Name: Johnathan Motley | Round 3 MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

There was no stopping Johnathan Motley in Round 3 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season as he put up a round-high 34 PIR in Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv’s 87-101 win at Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul.

Johnathan Motley | Round 3 MVP | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup 

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-10-08T18:00:00.000Z)

The Derby d’Italia between Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna is full of rich history, great battles and wonderful moments on the court. In ‘Rivalries: Italy’, the second episode from Euroleague Basketball Originals’ latest documentary series, dive into what makes this derby so special and hear from several key protagonists from down the years.

'Rivalries: Italy' lands on EuroLeague TV

The Derby d’Italia between [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/carousels/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22mil%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=EA7%20Emporio%20Armani%20Milan) and [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/carousels/virtus-segafredo-bologna/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22vir%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Virtus%20Segafredo%20Bologna) is full of rich history, great battles and wonderful moments on the court. In ‘Rivalries: Italy’, the second episode from Euroleague Basketball Originals’ latest documentary series, dive into what makes this derby so special and hear from several key protagonists from down the years.

[Now available to watch on EuroLeague TV](https://www.euroleague.tv/video/698977), legendary coaches Dan Peterson and Ettore Messina, who have coached both Virtus and Milan, explain some key moments from their time on the sidelines of Italy’s two biggest clubs. Messina, still at Milan, won two Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championships with Virtus in 1998 and 2001, and Peterson guided Milan to the EuroLeague trophy in 1987.

Watch 'Rivalries: Italy' for free on YouTube

Revered players such as Milan great Dino Meneghin and Virtus icons [Antoine Rigaudeau](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/antoine-rigaudeau/alh/) and [Manu Ginobili](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/emanuel-ginobili/akx/) reflect on what it was like to play in the Derby d’Italia, as well as some of their best memories from their time playing for the two storied clubs. Various key individuals from last year’s Derby d’Italia – including [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) and [Kyle Hines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-hines/002812/) from Milan, and [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/), [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) and [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) from Virtus – also provide their perspective on the importance of the Derby d’Italia in the year 2024.

The 'Rivalries' documentary series

The second episode of Euroleague Basketball Originals’ latest documentary series is out now

Be sure to take a look at the best ten plays of the 2024 25 BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 3!

Top 10 Plays | Round 3 | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup

Even without Milos Teodosic, KK Crvena zvezda has started the 2024-25 EuroLeague season with consecutive wins.


Crvena Zvezda enjoys its best-ever EuroLeague start 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate on Tuesday night. Not only did [their team beat Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 78-71](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zvezda-wins-home-opener-78-71/), improving to 2-0 in the process, but [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/), [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) and [Nikola Kalinic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-kalinic/004866/) all delivered in crunch time, combining for 46 points.

Zvezda started the season with lofty ambitions and a record-breaking budget, but also a major setback: superstar playmaker [Milos Teodosic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/milos-teodosic/jdr/) would be unavailable for the opening two games due to suspension. In the absence of the Serbian Point God, summer addition [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) delivered in both games, amassing 14 assists and committing just 3 turnovers to give Zvezda great balance on offense.

"Codi is a player that plays for his teammates, for the team," Zvezda head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos said after beating Baskonia. "When we need him to score, he scores. When we need him to organize, he gives assists. He also had a great game in France \[against Paris Basketball\], rebounding, too. He can play defense, score, pass, rebounds... we are very happy that we have him."

Codi Miller-Mcintyre had 14 assists and 3 turnovers in his opening two Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games with Crvena Zvezda MeridianBet Belgrade.

Miller-McIntyre makes Zvezda work

In Round 1 against Paris, [Nemanja Nedovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nemanja-nedovic/000848/) was almost unstoppable, missing just one shot on his way to 21 points. Curiously, Zvezda went 10-of-22 three-pointers (45.5% 3FG) in both of its first two EuroLeague games this season. In what needs to be an almost impossible coincidence, Zvezda also went 19-of-37 two-pointers (51.4% 2FG) against both Paris and Zvezda. The same number of shots made and attempted, inside and outside the arc, in two different games. Crazy.

