Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv led by as many as 29 points before celebrating an 83-100 road win at Promitheas Patras on Tuesday night. The visitors dominated the second half after falling behind early and leading by just 5 at the break.

Hapoel scored the first 18 points of the second half to take control of the game. It amassed 36 points in the third quarter after totaling 37 in the entire first half. What made the difference was taking care of the ball, as Hapoel head coach Danny Franco proclaimed after the game.  

"We turned over the ball only once in the third quarter. We had 8 turnovers in the first half; that gave Promitheas a lot of easy points," said Franco.

Game Videos

Both teams had 12 turnovers for the game, but Hapoel accompanied its turnovers with 31 assists, which was nearly double the Promitheas total (17). With starting point guard J’Covan Brown out after suffering a concussion last week, Hapoel needed players to step up in the passing game and they did. Jordan McRae dished a career-best 8 turnovers, Bar Timor delivered 6 and Xavier Munford and J.P. Tokoto had 4 each. Every player spare teenager Eyal Harel, who came on for the final 2:42, had at least 1 assist.

The visitors not only took better care of the ball, but they comminated the glass, too. Hapoel outrebounded Promitheas 24-40 with nine players grabbing at least 1 rebound. Chinanu Onuaku led the way with 8 rebounds, Idan Zalmanson had 6 and Tokoto and Jaylen Hoard added 5 each.

The impressive performance on the road moved Hapoel into the top half of the Group B standings and was another display of the talent and potential that Coach Franco’s team believes could take it far this season.

Game News

Hapoel’s third-quarter run made all the difference

Promitheas Patras v Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv (2022-12-20T18:30:00.000Z)

### [Promitheas Patras 83-100 Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/promitheas-patras-hapoel-vegan-friendly-tel-aviv/U2022/89/)

Hapoel will head into the midway point of the regular season with a winning record after pounding Promitheas 83-100 on the road at Dimitris Tofalos Arena on Tuesday night. Jordan McRae set career-highs with 26 points and 8 assists to pace Hapoel, which improved to 5-4 in its maiden EuroCup campaign. Joe Young returned from injury to score 17 for Promitheas, which slipped to 5-4 in Group B.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/JordyMac52?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JordyMac52</a> with that LASER vision 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/6Rfa03N75N">pic.twitter.com/6Rfa03N75N</a></p>&mdash; 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1605289700205293568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Germani Brescia 110-74 Frutti Extra Bursaspor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/germani-brescia-frutti-extra-bursaspor/U2022/85/)

All signs point to a low-scoring affair when Germani Brescia (3-5) and Frutti Extra Bursaspor (5-3) duel. Both are in the top half of the competition in points allowed, rebounds allowed and assists allowed, which put pressure on these teams’ respective offenses to produce.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">È FANTASTICA QUESTA GERMANI 👏👏👏 Un&#39;ottima prestazione corale stende il <a href="https://twitter.com/BsBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BsBasketbol</a> con il punteggio di 110-74 💪💪💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DreamBig?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DreamBig</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brescia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brescia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSEuroCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/yrkfhHeDMB">pic.twitter.com/yrkfhHeDMB</a></p>&mdash; Pallacanestro Brescia (@LeonessaBrescia) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeonessaBrescia/status/1605314639314706433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Game Center: Hapoel, Brescia open Round 9 with big wins

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv will head into the midway point of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season with a winning record after pounding Promitheas Patras 83-100 on the road at Dimitris Tofalos Arena on Tuesday night.

Jordan McRae set career-highs with 26 points and 8 assists to pace Hapoel, which improved to 5-4 in its maiden EuroCup campaign. Xavier Munford added 15 points, Jaylen Hoard scored 14, Chinanu Onuaku had 11 and J.P. Tokoto 10. Joe Young returned from injury to score 17 for Promitheas, which slipped to 5-4 in Group B. Anthony Cowan contributed 16, Arnoldas Kulboka 14 and Georgios Tanoulis 13 in defeat.

George Conditt scored twice early for the hosts who held Hapoel scoreless for the first 4:05 minutes and opened a 10-2 lead. Tokoto and Munford led a 0-10 Hapoel charge to take the lead. A triple by Vassilis Mouratos gave Promitheas a 15-14 lead after 10 minutes.

Jordan McRae tied the game at 21-21 with Hapoel’s first three-pointer of the night; Promitheas had made 5 already at that point. Young put the hosts right back on top. Each team had a small run to take the lead with Hapoel striking last to lead 32-37 at the break.

Onuaku scored the first two baskets of the second half before Munford’s triple boosted the margin to double figures. By the time McRae’s long pass fed Tomer Ginat for a layup, Hapoel had scored 18 unanswered points – 22 going back to the second quarter – and led 32-55. Young tried to snap Promitheas out of its funk with a triple, however, even though the home team got its offense going, Hapoel continued to score in bunches and finished the third quarter in total control, 53-73.  The outcome was never in doubt in the fourth quarter with the margin peaking at 71-100 with 3 minutes to go before Hapoel let up late.

