Name: Elie Okobo: 'We showed team chemistry today'
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Zalgiris Kaunas has announced the signing of Lonnie Walker on a deal until the end of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Lonnie Walker joins Zalgiris Kaunas

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/?season=2024-25) has announced the signing of Lonnie Walker on a deal until the end of the 2024-25 season.

Walker (1.93 meters, 25 years old) has spent his entire professional career to date in the NBA, posting career averages of 9.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 341 games. 

He most recently played for the Brooklyn Nets, where he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 58 appearances in 2023-24.

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Walker was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and remained with the franchise for four seasons. His best year with the Spurs ended up being his final year as he averaged a career-best 12.1 points and 2.2 assists in 70 games.

After San Antonio, Walker spent one year with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he posted 11.7 points – his second-highest points average in his career – in 56 games. Then came his move to Brooklyn in the summer of 2023.

The shooting guard signed a deal with the Boston Celtics this past August but was waived, freeing him to play in another famous green: the green of Zalgiris Kaunas.

Walker's contract with Zalgiris includes an NBA-out clause that can be exercised until February 18 for 'a hefty buyout'.

More Zalgiris News

The Lithuanian side has made quite a splash by bringing in the former Spur

Lonnie Walker joins Zalgiris

Alpha Diallo, Mike James and Elie Okobo all enjoyed good games as AS Monaco Basket beat KK Partizan in Round 6 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Flowing team effort helped Monaco overcome battling Partizan

AS Monaco ground out [a precious 74-79 win at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/resurgent-monaco-forces-partizan-into-submission-74-79/) as player of the game [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) came off the bench to lead a cohesive team effort in the cauldron of a jam-packed Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.

Diallo finished the game on 18 points, 6 boards and 3 steals in 29:48 minutes on the court to lift Monaco past the home team, which had erased a 16-point deficit with a spirited second-half fightback.

Partizan nosed ahead 73-72 in the home stretch but Monaco had the last laugh thanks to its vast resources, with [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) sinking tough shots in crunch time to silence a raucous home crowd.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">❄️ 𝐌𝐫.𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 🧬<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/hyRdDAReRw">pic.twitter.com/hyRdDAReRw</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1851761113035088381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Diallo, who hurt Partizan from all over as he shot 7 of 10 from two-point territory, inside and outside the paint, acknowledged that airtight defense when the chips were down made the difference as Monaco closed shop and emerged as a well-deserved winner.

“It’s a great win for us. We locked down on defense and got some crucial rebounds and were able to get the job done,” Diallo said in a courtside post-game interview. “We played with a lot of grit for a longer period of time and that’s going to win you some games.”

James and Okobo netted 15 points each and the latter pointed out that Monaco had to go the extra mile to subdue Partizan, which found an extra gear in the second half and roared back after the home players were galvanized by frenetic support from the stands.

“We showed some real team chemistry today,” he said. “We had a really good first half, they had a really good run in the second but we kept our poise and shared the ball. It’s a crazy crowd every time we come to Belgrade, but we stayed together and showed character.”

Monaco head coach Sasa Obadovic won a personal battle against his Serbian compatriot Zeljko Obradovic of Partizan and praised his team for showing mettle when the hosts looked likely to come out on top.

“We have a lot of talent on this team and I really like the positive impact made by the bench,” Obradovic stated. “Everyone contributed and it’s a very important win for us because it will boost our confidence.”

Game News

The French side leaned on the individual talent of its top players in the face of adversity 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v AS Monaco (2024-10-30T19:45:00.000Z)

AS Monaco silenced a fervent home crowd inside Aleksandar Nikolic Hall as Mike James and Elie Okobo came up big down the stretch to give the French side a morale-boosting 74-79 road win at KK Partizan in Round 6 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Resurgent Monaco forces Partizan into submission, 74-79

AS Monaco silenced a fervent home crowd inside Aleksandar Nikolic Hall as Mike James and Elie Okobo came up big down the stretch to give the French side a morale-boosting 74-79 road win at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 6 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

James and Okobo scored 15 points each while Alpha Diallo paced Monaco with 18 points and 6 boards as the visitors improved to 4-2. Partizan, meanwhile, dropped to 2-4 after a second damaging home loss in as many games, having been edged by Virtus Segafredo Bologna 69-70 last week.

