ratiopharm ulm has brought back a familiar face to strengthen its roster: versatile swingman Justin Simon has signed a contract through the end of the 2025–26 season

Former champ Justin Simon reunites with ratiopharm ulm 

[ratiopharm ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/roster/ulm/) has brought back a familiar face to strengthen its roster: versatile swingman [Justin Simon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/justin-simon/011232/) has signed a contract through the end of the 2025–26 season. Simon (1.96 meters, 29 years old) returns for a second stint at Ulm, which he played briefly for in the German League during the 2021-22 season, and a second run in the BKT EuroCup, which he won with Paris Basketball in 2024.

Simon was an injury replacement for [Karim Jallow](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/karim-jallow/005422/) at the start of the 2021-22 season and scored 11 points in 32 minutes in a season-opening win over FC Bayern Munich and followed that up with 15 points and 4 rebounds against Telekom Bonn. His time with the club ended when Jallow returned, and Simon moved to fellow German side MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg.

Since then, Simon’s résumé has grown. He won the Australian championship in 2023 with the Sydney Kings and enjoyed a majestic season with Paris, where in addition to the EuroCup crown he captured the French Cup and helped the team reach French League finals for the first time. Simon averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 14 EuroCup appearances. He ranked ninth in the competition in steals.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Rückkehrer für ratiopharm ulm 💪<br><br>Allrounder Justin Simon ist zurück am OrangeCampus. Bereits vor vier Jahren sprang er für den verletzten Karim Jallow ein – jetzt hat er einen Vertrag bis Saisonende unterschrieben.<br><br>Zur kompletten News👉 <a href="https://t.co/VbS8tU27VR">https://t.co/VbS8tU27VR</a><br><br>📷 Stefan Matzke <a href="https://t.co/vhqBhW93sd">pic.twitter.com/vhqBhW93sd</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1992931484639141964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Last season, Simon returned to Ludwigsburg and posted 10.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and a league-leading 2.3 steals per game. He signed to play in China this season with the Shanxi Loongs, but a delay to the season allowed Simon to leave the club and join Ulm. Simon has also played for the Windy City Bulls in the G League, Illawara in Australia, Bnei Herzeliya in Israel and Verona in Italy since playing college basketball at the University of Arizona and at St. John's.

“We are very happy that Justin will wear our jersey again,” said Ulm sporting director Thorsten Leibenath. “In our eyes, he is one of the most versatile BBL players of recent years. His energy, speed, toughness, and experience will enrich our game on many levels. The fact that he can play almost any position gives us flexibility in a challenging situation.”

More ratiopharm ulm news

The versatile swingman won the EuroCup with Paris in 2024 

ratiopharm ulm v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-12-04T18:00:00.000Z)

Stats review: A look at the EuroCup's best three-point defenses

The BKT EuroCup saw a big shakeup in Group A when [Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/slask-wroclaw/wro/) handed [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/) its [second loss of the season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/slask-stays-hot-at-home-to-take-down-bahcesehir/).  In a competitive matchup at Hala Orbita that saw Bahcesehir jump out to a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, the Polish club stayed attached before taking over in the fourth quarter to score a comeback victory against the previous group leader. 

Slask did a lot of little things to score the win, pounding the glass and moving the ball unselfishly, but its three-point defense was ultimately key to its success. 

That is nothing new for coach Ainars Bagatskis’s team, as his group has done a good job in rotation and an excellent one at getting a hand up on pull-up three-point shooters over the first months of the season.

Around 40% of all shot attempts have come from beyond the arc in the EuroCup this season, with teams converting them at a 34% rate that falls between the 29% players are shooting off the dribble and the 36% they are shooting off the catch. With only 31% of all three-point attempts coming off the dribble and teams knocking down 40% of their open spot-up jumpers, there’s real value in a defense that can speed an offense up and alter their shot selection, whether that be forcing them into contested shots, challenging them to beat them off the dribble, or funneling everything into the three-point line.

Slask has done a good job fitting into the second of those molds. While it does not force a high volume of midrange attempts, it has done a great job at extending its defense and then recovering in time to get a hand up when shooters step into pull-up threes. Allowing just 20% from beyond the arc on those attempts has been an important factor in its top-seven overall defensive performance thus far.

