After an unfortunate start to the season, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius finds itself right where it wants to be: on the doorstep of the BKT EuroCup Playoffs with its destiny in its own hands after defeating Trento in Round 17

Wolves boosted playoffs chances with win at Trento 

Three months after an unfortunate start to the season, [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-vilnius/roster/wol/?season=2024-25) finds itself right where it wanted to be: on the doorstep of the BKT EuroCup Playoffs with its destiny in its own hands.

Wolves boosted its chances of reaching the postseason after coasting to [a 70-96 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-take-step-toward-playoffs-with-70-96-win-at-trento/) over [Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/roster/trn/?season=2024-25) to secure back-to-back wins exactly when it needed them most.

“This is probably one of our better defensive games all season. Right now we’re showing up when we need some wins,” said [Andrew Andrews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-andrews/011248/), who poured in a team-high 19 points, including making 12 of 14 free throws.

“It was a great team performance. Unfortunately it’s just a win. We have to immediately think about the next one and that will be really tough at home against Buducnost,” added Wolves head coach Alessandro Magro, whose team allowed 70 or fewer points for the third time this season.

Game Videos

Wolves now has a 9-8 record and currently occupies sixth place in Group A - though [Buducnost](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/roster/bud/?season=2024-25) can pull back ahead of the Lithuanian side after its [Round 17](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/buducnost-voli-podgorica-joventut-badalona/U2024/163/) game at home against already-eliminated [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/?season=2024-25).

Then everything will be set up for the big showdown in the final round as Wolves will host Buducnost on Wednesday, February 5 at Twinsbet Arena in Vilnius. Buducnost won the first matchup between the teams, [104-77 in Round 9](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/buducnost-sends-a-message-with-blowout-win-against-wolves-104-77/) in the Montenegro capital.

“We will need the same level of energy, desire and effort for the final crucial game against Buducnost,” Magro said after the win over Trento.

Game News

Magro wishes he and his team could have already locked up their playoff berth, especially after the club failed to reach the postseason in its debut season in 2023-24 by just one victory. Wolves ended Group A play last year with [an 8-10 record](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/standings/?season=2023-24&type=Traditional&phase=REGULAR%20SEASON) - one win behind [Besiktas Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-istanbul/roster/bes/?season=2024-25).

At the same time, Magro has to be happy his team is on the brink of making history, especially after its poor start to the season.

Wolves dropped its first three games of the season, putting itself behind the eight ball very early in the season and not grabbing its first win until October 16 at Joventut Badalona. Now, three months later, Wolves have had highs and lows since then.

The three-game losing streak was followed by five straight wins for a 5-3 record before Magro saw his team drop five of the next seven to sit outside the playoff ranks at 7-8.

Wolves last week infused new life into its playoff hopes with [a surprising 88-76 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-upset-gran-canaria-88-76-in-important-victory-in-playoff-race/) at home over [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2024-25). And now, all the cards are on the table and all Wolves needs is to beat Buducnost.

And that is all Wolves wanted after the poor start to the season.

The Lithuanian team’s slow start can be forgotten for good with a win to close the regular season 

Wolves boosted playoff chances with win at Trento 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2025-01-28T19:00:00.000Z)

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius did a great job shutting down Dolomiti Energia Trento’s two biggest stars and also excelled in two areas where it has struggled all season - three-point shooting and rebounding - to roll to a critical victory 70-96 victory in Round 17 of the BKT EuroCup

Wolves slowed Trento's stars and surprised with triples, rebounding

[Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-vilnius/roster/wol/?season=2024-25) did a great job shutting down [Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/roster/trn/?season=2024-25)’s two biggest stars and also excelled in two areas where it has struggled all season to roll to a critical victory on Tuesday.

Wolves held Trento’s [Jordan Ford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-ford/013270/) and [Anthony Lamb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-lamb/013272/) to a combined 13 points while shooting a club record 61.9% on three-pointers and dominating the glass at Trento for [a 70-96 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-take-step-toward-playoffs-with-70-96-win-at-trento/) to keep its playoffs destiny in its own hands.

Ford came into the game leading the team in scoring at 16.5 points but was limited to just 9 points on 5 field goal attempts. Lamb meanwhile managed just a season-low 4 points on 1-of-6 shooting after coming into the game averaging 14.3 points per game.

