Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv extended its winning streak to three games by crushing Dolomiti Energia Trento 89-68 on Tuesday evening at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria

Hapoel cruises past Trento, 89-68

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv extended its winning streak to three games by crushing Dolomiti Energia Trento 89-68 on Tuesday evening at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria. The hosts led by double digits for the majority of the game to grab a comfortable home victory. Hapoel improved its record to 9-5, with Trento, whose head coach Paolo Galbiati missed the game due to illness, dropping to 4-10.

Bruno Caboclo led all scorers with 19 points, which he paired with 8 rebounds. Antonio Blakeney netted 13, with Marcus Foster and Yam Madar scoring 11 each. Jordan Ford paced Trento with 17 points, with Anthony Lamb and Saliou Niang recording 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Game Videos

Madar got Hapoel going with a layup before a triple from Foster and a bucket by Tomer Ginat gave the hosts a 7-2 lead. Selom Mawugbe and Johnathan Motley traded scores inside, with Lamb netting a midrange jumper that cut the difference to 11-10. But Ginat and Foster drilled a three each before a Madar layup in transition opened a 19-10 lead. After Jordan Bayehe and Myles Cale netted inside, Toto Forray and Blakeney exchanged triples, with Hapoel leading 26-17 after 10 minutes.

Hapoel started strong from beyond the rainbow in the second quarter, with Caboclo drilling a couple of triples and Madar scoring one of his own for a 37-21 cushion. Buckets from Oz Blayzer, Joe Ragland and Patrick Beverley were followed by a three-pointer from the latter, but Trento didn’t allow Hapoel to pull away, with Ford and Denis Badalau sinking a triple apiece to trim the deficit to 48-32 at halftime.

Game News

Foster, Madar and Motley scored inside for a 20-point advantage, 54-34. Trento replied with 6 unanswered points by Ford, but Foster nailed one from deep before setting up Motley on the break for a 59-40 lead. Yet, the visitors responded with a 4-10 run fueled by Bayehe, who scored Trento’s last 5 points of the third quarter to trim the deficit to 65-50.

Hapoel opened the fourth quarter with a 7-2 surge capped off by Caboclo’s third triple of the game. Blakeney netted a tough midrange bucket that took his tally to 10 points, maintaining a 74-54 lead for the hosts. Lamb and Blakeney exchanged triples before 4 unanswered points from Caboclo restored an 83-61 cushion to all but put the game on ice.

The hosts led from start to finish to clinch a comfortable home win

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2025-01-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Dreamland Gran Canaria took a giant step towards a top-two spot in Group A after knocking off ratiopharm Ulm 76-83 on the road to snap a two-game losing streak

Strong fourth quarter carries Gran Canaria past Ulm 76-83

Dreamland Gran Canaria took a giant step towards a top-two spot in Group A after knocking off ratiopharm Ulm 76-83 on the road to snap a two-game losing streak. Gran Canaria blew a tight game wide open with a 0-16 fourth-quarter run to improve to 10-4 on the season. The Spanish side won both games against Ulm this season - including a 125-78 blowout in Round 5.

Carlos Alocen collected 14 points and 5 assists, Miquel Salvo had 11 points, Mike Tobey tallied 10 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks and Nicolas Brussino picked up 10 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Ulm saw its five-game winning streak snapped to fall to 9-5. Ben Saraf poured in a career-high 19 points, Alfonso Plummer scored 13 points and Marcio Santos chipped in 10 points in the loss. 

The hosts had some bad news straight away as veteran point guard Thomas Klepeisz had to be carried off after just 23 seconds with an apparent foot injury and did not return. Ulm got on the break for two easy baskets and Saraf added a triple as the hosts went up 9-2. Alocen sparked the Gran Canaria attack early on with 8 points including a long triple and Brussino’s long ball knotted it 16-16. Ulm buried three-pointers at the other end and led 24-18 after 10 minutes. 

Ulm failed to score for nearly the first 4 minutes of the second quarter and Gran Canaria reeled off 12 straight points for a 24-30 lead. Two Saraf scores were equalized at the other end and Gran Canaria went up 29-35. But Ulm kept the visitors scoreless for more than 3 minutes and reclaimed the lead 36-35. Caleb Homesley’s jumper put Gran Canaria back up 36-37 at the break.

