Name: Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Valencia Basket | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Valencia Basket | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Valencia Basket (2025-12-05T19:15:00.000Z)

Luca Vildoza effectively played a cameo role for three quarters and then came up big in the home straight as Virtus Bologna eked out a 79-78 home win over EuroLeague newcomers Dubai Basketball, improving to 7-7 while the visitors dropped to 6-8 after a thrilling clash.

Luca Vildoza pickpockets Dubai as Virtus makes winning return to its arena 

[Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) effectively played a cameo role for three quarters and then came up big in the home straight as [Virtus Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) eked out a 79-78 home win over EuroLeague newcomers [Dubai Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/dubai-basketball/dub/), improving to 7-7 while the visitors dropped to 6-8 after a thrilling clash.

Vildoza sank a pair of pivotal three-pointers down the stretch, including the game-winning shot with 27 seconds left on the clock, before robbing [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) on Dubai’s final possession to send the Virtus Arena crowd into raptures.

It was a happy homecoming for Virtus, which had played its home games to this point at the nearby PalaDozza venue while its iconic gym was being refurbished. On Friday night, the fans could not have asked for a more fitting return.

A rollercoaster from start to finish kept everyone on the edge of their seats as the lead kept changing hands time and again, as Virtus trailed 2-7 early on and then threw away a 26-13 lead as Dubai turned the first half on its head to take a 39-44 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Virtus caught up after the break as the pendulum swung one way and then the other before Vildoza sank a dagger into Dubai’s hearts, hitting nothing but net from long range before he made the crucial steal with only a few seconds remaining.

Virtus Bologna-Dubai Basketball | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

The player of the game accolade went to top scorer [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/), who netted 17 of his 23 points in the first half for Virtus, in addition to racking up 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

“It was a big win for us. We kept chipping away as we stuck together after a couple of tough stretches,” the livewire guard said courtside. “We had some guys who stepped up and made big plays, and I’m just happy we got the win.”

Mobbed by his teammates after the heart-stopping matchup, Vildoza was simply delighted as he made his post-game comments after scoring 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting from downtown, as he chipped in with 5 assists and 4 steals. He was also overjoyed to get one over his former Olympiacos Piraeus teammate Petrusev, knocking the ball out of his hands in the dying moments to break Dubai’s hearts after the visitors had threatened to stage an upset.

“I am super happy as we fought a lot to get this win,” Vildoza said. “I know Filip as we played together for two years. That steal was a combination of luck and scouting, as I kind of guessed which way he was going to go. Step by step, I am feeling really good with the coaches and my teammates, I am showing up in every game and practice,” added the 30-year old Argentine, who joined Virtus from Olympiacos during the off-season.

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Head coach Dusko Ivanovic was pleased with the performance after Virtus bounced back from a poor second quarter, as [Derrick Alston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/derrick-alston-jr--/014005/) netted 11 points and [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/) added 10 for the home team, which had 11 steals and forced 13 turnovers from Dubai.

“We were ready for a tough game and only in the second quarter we played below par,” the Montenegrin tactician said. “The rest of the time we played good defense and patient offense as it’s so important that the players are confident and believe in each other,” he added.

Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac was in a sour mood after he saw victory slip away from his team’s grasp. “Congratulations to Virtus. If we had won it would have been deserved, too,” he said. “One missed rebound and one turnover brought the win to them.”

The visitors had five players in double figures, as [Justin Anderson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/justin-anderson/012795/) paced them on 16 points while [Aleksa Avramovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksa-avramovic/003983/) and [Kenan Kamenjas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kenan-kamenjas/008325/) added 13 apiece, the latter also racking up 6 rebounds. Dubai won the battle of the boards 39-30, but ultimately it was all in vain as Virtus had the last laugh in a fascinating battle.

Game News

The Argentine guard came up big in the home straight to settle a pulsating matchup in Bologna 


Virtus Bologna v Dubai Basketball (2025-12-05T19:30:00.000Z)

Will Clyburn and Dario Brizuela seem to like the Belgrade Arena floor. The FC Barcelona duo starred on Friday night, helping the Blaugrana to continue their dominance against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, at least when it comes to the games played in the Serbian capital.