Slask is unsurprisingly joined by [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/), which continues to lead the EuroCup in defensive efficiency by a wide margin, allowing only 0.84 points per possession. Its efforts on the ball and in transition have been especially impressive, but Bourg has done a stellar job in rotation as well, despite how often its big men are switched onto the perimeter. While it has faced the second-highest volume of spot-up three-point attempts of any team this season, Bourg ranks second in efficiency defending them. [NINERS Chemnitz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/niners-chemnitz/nin/) has excelled with a similar approach.

[Besiktas GAIN Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-gain-istanbul/bes/) stands out on this list by doing the best job to take away the three and open catch-and-shoot jumpers in particular, not only facing a low volume, but contesting a well-above-average 61% of the attempts it does face. Besiktas has often managed to disrupt the rhythm of opposing shooters this season. The [London Lions](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/london-lions/lli/) fall into a similar category, with most of their wins this season resulting from significant efforts on the defensive side to contest the high volume of two-point attempts they force teams to beat them with.

While offense has been the separator for a lot of elite EuroCup teams in recent history, several of the league's notable overachievers in the current format have excelled at guarding the three-point line.

Look back at all the action in Round 8 of the 2025-26 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 8

Look back at all the action from Round 8 of the 2025-26 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Stefan Djordjevic loves basketball but the action on the hardcourt is not the only interest in the Slask Wroclaw big man’s life. Ask the Serbian about his passion for old-time Mercedes-Benz cars and fishing and he will talk for a while.

What Stefan Djordjevic knows about 90kg burgers, Marc Gasol, old-time Mercedes-Benzes and fishing

[Stefan Djordjevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/stefan-dordevic/006977/) loves basketball but the action on the hardcourt is not the only interest in the [Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/slask-wroclaw/wro/) big man’s life. Ask the Serbian about his passion for old-time Mercedes-Benz cars and fishing and he will talk for a while.

It’s all part of Slask’s main man in the middle, who already has helped the Polish club reach unheard-of heights in the BKT EuroCup.

Djordjevic is averaging 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds for a Slask team that is 4-4 in Group A, including an impressive 4-1 record at home.

“We are proud of this, but we need to continue, practicing good and playing good. I think it's really good for the club and for us as players to show that we can play the high level of the EuroCup,” the 26-year-old center told David Hein.

Just how surprising is the 4-4 mark after eight rounds? Consider that Slask had a combined record of 6-47 in its three previous seasons, from 2021 to 2024.

Djordjevic joined the club this off-season from within Poland. He had put together a strong 2024-25 season with Arka Gdynia, finishing second in the league in scoring (19.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.9 rpg). And a chance to play in the EuroCup was a major reason for coming to Slask.

“That was a big thing and a big satisfaction to play in the EuroCup because we play against some of the best teams in Europe in every country,” said Djordjevic, who played two seasons in the Basketball Champions League with Bosnia and Herzegovina side Igokea in 2022 and 2023.

The top plays of Slask Wroclaw big man Stefan Djordjevic through the first eight rounds of the 2025-26 BKT EuroCup season.

Stefan Djordjevic's best plays this season

For the 2023-24 season, Djordjevic made the jump to Spain and played for Basquet Girona. The club near Barcelona is owned by former Spanish great Marc Gasol. And the former NBA champion and two-time world and European champion had a very hands-on approach with the club.

“I talked with him many times. With his great experience, his advice was very important for me at that moment,” Djordjevic said.

The Serbian said Gasol really helped him improve his passing game – something the Spaniard really excelled at during his long career.

“I felt before that season, I wasn't that good of passer. But after I talked with him, I saw the court differently. Now I think I can find passes easier, better and more automatic,” he said.

One of the things about being away from his homeland during the season is Djordjevic missing out on some of his biggest hobbies.

He fondly remembers his time in Leskovac in southern Serbia. One of the reasons the city of about 70,000 people is actually world-famous is the annual Leskovac Barbecue Festival. The locals regularly set a Guinness world record for the biggest burger. This August, at the 35th edition, the mammoth “pljeskavica” weighed in at 90 kilograms.

Djordjevic would regularly attend the event as a youngster and try the burger as the barbecue masters cut up the meat and gave it to the thousands of attendees.

“You want to be part of it because television is there and everybody wants to be on TV when you’re young. Plus it’s free food,” he remembered.

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Djordjevic now lives in Belgrade in the off-season, and one of his biggest hobbies is working on his old-timer cars.