Six players made threes for Wolves in Trento

“We showed the desire, will and physicality. We were able to disarm their best scorers. It was a great team performance,” said Wolves coach Alessandro Magro.

Wolves drained 13 of 21 three-pointers as it drastically bested its previous three-point benchmark of [52.8% - 19 of 36](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/three-point-blitz-helped-wolves-to-big-win/) - [in Round 11](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-bounce-back-to-down-hapoel-104-100/) against [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2024-25). Alessandro Magro’s team came into the game shooting only 32.7% from long range - ranking 14th in the EuroCup.

Wolves was however able to take advantage of a Trento team that has struggled all year stopping its opponent’s three-point game, allowing them to shoot 38.1% on triples - the worst ranking in the league.

Four Wolves players drained multiple three-pointers with [Matas Jogela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matas-jogela/006853/) hitting 4 of 6 and [Anthony Cowan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/) knocking down 3 of 5.

The other unusual area of dominance for Wolves was rebounding. The Lithuanian side ranked [14th in total rebounding](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/key-stats-teams/?size=1000&misc=&seasonCode=U2024&category=TotalRebounds&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&aggregate=perGame) and Trento was 11th in the league. Still, Wolves showed its greater desire in grabbing 41 rebounds to 22 for the home side.

Wolves was particularly strong on its defensive glass, limiting Trento to just 5 offensive rebounds. That was actually one area the team had been solid all season though, giving up just 10.4 boards on that side of the court per game - ranked fifth.

All in all, Wolves put together a strong team performance and is now knocking on the door of the playoffs.

Wolves' defense stood strong against Trento’s biggest weapons

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius took a big step towards reaching the BKT EuroCup Playoffs by winning 70-96 at already-eliminated Dolomiti Energia Trento 

Wolves take step toward playoffs with 70-96 win at Trento

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius took a big step towards reaching the BKT EuroCup Playoffs by winning 70-96 at already-eliminated Dolomiti Energia Trento on Tuesday. Wolves opened a 14-point lead in the second quarter and was not threatened the rest of the way in winning back-to-back games for a 9-8 record in Group A. A victory in the final round against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica will put the Lithuanian side in the playoffs.

Andrew Andrews paced four Wolves scorers in double figures with 19 points - including 12-of-14 from the free throw line - while Matas Jogela had 14 points and both Anthony Cowan and Kristupas Zemaitis added 13 points. Trento had won its last two games and fell to 6-11 despite Saliou Niang scoring 11 points in the loss.

Neither team was able to score in the first 2 minutes until Marek Blazevic’s tip-in for the visitors. Wolves followed with 4 triples and led 0-14. Eigirdas Zukauskas hit a three-pointer to finally get the hosts on the scoreboard after nearly 5 minutes. Toto Forray’s 6 points for Trento closed the gap to 9-16, but Wolves finished the first quarter on a 2-9 run to lead 11-25 after 10 minutes.

Wolves opened the scoring in the second quarter to increase the cushion to 16 points. Myles Cale scored 7 points in an 11-1 burst to get Trento within 24-30. Jeffery Taylor hit a triple to stop the bleeding for Wolves and start a 2-10 answer to lead 26-40. Wolves went into the break ahead 30-40.

Trento twice scored to make it a 10-point game in the third quarter - the second time being 38-48. The hosts failed to score for the next 2+ minutes and Andrews scored for 6 points as Wolves led 38-56. Jogela and Zemaiis added three-pointers and Wolves held a 50-68 advantage after three quarters.

Wolves put the game out of reach with the first 6 points of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 50-74. Trento did not get closer than 20 points the rest of the night.

The Lithuanian side still holds own fate in race for the postseason 

Valencia shifted styles to beat Cedevita

Taking into account that [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/roster/lju/?season=2024-25) and [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/?season=2024-25) came from 100-plus-point scoring performances in their last domestic games and that Valencia had already signed off on 17 triple-digit scoring games so far this season between the Spanish league and BKT EuroCup, many could have expected a high-scoring game and an offensive-oriented clash on Tuesday.

Nothing could have been further from reality, as both squads performed below-par in field goal shooting due to hard-nosed defenses on both ends of the floor. Valencia was able [to win 66-72](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-bested-cedevita-on-the-road-66-72/) despite shooting 47.7% on two-pointers and 33.3% on threes. Cedevita shot 39.0% from two-point range and 24.0% from deep.

