Everybody wants to be unique in their own way. Zavier Simpson is no exception, and he has managed to stand out from the crowd for several reasons. One of them is due to his trademark move, which he started by accident but became a usual routine in finding his route to the basket.

'Captain Hook' Zavier Simpson embraces the Cluj challenge

Everybody wants to be unique in their own way. [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) is no exception, and he has managed to stand out from the crowd for several reasons. One of them is due to his trademark move, which he started by accident but became a usual routine in finding his route to the basket.

The hook shot was first turned into a trend by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar back in the ‘70s. Before him, other dominant paint inhabitants such as Wilt Chamberlin and George Mikan used to surprise opponents with their high-shooting arc towards the rim. Moving forward, Bob Lanier, Vlade Divac, and Yao Ming continued the tradition. You must have noticed something: these are all centers.

For somebody who doesn’t prioritize his game near the basket, especially if undersized, intentionally choosing to go for a hook shot may not be the first of his thoughts. Instead, the 27-year-old overseas rookie coming from Lima – not in Peru, but Ohio – thinks differently.

“It all started back in 2016-17, my first year in college. I was getting my shots blocked a little more often than normal,” Simpson recalls to Eurohoops’ Cesare Milanti. “Once, I made a hook shot by accident on a fast break – it went in. I felt well with it, despite never having worked on it before.”

Read the rest of the article [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1731732/zavier-simpson-ubt-cluj-napoca-bkt-eurocup-2024-2025-interview/).

The guard is enjoying a strong start to life in the EuroCup

With its back against the wall, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys produced its finest performance of the season to down JL Bourg en Bresse, 84-80, at Kalnapilio Arena. 

Lietkabelis demonstrated why it shouldn’t be underestimated

Coming into Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season as one of the three teams yet to celebrate a victory, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys felt the pressure of having to deliver on the court against 2023-34 runner-up Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. The visitors were undefeated, having won their first four games in their bid to push for another run deep into the playoffs.

Being cautious despite Lietkabelis's 0-4 record ahead of the game, Bourg head coach Frederic Fauthoux warned his players that it wouldn’t be an easy outing away in Lithuania.

“We had this information \[of Lietkabelis’s record\], but we said ‘let’s be careful because they are a great team, they play well together and the two last two seasons we lost here,” Fauthoux said in the post-game press conference. “So, it’s not a good gym for us and we lost again.”

With its back against the wall, Lietkabelis produced its finest performance of the season to down Bourg, 84-80, at Kalnapilio Arena.

“It was a tough situation for us, \[coming into the game with a\] 0-4 \[record\] and I think that we showed character and we played a good game,” Lietkabelis head coach Nenad Canak told EuroLeague TV after the duel. “The most important thing is that we won and we're starting to get out of this hole and we proved to ourselves that we can play at that level.”

Lietkabelis looked solid from the off and didn’t allow Bourg to pull away in the first quarter. The hosts tightened their defense in the second and limited the French side to 16 points, taking a 39-36 lead into the second half. After a balanced third quarter, Lietkabelis responded to a 0-6 run in the fourth by grabbing a 75-64 lead with 3:32 left on the clock. Then, Bourg showed what it’s made of and a late 1-10 surge brought the visitors back into the game, 78-77. Yet, a buzzer-beating dagger with 0:23 to go from Marko Pecarski, who ended the game with 22 points on 9-for-9 shooting from the field, allowed Lietkabelis to clinch the victory.

Game Videos

Stats sometimes speak for themselves. Only one team averaged fewer points (71.5) and no EuroCup side recorded a lower three-point percentage (18.8%) than Lietkabelis coming into Tuesday’s game. The Lithuanian side didn’t score more than 74 points in any of its first four games, but produced 84 points and was a solid 8-for-21 (38.1%) from beyond the arc to beat Bourg.

“It was a great fight for the whole game,” Pecarski told EuroLeague TV. “I said before the game that without full energy and without our shooting we were unlucky in some of the last games. Today, I think everything came together. It is a long season. This team has a lot of potential and I think we showed today what we are capable of.”

Game News

After a poor start to the season, Tuesday’s victory over Bourg could serve as the springboard to turn over a new leaf. 

“Very important win for us after that very bad period,” Canak said. “I hope it’s behind us. We showed that we can play defense on that level and be competitive with those great teams in our competition.”

