Umana Reyer Venice showed just how strong it can be with an arousing second quarter in a convincing 94-77 victory over Veolia Towers Hamburg. 

Marco Spissu: 'We can be a problem for every team'

Umana Reyer Venice showed just how strong it can be with an arousing second quarter in a convincing 94-77 victory over Veolia Towers Hamburg.

Reyer blew the game wide open with a 31-17 second quarter as the Italian side won its third game in the last four to move to 4-5 on the fringes of the playoff ranks in Group A.

“We deserved to win this game... I think we were the better team. We had a lot of good minutes but we also had a lot of mistakes,” said Reyer head coach Neven Spahija.

Reyer came into the game allowing the second-fewest offensive rebounds to its opponents. But Hamburg grabbed 12 offensive rebounds - 3.1 more than Reyer’s average.

“They were very aggressive and had 12 offensive rebounds. That is the only thing we did not control today. The other parts of the game we did well, we controlled them. And the end of the second quarter was spectacular,” the coach said.

Marco Spissu led the way against Hamburg

The game had been tight for the first 15 minutes and the home side led 36-33. Spahija’s men then unleashed a 17-0 run over the next 4:34 minutes to take control of the game with a 53-33 lead. The surge included 3 Reyer three-pointers and 4 forced Hamburg turnovers.

All five Reyer starters scored in double figures - paced by [Marco Spissu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marco-spissu/004381/)’s 22 points - and the team dished out 24 assists in shooting 63.9% on two-pointers and 40.9% on three-pointers.

“This was a team win. They were playing really tough defense. We built the gap in the second quarter and in the end, we just managed the game but also did well playing the game,” said Spissu, who also dished a career-high 9 assists and posted a season-best PIR of 32 in the game.

The point guard said this is how the team wants to play - and how it can achieve its goals.

"We just need to play together. If we play together like this, we can be a problem for every team. We need to keep going,” Spissu said.

Game News

The Reyer playmaker dished a career-best 9 assists and posted a season-high PIR of 32 in the win. 

Umana Reyer Venice v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-11-28T19:00:00.000Z)

The London Lions had plenty of reasons to be happy after racing past Wolves Vilnius 87-101 on Tuesday night in the Lithuanian capital including Sam Dekker's return from injury.

Sam Dekker's return was another bright spot for London

The London Lions had plenty of reasons to be happy after racing past Wolves Vilnius 87-101 on Tuesday night in the Lithuanian capital. Of course, chief among them was the win itself, which raised London’s record to 7-2 and guaranteed it at least a share of second place in Group A at the midway point of the regular season.

Then there was the way London played early in building a 35-55 halftime lead.

“We matched their physicality well tonight. We came out with a lot of energy,” said [Conor Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/conor-morgan/009680/), who shined with 22 points, 5 three-pointers made and a PIR of 36, which were all career bests.

With that energy, London turned defense into offense in the early going; the visitors collected 6 steals and forced 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and turned them into 20 points. In contrast, Wolves only netted 5 points from London's 6 first-half turnovers.

Sam Dekker made his return for London against Wolves

Wolves fought back in the second half, when they only committed 4 more turnovers. The hosts also outrebounded London 42-33, but that 20-points halftime difference was too much for Wolves to overcome.

The victory was a perfect time for London to welcome back its star forward [Sam Dekker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/), who had not played since Round 4, over a month ago. Dekker featured for only 15:31 minutes, in which he contributed 9 points and 3 rebounds. Nevertheless, having him back is huge for the club as it looks to the second half of the regular season.

“He is extremely important \[to our team\],” London head coach Petar Bozic said after the game. “He is one of the leaders on our team. We are fortunate that we have more. It was really a pleasure seeing him back on the court.”

And with Dekker back in tow, London has good reason to be excited about whatever is coming next.  

The star forward scored 9 in his first appearance in over a month.

Wolves Vilnius v London Lions (2023-11-28T17:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice picked up an important victory in its fight to reach the playoffs by rolling past Hamburg Veolia Towers 94-77 at home. 

Reyer downs Hamburg, 94-77, for third win in four games 

Umana Reyer Venice picked up an important victory in its fight to reach the playoffs by rolling past Hamburg Veolia Towers 94-77 at home. Marco Spissu led the way with 22 points and 9 assists for Reyer, which won for the third time in the last four games for a 4-5 record in Group A. Amedeo Tessitori added 18 points and RayJon Tucker chipped in 12 points. Hamburg’s playoff hopes are fading fast after it dropped to 1-8 despite Aljami Durham scoring 17 points and Aleksander Dziewa 15.

### Hamburg starts strong

The game started with a good flow with both teams scoring. Mark Hughes’s fastbreak dunk made it 6-10 and youngster Leif Moeller hit a triple to put the guests up 8-13. Reyer reeled off 6 straight points with Spissu’s three-pointer giving the home side a 14-13 lead. Dziewa picked up 4 points at the other end and Hamburg led 18-20 but it was Reyer that was up 22-20 after 10 minutes.