“I really like vintage old Mercedes-Benzes. I have a few of them, and I really like taking care of them – cleaning them and everything. I'm trying to do some mechanic work too, what I can do by myself – changing some parts and stuff. And I really enjoy driving them,” Djordjevic said of his Mercedes-Benz W124 – the same model his grandfather used to drive when Stefan was young.

Djordjevic has three of them – the same car but different engines. Big engine cars.

An even bigger hobby for the big man is fishing, an obsession he had long before basketball entered his life. He used to go with his father and then with his friends from his home village – and quite often.

“We would go almost every day before school. That was a big passion of ourselves,” he remembered.

Djordjevic learned pretty early from his parents that it is better to release the fish he caught.

“They said I will feel better. Just take a photo and release it. So I started doing that. And I can say it's a better feeling than when you take it home,” he said.

Djordjevic actually considers himself a sports fishermen.

And he still has fishing friends. One of them is a fellow EuroCup player – [Nikola Tanaskovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/nikola-tanaskovic/005637/) from [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/bud/), someone who he camps with for three or four days at a time.

“I often go fishing in the summer. Most of the time I go carp fishing. I go camping with Nikola. He really likes it too. Every time I have time, I try to use it to go fishing,” he said.

Djordjevic now lives about a 10-minute walk from the Sava River in Belgrade and would go there almost every night after practice in the summer to fish for about an hour.

Djordjevic doesn’t have his fishing gear with him in Wroclaw, which is actually okay because there is not much time for it.

“Maybe when we finish the EuroCup season, because now almost every day we are on a trip or somewhere because we play twice a week. But I would like to try fishing here because Poland is a good country for fishing with a lot of rivers,” he said.

Djordjevic said he will eventually buy some new gear in Poland. He has already done some scouting and found some good places to go.

Now it’s just about finding the time when he’s not helping Slask reach new heights.

More Slask News

The Slask big man has been thriving on the court, but there is more than meets the eye

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse has reinforced its roster with the signing of American forward Tajuan Agee for the remainder of the season. 

Bourg signs Tajuan Agee to bolster frontcourt

[Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/) has reinforced its roster with the signing of American forward [Tajuan Agee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tajuan-agee/014182/) for the remainder of the season. Agee (2.05 meters, 28 years old) joins Bourg after two seasons in France with BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque.

Agee arrives to fill a gap in Bourg’s rotation created by the departure of JT Shumate and recent injuries. Known for his intensity and versatility, Agee brings a well-rounded offensive skill set and strong defensive commitment. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals for Gravelines last season.  

“Intense and active, Tajuan has a complete offensive arsenal and an interesting defensive investment as well,” said Francois Lamy, JL Bourg’s general manager. “He can play alongside nearly all of our interior players and will add the experience and toughness we’ve sometimes lacked in the paint.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Bienvenue Tajuan 👋<br><br>Du renfort sur le poste 4 avec l’arrivée de Tajuan Agee en provenance du BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque. Tajuan rejoindra Bourg dès cette fin de semaine et pourra intégrer l’effectif à la reprise en décembre.<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/qJ8fsb93Ve">https://t.co/qJ8fsb93Ve</a> <a href="https://t.co/NrHoQtl6UY">pic.twitter.com/NrHoQtl6UY</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1991832323072172508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Chicago native began his professional career in 2020 in Bulgaria with BC Balkan before moving to Israel’s Maccabi Ashdod. He then joined RASTA Vechta in Germany, where he played a pivotal role in the club’s promotion to the Bundesliga and was named MVP of the second division in May 2023. Agee signed with Gravelines-Dunkerque later that year.

A graduate of Iona College, where he earned All-MAAC honors and led the conference in rebounding, Agee has built a reputation as a high-energy player capable of impacting games on both ends of the floor.

The American forward joins Bourg after two seasons in Gravelines 

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2025-12-05T18:30:00.000Z)

A spectacular career night has earned Kevin Yebo of NINERS Chemnitz the Round 8 MVP honor, delivering a career-high 38 PIR in his team’s historic 94-105 road win at Dolomiti Energia Trento – Chemnitz’s first-ever away victory in the BKT EuroCup.

Round 8 MVP: Kevin Yebo, NINERS Chemnitz

A spectacular career night has earned Kevin Yebo of NINERS Chemnitz the Round 8 MVP honor, delivering a career-high 38 PIR in his team’s historic 94-105 road win at Dolomiti Energia Trento – Chemnitz’s first-ever away victory in the BKT EuroCup.