Hapoel romps to victory at Patras 

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

"First of all, we turned over the ball only once in the third quarter. We had 8 turnovers in the first half; that gave Promitheas a lot of easy points. The second we protected the ball better with only 1 turnover, we could control the tempo of the game and get easy buckets. I am happy for my guys. They got 31 assists. I don’t know if it’s a record or something, but for us for sure. I want to thank Promitheas for amazing hospitality and I’m proud of my guys."

### 

### Promitheas Patras head coach Ioannis Christopoulos:

"We did a very poor job defensively in the third quarter and we lost our composure. We took bad shots and they found opportunities to punish us in transition and that cost us the game.”

### Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv forward Jordan McRae:

"We’ve been srtruggling on the road, so we needed a road win bad. So we just had to punch together as a team. I say it all the time, we have the most amazing fans in the world. I’m not just saying this because I’m here, they follow us everywhere we go. No matter how far the flight is, they’re always here."

Coach Franco, Hapoel: 'I’m proud of my guys'

With a great start in the 7DAYS EuroCup season, Turk Telekom can aim even for the EuroLeague with coach Erdem Can leading the charge.

As one of the most important clubs in Turkish basketball history, Turk Telekom was struggling to meet expectations in recent years despite its quality rosters with experienced players. The team, which made a fresh start with their new head coach Erdem Can this summer, has managed to be one of the best teams in whole European basketball so far.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/tr/trademarks-tr/1436536/erden-can-returned-to-turk-telekom-aiming-high/)

Erdem Can returned to Turk Telekom aiming high by Eurohoops

### Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach

"We expect a really hard game, against a team that scores a lot. For example, they scored more than 100 points in their last two matches. Anyways, they are a team that we want to beat. This is our thought. We prepared well and we will do our best to get a victory in front of our fans."

### Stefan Bircevic, Cluj player

"We need to show more attidude and focus. We need to play better and not allow them to score easy baskets. Of course, we will do our best to win this game and I hope our fans will be there for us, like they always do."

Fans of high-scoring games may be in for a treat when U-BT Cluj-Napoca (3-5) and ratiopharm Ulm (4-4) meet. Cluj’s average of 86.8 points per game is the second-highest in the EuroCup and Ulm is fifth in that category with 86.6 per game.

Pre-Game quotes: Cluj vs. Ulm

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v ratiopharm Ulm (2022-12-21T17:00:00.000Z)

A pair of 7DAYS EuroCup newcomers with aspirations of reaching the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague face off at Copper Box Arena on Wednesday night, as the London Lions take on Paris Basketball in a first-ever meeting between the two. The first installment of this derby brings a lot of intrigue for basketball fans around Europe.

Both of these EuroCup newcomers made plenty of headlines in the offseason as they took their projects to the next level. London opted to revamp its entire roster and bring in a higher level of talent, while Paris kept faith with its existing young stars but nevertheless looked to improve by adding more ready-made players ahead of its EuroCup debut.

The signings of former NBA players Sam Dekker and Kosta Koufos by London were heard throughout Europe as a sign that the club's EuroCup project is for real. It wasn't just the arrivals of Dekker and Koufos that caught the eye, however, as Vojtech Hruban, Tomislav Zubcic and Ovie Soko also joined one of the most eye-catching rosters in the competition.

London Lions Top Plays from 09/30/2022 to 12/20/2022

London Lions top plays in 2022

Paris, meanwhile, felt confident in the trio of Kyle Allman, Juhann Begarin and Ismael Kamagate, who had featured together for the team in the French League last season. To add some experience to the mix, the team moved to sign France international Axel Toupane and ex-NBA player Tyrone Wallace. Like London, there were plenty of people were eager to see how Paris would do in Europe's second-best basketball competition.

Fast forward a few months and the two teams are currently in the playoff places in Group B. Paris occupies fourth position with a record of 5-3, while London is in seventh place after going 4-4 in its first eight games. It has been a curious start to life in the EuroCup for both Paris and London, as the French side are 1-3 at home but 4-0 on its travels, whereas the Lions are 2-1 on their home court and 2-3 on the road. It should be interesting to see how they react in this Round 9 matchup, as both teams lost last week after three-game winning streaks.

Paris Basketball Top Plays from 09/30/2022 to 12/20/2022

Paris Basketball top plays in 2022

Paris fell 71-74 at home to Promitheas Patras in Round 8, one day after London got blown out in Turkey against the leader in Group B, losing 102-74 to Turk Telekom Ankara, but with plenty of players performing well at present – Dekker and Koufos for London, and Allman, Begarin and Kamagate for Paris – there is the opportunity for one of the teams to get back on track with a win.

It remains to be seen if either London or Paris can do enough to reach next season's EuroLeague, but the first edition of this derby could be the start of a beautiful rivalry between two teams looking to make a name for themselves in European basketball.

A new derby begins as London takes on Paris

London Lions v Paris Basketball (2022-12-21T19:30:00.000Z)

Fantasy tips: a new EuroCup season starts! 