### Reyer pulls away in second quarter

Moeller kept Hamburg close with 5 more points - including a second triple - for a 28-27 scoreline. Reyer scored 6 straight free throws in pushing the margin out to 36-30. Davide Casarin and Spissu added three-pointers and the hosts surged ahead 44-33. Jordan Parks added a triple and Reyer got out on the break and the lead swelled to 53-33 with a 17-0 run. The Italians went into the break ahead 53-37.

Game Videos

### Tessitori pushed lead to 20

Reyer was back up by 20 points, 59-39, after Tessitori drained back-to-back three-pointers. Hamburg tried to get back into the game but could not close within 17 points as the hosts had an answer for every score. Late in the quarter, Nico Brauner knocked down a three-pointer and Hamburg was down 74-60 with 10 minutes left in the game.

The visitors would not give up and 3 VJ King free throws and a Durham score got the score to 77-65. Tucker and Spissu responded with back-to-back three-pointers and the advantage was back to 20 points, 85-65, with less than 6 minutes to go. Durham hit a triple for the guests but Spissu answered with his 4th three-pointer of the game and ended any dreams of mounting a comeback.

The hosts blew the game open with 17-0 second-quarter run.

Jakub Niziol and Hassani Gravett produced star performances as Slask Wroclaw ended two long losing streaks in the BKT EuroCup with a 71-80 victory over Turk Telekom Ankara. 

Niziol, Gravett come up big as Slask ends two long streaks 

Jakub Niziol and Hassani Gravett produced star performances as Slask Wroclaw ended two long losing streaks in the BKT EuroCup with a 71-80 victory over Turk Telekom Ankara.

Niziol set a career high for the second straight game as he poured in 25 points and Gravett tallied 12 of his 15 points in the final 5 minutes as Slask won its first game of the season.

It snapped Slask’s 17-game EuroCup losing streak, dating back nearly an entire calendar year to December 21, 2022 with a 80-57 win over Dolomiti Energia Trento. The win also ended the EuroCup’s longest road losing streak in history, Slask having lost the last 26 games away from home dating back to December 11, 2007.

“It was a long time coming for this first win,” said Niziol, who tallied 21 points in Slask’s Round 8 loss to 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys. “We are going to enjoy this one.”

Jakub Niziol led the way against Turk Telekom

Niziol is one of four Slask players who were on the team when it won the last game in the EuroCup. He scored 9 points in that game last December. Daniel Golebiowski, Aleksander Wisniewski and Mikolaj Adamczak were the other three Slask players.

Slask won the game over Turk Telekom by shooting 64.0% on two-pointers and holding the hosts to just 41.1% on two-pointers and 18.2% on three-pointers - two areas the Turkish side had been struggling all season, averaging 48.2% and 32.0% coming into the gamer.

Slask survived Turk Telekom grabbing 26 offensive rebounds - just 1 shy of the EuroCup’s all-time record of 27. And the Polish side has been weak in that field as well, ranking 17th in opposing team’s offensive rebounds with 12.4 per game.

“Hopefully we can keep up the winning mentality after this first win. I know it’s not a lot, but it means a lot for us,” added Niziol.

Duo combined for half of Slask's points in the Turkish capital. 

Turk Telekom Ankara v Slask Wroclaw (2023-11-28T17:00:00.000Z)

Slask Wroclaw kept alive its faint hopes of reaching the EuroCup Playoffs by surprising Turk Telekom Ankara 71-80 on the road for its first victory of the season. 

Slask ends 17-game losing skid, surprises Turk Telekom 71-80

Slask Wroclaw kept alive its faint hopes of reaching the EuroCup Playoffs by surprising Turk Telekom Ankara 71-80 on the road for its first victory of the season. Jakub Niziol poured in a career-high 25 points to lead the Polish side, which improved to 1-8 in Group B and snapped a 17-game EuroCup losing streak. Slask’s last EuroCup win came in Round 9 of last season on December 21, 2022 - 80-57 over Dolomiti Energia Trento. Hassani Gravett added 15 points - 12 of them in the final 5 minutes - and Daniel Golebiowski chipped in 14 points for the winners.

The 2023 runner-up Turk Telekom has now lost seven straight games for a 1-8 record despite Markis McDuffie scoring 18 points with 9 rebounds and Steven Enoch adding 13 points and 11 rebounds. Turk Telekom grabbed 26 offensive rebounds - just one shy of the all-time EuroCup record.

### Slask takes charge with 0-10 run

Turk Telekom turned the ball over three times in the first 2 minutes and did not score until Enoch’s free throw after more than 4 minutes but Slask only led 0-5. The home side was able to stay close at 7-9 before Slask went on a 0-10 run over the final 3:35 minutes of the first quarter and led 7-19.

### Margin reaches 19 before Turk Telekom rallies

Turk Telekom called a timeout after Slask scored the first basket of the second quarter for a 7-21 cushion. Okben Ulubay’s three-pointer ended the 0-12 run but Niziol drained two three-pointers and the Slask advantage grew. Another Niziol triple pushed the margin to 16-35. Turk Telekom showed some life with a 6-0 run over 3 minutes to close within 22-35. Sparked by some energetic defense by Mehmet Yagur, the hosts trimmed the deficit to 29-39 at the break.

