Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 5 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season, and who might be missing in action.

Round 5: Pregame quotes and injury reports

## Wednesday, October 29

### Besiktas GAIN Istanbul vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (17:00 CET)

**Frederic Fauthoux, Bourg head coach**

"We know they play hard. They have two phenomenal players - Morris and Rubit and we know those are their key guys. As a team, we just have to really step up on the defensive end, make sure we box out, rebound, and then get out and run. It’s no different from any other game — we just have to be ready."

**Ricky Lindo, Bourg forward**

"Our next opponent is a serious contender for the EuroCup title, so we absolutely have to be ready tomorrow and do everything we can to win this game."

### Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (18:00 CET)

**Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost head coach**

"As always, we’re facing a tough road game against Lietkabelis. I think they’ve built a team that plays well and aggressively, with clearly defined roles. Their guard Morris handles the ball a lot, and he’ll require our main focus — but of course, we have to pay attention to the other players as well. They’ve already beaten Besiktas at home, which shows how dangerous they are and that they deserve respect. Still, we came here to win, and we’ll do everything we can to make that happen."

Juwan Morgan, Buducnost forward

"We know they play hard. They have two phenomenal players - Morris and Rubit and we know those are their key guys. As a team, we just have to really step up on the defensive end, make sure we box out, rebound, and then get out and run. It’s no different from any other game — we just have to be ready."

### NINERS Chemnitz vs. ratiopharm ulm (19:00 CET)

**Rodrigo Pastore, Chemnitz head coach**

"Very important home game for us against a team that started the EuroCup competition with three consecutive wins. They have also added an experienced player like Klepeisz who already knows the system very well so he won't need much time to integrate himself within the team and will be available to play right away. Our defensive transition and one-on-one defense will be the keys of the game for us to have a chance to win the game."

**Robbie Beran, Chemnitz forward**

"Ulm is a team we saw at the beginning the season in league play. They got the best of us then but now we have a good opportunity coming up to respond. Expecting a high-level competitive game."

### Slask Wroclaw vs. Umana Reyer Venice (19:00 CET)

\--

### Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Neptunas Kleipeda (19:30 CET)

**Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija head coach**

"On Sunday evening we returned from our Istanbul-Sarajevo tour. It was exhausting, especially considering that we’re still playing with a shortened rotation — we’re missing two big men, which automatically means we have to make different rotations and burden players in unfamiliar positions. I don’t like that, and it’s also visible in the performance of some players who should be playing at a higher level. Still, we’re satisfied with the tour — when you come back with a win, that’s always a good thing. Now we have a game against Neptunas ahead of us, a typical Lithuanian team. On Sunday, in their domestic league game, they scored 117 points without going into overtime. They play excellent offensive basketball and have size, toughness, and aggressiveness — like all Lithuanian teams. Neptunas is definitely a different kind of opponent than those we’ve faced so far. They have depth, great shooting, and good rebounding. We started preparations on Monday with video analysis, and we’ll continue on Tuesday and Wednesday. That’s the rhythm we have to accept — analysis and implementing new ideas with our players. Both teams have about the same amount of time to prepare for the game. I definitely regret that we don’t have more players available, as some are really overloaded. It’s not easy, but the players’ attitude is excellent — on Monday we had a good practice, and you could clearly see they’re motivated."

**Rok Radovic, Cedevita Olimpija forward**

"Neptunas is an interesting team that likes to play fast basketball. We’ll have to play very good defense if we want to keep our winning streak going in Stožice. You can definitely feel a bit of fatigue among us from covering multiple positions, but that just makes our motivation and desire to win even stronger."

**Thomas Kennedy, Cedevita Olimpija center**

"We’ll definitely need to bring a lot of energy. We have to enter the game against Neptunas with the same energy we showed in the last quarter and overtime against Bosna in Sarajevo. We also rely on our fans, who give us that energy, so we want to keep our successful home streak going."

### London Lions vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (20:30 CET)

**Johnathan Williams, London center**

"They have a high IQ point guard who likes to get everyone involved. Their bigs are athletic, they're good shooters and good mid-range players. It's key we win the rebound battle, play with high pace and defend their schemes. We have momentum going into the next game but we are not satisfied and we are aiming for highest success possible."

**London Lions' injury report:** Ryan Mikesell, Ovie Soko and Shavar Reynolds Jr. are all ruled out.

### BAXI Manresa vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (20:45 CET)

\--

## Tuesday, October 28

### Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (18:30 CET)

**Ilias Zouros, Panionios head coach**

"It’s another tough game in a demanding competition. Despite the injury problems we’re facing, we want to show a respectable performance."

