Buducnost VOLI Podgorica stayed on course in the Group B playoff race with a 95-81 home win over Lietkabelis Panevezys on Wednesday night, moving to 9-5 in the standings.

Buducnost rides second-half momentum to victory over Lietkabelis

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica stayed on course in the Group B playoff race with a 95-81 home win over Lietkabelis Panevezys on Wednesday night, moving to 9-5 in the standings.

Back on its home floor, Buducnost continued its strong home form at Moraca Sports Center, where it has lost just once this season, and pulled away in the second half behind improved perimeter shooting and defensive intensity.

Axel Bouteille and Nikola Tanaskovic were the driving forces for Buducnost, both reaching double figures early and energizing the offense. The duo made 8 of Buducnost’s 12 three-pointers, giving the home side a lift from beyond the arc, with Bouteille finishing with 22 points and Tanaskovic adding 20.

‘‘The second half was better,’’ said Bouteille after the game. ‘‘I think we played better on defense. I think offensively sometimes we were a little bit too static, and as soon as we moved the ball, we were better. We have some good shots, we make them, and defense was better. So, I think I was satisfied with this one.’’

Buducnost came out of the locker room with renewed energy. The turning point came in the third quarter, with the hosts trailing by 8 before Tanaskovic and Rasheed Sulaimon knocked down back-to-back threes to close the gap.

From that moment, Buducnost seized the momentum, improving its one-on-one defense and asserting control over the game. Buducnost closed the fourth quarter with a 13-2 run to secure the win.

‘‘I think that first half we were far from the freshness, the desire, the energy that we want, especially defensively, and we got too many points,’’ said coach Andrej Zakelj, reflecting on the game. ‘‘I think in the second half, they scored 30 points, so when we got the rebounds... and that's it, there is no big philosophy. If you fight, if you play defense, if you rebound, if you're tough, then you can play against everybody.’’

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Buducnost’s second-half perimeter shooting proved decisive. After hitting just 2 of 9 from three in the first half, the hosts connected on 10 triples after the break, finishing at 42.9%.

Yogi Ferrell was another key figure for Buducnost, posting a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists while keeping the offense flowing. Rasheed Sulaimon also carried a significant scoring load, contributing 17 points.

Lietkabelis, aware of the narrow margin for error, pushed hard but couldn’t turn its effort into a road win. Fardaws Aimaq made his presence felt in the paint, finishing with 19 points.

‘‘I don't think that we deserve to lose by 14,’ ’said Nenad Canak in the press conference. ‘‘It was a tight game like 36-37 minutes. Second half was decisive, it's obvious, because Buducnost made 10 threes in the second half and we shot 1 from 12 … I think that we played good basketball like 36-37 minutes and we will try to continue on that way.’’

Next up, Buducnost will face a demanding road test against Besiktas GAIN, who remain unbeaten at home this season. Lietkabelis, meanwhile, returns home to host Dolomita Energia Trento.

Game News

Axel Bouteille and Nikola Tanaskovic stood out for Buducnost, combining for 42 points

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Lietkabelis Panevezys (2026-01-14T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem comfortably overcame Aris Thessaloniki Betsson, 96-77, to extend its winning streak to 11,

Jerusalem extends winning streak to 11 with road win at Aris

“We had a goal from the beginning of the season – obviously, we wanted to finish top two,” said Khadeen Carrington said. Speaking minutes after his playoff-qualified Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem team comfortably overcame Aris Thessaloniki Betsson, 96-77, to extend its winning streak to 11, Carrington was still careful not to get carried away. “We still have a way to go, with four more games, so we have to stay focused until it’s all done.”

It was a highly professional display from Jerusalem on Wednesday night at Palais De Sports. The visitors took control from the opening tip, running out to an 8-0 start to the contest. The visitors continued to dictate the pace, finishing the first period ahead by 9. However, some short-lived resistance from Aris meant that the hosts went into halftime trailing by just 9.

Coach Yonatan Alon’s men snatched the momentum back in the third quarter, closing Aris’s window of opportunity quickly and tightening their grip on the game throughout the second half. Despite some late foul trouble, Jerusalem earned the 19-point victory with no significant trouble.