Clyburn, Brizuela shine as Barça sinks Zvezda in Belgrade Arena déjà vu

[Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) and [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) seem to like the Belgrade Arena floor. The [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) duo starred on Friday night, helping the *Blaugrana* to continue their dominance against [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/), at least when it comes to the games played in the Serbian capital.

Barcelona beat Zvezda 79-89, registering its seventh consecutive road win over Belgrade’s red-and-white club, which has not beaten the Spanish side on its home floor since October 2017.

Heading into the game, it might have seemed like a perfect opportunity for Zvezda to bring an end to this streak after seven consecutive home wins – and having won nine of its last 11 games – saw it secure a share of the EuroLeague’s best record.

However, Zvezda ran into a Barcelona side ready to battle, play physical basketball and run in transition.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-FC Barcelona | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

“We wanted to come in and show who we are,” Clyburn said in his post-game interview with EuroLeague TV.

“Everybody showed up, everybody came to play. It didn’t matter if they were sitting on the bench for a while, they came in and did their part. Especially a guy like [Miles \[Norris\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/miles-norris/014134/) that’s been struggling a little bit, he came and gave us great minutes off the bench.”

Norris had 4 points but grabbed 5 rebounds, including 3 on the offensive end. Also, [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) posted 14 points and 6 assists on his return to Belgrade, while [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) netted 15 points, with both players making key buckets in the fourth quarter.

However, it was Clyburn and Brizuela who were making the shots when the visitors needed it most.

Other than the opening basket, Barcelona never trailed in the game, but it did have to fight off multiple rallies by the energetic home team.

The visitors opened an early 4-15 lead by repeatedly scoring fast-break baskets, but Zvezda tied it at 21-21 early in the second quarter. That’s when Clyburn stepped up, scoring 15 second-quarter points and netting 20 before halftime, shooting an identical 4 for 5 on both twos and threes in the first two quarters.

It led to Barcelona restoring its double-digit lead, taking a 39-46 edge into halftime and opening a 42-52 margin in the third quarter. Zvezda replied with a 10-0 run and the hosts had all the momentum, all while Clyburn had to sit on the bench with three personal fouls.

That’s when Brizuela stepped up.

He scored 9 straight points for the visitors to remain in front. When Zvezda made yet another push, roared on by a sell-out crowd, to get within 62-63 early in the fourth, Brizuela nailed an eight-meter triple to spark a 0-11 run. Barcelona went on to hold the hosts without a field goal for nearly 5 minutes, avoiding any further drama.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Quina victòria, Barça 💙❤ <a href="https://t.co/dtO5v18KtH">pic.twitter.com/dtO5v18KtH</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1997054731143827480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

When it comes to big and clutch performances on the Belgrade Arena floor, Clyburn and Brizuela have done it before.

Just over a month ago, in this same venue, [Clyburn hit a game-winning three-pointer from the logo to sink Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-continues-to-haunt-partizan-as-will-clyburn-sticks-the-knife-in/). Meanwhile, Brizuela had one of his best EuroLeague performances in a road win over Zvezda in February 2024 when he netted a career-best 6 three-pointers in a 9-point win.

On Friday night, Brizuela spent just 14 minutes on the floor but scored 14 of his 17 points late in the third and in the fourth quarter, making 3-of-6 three-pointers. Clyburn finished with 22 points after a dominant first half.

When one stopped, the other continued, giving Barcelona a continuous offensive production.

On the other hand, Barcelona was steady on defense, forcing Zvezda into a number of tough shots, which pleased head coach Xavi Pascual.

“Defensively, we were on a good level the whole game,” Pascual pointed out. “In the second half we only had 6 turnovers and controlled defensive rebounds better.”

“We are on a good way, but there is a long way in front of us. We need at least one more month to build the level we want to achieve. But the most important is to be healthy.”

“We wanted to come in and show who we are,” Will Clyburn said after Barcelona's win over Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v FC Barcelona (2025-12-05T19:00:00.000Z)

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz protected its home court once again by defeating the visiting EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 88-78 on Friday night. This time, Buesa Arena served as a reunion point for old acquaintances, with Peppe Poeta returning to Vitoria as a coach to face his former teammate, Matteo Spagnolo.