**Markel Starks, Panionios guard**

"Big game. It’s a must-win situation. I think there's been a lot of frustration but the guys are trying to pull it together, and I think we're going to have a good show tomorrow."

**Panionios injury report:** Tyler Whal, Mihalis Lountzis and Jaylen Hands are all ruled out.

**Davide Dusmet, Trento assistant coach**

"It's going to be a tough road game: they've just changed coach and will definitely want to bounce back. We're continuing our development process, aware that we still need to improve on several details, both in attack and defense. The away win in Varese was very important, but it must not be seen as the end goal: we must continue to progress and build the team chemistry that is essential for a long and demanding season like ours. Panionios is a team that combines a mix of Greek and American players with experience in Europe. They have quality big men, whom we will have to be good at limiting."

**Peyton Aldridge, Trento forward**

"We have a very important game on Tuesday because we want to get back to winning ways in the EuroCup too. The victory in Varese in Serie A was significant, and we want to continue on that path, bringing the good feelings we had there to Athens too. We want to continue playing with speed and physicality, improving day by day. The coaching staff is doing an excellent job in preparing for the game: we are ready and determined to win this important challenge."

### Hamburg Veolia Towers vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (19:30 CET)

**Benka Barloschky, Hamburg head coach** 

"Cluj is extremely strong offensively, they play at a high pace and statistically have the best guard in the competition in their ranks in Russell. He is the linchpin and creates almost 40 points for his team per game. That's an extremely good stat. In Creek and Miletic, they also have two very strong players in the inside positions. Defensively, however, they are also vulnerable, conceding almost 100 points on average. So it will depend on which team proves to be the most stable tomorrow."

**Jared Grey, Hamburg forward**

"We have to be very aggressive and, above all, stop Cluj's fast breaks. They are one of the best teams in transition. That's exactly what we've been focusing on over the last few days. Training has been really tough, but also really good. We're trying to put the results of the first games out of our minds and focus solely on tomorrow's game – and then we hope we can finally turn things around."

**Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach**

"It’s an important game for us, coming after the painful loss in Split, in ABA League. From there we traveled straight to Hamburg, where we’ll play on Tuesday. We really want to win and take things step by step, focusing on each game, trying to improve and perform better every time. I hope we find our rhythm, play a good game, and come back home with the win."

**Karel Guzman, Cluj forward**

"In this competition, every game is tough and important, no matter where our opponents are in the standings. We really want to win, build momentum, and climb up the table."

### Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Aris Thessaloniki Betsson (20:00 CET)

**Igor Milicic, Aris head coach**

"My first game at Aris is on the road against Hapoel  Jerusalem, a team that I am familiar with. Our scouting coaches made a scouting on their own but I’ve made my own scouting too. There are a lot of changes in the process while the season is going and it's not easy, but we are not looking for excuses. Players are trying to do the best what I'm asking them to do. Like I said, if it's going to be enough for the win, we'll see. That's secondary for now. We will go for the win but what it has to be changed is the energy of the team."

**Elijah Mitrou-Long, Aris guard**

"We have a tough game ahead, against a very good team. Hapoel has quality and depth in its roster and is one of the favorites for the top of our group. We must build in the win against Panionios and play with the same focus and intensity. We have a new coach and we are still learning his philosophy, but tomorrow we must be decisive and determined to get the result we want."

London Lions v Turk Telekom Ankara (2025-10-29T19:30:00.000Z)

BAXI Manresa v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2025-10-29T19:45:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Neptunas Klaipeda (2025-10-29T18:30:00.000Z)

NINERS Chemnitz v ratiopharm ulm (2025-10-29T18:00:00.000Z)

Slask Wroclaw v Umana Reyer Venice (2025-10-29T18:00:00.000Z)

Besiktas GAIN Istanbul v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2025-10-29T16:00:00.000Z)

Lietkabelis Panevezys v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2025-10-29T17:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Aris Thessaloniki Betsson (2025-10-28T19:00:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2025-10-28T18:30:00.000Z)

Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-10-28T17:30:00.000Z)

BKT EuroCup fans have surely noticed him over the past two years. [Alfonso Plummer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/alfonso-plummer/012077/) of [BAXI Manresa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/baxi-manresa/man/) has quickly become one of the competition’s premier shooters — and he’s got the numbers to prove it.

After a brief first EuroCup stint with Paris Basketball in the 2022–23 season, Plummer buried 42.1% of his three-point attempts (on 5.6 shots per game) with ratiopharm ulm last season. This year, he’s been even better with Manresa, hitting 10 of 19 shots from deep (52.6% 3FG).

