Paris outlasts London after double overtime, 102-106

The London Lions pushed Paris Basketball for 50 minutes before the latter celebrated a 102-106 road win to stun a record crowd at Copperbox Arena on Tuesday night. The hosts pulled off some big buckets at the end of regular time and first overtime to get a second and third chance in the game, but Paris came out victorious from this clash despite its star T.J. Shorts fouling out early in the second overtime. Paris improved to 4-0, while London dropped to 3-1.

Shorts paced Paris with 24 points, Nadir Hifi added 20 and Collin Malcolm recorded 16. Matt Morgan scored a game-high 26 points for London, with Sam Dekker pairing his 19 points with 10 rebounds for a double-double. Gabe Olaseni netted 16 points and downed 11 rebounds for the hosts.

Donte Grantham opened the scoring for London and Dekker sank a couple of layups in a row for a 6-0 run. Paris shot 0-for-6 from the field in the opening stages, but made the most of back-to-back London turnovers to bring the game within 6-4. Conor Morgan drilled a triple off the bench and Tarik Phillip scored on the break for a 13-8 lead. Hifi took his tally to 7 points, as Paris tied the game, 15-15. Luke Nelson pulled up for a fade-away jumper to beat the first-quarter buzzer, but Tyson Ward knocked down one from downtown for Paris’s first lead in the game, 21-22.

A 0-6 Paris run gave the guests a 26-31 cushion and forced London head coach Petar Bozic to call a timeout. Hifi sank a three and Malcolm scored a basket for double-digit Paris lead, 28-38. Dekker and Matt Morgan inspired London to a 7-0 surge, but Ward and Sy sank back-to-back triples for a 41-48 Paris lead heading into halftime.

Game News

London hit the ground running in the second half with a 10-0 run to recover the lead, 51-48. Paris struggled on offense and committed 5 turnovers, scoring just a couple of points in the first 7 minutes after the break, but London had already secured a 61-50 lead following a strong start to the third quarter. Shorts and Malcolm scored a basket each, but Conor Morgan sank a three-pointer to restore a double-digit lead for the hosts, 66-56.

Paris responded with a 0-8 spurt in the fourth quarter, with Shorts scoring 7 points to get his team within 68-66. Mikael Jantunen sank a triple and Mehdy Ngouama scored 4 points to put Paris ahead, 73-77, with 3:40 left on the clock. A Malcolm monster dunk and a Shorts basket would have clinched the win for the guests had Dekker not drilled one from downtown to make it 84-84 and send the game to overtime.

Game Videos

Malcolm, Shorts and Jantunen scored a basket each for an 85-90 Paris lead, but Matt Morgan went 3-for-3 from the line to bring London within 90-92 with 2 minutes left on the clock. Shorts sank a jump-shot, but Dekker responded with a layup on the break after a Paris turnover. Hifi knocked down an off-balance triple with less than a minute to go, but Matt Morgan completed a three-point play at the other end. Olaseni tied the game up 97-97 with 7 seconds remaining. Paris had the last possession, but Shorts missed a jump shot and the game went to second overtime.

Paris was dealt a huge blow, as Shorts committed his fifth foul a few seconds into the second overtime. Olaseni scored a basket and Dekker sank a triple for a 5-0 run, but Paris responded with a 0-7 surge of its own to restore a 102-104 lead. Herrera remained ice-cold from the foul line, going 2-for-2 in the last seconds to seal the victory for the guests.

The hosts took the game to second overtime, but an inspired Paris side displayed a refuse-to-lose spirit.

London Lions v Paris Basketball (2023-10-24T18:30:00.000Z)

Roaring Reyer picks Joventut apart, 79-64

Umana Reyer Venice celebrated its first BKT EuroCup win of the season after serving up a spectacular performance to defeat visiting Joventut Badalona 79-64 on the back of a magnificent effort from sharp-shooting guard Marco Spissu.

The 28-year-old playmaker sank a game-high 24 points, having nailed all 5 of his three-point attempts, 2 of 3 from inside the arc and 5 of 6 from the foul line. He also racked up 4 rebounds and 6 assists, while Amedeo Tessidori contributed with 16 points and Ray Jon Tucker added 14.

Deshaun Thomas paced Joventut with 20 points and Yannick Kraag contributed 12. Last season’s semifinalists shot a miserable 1 of 14 from three-point range.

Reyer improved to 1-3 in Group A following successive defeats to London Lions, Paris Basketball and Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, while Joventut slipped to 2-2.