Matteo Spagnolo shines in battle of old acquaintances at Buesa Arena

[Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) protected its home court once again by defeating the visiting [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) 88-78 on Friday night. This time, Buesa Arena served as a reunion point for old acquaintances, with [Peppe Poeta](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/poeta-giuseppe/) returning to Vitoria as a coach to face his former teammate, [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/).

Poeta spent part of the 2013-14 season plying his trade at Baskonia, where he featured in 10 EuroLeague games. Three years later he joined Auxilium Torino, winning the Italian Cup alongside his current Baskonia counterpart, Paolo Galbiati.

The Milan boss ended his playing career at Vanoli Cremona, where he had the opportunity to tutor an 18-year-old Spagnolo, who spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan there from Real Madrid. And on Friday night, it was the student who would deal a blow to his mentor’s morale.

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Spagnolo hit the ground running in Round 14, going 3 for 4 from inside to record 8 points in the first quarter as Baskonia took a 23-20 lead into the second. He added 5 points to his tally before the break and stepped up on the defensive end in the third, with Baskonia holding Milan to just 12 points.

“For sure I felt pretty good throughout the game,” Spagnolo told EuroLeague TV. “The shots were falling. I feel that I am pretty happy with my performance, but mostly it’s a team win.”

The hosts went on to open a 70-54 lead heading into the fourth quarter, as Spagnolo ended the game on 18 points – his second-highest tally of the season. He also bagged 4 assists, as well as 3 steals on the other end in just under 27 minutes on the floor.

“Matteo is my boy,” Poeta said during the post-game press conference, his face lit up with a huge smile. “He played with me during the last year of my career. He's like a little brother to me. I'm happy for him, for his game \[tonight\]. He has a wonderful future ahead of him. He has to believe in himself and he can play more games like this. I'm sure of it.”

Boosted by the home crowd, Baskonia extended its winning streak at Buena Arena to seven games across all competitions, including five straight in the EuroLeague.

“We had to come and show up for our fans,” Spagnolo added. “We all feel like this is our home and we have to show up every time we come here.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Matteo ha vuelto a tocar el bombo… y esta vez sí que sí: ¡ritmo aprendido! 🔥🥁 <a href="https://t.co/zXx1icrCqJ">pic.twitter.com/zXx1icrCqJ</a></p>&mdash; Kosner Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1997059568237420687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Baskonia guard was helped by the ever-consistent [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/), who recorded his seventh 20-point night of the season. TLC went 3 for 5 from inside the arc and 4 for 9 from deep, finishing the game on 21 points. He pulled down 5 rebounds, too.

“We’ve proved that we are playing really good at home,” he told EuroLeague TV. “It’s tough \[for the opponent\] to come here and win, because we have the fans and we give our 100%. It’s home, so it feels good to be here and play here.”

The hosts managed 10 steals and forced Milan to as many as 17 turnovers, leading Poeta to admit that Baskonia's “energy didn’t allow us to compete as we would have liked to.”

That energy, engineered by the fans inside Buesa Arena and transmitted to the players on the floor, has allowed Baskonia to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. It remains to be seen whether Spagnolo and his teammates can carry that impetus into their road games.

The Italian guard pulled off a complete outing with 18 points, 4 assists and 3 steals against his former mentor

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-12-05T19:30:00.000Z)

On Friday night, Valencia Basket playmaker Darius Thompson eclipsed Panathinaikos BC's galaxy of stars with a fabulous multifaceted performance, guiding his team to an eyebrow-raising 79-89 road victory, ending the Greens' four-game winning run and sending Los Taronjas into a share of second place in the standings.

Darius Thompson outshines Panathinaikos stars to give Valencia huge win

[Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/), [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/)… [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) boasts arguably one of the most formidable groups of backcourt talent that European basketball has ever seen.

On Friday night, though, [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) playmaker [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) eclipsed that galaxy of stars with a fabulous multifaceted performance, guiding his team to an eyebrow-raising 79-89 road victory, ending Panathinaikos’s four-game winning run and sending *Los Taronjas* into a share of second place in the standings.

