Kabengele dominated in closing stages to inspire Reyer comeback

Turning around a game where you’ve been trailing for more than 39 minutes must be incredibly satisfying. Doing so with your center netting his first-ever triple in the BKT EuroCup in the closing stages of regulation to help force overtime is simply extraordinary.

[7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/lietkabelis-panevezys/roster/lkb/?season=2024-25) took the lead from the off against [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/roster/vnc/) and held on to it up until crunch time. With 1:17 left on the clock, [Mfiondu Tshimanga Kabengele ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/)didn’t hesitate – he pulled up from beyond the arc and netted a three-pointer to tie the duel 84-84.

“Not surprised. I can shoot,” Kabengele said after the game. “I’m comfortable with my shooting. I just play a role on this team. Me shooting threes compared to \[Davide\] Moretti or Carl \[Wheatle\] or Kyle \[Wiltjer\] doesn’t help the team, so I know my role and I pick my spots when I need to. When it’s time to shoot, I’ll shoot, but I trust those guys to make those plays. I’m the better rebounder, better roller, better facilitator of the pick-and-roll. It’s just my job to pick the right time and I thought that was the right time to shoot that shot.”

Game Videos

Kabengele scored 9 of his career-high 21 points in the last 5 minutes of regulation, including the aforementioned triple that turned the tide in Reyer’s favor. Despite a certain blow in morale, Lietkabelis held firm and took a 90-88 lead through [Marko Pecarski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-pecarski/005656/) in overtime. Then, Reyer guard [Tyler Ennis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-ennis/008858/) missed from inside in what could have been a turning point for the hosts, but Kabengele stepped up again, collected the offensive rebound, drew the foul and tied it at 90-90. What followed was a 0-10 run for the visitors to seal the comeback victory. Kabengele paired his 21 points with 11 rebounds for a game-high PIR of 27 to inspire Reyer’s first road victory of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup campaign.

“We didn’t give up for 40 minutes,” head coach [Neven Spahija](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/vnc/spahija-neven/) said in the post-game press conference. “We believed, we trusted each other and at the end of the game we found the best chemistry.”

Having improved its record to 4-5, Reyer has managed to stay in the playoff picture. Next week, the Italian side will travel to Greece, where they’ll face [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/aris-midea-thessaloniki-umana-reyer-venice/U2024/99/) in their bid to extend their winning streak to three games. And for another game, Reyer will be able to lean on difference-maker Kabengele to lead the way on the court.

Game News

The center came to the fore when it mattered most in Reyer's first road victory

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-11-28T17:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul is one of the best offenses in the BKT EuroCup and the Turkish side showed it can really take care of the ball - and shoot it well - in getting an important victory over Joventut Badalona. 

Bahcesehir took care of ball, made threes in besting Joventut

[Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/) is one of the best offenses in the BKT EuroCup and the Turkish side showed it can really take care of the ball - and shoot it well - in getting an important victory over [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/). 

Bahcesehir committed only 7 turnovers in an [89-78 win at home](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-downs-joventut-89-78-for-sixth-straight-victory/) over Joventut to extend its winning streak to six games to remain perched atop Group A. Coach Dejan Radonjic’s side also shot 42.3 percent from long range. 

The hosts came into the game averaging 11.9 turnovers, which is already a good number. But committing only 7 turnovers against a Joventut team hungry for back-to-back wins for the first time this season. 

“We started really great. The threes were falling and we were playing really aggressive,” said [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/), who had his usual all-around game with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. 

“From the second quarter, we tried to control the game and played team basketball. Everybody was important to this win.”

Four players scored in double figures for Bahcesehir while four more scored at least 7 points. That balance was needed because Joventut regularly fought to get back into the game and Bahcesehir had an answer each time - often by a different player with multiple scores. 

“They tried everything to get back into the game. I can say that we were good enough for this important win,” Radonjic added.

Six different Bahcesehir players hit three-pointers as the team also did even better than its usual outside shooting. The Turkish side entered the game having made 39.3% of its three-point attempts. But [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) and [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) were both 3 of 5 from long range as the home side knocked down 42.3% of its threes. 

Bahcesehir did not make mistakes to let Joventut get back 

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Joventut Badalona (2024-11-28T16:00:00.000Z)

An outstanding Caleb Homesley leads his team to its seventh win of the season. 


Gran Canaria routs Trefl, 84-58! 

Dreamland Gran Canaria left no doubt about its power and potential in Group A by thrashing Trefl Sopot 84-58 at home in Round 9 on Tuesday.