Ulm went back ahead 42-41 only to see Pierre Pelos make a triple and convert a three-point play for a 44-50 advantage. Plummer punched back with two baskets and Ulm tied the game 52-52. A Philipp Herkenhoff tip-in and 2 free throws had the home side up 59-55 after 30 minutes.

Karim Jallow started the fourth quarter with a score for a 61-55 lead for Ulm. Gran Canaria’s defense stepped up, not giving up a point for the next 7:30 minutes and the Spanish side surged ahead with a 0-16 run thanks to a \`pair of Alocen triples. A Mehdy Ngouama three finished off Ulm for a 63-75 cushion with 105 seconds to play.

Gran Canaria takes inside track for second place with season sweep of Ulm

ratiopharm Ulm v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-01-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul has announced that Mateusz Ponitka has successfully undergone surgery on a meniscus injury. Given that the recovery time for meniscus injuries is six to nine months, the Polish forward’s BKT EuroCup campaign is likely over.

Mateusz Ponitka undergoes surgery on meniscus injury

[Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/) has announced that [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/) has successfully undergone surgery on a meniscus injury.

Given that the recovery time for meniscus injuries is six to nine months, the Polish forward’s BKT EuroCup campaign is likely over.

“Our player Mateusz Ponitka underwent surgery at Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital due to the meniscus injury he suffered in the league match we played against Tofas,” Bahcesehir posted in a tweet.

“After the successful operation performed by our team doctor Dr. Berhan Bayram and Prof. Dr. Alper Kaya, our player's rehabilitation program is now being planned. Get well soon, Poni!”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">📢 Oyuncumuz Mateusz Ponitka, TOFAŞ ile oynadığımız lig karşılaşmasında yaşadığı menisküs yaralanması sebebiyle Acıbadem Altunizade Hastanesi’nde ameliyat oldu.<br><br>👨‍⚕️Takım doktorumuz Dr. Berhan Bayram ve Prof. Dr. Alper Kaya tarafından gerçekleştirilen başarılı operasyon… <a href="https://t.co/GbD3EkM7CF">pic.twitter.com/GbD3EkM7CF</a></p>&mdash; Bahçeşehir Koleji Spor Kulübü (@BKBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKBasketbol/status/1876645697241719008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ponitka, in his rookie EuroCup season, has averaged 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal and a 13.5 PIR in 12 appearances, all off the bench. 

Bahcesehir is the second team to have qualified for the EuroCup Playoffs, behind Valencia Basket in Group A, as the Turkish side tops Group B with an 11-2 record.

More Bahcesehir News

The Bahcesehir forward is likely done for the season

Joventut Badalona v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2025-02-05T19:30:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v ratiopharm Ulm (2025-01-28T16:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2025-01-22T17:45:00.000Z)

Trefl Sopot v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2025-01-08T16:00:00.000Z)

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 14 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.

Round 14: Pregame quotes and injury reports

## Tuesday, January 7

### ratiopharm Ulm vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (19:00 CET)

\--

### Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CET)

**Saliou Niang, Dolomiti Energia Trento forward**

"It will be a very complicated game against one of the strongest teams in the competition that has a great roster. We are in a difficult moment between injuries, fatigue and from the last defeats where we could do better. Playing against players of their level is very challenging, we want to get back up so we will go into the game determined and with the will to win."

### Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (19:30 CET)

**Frederic Fauthoux, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach**

"Lietkabelis is a team that plays very good basketball, and perhaps even the one that plays the best collectively in the group. It is also a dangerous team which managed to beat big teams like Valencia and Jerusalem. It’s also up to us to impose our game."

**Maksim Salash, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse forward**

"It’s a very important game for us, we need to win tomorrow in order to keep fighting for a playoff spot in our group."