### Slask pulls away again

Ulubay’s basket to start the second half got the hosts within single figures but Niziol countered with a three-point play and Turk Telekom was in the foul limit after less than 4 minutes. Niziol added 4 more points and Golebiowski hit 2 three-pointers as the cushion grew to 20 points - 40–60. Turk Telekom responded with some defensive pressure to produce the next 8 points and trailed 48-61 after 30 minutes.

### Gravett helps Slask hold on

Niziol continued his superb game with a layup and three-pointer to make it 52-66 early in the final frame. McDuffie sparked Turk Telekom with his offensive rebounding and 6 points as the hosts surged within 64-66 with 5 minutes to play. Gravett countered with 3 big three-pointers and added 2 free throws for Slask to stop the run at 65-77 with just over 2 minutes left.

Jakub Niziol stars as Slask claims first win since 2022. 

The London Lions ensured themselves at least a share of second place at the midway point in Group A after racing past Wolves Vilnius 87-101 at Avia Solutions Group Arena in the Lithuanian capital to improve to 7-2 on the season. 

London races past Lions, 87-101, for 4th straight win

The London Lions ensured themselves at least a share of second place at the midway point in Group A after racing past Wolves Vilnius 87-101 at Avia Solutions Group Arena in the Lithuanian capital to improve to 7-2 on the season. Conor Morgan starred with 22 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting for a PIR of 36 to pace the winners. Gabe Olaseni added 21 points, Donte Grantham scored 15, Matt Morgan 11 and Sam Dekker returned from injury to contribute 9 points in 15 minutes.

Wolves dropped their second straight at home in slipping to 4-4 this season. Tre'Shawn Thurman posted 22 points and 8 rebounds in defeat. Adas Juskevicius and Christian Mekowulu netted 17 points apiece, Vitalijus Kozys scored 10 and Kristupas Zamaitis dished a career-high and club record 9 assists.

### Wolves' second unit makes a difference

Conor Morgan had the hot hand as London raced to a 2-8 start. A three-point play by Djordje Gagic halved the deficit, but Conor Morgan scored twice more – taking his individual total to 10 points – in stretching the margin. Olaseni free throws made it 9-18. Mekowulu made an impact off the bench for Wolves as did Dekker for London. A pair of Juskevicius threes trimmed the gap to 22-24 at the end of the quarter.

### London launches three-point barrage

Olaseni put his stamp on the game with 6 points in a 0-7 spurt to give Lions a 24-33 advantage. Wolves called timeout after which Mekowulu scored on a put-back. Back-to-back threes by Grantham gave the visitors their first double-digit lead, 28-41. The difference continued to swell as Dekker connected form deep, 33-49. Luke Nelson then took over before Dekker's free throws gave London a 35-55 halftime cushion.

### Wolves chip away at the deficit

London went up by 22 as the third quarter started before Kozys triggered a 7-0 Wolves response. The Lions regrouped and before long Matt Morgan knocked down a three to make it 45-69. Wolves continued to push as Juskevicius made his fourth three of the game and Thurman heated up to get within 58-73. Mekowulu free throws closed the gap to 62-76 at the end of the third quarter.

### Morgan helps London seal the win

A four-point play by Conor Morgan eased any pressure London was feeling and Josh Shurna made an impact on both ends. Juskevicius came alive with a pair of assists and a three-pointer in an 8-0 run that gave Wolves hope at 76-85 with 5 minutes left. London escaped with the next 6 points. Wolves kept the pressure on, but could only get as close as 9 as time became the enemy. Conor Morgan took London to 100 points as the Lions marched to victory.

Conor Morgan roared as the Lions led from tip to buzzer. 

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana hopes to turn season around with signing of Rasid Mahalbasic.

Cedevita signed veteran center Rasid Mahalbasic

On Tuesday afternoon, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana made official the addition of experienced center [Rasid Mahalbasic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/rasid-mahalbasic/003042/) on a deal for the remainder of the season. The player retains an escape clause in the contract. Mahalbasic (2.11 meters, 33 years old) last played for San Pablo Burgos of Spain. This will be his fourth BKT EuroCup season with a fourth different team - he played for CEZ Nymburk in 2013-14, Nizhny Novgorod in 2015-16 and Oldenburg in 2019-20 - having played a total of 53 games in the competition. He has also scored a total of 671 points and collected 315 rebounds.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="sl" dir="ltr">Pod obema obročema nas je okrepil Rašid Mahalbašić!<a href="https://twitter.com/RasidMahalbasic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RasidMahalbasic</a>, dobrodošel v Zmajevi družini! 💚🧡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZmajevaDruzina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZmajevaDruzina</a> <a href="https://t.co/QH5zQDxFAv">pic.twitter.com/QH5zQDxFAv</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (@KKCedOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL/status/1729491016133063044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mahalbasic also has Turkish Airlines EuroLeague experience; he played for Prokom of Poland in 2012-13. He is a basketball nomad, having played for 15 different teams since his pro debut in 2006 in countries such as Turkey, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Russia and Austria, where he started his career with the Kelag Worthersee Piraten for four seasons.