It was a rugged and physical contest from start to finish as Reyer laid the gauntlet with aggressive defense which Joventut struggled to cope with all night. The visitors led 17-19 at the end of the first quarter on the back of 8 points from Thomas but Reyer had already racked up 13 rebounds at that stage, 5 of them offensive.

The second quarter was a nightmare for Jovenut, however, as its center Vladimir Brodziansky limped off the court with a twisted ankle and Reyer conjured an 11-0 streak to take a commanding 31-23 lead. The home side held a 33-26 advantage at halftime, having amassed a staggering 24 rebounds (8 offensive).

Trailing 38-28 early in the third, Joventut hit back to slash the deficit to 48-47 at the end of the quarter, setting the scene for a dramatic finale that never came as Reyer ran riot in the final 10 minutes.

Steered by the unstoppable Spissu, the home team bounced back from a 50-52 deficit early in the fourth after Thomas had completed a five-point play for the visitors, having sunk a three-pointer, drawn a foul and then tipped his own rebound from a missed free throw. Spissu then nailed a pair of three-pointers to ignite a 13-0 run which turned the game on its head and moments later, he sank another two shots from way downtown as Reyer pulled away to 73-58 in the closing stages.

Oddly enough, Reyer coach Neven Spahija was only happy with the result. "The best thing tonight is that we won the game playing average basketball," Spahija said after the game. "It's not possible for us right now to play two \[good\[ games in three days and if we want to improve, we need to play better basketball. But I would like to congratulate my players, we found the best line-up and won the game."

The Italian side produced its best EuroCup performance of the season to stun its more heralded Spanish rival.

Umana Reyer Venice v Joventut Badalona (2023-10-24T18:00:00.000Z)

Wolves Vilnius's maiden EuroCup win was one to remember

"Well, what can I tell? Probably the best describing word would be 'wow'."

The above quote is how Wolves Vilnius head coach Kestutis Kemzura summed up his team's historic victory over Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on Tuesday night.

It's not often that a coach leans on the word "Wow" so prominently to describe a game. Perhaps the most famous example game from one of Kemzura's mentors.

Kemzura served as David Blatt's assistant coach at four different clubs – Dynamo St. Petersburg in Russia, Benetton Treviso in Italy, Darussafaka Istanbul in Turkey and Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece. When Blatt won the Turkish Airline EuroLeague in 2014 with Maccabi Tel Aviv, he opened the post-game press conference with [the following story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exLt0VIlLxs).

"One of the greatest quotes that I ever read in my life was from the last moments of Steve Jobs’s life. Did anyone ever see or hear what he said before he passed away? He was a great man, one of the great modern-day leaders and visionaries. Did anyone ever hear about what he said just before he passed away? I can’t believe you didn’t see this story. He said, before he passed away, the last word he said was: 'Wow.' "

Wolves Vilnius-Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul | Round 4 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

Surely Wolves' exciting victory over Besiktas does not compare to winning the EuroLeague, but for Kemzura and Wolves, it was a historic watershed moment. Not only was it was the club's first-ever home game in the BKT EuroCup, but Wolves rallied to win the game in the closing seconds. And the victory was also Wolves' first in competition history.

"I like to use a lot of examples form basketball in our lives," Kemzura continued in the press conference. "You have to fight until the end and it's not over till it's not over. I'm very proud of my guys that we fought until the end… It was a tough game, as we expected. Our opponent came back in the second half more aggressive, more physical and we struggled. We struggled to execute, we struggled to score."

Kemzura then pointed to his heart to show what earned the team the victory.

The stats back that up as Wolves outnumbered Besiktas in nearly all the hustle categories including offensive rebounds (17-11), second-chance points (17-15), points off turnovers (13-9), fastbreak points (8-4), rebounds (33-28) and steals (5-4).

Though some of those advantages may be slim, the game was decided by just 2 points. In fact, the game-winning basket with 7.7 seconds left was the result of a Tre'Shawn Thurman's steal.

"I'm almost lost for words," Thurman said afterwards.

The Wolves forward was a hero so many ways after posting 31 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. He made 8 of 9 two-pointers and 4 of 6 threes in amassing a PIR of 37. But none of that mattered to him as much as the main goal.

"All I thought about was the win. That’s all I cared about," Thurman said.

Indeed, it was a historic victory in Vilnius.

Wolves' maiden EuroCup win was one to remember

Wolves Vilnius v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-10-24T16:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv came into its game at Veolia Towers Hamburg with a most potent offense, but the Israeli side outdid even itself with its outstanding performance on the road in Round 4.