As Canak and Pecarski stressed, Lietkabelis proved to both itself and the rest of the teams what this team is made of with a statement win over Bourg. More importantly, though, it has demonstrated that no EuroCup team should be underestimated despite a run of poor results. Lietkabelis also sent a message to its next opponent, EuroCup powerhouse Valencia Basket. If the Spanish side doesn’t receive it, a second straight upset shouldn’t be ruled out next week. 

Despite coming into the game winless, the Lithuanian club upended previously undefeated Bourg

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2024-10-22T16:00:00.000Z)

Caring for the ball better paid off for Wolves

Rallying from a 13-point deficit early in the third quarter, [Trefl Sopot ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/trefl-sopot/games/tso/)managed to force overtime in its game against visiting[ Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/games/wol/) on Tuesday night. Despite having 4 players with 4 fouls, Soport managed to hold its opponent scoreless in the last 3 minutes of the game and tie it 84-84 to feel closer than ever to its first win of the season and the first in the BKT EuroCup in 12 years.

“I’m really happy about the first half we had, but we struggled against their physicality in the second half,” Wolves head coach Alessandro Magro recognized during the press conference. “It is something that we have to talk about. We helped them, by doing turnovers, come back in the game.”

The fact is that the game saw 38 turnovers between the two teams combined, with the home side losing 20 possessions and the visiting side wasting 18 offenses because of not taking care of the ball.

But, when the overtime came, the visiting team knew how to handle itself. “We stayed united even when they scored the last shots to go to overtime” Magro stated. “And even in that point we kept doing what we were supposed to do, \[which is\] to play tough defense, to play together, to help each other and to share the ball, so I’m really happy about this game”.

That solid approach paid off for his team, as it didn’t turn the ball over for the entire overtime, while Trefl Sopot had 3 in the first 2 minutes that turned into 8 points for the winners. First, an offensive foul called on [Andy Van Vliet](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andy-van-vliet/003885/) was followed by a huge three by [Andrew Andrews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-andrews/011248/) to open the extra period. Next, a [Matas Jogela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matas-jogela/006853/) steal ended up opening the door for a monster put-back dunk by [Tre'Shawn Thurman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tre-shawn-thurman/012577/), and last, another by [Geoffrey Groselle](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/geoffrey-groselle/013296/) was the prelude of another bomb by Andrews that capped a 0-10 run to start the overtime and finish the game.

Overall, Wolves converted 31 points from Sopot’s 23 turnovers, while Sopot had 26 points off Wolves’ lost possessions. And, in a game that was decided by little details and with a difference of only 7 points, taking care of the ball better in the end proved crucial.

The Lithuanian team had no turnovers in overtime to resist Sopot's rally

Trefl Sopot v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2024-10-22T17:45:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria did not find much trouble to beat ratiopharm Ulm 125-78 at home in Round 5. It also set a record that stood there for over 20 years. 


Gran Canaria's record-breaking night 

Dreamland Gran Canaria did not find much trouble in beating ratiopharm Ulm 125-78 at home in Round 5. It also set a record that stood for over 20 years.

Gran Canaria scored the most points ever in a non-overtime game, 125. Adecco Estudiantes held the previous record with a [121-76 home win over Generalu Group Trieste on November 5, 2002](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2002-03/adecco-estudiantes-madrid-generali-group-trieste/U2002/45/). It was Round 4 of the EuroCup's inaugural season, and the record was there for almost 22 years.

Gran Canaria did everything right in the first half, scoring 68 points to tie a club record. It had only reached the 68-point mark in a first half once before in 251 BKT EuroCup games. On February 1, 2023, Gran Canaria led 68-49 at halftime on its way to a [118-99 victory over Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/gran-canaria-paris-basketball/U2022/129/).

Miquel Salvo of Dreamland Gran Canaria had a personal-best 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 6 fouls drawn and a career-high PIR of 32 in his team's 125-78 home win over ratiopharm Ulm in Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season (Group A).

Salvo led Gran Canaria past Ulm

It was the biggest margin ever achieved by Gran Canaria in any half of a EuroCup game. Its previous record was a 29-point difference when it built a 21-50 lead against [Superfund Bulls Kapfenberg on December 3, 2003](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2003-04/superfund-kapfenberg-auna-gran-canaria/U2003/59/). It ended up winning 57-94 behind 17 points from Kirk Penney.