This is Zvezda's 11th season in the EuroLeague, yet it had never started 2-0 – until now. Its next opponent is Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, which means a return to Belgrade for center [Boban Marjanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/boban-marjanovic/lmg/), a legend for all Zvezda fans. Marjanovic earned 2014-15 All-EuroLeague First Team honors with Zvezda, and was the last player in the competition to average a double-double (16.6 ppg., 10.7 rpg.). Teodosic will be back in action as the schedule gets tougher: following the visit of Fenerbahce, Zvezda hosts FC Barcelona in Round 4 and travels to the Spanish capital to face Real Madrid in Round 5.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First impressions after important home win in <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> R02 from Canaan 🔴⚪️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/94PZlbcEND">pic.twitter.com/94PZlbcEND</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1844124539103609104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

There is no denying that this has been a great start for Zvezda, which is aiming to make reach the EuroLeague Playoffs for the first time since 2016. Last season, Zvezda ranked 16th with an 11-23 record and it took the team six games to get its second victory. Center [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) believes the team is heading in the right direction, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

"There are a lot of areas we can improve," commented Bolomboy, who is averaging 10.5 points and a team-high 9.5 rebounds through the first two rounds. "There are a lot of things we can improve on, especially offensively. There were moments where it felt like we didn't really know what play to run. But we made a lot of improvements tonight and won the game."

Game News

Even without Milos Teodosic, Ioannis Sfairopoulos's men have started the EuroLeague season with back-to-back wins

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-10-09T18:00:00.000Z)

Mike James, Elie Okobo and Donatas Motiejunas, three players who have been at AS Monaco Basket over the last three seasons, all impressed as their team beat Maccabi Tel Aviv BC in Round 2 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

The usual suspects lifted Monaco over Maccabi

AS Monaco made several changes to its roster over the summer, bringing in a few new pieces destined for big roles, but it was the guys who have been the faces of this club for the last few years who did the job on Wednesday night.

In [an 85-79 win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-fights-to-edge-maccabi-85-79/), the top three scorers were [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) and [Donatas Motiejunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/donatas-motiejunas/lcz/), each pulling Monaco towards the win in different moments of the game.

James scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half, with Monaco trailing 23-33 before the reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP stepped up by sinking a triple, taking it to the rim, and serving teammates with assists. He also finished the night with 6 assists and 3 steals.

Motiejunas scored 9 of his 11 points in a key 10-2 third-quarter run that saw the team finally take a 53-52 lead.

And then there was Okobo, who was scoreless in the first half but scored 17 points in the second, including nine in the final quarter.

"The first half was terrible, was not that good energy-wise. I did not have a good first half at all," Okobo told EuroLeague TV afterward. "We talked about it in the locker room, we had to step up with our energy, and I think it showed in the second half."

Mike James spoke to the EuroLeague TV cameras after AS Monaco beat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 85-79 in Round 3 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Mike James: 'It's a great way for us to start the season'

"I think it is a great way for us to start," James commented after Monaco improved to 2-0. "With me not being 100 percent, and \[[Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) and [Furkan Korkmaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/furkan-korkmaz/005763/)\] being out, it is amazing we start with two wins. It buys us time to get healthy."

James continued by stating what he expects from the team: "We have to establish a baseline of how we want to play, and how we want to be as a team. The second half we picked it up a little bit and hopefully we can keep building on that."

Mike James, Elie Okobo and Donatas Motiejunas all shined in Round 2

AS Monaco v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-10-09T17:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria-Bahcesehir College Istanbul | Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2024-10-09T19:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica was in control of the game against Dolomiti Energia Trento from the opening stages of the first quarter, but it was a 0-18 run in the third that dealt a decisive blow to the home team and allowed the visitors to clinch a 64-85 victory.

Major third-quarter run clinched first Buducnost victory

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica was in control of the game against Dolomiti Energia Trento from the opening stages of the first quarter, but it was a 0-18 run in the third that dealt a decisive blow to the home team and allowed the visitors to clinch a 64-85 victory.

A 94-76 loss at Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul in Round 1 was followed by a narrow 86-89 overtime defeat at home to Dreamland Gran Canaria in their last game despite Buducnost looking significantly improved in Round 2.

“After the bad luck \[we had\] in Round 2, we had to react and I think we reacted really well,” head coach Andrej Zakelj told EuroLeague TV after the game against Trento. “When we are focused and relaxed, we can play great defense and then if defense is good, offense is good too.”