Gran Canaria improved to 7-2 in the standings while Trefl dropped to 0-9. Caleb Homesley led the winners with 20 points and no missed shots in 17 minutes. George Conditt and Miquel Salvo each added 10 points for Gran Canaria. Andy Van Vliet and Jakub Schenk paced Trefl with 11 points apiece.

Van Vliet got Trefl going with a jump hook and a reverse layup. Joe Thomasson struck from downtown and Salvo added a reverse layup to give Gran Canaria its first lead, 5-4. John Shurna dunked off a steal to cap a 7-0 run. Mikolaj Witlinski scored around the basket but he didn't find much help around. Meanwhile, Conditt took over with a fastbreak layup and Homesley added a triple in a 7-0 run that boosted the hosts' lead to 14-6. Aaron Best dunked, Pierre Pelos matched that with a jumper and Witlinski's layup drew Trefl within 16-10. Nico Brussino sank an eight-meter three-pointer to fix the score at 19-10 after 10 minutes.

Van Vliet struck from beyond the arc early in the second quarter and soon added a tip-in for a 19-15 Trefl deficit. Pelos buried a corner triple, then Schenk got the visitors within 22-18. Andrew Albicy joined the three-point shootout and fed Mike Tobey for a jump hook, good for a 27-18 Gran Canaria lead. Robert McGowens scored in penetration and Best bettered Tobey's jumper with a bomb from downtown. Tobey buried another mid-range shot and Albicy added a triple that made it a double-digit game, 34-23. Nahiem Alleyne hit a jumper and improved Tobey's floater with a corner triple. Homesley answered from downtown and Schenk drew the visitors within 39-31 at halftime.

Schenk brought Trefl even closer, 39-34, right after the break. Thomasson stepped up with a three-pointer and Salvo copied him right after that to restore a double-digit Gran Canaria lead, 45-34. Witlinski tried to change things with consecutive layups to bring his team within 47-38. Thomasson insisted from beyond the arc and Homesley banked in a running shot that caused Trefl to call timeout at 52-38. Homesley capped a 7-0 run from the foul line, as Groffrey Groselles stepped up with a tip-in. Conditt ignited the crowd with a fastbreak slam and Homesley's back-to-back three-pointers broke the game open, 62-42, at the end of the third quarter.

Alleyne hit a catch-and-shoot jumper early in the fourth quarter. Conditt matched it with a layup, Schenk and Joban Kljajic traded three-pointers and Honesley's driving basket gave Gran Canaria a 69-47 lead. Homesley soon found Conditt for a reverse layup that caused Trefl to call timeout at 71-47. An unstoppable Homesley hit a jumper which Shurna followed with a layup that sealed the outcome, 75-49, with 6 minutes left. Jakub Urbaniak buried a three-pointer and even though Trefl kept fighting, everything was said and done already, as Gran Canaria had cruised to a well-deserved home win.

An outstanding Caleb Homesley leads his team to its seventh win of the season


Gran Canaria routs Trefl, 84-58

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Trefl Sopot (2024-11-28T20:00:00.000Z)

Matt Costello led Valencia to its eighth win in as many games in Group B. 

Valencia overpowers Bourg, 96-107

Four-time BKT EuroCup champion Valencia Basket remained undefeated in Group B by downing last season's finalist Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 96-107 in Round 9 on Tuesday. Valencia improved to 8-0 in the standings while Bourg dropped to 5-4. 

Matt Costello led the winners with 23 points. Jean Montero added 19 and 9 assists, Brancou Badio scored 12, Jaime Pradilla and Semi Ojeleye netted 11 each and Amida Brimah contributed 10 in his debut for Valencia. Jordan Usher paced Bourg with 19 points. Xavier Castaneda added 17, Maksim Salash 13, Hugo Benitez 11 and Maxime Courby had 10 for the hosts.

Salash got Bourg going with a jump hook that Montero bettered with a triple. Bourg's Kevin Kokila answered with a put-back layup, then teammate Castaneda and Valencia duo Costello and Nate Sestina each hit a three-pointer for a 7-9 score. Costello dunked and Montero bettered Usher's layup with a bomb from downtown. Usher kept pushing Bourg with a three-point play and Jean-Marc Pansa dunked in an 8-0 run that tied it at 17-17. Pradilla followed a triple with a layup. Pansa scored down low and Joel Ayayi added a put-back layup that made it 21-22. Costello struck from beyond the arc and a red-hot Pradilla scored again to restore a 21-27 Valencia lead. Courby scored in penetration and Benitez's mid-court bomb brough the hosts within 26-29 after 10 minutes.