“We came in here, where there’s a tough crowd, we didn’t want to give them anything, so we jumped out on them early,” said Carrington. “Credit to the team and coaching staff, everybody was focused from the beginning.”

Reigning EuroCup MVP Jared Harper stood out again for Jerusalem with 17 points and 5 dimes. Carrington scored 17 points of his own and Cassius Winston, Anthony Lamb and Yovel Zoosman also finished on double figures in scoring. The visitors may have won the game on the glass, finishing with 13 more rebounds than their opponents.

As well as winning its 11th game on the bounce, Jerusalem strengthened its hope of finishing first in Group A, having already clinched postseason action. At 12-2 for the EuroCup campaign, its 4 remaining regular season games will serve as something of a seeding exercise.

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Coach Igor Milicic’s men find themselves in a more challenging position. At 7-7 and having lost their third game in a row, Aris faces a battle to hold on to its playoff hopes. They will need a turnaround in form and some good fortune to take them to the next stage. To pull it off, Milicic feels they need to focus on effort in one particular area of their play.

“We didn’t accomplish what we asked before this game – to put up a fight on rebounds. This is the comment on the game, and on the last five games,” Milicic exclaimed.

“This is embarrassing, especially for the bigs. Whatever we do, whatever we practice to improve this, it’s pretty much bullsh\*t. You have to want to do it, you are getting paid for it, so you better do it. If you don’t do it, there’s no place for you here, with this mentality.”

One hopeful sign for the coach’s hunt for rebounds was the introduction of center Kostas Antetokounmpo. The Greek native and recent Aris loanee from Olympiacos Piraeus experienced mixed fortunes in a tough debut, making promising defensive plays, along with careless and unnecessary fouls. The 28-year-old center feels he can improve and capitalize on the fresh opportunity.

"Sometimes you have to dive straight into the deep end,” said Antetokounmpo. “It’s something that will help me, and I’m truly ready for the opportunity that lies ahead."

The immediate challenge that lies ahead for Aris is a trip to Poland to face Slask Wroclaw next Tuesday. On that same night, Jerusalem will face off against Bahcesehir College Istanbul.

Khadeen Carrington and Jared Harper lead the way as Jerusalem strengthens its bid for first place in Group A

Aris Thessaloniki Betsson v Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem (2026-01-14T18:00:00.000Z)

Besiktas GAIN Istanbul outlasted Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 103-99 in a thrilling EuroCup showdown, led by Ante Zizic’s dominant performance and clutch free throws from Brynton Lemar and Anthony Brown. 
Keywords: Besiktas, Bourg, EuroCup, Ante Zizic, Brynton Lemar, Anthony Brown, Darius McGhee, Group B, basketball, BKT EuroCup

Besiktas beats Bourg 103-99 in EuroCup classic 

It was a highly-anticipated game between the top two teams in Group B and when the dust settled, Besiktas GAIN Istanbul beat Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse 99-103 in an extraordinary game. It was Besiktas's second victory over Bourg twice this season after thrashing Coach [Frederic Fauthoux](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/fauthoux-frederic)'s team 90-60 in Round 5. Bourg is 11-1 against every other team in Group B.

It was a back-and-forth detail in which small details made the difference. Besiktas handled the ball better, finishing the game with 20 assists and just 8 turnovers. It had a turnover-free fourth quarter, too. Bourg committed 4 of its 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter and only dished 12 assists. Bourg set new BKT EuroCup club records for free throws made (32) and attempted (45).

In the fourth quarter, however, Bourg took 12 free throw attempts, 2 more than Bourg. None of them were more important than the ones [Brynton Lemar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/brynton-lemar/013261/) and [Anthony Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-brown/009025/) attempted in the final 12.3 seconds of the game. Lemar and Brown hit 2 free throws apiece to put Besiktas's victory on ice.

Before that, it was [Ante Zizic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-zizic/004554/) who allowed Besiktas to stay in the game through thick and thin, putting together another great performance.