Yebo was unstoppable, pouring in a career-best 33 points on 7-of-11 two-pointers, 3-of-7 threes and an impressive 10-of-12 from the foul line. He added 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 10 fouls drawn, anchoring Chemnitz at both ends in a milestone performance for the club. 

Right behind him was Mitch Creek, who produced his own career masterpiece despite Cluj’s 89-101 loss to Hapoel Midwest Jerusalem. Creek tallied a career-high 26 points on 5-of-9 two-pointers, a perfect 2-of-2 from long range and a flawless 10-of-10 at the stripe. He rounded out the night with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, a career-best 2 blocks and 10 fouls drawn, culminating in a career-high PIR of 35.

In just his second appearance for Aris Thessaloniki Betsson, Amine Noua delivered a breakout performance in the team’s 87-93 win at Neptunas Klaipeda. Noua erupted for a career-high 24 points, hitting 5-of-8 twos, 3-of-5 threes and 5-of-7 free throws. He also tied his career high with 8 rebounds, drew 9 fouls and posted a career-high 32 PIR.

Sharing the third-highest PIR in Round 8 is Joel Scott, who put together his finest EuroCup showing in the London Lions’ 68-72 defeat to Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. Scott compiled a career-high 23 points on 5-of-9 two-pointers, 1-of-3 from deep and a perfect 10-of-10 on free throws. He added 7 rebounds, a career-high 4 assists, 1 steal and 9 fouls drawn, resulting in another career-high PIR of 32.

Closing out the top performers is Andrej Jakimovski, who delivered a standout display in Trento’s loss to Chemnitz. Jakimovski erupted for a career-high 30 points, converting 6-of-9 two-pointers, 3-of-8 threes and a spotless 9-of-9 from the line. He also grabbed 8 rebounds, drew 5 fouls and finished with a career-high 31 PIR, capping an impressive individual effort despite the team defeat.

### Individual highs: Kevin Yebo, Chemnitz, 33 points

Chemnitz’s Kevin Yebo poured in a round-high 33 points. Cluj guard Fatts Russell leads the EuroCup in scoring with 22.8 points per game.

Jerusalem’s Austin Wiley led all players in Round 8 with 11 rebounds. Veolia Towers Hamburg big man Zacharie Perrin tops the charts in this category with 9.0 boards per night.

Tobias Jensen of ratiopharm ulm was this round’s top assist provider with 11. Neptunas playmaker Arnas Velicka averages a competition-best 8.3 assists per contest.

Lietkabelis Panevezys’s Augustine Rubit made 4 steals in Round 8, more than any other player. Turk Telekom Ankara’s Dogus Ozdemiroglu has a comfortable lead in steals with an average of 2.9 per game.

Austin Wiley appears on this list again, this time after recording a round-high 3 blocks. Deane Williams of the London Lions is the season leader in blocks with 1.3 per night.

Three players had a double-double in Round 8: Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana’s Thomas Kennedy (14 points, 10 rebounds), Austin Wiley (10 points, 11 rebounds) and Tobias Jensen (15 points, 11 assists).

This is the first MVP of the Round honor of his career

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse overcame the London Lions, 68-72, in a low-scoring but exciting slugfest at Copper Box on Wednesday night in Round 8 of the 2025-26 BKT EuroCup

Table-topping Bourg works hard to edge Lions in London

“I think we wanted to play with more intensity,” said Darius McGhee. “When we play intense, we have fun and tonight we did that.”

The American guard helped his Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse team overcome London Lions, 68-72, in a low-scoring but exciting slugfest at Copper Box on Wednesday night. McGhee was pleased that he and his teammates held concentration in such a physical and unpredictable contest.

“We stayed consistent for 40 minutes. In EuroCup, there’s a lot of talent, some really good teams. If you lose focus, they capitalize, so we just need to stay locked in.”

Despite the let-down of a recent domestic loss, Bourg was able to bounce back, proving exactly why it sits at the top of their EuroCup group, as the win pushes the team to 7-1 for the season. McGhee’s teammate Adam Mokoka was equally as encouraged by the character the visitors showed.

“We tried to stay together, as we had a tough loss in the French championship that really took from us a lot mentally,” Mokoka explained. “In the EuroCup, we are at first, so we tried to make sure we stay in that position. We couldn’t let that go.”

Winning was a team effort for Bourg. McGhee stood out, while Both Gach also scored 10 points and center Kevin Kokila combined 10 of his own with 6 boards. Coach Frederic Fauthoux was proud of his men.

