Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares some tips ahead of Round 18

Fantasy tips, Round 18: The one before the break! 

The 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Regular Season comes to an end, so it is a very special week in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge. Three trades will be allowed for the last time; when the competition returns for the eighthfinals, unlimited trades will be available each week until a champion is crowned. There are many good options in the game right now. Here are my top recommendations before the decisive Round 18 and the big break.

### Kur Kuath, Veolia Towers Hamburg (12.0 credits)

It is the end of the road for Hamburg, which wants to finish the 2024-25 EuroCup with a bang. [Kur Kuath](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kur-kuath/013313/) has been just sensational in the last seven games, getting five double-doubles in that span while averaging 13.3 points on 39 of 59 two-point shooting and 9.2 rebounds for a PIR of 21.4. Last chance to get him!

### Mfiondu Kabengele, Umana Reyer Venice (17.8 credits)

Reyer needs a win and some help from other teams in order to qualify. [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) has been its main pillar all season long and should have another impressive game against Lietkabelis. He's had nine double-doubles this season, but his last one was huge: 20 points and 18 rebounds against Turk Telekom in Round 17!

Kyle Alexander, Kur Kuath, Mfiondu Kabengele, Aleksej Nikolic and Maksim Salash are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Round 18

### Maksim Salash, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (9.9 credits)

Bourg is also trying to qualify and relies on [Maksim Salash](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/maksim-salash/004525/) to keep playing the way he did in recent games. In his last two showdowns, Salash averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 fouls drawn and a PIR of 21.0, way above his season averages. Bourg wants to be in the next round and Salash should bring his A-game.

### Kyle Alexander, Turk Telekom Ankara (14.8 credits)

Turk Telekom is in a similar situation: A win will send coach Erden Can's team to the next round. [Kyle Alexander](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-alexander/011973/) leads the EuroCup in blocks (2.2 bpg.) and is helping in many ways lately. Over the last two seasons, Alexander has averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks for a PIR of 21.5. Wow!

### Aleksej Nikolic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (9.4 credits)

Cedevita clinches a playoff spot with a win and may even finish second with the right results going its way. [Aleksej Nikolic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/aleksej-nikolic/003703/) has been playing his best basketball lately, getting a double-digit PIR in each of the last six games. In the last three, he's boosted his numbers to 12.0 points and 4.0 assists for a PIR of 16.3.

More Fantasy Challenge News

The final round of the BKT EuroCup regular season arrives with playoff places and home-court advantage still up for grabs and several showdowns between direct rivals. Here’s your overview of Round 18’s action.

Round 18 at a glance: It's all come down to this!

The final round of the BKT EuroCup regular season arrives with playoff places and home-court advantage still up for grabs and several showdowns between direct rivals. Here’s your overview of Round 18’s action.

## Tuesday, February 4

### Trefl Sopot vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (19:00 CET)

Group A’s rock-bottom Trefl (1-16) will attempt to finish on a high against a Gran Canaria (11-6) which needs victory and a Hapoel defeat to claim second place. The Spanish team bounced back to form last week with a big win over Besiktas, and will look for [Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/) to stay hot after scoring 20 and 18 points in the last two games. The inside presence of [Mike Tobey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mike-tobey/008966/) (9.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game) will be important against Trefl big man [Geoffrey Groselle](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/geoffrey-groselle/013296/), who has recorded double-digit scoring in eight consecutive games. But the Polish team’s leaky defense, which has allowed 86.8 points per game, should give Gran Canaria plenty of opportunity to secure the win it needs.

### Umana Reyer Venice vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (20:00 CET)

Reyer (9-8) will look for the win it needs to keep its postseason hopes alive by overcoming eliminated visitor Lietkabelis (5-12). The Lithuanian team showed it is still fighting hard with last week’s dramatic victory over Cluj, when 17 points and 6 rebounds from [Djordje Gagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/djordje-gagic/004229/) helped secure a spectacular late comeback. Reyer has faltered recently with two losses out of three, last week losing at Turk Telekom despite another monster performance – 20 points and 18 rebounds – from [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/). The Italian team leaned on 22 points from [Kyle Wiltjer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-wiltjer/008052/) in a high-scoring thriller, 93-100, when the teams met in Round 9, and will hope for a push from the home fans as it attempts to advance to the playoffs.

