

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica avenged an opening-game loss and moved up in the Group B standings by downing undermanned host Veolia Hamburg Towers 59-87 on Wednesday. Buducnost lifted its record to 6-4 while Hamburg fell into danger at 3-6, just one win into the playoffs zone.
Erick Green, in his EuroCup return, led Buducnost with 22 points. Aleksa Ilic posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Alpha Kaba had 10 and 9, respectively. Hamburg, which was missing four players who average a combined 39.8 points, got 18 from Marvin Clark plus 17 and 12 rebounds from Lukas Meisner. Buducnosts 29-46 advantage on the boards was decisive.
Kaba downed 6 points as Buducnost went up 2-8 but Meisner scored inside and out to tie 8-8. Ilic and Green helped Buducnost pull away 11-16 . Ilic blasted a putback as the visitors led 13-20 after 10 minutes. Green's triple early in the second quarter was answered by James Woodard and Meisner as Hamburg stayed within 21-26. Kaba, Cameron Reynolds and Tre Bell-Haynes, from deep, pushed the difference to double-digits, 25-35. Len Schoormann and Clark's long-range shooting kept it from getting worse, but Green restored a 33-43 halftime lead for Buducnost.
J.J. O'Brien lengthened the difference to 33-47 before Meisner and Petar Popovic traded triples. Bell-Haynes and Reynolds, from long distance, made it a runaway already at 38-57 midway through the third quarter. Clark and Woodard did what they could to lower the difference to 49-65 after 30 minutes. The Hamburg duo kept trying but they were outgunned by Green and Ilic as the lead climbed to 54-74, leaving the outcome no longer in any doubt.