Hapoel Tel Aviv out-did even itself with impressive offensive output 

Hapoel set several offensive club records in registering a 72-111 blowout of Hamburg for a perfect 3-0 record. The Israeli side, which averaged 98.5 points in the first two games, set a club record for most points in a quarter with 36 in the first 10 minutes. And the 59 points in the first half tied the club mark for most first-half points in a game. The final tally of 111 points also eclipsed the team’s record of 108. And Hapoel’s 39-point winning margin matched its EuroCup record as well set last season against Promitheus Patras.

Veolia Towers Hamburg-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | Round 4 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

“We just tried to play our game and with everything going on we just have more motivation to come out here and hoop,” said Braian Angola, who collected 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win as one of six players in double figures.

"Having six players in double figures is amazing for us. That is what we are trying to do: play together and play the full 40 minutes. It’s unbelievable the job that we are doing. We just hope to keep doing it.”

Hapoel was unstoppable on offense, making 26-of-33 two-pointers (78.8%), just better than its previous best of 78.7%. Hapoel was shooting 90.0% on two-pointers after 10 minutes, 82.4% at halftime and 82.6% after three quarters.

The visitors also nailed 50.0% of their three-pointers - 12-of-24 - while dishing out 29 assists and committing just 8 turnovers - none of them in the fourth quarter when the game was already long decided.

"It took some time after the good start to keep the flow, to keep our focus in the game and get some good minutes playing defense. But we came out of the locker room a little different for the second half, picking up the intensity on the floor and making a run that was tough for Hamburg to get back into it,” Hapoel coach Danny Franco said afterward.

Hapoel out-did even itself with impressive offensive output 

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2023-10-24T17:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv remained perfect in the BKT EuroCup as it rolled to a record-breaking 72-111 blowout victory at Veolia Towers Hamburg in Group A. 

Hapoel blows by Hamburg 72-111 to remain perfect 

Hapoel set club marks for most points in a game and in a quarter - 36 in the first 10 minutes. Xavier Munford paced six Hapoel players in double figures with 22 points while Braian Angola added 18 points and 11 rebounds, J’Covan Brown tallied 13 points and 6 assists and Kyle Alexander chipped in 10 points and 10 assists. Hamburg continues its search for its first win of the season at 0-4 despite VJ King scoring 22 points in the loss.

### Hapoel sets records early

Four different Hapoel players scored in the first 3 minutes for a 1-8 lead. Terrell Gomez and Seth Hinrichs both hit from deep for the hosts to make it 7-10. Hapoel’s offense continued to roll with 8 points from Angola and a Munford three-pointer in a 2-17 roll for a 12-30 lead. Hamburg managed to score a bit more consistently over the course of the first frame but trailed 19-36 after 10 minutes.

The 36 points were a Hapoel record for most points scored in any quarter, betting its previous mark of 34; while Hamburg set a negative mark for most points allowed in a quarter, eclipsing the prior worst quarter of 35 points.

Hamburg started the second quarter better with King draining back-to-back triples and adding another score and the hosts were within 27-38. King hit another three-pointer and was up to 13 points in the quarter and Hamburg was down 34-43. Hapoel regained its momentum offensively and closed the first half with a 2-9 surge and led 42-59 at the intermission.

Hapoel came out of the locker room in fine fashion with the first 5 points to extend the cushion to 22. Brown, Munford and Angola all knocked down triples as Hapoel’s cushion swelled to 45-74. Munford’s next score made it a 30-point game midway through the third quarter and it grew to 50-81. Hamburg managed to trim the gap to 25 points but trailed 57-86 after 30 minutes.

Hapoel did not take its foot off the gas in the fourth quarter with Bar Timor hitting a triple and Hoard throwing down a 360-degree dunk and a three-pointer as the advantage swelled to 63-97. The lead was as high as 40 points - 65-105 - with 4 minutes to go. And Hapoel eased over the finish line.

Wolves Vilnius put on a show their fans will never forget with a come-from-behind win in their first-ever home game in the BKT EuroCup.

Wolves Vilnius edge Besiktas Istanbul 90-88 for first-ever EuroCup win

Wolves led for much of the game, but needed to erase a late 8-point deficit to rally past Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 90-88 at Avia Solutions Group Arena in the Lithuanian capital on Tuesday. The victory was the club's first-ever win in the competition and saw it improve to 1-2 in Group A, while Besiktas fell to 3-1.