[Turk Telekom Ankara 71-80 Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/turk-telekom-ankara-slask-wroclaw/U2023/90/)

Slask kept alive its faint hopes of reaching the playoffs by surprising Turk Telekom on the road for its first victory of the season. Jakub Niziol poured in a career-high 25 points to lead the Polish side, which improved to 1-8 in Group B and snapped a 17-game EuroCup losing streak. Hassani Gravett added 15 points - 12 of them in the final 5 minutes. 2023 runner-up Turk Telekom has now lost seven straight games for a 1-8 record despite Markis McDuffie scoring 18 points with 9 rebounds.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pl" dir="ltr">Europejska niemoc przełamana! 💪 Wygrywamy w Ankarze! ✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/71kNZnoKwq">https://t.co/71kNZnoKwq</a> <a href="https://t.co/mr4CIX10ZK">pic.twitter.com/mr4CIX10ZK</a></p>&mdash; WKS Śląsk Wrocław - koszykówka (@WKS_SlaskBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/WKS_SlaskBasket/status/1729576594811842901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Wolves Vilnius 87-101 London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/wolves-vilnius-london-lions/U2023/84/)

London ensured itself at least a share of second place at the midway point in Group A after racing past Wolves at Avia Solutions Group Arena in the Lithuanian capital to improve to 7-2 on the season. Conor Morgan starred with 22 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting for a PIR of 36 to pace the winners. Gabe Olaseni added 21 points. Wolves dropped their second straight at home in slipping to 4-4 this season. Tre'Shawn Thurman posted 22 points and 8 rebounds in defeat. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LIONS WIN!! 🦁🦁🦁<br><br>🇬🇧 Lions 101 : 87 <a href="https://twitter.com/wolves_bc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wolves_bc</a> 🇱🇹<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/Djw49WXU9l">pic.twitter.com/Djw49WXU9l</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1729578047920030134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Umana Reyer Venice 94-77 Veolia Hamburg Towers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/umana-reyer-venice-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/85/)

Reyer gained an important victory in its fight to reach the playoffs by rolling past Hamburg at home. Marco Spissu led the way with 22 points and 9 assists for Reyer, which won for the third time in the last four games for a 4-5 record in Group A. Amedeo Tessitori added 18 points and RayJon Tucker chipped in 12 points. Hamburg’s playoff hopes are fading fast after it dropped to 1-8 despite Aljami Durham scoring 17 point.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big hearts ❤️‍🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ReyerCulture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ReyerCulture</a> <a href="https://t.co/tF4CdkHrmh">pic.twitter.com/tF4CdkHrmh</a></p>&mdash; Reyer Venezia (@REYER1872) <a href="https://twitter.com/REYER1872/status/1729615028083458397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Wednesday, November 29

[U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/89/)

In Wednesday's opening tip-off, Cluj (6-2) will look to get back onto the winning path against Lietkabelis (4-4) which has won three in a row. Cluj's heavy loss to Gran Canaria last week was partly down to committing 24 turnovers, and guard duo DJ Seeley and Bryce Jones will look to take better care of the basketball after respectively losing 4 and 5 possessions in that defeat. Lietkabelis continued its excellent run with a hard-fought victory at Slask, surviving a fourth-quarter collapse as Vytenis Lipkevicius flirted with a triple-double by posting 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and the Lithuanian team will be conscious of starting in Cluj much better than it finished in Slask.

[Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-paris-basketball/U2023/83/)

Cedevita's (0-8) long quest for a first victory of the season faces its latest chapter with a visit from high-flying Paris (7-1), which is eager to recover from the blip of its first defeat of the campaign against Besiktas. The game is highlighted by a backcourt battle between the league's leading assisters, with Cedevita's Klemen Prepelic (9.3 assists per game) going up against Paris orchestrator TJ Shorts (7.6 apg.). The host's cause is helped by the presence of Justin Cobbs, who scored 19 points on his return from injury last week. Paris will again look to the long-range shooting prowess of Nadir Hifi, who has made 15 of his last 26 three-pointers.

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/82/)

After claiming the prestigious prize of Group A leader Paris last week, Besiktas (6-2) faces another major road test with a trip to face Hapoel (5-2) in Belgrade. Besiktas has won three of its last four thanks to a suffocating defense, which restricted explosive Paris to just 63 points last week and has allowed only 72.5 points per game, best in the league. Hapoel, in contrast, boasts the league's most potent offense with an average of 97.9 points per game including a 103-99 thriller against Joventut last week. Xavier Munford was the hero, ending a relative slump in form by blasting 31 points. So Besiktas will look to the likes of Berk Ugurlu, who has at least one steal in six games this season, to slow down Munford in what promises to be an enthralling clash of styles.