### Valencia Basket vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (20:30 CET)

**Brancou Badio, Valencia Basket guard**

"\[Turk Telekom\] is a team that is very good right now and I think we will have to prepare ourselves and get to play a tough, difficult game, which will be evenly matched. We will have to play our game, focus also on ourselves and play hard, compete. We will have to defend a lot because Anthony Brown is a very good player and he is one of the best scorers in the EuroCup, he is scoring a lot. I think it will be an important game for him because we beat them there and they will come wanting to play and show what they are worth. So we will have to defend and defend as a team to be able to win the game. We are playing at home and it is always better to play at home with our fans. Hopefully they will be there supporting us. That will give us more energy every time on the court. It gives us a lot of energy to go out and give it our all on the court."

## Wednesday, January 8

### Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (17:00 CET)

\--

### U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (18:00 CET)

**Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach**

"It is an extremely important game for us. There are not so many chances left if we want a good place before the playoffs. We are fighting against them for a better place in the standings. They are a talented team, with brilliant guards.  For example, Harper, the best scorer in the competition, plays there. Carrington and Zoosman are also really good players. We need to match their whole team, not just a few players. We have trained well and we have the right mindset. We will play at home and we hope to have a full gym!"

**Gediminas Orelik, U-BT Cluj-Napoca forward**

"We are going to play against a tough opponent, they have the best scorer, Harper. They have good individuals, so much talent. It is going to be a hard game. As we said, everything is in our own hands. We need to have desire and show we are playing at home. Everything is good, I think I have adapted pretty fast. The atmosphere is very good, the practices are at a high level. My family is happy here  and everything is getting better and better. I think us, as basketball players, we live for big games. I am talking about the atmosphere and the emotions. That is when you show your heart and face!"

### Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Trefl Sopot (18:00 CET)

**Alessandro Magro, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius head caoch**

"I expect a very tactical game. I know Coach Tabak very well. He's a very, very good coach.  Also, they have talent and physicality. No doubt, their players have pride. They will come here to make the game. They will prepare to try to win here. So, we must consider the game, probably, with more focus, to pay more attention to details because we know the importance of the game for the standings."

**Regimantas Miniotas, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius forward**

"A tough game awaits. It is very important for us in the fight for a better position in the tournament standings and for a spot in the playoffs. Winning is crucial, so we must be fully focused and execute our game plan. If we secure a win, it will help us continue moving towards our goals in the BKT EuroCup."

**Bartosz Jankowski, Trefl Sopot forward**

"A tough game ahead of us, for sure. Wolves have a great pick and roll game, both outside and with their big guys. We need to stop this pick and roll, which I think is going to be the key."

### Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (18:45 CET)

**Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach**

"Aris has changed their roster compared to our first encounter. The team now has a completely different concept than in October. I watched their recent game against Olympiacos, where they played well for 30 minutes, and their EuroCup game against Hapoel, where they fought until the end. The team is faster, more athletic, and more robust, allowing them to play much more aggressive defense. We’ll need to prepare well, give it our all, and stay focused from start to finish to win the game."

**Andrija Stipanovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana center**

"This is a very important game, and we’ve prepared well for it. The atmosphere in the arena during the game against Krka was excellent, and I hope just as many, if not more, fans will come and cheer even louder. We know we’ve entered a period where every game is a battle for the playoffs. We’ll take it game by game and do our best to secure key wins."

### Joventut Badalona vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (19:30 CET)

\--

### Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Umana Reyer Venice (19:30 CET)

**Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach**

"For us, who need to make up ground, every game is important. We're heading to Hamburg to play against a team with three wins, but they are very, very competitive, tough, and never give up. We’ve improved our offensive game, while defensively we’ve been consistent since the start of the season. We were missing scoring options, but we’ve made progress recently. We’re going to Germany with great respect for Hamburg and aiming to win another game."

**Tyler Ennis, Umana Reyer Venice guard**

"Every game is very important because the standings are very tight, with many teams having similar or close records. Moreover, we’re playing away, and it’s never easy. We want to continue on our path by imposing our defense and continuing to play with toughness and intensity. We’re facing excellent players, and we need to stay focused on what we need to do. We’re in a good moment, and we want to capitalize on it."