All the points in Buducnost's 0-18 third-quarter run

After taking a 35-42 lead into the second half, Buducnost’s defensive display in the third quarter was exemplary. The visitors kept Trento to just 9 points and went on a 0-18 surge that allowed them to secure a 44-65 cushion heading into the fourth, where they extended that run to 0-21 with a Fletcher Magee triple. As many as six players netted at least 2 points each during that run, with Yogi Ferrell standing out.

The Buducnost guard netted a game-high 21 points, having gone 6-for-8 from inside the arc and 3-for-4 from deep in just over 26 minutes on the floor. In his post-game interview, Ferrell admitted that their 0-2 record provided them with the incentive to push for a road win in Italy.

Game Videos

“It was a great game from the entire team,” Ferrell told EuroLeague TV. “We knew we needed to get our first win in the EuroCup. We were extra-motivated tonight. We came into this arena, playing against a great team. We did a great job of staying together, listening to the coach’s game plan and we came out with the win.”

After recording its first victory in EuroCup this term, Buducnost will look to build on its momentum by stunning Bahcesehir College Istanbul on the road next week. The task will be anything but easy, but the third quarter against Trento could serve as a springboard for greater things this season.

Eighteen unanswered points gave Buducnost control for good 

Major third-quarter run clinched first Buducnost's victory

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2024-10-09T18:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Tel Aviv BC has confirmed that Jordan Loyd has left the club, with his last game coming in the EuroLeague at AS Monaco Basket on Wednesday night.

Jordan Loyd departs Maccabi

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv has confirmed that [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) has departed the club.

Loyd (1.93 meters, 31 years old) joined Maccabi this past summer and played two games for the club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, with his final appearance coming [on the road at AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-fights-to-edge-maccabi-85-79/) this Wednesday night.

"Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club and Jordan Loyd have agreed that the player will leave the team. Maccabi wishes Jordan success in the future," reads Maccabi's statement.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">מועדון הכדורסל מכבי תל אביב וג&#39;ורדן לויד סיכמו כי השחקן יעזוב את הקבוצה. מכבי מאחלת לג&#39;ורדן הצלחה בהמשך.<br>בתוך כך, הקבוצה תחזור מחר (חמישי) לישראל. הזרים שחוזרים לקראת המשחק מול נס ציונה ביום ראשון: רנדולף, הורד, יוקובאיטיס וקאבה <a href="https://t.co/a8Q6A1CBs8">pic.twitter.com/a8Q6A1CBs8</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1844127756717785374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After amassing 15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 1 steal in Maccabi's opening-round win against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, Loyd recorded 16 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist at Monaco in Round 2.

To date, Loyd has played 126 games in the EuroLeague and posted career averages of 13.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steal and a 12.9 PIR.

More Maccabi News

His final game for the club came against Monaco on Wednesday night

Gran Canaria survives drama, edges Bahcesehir 66-63

In a defensive battle of two previously undefeated teams, Dreamland Gran Canaria edged Bahcesehir College Istanbul 66-63 on Wednesday night. Gran Canaria improved to 3-0, while Bahcesehir dropped to 2-1 in Group A. The hosts trailed 54-61 in the fourth quarter, but finished the game on a 12-2 run to pull out a big win to remain perfect on the new EuroCup season. 

Nicolas Brussino netted 17 points for Gran Canaria, Caleb Homesley had 13 and Pierre Pelos 11 points in a victory, while Mike Tobey pulled down 11 rebounds. Marko Simonovic led Bahcesehir with 14 points and Jaleen Smith scored 13 in defeat.

Bahcesehir got off to a good start and opened an early 0-5 lead thanks to a layup by Axel Bouteille and a three-pointer by Marko Simonovic. Gran Canaria soon responded, however, and went 14-8 ahead following a 11-0 run, with Nicolas Brussino, Andrew Albicy, John Shurna and Caleb Homesley combining to put the hosts in control. After almost four and a half minutes without a basket, Simonovic got the scoreboard ticking for Bahcesehir again, 14-10. Gran Canaria led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.

There were no baskets in the first 3 minutes of the second quarter. It meant that the visitors were held to a single basket over more than 10 minutes bridging two quarters before back-to-back triples from Jaleen Smith and Sehmus Hazer tied things up at 16-16. A layup apiece by, again, Smith and Hazer put Bahcesehir up 18-20. But Gran Canaria needed just a handful of possessions to take control back, with Albicy and Brussino hitting back-to-back triples in a 10-0 run that opened 28-20 margin. Bouteille scored 5 points, including a three-pointer, to give Bahcesehir an offensive spark, before Gran Canaria took a 32-27 lead into halftime.