Valencia looked quite uncomfortable when its shots weren't falling as Cedevita punished the Group B leader with a 15-0 run early in the first period that seemed to jeopardize Valencia’s chances.

“Cedevita was playing a very important game for them,” recognized [Xabi Lopez-Arostegui](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xabi-lopez-arostegui/005356/) after the game. “We knew that it would be a tough atmosphere and that they would play tough, and it’s how the game started.”

Despite that bad start, Valencia adjusted to a different style, relying on its defense to get back to the game and look for some inspiration from long-range when the game came down to the wire. With the score 60-63 midway through the last quarter, Josep Puerto rose up with back-to-back three-pointers that helped Valencia keep the lead for good.

“We didn’t start the game good,” Valencia head coach Pedro Martinez confessed at the post-game press conference. “I think we played better in the second half, and especially in the last quarter. I think we arrived in better physical condition at the end of the game and finally, we won an important game for us.

“I think we have to be happy because Olimpija Ljubljana played with a lot of energy and played a good game, with great defense, very aggressive and we had problems, but at the end we \[managed to\] adapt to this defense, and especially the 2 three-pointers by Puerto were key for our win.”

Being able to adjust to a different kind of game can be a key to what Valencia can expect in the playoffs, as Xabi Lopez-Arostegi stressed.

“\[This win\] is very important”, he said. “These kinds of games are very good for us to improve as a team, to play tough games like we are going to play in the future, so we are happy to get this win away.”

The Group B leaders had to overcome a 15-0 run early in the game to prevail in a defensive battle in the Slovenian capital

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Valencia Basket (2025-01-28T17:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket is one win far from securing the best record in the BKT EuroCup Regular Season after defeating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 66-72 at Arena Stozice on Tuesday 

Valencia bested Cedevita on the road, 66-72

Valencia Basket is one win far from securing the best record in the BKT EuroCup Regular Season after defeating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 66-72 at Arena Stozice on Tuesday night. The visitors had to overcome a 15-0 run early in the first period and needed to wait till the last quarter to earn a game-high 56-63 advantage that Josep Puerto converted into a win with back-to-back threes late in the game. 

Valencia improved to 15-2 and can secure home-court advantage throughout the postseason if it wins or Bahcesehir College Istanbul loses in Round 18, while Cedevita dropped to 10-7, but still could confirm a playoff berth this week depending on Wednesday’s results.

Puerto led all Valencia scorers with 13 points, followed by Chris Jones and Xavi Lopez-Arostegui, who provided 12 and 10, respectively. Brynton Lemar paced Cedevita with 14 points, Devin Robinson recorded a double-double of 12 points and 12 boards, DJ Stewart did the same with 11 and 12, while Aleksej Nikolic scored 11 in the losing effort.

Despite Nate Sestina opening fire from deep, the hosts showed great energy in the early going and went on a 13-0 run with all starters scoring to force the first timeout by Valencia. Cedevita went a little bit further with a basket by Stewart to earn a 15-3 edge, but the visitors rapidly found offensive momentum when Jones and Brancou Badio teamed up. Five points by the former launched Valencia and 5 more by Puerto brought the visitors within 18-17 after 8 minutes. Stefan Jovic completed the comeback with an extraordinary offensive move to close the first quarter with Valencia enjoying its first lead of the game, 20-21.

Jovic opened fire in the second with another bucket, as the offensive woes continued for the home side, due to several turnovers and missed free throws. But Cedevita didn’t step back and built on defense, stopping Valencia’s scorers from getting momentum, as Joan Beringer and Lemar combined to return the lead to the hosts, 24-23. Both teams swapped leads and the game had several ties until Lemar made it 32-29 with a corner three-pointer. Puerto came to the rescue to minimize the disadvantage to 32-31, but missed a buzzer-beating three that allowed Cedevita to lead at halftime.

Semi Ojeleye and Nikolic traded three-pointers soon after the game resumed, as both teams based their offenses on long-range shooting, but with no big success except those. Robinson rose with a monster dunk and a smooth jumper to keep Cedevita ahead, but Valencia didn’t lose track and remained close, 41-40, midway through the third quarter. A three-point play by Sestina after a TV timeout brought the lead back the visitors, 41-43, but Cedevita managed to stay calm using the free-throw line and offensive rebounding. Ojeleye hits his second from behind the arc to make it 47-48, but Beringer kept the hosts up at the end of the third period with a dunk, 49-48.