Round 18 Head-to-Head: Ennis vs. Kovliar

## Wednesday, February 5

### Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (18:00 CET)

A huge matchup between two of the four teams tied for fourth place in Group A will see the winner progress to the playoffs and the loser in danger of elimination as Wolves (9-8) welcomes Buducnost (9-8). Both teams are confident, with Wolves winning two in a row while free-scoring Buducnost has roared back into playoff contention with three straight wins. The Montenegrin team won easily, 104-77, in Round 9’s meeting between the teams as [Rasheed Sulaimon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/rasheed-sulaimon/011150/) netted 23 points on 6-of-7 three-point shooting. Wolves also offers a deep threat, with [Matas Jogela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matas-jogela/006853/) knocking down 4 triples in last week’s big win at Trento, while the backcourt battle between [Andrew Andrews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-andrews/011248/) and [Yogi Ferrell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yogi-ferrell/011281/) could be another decisive factor.

Round 18 Head-to-Head: Andrews vs. Sulaimon

### Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (18:00 CET)

Besiktas (9-8) will look to recover winning ways and secure a place in the eighthfinals by beating the visiting Trento (6-11). The Italian team has been eliminated and delivered a poor performance to suffer a 26-point home loss against Wolves last week with nobody scoring more than [Saliou Niang](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/saliou-niang/012687/)’s 11 points, so will look to recover its spirits to finish the season on a high. Besiktas is coming off a defeat at Gran Canaria, where 18 points from [Jonah Mathews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jonah-mathews/011936/) – who averages 21.0 points over the last four games – wasn’t enough to compensate for an unusually porous defense. The Turkish team beat Trento comfortably, 68-83, in Round 9, and will be confident of taking a fourth straight home win on Wednesday.

### ratiopharm Ulm vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (19:00 CET)

It’s a must-win battle for both teams as Ulm (9-8) attempts to secure a playoff berth against a Hapoel team (11-6) which knows victory will secure second place. The teams are in contrasting form, with Ulm losing four straight to jeopardize its postseason hopes, while Hapoel has won five of the last six behind a potent offense which last week used [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/)’s double-double – 22 points and 10 boards – to thrash Trefl. Ulm must rebound well to limit Motley’s ability to grab extra possessions for his team, but can take confidence from its memories of an 80-82 Round 9 road victory over Hapoel powered by 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists from all-action forward [Justinian Jessup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/justinian-jessup/013290/).

Round 18 Head-to-Head: Jessup vs. Foster

### Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (19:00 CET)

Group B’s last-placed team Aris (3-14) will attempt to reverse recent form and deny the playoff ambitions of visiting Cluj (9-8). The Romanian team has already missed out on a chance to secure postseason action with last week’s late collapse at Lietkabelis, and will be determined to add more misery for an Aris team which has lost five straight and allowed at least 90 points in each of those games. Cluj will look to establish physical control through big man [De’Shawn Stephens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/de-shawn-stephens/006618/) (9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game), while backcourt star [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) will look to repeat the form which saw him register a season-high 24 points when his team overcame Aris, 87-79, in November.

### Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (19:30 CET)

Dangerous Hamburg (5-12) will look to continue its strong finish to the season by upsetting the second-place ambitions of visiting Cedevita (10-7), which must win to have any chance of finishing second in Group B. The German team has won two in a row after last week’s overtime triumph at Aris, when [Brae Ivey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/brae-ivey/013308/) showed his all-round game by combining 25 points with 5 assists and 5 steals. Cedevita’s offense was throttled in last week’s home loss to Valencia – a second straight loss for the Slovenian team. [Devin Robinson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devin-robinson/012042/) did deliver a strong performance with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, but his teammates need to rediscover their long-range radar after only making 6 three-pointers in both of the last two games.

Round 18 Head-to-Head: Kuath vs. Beringer

### Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (19:30 CET)

An exciting tussle between two already-qualified teams could deliver a second-place finish in Group B for the winner as Hapoel Jerusalem (10-7) hosts Turk Telekom (10-7). Both teams are coming off vital wins, with [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) again underlining his scoring prowess by netting 31 points to power Jerusalem past Bourg. Turk Telekom overcame Reyer on the back of 17 points from [Braian Angola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/braian-angola/010465/), who will look to maintain his outstanding record of double-digit scoring in every game this season. Jerusalem ranks second in the competition in rebounding, partly thanks to [Chris Johnson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chris-johnson/013277/) with 6.1 boards per night, and Turk Telekom needs to physically compete as well as stopping Harper, who scored 35 to secure an easy win, 77-94, when the teams met in Round 9.