Thompson, in his first season with Valencia after earlier stints with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Anadolu Efes Istanbul, dazzled in Athens by combining 19 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals for a PIR of 28.

Outshining his heralded opponents was certainly not an easy task, and the early stages suggested that Panathinaikos would enjoy another successful evening courtesy of its own backcourt talent: Sloukas, Grant and Shorts all had 3 assists before the midway point in the second quarter, during which time Nunn had predictably become the game’s first double-digit scorer.

But Valencia stayed in the game through long-range shooting, with 10 different players attempting no less than 21 three-pointers before halftime. The Spanish team’s accuracy was, however, more miss than hit with plenty of open looks missed, allowing Panathinaikos to stay in front and restricting Pedro Martinez’s men to just 38 first-half points.

But there was little deviance from that strategy in the second half, with a three-point strike from Thompson featuring in a 9-0 run which took the *Taronjas* into the lead – an advantage that was protected in the last second of the end of the third period when [Kam Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kameron-taylor/011217/) beat the buzzer to strike his third triple of the evening.

Another burst of three-point shooting, with conversions by [Nate Reuvers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/reuvers-nathan/012738/) and the ever-dangerous Taylor, saw the visitors' lead stretch as high as 10 points, 65-75, early in the fourth. But there was still plenty of time on the clock. As the atmosphere intensified, Grant’s spectacular save on the baseline, setting up Shorts for a three-pointer, helped the Greens fight back to a single-score deficit, 74-77, with still four minutes remaining.

That, though, was the signal for Thompson to provide the exclamation mark on his special performance, delivering not only the game’s defining moment but also its most spectacular: receiving a pass from [Omari Moore](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/omari-moore/014115/) in full stride just inside the three-point arc, Thompson took off and exploded all over the defense of [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) to detonate a brutal right-handed slam, achieving the ultimate Athens accolade of silencing the usually raucous home fans.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="lt" dir="ltr">DARIUS. WOW. <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MotorolaMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MotorolaMagicMoment</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Moto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Moto</a> <a href="https://t.co/rEWksAjHTH">pic.twitter.com/rEWksAjHTH</a></p>&mdash; EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1997051308851769827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was surely one of the dunks of the season, and also a moment to suck the air out of a Panathinaikos team which never looked like recovering. Indeed, Valencia was even able to increase its lead in the final minutes, appropriately finishing the game with another score from Thompson to seal a double-digit final margin.

The 30-year-old guard was understated in his post-game reaction, preferring to let his action speak louder than words as he told EuroLeague TV: “I’m glad we got the win, that’s all that matters to me. We tried to play with as much energy as possible, and we found a way to come out with the win.”

Triumphant coach Martinez, however, was much more effusive after watching his team prove that its outstanding form at the new Roig Arena – with a 6-1 home record – can be matched by hard-earned victories against top-class opponents on the road.

“We played like we wanted to in practice: with rhythm, with short rotations and the players understanding perfectly that our moment has to arrive if we play hard and with passion,” Martinez enthused. “Our third quarter was magnificent – our pace, our mentality in defense, our activity… it was great.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🎉🎉🎉🎉<br>Celebramos en el OAKA 🧡 <a href="https://t.co/HGJlutpVOv">pic.twitter.com/HGJlutpVOv</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1997055093829410993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Reflecting on the qualities that make Valencia such a difficult opponent, Martinez did not shy away from talking up his team’s chances of further success as the season unfolds.

“We have good players, we have a good mentality, and I think our day-by-day \[work\] is good enough to be competitive in a great competition,” he said. “We have to play against great teams, like today – Panathinaikos, for me, is one of the top two or three teams of the competition. But with our mentality we can be competitive against everybody.”

And on Friday night, nobody embodied that mentality more than Darius Thompson.

The playmaker proved himself to be one of the league’s most effective all-round backcourt stars

In a rare BKT EuroCup home game on a Friday night, BAXI Manresa pleased its fans with a comfortable 99-72 home win over bottom-of-the-table Veolia Towers Hamburg at Nou Congost. It was Pierre Oriola's first EuroCup home game of the season and he made sure he was noticed with an all-around performance off the bench.