Valencia geared up early in the fourth, as Ojeleye hit again from deep and Jaime Pradilla capped a fastbreak with a slam to boost Valencia to a 49-53 edge and force a Cedevita timeout after only 1:18. Stewart and Robinson took over then, helping the hosts ahead 56-55. Another spurt, this time coming from Lopez-Arostegui and Jones, switched the lead again, and set a game-high 7-point difference for Valencia, 56-63, with 4 minutes to play. Stewart and Lemar brought Cedevita within one possession right after the timeout, but the hosts couldn’t do anything against Puerto, who chained together a couple of triples to make it 63-69 with less than 100 seconds to go. Nikolic hit a long three to keep Cedevita alive, but consecutive misses by Stewart and Lemar allowed Badio and Costello to seal the outcome, 66-72.

Despite recording its second-lowest scoring output of the season, Valencia claimed another win

Bahcesehir College Istanbul rolled on with its fifth win in the last six games to cement the top spot in Group A of the BTK EuroCup and improved to 14-3 after an 85-81 home win over ratiopharm Ulm as the German side slipped to 9-8

Bahcesehir left Ulm’s playoff fate hanging in the balance

[Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25) rolled on with its fifth win in the last six games to cement the top spot in Group A of the BTK EuroCup and improved to 14-3 after [an 85-81 home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/tai-odiase-shines-as-bahcesehir-edges-ulm-85-81/) over [ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/roster/ulm/?season=2024-25) as the German side slipped to 9-8.

More importantly for Ulm, it missed a chance to seal a playoff berth with a game to spare after overturning a 15-point second-half deficit, only to let a 75-76 lead slip away in the home stretch as [Tai Odiase](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/) stepped up for Bahcesehir.

It would have been a big ask for Ulm to win such a tough road game under any circumstances, but the visitors will be kicking themselves in the teeth for drawing blanks when the chips were down, having roared back after trailing 51-36.

The result means Ulm’s fate is out of its own hands, as it needs other results to go its way ahead of the final regular season round, when it hosts [Hapoel Shlomo Teal Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2024-25). Should it fail to qualify, Ulm may well be haunted by [an 82-85 home loss to Buducnost Voli Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/buducnost-wins-thriller-at-ulm-82-85/) and even more so by the [85-71 debacle at Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-rolls-past-ulm-86-71-to-keep-playoff-hopes-alive/) in the previous two games, with the Italian side out of contention.

Ulm’s head coach Ty Harrelson rued the missed opportunity but lauded his team's valiant second-half effort.

“I am proud of my team the way we came back in the second half. Unfortunately, we didn’t make the plays in the last minute and a half or so and that made the difference,” Harrelson said in his postgame comments. “The home team showed their composure and their experience when the game got tight and that’s something for us to learn from.”

Bahcesehir had more in the tank in the last few minutes and Odiase, who paced the Turkish side with a game-high 22 points, highlighted that it was his team’s defense that made the difference in a dramatic finish.

“They are a really good team in transition but we stuck to our defensive principles and got the win,” Odiase said. “We turned the ball over a bit too many times but we were able to keep our composure down the stretch,” he added. 

Bahcesehir head coach Dejan Radonjic was pleased after his team dug deep to keep its perfect home record intact, despite already being assured of finishing top of the group and thus clinching an automatic quarterfinal berth.

“It was a tough game against a very good opponent full of young and talented players,” the Montenegrin tactician said. ”They play in a specific way but defensively we did a lot of good things, especially in the first half. We lacked energy in the last 10 minutes, but we did enough to win the game.”

The German side missed a chance to seal its postseason berth with a game to spare 

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v ratiopharm Ulm (2025-01-28T16:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul ground out a hard-fought 85-81 home win over ratiopharm Ulm in Round 17 of the BKT EuroCup and improved to 14-3 in Group A, while the German side slipped to 9-8 after a fourth successive loss. 