Round 18 Head-to-Head: Carrington vs. Hanlan

### Valencia Basket vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (20:30 CET)

Group B winner Valencia (15-2) will look to gear up for the playoffs by overcoming a Bourg team (9-8) which needs to win to avoid jeopardizing its postseason place. The French team needs a fast start to recover confidence after suffering a 27-point home loss against Jerusalem last week, and must improve its long-range accuracy after only shooting 5 triples in that game. Valencia’s ability to complement dynamic offense with tough defense was showcased in last week’s battling win at Cedevita, and the Spanish team has the motivation of needing to win to secure the best all-round record across both groups, with [Xabi Lopez-Arostegui](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xabi-lopez-arostegui/005356/) among its form players after netting double-digit scoring in five straight games.

### Joventut Badalona vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (20:30 CET)

Eliminated Joventut (6-11) will look to go out on a high against a Bahcesehir team (14-3) which already knows it has won Group A. The game features a showdown between two of the competition’s best big men, with veteran [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) (12.5 and 6.6 points per game) taking on visiting powerhouse [Tai Odiase](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/), who averages 17 points over the last seven games. The home team can also count on an in-form [Sam Dekker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/), who netted 25 points despite suffering a heavy loss at Buducnost last week. [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) led Bahcesehir to victory over Joventut in Round 9, netting 17 points in an 89-78 home win, and he also arrives in great form with an average of 17.4 points over the last four games.

Five playoff spots remain – three in Group A, two in Group B – entering the final round of the regular season  

Valencia Basket v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2025-02-05T19:30:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2025-02-05T19:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2025-02-05T18:30:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-02-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2025-02-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Turk Telekom Ankara (2025-02-05T18:30:00.000Z)

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2025-02-05T17:00:00.000Z)

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-02-05T17:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2025-02-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Trefl Sopot v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-02-04T18:00:00.000Z)

Some statistical insight to the games that will finalize the BKT EuroCup playoff picture

Stats review: Looking back to prepare for this week's key clashes

The final round of the BKT EuroCup has arrived with seven teams vying for five remaining postseason berths and five teams competing for the two remaining byes to the quarterfinals as the drama of the regular season will not be decided until the final buzzer next on Wednesday.

While [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) and [Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/jer/) control their destinies among the teams racing for second place in their respective groups, things in the middle of the standings are a lot more complicated.

[Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/bud/)’s result in Round 18 will go a long way to settling things in Group A as it travels to Lithuania to take on [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/). Buducnost crystallizes the top-three teams in the current standings above as playoff qualifiers with a win while Wolves gets in with a win, but leaves the other two spots up for grabs. In their first matchup in Round 9, Buducnost shot 13 for 27 from beyond the arc to cruise to a comfortable win as its defense stepped up. Buducnost has risen into the top four in offensive efficiency but has shot 43% from beyond the arc at home compared to 31% on the road — a trend Wolves will need to hope holds in Twinsbet Arena to find its way into the postseason field.

[Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul/bes/) and [ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/ulm/) are both in with a win, with Besiktas hosting six-win [Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/trn/) and Ulm facing a Hapoel Tel Aviv team that with a win in Germany can secure a bye into the quarterfinals. Besiktas put together a standout defensive performance to beat Trento in Italy in Round 9 while Ulm scored perhaps its biggest win of the season in a two-point victory over Hapoel that same week. Even if Wolves upends the standings with a win, Ulm – whose youth has been apparent in its ups and down defensively this season – will likely need to find a way to score another victory against one of the league’s hottest teams to keep their season alive.

Things are a bit less complicated in Group B where the final seedings may hinge on [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/)’s ability to go to La Fonteta and defeat a Valencia Basket team that still has something to play for as a win will assure it home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Bourg fell victim to one of Valencia’s ten 100-point games — and considering that it has not scored less than 96 points in a home game this season — may have to rise to that level to score the upset.