Carlik Jones and Iffe Lundberg led Partizan on 15 points each while Isaac Bonga chipped in with 11 points and 10 boards, but the Serbian giant once again came up short when the chips were down.

Game Videos

Partizan dominated the boards in the first quarter, outrebounding the visitors 11-4, but Monaco took better care of the ball as the visiting team committed no turnovers in the opening 10 minutes, facilitating a 21-23 lead before romping away in the second.

The home team could not do anything right as it kept hitting a wall on offense while Diallo, James and Okobo ripped through the hosts’ defense time and again, allowing Monaco to engineer a 30-46 lead shortly before halftime. 

Having trailed 33-46 at the interval, Partizan finally found its range and momentum in the third quarter as Isaac Bonga and Mario Nakic hit a couple of three-pointers and Lundberg followed in their footsteps, with the home team turning the tide to take a 54-53 lead.

However, Monaco replied with a swift 2-8 run to get back into the driving seat ahead of the final 10 minutes, setting the tone for a seesaw fourth-quarter battle. With the lead changing hands several times, Partizan nosed ahead for the last time, 73-72, before clutch shots from Okobo and James forced the final twist.

Both were off balance in a defender’s face, demonstrating the high class Monaco boasts, and it made all the difference in a titanic clash played at a torrid pace from start to finish.

The visitors survived a spirited fightback from the Serbian team and prevailed in a tense finish 

Four of Zalgiris Kaunas’s signings from the summer – Sylvain Francisco, Deividas Sirvydis, Alen Smailagic and Bryant Dunston – all stepped up in a win over KK Crvena zvezda in Round 6 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

A special day for Zalgiris and its new signings

What a night for [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/?season=2024-25). Not only did Andrea Trinchieri’s squad move to 5-1, giving them the joint best record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but four of the team’s summer signings had pivotal roles in [an 86-84 win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bryant-dunston-game-winner-sees-zalgiris-down-crvena-zvezda-at-the-buzzer-86-84/).

Zalgiris made seven signings for its first-team roster this past summer, of which six remain after Tyrone Wallace’s departure from the club. On Wednesday night, the fantastic four of [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/), [Deividas Sirvydis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/deividas-sirvydis/007029/), [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) and [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) all stepped up to the plate at various points of what proved to be a very thrilling contest.

Sirvydis was the first to get going, knocking down a three-pointer off an out-of-bounds play with 2 minutes remaining in the first quarter before getting the shooter’s roll on another triple. That allowed Zalgiris to enter the second quarter with a 24-18 lead. He stayed hot for the rest of the first half, entering the break with 14 points, with the hosts 47-33 up. Come the end of the night, he had tied his career high with 17 points, the same total he managed against Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 2.

He also got some assistance from Smailagic, who scored 7 of his 10 first-half points in the second quarter. The ex-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade forward went on to finish with 14 points, his highest tally in a Zalgiris jersey. Together, Sirvydis and Smailagic were the two driving forces for Zalgiris, while Zvezda had very few answers for the two 24-year-olds.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That’s what we call fighting spirit! 😤📢 <a href="https://t.co/k1LkFs1eRh">pic.twitter.com/k1LkFs1eRh</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1851715199272882670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The third quarter became the Francisco show as the French made up for a slow first half that saw him go scoreless, dish 2 assists, make 1 steal and commit 2 turnovers. After the break, he ensured that Zvezda’s fightback was quickly thwarted by amassing 9 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in the third quarter alone; the visitors got within five points on a few occasions (48-43, 50-45, 52-47, 60-55), but Francisco’s efforts meant Zalgiris entered the fourth with a nine-point advantage, 66-57. What’s more, Francisco got 6 points in the fourth quarter to help see Zalgiris home.

Last but not least, Mr. Dunston. Second all-time in EuroLeague blocks, there is little that Dunston hasn’t experienced in his 12-year EuroLeague career… well, he was missing one thing – a game-winning shot. But first, let’s talk about a play in the first quarter. The 38-year-old might not move like he once did, but he is still among the smartest players in the EuroLeague, as he showed by stealing the ball from [Nemanja Nedovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nemanja-nedovic/000848/) and finding [Dovydas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dovydas-giedraitis/007513/) for a fast-break layup. That was a play that set a 15-12 score – hardly revolutionary – but it received a loud roar from the Zalgiris fans due to the effort Dunston showed.