Brussino opened the second half with a three-pointer while drawing a foul, which opened a 9-point margin. C.J. Massinburg, Bouteille and Smith cut into the deficit before Homesley's three-pointer made it 41-35. But Bahcesehir scored the next 9 points, including a three from Simonovic and another from Smith that made it 41-44. Joe Thomasson answered right back with a three and the teams traded baskets as Bahcesehir held 48-49 after 30 minutes.

A three from Pierre Pelos tied things at 51-51 early in the fourth, but Simonovic and Smith, later with a corner triple, opened a 51-56 visitors' lead. Brussino hit another triple for the hosts, but Mateusz Ponitka's step-back three-pointer opened a 54-61 margin. Gran Canaria responded, first defensively, then with Pelos, Tobey and Homseley all scoring layups on consecutive possessions, 60-61. Two more layups, one from Tobey and another from Pellos gave the hosts a 64-63 edge with 64 seconds left. Gran Canaria followed it up with a defensive stand and then fought for an offensive rebound before Homesley iced the game from the foul line.

A late 12-2 run capped the home team's comeback

Led by Austin Wiley, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem took advantage of a massive difference in rebounding to overpower Veolia Towers Hamburg 89-74 for a second straight victory in the BKT EuroCup. 

Jerusalem uses club record in offensive rebounds to beat Hamburg 

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem took advantage of a massive difference in rebounding - especially offensive boards - to grab a second straight victory in the BKT EuroCup. And one of the leaders in that segment of the game - once again - was league debutant Austin Wiley. 

Wiley struggled shooting the ball in scoring 12 points on 4 of 12 shots and 2 of 4 free throws but he snatched 17 rebounds, including 8 from the offensive glass in Jerusalem’s 89-74 win over Veolia Towers Hamburg. 

The Israeli side grabbed 50 rebounds to just 30 for Hamburg - including 25 offensive rebounds. That set a new club record, topping the previous best of 21 in the 2013-14 season. And Jerusalem turned those extra possessions into a 27-7 advantage in second-chance points. 

The mark of 25 also ties for sixth place for most offensive rebounds in a EuroCup game with the record 27 being held by Valencia Basket from 2016-17.

The 25-year-old Wiley has been a force in his first season in the EuroCup as he collected 8 points and 11 rebounds in the opening game against Valencia - 4 of those from the offensive glass. Wiley, who is in his fifth season in Europe, was limited to 2 points and 1 rebound in Jerusalem’s second game against Lietkabelis. 

The 34-year-old veteran Chris Johnson was Wiley’s partner in crime crashing the glass with 6 rebounds - 5 of those being of the offensive kind. Justin Smith added 4 offensive rebounds and it was truly a team effort as six players grabbed at least 1 offensive rebound. 

The effort was also needed as Jerusalem shot just 39.6% on two-pointers after the team had connected on 49.2% of its close-range shots in the first two games. Because of that, Jerusalem had totaled 14 offensive rebounds in the first two rounds of games. 

Jerusalem head coach Yonatan Alon now knows that his team can really go at it on the offensive glass if it needs the extra possessions. 

Its 25 offensive boards tied for the sixth-most ever in a EuroCup game

Jerusalem used club record in offensive rebounds to beat Hamburg 

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-10-09T17:00:00.000Z)

He stepped up at both ends to lead Zvezda past Baskonia


Bolomboy delivers in crunch time 

Crvena Zvezda MeridianBet Belgrade led for the majority of its Round 2 clash against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. However, Baskonia rallied after trailing 63-49 early in the fourth quarter. The game came down to details and Zvezda center [Joel Bolomboy ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/)played a decisive role at both ends to make sure his team remained undefeated on the season.

The big man had a strong first half with 6 points and 4 rebounds, but the best was yet to come. He provided a couple of highlights late in the third quarter - an off-balance layup and a two-handed alley-oop dunk that made Zvezda's huge crowd at Belgrade Arena jump up and down.

Crvena Zvezda MeridianBet Belgrade center Joel Bolomboy had 9 of his 15 points in the second half, adding game-highs of 8 rebounds and 2 blocks to amass a PIR of 17.