The 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season reaches its halfway mark this week with Round 9. The competition will take a break after this round and return on January 10, 2023. That means this is our last chance in 2022, fantasy managers, to win a weekly prize in the Fantasy Challenge, powered by Ardu Prime. Here are some recommendations for Round 9 among players in the 10.5-12.5 credit range. 

**Derek Willis, Umana Reyer Venice (12.5 credits) –** Willis has shown his full potential during the last four rounds, in which he has been close to unstoppable. Over that time, Willis has averaged 14.8 points on 8-of-16 three-point shooting, 8.8 rebounds and a PIR of 20.0, with at least 16 in each game. He definitely is a rock-solid fantasy choice. 

**Andrija Stipanovic, U-BT Cluj-Napoca (10.5 credits) –** If you are looking for a cheaper, experienced center, Stipanovic may very well be your man. Over the last three games, Stipanovic has averaged 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a PIR of 14.7. He has even made 6 of 11 free throws, after starting the season 2 of 10.

Derek Willis, Andrija Stipanovic, Onuralp Bitim, Zoran Dragic and Ondrej Balvin are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge tips: Round 9

**Zoran Dragic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (10.8 credits) –** Dragic finally returned to action and made his 2022-23 EuroCup debut in Round 6. Since then, Dragic has averaged 12.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a PIR of 14.3, all that without shooting the ball particularly well (40% 2FG, 36.4% 3FG). He will only get better and better. 

**Ondrej Balvin, Prometey Slobozhanske (11.5 credits) –** Balvin surprised a lot of people with a monster performance in Round 8, going for 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a PIR of 34 against Cluj. Balvin had a PIR of 23 against Bourg in Round 7, too. He is an experienced center who will rebound the ball even better from now on.

**Onuralp Bitim, Frutti Extra Bursaspor (11.8 credits) –** What's not to like about Bitim? Bitim is charismatic, talented, physical and always full of energy. He's been posting huge numbers over the last four rounds: 21.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 7.8 fouls drawn and a PIR of 24.8, getting at least 20 in each game. Fantasy gold! Buy him now!

Sam Dekker Top Plays of the 2019-20 Regular Season

2019-20 EuroCup highlights Sam Dekker

A new 7DAYS EuroCup campaign starts and of course, that means that EuroCup Fantasy Challenge returns for its sophomore edition! 


Fantasy tips: Many players in shape!

Some of the EuroCup’s best defensive sides will be challenged by the best offenses – and vice versa – in Round 9 of the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season.

When Turk Telekom Ankara (6-2) visits Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (5-3), it will mark Group B’s most dangerous attack against that group’s premier defense. Turk Telekom has averaged 86.1 points per game and Buducnost has allowed a EuroCup-low 72.0.

In Group A, the duel between Umana Reyer Venice (5-3) and Prometey Slobozhanske (4-4) is similarly a showdown between different styles. Prometey leads the EuroCup in scoring with 88.5 points per game and Reyer has allowed the fewest points in the group, 74.3 per game.

Turk Telekom is 1-1 this season when it has failed to score at least 80 points and is 4-0 when it has amassed more than 82. Turk Telekom’s 60.5% two-point shooting is second-best in the EuroCup as is its 39.5% shooting from behind the arc. Jerian Grant, who is second in the competition with 6.4 assists per game, runs the Turk Telekom attack.

Buducnost leads the competition by holding opponents to 48.7% shooting on two-pointers as well as a EuroCup-low 26.5% on threes. Led by Alpha Kaba’s power inside, Buducnost is third in the EuroCup in blocked shots, too, with 3.4 per game, and it tops the charts with 43.0 rebounds per game. The Montenegrin side has held opponents below 70 points three times already this season and has only allowed a team to reach the 80s once.

Buducnost vs. Turk Telekom = great defense vs. great offense  

Buducnost vs Turk Telekom great defense vs great offense

The Reyer-Prometey game is a battle of styles and pace. Prometey is not only the top-scoring club in the EuroCup, but the table-topper in steals (10.5 spg.). It also takes good care of the ball with just 12.6 turnovers. And there is potential for more points as the team’s 31.1% three-point shooting is second worst in the EuroCup. Prometey lost the only two times it failed to score 80 points so far this season.

Reyer slows the pace down and attempts just 60 shots per game, which is 8.4 fewer than Prometey. Reyer also attempts 3.7 fewer free throws per game than Prometey's 22.8. Only twice has Reyer allowed an opponent to score more than 80 points this season and it lost both times, most recently 90-87 at Joventut Badalona last week.

The Reyer duo of Jayson Granger and Marco Spissu will be charged with slowing things down and running the Reyer offense, while their counterparts D.J Kennedy, Caleb Agada and Gian Clavell look to push the ball at every opportunity. 

Fans of great tactical basketball should buckle up because these two games on Wednesday night promise to be something special.

Reyer vs. Prometey = great defense vs. great offense  

Reyer vs Prometey great defense vs great offense

Top offenses face elite defenses in Round 9 showdowns

Umana Reyer Venice v Prometey Slobozhanske (2022-12-21T19:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Turk Telekom Ankara (2022-12-21T18:00:00.000Z)