[ratiopharm Ulm vs. JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2023/86/)

Two direct rivals currently tied for second place in Group B go head to head as Ulm (6-2) hosts Bourg (6-2). Both are in great form, with Ulm winning five of its last six while Bourg has won three out of four. The German team's smooth offense has delivered an average of 22.5 assists per game, led by 6.2 per night from impressive youngster Juan Nuñez. But nobody puts more pressure on the ball than Bourg, which leads the league in steals with 10.4 per game - 2.4 of those coming from Isaiha Mike. There will also be a big battle in the paint between the competition's leading rebounder Trevion Williams (10.9 per game) and Kevin Kokila, who had 10 points and 9 boards in last week's win over Turk Telekom.

[Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-aris-midea-thessaloniki/U2023/87/)

Two teams tied on the fringes of the playoff places go head to head as Trento (3-5) hosts Aris (3-5) with both on two-game losing streaks. A key head-to-head will come in the paint, where Trento's Andrejs Grazulis (14 points and 5.8 rebounds per game) goes up against visiting big man Silvio de Sousa (7.4 points and 6.6 boards). Aris is the lowest-scoring team in the competition with just 70.6 points per game despite a season-high 88 against Ulm last week. This should be a good opportunity to build on that improvement against a Trento team that has struggled defensively, allowing 88.1 points per game and it suffered a big psychological setback last time out with an overtime defeat to Buducnost.

[Joventut Badalona vs. Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-prometey-slobozhanske/U2023/81/)

Struggling Joventut (3-5) will aim to end a three-game slide against a Prometey team (4-4) that has been heading in the opposite direction by winning two in a row. Powered by Ondrey Balvin's 8.9 rebounds per game, second best in the league, Prometey is the competition's top rebounding team (39.5 per game) and will expect to dominate the physical battle. Joventut will hope to control the tempo through the backcourt in a game that could become a matter of speed versus power. A key figure could be guard Andres Feliz, who made an excellent return from injury in last week's defeat against Hapoel, scoring 24 points on 10 of 14 field goal shooting and adding 7 assists.

[Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-buducnost-voli-podgorica/U2023/88/)

The competition's only perfect team, Gran Canaria (8-0), will aim to underline its intent to retain the EuroCup title with a visit from Buducnost (3-5) which boosted its own playoffs hopes by ending a four-game losing streak by downing Trento in an overtime thriller last time out. The main man in that triumph was Yoan Makoundou, who now averages 20 points and 6.3 rebounds in the last three games. Gran Canaria has won all eight previous meetings between the teams and is looking to maintain its defensive excellence after restricting its opponents to less than 80 points for six consecutive games. Ethan Happ has dominated the boards, averaging 7 rebounds in the last four games, and will look to limit the influence of Makoundou.

Follow all the BKT EuroCup action for Round 9 of the Regular Season!

Game Center: Road wins for London, Slask in Round 9 openers. Reyer cruises at home

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-11-29T17:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2023-11-29T20:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2023-11-29T19:00:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2023-11-29T18:30:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Paris Basketball (2023-11-29T17:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-11-29T18:00:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Prometey Slobozhanske (2023-11-29T19:30:00.000Z)

BC Wolves look to fight off the flying London Lions

The matchup between Wolves Vilnius (4-3) and the London Lions (6-2) in Group A of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup should be a great barometer of where these two ambitious teams stand. This Tuesday evening (18:00 CET) at Avia Solutions Group Arena, a fascinating clash looms.

First of all, let’s talk about London. Playing in its second season in the EuroCup, the team led by first-year head coach Petar Bozic is flying. If last year was London testing the water in the competition under then-head coach Ryan Schmidt, Coach Bozic – together with some terrific off-season moves by GM Brett Burman – has taken the Lions into Phase 2.

### London Lions are on a roll

London comes into Tuesday evening’s game on a three-game winning run, while it is a perfect 4-0 on its travels this season. In fact, in regulation, London would be 6-1-1 but it ended up falling at home to Paris Basketball in overtime in Round 4, before then losing at home to Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in front of a limited crowd one week later.

Since that Hapoel defeat, however, London has responded in style by downing Joventut Badalona, 76-87, and Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul, 80-83, on the road, then Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, 101-95, at home. Importantly, with star player Sam Dekker having not played since that Round 4 defeat to Paris, the likes of Matt Morgan, Gabe Olaseni and Conor Morgan have really taken their games up a notch to get London back on track.

The good news for London fans is that Dekker is set to make his return to action on Thursday evening, with both the 29-year-old and the Lions’ social media accounts hinting that he will play some part against the Wolves. Given that Coach Bozic’s side has shown that it can record important wins in Dekker’s absence, the return of the 2022-23 All-EuroCup Second Team selection only adds to London’s array of weapons.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“We’re undefeated on the road right now, so looking to keep it going.” 🗣️ <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealMM10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheRealMM10</a><br><br>BIG <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> road game tomorrow vs <a href="https://twitter.com/wolves_bc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wolves_bc</a> 🇱🇹👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreLondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreLondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/kNzS4uZLRr">pic.twitter.com/kNzS4uZLRr</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1729197623993852310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Wolves have looked comfortable at this level

In some ways, the Wolves are coming up against an organization they can take some lessons from. Yet, in their debut season in the EuroCup, they are showing that they are growing game by game. Notably, the side led by experienced head coach Kestutis Kemzura is also demonstrating that it can overcome setbacks and remain competitive.