The hosts had seven players with at least 7 points in that half, with [Nico Brussino](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nicolas-brussino/008121/) and [Miquel Salvo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/miquel-salvo/005005/) leading the way with 9 points apiece. Gran Canaria shot the ball with great accuracy, downing 15 of 21 two-pointers (71.4%), 9 of 16 three-pointers (56.3%) and 11 of 13 free throws. It also had 18 assists before the break with just 4 turnovers.

Gran Canaria had 10 players with at least 1 assist before halftime. On the other hand, Ulm had 10 first-half turnovers and was outrebounded 19-10. Gran Canaria's first-half PIR was 94, which says it all.

Gran Canaria finished the game with a PIR of 170, which is the second-biggest mark in competition history. Joventut Badalona, its Round 6 opponent, holds the record with a team PIR of 173 in a [116-53 home win over Guildford Heat on December 18, 2007](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2007-08/dkv-joventut-badalona-guildford-heat/U2007/164/). The hosts also tied a record, as 10 of its players scored at least one three-pointer. Only Valencia Basket managed to do that in the past, also against[ Ulm (103-71) on April 5, 2022](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2021-22/valencia-basket-ratiopharm-ulm/U2021/176/). Salvo took center stage with an all-around great game: a personal-best 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 6 fouls drawn and a career-high PIR of 32.

When the dust settled, Gran Canaria had 32 assists, a new club record and a EuroCup season-high. The hosts kept shooting the ball with excellent accuracy (68.2% 2FG, 53.8% 3FG, 85.2% FT) and ended up outrebounding Gran Canaria 36-24.

A huge first half set the tone for an impressive overall haul 

All about Gran Canaria's record-breaking night 

Dreamland Gran Canaria v ratiopharm Ulm (2024-10-22T19:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria left no doubt about its power by thrashing ratiopharm Ulm 125-78 at home in Round 5 on Tuesday. 


Gran Canaria overwhelms Ulm, 125-78! 

Dreamland Gran Canaria left no doubt about its power by thrashing ratiopharm Ulm 125-78 at home in Round 5 on Tuesday. Gran Canaria improved to 4-1 in A while Ulm dropped to 3-2. 

Miquel Salvo led the winners with 20 points. Jovan Kljajic, Nico Brussino and Caleb Homesley each scored 13 while George Conditt and Jakub Urbaniak had 11 apiece for Gran Canaria. Noa Essengue paced Ulm with 20 points. Alfonso Plummer added 18 and Justinian Jessup 10 for the visitors.

Plummer got Ulm going with a three-pointer. Brussino answered from downtown and John Shurna added a jumper for a 5-3 Gran Canaria lead. Plummer insisted from beyond the arc, Mike Tobey dunked and Brussino's triple boosted the hosts' lead to 10-6. Nelson Weidemann followed a driving layup with a triple, then Tobey, Shurna and a red hot Brussino each struck from beyond the arc for a 19-11 score. Jessup erased Carlos Alocen's layup with a jumper and Conditt's three-point play made it a double-digit game, 26-14. Salvo stepped up for Gran Canaria with 6 quick points and Alocen scored off a steal and Pierre Pelos gave the hosts a 36-22 lead after 10 minutes. 

Homesley followed a jumper with a backdoor layup for a 40-22 Gran Canaria margin early in the second quarter. Urbaniak hit a jump hook and Salvo erased Alec Anigbata's triple with a layup-plus-foul. Urbaniak and Homesley each scored again to break the game open, 49-25. Plummer stepped up for Ulm and Jessup struck from downtown to get Ulm within 51-30. Joe Thomasson found his first points and Urbaniak banked in a triple, good for a 56-30 Gran Canaria lead. Tobey scored around the basket, Kljajic added a layup and a three-pointer for a 63-35 score. Thomasson hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to fix the halftime score at 68-37. 

Marcio Santos and Jessup each struck from downtown right after the break. Pelos joined the three-point shootout, Tobey and Jessup traded dunks, then Brussino restored a 75-45 Gran Canaria lead. Essengue took over with a backdoor layup and Weidemann brought Ulm a bit closer, 75-49. Essengue bettered Conditt's layup with a corner triple and soon added a layup to make the hosts call timeout at 77-54. Shurna dunked off a steal, Essengue kept pacing Ulm with a tip-in and Homesley's three-pointer restored a 84-56 Gran Canaria lead. Homesley got help from Salvo and Kljajic to give the hosts a 97-60 margin after 30 minutes.

