Both teams have started strong in Group A and come into this game in good form
Bahcesehir hosts Hapoel in high-profile showdown
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A big basketball battle is expected in Group A on Tuesday night as Bahcesehir College Istanbul (5-1) takes on Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (4-2) at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. Entering this contest, Bahcesehir has won its last three games while Hapoel has lost just one of its last five showdowns.
The two squads have confirmed their status as title contenders so far this season. Bahcesehir is back in the EuroCup after its first experience in the 2020-21 campaign that did not go too well. With experienced players like Mateusz Ponitka, Jaleen Smith, Tyler Cavanaugh and Axel Bouteille, things were meant to be different.
It is defense, however, which is setting Bahcesehir apart from the other teams in Group A. Coach Dejan Radonjic's team statistically has the best defense in the competition, allowing just 68.8 points per night. That is over 7.0 points better than any other team in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup; Turk Telekom Ankara ranks second on that list, allowing just 76.0 points per game.
Bahcesehir has been protecting its paint at an elite level, allowing opponents to hit just a league-low 48.5% of its two-point shots, and teams are not doing much better from downtown (32.1% 3FG). Despite so many misses, Bahcesehir only allows 10.3 offensive rebounds per night, getting 25.0 defensive boards. Only 29.2% of all rebounds under its rim end up in their rivals' hands.
One can think Bahcesehir allows fewer points because of the game pace. Numbers should prove critics wrong, as Coach Radonjic's team ranks fifth in scoring at 85.2 per game. Excellent defense leads to a very efficient offense, as Bahcesehir ranks first overall in three-point shooting (41.4%) and has an excellent 1.50 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Four of its players are shooting over 45.0% from beyond the arc. Marko Simonovic (57.1% 3FG) ranks seventh overall, then Bouteille (46.4%), Cavanaugh (46.2%) and Ponitka (45.5%) also being deadly from three-point territory.
No team has scored over 75 points against Bahcesehir this season, but Hapoel is definitely a good candidate to do so given its very talented roster.
Hapoel averages 84.8 points this season, boosting that number to 90.3 points in its four wins until now. It ranks second in assists (20.2 apg.) with a slightly better assist-to-turnover ratio than its opponent, 1.53. It is also fourth in steals at 8.2 per night, with Patrick Beverley leading the competition at 2.2 per night.
Boxing out should be an issue for Hapoel as it faces the best offensive rebounding team in the competition. Bahcesehir leads the standings at 12.7 offensive boards per night, way ahead of Hapoel, which ranks 17th at just 9.7 per game. This is partly because Hapoel barely misses shots inside the arc, leading the competition with a 62.6% two-point percentage.
Johnathan Motley leads the EuroCup in two-point shots made (6.3 per night) with a really solid percentage (66.7%). With his future and status uncertain, Motley – if available – is set to test his strengths against a top-class defender like Tai Odiase. Other players with really high numbers inside the arc are Marcus Foster (74.1% 2FG), Joe Ragland (68.8%) and Tomer Ginat (68.6%), giving Hapoel head coach Stefanos Dedas plenty of scoring options everywhere.
Hapoel has players that have nor performed to their full potential, such as Bruno Caboclo (8.0 ppg.), Ish Wainwright (6.5 ppg.) and Ragland (5.7 ppg.), and it only seems a matter of time before all of them step up and make their team an even tougher opponent. There is plenty of room for improvement, and going against the group's leader should be an extra motivation.
Both teams had impressive performances until now, playing very different basketball brand, and go against each other in this amazing showdown. Expect nothing but a great basketball game on EuroLeague TV from 20:00 CET to find out.