Zizic played a near-perfect first half, helping Besiktas to a 50-52 lead. At halftime, he had 20 points on 8-of-8 two-point shooting and 4-of-5 on free throws. Zizic finished the game with 26 points. Bourg center [Kevin Kokila](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) had averaged 7.3 rebounds and a PIR of 21.0 in the previous three games. Against Zizic, Kokila was limited to 4 rebounds and a PIR of 10.

Zizic has been forcing his name into the EuroCup MVP conversation since the beginning of the season. He has averaged 13.8 points on 72.4% two-point shooting and 7.5 rebounds for a PIR of 23.1. Over his last six games, however, Zizic has been worth 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds for a PIR of 29.3. he has made 39 of 50 two-point shots (78.0% 2FG) in that time.

"It was a very physical game and a huge win for us. We showed our character tonight. We gave it all. Offensively, we did a great job. We shared the ball and scored \[over\] 100 points, so what else can we say? But defensively, this is a talented team that plays very tough. Great job from my guys and coaching staff tonight," Zizic said. "We have to keep going. We have to keep winning. We have a good schedule and I'm looking forward to it."

Besiktas managed to win the game despite a stellar performance from playmaker [Darius McGhee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/darius-mcghee/013859/), who got out of a shooting slump in the competition. In his last three games, McGhee had made just 1 of 7 two-pointers (14.7% 2FG) and 5 of 23 three-pointers (21.7% 3FG). Against Besiktas, McGhee had 25 points on 6 of 9 two-pointers and 4 of 6 three-pointers, including an 11-meter prayer right at the end of the third quarter to tie things up at 76-76. However, McGhee also committed a pair of costly turnovers in the closing minutes. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From way out, McGhee says: “I got this!” 🎯<a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JLBourgBasket</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/Cjs5nqcUf8">pic.twitter.com/Cjs5nqcUf8</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/2011534239267803454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Besiktas coach [Dusan Alimpijevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-gain-istanbul/bes/alimpijevic-dusan) praised Bourg after a fun-to-watch game, and stressed the importance of his team's win.

"There was more intensity offensively because both teams were in good offensive shape. Both teams scored some, let's say, tough shots under pressure. This was a game with almost 200 points, but I cannot say that these two teams didn't fight. Really, congratulations to Bourg for everything they are doing so far, to their coach. It means a lot or us, for our confidence in the future," Coach Alimpijevic said. 

"This is very important for us. They were up by, if I'm right, around 10-12 points. I'm very happy that I have this group of people who never give up. We came back and found a way to win. I'm very, very happy for this."

Ante Zizic shines with 26 points as Besiktas completes season sweep over Bourg 

Besiktas edges Bourg to close the gap in Group B race 

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Besiktas GAIN Istanbul (2026-01-14T18:30:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm mounted a 15-4 run in the final frame to secure an 88-76 victory to not only improve to 6-8 but also take the tiebreaker over NINERS Chemnitz, which had won its home game in Round 5 by 11 points. 

Ulm rewards itself with tiebreaker on Chemnitz after strong fourth quarter

ratiopharm ulm captured what in essence was a double victory with a strong fourth quarter in beating NINERS Chemnitz to stay alive in the race for the playoffs.

Ulm mounted a 15-4 run in the final frame to secure an 88-76 victory to not only improve to 6-8 but also take the tiebreaker over Chemnitz, which had won its home game in Round 5 by 11 points.

“It’s a great win for us. We took the points spread. We’re hanging around that last playoff spot. We’re gonna fight for it until the end,” said Ulm head coach Ty Harrelson, whose team had lost six of the last seven games as well as its last four home games.

“Great effort from us in the fourth quarter. A couple times in this EuroCup season, it seems like we run out of gas against our opponents and didn’t finish the game. Today, with missing a couple guys and a smaller rotation, we found a way to get it done. Just proud of our effort and fight until the end. When we do that, we’re a pretty good basketball team.”

Christopher Ledlum led the way for Ulm with 23 points while Tobias Jensen collected 15 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, Malik Osborne tallied 15 points and 11 rebounds and Justin Simon chipped in 15 points.

“We knew we had to come in and fight and play hard and we did that. I am very proud of our team and everybody doing what we were supposed to do today. We just stuck with what we do. We played hard and we fought. That’s what it came down to,” said Ledlum, who scored 18 points of his points in the first half.