Holding the top efficiency differential among the teams yet to punch their ticket to the playoffs, [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/clu/) will travel to Greece to take on [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/aris-midea-thessaloniki/ari/) — a team that has had a hard getting shots to fall on the year, but has done a good enough job getting stops to notch a few upset wins when it has. After starting the year 0-3, Cluj has turned its season around and holds tiebreakers over Group B’s other nine-win teams giving it the inside track to one of the two remaining playoff slots.

[Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/vnc/) has scratched and clawed its way here with intense defense and rebounding over the second half of the season and will have a chance to finish the regular season on a high note at home against [7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/lkb/). After beating Cluj to create this scenario in Round 17, Lietkabelis has not relented following their 2-8 start. Reyer has to avoid the upset to have a chance to move on.

The tension heading into the final week of the season is palpable even as the cut line is a little higher than it was a year ago.

Some statistical insight to the games that will finalize the playoff picture

Marcus Weathers is making his way up the ranks in Europe, having reached the EuroCup in just his second season on the old continent. The Trefl Sopot forward believes he can accomplish even bigger things, but one major dream would be to play again with his twin brother.

Trefl’s Marcus Weathers dreams of playing with twin brother Michael again 

[Marcus Weathers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-weathers/013297/) is making his way up the ranks in Europe, having reached the BKT EuroCup in just his second season on the old continent. The [Trefl Sopot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/trefl-sopot/tso/) forward believes he can accomplish even bigger things, but one major dream would be to play again with his twin brother.

Weathers has put together a strong EuroCup debut for the Polish club, including pouring in 25 points against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius in Round 5. All told, he has averaged 9.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist and a 12.2 PIR in 12 games, having returned from a five-game injury layoff in Round 17.

"I think my expectations for the EuroCup were pretty simple. I believe that I belong at this level and an even higher level. But it was just to go out there and show that I can play with guys like that – win or lose. That’s what I expected, just to compete,” the 27-year-old American told David Hein.

The top plays of Trefl Sopot forward Marcus Weathers between Round 1 and Round 17 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Marcus Weathers's best plays this season

Weathers already had experience of playing against EuroCup and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague teams before the season. He played most of the 2023-24 campaign with Montenegro club Mornar Bar, competing in the ABA League and facing the likes of EuroLeague clubs Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, as well as Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and Buducnost VOLI Podgorica from the EuroCup.

“I was very excited and happy to play those teams,” said Weathers, who averaged 18.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 16 ABA League games. “My level of play rises when I go up against teams like this. It’s an underdog mentality for me. Basically, I want to prove myself against those guys. I did, and I was very happy with the result.”

Weathers was the third-best scorer in the ABA League and second most prolific rebounder, while he finished last season very strong with four 20-point, 10-rebound double-doubles in the last four games.

Weathers arrived at Mornar Bar in late November 2023 after starting the season in the Turkish second division at Ankaragucu, where he averaged 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

“My mind was all over the place playing there. Türkiye was a lot of highs and lows. I was playing very well individually, but our team just wasn’t built the right way or good enough to compete. So I would just question a lot of things and ultimately, I wasn’t very happy being there,” he said.

That was Weathers’s first experience in Europe after spending the 2022-23 season spilt between the Philippines and Taiwan.

While that was happening, Weathers’s twin brother Michael was debuting with Montenegro side Sutjeska Niksic. Last season his fraternal twin Michael, who is three minutes older, starred in Austria, winning the league MVP while playing for Dukes Klosterneuburg.

“I followed my brother the whole season. We are very close with each other. To say the least I was beyond proud of him and what he was doing over there in Austria because he’s been through so much. It was absolutely incredible to see him be the front-runner of his team and ultimately the MVP of the season. That is incredible, we talk all the time about that and I say: ‘Damn, man that’s insane you accomplished that,’” the 1.96-meter forward said of his brother.

Michael, a guard who stands 1.90 meters, has since moved to the German League and is playing for MLP Academics Heidelberg, a club that narrowly avoided relegation last season but is one of the surprises of this season and one of the top teams in the standings.