Tre'Shawn Thurman was the star of the game with 31 points and 7 rebounds, including what proved to be the game-winner after a steal with 7.7 seconds remaining. Kristupas Zemaitis added 17 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting and Rasheed Sulaimon contributed 13 points and 6 assists. Matt Mitchell paced Besiktas with 21 points, Jonah Mathews scored 20, Angel Delgado had 18 and Derek Needham 10.

### Wolves enjoy hot start

Wolves scored on each of their first seven possessions, with Thurman going off for 10 points in that span, to jump to a 17-8 lead. Delgado and Mitchell helped the visitors trim the gap and free throws by Samet Yigitoglu made it 19-16. The scoreboard showed 22-18 after 10 minutes.

Needham, who was limited to just 3:26 minutes of play in the first quarter due to foul trouble, was called for his third foul after just 1:14 on the floor in the second. Zemaitis made the resulting free throws and Sulaimon scored on the break to put Wolves up 31-22. A triple by Thurman soon gave the hosts a double-digit lead. Delgado and Mitchell provided the Besiktas resistance, while Thurman went to the bench with 3 fouls. Mathews got Besiktas as close as 41-35 and the halftime score was 44-37.

Mitchell and Delgado put the pressure on Wolves at the start of the second half, though threes by Zemaitis and Sulaimon kept the hosts in charge. Needham capped a 0-7 Besiktas run with a layup to even things at 50-50 only to see Zemaitis knock down a pair of triples for the home team. Needham remained hot to tie it from downtown and Mitchell gave Besiktas its first lead of the game, 62-63, with a three-point-play with 2:26 remaining in the third quarter. Needham then went to the bench with 4 fouls and Wolves regained the lead, 67-65, by the end of the quarter.

### Fourth-quarter thrills

Thurman extended the margin to 72-67 with a shot-clock beating triple early in the fourth quarter. Besiktas roared back with 7 straight points to take the lead on a Delgado put-back. Delgado continued to punish Wolves inside and a three by Leyton Hammonds made it 76-84 for Besiktas with less than 3 minutes remaining. Wolves halved the deficit, but a long jumper by Mathews made it 80-86 with 59 seconds left. Thurman converted a 4-point play with 10.4 seconds left to get the hosts within 1. Then the same player stole the ball and scored what would prove to be the game-winner with 7.7 seconds left as Mathews missed a jumper at the other end.

Wolves edge Besiktas 90-88 for first-ever EuroCup win

Andrea De Nicolao of Reyer Venezia and Pau Ribas of Joventut Badalona go head-to-head for the sixth time in Round 4 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season.

Reyer Venezia, Andrea De Nicolao search for first win over Pau Ribas, Joventut Badalona

Tuesday night's high-profile Round 4 clash between [Umana Reyer Venice (0-3) and Joventut Badalona (2-1)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/umana-reyer-venice-joventut-badalona/U2023/33/) in Group A of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season will once again pit [Andrea De Nicolao](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrea-de-nicolao/000968/) and [Pau Ribas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/pau-ribas/jug/) up against each other. For almost a decade, the two veteran guards  who have been on the opposite sides on EuroCup floors.

De Nicolao enters this game with 103 appearances to his name, including 35 in a starting role, while Ribas has played 101 games in the EuroCup, with 34 coming as a starter. Among those fixtures, the two players have had four head-to-head games during their careers, all in the past three seasons.

### Ribas's best game in his career

Interestingly, however, the very first time De Nicolao and Ribas were on opposite sides, it was in December 2013, when De Nicolao was playing for Cimberio Varese and Ribas was with Valencia Basket. De Nicolao did not enter the game, but watched on from the bench as [Ribas had the best game of his EuroCup career](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2013-14/cimberio-varese-valencia-basket-club/U2013/200/#boxscore). Ribas scored 23 points on 5-for-7 three-point shooting with 5 rebounds and 3 assists for a 30 PIR. Those marks for points, triples made and PIR still stand as his career highs.

### De Nicolao, Ribas both on the floor

The two players did not cross paths again until 2020, when Joventut beat Reyer in a pair of regular-season games. In the first of those two games, each player scored 13 points as [Joventut won 92-78](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2020-21/joventut-badalona-umana-reyer-venice/U2020/39/#boxscore), then later in the season Ribas had 11 points and De Nicolao scored just 2 as Joventut again won by 14 points, this time [75-89](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2020-21/umana-reyer-venice-joventut-badalona/U2020/97/#boxscore).

