion Nikos Zisis being appointed as general manager.

Aris embarks on new chapter with historic night in Thessaloniki

It started with a rain of confetti and ended with [Aris Thessaloniki Betsson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/aris-thessaloniki-betsson/ari/)’s new generation shining on the floor.

The fans couldn’t have asked for more as a historic evening unfolded at Palais des Sports, as [the Greek side hosted Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/aris-stays-perfect-with-98-76-thrashing-of-hamburg/) in what was its first home game under the club's new management. This summer Aris entered a new era, with 24-year-old Canadian entrepreneur Richard Hsiao taking over the club and former EuroLeague champion Nikos Zisis being appointed as general manager.

Aris Thessaloniki Betsson-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 2 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroCup

A promising 2025-26 EuroCup campaign kicked off with [a big road victory at Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/aris-roars-its-way-to-81-85-win-at-reyer/) last week, setting the tone for what was about to follow this Wednesday night. A sell-out crowd packed the stands, with Hsiao attending his first Aris game and loving every moment of it. The club also invited legend Nick Galis, who took his seat in the stands of an arena where he made history with some unforgettable displays in the 1980s.

Both Hsiao and Galis received a standing ovation when they entered Palais des Sports, with the fans warming up for a historic moment. The referees blew the first whistle and that immediately triggered a rain of confetti, which left layers of papers to be removed from the floor. An astonished Hsiao grabbed videos that he shared with his Instagram followers before the players took the baton from the fans.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">🟡🫂 𝝜 𝝖𝝘𝝟𝝖𝝠𝝞𝝖 𝝩𝝤𝝪 𝝢𝝞𝝟𝝤𝝪 𝝘𝝟𝝖𝝠𝝜 𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗡 𝝦𝝞𝝩𝝨𝝖𝝦𝝢𝝩 𝝨𝝞𝝖𝝤 𝝨𝝩𝝤 𝝟𝝖𝝩𝝖𝝡𝝚𝝨𝝩𝝤 𝝖𝝠𝝚𝝣𝝖𝝢𝝙𝝦𝝚𝝞𝝤! <a href="https://t.co/Sz6lEWVk3s">pic.twitter.com/Sz6lEWVk3s</a></p>&mdash; SPORT24 (@sport24) <a href="https://twitter.com/sport24/status/1975965795831177604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A resilient Hamburg wasn't intimidated by the atmosphere and managed to trouble Aris’s offense in the first 8 minutes. But [Elijah Mitrou-Long](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/long-mitrou/013959/) inspired the hosts to a 9-2 run to end the first quarter, followed by a 10-2 surge to open the second. Aris pulled away and never looked back, with each of the 12 players who stepped onto the floor celebrating a bucket of their own.

In fact, Aris head coach Bogdan Karaicic provided some youngsters with valuable playing time in the last quarter. Fifteen-year-old [Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chrysostomos-chatzilamprou/013046/) and 18-year-old [Panagiotis Lefas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/panagiotis-lefas/012992/) made their EuroCup debuts; the former netted 5 points and the latter scored 13. After playing a few seconds in Round 1, [Vasillis Kazamias](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/vasillis-kazamias/012638/) made his home debut, ending the game with 6 points. Aris’s new generation impressed the home crowd, with fans celebrating every single one of their buckets.

<center>
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“It was a beautiful game,” Aris forward [Ronnie Harrell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ronnie-harrell/012716/) said in the post-game flash interview. “A beautiful effort by all of us, starting with the fans, to the coach, to myself and my teammates, to the young guys. We showed what we have potential to do.”

Aris thrashed Hamburg 98-76, improving to 2-0 to open the EuroCup campaign in style. More importantly, the team and fans showed that their connection has all the potential to lead to something special this term.

Owner Richard Hsiao poses with the Aris players after the win against Hamburg. (Photo: Aris)

“Our fans showed where their heart is at,” Harrell. “We showed what ours is about. We’ve got a lot of work to do but we showed what we can bring to the city, and the fans showed why we deserve to be one of the top teams in the EuroCup.”

The message was sent out on Wednesday night and it was heard loud and clear: Aris has embarked on a new chapter and it has what it takes to become the story of the season. What started with a rain of confetti could end with moments reminiscent of Aris’s glory days.

The Greek side thrashed Hamburg in front of a sell-out crowd

Aris Thessaloniki Betsson v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2025-10-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana had a real three-headed monster performance that carried the team to an important 84-99 road win over Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem with DJ Stewart, Aleksej Nikolic and Umoja Gibson proving to be way too much. 

Cedevita’s three-headed monster was too much for Jerusalem

[Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/lju/) had a real three-headed monster performance that carried the team to an important [84-99 road win over Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/big-second-half-run-carries-cedevita-to-84-99-comeback-win-over-jerusalem/) with [DJ Stewart](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dj-stewart/012700/), [Aleksej Nikolic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/aleksej-nikolic/003703/) and [Umoja Gibson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/umoja-gibson/013855/) proving to be way too much. 

All three players scored 20+ points and combined for 70 of Cedevita's 84 total points in the victory at Jerusalem. 

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem-Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana | Round 2 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroCup

“It was an important game on the road to get against them. They made a lot of runs. We took the punches and fought back,” said Stewart, who poured in a career-high 27 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 41. 

“I am super happy because everyone knows who Hapoel is and who their players are. But my players really showed great energy in the second half – on offense and defense. We made some changes and started to play very well,” said Cedevita head coach Zvezdan Mitrovic. 

The play-caller saw Stewart step up right away with 8 of his team’s first 10 points. But it was far from just Stewart. 

Nikolic also tallied a career high in points with 22 – including making 12-of-12 free throws. The veteran also added 1 rebound, 4 assists and 7 fouls drawn. Gibson was not far behind with 21 points – including back-to-back three-pointers in the closing moments to serve as the dagger. The EuroCup rookie also contributed 1 rebound, 6 assists and 4 fouls drawn. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">2-0! <a href="https://t.co/XvrnkH8cIp">pic.twitter.com/XvrnkH8cIp</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (@KKCedOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL/status/1976023955984310362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The trio was a massive part of the team’s offense, accounting for 71% of Cedevita’s points. They combined to make 75% of their two-pointers, 47% of their three-pointers and all 22 of their free-throw attempts. 

Stewart, Nikolic and Gibson’s 10 combined rebounds were 40% of the team’s total while they had 15 of the team’s 20 assists for 75%. They accounted for 77% of the fouls drawn and their combined PIR of 89 was nearly 80% of the team’s total. 

All that production came after they combined for 31 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists in [Cedevita’s season-opening 76-69 home win over BAXI Manresa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-olimpija-gets-past-manresa-76-69/). 

DJ Stewart, Aleksej Nikolic and Umoja Gibson combined for 70 of 99 points in road win

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2025-10-08T18:00:00.000Z)