Benitez kept pushing Bourg with a six-meter jumper that Kokila followed with a put-back layup for a 30-29 lead. Chris Jones and Costello each buried a three-pointer, prompting the hosts to call timeout at 31-35. Pansa took over with a put-back dunk and Courby made a triple, but Costello kept Valencia in charge, 36-40. Brimah stepped up with a put-back basket and Ojeleye bettered Benitez's driving layup with a bomb from beyond the arc. Brimah and Kokila traded baskets, then Badio's three-pointer boosted the lead to 44-50. Badio erased Salash's jump hook with a dunk and Usher drew Bourg within 48-52 at halftime.

Ojeleye and Jones each struck from beyond the arc right after the break. Montero's driving layup made it a double-digit game, 50-60. Pradilla scored in the paint, Benitez answered with a driving layup and Kokila's alley-oop slam gave Bourg hope at 54-62. Brimah hit a close jumper, but Brandon Paul and Usher got the hosts even closer, 58-64. Brimah silenced the crowd with a huge alley-oop slam and Badio followed a three-pointer with a driving layup for a 60-71 Valencia lead. Sergio De Larrea found his first points and Costello's triple capped a 0-10 run. Costello soon added a backdoor layup and Sestina scored in transition to break the game open, 64-80. Ojeleye and Montero allowed Valencia to get a 17-point lead, 67-84, after 30 minutes.

Salash buried a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Costello answered from beyond the arc, Salash scored around the basket and Courby's hook shot brought Bourg within 74-87. Pansa erased De Larrea's jumper with a put-back basket and Courby's corner triple made Valencia call timeout at 79-89. Castaneda and Josep Puerto exchanged bombs from beyond the arc, then Montero's driving layup gave Valencia fresh air at 82-94. Salash scored in penetration, Ojeleye hit a jump hook and Pradilla's layup sealed the outcome, 85-98, with over 3 minutes left. Bourg never gave up but Valencia kept full control of the game until the final buzzer.

Matt Costello led Valencia to its eighth win in as many games in Group B

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Valencia Basket (2024-11-28T18:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem continue its winning run by overcoming an early 13-point deficit before downing Turk Telekom Ankara 77-94 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade Serbia. This win, Jerusalem's fourth consecutive, improved the team to 7-2 in second place of Group B, while Turk Telekom slipped to 4-5 record.

Harper leads Jerusalem in comeback win over Turk Telekom

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem continued its winning run by overcoming an early 13-point deficit before downing Turk Telekom Ankara 77-94 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. With its fourth consecutive victory, Jerusalem improved to 7-2 and second place in Group B, while Turk Telekom slipped to a 4-5 record.

Turk Telekom had a better start to the game and led 33-20 in the second quarter, but Jerusalem melted the deficit in the second quarter, jumped in front in the third and pulled away in the fourth behind Jared Harper who scored 12 of his career-high 35 points in the fourth quarter. Khadeen Carrington added 19 points, while Gabriel Chachashvili collected 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win. For Turk Telekom, Braian Angola scored 15, Yoan Makoundou had 14 points and 8 rebounds, Javon Bess netted 12 points and Anthony Brown 11 in defeat.

It was a slow start offensively for both teams, with Bess's triple the only basket of the opening 3 minutes. Harper had a three-pointer and a three-point play to open Jerusalem's tally. Chachashvili scored 6 points for the visitors, including an alley-oop dunk, but only tied the game at 12-12 because of Bess, who scored 5 more points of his own. Turk Telekom scored the next 6 points and held an 18-14 lead after the first quarter.

Makoundou scored 5 points, including a three-point play, followed by a transition triple from Brown to open 24-16. Angola also nailed a three-pointer, then Speedy Smith knocked down back-to-back shots, making it 4 triples in a row for Turk Telekom and a 33-20 lead. Carrington and Chachashvili gave Jerusalem a spark, combining for 9 points and cutting the deficit to 39-31. A triple from Jeremy Morgan got Jerusalem within 39-37, but Turk Telekom led 44-39 at halftime.

Makoundou made a three-pointer early in the third quarter, but Carrington had a three-point play, followed by back-to-back triples from Morgan and Harper that helped open a 49-52 lead. The teams traded blows and Angola's triple made it 58-57, but Jerusalem used a pair of Coach Erdem Can's technical fouls and a fastbreak layup from Yovel Zoosman to hold a 62-65 edge after 30 minutes.