**Reyer injury report:** Xavier Munford (knee) and Rodney McGruder (adductor) are out.

Joventut Badalona v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2025-01-08T18:30:00.000Z)

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2025-01-07T18:30:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v Umana Reyer Venice (2025-01-08T18:30:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2025-01-08T17:45:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2025-01-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v Trefl Sopot (2025-01-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket v Turk Telekom Ankara (2025-01-07T19:30:00.000Z)

Currently on a four-game winning streak in the EuroCup, Erdem Can's Turk Telekom Ankara will look to keep their good run going when they face Valencia Basket at La Fonteta this Tuesday night.

Turk Telekom has turned the ignition at just the right moment

This is precisely the time of the season when all teams are looking to make that extra push, change gear to improve their position in the standings and secure a playoff spot. The is when the serious business starts.

It applies to all competitions. In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, for example, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens coach and three-time champion Ergin Ataman characterized this period as the “end of the party” and the beginning of the real deal.

When it comes to the BKT EuroCup, while other teams seem prone to perhaps surprising mishaps (we are looking at you, Valencia Basket), [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/ttk/) looks to be gaining momentum at just the right moment.

Ahead of Round 14, Turk Telekom has jumped to an 8-5 record thanks to four wins over the last four games. The Turkish team hasn’t lost in the competition since November, as the streak began with [a 93-98 road win over 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-rallies-past-lietkabelis-93-98/) on December 4.

After that triumph, Turk Telekom also grabbed victories over [Aris Midea Thessaloniki (87-77)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-stops-aris-87-77/), [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (74-80)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-grabs-pivotal-win-in-ljubljana-74-80/), and then [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (98-89)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/anthony-brown-keeps-turk-telekom-rolling-against-bourg-98-89/) last week.

Not only has this run put them even closer to securing a spot in the postseason but it has placed them in legit contention for a potential top-two finish in Group B and secure a direct ticket to the quarterfinals. They are currently 3rd at 8-5 – the same record as second-placed Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – and only Valencia has more wins than them with 11 wins and three defeats.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1767552/turk-telekom-has-turned-the-ignition-at-just-the-right-moment/).

Erdem Can’s side is one of the hottest teams in the EuroCup

In this week’s EuroCupbasketball.com interview, Wolves forward Arnoldas Kulboka spoke about his recovery from his knee injury, what it means to play for a young club in Wolves, his relationship with star guard Anthony Cowan and much more

Arnoldas Kulboka: 'I'm just happy to be back on the court'

After nearly a year and a half away from basketball, [Arnoldas Kulboka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/arnoldas-kulboka/006180/) made his return to action with Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius in Round 9 and since then has been slowly but surely recapturing the form that made him an elite prospect. 

The forward left his native Lithuania when he was just 16 to play in Germany. Basketball has since taken Kulboka to play for teams in Italy, Spain, the NBA and Greece. In the summer of 2023, he suffered a knee injury in training camp with Prometey Slobozhanske and he required a second procedure after joining Wolves. But now all of that is in the past. 

In this week’s [EuroCupbasketball.com](http://EuroCupbasketball.com) interview, Kulboka spoke to Frankie Sachs about his recovery from the injury, what it means to play for a young club in Wolves, his relationship with star guard Anthony Cowan and much more.

**It’s great to see you back in form with Wolves. Can you take us through what the last year and a half have been like for you?**

"It's been an awful period of my life for sure, not just on the court, off the court as well. If I could delete 2024 from my life, for sure I would do that, but it is what it is. I'm just happy right now that I can be back on the court and help as much as I can for my team and if we're winning, it's amazing.

"I had a knee injury, I had some problems that had to be fixed and unfortunately the recovery wasn't going well and it took more time than it was supposed to. At the very end, when I was trying to come back on the court, I still felt some discomfort and I just wasted some time over-thinking what I should do when all I had to do was another surgery and that's it. I had the second surgery and finally after a year and a half, I’m back."

**Recovering from an injury like this can also be very difficult mentally. How were you able to stay focused on the recovery?**

"I mean for every person, it's a different thing how you overcome it. For me it was my family around me - my wife, my son – helping me to go through that. There's a lot of help that you can get everywhere. There are many places that you can go and can help you, but it's difficult for me to tell you. It's different for every person how you overcome them, but for me, also basketball helped me a lot. I have that goal that I want to reach one day and it keeps pushing me forward. So I guess that's how it helped me.