Nico Bretzel banked in a close shot early in the fourth quarter and Weidemann added a layup for a 97-64 Ulm deficit. Pelos hit a three-pointer Urbaniak scored in the paint but Plummer kept the guests within 102-69. Alocen and Essengue each struck from downtown, then Plummer hit a jumper. Once the outcome was clear, Gran Canaria had a chance to break several EuroCup records. Tobias Jensen showcased his athleticism with a show-stopping dunk and Salvo allowed Gran Canaria to set a new all-time EuroCup record: most points in a non-overtime game, 125!

The hosts set several records with their offensive outpouring 

Gran Canaria overwhelms Ulm, 125-78

The Palasport Taliercio crowd gave Rodney McGruder a standing ovation when the Umana Reyer Venice guard left the game with 1:26 minutes left after having helped the club snap its three-game losing streak in the BKT EuroCup - in his first home game of the season. 

Rodney McGruder shines in EuroCup debut for Reyer 

The Palasport Taliercio crowd gave [Rodney McGruder](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/rodney-mc-gruder/012800/) a standing ovation when the [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/games/vnc/?season=2024-25) guard left the game with 1:26 minutes left after having helped the club snap its three-game losing streak in the BKT EuroCup - in his first home game of the season.

McGruder shined in his first EuroCup game with 28 points including 4 three-pointers in an 80-68 Reyer win over [Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/veolia-towers-hamburg/games/ham/?season=2024-25) to snap a three-game losing streak. The 33-year-old also chipped in 1 rebound, 4 assists, 4 steals and only 2 turnovers in 31 minutes.

McGruder gets a standing ovation

“It was a lot of fun to play in front of this home crowd. They gave us a lot of energy tonight and we kind of fed off that. It was a lot of fun,” McGruder said afterward. 

About his strong performance, the American added: “I have great teammates. We tried to put each other in great situations where we can be successful and we were able to do that and came out with a victory.” 

McGruder’s signing with Reyer was announced on October 4 but he didn’t arrive in Italy until October 18 as he remained in the United States to tend to his home in Florida as the area was hit by two major hurricanes. Fortunately, his home wasn’t lost but the community was affected, as McGruder mentioned in his introductory press conference. 

McGruder, who spent half of last season playing for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, played his first game over the weekend and helped Reyer to a 77-64 road victory over Pistoia for the team’s first win this season in the Italian League. That win also snapped a six-game losing streak in the two competitions for Reyer.

It was also McGruder’s first competitive game since playing for Milan on [March 8, 2024, against Partizan Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/250/#boxscore) in the EuroLeague. And then in his EuroCup debut, he took over from the beginning - scoring 10 of his team’s first 15 points.

McGruder was big all game and Reyer had built a 23-point lead which was down to 10 points in the final period. The hosts pushed the gap back to 17 points only to have Hamburg fight back to 75-66 with under 4 minutes to play. McGruder snapped the momentum with a big three-pointer.

Those were his final points with the 28 points tying him for fourth all-time on Reyer’s single-game scoring list in the EuroCup - a week after [Kyle Wiltjer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-wiltjer/008052/) had set the club EuroCup record with 34 points.

“I’m speechless,” Reyer head coach Neven Spahija said after the game about McGruder’s showing. “The guy never saw us in his life, came here, didn’t play since April or May, I don’t know, and scored almost 30 points. I have to give him credit.”

With the team ahead by 12 points with 86 seconds to go, Spahija subbed McGruder out of the game and the Palasport Taliercio crowd showed its appreciation for the outstanding debut.

The guard impressed with 28 points, 4 assists and 4 steals 

Rodney McGruder shined on EuroCup debut for Reyer 

Umana Reyer Venice v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-10-22T18:00:00.000Z)

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius managed to pull off a hard-fought 92-99 road win when it defeated Trefl Sopot at Ergo Arena on Tuesday night. 