Tai Odiase shines as Bahcesehir edges Ulm, 85-81

Bahcesehir College Istanbul ground out a hard-fought 85-81 home win over ratiopharm Ulm in Round 17 of the BKT EuroCup and improved to 14-3 in Group A, while the German side slipped to 9-8 after a fourth successive loss.

Bahcesehir had already secured the top spot in the group but the result could turn out to be damaging for Ulm, which now needs other results to go its way if it is to clinch a playoff berth.

The towering Tai Odiase carried Bahcesehir with a game-high 22 points, shooting 7 of 9 from the floor and 8 of 9 from the line. Jaleen Smith added 15 points and Axel Bouteille chipped in with 14 for the home team, which blew a 15-point lead in the second half before it forced the final twist.

At the other end, Nelson Weidemann racked up 18 points and 5 boards for Ulm, while Justinian Jessup added 17 points and 7 boards. Noa Essengue contributed 13 points and Isaiah Roby chipped in with 11 for the visitors, who committed 17 turnovers and managed as many assists.

Both teams made a flying start from downtown early on as Bahcesehir sank 5 of 9 in the first quarter while Ulm made 4 of 6, with Odiase netting 9 points for the hosts in the opening quarter. His effort was countered at the other end by Jessup, who scored 11.

Having carved out a slender 24-23 lead, Bahcesehir hit top gear in the second quarter as the home side ramped up its defense and kept shooting the lights out from long range. Bahcesehir took better care of the ball in the first half as the Turkish side dished out 13 assists while Ulm amassed only 5, allowing the home team to take a comfortable 44-34 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Ulm looked out for the count early in the third quarter as Bahcesehir raced clear 51-36, but the German outfit then found another gear and slashed the deficit to 63-55 ahead of the final 10 minutes of the contest. Searching for an unlikely win that would have sealed its playoff berth with a game to spare, Ulm headed into the fourth quarter with all guns blazing and sank a barrage of three-pointers.

Having closed in on the hosts with a 5-12 run, Ulm went on to turn the tide and nose ahead 75-76 with a few minutes remaining, but Bahcesehir showed its steel in the home straight and wrestled the game away from Ulm to keep its perfect home record intact. 

The home team’s big man dominated throughout and came up big in the home stretch

Reyer Venezia guard Tyler Ennis spoke to Javier Gancedo of Euroleague.net ahead of the final two games of the EuroCup regular season.

Tyler Ennis: 'We can literally beat any team, even EuroLeague teams'

[Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/vnc/) is in the thick of the playoff hunt in the BKT EuroCup, sitting seventh in Group B with two games to play, with a big road contest coming up against [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/ttk/) on Wednesday night. With that in mind, [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)’s Javier Gancedo spoke with ex-Turk Telekom and current Reyer point guard [Tyler Ennis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-ennis/008858/) in this week’s EuroCup interview.

Ennis’s return from injury, having missed Rounds 3 through 8, has been a big reason for Reyer’s resurgence as the Italian team has gone 7-2 over the last nine games after starting the season 2-5. Having made his EuroCup debut with Turk Telekom in 2021-22, the 30-year-old – and the brother of Dylan Ennis, who asks a question of his own in this interview – has averaged 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 10 games this year, but there’s the job’s not finished yet.

Umana Reyer Venice guard Tyler Ennis averages 13.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 10 EuroCup games this season.

2024-25 EuroCup highlights: Tyler Ennis, Reyer

**Hello, Tyler. First things first, we have to talk about Reyer’s crucial 76-75 win against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem last week. What allowed you to get the win in this back-and-forth game?**

"Obviously, we knew Jerusalem had a lot of firepower. Jared Harper, \[Khadeen\] Carrington... so we really wanted to lock in defensively on that. But I think since we’ve kind of been getting bodies back every game and the new rotation, we wanted to continue with the chemistry we have, continue building and getting some wins at home. I think there was one point where we were winning more on the road than we were at home, so we wanted to come out and obviously just get any win we can to stay in the race. And they played well. They played their game, but we held them to some tough shots and ended up coming out with the win at the end. It was really close."