Bolomboy leads Zvezda past Baskonoa

Baskonia improved in the fourth quarter, getting within 66-62 with possession with over 3 minutes remaining. Then Bolomboy delivered at both ends. First he rejected  Donta Hall's dunk attempt and then he buried a corner jumper at the other end. On Zvezda's next play, Nikola Kalinic found Isaiah Canaan for a three-pointer that broke the game open, 71-62. Even though Baskonia never gave up, it didn't get within striking distance in crunch time.

Bolomboy had 9 of his 15 points in the second half, adding game-highs of 8 rebounds and 2 blocks to amass a PIR of 17. He made 7 of 11 two-pointers. At the end of the game, Bolomboy celebrated the win, but was aware that his team can be much better.

"We are happy with the win. I wouldn't say it was a perfect night, there is a lot of areas we can improve. Myself, I am glad I was able to play the way I know I can play. I feel like me, personally, these last couple of games, I have not been playing that way, so it was good to come out here and have the energy from my teammates tonight," Bolomboy said.

"Everyone played really well, both ends, offensive and defensively. We had a great crowd tonight and are really happy with the win, but it's a long season. There is a lot of things we can improve on, especially offensively. There were moments where it felt like we didn't really know what play to run. But we made a lot of improvements tonight and won the game."

This is Zvezda's 11th season in the competition and the first time it has won its first two games. In the upcoming double round, Zvezda visits Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, featuring former star Boban Marjnovic, on Tuesday and hosts FC Barcelona, Kalinic's former team, on Friday.

The big man stepped up at both ends to lead the Serbian side past Baskonia


Joel Bolomboy delivered for Crvena Zvezda in crunch time 

Inbounding the ball with 0.2 seconds on the shot-clock, Rivero makes a bucket you do not see often, if ever! 

Improbable volleyball buzzer-beater by Rivero! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

 Inbounding the ball with 0.2 seconds on the shot-clock, Rivero makes a bucket you do not see often, if ever! 

Improbable volleyball buzzer-beater by Rivero! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night 

Dolomiti Energia Trento-Buducnost VOLI Podgorica | Round 3 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

 Buducnost VOLI Podgorica celebrated its first victory of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup campaign by thrashing Dolomiti Energia Trento 64-85 at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Wednesday. 

Buducnost cruises past Trento, 64-85, for first win

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica celebrated its first victory of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup campaign by thrashing Dolomiti Energia Trento 64-85 at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Wednesday. The visitors dictated the tempo from the off and they practically put the game to bed thanks to a 0-21 run spanning the last two quarters. The two teams currently boast the same record, as Buducnost improved to 1-2.

Yogi Ferrell led all scorers with 21 points, with Nikola Tanaskovic and McKinley Wright adding 13 and 10, respectively. For the visitors, Myles Cale recorded a team-high 13 points, Anthony Lamb had 12 and Selom Mawugbe added 11.

Buducnost started strong with Tanaskovic hitting in transition before buckets from Andrija Slavkovic, Rasheed Sulaimon, Ferrell and Udoka Azubuike gave the visitors a 2-11 lead. Trento bounced back, as 4 unanswered points from Lamb were followed by a Quinn Ellis jumper to bring the hosts within 8-13. Then, Andrea Pecchia responded to a Sulaimon open triple with 5 points of his own before a long Lamb three-pointer allowed Trento to cut the difference to 16-18 heading into the second quarter.

Lamb made 2 from the charity stripe and Mawugbe completed a three-point play to give Trento its first lead, 21-20. Yet, Fletcher Magee nailed a tough triple and Buducnost responded with a 0-7 run. A Mawugbe slam was followed by a Cale bucket from inside and Trento trimmed the deficit to 4, but Ferrell triples in quick succession extended Buducnost’s lead to 31-41. Trento was quick to respond, with Cale and Jordan Bayehe netting a bucket each to make it 35-42 at halftime.

The opening stages of the second half turned into an on-court battle between Ferrell and Ford, with the former netting 5 points and the latter responding with two baskets inside, 39-47. Buducnost looked dominant in the paint, with Kenan Kamenjas nailing a bucket before 5 points from Tanaskovic boosted their lead to 44-54 midway through the third quarter. Then, Ferrell sank a midrange jumper and Alen Omic scored inside, with Magee drilling a triple to extend Buducnost’s run to 0-18 and the visitors took a 44-65 lead into the closing quarter.

