Round 1 comes to a close on Thursday
Game Center: Lietkabelis stuns Besiktas, three games in progress
Članak
18 Min čitanja
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (18:00 CEST)
Two of last season’s title contenders go head to head for an intriguing opening week battle as Cluj welcomes Bahcesehir. The Romanian team is coming off a strong campaign which finished in the quarterfinals, while Bahcesehir went one better with a semifinals berth after winning its regular season group with a 14-4 record. They were placed in different groups last season, so this will be their first ever meeting. Cluj will look to dominate the paint through new signing Dusan Miletic, but he will face a bone-crunching challenge from Bahcesehir summer arrival Trevion Williams, who led the EuroCup in rebounding during his time with Ulm two seasons ago.
Panionios Athens vs. NINERS Chemnitz (18:30 CEST)
A pair of fresh faces will look for a strong start in their new EuroCup environment as Panionis welcomes Chemnitz. The Greek team is making its first appearance in the competition since 2014, while Chemnitz is an even bigger unknown quantity ahead of its EuroCup debut campaign – especially as coach Rodrigo Pastore is overseeing an almost entirely new roster. Nike Sibande looks likely to become the backcourt leader for the German team, and this week he will match up against new Panionis guard Michail Lountzis – one of the few players on either team with previous EuroCup experience.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. BAXI Manresa (18:30 CEST)
Two ambitious teams go head to head in search of an opening victory as Olimpija welcomes competition newcomer Manresa. The host demonstrated its potential by reaching last season’s quarterfinals, and coach Zvezdan Mitrovic has reconfigured his roster with several additions including backcourt star Joseph Girard, who led the Lithuanian league in scoring last season. Manresa is heading into its debut EuroCup campaign with plenty of confidence in its relatively young roster, including the signing of talented guard Hugo Benitez and experienced wingman Louis Olinde. Three-point scoring ace Alfonso Plummer – formerly of Ulm – will also look to make a strong impact as he returns to the competition.
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (20:00 CEST)
Two teams who narrowly missed out on last season’s playoffs will battle for a winning start as Trento hosts Bourg. A string of summer signings for Trento are headlined by the emerging backcourt talents of DeVante’ Jones – formerly with Cedevita – and DJ Steward, who averaged more than 19 points in last season’s G-League and will now aim to become a breakout star during his first season in Europe. Bourg coach Frederic Fauthoux has the task of establishing chemistry within a roster containing no less than 11 new players, and will lean on the proven EuroCup experience of swingman Adam Mokoka, who averaged 11.9 points for Cluj last season.
Thursday, October 2
London Lions vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (20:30 CEST)
In Thursday’s only game, London returns to the EuroCup after a one-year absence with a visit from dangerous Buducnost. The Montenegrin team reached last season’s eighthfinals and has retained the majority of its roster, supported by the introduction of experienced center Jerry Boutsiele and similarly-named forward Axel Bouteille, who helped Bahcesehir reach last season’s semifinal. The English team will look to start strong by leaning on the leadership of guards Tarik Phillip and Mo Soluade, who have both returned for their second stints with London, and Shavar Reynolds will also aim for an instant impact in the backcourt after his summer arrival.
Tuesday, September 30
Turk Telekom Ankara 93-96 ratiopharm Ulm
Ulm recorded the first win of the 2025-26 EuroCup campaign after beating Turk Telekom 93-96 at Ankara Spor Salonu in the season’s curtain raiser. The German side were led all night long by Mark Smith, who starred on his EuroCup debut with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Tobias Jensen came up clutch for Ulm down the stretch with 3 timely three-pointers in the fourth quarter en route to 18 points, while Nelson Weidemann had 12 points, Christian Sengfelder netted 11, and Chris Ledlum paired 10 points with 8 boards. Turk Telekom’s top scorer was Jordan Usher with 24 points, followed by Jaleen Smith with 17, Kyle Allman with 14, Kris Bankston with 12, and Berkan Durmaz with 10.
Slask Wroclaw 95-85 Neptunas Klaipeda
Slask started the new EuroCup season with a solid 85-70 win over Neptunas at Centennial Hall. After a one-season absence from the EuroCup, team effort brought the victory to Slask in Round 1. Jakub Niziol posted 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners, which gave him a 26 PIR, while Kadre Gray added 21 points and 3 assists. Noah Kirkwood also contributed 14 points and 6 assists. Neptunas was paced by Arnas Velicka, who recorded a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists. James Karnik added 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Donatas Tarolis chipped in with 13 points and 5 boards.
Veolia Towers Hamburg 85-100 Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem
Hapoel Jerusalem opened its 2025-26 EuroCup season with an 85-100 road victory over Hamburg on Tuesday. Khadeen Carrington had the hot hand early and led six Jerusalem scorers in double figures with 19 points. Jared Harper added 16 points, while big men Austin Wiley and Justin Smith netted 14 apiece. Wiley also collected 11 boards. Anthony Lamb contributed 12 points and Roi Huber scored 10 in his EuroCup debut. Eric Reed and Carlos Stewart led the way for Hamburg with 21 points each in defeat. Osaro Rich scored 10 and Zacharie Perrin grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Umana Reyer Venice 81-85 Aris Thessaloniki Betsson
Aris recorded a statement win in Round 1 by downing Reyer 81-85 on the road. Bryce Jones and Bryn Forbes combined for 44 of Aris’s points on the night, with the former scoring 26 points and the latter pouring in 18. It was an all-around performance by Jones as he also amassed 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. Ronnie Harrell, who returned to Aris this past summer, added 13 points and Stelios Poulianitis chipped in with 10. Reyer’s top scorer was Ky Bowman with 14 points, followed by Chris Horton with 13, and Kyle Wiltjer with 12.