**In fact, it went down to the final play – a missed shot by Carrington that would have changed the whole playoff picture in the EuroCup. Can you take us back to that final play?**

"Ideally, you don't want to have your center switch onto the highest scoring guard in the EuroCup: Harper. But we trust Mfi Kabengele to guard guys. He is athletic enough to change a lot of shots, and I think he forced Harper to think twice about the first one, and then he kind of locked in. We all were hugged up to our guys, and you don't want to give up a second chance but we put in another effort and made Carrington miss. And then somebody tipped it out, so... not an ideal end to the game. Obviously, if this is the championship, these games could go in different ways. But on that night, I thought we did a good job of just continuing to play through, sending them to the free-throw line a lot. We played through a lot of adversity that we have dealt with and just stayed together, which is kind of our main mantra right now, just staying together, staying positive."

**Like you said, you got some bodies back. Xavier Munford and you were injured, and more players missed some games. On the flip side, Kabengele has been amazing all season long, too. How is the team feeling right now given that everybody is back?**

"Yeah, we feel good. I think people being healthy kind of allowed other people to play the roles they anticipated coming into the season. We had guys playing point guard that weren't point guards and different things like that, so we are just putting it together. Whoever is healthy, we have more than enough to play with anybody, to beat anybody, and we are showing that we can. We want to just be more consistent. We don't want to drop the games that we are in and we have a chance to win. And I think going into the second round, I think we were in every game, even the ones we lost. We just have to come ready and consistent."

Tyler Ennis: 'Whoever is healthy, we have more than enough to play with anybody, to beat anybody'

**Your next game is in Ankara against Turk Telekom, one of your former teams. You also worked with coach Erden Can when you were with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. So you know what to expect and this is a crucial game, the game of the season for you guys. How do you feel going into this one?**

"We feel good. Obviously, it is a totally different game than the first round. With so much at stake, you want to come focused and as ready as possible. It's going to be a great atmosphere. It's going to be a great, great game. but at the end of the day, we just have to come out with a win. At this point in the season, we want to play great. We want to do everything right, but things don't go that way. As long as we come out with the win, put ourselves into the playoffs, hopefully everybody will be happy, and I think it will kind of be a great moment. After all the team went through at the start the season, I think it would be a great moment for us that shows our resilience and hopefully continues to carry on with us until the end of the season."

**Your brother Dylan Ennis made it to the All-EuroCup Second Team a few years ago. Are in touch with each other? Do you follow each other's careers?**

"Yeah, we talk every day. We were lucky enough to play against each other while we were both playing in Turkiye. We have had very different careers and are obviously different players, but we always go through the ups and downs of being a professional athlete. And I think it's just great to have somebody to lean on, who knows me personally, who knows my intentions and everything, and to kind of give you a different outlook on problems you are having or even on the positive things, just to kind of congratulate you on some good things that are going on. So we speak every day, whether it's about basketball life or just anything."

**Well, I’ve spoken to Dylan, too, and asked him to throw in this question: When you were young, how many video game controllers did you break because you were losing?**

"(Laughs hard) Too many. Too many! I have to give some backstory. At the time, I was the youngest so I got bullied a lot. I lost a lot, whether we were playing video games, whether we were fighting, playing basketball outside, I was losing. I was three years younger than Dylan, and I'm five years younger than our oldest brother \[Brandon\]. So I think that built my competitive edge. Obviously, at that age, you don't know how to control your emotions too much. And maybe that's that taught me how to do it now, but it made me want to win. It made me want to be better than them at everything and gave me that drive and competitive force. So I give them a lot of credit for my career and what I have been able to do, being able to follow in their footsteps and eventually take my own path. But yeah, I was definitely the angry brother growing up... maybe not the angry, but the emotional brother. And now, I think it has flipped. I think Dylan is more emotional."

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBtIjqBj2ZR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBtIjqBj2ZR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBtIjqBj2ZR/?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 Tyler Ennis (@1tylerennis)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

**It happens. I also wanted to ask you about the other two Canadians in the team. How great is it to be around so many Canadians, people that you know from the national team? Has it helped the team gel together quicker?**

"I think me and Kyle \[Wiltjer\], this is our third team playing together. We played on the \[Houston\] Rockets and then we played on Turk Telekom together, so this is our third stop together, a third different team, so we already have a chemistry on the court. We kind of know: he knows what I'm looking for, I know what spots he likes, and then off the court, we have been great friends since we met. He was one of the main reasons I came to Venice, to be able to talk to him and get his experience on basketball, life off the court and everything. So it was an exciting opportunity to come play with him again. With Mfi \[Kabengele\], I actually feel he’s a little bit younger than me. He grew up watching me, but I watched him in high school and going to Florida State. This is my first experience being on a team with him, but it's been a pleasure. Obviously, you could see we kind of hit it off right away with the way I play and what I'm looking for, and what he needs as a big guy. We have a lot of pick and rolls together, and I think we just trust each other to be in the right spot and to find each other. So hopefully he is able to be rewarded for the amazing season he is having with some accolades, and obviously that depends on how well we finish the season. So I'm excited for him in his career. I think this is really a breakout year in Europe for him."