Despite star Mark Smith missing the game as well as Nelson Weidemann and Tommy Klepeisz, Ulm got Alec Anigbata back for the first time since Round 11.

Ulm scored the first 8 points of the second quarter and pushed the advantage to 12 (33-21). Chemnitz cut the deficit to 38-37 and trailed 46-41 at the break. A 2-13 run near the end of the third quarter put Chemnitz ahead 62-64.

The game was knotted 69-69 when Ulm put it away with a 15-4 surge to lead 84-73. The only question was if Ulm could grab the tiebreaker as well. Simon snatched the ball and threw down a dunk with 4.9 seconds to give that to Ulm as well.

<center>
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“It’s a tough loss. We gave ourselves a chance up by 2 in the last possession of the third quarter, but our fourth quarter was not good,” said Chemnitz head coach Rodrigo Pastore. 

“We looked fatigued in the last quarter. I didn’t like what I saw: Our rhythm was not there, open court game was non-existent, and too much half-court basketball and that’s the way they want to play.”

Chemnitz saw its four-game winning streak snapped to fall to 7-7 despite Amadou Sow scoring 20 points and Kevin Yebo contributing 16 points and 11 rebounds. Aher Uguak, who just re-joined the club, chipped in 6 points in 16 minutes off the bench in his first game since February 2025 after undergoing knee surgery.

ratiopharm ulm snapped a four-game home losing skid

ratiopharm ulm v NINERS Chemnitz (2026-01-14T18:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara solidified its chances of reaching the BKT EuroCup postseason after an 88-63 home rout of London Lions thanks to a majestic second half, which the Turkish side dominated 58-31 on Wednesday. 

Turk Telekom blows away tame Lions and closes in on postseason 

Turk Telekom Ankara solidified its chances of reaching the BKT EuroCup postseason after an 88-63 home rout of London Lions thanks to a majestic second half, which the Turkish side dominated 58-31 on Wednesday.

Turk Telekom improved to 9-5 in Group B while the Lions dropped to 5-9 after losing four of their last five, going down tamely due to a disjointed performance after the break, having led for the bulk of the first. The home team raced into a 6-0 lead, but the Lions, who thrived on offensive boards in the opening 20 minutes, surged ahead 18-28 in the second quarter as Turk Telekom struggled from long range. The hosts closed the gap to 30-21 at the half.

The matchup got turned on its head after the break as Turk Telekom put together a 13-1 run and never looked back. The Turkish squad started hitting shots from downtown and took charge in the paint, as forward Marko Simonovic finished on 13 rebounds while Uros Trifunovic paced the home team on a game-high 16 points.

Kyle Allman chipped in with 10 points and 4 assists, while Ata Kahraman added 11 points as Turk Telekom dished out 21 assists and racked up 40 boards. London, which led the battle of the boards 22-15 at halftime, collected a mere 10 rebounds in the second half and just 2 of them came on the offensive end as the visitors looked completely at sea against a free-flowing Turk Telekom. 

“Our attitude and the way we approached the game changed in the third quarter,” Turk Telekom head coach Erdem Can said in his postgame comments. ”Our offense was unacceptable in the first half. A big thanks to our fans, I hope we can give them more and more as everything will be better with them. Every game is so important and we need to focus on the next one we’re playing on the road.”

<center>
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Simonovic, who was a handful in the paint for his rivals, praised his teammates who rediscovered their mojo at the interval after a poor first half. Turk Telekom won the third quarter 30-10 and Simonovic was delighted as the hosts kept their foot on the gas in the fourth.

“I want to congratulate my teammates, we played much better in the second half than we did in the first,” he said. “London missed some players, but it’s still not easy to play against a running team like them. I hope we can continue to play the way we did today.”

The home side produced a strong second half after struggling in the first to enjoy the win 

Turk Telekom Ankara v London Lions (2026-01-14T16:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem is once again among the favorites to win the BKT EuroCup this season, and much of the credit goes to American center Austin Wiley.