Then, the play of the night. With 1.3 seconds left, [Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/) inbounded the ball from the sideline and found the towering Dunston, who was the calmest man inside Zalgirio Arena, catching the ball, gathering himself and sending up a hook shot that dropped, leading to incredible scenes among everyone of a Zalgiris persuasion – the players, coaching staff, the fans in the stands, and the many fans watching on from their homes.

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“The EuroLeague is always like this,” Francisco told EuroLeague TV. “(…) It was tough, but we made it. \[Dunston’s shot\] was amazing. I know that’s his magical hook, he barely works on that, but it went in so I’m really glad.”

Zalgiris, which has started 5-1 for just the fourth time in the EuroLeague and the first time since 2020-21, next faces AS Monaco, meaning that Donatas Motiejunas will return to his hometown of Kaunas. There will be no time for sentiment, though, as Coach Trinchieri’s new recruits prepare for another battle and the chance to show why Zalgiris means business this season.

Four of its summer recruits were key in a win over Crvena Zvezda

Zalgiris Kaunas v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-10-30T18:00:00.000Z)

Named after Ares, the Greek god of war and courage, Aris Midea Thessaloniki took to the Ekinox court on Wednesday with a warrior mentality that allowed it to produce an upset against the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup runner up, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. 

Aris 'warriors' fired on all cylinders at Bourg

Named after Ares, the Greek god of war and courage, [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/aris-thessaloniki/roster/ari/?season=2024-25) took to the Ekinox court on Wednesday with a warrior mentality that allowed it to [produce an upset](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/aris-stuns-bourg-88-91-on-the-road/) against the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup runner up, [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/roster/bou/). Despite coming into the duel with a record of 1-4, having lost all its three home games so far, Aris played with extraordinary confidence on offense to down Bourg.

After the game, Coach Ioannis Kastritis hailed his "warriors" for edging past the extremely talented French side, who had lost just one of their first five games.

"Our guys showed great quality today, especially on the offensive end," Kastritis said. "It’s never easy playing here against a very physical and aggressive team like Bourg, but, on the other hand, we are a team full of warriors."

In a tight, back-and-forth affair, Aris didn’t allow Bourg to pull away at any point, with the hosts highest lead being 5 points (38-33, with 3:37 in the third quarter). The Greek side trailed by 58-56 heading into the last quarter, when they netted 35 points to down Bourg. Aris ended the game shooting 15-for-33 (45.5%) from beyond the arc, with 6 of these triples coming in the fourth quarter.

An extraordinary [Vassilis Toliopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/vassilis-toliopoulos/004292/) led all scorers with 21 points after going 6-for-9 from deep. The last time in the competition that the [Aris guard was on fire](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/vassilis-toliopoulos-leads-aris-past-lietkabelis-74-92/) was away at [7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/roster/lkb/) in Round 3, where his team also netted over 90 points to grab their first and only win of the season until Wednesday. Toliopoulos finished that game on 26 points, having gone 6-for-8 from beyond the arc.

"It’s a great win against an amazing team,” Toliopoulos noted. “They are runners-up of last year’s EuroCup. From the first day the coach said that we never give up, we never stop playing even if we’re trailing by 20 or 30 points. We keep playing and that’s how we’ll succeed."

Having struggled in its bid to protect its home court this season, Aris may draw confidence from this morale-boosting win at Bourg. Its [next game](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/aris-midea-thessaloniki-valencia-basket/U2024/69/) against an unbeaten [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/?season=2024-25) (5-0) will be anything but easy, but Kastritis’s warriors demonstrated on Wednesday that they have what it takes to beat a EuroCup powerhouse. 

Vassilis Toliopoulos led all scorers with 21 points after going 6-for-9 from deep

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2024-10-30T18:30:00.000Z)

AS Monaco guard Elie Okobo spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat KK Partizan in Round 6 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.


Elie Okobo: 'We showed team chemistry today'

AS Monaco guard Elie Okobo spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 6 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-AS Monaco | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Jerusalem 'playing for each other' stormed to another win

[Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/roster/jer/) went to the Slovenian capital severely depleted, missing forward [Justin Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/justin-smith/013276/) and center [Austin Wiley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/austin-wiley/013278/). Entering this game, Smith was posting 11.6 points and 4.6 rebounds and Wiley was team's top rebounder with 7.8 per game and scoring 7.0 points.