Wolves hold on in Poland for second win in a row

[Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/games/wol/?season=2024-25) managed to pull off a hard-fought 92-99 road win when it defeated [Trefl Sopot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/trefl-sopot/games/tso/?season=2024-25) at Ergo Arena on Tuesday night. Despite enjoying a 13-point advantage right after halftime, the visitors saw how the hosts forced overtime with a three-pointer with 26 seconds to play in regulation. A strong 10-0 run to start overtime, behind three-pointers by [Andrew Andrews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-andrews/011248/), finally turned the scales for the visitors. Wolves improved to 2-3 after earning their second straight win on the road. Trefl Sopot remains winless after 5 rounds.

[Tre'Shawn Thurman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tre-shawn-thurman/012577/) led the winners with 17 points and 4 rebounds, Andrews followed with 15 and 5 assists, while [Jeffery Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jeffery-taylor/006546/), [Anthony Cowan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/) and [Garrison Brooks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/garrison-brooks/012789/) finished with 14 points apiece. [Marcus Weathers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-weathers/013297/) signed off a career-high of 25 points, [Jakub Schenk](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jakub-schenk/013298/) contributed 19 and 7 assists, [Andy Van Vliet](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andy-van-vliet/003885/) added 11 and [Tarik Phillip](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tarik-phillip/009649/) recorded 10 points, 7 rebounds and 7 dishes in the losing effort.

The home team had a nightmare start, as it missed all its field goal attempts (4) and turned the ball over three times in the first 3 minutes of the game. As such, Wolves easily built a 0-7 advantage behind 5 points in a row by Taylor. An unsportsmanlike foul called on Taylor gave some air to Sopot, who also took advantage of its opponent’s turnovers to recover some balance, shift momentum, and take a 9-7 edge midway through the first quarter. It was nothing but an illusion, as Wolves immediately fought back, locking in in defense and punishing Sopot with a 2-13 run to make it 11-20. A late three by Varis Kariniauskas, the second of Wolves so far, built a double-digit margin for the visitors, 15-25, at the end of the first quarter.

Thurman and Andrews made it worse for the hosts with consecutive three-point plays, 18-31, which seemed to send Sopot to the ropes too early. But it didn’t happen, as Schenk converted the first Polish three - after 5 attempts - in the game and Van Vliet continued with another of his own to reactivate the home side. Weathers joined the party too, reducing the gap to just 30-37 after 15 minutes. The visitors quickly stopped the game with a timeout that slowed down the Sopot reaction.  Taylor showed up again and brought some experience to the table, good to push his team to a 34-47 advantage soon after. A late three by Schenk allowed Sopot to reach halftime still alive, 37-47.

Sopot tried to match its opponent’s physicality after the intermission and geared up in defense to try to turn the tables. It didn’t work at first, as Zemaitis took advantage of another Sopot turnover to make it 39-52, but after a Zan Tabak timeout, McGowens and the first three by Aaron Best revitalized Sopot, 44-52. Weathers joined with an inside bucket, Aaron Best nailed another triple and followed with a fastbreak dunk that took it even further, 53-55. Zyskowski made it a 1-point game with a three-point play, 58-59, but that was the closest Sopot could get in the period, as Brooks first inside, then Cowan from behind the arc, helped Wolves hold on, 62-66, entering the last stanza.

Van Vliet brought the home team within 1 again with a three right after the game resumed, but Wolves didn’t lose their poise. Thurman came up big with a three-point response and a couple of free-throws to cool it down, and when Blazevic added a three-point play right after Jaroslaw Zyskowski couldn’t cap his, the visitors felt at home again, 67-74. But even with 4 players with 4 fouls already - Schenk, Weathers, Robert McGowens and Best, the home team still wanted to make its last statement. A local timeout with Sopot trailing 76-84 and 3 minutes to play triggered the home team reaction, capped with back-to-back three-pointers by Van Vliet and Weathers that evened things, 84-84, with only 26 seconds to go. A difficult last shot by Cowan did not find the net and the game went to extra time.

Andrews decided to take the reins in overtime. He first nailed a three to open the extra period, and later fed Brooks for an inside basket and continued with another three to cap a 10-0 run for the visitors that left Sopot in shock, 84-94. Schenk kept pushing and reduced the gap to 4 points from the line with less than 100 seconds to go, but it turned into the last breath for the home team when Cowan and Zemaitis responded from the same place to confirm the outcome.