Commander in the paint and silent team leader: Austin Wiley is a new powerhouse in Europe

Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem is once again among the favorites to win the BKT EuroCup this season, and much of the credit goes to American center Austin Wiley.

The Israeli team is playing excellent basketball, with an impressive 11-2 record, leading Group A of the BKT EuroCup, and it seems likely it will secure a bye directly into the quarterfinals. 

Reining EuroCup MVP Jared Harper leads the team with assistance from Cassius Winston, and the core of local Israeli players is doing an excellent job. But, another standout player attracting significant attention is 26-year-old center Austin Wiley.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1919171/commander-in-the-paint-and-silent-team-leader-austin-wiley-is-a-new-powerhouse-in-europe).

Another impressive season for Austin Wiley, who is slowly emerging as one of the best centers in Europe

Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens announced the arrival of guard Brandon Taylor on Wednesday morning. Taylor arrives from the EuroLeague side Virtus Bologna where he averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 assists in 11 EuroLeague appearances, playing a complimentary role behind guards Carsen Edwards, Luca Vildoza and Matt Morgan.

Panionios inks guard Brandon Taylor

[Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/panionios-cosmorama-travel-athens/roster/nio/) announced the arrival of guard [Brandon Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/brandon-taylor/014004/) on Wednesday morning. Taylor lands to South Athens from the EuroLeague side Virtus Bologna where he averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 assists in 11 EuroLeague appearances, playing a complimentary role behind guards [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/), [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) and [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/).

The 32-year-old joined Virtus in May 2025 and was part of the team that won the Italian League championship last season.

He is now set to make his BKT EuroCup debut for Panionios, which has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. holding a 2-12 record in Group B following last night's [loss at Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-edges-panionios-on-khalif-battles-buzzer-beater/).

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The guard spent first part of the season with Virtus

Dolomiti Energia Trento scraped an 88-87 home win over Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens to stay firmly in contention for a EuroCup postseason spot, improving to 8-6 in Group B while the Greek side dropped to 2-12 and remained rock bottom in Group B.

Trento edges Panionios on Khalif Battle's buzzer-beater

Dolomiti Energia Trento scraped an 88-87 home win over Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens to stay firmly in contention for a EuroCup postseason spot, improving to 8-6 in Group B while the Greek side dropped to 2-12 and remained rock bottom in Group B.

It was a game of two very different halves as Trento steamrolled through the first and led 49-30 shortly before the interval, only for Panionios to turn the matchup on its head in the second. Trailing 51-37 at halftime, the visitors led 64-69 at the end of the third quarter and maintained a 76-81 advantage with just a few minutes left on the clock.

Trento then found an extra gear to force the final twist and win by the skin of its teeth, with Khalif Battle emerging as the hero after he sank a tough buzzer-beating floater and was presented a bottle of champagne postgame for his efforts. The home side survived an almighty scare, however, as Panionios put its game face on in the second half and shot the lights out to finish on 11-of-25 from deep, having made only 1-of-7 in the first quarter.

Joe Thomasson, who joined the club less than a fortnight ago, was particularly lethal from mid-range and downtown, coming close to handing new coach Nenad Markovic a second successive win after Panionios had lost 10 in a row. 

“I didn’t expect to win like this, but a win is a win and I am very happy that we continued our (progress) in the EuroCup,” Trento head coach Massimo Cancellieri said in his postgame comments. “At this point, with four games to go in the regular season, the important thing is to get the victory and that’s what we did. We threw away a big lead, but we stayed calm and poised, and it’s important for us to have won the game with the last shot. We were lucky this time.”

DJ Steward paced Trento with 16 points, despite shooting just 2-of-11 from inside, and Devante Jones overcame illness to rack up 11 points and 8 assists. His incisive drives to the basket made him a constant threat to the Panionios defense. Jordan Bayehe chipped in with 15 points and 6 boards for Trento, which next faces Lietkabelis Panevezys in a bid to strengthen its grasp on a postseason spot, with the Italian side currently in fifth place in Group B.

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Delighted with Trento snatching victory from the jaws of what could have been a damaging defeat, Jones heaped praise on his teammates and particularly on Battle. 