De Nicolao and Ribas played against one another once again last season, and again it was Joventut that swept the regular-season series.

Ribas had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals as Joventut edged Reyer [on its home floor, 90-87,](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/joventut-badalona-umana-reyer-venice/U2022/73/#boxscore) on a [buzzer-beating triple](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/videos/7days-magic-moment-of-the-night-ellenson-wins-it-at-the-buzzer/?game=73&homeTeamCode=JOV&awayTeamCode=VNC&title=Joventut%20Badalona%20vs%20Umana%20Reyer%20Venice&season=U2022). De Nicolao was quite involved in his 10 minutes off the bench, scoring 3 points on 1-for-5 three-point shooting, which was a game-tying triple at 87-87 with 6 seconds remaining, and 2 steals.

Later last season, when [Joventut held off Reyer 74-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/umana-reyer-venice-joventut-badalona/U2022/163/#boxscore) in Venice, Ribas again replicated his 7 points and also dished 3 assists, while De Nicolao had 9 points, netting 2-of-3 triples, with 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 assist in 18 minutes on the floor.

Andrea De Nicolao of Umana Reyer Venice and Pau Ribas of Joventut Badalona played four games against each other.

Head-to-head: Andrea De Nicolao vs. Pau Ribas

### How they are playing this season

Heading into Round 4 this season, Ribas is averaging 11.0 points, shooting 41.7% from behind the arc, along with 4.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds

Interestingly, De Nicolao is yet to score a single point so far in the 2023-24 campaign. He missed Reyer's season opener, then attempted only 3 shots in a total of 40 minutes and 28 seconds on the floor across the last two rounds.

De Nicolao has never won with Ribas on the other side of the floor, and Reyer is winless in four games against Joventut. De Nicolao and his team wants to end that run, which would give Reyer its first win of the current campaign. For that to happen, Reyer will need much more contribution from its veteran guard on Tuesday night.

Head-to-head: Andrea De Nicolao, Umana Reyer Venice vs. Pau Ribas, Joventut Badalona.

Pau Ribas and Andrea De Nicolao clash once again in Round 4 as Umana Reyer Venice looks to end a losing streak against Joventut Badalona.

Reyer, De Nicolao search for first win over Ribas, Joventut

### Andrea Turchetto, Cedevita Olimpija assistant coach

"We will play against a very strong team that likes to play uptempo basketball. Prometey is a very physical team with a lot of  very talented players. We need to be focused on our jobs. We need to keep working on our game. We need to improve day by day, and work on our chemistry. We are still a new team, so I hope, that our work and progress will show soon on the court."

### Ronen Ginzburg, Prometey head coach

"They are a team with many expectations. They added another new player in Prepelic, and they have a lot of experience. We need to play like we did in the first quarter in our last game against Besiktas. If we do more of that, we should be able to win games. We have to play good defense and do our thing on offense."

### Karlo Matkovic, Cedevita Olimpija player

"A tough match is ahead of us, as a great team will be our opponent. We play at home, so we need to step on the court ready to give it our best. We know, what kind of positiong we are in, so a win would be very good for us."

### Oleksandr Lypovyy, Prometey player

"After two losses in the EuroCup we did not find our structure on defense. We should play better defense. Cedevita has two quality players in Justin Cobbs and Jaka Blazic, and we need to play well. This is an important game for us."

Winless Cedevita (0-3) will look for its first win of the season with a visit from Prometey (1-2), which is also struggling after two straight losses. Prometey, which won both meetings between the teams last season, is the top rebounding team in the EuroCup, averaging 41.3 boards per game, with 9.3 of those coming from Ondrey Balvin. Cedevita has committed more turnovers than any other team in the league, 18 per game, and needs to count on more than just the consistent excellence of Justin Cobbs, who has averaged 19 points on outstanding 21-of-33 field goal shooting.

Pre-game quotes: Cedevita vs. Prometey

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Prometey Slobozhanske (2023-10-25T16:30:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki grabbed its first BKT EuroCup win of the season on Wednesday by defeating Turk Telekom Ankara 68-66 at home in Round 3. It was a physical contest in which neither team scored in the last 3 minutes. Playmaker Vassilis Toliopoulos was a difference-maker for the winners with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 19.

