By adding new players and welcoming back key contributors from injury, Baskonia has become a more competitive team
Depth delivers as Baskonia turns 0-6 start into a perfect week
Отчеты о матчах
3 Минутное чтение
Regular Season
Round 8 of 38
Regular Season
Baskonia Vitoria-GasteizBKN
8675
Anadolu Efes IstanbulEFS
Overview
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz has managed to bounce back from the club’s worst-ever start to a EuroLeague season with back-to-back victories in this double-round week. After an unprecedented 0–6 opening, Baskonia defeated Dubai Basketball 92–85 on Tuesday and followed up with an 86–75 win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday, closing October with a 2–6 record.
Baskonia’s recent roster moves have paid off immediately. The addition of Kai Simmons and the return of Rodions Kurucs from injury have given the team a deeper, more balanced rotation. That depth was on full display in Round 8 against Efes, where the second unit made the difference.
Matteo Spagnolo earned MVP honors after coming off the bench to spark the team. He scored seven quick points that helped Baskonia build a double-digit lead, 22–11, by the end of the first quarter. Bench players contributed 16 of those 22 first-quarter points.
By the final buzzer, Baskonia’s reserves had combined for 68 of the team’s 86 total points – an impressive 79.1% of the offense. With Hami Diallo limited by foul trouble, Spagnolo and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot stepped up with big performances off the bench. Spagnolo finished with 19 points and a career-high PIR of 28, surpassing his previous best of 23 (with ALBA Berlin against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on November 12, 2024).
“I feel good, obviously – second win in a row,” Spagnolo said after the game. “We played with a lot of energy, and we have to keep going this way. I try to stay ready when my team needs me. I practice every day for these games, so I felt ready, and thankfully, we won.”
Luwawu-Cabarrot was rock solid once again, leading Baskonia in scoring with 20 points – 17 of which came in the second half – ensuring his team maintained control throughout.
The French swingman has been one of the EuroLeague’s most consistent scorers this season, posting 16 or more points in all eight games so far, reaching 20 or more five times, and averaging 20.6 points while shooting 51.6% from three-point range (32-for-62). By comparison, in 26 games last season, he reached the 16-point mark only four times, averaging 10.0 points on 33.7% from beyond the arc.
“It’s an amazing feeling after this win,” Luwawu-Cabarrot said. “I’m glad we had a double week at home to build momentum and get the fans excited again. We started 0–6 — I know it’s tough to come and cheer when things aren’t going well – but we’ll give 100% every single day. Matteo was amazing, Rafa [Villar] gave everything defensively, and Mamadi [Diakite] was unbelievable protecting the rim. Credit to the whole team.”
As Luwawu-Cabarrot noted, Mamadi Diakite was a defensive anchor, recording five blocks – just one shy of Baskonia’s club record of six, set by Will McDonald against Asseco Prokom on January 28, 2009.
After shaking off a rough start, Baskonia is getting healthier and stronger. With star guards Markus Howard and Trent Forrest nearing their returns, the team will look to extend its winning streak to three when it hosts Virtus Bologna – led by club legend Dusko Ivanovic – in its next home game.