Despite a tricky start to the campaign that saw the Wolves lose back-to-back games on the road at Paris Basketball, 105-78, and Joventut Badalona, 107-98, they have tightened up their defense and managed to put together a 4-1 record since then, which includes wins against two teams currently in the playoff spots: Besiktas, 90-88, in Round 4 and Prometey Slobozhanske, 85-71, in Round 6. Last week, the Lithuanian team got back to winning ways after downing Veolia Towers Hamburg, 71-84, having lost in Round 7 to Umana Reyer Venice, 77-93.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We got London Lions in the building 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreWolves?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreWolves</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/SP1cscLOhu">pic.twitter.com/SP1cscLOhu</a></p>&mdash; BC WOLVES (@wolves_bc) <a href="https://twitter.com/wolves_bc/status/1729437064725201223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Impressively, they have done this with veteran forward Jeffrey Taylor yet to play this season, star addition Arturs Zagars having suffered a season-ending injury before their third EuroCup game and Rasheed Sulaimon, the Round 6 MVP, having not played in the team’s last two fixtures.

So far, so good, you could say. The Wolves announced that Sulaimon is out for four weeks on November 16, meaning that they will be without their leading scorer and the player with the highest average PIR until mid-December, but the likes of Tre’Shawn Thurman, Djordje Gagic and Adas Juskevicius have picked up the load since then.

The top plays of Wolves Vilnius and the London Lions so far this season in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The best plays of Wolves, London this season

### Both in the playoff places

London enters this game sat third in the Group A standings, tied on a 6-2 record with second-placed Besiktas, while the Wolves are in fifth after going 4-3. Coach Kemzura’s group has a 2-1 mark in Vilnius so far this season, but it did lose on its last game on its home floor, falling to Reyer.

The Wolves are averaging an impressive 5,836 fans at Avia Solutions Group Arena through their first three home games to this point, so a good crowd is expected for this clash. Two clubs with sky-high dreams are ready to go to battle, but who will come out on top? Will London improve to 7-2 and 5-0 on the road, or will the Wolves make it five wins from six? Make sure to tune in from 18:00 CET to find out!

The Wolves Vilnius players celebrate after downing Veolia Towers Hamburg in Round 8 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Petar Bozic’s squad is unbeaten on the road so far this season, but a big test awaits in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Wolves look to fight off the flying London Lions

The 30-year-old forward is enjoying his finest EuroCup season on the heels of a historic performance with Latvia over the summer.

Grazulis's World Cup success paying off for Trento

[Andrejs Grazulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrejs-grazulis/005738/) of Dolomiti Energia Trento is among the most improved players over the past season in the BKT EuroCup certainly among players who remained on the same team. One major reason for that was his success over the summer at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Grazulis is averaging 14.0 points on 54.5% three-point shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists for Trento for an averaged performance index rating of 15.8.

Those numbers are drastically better than what he produced last season for the Italian club, when he was worth 8.7 points on 20.3% three-point shooting to go with 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists for a PIR of 7.9. 

“What I learned from last year is that we need to be ready for whatever during the season, but still keep our identity and confidence,” said the 30-year-old Grazulis. 

The Latvian forward last season made his return to the EuroCup after last playing in the competition in 2014-15 with BK Ventspils.

“Yeah, nine years is a long time,” he said about his return to the EuroCup.

After averaging 10.0 points in the first four games of the current campaign, Grazulis really started taking off in Round 5 with 22 points and 7 assists in a 101-96 overtime win over Turk Telekom Ankara. 

“We almost blew it in overtime, but these wins grow the character of the team,” said Grazulis, who hit a big three-pointer to make it 99-93 late in the extra session. 

Over the last four games, Grazulis is averaging 18.0 points and he has made 13 of 20 three-pointers (65.0%) to go with 7.3 rebounds. 

Andrejs Grazulis's highlights, October-November '23

A lot of Grazulis’s confidence stems from him helping Latvia finish in fifth place at the 2023 World Cup in its first appearance at the global event.

“It’s always a pleasure to play for the national team, and to win and achieve the goal is even better,” said Grazulis, who averaged 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks at the tournament.

Latvia shocked the world as the first-timers defeated powerhouses France and Spain and then finished off Brazil to reach the quarterfinals - meaning the country had locked up a top-eight result.

Grazulis and Latvia would end up losing to eventual world champion Germany 81-79 in the quarterfinals, with star forward Davis Bertans missing a three-pointer in the waning seconds.  

“At the beginning, it was very disappointing, but there is no time to be sad and get fixated on the last game because we as a team felt that because of one lost game we have to give up something in the next games,” said Grazulis, who had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in the loss to Germany.

Latvia would rebound and beat Italy and Lithuania to grab fifth place.

“It was a good last game \[versus Lithuania\] to go home with good feelings about the whole thing. But there is that feeling because we were so close to advancing but that’s how life in sport is,” said Grazulis, who scored 28 points in the 87-82 win over Italy.