Marcus and Michael starred together on their high school team, finishing as the second and first all-time leading scorers in school history, respectively. They played their college freshman season together at Miami, Ohio. and then went separate ways. They took advantage of the NCAA giving players an extra year of eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic and played their fifth season again together at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

“It was the best season of my life,” Marcus remembered. “You get to go through that process with your family member and it’s hard to really trade that. Every day I woke up, I just felt honored and blessed to be playing basketball with my brother and that showed.”

The SMU Mustangs reached the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and both brothers averaged at least 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Marcus admitted the brothers have thought about joining forces again in Europe.

“We actually talk about playing in Europe together all the time,” he revealed. “My brother really wants that and I would really want that too. So hopefully down the road in the future – maybe in a year or two – it all aligns. That would be something extremely incredible, something that me and him would love to experience.”

When asked what a team which signed both Weathers brothers would be getting, Marcus said: “They would be getting two guys who love to work. We actually have experienced a lot – from being the ‘man' to being whatever the team needs, actually. So it would just go hand in hand with us. We are both extremely athletic and just love the game and most importantly love the people and the fans. We come from a place where those things are important and matter.”

And naturally, playing with family on the same team again – and this time with a European club – would be a dream for Marcus Weathers.

More Trefl News

Weathers is starring in Poland while his twin is a leader at Heidelberg in Germany

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Secure the gift of EuroLeague TV – now 30% off!

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Look back at all the action in Round 17 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 17

Look back at all the action from Round 17 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Title contenders tend to have short memories, bouncing back from tough defeats and ending losing slides with statement wins, and that’s precisely what Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem managed on Wednesday night.

Jerusalem proved why it is a strong title contender at Bourg

Over the years, both BKT EuroCup and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague coaches have labeled the two competitions as marathons. And they have every right to say that. Every game is important, but title contenders tend to have short memories, bouncing back from tough defeats and ending losing slides with statement wins.

That’s precisely what [Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/jer/) managed on Wednesday night and it did so in style against another team aiming for a deep run in the playoff, last year's runner-up [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/).

Bourg came into Wednesday’s clash looking to extend its three-game winning streak, while Jerusalem came into the contest following back-to-back narrow defeats. The momentum may not have been on Jerusalem’s side, but coach Yonatan Alon’s team demonstrated that they have what it takes to flip the script.

Jerusalem hit the ground running against the French side, dominating from the off at Ekinox. The visitors secured a 9-24 cushion after 10 minutes and never looked back. They maintained a double-digit lead for most of the game, handing Bourg its largest home defeat of the season (67-94) to clinch a playoff spot.

“Throughout the season, there’s ups and downs,” [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/), who netted a game-high 31 points, said after the game. “Every team goes through that. I feel like in our last two games, the two losses, we played really good defensively, but our shots were not really going in. So, as long as we control what we can control, making sure we play in the right way as a team, and I think that we did that tonight, we’re going to make some shots and finish with the win.”

Jerusalem improved its record to 10-7 and a victory in their last game of the season against [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/ttk/) will see them secure an eighthfinals bye. “It was a great team win,” Harper added. 

“We knew coming into the game that we could solidify ourselves in the playoffs and we were able to do that with a great win on the road. Now we have control of our own destiny going forward, seeing the results of the other games, to try and get the best position we can going into the playoffs and go get a win next week.”

Boasting the same record as Jerusalem following [its 84-81 victory over fellow playoff contender Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-downs-reyer-in-a-stunner-84-81/) earlier on Wednesday, Turk Telekom also competes for a top-two spot, making Round 18’s duel a must-win clash for both sides. But as Harper pointed out, there’s no better way to prepare yourself for the postseason than locking horns with other playoff contending teams. 

“It’s a big game,” Harper noted. “Turk Telekom are trying to get the same thing. It’s good, leading up to the playoffs of EuroCup, having these big games to get ready for the big playoff games.”

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) has already secured both top spot in Group B, as well as quarterfinal qualification. Jerusalem, Turk Telekom and [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/lju/) will now compete for the second spot, with the Israeli side currently being in pole position. “This group is really tight and every game can mean a lot to every team,” Alon admitted in the post-game press conference.

On Wednesday, Jerusalem demonstrated that it can bounce back from adversity. Beating Turk Telekom in the last round could allow them to build consistency. And consistency is precisely what leads teams to titles.