In Round 4 against Aris Thessaloniki Betsson, Plummer led Manresa to a 79–86 road victory with 18 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting in under 15 minutes. Currently, he ranks third in points per 40 minutes (31.8), trailing only Dmytro Skapintsev of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (36.8) and Fatts Russell of U-BT Cluj-Napoca (32.0).

Obviously, those shots don’t fall by accident. As Plummer told Javier Gancedo in this interview, “Every 3–4 days, I take between 1,000 and 2,000 shots. In the morning, if I have the shooting machine, I shoot around 300 to 500. After practice, I’ll take another 100 or so. Little by little, it adds up — you can do the math.”

**Q: Hello, Alfonso. Congratulations on the victory against Aris in Thessaloniki. It was your first road win and your third consecutive in the EuroCup. How important was this victory to keep believing in what you do?**

“Thank you. It was very important, obviously. We came off a loss against Gran Canaria in the Spanish League and had some doubts about what we needed to improve. We stayed motivated, stuck to our coach’s game plan, and it worked. We executed really well on both sides of the court and managed to pull off that road win. It’s very difficult to win away in the EuroCup.”

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DPJw83yDC3J/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Alfonso Plummer (@alfonsoplummer9)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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**Q: Were you impressed by the atmosphere in Thessaloniki? Have you seen anything similar in Puerto Rico or elsewhere in Europe?**

“Of course. Playoff games in Puerto Rico have a similar atmosphere. Fans there are passionate about basketball, so during the postseason, you really feel that same energy. But here, it’s more consistent — there’s a lot of culture around the games. You see the flags, the chants, the songs that have been there for so many years. It’s really impressive. I loved seeing that.”

**Q: This is your third EuroCup team, and you know what to expect from the competition. What do you like about it?**

“Definitely the competitiveness. There are so many high-level players — guys who’ve played in the NBA or EuroLeague. I love that level of basketball. It makes me grow, learn, and improve as a player. That’s what I’m always looking for: to get better every day. So I’d say it’s the competitiveness and overall level that I enjoy most — you can see it in every game.”

**Q: You mostly came off the bench in Paris and Ulm but have a very different role here. Is that what you were looking for when you joined Manresa?**

“Yes, of course. I think I’ve earned this role. Last year, my job was to bring energy off the bench — on both ends of the floor — to keep the team balanced. I think I did that well, but I also felt I had more to offer. Manresa gave me the confidence and opportunity to show that, and thankfully, I’m doing it.”

**Q: You’re an elite shooter, with a higher three-point percentage than from inside the arc, and you take far more threes. Is that something you specifically work on? Do you have a shooting routine?**

“It’s all about consistency. I have a routine I always follow — I shoot every day, before and after practice. That builds mental toughness over the years. You have to stay disciplined and consistent. That’s the only way: having a strong mindset and self-confidence. Teams will use different defenses and players against me, but when it comes to shooting, you’ve got to stay confident and focused.

Every 3–4 days, I take between 1,000 and 2,000 shots. In the morning, if I have the shooting machine, I shoot around 300 to 500. After practice, I’ll take around 100 more. It adds up little by little — about 1,000 shots in 2–3 days.”

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**Q: The shooting machine is a great invention, right?**

“It’s amazing! People get tired of passing you the ball, but the machine never does. I can use it anytime, and it gives me as many passes as I want.”

**Q: I heard your personal story — going from Puerto Rico to a junior college in the U.S. — is quite unique. Can you tell us a bit about that journey?**

“It’s been tough. When I was 18, I went to the U.S. without knowing any English. Honestly, it was like a stroke of luck. I was about to play for the University of Puerto Rico, but then a coach called me and told me there was a JuCo interested in a shooter. He wanted to send me to the U.S. to see if I had the talent. That call changed my life.

When I left, I didn’t know the language or the culture. It was hard, but I was hungry — I wanted to play Division I basketball and compete at the highest level. I kept adapting, learning, and working hard. Thank God, I succeeded in JuCo, got my first Division I offer, and finally saw the results of all that work.”

**Q: Coach Diego Ocampo also had to climb the ranks quickly, going from Spain’s third division to the EuroCup in four years. How’s your relationship with him?**

“We have great communication, honestly. After games and practices, he often sends me articles or videos to help me focus, relax, and build confidence. He doesn’t just coach on the court — he helps me mentally off it, too. That’s something to be thankful for, because not every coach does that.