“We’ve got players like Khalif and DJ on our team and I’ve got so much faith in those guys,” he said. “Having Khalif here is a big blessing. The team did great, everybody did great and it’s a very important win for us. The next game is probably even more important, so we’ve got to be ready.”

Panionios head coach Nenad Markovic, who joined the Greek side on December 30, could only rue a missed opportunity to defy the odds and stage an upset, although he praised his team’s second-half effort, which had Trento reeling and hanging on for a fifth win in the last six games.

“That’s basketball. In the second half, we had the attitude we should have had from the beginning,” the Bosnian tactician said. “We played much better defense and controlled the rebounds; we found plenty of open shots, too. We fought hard and took the game to the last possession and in the end, they made that shot. Congratulations to them.”

The home team threw away a 19-point lead and then had the last laugh after snatching it at the death

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens (2026-01-13T19:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana earned a 104-87 road win over Neptunas Klaipeda to improve to 9-5 in Group A. Umoja Gibson scored 25 points and David Skara added 16 points and 8 rebounds in the EuroCup clash.
Keywords:
Cedevita Olimpija vs Neptunas, EuroCup basketball, David Skara 16 points, Umoja Gibson 25 points, EuroCup Group A standings, Klaipeda game recap.

Cedevita cruises past Neptunas for comfortable road win

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana claimed a comfortable road win at Neptunas Klaipeda on Tuesday night, improving to 9-5 in Group A to remain third in the standings.

Coming off last week's defeat, Cedevita played with a composed and balanced display away from home. The Slovenian side set the tone early, quickly building a double-digit lead. While Neptunas pushed back in the second quarter, Cedevita’s offensive efficiency proved decisive.

David Skara was a steady force for Cedevita, finishing with 16 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 85.7% from the paint. The Croatian center’s strong inside presence gave his team a physical edge over Neptunas.

‘‘For sure, we didn't expect to finish the game in the first quarter. We started well, we knew they were going to wake up, eventually they were gonna come back in the game. But as I said, we didn't let our aggressiveness go down and we stayed solid the whole game,’’ said Skara after the game.

Cedevita made the most of its depth, spreading the scoring across multiple players to keep the offense moving, with five players reaching double figures.

Umoja Gibson was another key contributor, hitting half of the team’s 8 three-pointers and finishing with 25 points and 4 assists, while DJ Stewart added 18, Jaka Blazic 16, and Aleksej Nikolic 12.

Cedevita’s inside scoring set the tone, with efficient ball movement creating easy opportunities in the paint. The visitors finished with 104 points, well above their 86.2 season average, and dominated the boards to take control of the game physically.

‘‘I think we started the game really focused,’’ said coach Zvezdan Mitrovic after the game. ‘‘I think it was not bad in the first quarter. After, Neptunas grabbed the game and started to play their way. But in the second half, after some problems in the third quarter, we opened our game, even in offense we started to play good… Very important game for us and we are really happy about all this.’’

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="et" dir="ltr">At his best when it matters the most. David Škara.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZmajevaDruzina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZmajevaDruzina</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/ClCAyEacbu">pic.twitter.com/ClCAyEacbu</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana - English (@KKCedOL_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL_EN/status/2011152907048305137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Neptunas struggled to maintain its aggressiveness inside and connected on just 6 of 22 from beyond the arc. Zane Waterman led the second-quarter surge with 15 points, while Donatas Tarolis added 13, but their efforts weren’t enough to turn the game in the home side’s favor.

‘‘It was a very good start aggressively from Cedevita’s side,’’ said Coach Gediminas Petrauskas. ‘‘We did not respond to the physicality in the first 7 minutes. Then later, we kind of find the rhythm... And as soon as we kind of almost were in reach of the hand, we stopped and we got back again into our struggle offensively.’’

Next up, Cedevita will look to carry its road momentum back home against U-BT Cluj-Napoca, while Neptunas hits the road to face BAXI Manresa.

David Skara’s inside presence and Umoja Gibson’s 25 points lead Cedevita to a 85-104 triumph in Lithuania

Neptunas Klaipeda v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2026-01-13T17:00:00.000Z)