“It was a tough fight. My team played very well, stayed focused, played together for forty minutes and it’s a very, very good victory.”

One area in which Bourg was especially impressive was on defense. Coming into the game, it held the best defensive record in the competition, allowing opponents to score just 69.3 points per game, across 7 fixtures. Tonight it improved on that record, limiting London to 68.

Though Bourg made the brighter start to open up an early lead, it provided the Lions a chance to claw their way back level. The game then went back and forth, with the hosts earning multiple leads but failing to open up a substantial margin. Coach Tautvydas Sabonis’s men kept chase until the very end, but it wasn’t their night and the visitors secured the 4-point victory.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Les Stats 📊<br><br>🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LondonLions</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeRedy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeRedy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/b9kHINfpvt">pic.twitter.com/b9kHINfpvt</a></p>&mdash; JL Bourg Basket (@JLBourgBasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket/status/1991266707315278170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Late-game composure proved decisive, and Mokoka credited the team’s calm approach.

“In this type of game, you have to stay locked in, make sure you stay calm because anything can happen,” Mokoka said. “It was a two-possession game, but we made sure we matched the physicality, talked to each other and always stayed positive.”

The result was tough on London’s star performer Joel Scott, who added 7 rebounds and 4 assists to his 23 points. With the loss, his team slid to 3-5, moving them level with NINERS Chemnitz on the edge of the postseason spots.

London has time to reflect on the result before returning to EuroCup action on December 4, when it meets Lietkabelis Panevezys. Bourg aims to carry its momentum into the clash with Buducnost VOLI Podgorica the following night.

Game News

McGhee and Mokoka praise team focus after gritty 68-72 road win

London Lions v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2025-11-19T19:30:00.000Z)

On Wednesday at Palasport Taliercio, Kyle Wiltjer and Umana Reyer Venice secured a hard-fought 97–93 victory over BAXI Manresa in Round 8 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season

Wiltjer strikes back in Reyer's bounce-back night against Manresa

Kyle Wiltjer and Umana Reyer Venice had unfinished business before facing BAXI Manresa in Round 8 of the BKT EuroCup. Their last visit to Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana had ended with the season's heaviest defeat, 93–65, with Wiltjer posting his worst performance: 4 points on 1-of-7 shooting. On Wednesday at Palasport Taliercio, Reyer delivered a completely different performance in front of its fans, securing a hard-fought 97–93 victory to return to winning ways.

Wiltjer was the primary architect of Reyer's turnaround, reacting perfectly to the frustration of his last outing by leading with 17 of his 20 points in a first half to remember. The Canadian forward, whose previous season high had been 15 points in Round 5 against Slask Wroclaw, could celebrate his performance and the victory with his fans — and someone even more special.

"We got the grandparents coming tonight, so they brought some good luck, as this is their first game here," he revealed right after the final whistle. "We're just happy to get the win. The EuroCup is very tough this year, \[you can see\] a lot of teams at the same record, so we're just happy we got the win."

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Although Wiltjer couldn't maintain his production pace after the break, which Reyer reached leading 54–45, he set the foundations for his teammates to finish the job. Denzel Valentine and Leo Candi stood out in the early moments of the fourth quarter with crucial three-pointers that gave the hosts the cushion needed to withstand Manresa's reaction.

The visitors recovered from double-digit deficits entering the final minutes, but ultimately fell short due to poor shooting from beyond the arc in a frenetic game. Jordan Parks's putback off an offensive rebound and 2 free throws from RJ Cole sealed the victory for Reyer, leaving a bittersweet taste for the home team's players and coach.

"Our team won a very difficult game," Umana Reyer head coach Neven Spahija admitted. "They're a good team. They're a very good team. They are so aggressive, they're playing with the pace, so many possessions, and a lot of threes, maybe today, a little bit more than usually.

"But their pressure on the offensive rebound, which is the way to stop us, was impressive. They had 17 offensive rebounds and we still made 97 points. Imagine that we grab what we usually do."

Wiltjer reflected on the performance: "\[This win can give us\] confidence doing the things we do. We're a fast team, but Manresa tonight had a really crazy pace, running up and down, and we played with them, we've got to improve and trust the coaches and just try to get better every day."