He demands a lot and always tries to get the best out of his players. I respect that. From day one, I’ve seen that he genuinely wants to help us be better than we were yesterday.”

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**Q: I have to ask about Kao \[Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu\], who’s been all over the EuroCup Top 10 plays this season. It’s hard to think of anyone who jumps higher! What’s it like playing with him?**

“Man… I’ve never seen anyone jump like that. He dunks so easily — it looks effortless. He’s tall, has crazy reach, and jumps incredibly high. It’s amazing to see, both in practice and games. And what makes it better is that Kao’s such a good, humble person off the court. Everything’s in the right place with him. He’s special, and I’m happy he’s doing so well. Every day in practice, he does something that makes everyone go, ‘Wow.’”

**Q: Your next game is at home against Bahçeşehir, the only undefeated team in your group. Is that extra motivation?**

“Of course! And actually, I played them twice last season with Ulm. They have a good coach and strong players, so it’s a great challenge. That’s extra motivation for me — I want to beat them and celebrate a big win. But we need to prepare physically and mentally to give our best.”

**Q: Manresa is in its first EuroCup season but has a long basketball tradition and passionate fans. What would you consider a good season for you and the team?**

“Winning, obviously. That’s the mentality — everyone prepares to win. We’re doing everything we can to be ready for each game. Of course, we know we won’t win every single one, that’s life, but we’ll always give our best.

I’d rather lose playing really well, with effort and teamwork, than win an ugly game where nothing went right. The best feeling is winning while playing great basketball on both ends — being connected with your teammates. That’s the ultimate satisfaction. So yes, our goal is to have a winning season and prepare for every game like it’s the most important one.”

More Manresa News

The Puerto Rican spoke with Javier Gancedo in this week's EuroCup interview

Alfonso Plummer, Manresa: 'I have earned this role'

U-BT Cluj-Napoca kept its high-powered offense rolling with a 76-95 road win over Veolia Towers Hamburg to improve to 3-2 on the BKT EuroCup. Fatts Russell once again dictated the tempo, setting the tone early and leading his team with 26 points, including 5 three-pointers

Cluj stays hot on the road led by red-hot Fatts Russell

U-BT Cluj-Napoca kept its high-powered offense rolling with a 76-95 road win over Veolia Towers Hamburg to improve to 3-2 on the BKT EuroCup.

Coming off a dramatic overtime victory against Umana Reyer Venice last week, Cluj carried that momentum into Germany. Hamburg entered the night still chasing its first victory, but Cluj had showed no signs of slowing down.

[Fatts Russell ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/daron-russell/013943/)once again dictated the tempo, setting the tone early and leading his team with 26 points, including 5 three-pointers. Russell emphasized the team’s energy after the win: “We came out with more energy. We talk a lot and we had big leads going to the other games, we kind of led up, but with this team, we stayed focused and we kept our feet on the pedal. We can score, we have a lot of guys that’s versatile.”

After a fast-paced first quarter where both teams matched each other’s energy, Cluj gradually took control, especially with contributions from beyond the arc. By halftime, Russell had already reached 21 points, while Cluj shot 8-of-16 from three. The deep roster paid off, with bench players giving meaningful minutes. Hamburg managed just 9 points in the second quarter, allowing Cluj to extend the lead to 22.

Cluj never looked back in the second half, finding outside shooting from different players to maintain the gap. With Russell taking a step back, Karel Guzman stepped up, hitting three triples and finishing with 11 points to keep his team ahead. The team also adjusted its defense, mixing aggressive pressure with a more cautious coverage to protect the paint. Dusan Miletic then took over inside, asserting dominance in the paint. The Serbian center shone with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

“I think we controlled the game,” said coach Mihai Silvasan, “In the first quarter, we allowed some easy points in transition. We allowed them to make some easy shots, but from the second quarter we came back and we were more consistent with the way we played the defense and that made the difference. I’m satisfied with the win.”

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Hamburg committed 16 turnovers throughout the game, and despite strong efforts from Zacharie Perrin, who posted 17 points and 7 rebounds, for a PIR of 25, Leonard Thorpe with 18 points and 6 assists, and Carlos Stewart with 11 points, it wasn’t enough to deliver the win they were searching for.

Coach Benka Barloschky summed up the team’s struggles: ‘‘The story is old for us unfortunately. When we get into these stretches, we lose our minds, we break out the structure. Sometimes it looks like we are giving up and that is unacceptable. It happens over and over, that we lose these games in one quarter and are competitive in the other ones. This is something that we have to fix when we want to get winning ways this season.’’