Another big reason for the improved production is Grazulis getting more and more comfortable with living in Italy. His Italia experience began in 2019 with second division Derthona Basket. He jumped to Italian League side Pallacanestro Trieste and averaged 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in 2021-22. 

“The jump to Serie A wasn’t hard because basketball is basketball everywhere, just some small adjustments. But that was no problem,” he said.

The biggest adjustment from last season to this season for Grazulis is his added confidence and it is showing.

As the competition reaches its half-way mark, a few players are looking unstoppable in EuroCup Fantasy Challenge.

Round 9 fantasy tips: Five players who are on fire

Round 9 marks an important week in the BKT EuroCup, the halfway point of the regular season. When it's over, other than a postponed game between Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv and Wolves Vilnius, all teams in each group will have faced each other at least once. Some players have been on fire lately and we featured five of them who can give [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://eurocupfantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) managers an edge whether in private leagues or the overall standings.

[Andres Feliz, Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andres-feliz/011247/) (10.9 credits) – Feliz returned to action after a five-game injury layoff, and as soon as he did, started leading Joventut again. Last week against Hapoel, he had 24 points by making 6 of 8 two-pointers and 4 of 6 threes, adding 4 rebounds and 7 assists for a PIR of 32. Buy him while he is still cheap!  

[Gabe Olaseni, London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/gabe-olaseni/006600/) (14.8 credits) – Fully established as one of the best big men in the EuroCup, Olaseni has been just unstoppable in the last three games. He has averaged 21.3 points on 25-of-39 two-point shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a PIR of 26.7. A lot is expected from Olaseni against high-scoring Wolves.

Karel Guzman, Yoan Makoundou, Gabe Olaseni, Andres Feliz and Steven Enoch are featured in this week's article.

EuroCup Fantasy tips: Round 9

[Yoan Makoundou, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/yoan-makoundou/011935/) (10.9 credits) –  Over his last three games, Makoundou boosted his numbers to 20.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and a PIR of 23.7. In Round 8, Makoundou led Buducnost past Trento with a career-high PIR of 33, setting four other personal bests. What's not to like about Yoan?

[Karel Guzman, U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karel-guzman/011797/) (11.2 credits) – Added to his spectacular dunks and blocked shots, Guzman is having a really good season. In the last three games, Guzman is averaging 12.0 points on 14-for-19 field goal shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and a PIR of 20.3. In other words, he is doing everything right.

[Steven Enoch, Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/steven-enoch/011239/) (14.6 credits) – Turk Telekom is not having its great season but its man in the middle is delivering. Enoch has posted four consecutive double-doubles while averaging 15.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and a PIR of 24.3. Enoch's lowest PIR since late October was 20. Outstanding!

The BKT EuroCup Regular Season will reach its midway point with Round 9 on Tuesday and Wednesday, including clashes between the top four teams in both Groups A and B. Here's the lowdown on this week's ten games.

Round 9 features key duels at the tops and bottoms of the groups

### Tuesday, November 28

[Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Slask Wroclaw ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/turk-telekom-ankara-slask-wroclaw/U2023/90/)

Either Turk Telekom (1-7) or Slask (0-8) will finally celebrate the end of a long losing run in a game that already looks like a battle to avoid the wooden spoon in Group B. The game could be a real grind, with Turk Telekom possessing the competition's second-worst offense (76.5 points per game), while Slask is only marginally better at 77.4 points per game. A bright spot for the Turkish team has been the form of Steven Enoch, who has recorded four straight double-doubles with an average PIR of 24.3. A highlight of this game will be his battle in the paint with the equally prolific Dusan Miletic, who will be looking to regain top form after netting 9 points in last week's loss to Lietkabelis, ending a five-game streak of double-digit scoring. 

 

[Wolves Vilnius vs. London Lions ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/wolves-vilnius-london-lions/U2023/84/)

Red-hot London (6-2) will aim for a fourth straight victory as it travels to a Wolves team (4-3) that is also looking good for a place in the playoffs after winning four of its last five. Expect a fierce rebounding battle: Wolves averages the league's second-highest number of offensive boards, 13.4 per game, with 2.6 coming from Tre'Shawn Thurman; but London protects its backboard better than anyone else, with Donte Grantham (5.6 defensive rebounds per game) contributing to London's league-best average of 28.1 boards off its own glass. Matthew Morgan has scored at least 15 points in seven straight games, so slowing him down will be a key for the Wolves defense.

[Umana Reyer Venice vs. Veolia Hamburg Towers ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/umana-reyer-venice-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/85/)

After seeing a promising upturn in form ended by last week's loss against Prometey, Reyer (3-5) will look to get back on the playoff trail with a visit from a Hamburg team (1-7) whose hopes of challenging for the knockout stages are fast fading. Reyer is one of the best two-point shooting teams in the competition, making 56.9% of shots inside the arc, and will look for Kyle Wiltjer (11.2 points per game) to register his fifth straight double-digit scoring night. Hamburg will look to control him through the dependable William Christmas (7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game), who has made at least one steal every game this season. 