Those were significant numbers, especially on the glass to make up, but Jerusalem never blinked and ran past [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/roster/lju/) [83-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/depleted-jerusalem-breezes-past-cedevita-83-94/), registering its fourth win of the season.

We showed to ourselves we are a team," head coach Yonatan Alon was thrilled after the game. "We are supporting each other, we are playing for each other, sharing the ball great. Scoring 94 points is not easy without the big guys."

His team outrebouned the hosts 38-36 and the visitors also made 13 triples, compared to 9 by Cedevita.

"Anytime you play on the road it is a tough to win," game hero [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) said. "I felt like we had a good overall game as a team."

Harper finished with 30 points, and also had 5 assists.

Still, the Jerusalem's star found things his team can improve on.

"We kind of let up at the start of the fourth quarter, kind of let them back in the game."

Jerusalem had a 25-point lead in the opening minute of the fourth, but let the hosts get within 12 points with 3 minutes to go. However, Cedevita never got closer than the 11 points, which was the final margin, in what ended up being a comfortable win for Jerusalem.

The visitors overcame missing a pair of starters to win in Slovenia

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-10-30T17:30:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki grabbed its second road victory of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by edging Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 88-91 at Ekinox on Wednesday. 

Aris stuns Bourg, 88-91, on the road

Aris Midea Thessaloniki grabbed its second road victory of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by edging Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 88-91 at Ekinox on Wednesday. It was a tight affair from start to finish in France, with the visitors outscoring Bourg 30-35 in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset. With the win, the Greek side improved to 2-4, while Bourg dropped to 4-2.

Vassilis Toliopoulos led all scorers with 21 points, with Trey Woodbury scoring 14 and grabbing 8 rebounds. David De Julius and D' Moi Hodge had 11 points apiece and Landers Nolley added 10. For the hosts, Mehdy Ngouama netted 15 points, Adrian Nelson scored 12, Xavier Castaneda recorded 11 and Jean-Marc Pansa added 10.

The game started with an exchange of blows from inside, with 5 points from Woodbury and 4 from DeJulius allowing Aris to grab an 8-11 lead. Two Ngouama buckets were followed by a deep triple from Eleftherios Bochoridis before Pansa trimmed the deficit to 14-17. Then, Ngouama took his tally to 8 points thanks to a layup and two free throws before Pansa nailed another basket and Nelson sank a buzzer-beating put-back to put Bourg in front, 22-21, after 10 minutes.

A three-pointer off the glass from Hodge was followed by a hard-fought bucket from Nelson before Bochoridis nailed a triple for a 24-27 Aris lead. Maxime Courby and Nolley exchanged baskets in the paint before Kevin Kokila and Ngouama hit 2 free throws each to put Bourg back ahead, 34-31. Then, Castaneda opened his account with a midrange jumper, but Toliopoulos nailed one from downtown, cutting the difference to 38-36. Five points from Toliopoulos gave Aris back the lead, but Pansa netted from inside after a smooth team move for a 42-41 Bourg lead at the break.

The two teams were held scoreless for almost 2 minutes to start the third quarter before Woodbury gave Aris the lead with a dunk, 42-43. Toliopoulos nailed back-to-back triples, but Ngouama drilled one from deep to end Aris’s 0-8 run and bring the hosts within 45-49. Despite Bourg’s first field goal of the second half coming 5:31 minutes into the third quarter, the French side went on a 10-0 surge before a Toliopoulos three-pointer tied it, 52-52. Then, Pansa and De Julius netted 4 points each, with Joel Ayayi making 2 of 2 from the line for a narrow 58-56 lead heading into the closing quarter.

Ngouama opened the fourth with a layup before triples from Hodge and Toliopoulos sandwiched a Nelson three-pointer, with Bourg maintaining a 63-62 lead. Courby and De Julius exchanged triples before a three-point play from Kokila made it 69-65. Then, Castaneda responded to a Woodbury triple with one of his own, but Hodge nailed another one from deep to bring Aris within 76-75. 