In Round 6, U-BT Cluj-Napoca will look to carry its momentum home against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubijana, while Veolia Towers Hamburg will continue searching for its first win on the road at Umana Reyer Venice.

Game News

Cluj took charge of the game early and never looked back

For about 35 minutes, Dolomiti Energia Trento seemed to be destined for another BKT EuroCup loss.

On the road against a desperate Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens, Trento was trailing from the second minute of the game, shooting below 30% from the field in the first half, and down by as many as 14 points in the third quarter. However, when the final buzzer sounded, Trento's players were the ones celebrating a come-from-behind 87-91 win.

“It’s still early in the season, but getting wins like this is very key”, said Trento guard Devante Jones in a postgame interview for EuroLeague TV. “\[It gives us\] more confidence.”

Jones paced the team with 20 points and 6 rebounds, but did not shy away from pointing out: “Third quarter I did not play well, but my team did a great job.”

Indeed, with Jones held scoreless in the first 9 minutes of the third stanza, his teammates shot 10-for-10 on two-pointers in the that quarter.

Still, it seemed as though the game was slipping away from Trento. Panionios built multiple double-digit leads, and opened a 72-58 margin late in the third behind Matt Lewis and Giorgios Tsalmpouris.

That’s when Jones ended his scoring drought, sparking a 2-10 run that bridged third and fourth quarters. Matas Jogela stepped up early in the fourth, stringing together 8 points to get the visitors within 79-78. Then it was Devante Jones time as he sank a corner three-pointer and then scored at the rim to keep Trento within a single point.

The teams were tied going into the final minute, when Jones took it to the rim once again to put Trento ahead 87-89 with 29 seconds to go, before sealing the deal from the free throw line to improve Trento to a 2-3 record.

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It was not a pretty game, but both teams had a visible desire to win. At halftime, Trento was only 6 of 21 (28.6%) on two-pointers and 4 of 15 (26.7%) behind the arc. The three-point shots did not start falling after the break either, but the visitors had 15 offensive rebounds for the night, and stepped it up on defense in the fourth, allowing only 15 points.

“I think we changed something on defense that broke their rhythm, and stopped our bleeding,” said Trento head coach Massimo Cancellieri.

“On offense, finally in the last quarter we were able to attack where we were supposed to. We were a little bit smarter at the end," he said and added: "Surprisingly, but we were.”

Meanwhile, not even a coaching change and the appointment of Ilias Zouros could help Panionios from dropping to a 1-4 record with their fourth straight EuroCup loss and eighth straight in all competitions.

This one came without the services of Michalis Lountzis, Jaylen Hands and Tyler Wahl, who have combined for 28.8 points and 13.4 rebounds so far this season.

“In a situation without the players, they were playing excellent basketball with big heart. And they were showing respect for their jersey,” Trento's coach complimented Panionios.

“I am very proud, we gave everything on the court,” Zouros said. “We missed some shots that can happen, but we have to improve our defense. I am sure the team will be better, but for us the most important is to have our players.”

Trento trailed for the majority of the game, but Devante Jones and Matas Jogela led a comeback in the Greek capital

‘Surprisingly smarter’ Trento rallied big to sting Panionios

Panionios Athens v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-10-28T17:30:00.000Z)

Igor Milicic reminded of challenges ahead as Aris falls to free-flowing Jerusalem

“There’s definitely a lot to work on,” new Aris Thessaloniki Betsson head coach Igor Milicic said after his team was defeated 103-76 by Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem on Tuesday night.

Despite a bright start, the Greek team fell apart in the second half and Jerusalem punished them, led by a superstar performance from reigning MVP Jared Harper, who finished with 18 points and 9 dimes.

“I know I’m at a level that I can continue to play at, but I know I can’t do that without my teammates. When the ball is moving, it makes for good things,” Harper stated.

Despite the efforts of the impressive Bryce Jones, Aris left Hala Sportova Rank Zeravica with a reminder of the challenges it faces, as it fell to 2-3, losing its third contest in a row.

Speaking on Monday, ahead of his first EuroCup contest in charge of the visitors, Milicic made it clear what he wanted to see from his team – increased energy. He even suggested that his team’s effort level was more important than the result.

“The players are trying to do what I'm asking them to do,” Milicic stated. “If it's going to be enough for the win, we'll see. That's secondary for now. We will go for the win, but what has to be changed is the energy of the team.”

After the buzzer on Tuesday, Milicic was not disappointed by the will of his players, but acknowledged the major need for strategic work, as a team.