Magee nailed a triple to open the fourth before Toto Forray netted a floater to finally put an end to Buducnost’s surge, 46-69. In fact, the Trento captain scored his team’s first 6 points in the last quarter before Ford squeezed one from beyond the arc to cut the difference to 53-70. Yet, following a timeout by head coach Andrej Zakelj, the visiting side tightened up its defense and found some easy baskets through team play on the other end to seal the victory.

21 unanswered points in the second half gave the visitors control for good 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Brussino drives for a massive one-handed dunk.

 Brussino massive dunk! Magic Moment of the Night 

Brussino drives for a massive one-handed dunk. 

 Brussino massive dunk! Magic Moment of the Night

Isaiah Canaan spoke to the EuroLeague TV cameras after KK Crvena zvezda beat Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 78-71 in Round 3 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Isaiah Canaan: 'The fans give me a lot of energy'

Isaiah Canaan spoke to the EuroLeague TV cameras after Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade beat Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 78-71 in Round 3 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Crvena Zvezda MeridianBet Belgrade remained undefeated in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 78-71 at Stark Arena in Round 2 on Tuesday. 


Zvezda wins home opener, 78-71! 

Crvena Zvezda MeridianBet Belgrade remained undefeated in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 78-71 at Belgrade Arena in Round 2 on Wednesday. 

Isaiah Canaan paced the winners with 19 points. Joel Bolomboy added 15 points and 8 rebounds while Nikola Kalinic had 12 points for Zvezda. Chima Moneke led Baskonia with 19 points on 7-of-7 two-point shooting. Donta Hall added 13 points and 7 rebounds for the visitors. Zvezda improved to 2-0 in the standings while Baskonia dropped to 1-1.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot stepped up early for Baskonia with a steal and the game’s first 4 points, but it didn’t take long for Canaan to get going with a pair of three-pointers, which gave him 1,000 career points. The hosts remained hot and Belgrade Arena erupted when Kalinic drained a three and was fouled to make it 12-6. Codi Miller-McIntyre followed with a triple that prompted a Baskonia timeout. Mike Daum joined the three-point shootout before Joel Bolomboy threw in a shot to give Zvezda a double-digit lead, 20-10. Moneke’s show-and-go three-point play revived the visitors and Nikos Rogkavopoulos added a three to cap a 0-8 push. Yago Dos Santos connected on Zvezda’s sixth triple of the opening quarter before another tough bucket from Moneke made it 25-20 after 10 minutes. 

Nemanja Nedovic left his mark with a three and a dunk as Zvezda extended the lead back to 10. Kamar Baldwin heated up for Baskonia, but Nedovic scored again for the hosts. Markus Howard got on the board with a pair of free throws, however, he was soon on the bench with 3 fouls. In the meantime, Miller-McIntyre kept Zvezda cruising with a pull-up jumper, a steal, and a dish to Bolomboy for a 40-28 advantage. Zvezda cooled off in the final minutes of the quarter and Hall and Luwawu-Cabarrot trimmed the deficit to 42-34 at the break.

Moneke scored in transition soon after the break and then Kalinic answered from beyond the arc for a 45-36 Zvezda lead. After Baldwin found Hall for a one-handed slam, Canaan banked in an off-balance shot and added a three-point play that boosted the hosts' lead to 50-38. Hall and Bolomboy traded layups and Howard bettered Kalinic's fastbreak layup with a three-pointer. Bolomboy ignited the crowd with an alley-oop slam. Sedekerskis matched him with a tip-in and Moneke's dunk gave Baskonia hope at 56-49. Bolomboy banked in a jump hook and split free throws to give Zvezda a 59-49 lead through three quarters.

Mitrovic scored around the basket early in the fourth quarter and Dejan Davidovac added a dunk that seemed to break the game open, 63-49. Nedovic hit a close jumper to cap a 9-0 Zvezda run. Rogkavopoulos buried a three-pointer and Howard added a floater to bring Baskonia within single digits, 65-56, with less than 6 minutes left. Hall capped a 0-9 run from the free throw line, then Rokgavopoulos's tip-in made it 66-60. Hall finished a four-chance Baskonia offense with another tip-in. Bolomboy followed a big block on Hall with a corner jumoer, then Kalimic found Canaan for another bomb from downtown that sealed the outcome, 71-62, as Baskonia never recovered.

Isaiah Canaan and Joel Bolomboy led a balanced team effort for the winners