Game News

The Israeli side has clinched a playoff spot and now aims for an eighthfinals bye

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2025-01-29T18:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav guard Jared Harper added another feat to an already historic season by becoming the BKT EuroCup MVP for Round 17. Harper led Jerusalem to a 67-94 road win at Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, which clinched a playoff berth for the club, with 31 points and 4 assists. 

Round 17 MVP: Jared Harper, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem

Hapoel Bank Yahav guard Jared Harper added another feat to an already historic season by becoming the BKT EuroCup MVP for Round 17. Harper led Jerusalem to a 67-94 road win at Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, which clinched a playoff berth for the club, with 31 points and 4 assists. He made 4 of 6 two-pointers, 3 of 4 threes and 14 of 15 free throws in racking up a performance index rating of 36, which was the most of all players in Round 17. This is Harper’s fifth MVP of the round this season, which is the most ever in the EuroCup Regular Season.

The second-highest PIR of Round 17 was authored by Umana Reyer Venice center Mfiondu Kabengele, who posted a 33 in his team's 84-81 loss at Turk Telekom Ankara. The big man scored 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, which was a career-high, club record and the most of any player in the competition all season.

The Veolia Towers Hamburg duo of Kur Kuath and Brae Ivey had the third and fourth-best PIR of the round, respectively, in beating Aris Midea Thessaloniki 88-90 in overtime. Kuath had personal bests of 19 points and 13 rebounds for a PIR of 31 and Ivey scored 25 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting for a PIR of 30. Rounding out the top performers of Round 17 were Johnathan Motley of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv and Zavier Simpson of U-BT Cluj-Napoca, each with PIRs of 27.

### Individual highs: Mfiondu Kabengele, Umana Reyer Venice, 18 rebounds

 

The EuroCup leaders were at their best in Round 17 with Jared Harper, Zavier Simpson and Mfiondu Kabengele each posting the best numbers in scoring, assists in rebounds, respectively.  

Harper's 31 points raised his average to 22.8 per game for the season, which are 4.5 points more than second-placed Anthony Brown of Turk Telekom. 

After Simpson dished 10 assists, he is averaging 7.4 dimes per game. Jaleen Smith of Bahcesehir College Istanbul is a distant second with 5.8.

Kabengele collected 18 boards on Wednesday, which marked the most of any player all season. His per-game average is now 9.8, with Kyle Alexander of Turk Telekom second with 7.2.

Hamburg’s Ivey was the Round 17 leader with 5 steals. He is now sixth with 1.6 steals per game. Andrew Albicy of Dreamland Gran Canaria remains the season-long leader with 2.1 per game. 

Aris's Josh Roberts rejected 5 shots, which were Round 17's high. He is 11th-best on the season with 0.9 blocks per game. Kyle Alexander tops the charts with 2.2 blocks per game. 

Seven players recorded double-doubles in Round 17. Simpson (24 points, 10 assists) was the lone player with a point-assist double-double. The remaining six were: Kabengele, Kuath, Motley (22 points, 10 rebounds), Martynas Varnas (10 points, 10 rebounds) of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys, and the Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana duo of Devin Robinson (12 points, 12 rebounds) and DJ Stewart (11 points, 12 rebounds). 

It is the guard’s fifth such honor this season

Congratulations to Branislav Popadic, our 16th winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Branislav's team, 'Loza2Land', posted a score of 216.25.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 16 winner

Congratulations to Georgios Makris, our 17th winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Georgios's team, 'Brahami 7', posted a score of 225.85.

Georgios had the following starting lineup: Zavier Simpson of U-BT Cluj-Napoca as team captain, then Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem, Mfiondu Kabengele of Umana Reyer Venice, Noa Essengue of ratiopharm Ulm and Matas Jogela of Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. Kur Kuath of Veolia Towers Hamburg was the sixth man.

The head coach of Georgios's team was Andrej Zakelj of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, while the four bench players were Anthony Cowan of Wolves, Maxime Courby of Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, Georgios Gkiouzelis of Aris Midea Thessaloniki and Quinn Ellis of Dolomiti Energia Trento.

The prize for finishing first in Round 17 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Georgios!

The leader in the overall standings remains Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallIsLife', which has a total of 2,983.75 points after the first 17 rounds. Trades are now open for Round 18. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!