“The guys want it, definitely, but we need to be more tactically orientated. The most simple thing is scouting. We fouled in the first half, when we shouldn’t have fouled, then we didn’t foul, when we should have in the second half. These are big, crucial things.”

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The 49-year-old took on a team experiencing a negative moment, without a doubt. Bogdan Karaicic left his position following two consecutive EuroCup losses, despite starting 2-0. Aris replaced him with a seasoned and successful coach in Milicic, who signed for the remainder of the season, with the option of a second year.

Joining in the midst of the season puts any coach at a disadvantage due to the lack of preparation and familiarity with their roster. Ahead of Tuesday’s clash, he had limited time with his team and was thrust into a difficult game just days after signing. However, Milicic certainly doesn’t lack in confidence and believes he can turn things around quickly.

“We need to develop our offensive tactics, but we have been together, in this situation, for only two practices, who I know we will get better after this game.”

He doubled down in the post-game press conference.

“There is no way in the world, that we will not be better, offensively and defensively.”

Now with a losing record, Milicic’s men will attempt to reverse their fortunes next week, as they face Slask Wroclaw next. Meanwhile, the now 3-2 Jerusalem will look to capitalize on the convincing win, when they take on group-leading Bahcesehir College Istanbul next week.

Jared Harper was 1 assist shy of a double-double for the winners

The London Lions have announced that captain Ovie Soko will be out for approximately the next six weeks due to an ankle injury.

Ovie Soko out for six weeks with ankle injury

The [London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/london-lions/lli/) have announced that captain [Ovie Soko](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ovie-soko/007133/) will be out for approximately the next six weeks due to an ankle injury.

Soko has made just one appearance in the BKT EuroCup for London this season, which came in Round 1 against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">London Lions captain Ovie Soko has been ruled out for approximately six weeks with an ankle injury.<br><br>The forward has featured in three SLB games this season, averaging 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 66.7% from the field.<br><br>Now in his third consecutive season with the… <a href="https://t.co/VpZSzDK6Ki">pic.twitter.com/VpZSzDK6Ki</a></p>&mdash; London Lions Basketball (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1983198520615031234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Heading into Round 5, the Lions have a 2-2 record in Group B.

More London Lions News

Anthony Brown is more than a familiar name to European basketball. A former member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he has been playing in Europe since 2018, already has three seasons under his belt in Turkiye, and with Besiktas GAIN Istanbul he is hoping to lift his first continental title by winning the BKT EuroCup.

Anthony Brown on his game-winning shot against Ulm: ‘It was an out-of-body experience’

[Anthony Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/anthony-brown/009025/) is more than a familiar name to European basketball. A former member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he has been playing in Europe since 2018, already has three seasons under his belt in Turkiye, and with [Besiktas GAIN Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-gain-istanbul/bes/) he is hoping to lift his first continental title by winning the BKT EuroCup.

As the 33-year-old said in an interview with Eurohoops, he is completely convinced that his team can achieve this goal, and he already contributed to that by making a memorable game-winning shot on the road against ratiopharm ulm last week.

He admitted that he didn't say "Kobe" when the ball left his hand; however, he knew that the ball was going in.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1886455/anthony-brown-on-his-game-winning-shot-against-ulm-it-was-an-out-of-body-experience/).

More Besiktas News

The former Laker, who played with the late, great Kobe Bryant in his last season with the storied franchise, channeled his inner Mamba in Germany and talked about the high goals he has with Besiktas

There aren't really that many secrets to success in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge this season. It's all about the guards. Fatts Russell leads the competition in PIR. Malachi Flynn is third, followed by Arnas Velicka. Last season's MVP Jared Harper, Darius McGhee and Skyler Mays have all been outstanding. How many of these guards can you afford? Well no matter how you build your team, you can’t have them all. So here are some outstanding options for your backcourt at bargain prices, plus one forward to consider, too.

Fantasy tips, Round 5: It's all about the guards

There aren't really that many secrets to success in the [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/11) this season. It's all about the guards. Fatts Russell leads the competition in PIR. Malachi Flynn is third, followed by Arnas Velicka. Last season's MVP Jared Harper, Darius McGhee and Skyler Mays have all been outstanding. How many of these guards can you afford? Well no matter how you build your team, you can’t have them all. So here are some outstanding options for your backcourt at bargain prices, plus one forward to consider, too.

Something to keep in mind for Round 5: Only three games are on Tuesday, so that should boost some of those players in value. Best to let them play and see what you can get, knowing there are so many players you can replace them with on Wednesday. With that said, happy shopping!