Vassilis Toliopoulos, Aris: 'We are going to give 150%'

He made the go-ahead free throws, too. [Toliopoulos ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/vassilis-toliopoulos/004292/)grew up with Olympiacos Piraeus and is in his second stint with Aris, in which he has found the playing time and role he needed to be the player he is now. In three EuroCup games, Toliopoulos is averaging 16.3 points and 3.3 assists for a PIR of 15.7. "I want to continue to help my team, to be as good as I can for my team to win," Toliopoulos said. "I think it will be a great year for all of us."

**Hello, Vassilis. Congratulations on your first win of the EuroCup season. What allowed you to win the game?**

"Thank you. For sure, it was our defense. It is our main focus, our defense. This is what our coach wants the most, us to fight for every possession, to be very physical and not to let the opponent feel comfortable and do the stuff that they want to do."

**There is a great atmosphere at the Palais de Sports. How important is that support and to see so many Aris fans in the stands in EuroCup games?**

"Aris fans wanted the team to be back in a European competition because this is a big team. It is a club with a big history, and the team did not play in European competitions for too many years, so it is a celebration for them. They really enjoy them and really support us, and we are blessed that we have these fans in our gym."  

"The EuroCup is a totally different level of speed than I am used to."

**As you said, this is a club with tradition. It hadn't played the EuroCup since 2016. How much of an honor is it to bring Aris back to the EuroCup?**

"As I said, it is very nice to have the team back in the EuroCup. I would even say it is like a dream come true for all of us, to be back with Aris in European competitions and in such a big tournament as the EuroCup. And we are very happy to compete in it because the teams are very good, the players are very good, and we are going to give 150% of ourselves to be better and better and compete."

**This is your first EuroCup season. It is a bit early, but how have you found the EuroCup so far?**

"The EuroCup is a totally different level of speed than I am used to in the Greek League in the last years. It's very nice to compete and play here in the EuroCup. As I said, the teams are very good, the players are very good, and you always have to be ready, always have to be concentrated because if you don't do that, then the other team will punish. I really like it."

**Coach Kastritis is also new at this level. You have played for him for two years. What's the best thing about him as a coach?**

"I think he's really supportive. He's a great guy on and off the court. He will look after you. He will always ask you, how are you, how you feel, what are your thoughts... And that's the most important thing with him. He is a guy that you can talk to, and everybody on the team has a good relationship with him. He really supports everybody."

In three EuroCup games, Toliopoulos is averaging 16.3 points, 3.3 assists and a PIR of 15.7.

2023-24 EuroCup highlights: Vassilis Toliopoulos, Aris

**You have taken a significant step forward in your career since you returned to Aris, playing a bigger role. How important has it been for you to be back?**

"I really wanted to stay in the team. I had a great season last year and I knew that the team would try to play in Europe. I wanted to stay because of the coach and our fans. I liked it last year and I also played really well, so it was my priority to stay here. And when we knew we would play the EuroCup, I had everything I needed to have another very nice season. I will work hard so that everything is good."

**You grew up with Olympiacos. What did you learn in the club in general and playing with Vassilis Spanoulis in particular?**

"Playing with Vassilis was one of my dreams from a young age. He was my idol and I had a great time being over there watching him play and compete. As I said before, it was a great thing for me because I saw how he was as a character on and off the court and how determined he was to win, even if it was practice, even if it was, I don't know, an easy game. He was always there with 'the eye of the tiger' to win, and I learned a lot from that."

**How important is it for Greek basketball that teams other than Olympiacos and Panathinaikos keep improving and getting better?**

"We saw that Olympiacos made it to the Final Four in the last two years and Panathinaikos is getting better this season, and we have five \[Greek\] teams playing in Europe. It is really important for the country to be better in European competitions, to have teams in the EuroLeague and the EuroCup and compete against all these very good teams, trying to win. I think it is very good because they will bring young kids to the gym to start playing basketball, and that will also be good for our national team. We want new players to come in, join basketball teams and participate."

**Your next game is against Slask in Poland. How important is it to keep winning, get that first road victory, and be even more confident going forward?**

"It was already very important to beat Turk Telekom. We proved to ourselves that we can win big games and we want to continue like this in the Greek League and in the EuroCup. We want to take our first road win in the EuroCup because it would be very important going forward in this competition. We want to be better and better."

**What would make it a good season for Aris in general and for you in particular?**

"I want to continue to help my team, to be as good as I can for my team to win. I think it will be a great year for all of us. Our goal is to be one of the top-level teams in Greece and try to be one of the first six teams in our EuroCup group to reach the playoffs, and see where we will be at the end of the season."