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys - U-BT Cluj-Napoca | Round 4 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

### Wednesday, November 29

[U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/89/)

In Wednesday's opening tip-off, Cluj (6-2) will look to get back onto the winning path against Lietkabelis (4-4) which has won three in a row. Cluj's heavy loss to Gran Canaria last week was partly down to committing 24 turnovers, and guard duo DJ Seeley and Bryce Jones will look to take better care of the basketball after respectively losing 4 and 5 possessions in that defeat. Lietkabelis continued its excellent run with a hard-fought victory at Slask, surviving a fourth-quarter collapse as Vytenis Lipkevicius flirted with a triple-double by posting 8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and the Lithuanian team will be conscious of starting in Cluj much better than it finished in Slask.

[Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Paris Basketball ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-paris-basketball/U2023/83/)

Cedevita's (0-8) long quest for a first victory of the season faces its latest chapter with a visit from high-flying Paris (7-1), which is eager to recover from the blip of its first defeat of the campaign against Besiktas. The game is highlighted by a backcourt battle between the league's leading assisters, with Cedevita's Klemen Prepelic (9.3 assists per game) going up against Paris orchestrator TJ Shorts (7.6 apg.). The host's cause is helped by the presence of Justin Cobbs, who scored 19 points on his return from injury last week. Paris will again look to the long-range shooting prowess of Nadir Hifi, who has made 15 of his last 26 three-pointers. 

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/82/)

After claiming the prestigious prize of Group A leader Paris last week, Besiktas (6-2) faces another major road test with a trip to face Hapoel (5-2) in Belgrade. Besiktas has won three of its last four thanks to a suffocating defense, which restricted explosive Paris to just 63 points last week and has allowed only 72.5 points per game, best in the league. Hapoel, in contrast, boasts the league's most potent offense with an average of 97.9 points per game including a 103-99 thriller against Joventut last week. Xavier Munford was the hero, ending a relative slump in form by blasting 31 points. So Besiktas will look to the likes of Berk Ugurlu, who has at least one steal in six games this season, to slow down Munford in what promises to be an enthralling clash of styles.

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse - ratiopharm Ulm  | Round 17 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

[ratiopharm Ulm vs. JL Bourg en Bresse ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/ratiopharm-ulm-mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2023/86/)

Two direct rivals currently tied for second place in Group B go head to head as Ulm (6-2) hosts Bourg (6-2). Both are in great form, with Ulm winning five of its last six while Bourg has won three out of four. The German team's smooth offense has delivered an average of 22.5 assists per game, led by 6.2 per night from impressive youngster Juan Nuñez. But nobody puts more pressure on the ball than Bourg, which leads the league in steals with 10.4 per game - 2.4 of those coming from Isaiha Mike. There will also be a big battle in the paint between the competition's leading rebounder Trevion Williams (10.9 per game) and Kevin Kokila, who had 10 points and 9 boards in last week's win over Turk Telekom. 

[Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dolomiti-energia-trento-aris-midea-thessaloniki/U2023/87/)

Two teams tied on the fringes of the playoff places go head to head as Trento (3-5) hosts Aris (3-5) with both on two-game losing streaks. A key head-to-head will come in the paint, where Trento's Andrejs Grazulis (14 points and 5.8 rebounds per game) goes up against visiting big man Silvio de Sousa (7.4 points and 6.6 boards). Aris is the lowest-scoring team in the competition with just 70.6 points per game despite a season-high 88 against Ulm last week. This should be a good opportunity to build on that improvement against a Trento team that has struggled defensively, allowing 88.1 points per game and it suffered a big psychological setback last time out with an overtime defeat to Buducnost. 

Joventut Badalona - Prometey Slobozhanske | Round 4 Highlights | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

[Joventut Badalona vs. Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-prometey-slobozhanske/U2023/81/)

Struggling Joventut (3-5) will aim to end a three-game slide against a Prometey team (4-4) that has been heading in the opposite direction by winning two in a row. Powered by Ondrey Balvin's 8.9 rebounds per game, second best in the league, Prometey is the competition's top rebounding team (39.5 per game) and will expect to dominate the physical battle. Joventut will hope to control the tempo through the backcourt in a game that could become a matter of speed versus power. A key figure could be guard Andres Feliz, who made an excellent return from injury in last week's defeat against Hapoel, scoring 24 points on 10 of 14 field goal shooting and adding 7 assists. 

[Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/dreamland-gran-canaria-buducnost-voli-podgorica/U2023/88/)

The competition's only perfect team, Gran Canaria (8-0), will aim to underline its intent to retain the EuroCup title with a visit from Buducnost (3-5) which boosted its own playoffs hopes by ending a four-game losing streak by downing Trento in an overtime thriller last time out. The main man in that triumph was Yoan Makoundou, who now averages 20 points and 6.3 rebounds in the last three games. Gran Canaria has won all eight previous meetings between the teams and is looking to maintain its defensive excellence after restricting its opponents to less than 80 points for six consecutive games. Ethan Happ has dominated the boards, averaging 7 rebounds in the last four games, and will look to limit the influence of Makoundou.

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