 

Key three-pointers by Andrew Andrews decided the game in overtime

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul squeezed past Joventut Badalona 82-76 in Round 5 of the BTK EuroCup after prevailing in several departments, most notably the boards in the second half of a pulsating clash that kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Fine margins lifted Besiktas past Joventut in a tight battle

[Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul/roster/bes/) squeezed past [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/) 82-76 in Round 5 of the BTK EuroCup after prevailing in several departments, most notably the boards in the second half of a pulsating clash that kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Joventut won the battle in the paint quite emphatically in the first half, 20-13, but the home team beefed up its effort in the second and finished on 32 rebounds, only 1 less than the visitors. Crucially, Besiktas racked up 13 offensive boards after collecting just 3 in the first half, with the second-half tally allowing a barrage of second-chance points when the chips were down.

Joventut finished on 11 offensive boards and sank a mere 6 of 23 from deep, while Besiktas drained 8 of 29 as both sides struggled from downtown in the wake of aggressive defense.

Neither side shined from the foul line too, but Besiktas made 14 of 20 free throws while Joventut was contained to 8 of 12 and that also made a telling difference in a game of fine margins.

Center [Emanuel Terry](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/emanuel-terry/010652/) emerged as the game changer with an inspired fourth-quarter performance and [Kyle Allman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-allman/011924/) had a vintage all-around display, illustrated by a team-high 16 points. Having praised vibrant support from the home fans, Allman said the team was hitting top gear exactly when it needed to.

“We’re playing as a team right now and clicking at the right time,” the 27-year-old from New York said in a courtside interview. ”We enjoy playing with each other and it shows. My team has confidence in me and I am thankful for that. I also appreciate the fans packing out and being loud, come the next game too.”

Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic praised a spirited defensive effort from his team, while also singling out Terry who forced Joventut into submission down the stretch.

“Our defense was really good today against a team which has one of the highest IQs in the competition,” the Serbian tactician stated. “They are very good at creating something out of nothing as they have several players with a EuroLeague experience.

“It wasn’t a good shooting night from us but we were so good defensively. Terry was the game-changer with his energy, approach and hustling and he deserved the credit for his contribution.”

Besiktas got the better of Joventut in the paint in the second half and made the most of going to the foul line 

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul v Joventut Badalona (2024-10-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice snapped a three-game losing streak as it fought through for an 80-68 home victory over Veolia Towers Hamburg in Group B to keep the guests winless. 

Reyer snaps three-game losing skid, leaves Hamburg winless after 80-68 win

Umana Reyer Venice snapped a three-game losing streak as it fought through for an 80-68 home victory over Veolia Towers Hamburg in Group B to keep the guests winless. Reyer opened a 23-point third-quarter lead but watched as Hamburg pulled back to within 9.

Rodney McGruder led the way with 28 points in his first EuroCup game for the 2-3 team while Aamir Simms scored 14 points and Amedeo Tessitori chipped in 10 points and 8 rebounds. Hamburg dropped to 0-5 despite Jaizec Lottie scoring 13 points. 

Brae Ivey scored twice as Hamburg went ahead 3-6. McGruder started hot with 10 points already and a Mfiondu Kabengele three-point play put the hosts up 18-11. Hamburg went nearly 4 minutes without a basket and trailed 22-16 after 10 minutes. 

Reyer opened the second quarter with the first 5 points as the lead reached double figures. Free throws by Davide Casarin made it 30-18. Hamburg managed to get within 9 points but watched Reyer surge away with a 10-4 run for a 44-29 cushion and it was 46-31 at the break. 

McGruder continued his strong game with the first 6 points of the second half in Reyer’s 8-0 start to the third quarter for a 54-31 lead. Hamburg needed more than 2 minutes to finally get on the scoreboard and the margin was 57-33. Lottie and Patrick Heckmann both hit three-pointers in a 0-10 Hamburg run but still trailed 57-43. Reyer snapped a 4-minute scoreless drought with 5 points and led 62-48 after 30 minutes.

Camron Reece had 5 points in the early going of the final frame and Hamburg trimmed the gap to 63-53. Reyer punched back with the next 7 points to extend the advantage to 17 points. The visitors had one more push left with a 5-13 run to bring the deficit to 75-66 with under 4 minutes left - the first time it was in single digits since midway through the second quarter. McGruder stopped the momentum with a three-pointer and Hamburg did not get closer the rest of the way.

It was a memorable EuroCup debut for Reyer guard Rodney McGruder 