A Hodge layup put Aris ahead and Nolley extended Aris’s lead to 77-81 from inside. Yet, Bourg reacted, with Castaneda netting a long two-pointer and Maksim Salash completing a three-point play to put his team back in front 82-81 with 2:36 left on the clock. Toliopoulos responded to a Jordan Usher three-point play with a triple to put Aris ahead, 86-87, with 38 seconds remaining. An Usher layup gave Bourg back the lead, 88-87, but Nolley made 2 of 2 from the line to bring Aris back in front with 6.7 to go. Castaneda airballed an off-balance midrange jumper on the other end and the visitors clinched the victory.

The visitors erupted for 35 fourth-quarter points

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | RS Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-10-30T19:15:00.000Z)

Juancho Hernangomez had another fantastic game as Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 92-68 at home in Round 6. 

Juancho Hernangomez is coming into his own at Panathinaikos

[Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) did not have much trouble as it routed [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/roster/asv/?season=2024-25) [92-68](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-thrashes-asvel-92-68/) at home in Round 6 and [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) confirmed his good form, too. 

Hernangomez stepped up early, leading Panathinaikos's furious start. The Greens made their first eight shots, while compiling 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 0 turnovers to build an 18-5 lead. Hernangomez played a big factor in that opening run, which allowed Panathinaikos to control the game from start to finish. 

He had a left-handed dunk, fed Kendrick Nunn for a three-pointer, made his own shot from downtown, added another basket and grabbed 3 rebounds, all in the opening 5 minutes of the game.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens forward Juancho Hernangomez had 13 points, no missed shots, 5 rebounds, a career-high 4 assists, a steal and 2 fouls drawn, good for a PIR of 24 in Round 6 against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Hernangomez's all-around game against ASVEL

Hernangomez rested for much of the game after that and ended up playing less than 17 minutes. He still filled his stat line with great numbers: 13 points, no missed shots, 5 rebounds, a career-high 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 fouls drawn for a PIR of 24, one shy of his career-best effort against [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/) on [October 6, 2023](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-olympiacos-piraeus/E2023/7/#info). That was his first-ever EuroLeague game, too.

"That's the most important thing: we won and go to the next one, we have to be ready in two days. We have a tough game in Serbia and let's get ready for that," Hernangomez said before being asked about his improved performances this season. "You just need to adapt. Basketball here is way different than in the NBA and I have been there for seven years. I had to adapt and fight, that's what I have been doing all my life.

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Hernangomez, indeed, has improved all of his numbers from one season to the next. Last season, he averaged 4.3 points on 26.4% three-point shooting, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists for a PIR of 5.8. Hernangomez has boosted those numbers to 10.5 points on 61.1% three-point shooting, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists for a PIR of 14.3.

He is set to keep adjusting and fighting in two upcoming, very physical games, against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on Friday and in the Greek Derby against Olympiacos Piraeus at OAKA Altion in Round 8.

The big man came within 1 of his career-high PIR despite playing less than 17 minutes

U-BT Cluj-Napoca celebrated its first home win of the season in the BKT EuroCup and improved to 3-3 in Group B after digging deep to grind out an 86-78 victory over visiting Umana Reyer Venice. 

Late surge gives Cluj hard-fought 86-78 home win over Reyer

U-BT Cluj-Napoca celebrated its first home win of the season in the BKT EuroCup and improved to 3-3 in Group B after digging deep to grind out an 86-78 victory over visiting Umana Reyer Venice.

Adam Mokoka paced the hosts with 16 points, Karel Guzman added 15 while Zach Hankins chipped in with 14 and 7 boards. At the other end, Juan Fernandez netted 11 points while Rodney McGruder and Davide Moretti scored 10 apiece for Reyer, which dropped to 2-4.

Both teams played in fits and starts early on, as Reyer raced to a 2-6 lead before Cluj responded with a 10-0 run. The visitors then hit back with a 0-8 streak to turn the tables and carve out a 20-24 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Reyer was particularly lethal from downtown in the first half, making 10 of 17 shots from deep in the opening two quarters to earn a 39-46 halftime advantage, after Fernandez sank a buzzer-beater from way beyond the arc.

Cluj looked down and out for the count after Reyer extended its lead to 45-61 in the third quarter and things got even worse for the hosts as their head coach Mihai Silvasan ejected by the officials for loud protests over a refereeing decision. That, however, seemed to galvanize Cluj as the home team slashed the deficit to 56-67 ahead of the final 10 minutes and then beefed up its defense in the fourth quarter.