### Nike Sibande, NINERS Chemnitz (8.5 credits)

Perhaps not the most explosive player on this list, [Nike Sibande](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nike-sibande/013889/) is someone who knows how to contribute whenever he takes the floor. Sibande has scored in double figures in three of his games this far and in the fourth, he collected 11 rebounds – as a guard! If you invest in stars, you need players like Sibande to balance the lineup.

### Umoja Gibson, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (8.1 credits)

The point guard is in his third professional season and after a slow debut in Round 1, [Umoja Gibson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/umoja-gibson/013855/) has been dynamite the last few weeks. He has averaged 17.7 points and 5.7 assists for a PIR of 18.7 in the last three games. Gibson has a big role on a good team and is still at a desirable price.

### Berk Ugurlu, Besiktas GAIN Istanbul (7.9 credits)

This is [Berk Ugurlu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/berk-ugurlu/003783/)'s fourth EuroCup campaign and third in a row with Besiktas. And so far, it’s his best by far. Ugurlu has heated up recently to the tune of 9.0 points and 7.3 assists for a PIR of 18.3 over the last three games. Even if he can’t keep it up, it's still outstanding value for his price.

### Augustin Ubal, BAXI Manresa (7.2 credits)

It’s always risky to take a reserve player, especially one who only recently turned 22. But [Augustin Ubal](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/agustin-ubal/010062/) has been outstanding off the Manresa bench. Over his last three games, Ubal has posted 11.3 points on 70.6% shooting and 4.0 rebounds for a PIR of 14.7. He's been nearly as good in the Spanish League, so it's no fluke!

### Jakub Urbaniak, Slask Wroclaw (5.3 credits)

It always helps to have a lottery ticket at the end of the bench. [Jakub Urbaniak](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jakub-urbaniak/012777/) is a player on the rise. His PIR has risen in every game this season and over the lats three, he's been worth 9.0 points on 57.9% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals for a PIR of 9.0. Only 22 years old, Urbaniak has a bright future ahead of him.

More EuroCup Fantasy Challenge News

Frankie Sachs offers fantasy managers some recommendations for this week's games

Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup arrives with two teams striving to maintain their 100% records while others look to add more momentum. Here’s your guide to this week’s games.

At a glance: Two new coaches in place as Round 5 arrives

Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup arrives with two teams striving to maintain their 100% records while others look to add more momentum. Here’s your guide to this week’s games.

## Tuesday, October 28

### Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (18:30 CET)

Two teams struggling at the foot of Group B will look for a boost as Panionios (1-3) – [now led by Ilias Zouros](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ilias-zouros-returns-to-panionios-as-head-coach-36-years-later/), who returns to the club 36 years later – welcomes Trento (1-3). Both are coming off heavy defeats due to poor offense, with Panionios scoring just 63 points in its loss at Buducnost while Trento fared worse with 60 points at home to Turk Telekom. The Italian team particularly needs to improve its long-range shooting after converting just 23.5% of its three-point attempts, with guard Cheickh Niang among those needing more accuracy after going 1-of-9 in the last two games. Panionios, which relies on the leadership of Michalis Lountzis (10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game) needs to take better care of the basketball after committing 18 turnovers last week.

### Hamburg Veolia Towers vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (19:30 CET)

Winless Hamburg (0-4) will attempt to change that statistic with a visit from a Cluj team (2-2) aiming to climb the Group A standings. After surviving an overtime thriller against Reyer last week, Cluj will hope that Iverson Molinar – who scored 22 points in that win including game-clinching free throws – can stay hot to provide a more comfortable evening. The Romanian team boasts the competition’s top two individual performers, with Daron Russell (25.5 average PIR) leading the backcourt and Dusan Miletic (23.8 PIR) powering the paint, but they will be tested by Hamburg leaders Leonard Thorpe (15 points per game) and Zacharie Perrin (10.8 rebounds per night, best in the league).

### Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Aris Thessaloniki Betsson (20:00 CET)

In the middle of Group A, Hapoel (2-2) is aiming to build more momentum with a visit from an Aris team (2-2) looking for a change in fortunes. The Greek club will have new leadership following the dismissal of coach Bogdan Karaicic after two straight losses, [with Igor Milicic handed the reins](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/aris-hands-igor-milicic-the-reins-as-head-coach/). His first priority is to boost a misfiring offense which scored 79 and 59 points in those defeats. Naz Mitrou-Long (12 points per game) will play a key role as he goes head-to-head in a key backcourt battle with Hapoel leader Jared Harper, who is coming off his best game of the season after dropping 20 points to mastermind last week’s comfortable home win over Slask.