Tyler Ennis on Mfiondu Kabengele: 'I think this is really a breakout year in Europe for him'

**February is around the corner, which means it is do-or-die time in the EuroCup, the end of the regular season. How exciting is it for a basketball player to get there, when things are finally decided and more important games are coming up?**

"It's great! I mean, it's obviously a lot more pressure, a lot more riding on every game, but I think that’s what you play for. I don't think you really see too much the tie that we have on our side of the EuroCup \[with five teams from third to seventh, including Turk Telekom, on a 9-7 record\]. I think that's pretty unique with so many teams, all with the same record and whatnot. But I think if you asked us when we were going through those losses at the start of the year and the injuries, that if we’d take being in this position, I think we would all agree to it. We were able to kind of turn the season around in terms of wins, but none of that matters unless we clinch the playoffs, and that's our plan. But looking back and being reflective for a second, I think it has been a great turnaround and showed a lot of character for everybody on our team to just continue to fight through the obstacles and stay together."

**Let's talk about the tie: five teams with a 9-7 record and one of them will be eliminated at the end of the regular season. The good thing for all the teams in this tie is that winning both games takes you there for sure. No one depends on other people's results right now. How great is it to hold your EuroCup destiny in your own hands?**

"I think that's all you can ask for in this situation that we have been in. Ideally, you want to be first or second and get the \[eighthfinals\] bye, but things don't always go that way. So we will kind of be where our feet are and focus on Turk Telekom. I think it's storybook that I get to go back and play my old team for the first time. I haven't played in Ankara since I played there, I think three years ago. We want the storybook ending and to leave Ankara happy, but we know it is going to be tough. We know it is gonna be a tough game. They have a great coach and really talented players. So we are looking forward to the experience, the atmosphere and everything that goes along with a game like this."

**Finally, after these next two games, the competition takes a break and returns for the playoffs. That's plenty of time for a team to get in shape and perform at its best. If you qualify, how dangerous can Reyer be in the long run?**

"Whether we are playing in our domestic league or in the EuroCup, I think we can literally beat any team, even EuroLeague teams. I think talent-wise, we are right up there with everybody, and it's just on us to come and play with energy and be consistent. So I think if I was on the other side, and I’d seen that we got the draw of our team, I think it's a little bit more worrisome than a lot of other teams. But talent only takes you so far, you have to go out there and produce. We are focused on the right things now; getting players back healthy is all we could ask for. We are just looking forward to the competition and looking forward to making the playoffs. We just have to get it done."

The Reyer guard is feeling confident ahead of the team's final two regular-season games

Turk Telekom Ankara v Umana Reyer Venice (2025-01-29T16:30:00.000Z)

The Dominican Republic is famous for the baseball players it produces, but Valencia Basket guard Jean Montero knew from a young age that basketball was the sport for him.

Nothing given, everything earned: Jean Montero living his life motto in EuroCup stardom

For a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic that picks up sports, the obvious choice was, is and probably will forever be baseball.

Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic, and the country has a very long tradition of exporting numerous players to the big stage: specifically, the USA’s Major League Baseball. Most young people who dream of a successful career as an athlete will grab a bat and a mitt rather than a basketball.

It didn’t take long for [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) guard [Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jean-montero/010042/) to make up his mind as to which sport hits all the right buttons for him.

“I was easily bored while growing up,” Montero told Eurohoops. “I wanted to get to be active. I wanted to get tired. I wanted to run. Do something, have some activity in the game that requires a lot of running and all the stuff in it. That’s why I chose basketball. I was playing both baseball and basketball, but basketball was just more fun to me.”

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1777464/nothing-given-everything-earned-jean-montero-living-his-life-motto-in-eurocup-stardom/).

The Valencia guard has been one of the competition’s best players this season