It paid instant dividends as Reyer’s long-range artillery dried up while the turnovers piled up, allowing Cluj to draw level 72-72 down the stretch. With the fervent home crowd roaring them on, the home players forced the final twist as Mokoka came up with some big plays before Guzman sank a decisive 3-pointer to give Cluj an unassailable 84-78 lead in the final minute.

Ultimately, Reyer was held to a mere 1-of-11 shooting from downtown in the second half and forced to commit 19 turnovers by an aggressive Cluj defense, while managing a mere 14 assists. The visitors also made only 13 of 27 shots from two-point territory, with Cluj winning the battle of the boards 37-33.  

The Romanian champs trailed for the lion’s share of an enthralling contest before turning the tide in the home straight 

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-10-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Jonathan Motley and Marcus Foster ran the show for Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv as it overpowered Buducnost to win by 20

Hapoel’s Foster-Motley duo was too much for Buducnost

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/?season=2024-25) had a bad taste in its mouth when it trailed 17-22 at the end of the first quarter in the game against visiting [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/roster/bud/?season=2024-25). Despite [Jonathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) and [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-foster/010386/) running the show in the early going, Buducnost took advantage of their absence in the last minutes of the first period to build that lead.

Because on Wednesday night, everything was different for Hapoel with and without Motley and Foster on the court. At the beginning of the game, Foster and Motley had combined for 12 of their team’s first 14 points for a slim disadvantage, 14-15. When they sat down, Buducnost escaped.

Marcus Foster ran wild against Buducnost

“We played a good first quarter”, Buducnost head coach Andrej Zakelj regretted in the press conference. “Then we stopped to play defense, especially in one-on-one situations… without any fight, energy, and you cannot expect to win against this good team with this kind of game.”

Zakelj’s words were surely influenced by the astonishing performances of Motley and Foster, who led Hapoel’s awakening in the second quarter, break away in the third and the outcome confirmation that came late in the fourth.

Motley scored 9 of his team’s last 11 points right before halftime good to reach the intermission with a 46-38 Hapoel lead. Motley had scored 16 points already.

Later, when the game resumed after the break, Foster decided to take over and put up an impressive shooting performance, scoring 16 of Hapoel’s first 18 points in the quarter. He drilled 4 three-pointers and made two buckets without missing a shot in that time span, helping his team raise the difference to 74-55 after 30 minutes.

And finally, when Buducnost tried to get back into the game, 78-65, early in the last quarter, Motley reappeared to put the game to bed. He took the court with 6:26 remaining and scored the next 12 Hapoel points over the next 5 minutes, which definitely broke Buducnost’s defenses.

Overall, Foster finished with 23 points and 20 PIR, both his best marks in the competition, as Motley finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists to tie his career-high PIR of 39.

“I see a lot of double teams and traps last game,” Motley reminded after the game. “I didn't play so well in the last game, they were trapping and I was forcing a lot of shots. So, I just wanted to come out here tonight and be more aggressive on the pass. So, you know, when you pass, it loosens up the defense then I can score. So that's kind of what I tried to do tonight.”

And he did so quite well.

Marcus Foster and Jonathan Motley combined for 53 points and a PIR of 59 

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2024-10-30T18:00:00.000Z)

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse-Aris Midea Thessaloniki | Round 6 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Bryant Dunston wins the game for Zalgiris after scoring a basket in the final second!

Dunston wins it! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

Bryant Dunston wins the game for Zalgiris after scoring a basket in the final second! 

Kostas Antetokounmpo rises high to dunk in front of two ASVEL players!

 Antetokounmpo dunks in traffic! Motorola Magic Moment 

 Kostas Antetokounmpo rises high to dunk in front of two ASVEL players!

Carilk Jones feeds Tyrique Jones with an exquisite pass and the big man dunks with authority!

The Jones duo gets the crowd going! Motorola Magic Moment

 Carilk Jones feeds Tyrique Jones with an exquisite pass and the big man dunks with authority!

Zalgiris Kaunas center Bryant Dunston spoke to EuroLeague TV after his game-winning basket against KK Crvena zvezda in Round 6 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.


Bryant Dunston: 'Luckily it went in'

Zalgiris Kaunas center Bryant Dunston spoke to EuroLeague TV after his game-winning basket against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 6 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.