Pierre Oriola becomes Manresa's X-factor in Round 9

In a rare BKT EuroCup home game on a Friday night, [BAXI Manresa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/baxi-manresa/man/) pleased its fans with a comfortable 99-72 home win over bottom-of-the-table [Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/veolia-towers-hamburg/ham/) at Nou Congost. It was [Pierre Oriola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/pierre-oriola/005917/)'s first EuroCup home game of the season and he made sure he was noticed with an all-around performance off the bench.

After a solid season with Hiopos Lleida, Oriola opted to start the 2025-26 campaign overseas, joining Fuerza Regia Monterrey. It was a unconventional move that paid off as Oriola led Monterrey win the Mexican League title, posting solid numbers: 5.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 27 games. Oriola had 7 points and 10 rebounds in the title clinching game against Diablos Rojos del Mexico. Immediately after lifting the trophy, Oriola quickly reached an agreement with Manresa, which would see him work again with Diego Ocampo, having previously been together as player and assistant coach in Sevilla.

In his first EuroCup home game of the season, Oriola showed what he can bring to the team, especially in the second quarter, in which Manresa took off to get a double-digit lead, 50-39. He returned to the floor midway through the second quarter and made things happen with seven quick points, an offensive rebound and a block. At halftime, Oriola had seven points, three rebounds, two blocks, three fouls drawn and a PIR of 11, offering his trademark intangibles such as character, fighting spirit and experience to get Manresa fans into the game with his hustle.

BAXI Manresa-Veolia Towers Hamburg | Round 9 Highlights | 2025-26 BKT EuroCup

He was far from done, however. Oriola was all over the place after the break, hustling for rebounds, drawing fouls, getting hard-fought buckets and igniting the crowd with his overall energy and commitment. When he left for the bench late in the third quarter, Oriola had 16 points on 4-of-4 two-pointers and 8-of-8 free throws, seven rebounds, two blocks, six fouls drawn and a PIR of 26, receiving a standing ovation at Nou Congost. Manresa was up by 20, 72-52. He did not return to the game in the fourth quarter.

"I think we grew up and stepped up in the game. We controlled the rebounds and ran to get easy baskets. It was a good victory," Oriola said after the game. "It is a good victory to get another feeling in the team and show that we are here to compete against everybody, especially here at home. I am happy to be here, to help the team, to help the guys. For me, the most important is the win, it doesn't matter if I score or not. I always try to help everybody, that's what's most important for me, but I am happy also for my performance. I was to stay in this line and help the team."

Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu of BAXI Manresa stopped the show with two huge dunks. 

Akobundu-Ehiogu's highlighr reel

As always, Manresa's backup center [Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/kaodirichi-akobundu-ehiogu/013845/) provided the fireworks with three huge dunks, especially a one-handed alley-oop slam early in the game and a huge alley-oop throwdown late in the third quarter. All of a sudden, Manresa has great depth at center with three very different players: Oriola, Akobundu-Ehiogu and [Grant Golden](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/grant-golden/013849/).

[Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/) gave Manresa a perfect balance with his court sense and outside shooting. He finished the game with 17 points, 10 assists and a career-high PIR of 27. In his sixth EuroCup season and after reaching the 2024 EuroCup Finals with Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, Benitez has a leading role in Manresa and is making the most of it. This was his third double-double in the last four games.

In short, Oriola has been the perfect addition for Manresa. He knows the club inside out and needs no adjustment, brings in a ton of experience, arrived in shape and with his trademark hustle and great attitude. By downing Hamburg, Manresa broke its four-game losing skid and can now look to the second half of the regular season with renewed optimism.

The 33-year-old forward is set to play a key role going forward 


BAXI Manresa v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2025-12-05T19:45:00.000Z)

Talking over the sound of his chanting fans in his post-game interview on Friday night, South Sudanese forward Both Gach had good reason to be happy. His table-topping Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse team had overcome second-placed Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, 88-73 at Ekinox Arena.

Gach greatness boosts Bourg over Buducnost

“I just tried to be aggressive from the beginning of the game,” said [Both Gach](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/both-gach/013900/). “The ball was going in the hoop tonight, so I’m happy about that.”