## Wednesday, October 29

### Besiktas GAIN Istanbul vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (17:00 CET)

A heavyweight battle at the top of Group B will see second-placed Besiktas (3-1) attempt to end Bourg’s (4-0) unbeaten start to the season. The Turkish team did exactly that last week, handing Ulm its first loss in a thriller thanks to Anthony Brown’s last-gasp game-winning triple. Brown will feature prominently in what promises to be a long-range shoot-out between the third (37.7%) and second-best (39.6%) most accurate teams from three-point territory. Among Bourg’s deep threats is Antony Labanca, who recovered from a slow start to the season by blasting 6-of-8 triples in last week’s easy win over Lietkabelis and now will look to stay hot in Istanbul.

### Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (18:00 CET)

Struggling Lietkabelis (1-3) will look for a return to winning ways with a visit from dangerous Buducnost (2-2). The teams experienced precisely mirroring fortunes last week, with Lietkabelis – which has lost three in a row – suffering a 28-point thrashing at Bourg while Buducnost cruised to the same winning margin over Panionis. Forward Paulius Danusevicius is performing at a high level for the Lithuanian team with 11 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, but the host must improve a defense which has allowed 89 points per game if it wants to slow down the likes of sharpshooting Axel Bouteille, who scored 16 points without a miss last time out.

### NINERS Chemnitz vs. ratiopharm ulm (19:00 CET)

A German derby between two teams aiming to bounce back into winning ways will see Chemnitz (1-3) host Ulm (3-1) for the first time on the continental stage. Chemnitz is licking its wounds from last week’s last-gasp home loss to London, when 17 points and 9 rebounds from the consistent Kevin Yebo wasn’t enough to lift an otherwise below-par offense. Chemnitz does possess the EuroCup’s best two-point conversion rate (65.9%), so Ulm will need improved defense after allowing 101 points against Besiktas to suffer its first loss last week. The visitor will again be powered by dynamic forward Chistopher Ledlum, who has netted 20, 26 and 25 points in the last three games.

### Slask Wroclaw vs. Umana Reyer Venice (19:00 CET)

Climbing into the top six is the target as Slask (2-2) welcomes Reyer (1-3). The Italian team is aiming to achieve its first road win after suffering heartache last week with an overtime loss at Cluj, where center Chris Horton confirmed his power in the paint by recording a second consecutive double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds). This week he will be confronted by Stefan Dordevic, who has averaged 7 rebounds over the last three games for a Slask team which is unbeaten so far at home. The Polish team is the second best rebounding unit in the EuroCup (39.3 boards per night), so Reyer will have to be ready for a physical battle.

### Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Neptunas Kleipeda (19:30 CET)

Cedevita (3-1) will aim to overcome the disappointment of its first defeat by stopping the rise of Neptunas (1-3). The visiting team gained its first win of the season last week by downing Hamburg, and will again put its offense in the hands of Arnas Velicka, who leads the EuroCup with 8.2 assists per game. Cedevita, in contrast, is coming off its first loss after a setback at Bahcesehir, and will hope for another strong contribution from Aleksej Nikolic (17 points per game). Neptunas will take encouragement from the fact that it leads the competition in rebounding (40.3 per night), while Cedevita ranks last (31.5), so the Lithuanian team will attempt to dominate through physicality.

### London Lions vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (20:30 CET)

Two rapidly improving teams go head to head as London (2-2) welcomes Turk Telekom (2-2). Both have recovered from 0-2 starts to win their last two games, with London triumphing on the road last week behind 20 points from the consistent Kameron McGusty, whose strong inside presence will threaten the Turk Telekom defense. But the visiting team was very strong defensively in Round 4’s comfortable road win at Trento, where Jordan Usher led the team with his all-round game (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals). Turk Telekom forces more turnovers than any other team (17 per game), so London’s key guard Tarik Phillip will have to take more care after committing 7 turnovers last week.

### BAXI Manresa vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (20:45 CET)

The week concludes with a titanic tussle between two of Group A’s pacesetters as Manresa (3-1) welcomes unbeaten Bahcesehir (4-0). The Spanish team has won three straight behind the consistent scoring of Alfonso Plummer (17 points per game during the winning run) and a rock-solid defense which has allowed just 77.8 points per game and restricts its opponents to an average of 13.8 assists (second-best in the EuroCup). That toughness will be tested by a Bahcesehir team which has scored at least 92 points in every game and leads the competition in assists (23.3 per game), powered by multi-skilled big man Trevion Williams (13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per night).

With three games on Tuesday and seven on Wednesday, the action is heating up in the EuroCup