Chachashvili and Makoundou traded baskets to start the fourth quarter, but Morgan found a wide-open lane to make it 64-71. Brown and Makoundou kept Turk Telekom within a single possession, 70-73, but that's when Harper took over. The Jerusalem guard strung together 8 points, before Chris Johnson got a basket from close range as the visitors opened a 70-83 lead and cruised to victory in the final 3 minutes.

The guard erupted for a career-best 35 points

Harper leads Jerusalem in 77-94 comeback win over Turk Telekom

Turk Telekom Ankara v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-11-28T18:30:00.000Z)

Ben Saraf's go-ahead jumper allowed Ulm to win in Hapoel coach Dimitris Itoudis's return to the competition. 



Ulm rallies past Hapoel, 80-81! 

ratiopharm Ulm returned to winning ways in Group B by edging Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 80-82 in Samokov, Bulgaria on Tuesday.

Both teams are now 5-4 in the standings at the regular season's halfway mark. Noa Essengue led the winners with 19 points and Alfonso Plummer and Justinian Jessup each added 14 for Ulm. Marcus Foster paced Hapoel with 21 points and Patrick Beverley added 18 for the hosts.

Beverley got Hapoel going with a three-pointer. Ulm's Nelson Weidemann and Hapoel's Foster also hit one apiece from downtown. Then Essengue scored and Jessup joined the three-point shootout. Hapoel's Tomer Ginat stepped up with consecutive layups and Essengue scored a put-back dunk to tie it at 10-10. Bruno Caboclo took over with a fast-break layup that Ulm's Karim Jallow improved on with a three-point play. Beverley rescued Hapoel with a driving layup and Caboclo followed Bar Timor's triple with a power basket for a 20-14 score. Ben Saraf struck from beyond the arc, Hapoel's Antonio Blakeney erased it with a three-point play and Plummer's layup kept Ulm within 23-19. Ish Wainright sank a triple, getting help from Guy Palatin to keep the hosts fully in charge, 28-19, after 10 minutes.

Thomas Klepeisz buried a triple early in the second quarter and Essengue gave Ulm hope at 28-24. Wainright and Blakeney rescued Hapoel, then Foster's layup made it a double-digit lead, 34-24. Tobias Jensen stepped up with a driving layup, then Beverley and Wainright boosted their team's lead to 37-26. Jallow rescued Ulm with a big basket. Plummer added a three-pointer and followed Jessup's floater with a huge four-point play for a 37-39 Ulm lead, after a 0-13 run. Marcus Bingham took over with a layup-plus-foul, igniting an 11-0 run in which Joe Ragland, Ginat and Foster each scored around the basket. Nicolas Bratzel's three-point play fixed the halftime score at 48-42.

Foster scored around the basket soon after the break. Weidermann banked in an off-balance shot, then Ragland and Foster restored a 9-point Hapoel lead. Philipp Herkenhoff struck from downtown and Ragland matched that with an acrobatic three-point play. Essengue singlehandedly brought Ulm within 57-52. Foster and a red-hot Essengue traded fastbreak layups. Beverley's turnaround jumper gave Hapoel a 61-54 lead. After Bretzel scored in the paint, Isaiah Roby followed a three-pointer with a layup in transition that tied it at 61-61. Beverley followed a fadeaway jumper with a driving layup for a 65-61 Hapoel lead after 30 minutes.

Beverley took over with a reverse layup early in the fourth quarter. Jessup answered from downtown, Foster took over with a power layup and soon added a three-pointer that prompted Ulm to call timeout at 73-64. The visitors found a go-to guy in Jessup, who buried consecutive three-pointers to get Ulm as close as 75-72 with over 4 minutes left. Ragland buried a mid-range jumper, Jallow and Essengue each hit free throws and Foster's three-point play gave Hapoel some fresh air, 80-76, with 2:22 left. Plummer struck from beyond the arc and Saraf buried a jumper off a wild spin move for a 80-81 Ulm lead. Hapoel had a chance to win the game but Foster turned the ball over with 3.3 seconds left. Essengue drew a foul and missed his second attempt on purpose to run the game clock out.