Spahija wasn't entirely satisfied despite the win. "\[First of all\], when you are winning the game, it's always good. But honestly, I didn't like it, especially the way we played the last 5 minutes. That's not the way we're going to play, but now I will not overreact in the locker room. I'm going to speak with the players after the day off.

"But definitely, if we want to compete at this level, we have to be much more serious, defensively, offensively, to stick with the game plan and many other things," he finished.

The comments make crystal clear that Reyer aims for the maximum, having evened the team's record at 4–4 and dreaming of confirming its qualification for the next round.

The Canadian forward netted a season-high 20 points before family to lead Reyer to hard-fought victory

Umana Reyer Venice v BAXI Manresa (2025-11-19T19:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana picked up its third straight triumph to pull into a three-way tie for first place in Group A of the BKT EuroCup by beating winless Veolia Towers Hamburg 93-73 to improve to 6-2. 

Coach Mitrovic praises team focus as Cedevita controls Hamburg 

Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic really praised his Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana team for focusing on delivering a strong performance in a comfortable win over Veolia Towers Hamburg just two days after getting an emotional victory in the ABA League.

Cedevita picked up its third straight triumph to pull into a three-way tie for first place in Group A of the BKT EuroCup by beating winless Hamburg 93-73 to improve to 6-2.

“We put a lot of pressure on them with energy. We controlled the game from the beginning. We had some problems in the first quarter with some rebounds but otherwise we had the game in our hands,” said the Cedevita coach in the post-game interview.

“In this period, this was the most important game for us. We respect all teams when they arrive here. As you can see, this is a team - okay they are bottom of the league - but they are a team with a lot of very good players. This, you can see on the court. And last year we lost our last game against Hamburg. I was very focused and I tried to focus my players on the game.”

And Cedevita did that. The home side went on a 12-1 run to take a 17-point lead at 41-24 in the second quarter. Hamburg only managed to get within 10 points the rest of the way and it was no closer than 12 points in the second half.

Cedevita committed only 9 turnovers while shooting 65.1% on two-pointers and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds. Five players scored in double figures, led by DJ Stewart’s 17 points and 4 assists, while Thomas Kennedy tied a career high with 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

“No wins are easy. They hung around for a long time. We got out to a lead and they went on run. So, controlling the game was important for us. The margin might make it look easy, but still we performed well,” said Kennedy, who wowed the crowd with a massive dunk after a drive to the basket early in the third quarter.

“Every win is important, especially on the home court, especially games you are supposed to win. We want to keep rolling.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="lt" dir="ltr">Thomas tiska posterje! <a href="https://t.co/HTjYu8MrY0">pic.twitter.com/HTjYu8MrY0</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (@KKCedOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL/status/1991218357085913586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cedevita is now even atop Group A with Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem and Bahcesehir College Istanbul.

And the win came just two days after Cedevita knocked off EuroLeague co-leader Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 87-86 at home to stay atop Group B of the ABA League.

“Two days ago we played for us and our level, an amazing game against Crvena Zvezda,” Mitrovic said. “I think in the end, this result is realistic.  I am happy about this. I really congratulate my players.”

At the other end of the standings is Hamburg, which has now lost all 15 of its games this season, including all eight in the EuroCup. New addition Devon Daniels looks like a good signing as he collected 19 points and 5 assists in his debut with the club and Zacharie Perrin continued his strong season, the French youngster amassing 14 points and 6 rebounds.

But Hamburg shot only 47.6% on two-pointers as well as 30.8% from long range. The German side came into the game ranked 19th in scoring (78.0 ppg), 16th in two-point shooting (50.5%) and last in three-pointers (25.9%).

Hamburg head coach Benka Barloschky tried to sound upbeat after the game.

"I think we’re getting better - slowly, day by day, game by game. We lose by 20 points, but I don’t think that we were 20 points worse tonight. We have to find a way to accept the physical level of this game,” he said.

“We have good players with a lot of potential and slowly we’re working ourselves to that level. It’s taking us longer this year, but I am still very optimistic. I’m still proud of this group because they are making steps. At some point, if we keep working in the right way, we will reward ourselves with a win. And that will hopefully give us more energy for the next tasks ahead.”

The regular season is still one game shy of the halfway point, but Hamburg already finds itself four games behind the final spot for the playoffs. Cedevita, on the other hand, has to feel good about itself going into the national team break.

The 20-point win came two days after beating EuroLeague leader Crvena Zvezda in the ABA League

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2025-11-19T17:30:00.000Z)