Talking over the sound of his chanting fans in his post-game interview on Friday night, the South Sudanese forward had good reason to be happy. His table-topping [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/) team had overcome second-placed [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/bud/), 88-73 at Ekinox Arena.

In what could be a highly-important game come the end of the season, the teams went back and forth for the majority of the first half, with Buducnost hanging around until the hosts pulled away through Gach’s ferocious interior play. The visitors fought stubbornly, but every time they made ground, Bourg overwhelmed them offensively, eventually securing the 15-point victory.

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse-Buducnost VOLI Podgorica | Round 9 Highlights | 2025-26 BKT EuroCup

Scoring a career-high 22 points and recording a career-best 30 PIR, Gach played the leading role for his team. The 26-year-old established the tempo by asserting himself down low before eventually expanding his range to beyond the arc, doing serious damage to a stretched Buducnost defense. Though pleased with his personal contribution, he attributed his success to the play of his teammates, especially on defense.

“For us, it’s about playing all 40 minutes,” Gach stated. “We knew what we needed to do on defense. We know we’re going to be scoring every night, that’s not a problem for us, but for us, it’s all about getting defensive stops, controlling on rebounds and winning those 50/50 plays. As a team, that’s what we did tonight.”

Gach also extended additional praise to Bourg's sixth man.

“The fans were loud and were cheering for us, they gave us the energy and that’s how we got the win.”

While acknowledging the standout performance, Gach’s head coach Frederic Fauthoux was quick to highlight the totality of the team’s effort, rather than singling anybody out.

“It was a great, great performance for him, but I don’t like to talk about just one guy,” said Fauthoux. “I praise the team and the team made a great difference together and that to me is most important.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒 🔥<br><br>⭐ <a href="https://twitter.com/TutBoth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TutBoth</a> : 22 points<br>💪 Darius McGhee &amp; Kevin Kokila : 6 rebonds chacun<br>🎯 Darius McGhee : 7 passes décisives<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/gzNyZJskio">pic.twitter.com/gzNyZJskio</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1997061158075875527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As mentioned, Bourg also found offense elsewhere. [Darius McGhee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mcghee-darius/013859/) put together an excellent performance, recording 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 dimes. The home team shot 11 of 31 from beyond the arc, causing serious problems for the opposing defense. While not quite reaching the 101 points it scored last time out, it was certainly a good day at the office for the home team.

Buducnost’s [Yogi Ferrell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/yogi-ferrell/011281/) logged 18 in the loss, while [Fletcher Magee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/fletcher-magee/012630/) added 12 points of his own. The result snaps a five-game winning streak for the Montenegrin team as it slips to third place with a record of 6-3. Despite losing to the league leaders, head coach Andrej Zakelj was less than impressed.

“I think we played too soft,” said Zakelj. “This is not the way we should look on the court. On offense, we played too much individual, too much selfish and that’s it.”

The disappointment is understood, but nobody can deny the strength of Bourg currently. Now holding an 8-1 record, the win extends its winning run to four and bolsters its home record to 4-0.

Bourg will host Dolomiti Energia Trento next Tuesday before Buducnost attempts to bounce back when it faces the London Lions the following evening.

He was one of his team's star performers in Round 9

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2025-12-05T18:30:00.000Z)

Darius Thompson will not be denied as he takes off for a brutal slam…and one!

WOW! Thompson takes off with force! Motorola Magic Moment

Jerian Grant explodes to make an interception and spectacular save, somehow finding TJ Shorts for the open three!

Grant heroics set up Shorts! Motorola Magic Moment

Justin Anderson takes off and hammers it home after a great team move!

Anderson on the fly! Motorola Magic Moment

Valencias run the floor and Kam Taylor just beats the third quarter buzzer from deep!

Taylor beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment

Donatas Motiejunas thinks quick and sends a short pass for an easy dunk by Semi Ojeleye.

Motiejunas helps Zvezda run with nifty pass! Motorola Magic Moment

Kenan Kamenjas races clear and bends the rim with a one-handed slam!

Kamenjas does it all for Dubai! Motorola Magic Moment

Shavon Shields sends it to Devin Booker, who pulls off a one-handed slam!


Devin Booker dunks off Shavon Shields's dish! Motorola Magic Moment,