Ben Saraf's go-ahead jumper allowed Ulm to win in Hapoel coach Dimitris Itoudis's return to the competition

Ulm rallies past Hapoel, 80-81, on Saraf's game winner

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v ratiopharm Ulm (2024-11-28T18:30:00.000Z)

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul outscored Dolomiti Energia Trento 22-43 in the middle two quarters to take control en route to a 68-83 victory at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Thursday 

Besiktas hammers Trento, 68-83, on the road

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul outscored Dolomiti Energia Trento 22-43 in the middle two quarters to take control en route to a 68-83 victory at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Thursday night. The result saw Besiktas climb into at least a share of fourth place in Group A with a 5-4 record, while Trento slipped to 3-6.

Kelan Martin paced the winning effort with 13 points, Yigit Arslan and Berk Ugurlu added 12 points apiece and Jonah Mathews scored 10. Quin Ellis, Myles Cale and Toto Forray all scored 13 for Trento and Anthony Lamb had 12 in defeat.

Lamb and Cale got Trento going before Dustin Sleva and Kyle Allman answered back for the visitors. The hosts clamped down on defense and pushed the ball on offense with Cale capping an 8-0 run for a 12-4 lead. Ugurlu and Sleva came alive to rally Besiktas within 16-13. Lamb gave Trento some breathing room only to see Sleva and Allman keep Besiktas in the hunt. Toto Forray's layup made it 20-17 after 10 minutes.  

Cale remained hot with a pretty move in the paint for Trento but Arslan was even hotter with a pair of threes to give the visitors their first lead, 22-23. Andrea Pecchia scored straight off a Trento timeout, Jordan Ford netted a free throw after Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic was called for a technical foul and Lamb finished off a three-point play for a 28-24 cushion. Mathews scored 4 points in a 0-6 spurt as Besiktas regained control. Free throws by Ugurlu and Kerem Onan made it 30-35. A tough score by Ugurlu extended the margin to 32-39 at halftime.

A three-pointer by Conor Morgan gave Besiktas a 10-point lead and Derek Needham's first points of the game made it 34-46. A timeout changed little for the hosts as Martin and Arslan kept Besiktas cruising as 35-53. Martin’s next three-pointer made it a 20-point game. Free throws by Eigirdas Zukauskas were not enough to spark a comeback and Besiktas was sitting pretty at 42-60 through three quarters.  

Ellis started to heat up for Trento, making the team’s first three of the night after 18 misses. Even so, Besiktas was able to match almost every shot. Zukauskas kept fighting for Trento, but to no avail. The Besiktas lead peaked at 54-78 on a Needham free throw with 2 and a half minutes remaining as the visitors closed out a comfortable win.

The visitors led by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2024-11-28T19:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice pulled off a superb comeback to beat 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 93-100 in overtime

Reyer rallies back to beat Lietkabelis, 93-100, in overtime

Umana Reyer Venice pulled off a superb comeback to beat 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 93-100 in overtime. The hosts led throughout regulation, being up by 15 three minutes into the third quarter. Yet, Reyer took its first lead in overtime and pulled away to clinch the victory on Thursday. Reyer celebrated its first road win of the season and improved its record to 4-5, with Lietkabelis dropping to 3-5.

Kyle Wiltjer led all scorers with 22 points, with Mfiondu Tshimanga Kabengele recording a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Parks and Amedeo Tessitori netted 13 points each and scored 10 in the comeback effort. Dovis Bickauskis and Martynas Varnas paced Lietkabelis with 16 points apiece. Georgios Kalaitzakis scored 14 points and Marko Pecarski added 13.

Gabrielius Maldunas opened the scoring in transition, but Kabengele netted back-to-back buckets to put Reyer in front, 2-4. Mantas Rubstavicius and Varnas drilled a triple each before Bickauskis extended Lietkabelis’s run to 8-0 from the charity stripe. Wiltjer attempted to end the Lithuanian side’s momentum with a floater, but Varnas nailed another one from deep for a 13-6 lead. Wiltjer and Pecarski exchanged baskets before Varnas scored 5 unanswered points to extend Lietkabelis’s lead to 20-10. Then, Oleksandr Kovliar, Kalaitzakis and Justin Briggs all opened their accounts for the hosts, but Tessitori netted 8 points off the bench to keep the visitors within 30-20 after 10 minutes.

Grantas Vasiliauskas nailed a hook shot to start the second quarter, but Tessitori scored from inside and Davide Moretti sank Reyer’s first triple of the night, cutting the difference to 32-25. A three-point play from Vasiliauskas restored a double-digit lead before Aamir Simms and Bickauskis traded triples to make it 41-31. Rubstavicius scored Lietkabelis’s seventh triple of the first half, but Reyer responded with Jordan Parks hitting two free throws and Moretti nailing his second from beyond the arc to trim the deficit to 44-38. What followed was a sloppy last 2 and a half minutes of the first half, with turnovers and missed shots by both sides, as Lietkabelis maintained a 47-40 cushion at halftime.

