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Round 11 at a glance: The hunt for the playoffs heats up

Round 11 at a glance: The hunt for the playoffs heats up

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Round 11 at a glance: The hunt for the playoffs heats up

Round 11 of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season will deliver 10 more games loaded with significance for the playoff race. Here’s your guide to Tuesday and Wednesday’s action across the continent.

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. NINERS Chemnitz (18:00 CET)

Chemnitz (4-6) will look to strengthen its push for the playoffs by overcoming struggling Lietkabelis (2-8). It’s a real must-win for the hosts, who are starting to run out of time to challenge for the top six after suffering another defeat – their eighth in nine games – at Besiktas in Round 10 despite 27 points from Michael Flowers. Chemnitz, on the other hand, gained confidence by overcoming Panionios last time out and will hope for more inside dominance from Amadou Sow after his double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) in that triumph. Lietkabelis has the competition’s worst two-point shooting conversion rate (47.2%), and must improve that statistic to give its season a badly-needed boost.

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem (18:30 CET)

A crunch clash at the top of Group A sees second-place Cedevita (7-3) welcome group leader Hapoel (8-2). The home team is aiming to bounce back from last week’s heavy loss at Manresa and is targeting defensive improvement after allowing 99 points in that game. Hapoel, meanwhile, is riding high on a seven-game winning streak and can call upon a red-hot Khadeen Carrington, who has knocked down multiple triples in four games straight. Cedevita will look for more backcourt heroics from DJ Stewart, who scored 27 points to give his team a road win, 84-99, over Hapoel in Round 2, but overcoming Carrington and fellow star guard Jared Harper will not be an easy task.

Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (20:00 CET)

Trento (5-5) will look to narrow the gap on Buducnost (7-3) in a key battle for Group B’s top four. The Italian team is coming off two impressive road wins and also triumphed, 96-107, when the teams met in Round 2. Guard Devante Jones was the key to that success with 24 points, and he faces a key backcourt battle with Buducnost leader Rasheed Sulaimon, who registered 16 points and 6 assists in last week’s comfortable home win over London. Buducnost boasts the EuroCup’s best three-point accuracy (40%), while Trento is next-to-last in that category, and Payton Aldridge (3-of-5 triples in last week’s win at Bourg) could be key for the Italian team to turn around that statistic.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (17:00 CET)

A key matchup in Group A gives Turk Telekom (7-3) the chance to move level with high-flying Bourg (8-2). The French team needs a rapid response from last week’s shock heavy home loss to Trento, when 20 points from in-form forward Both Gach was the only shining light. Turk Telekom is coming off a mammoth 34-point road win at Ulm, powered by 15 points and 13 rebounds by Kris Bankston, and has plenty of confidence after winning seven of the last eight games. But Bourg has already tasted victory against the Turkish team this season, prevailing 88-80 at home in Round 2, and can take a significant step towards a top-two finish by securing a head-to-head advantage with another victory this week.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Neptunas Kleipeda (17:00 CET)

Red-hot Neptunas (5-5) will seek its third straight victory with a tough trip to direct rival Cluj (5-5). The Lithuanian team has reached triple figures in its last two games, powered by the offensive orchestration of Arnas Velicka (14 points and 7.4 assists per game). Cluj will look for another strong performance from new signing Nighael Caeser, who stood out with 11 points and 11 rebounds in last week’s loss at Bahcesehir. Neptunas needs a 6-point victory to claim a head-to-head advantage after Cluj won their Round 2 matchup 102-107, and this should be another festival of offensive basketball between the competition’s second and third-highest scoring teams.

Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens vs. ratiopharm ulm (18:30 CET)

Two struggling teams will look for a turnaround in fortunes with Panionios (1-9) welcoming Ulm (4-6). The German team has lost four games straight and had real problems at both ends of the floor in last week’s heavy loss to Turk Telekom, while Panionios is still waiting for its first win since the opening round. Ulm prevailed in a high-scoring thriller, 103-96, when the teams met in October, and big man Christian Sengler will look to repeat the dominant performance that saw him pair 20 points with 7 rebounds. To counter him, the Greek team needs a return to form for Nate Watson, who has failed to reach double digits in scoring since Round 5.

Slask Wroclaw vs. BAXI Manresa (19:00 CET)

Slask (4-6) will look to maintain its strong home form with a challenging visit from direct rival Manresa (5-5). The hosts have won four out of five games in Poland, but showed defensive frailties in their last two games on the road. Manresa, in contrast, has found its best form of the season, with the long-range shooting of Marcis Steinbergs just one factor behind last week’s impressive win over Cedevita. Playmaker Kadre Gray holds the keys to Slask’s offense, and Manresa held him to just 7 points to claim a defense-dominated home win when the teams met in Round 2. But Slask is a different proposition at home, and the Spanish team needs Retin Obasohan to maintain his strong form to claim a valuable road win.

Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Aris Thessaloniki Betsson (19:30 CET)

Hamburg’s (0-10) quest for a first victory of the season continues with a visit from much-improved Aris (5-5). The Greek team has jumped into the playoff picture by winning three of the last five, averaging 90.3 points in the last three games behind the relentless scoring of Bryce Jones, who also chipped in with 12 assists in last week’s win over Reyer. Aris cruised to a 98-76 win when the teams met in October, with all 12 players getting on the scoreboard. But a battling performance against Hapoel last week suggested that Hamburg’s first win could be around the corner, especially if recent signing Devon Daniels maintains his average of 14 points per game.

Umana Reyer Venice vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (20:00 CET)

Bahcesehir (7-3) will continue its challenge for Group A’s top two with a trip to a Reyer (4-6) team fighting to return to the top six. Reyer has lost three of the last four games, but those losses all came on the road, and Ky Bowman’s return to form – with 7 three-pointers in the last two games – will be a source of confidence. The Turkish team snapped a two-game losing streak by overcoming Cluj last week, partly thanks to Trevion Williams grabbing his third double-double of the season. One of those came in Round 2’s comfortable home win over Reyer, which needs Chris Horton to compete hard in the paint to slow down Williams.

London Lions vs. Besiktas GAIN Istanbul (20:30 CET)

Inconsistent London (4-6) will attempt to reignite its playoff challenge with a tough visit from Group B co-leader Besiktas (8-2). The English team lost its way offensively in last week’s heavy loss at Buducnost, and will hope that forward Ryan Mikesell can find his range after going 0-of-6 from the field in that loss. Besiktas is firing on all cylinders after winning four straight games with at least 93 points scored in each, and the long-range shooting of Jonah Mathews – who has multiple triples in six straight games – is just one of the problems facing London, which will also have to banish memories of a 26-point loss at Besiktas earlier this season.