Varnas took his tally to 15 points with a layup before 5 points from Pecarski and a triple from Bickauskis extended Lietkabelis’s run to 10-0 and its lead to 57-42. Reyer responded with a 2-9 surge, but Rubstavicius knocked down one from downtown for a 62-51 lead. Kalaitzakis and Wiltjer took over in an exchange of blows, scoring 4 and 8 points, respectively, as Reyer cut the difference to 70-62 heading into the closing quarter.

Wiltjer started strong in the fourth, completing a three-point play to take his tally to 20 in less than 19 minutes on the floor. Then, Kalaitzakis and Wiltjer traded buckets before 5 points from Kovliar allowed Lietkabelis to secure a 77-69 cushion. Reyer pushed for a comeback after an unlikely buzzer-beating bucket from Pecarski, with Kabengele scoring back-to-back baskets and Ennis netting inside to bring the visitors within 79-74. Yet, Bickauskis replied with 5 points including a triple after a Reyer turnover to make it 84-76 with 02:18 left on the clock. Reyer didn’t give up and responded with a 0-8 run inspired by Kabengele, who nailed a rare triple to tie it, 84-84. Then, Lipkevicius netted a turn-around bucket with 24 seconds remaining, but Ennis scored a layup to force overtime.

Parks netted a jumper for Reyer’s first lead of the night, but Bickauskis responded with a bucket and Pecarski made 2 of 2 from the line to put Lietkabelis back in front, 90-88. Yet, a couple of free throws from Kabengele were followed by a corner three from Carl Wheatle, an Ennis layup and 5 points from Parks to complete an extraordinary Reyer comeback.

Despite trailing throughout regulation, Reyer tied the game late to force overtime, where it clinched a hard-fought victory

KK Cedevita Olimpija got back on track in the EuroCup by beating the Hamburg Towers 95-68 in Round 9.

Cedevita Olimpija coasts to 95-68 win against Hamburg

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana ended its three-game losing streak in perfect fashion on Thursday night, erupting for 95 points in a 95-68 triumph over Veolia Towers Hamburg, which is now 0-5 on the road this season. The Slovenian side is now 5-4 on the season and the German outfit is 2-7. This game marked Zvezdan Mitrovic's return to the bench after a spell away due to illness.

Devante Jones led six Cedevita players in double figures with 16 points, followed by DJ Stewart (15 points), Andrija Stipanovic (14) on his second debut for the club, Jaka Blazic (12), Devin Robinson (12) and Brynton Lemar (11). Hamburg's Jordan Barnett netted 23 points in a losing effort, while Johnathan Stove – on his debut – and Niklas Wimberg had 12 apiece. 

Hamburg got off to a good start by taking a 0-4 lead thanks to Osaro Rich and Brae Ivey, but a couple of scores by Stewart got Cedevita off the mark before Robinson stepped up to give Cedevita a 10-8 edge. Stipanovic netted 4 points, then four straight points to close the period saw Cedevita hold a 20-14 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

Blazic was able to capitalize on a Hamburg turnover to score the first points of the second quarter, 22-14, but the visitors fought back through Ivey, Stove on his debut and Barnett to make it 26-24. Cedevita then went up a notch, with Robinson and Blazic combining to put the hosts in a comfortable position, 34-24. Hamburg could not reduce that deficit before the break, with the score 42-32 after 20 minutes.

The start of the third quarter saw Cedevita put its foot on Hamburg's throat, outscoring the visitors 18-7 to take a commanding 60-39 lead on multiple scores by Jones and Stipanovic. When Lemar netted Cedevita's first triple of the night to make it 63-41, it was already clear which way this game was going. A couple of three-pointers by Barnett inside the final minute of the quarter put some gloss on the score, but it was 71-50 entering the final frame.

There was no slowing down Cedevita in the fourth quarter, with Aleksej Nikolic getting his first points of the night and helping Cedevita go 76-52 ahead. In fact, Barnett was the only Hamburg player to score through the first four and a half minutes, netting 7 points in that time, as the visitors trailed 84-59. He started to get a bit of help, but it was too late as Cedevita coasted the rest of the way en route to a 95-68 win.

It proved to be a comfortable night for Coach Mitrovic's men, who bounced back from three straight defeats in style

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-11-28T17:30:00.000Z)