"Basketball players, we've been doing this ever since we were kids, 5-6 years old whatever and that's pretty much all you know. You live with this every day and this is our job. Not only job, but it's our life. So at the end of the day, you have certain goals that you want to reach. If you're strong mentally, you keep pushing no matter what. I guess that's how I did it."

Arnoldas Kulboka highlights, Rounds 9-13, 2024-25

Arnoldas Kulboka highlights with Wolves

**Were you able to shoot during the early stages of the injury, or were you forced to stay off the court altogether?**

“I would say the first maybe four months I couldn't even watch basketball. It was really tough mentally just looking at those games and thinking ‘that should be me right there on the court’, especially after the season that I had before in Greece. It felt like I should be there playing and having a good time, so it was kind of tough. I had some problems in my personal life and everything added up, but after that I started shooting again. I was not able to be running on the court and doing many things, but shooting, I was still doing that.”

**Were you still recovering from the original injury when you signed with Wolves over the summer?**

"Yes. The club knew everything. We tried to do the recovery the last part with the club and like I said in the very beginning I still wasn't able to be back 100% so the last step was another surgery and that's it."

**Would you say that you are 100% back to your pre-injury self?**

"I'm still not back 100%, that's for sure. Though it's still been only a month that I'm back. You know, being out of the court for a year and a half, it's difficult to get into rhythm this quick, but I feel like I'm getting better every day and not just month after month, it feels like I'm a different player after every practice, you know, just getting used to my teammates and all that. Even if you're out for a month, you need some time to be back, you need to feel the rhythm, the speed and everything on the court, so it's taking time but I'm happy. I can see that I can already help my team a little bit, so it feels great.

"Team chemistry is good. We're winning games, so it helps a lot, but you know we have a great group of guys, everybody's friendly. Most of the guys knew each other before the season, I would say, especially you know the locals. It's a small country, everybody knows each other, so it's easy to get going and the last thing, I just need some more time to be back 100% on the court, but I feel like everything's been going well, so it won't take too much time."

"I feel like I'm getting better every day and not just month after month, it feels like I'm a different player after every practice, you know, just getting used to my teammates and all that."

**Can you share your emotions when you entered the game for the first time, which I believe was the EuroCup game against Buducnost?**

"When I was on the court, I didn't feel anything new, nothing special, but I would say when we had the warmups and team presentations, when I heard my name again being called and running on the court, that's where I felt something and I could feel some emotions going up. But once I stepped on the court in an actual game, it felt like a natural thing I would say."

**Wolves have won four straight home games, including against some of the top teams in the group. Tell us about the fan support and atmosphere at your games in Vilnius.**

"It's a brand-new club. It's only the third year that we exist and we're kind of making our own history here on the go and kind of building a legacy. So it's a nice thing to be a part of an organization like this. You could feel the first couple seasons that we don't have that many fans, especially having another great club in Vilnius. The fan base that they have is the biggest in the city, but you know winning games, having a great product to show people on the court, I feel like every game we're having more and more fans and it feels amazing, actually. We have a great group of fans over here celebrating for us and like you said, especially when we play at home, we feel that push and we keep winning games and we’re super thankful for the fans."

**From a personal point of view, you are playing in Lithuania for the first time since you left Zalgiris as a 16-year-old. How much are you enjoying this?**

"I mean basketball is basketball no matter where, but at the same time I'm back home for the first time in many, many years. I have my family around me. It's a little bit different than always and it's nice. I missed the Lithuanian weather, I missed the snow, so it feels great."

"I have my family around me. It's a little bit different than always and it's nice. I missed the Lithuanian weather, I missed the snow, so it feels great."

**Your first EuroCup experience came with Promitheas Patras two seasons ago where you were a teammate of Anthony Cowan. This season Cowan has been one of the best players in the competition. What is it like to play with him and what changes have you seen in his game from the 2022-23 season to now?**

"It's a great pleasure to play with him, especially we had that connection. He's a great passer, great slasher, always looking for me on the court and it feels like this was not lost in those couple years that we didn't play together and we're back here again. He's looking for me, for my shot, and it's amazing. Talking about his game, for sure he's having a great year, but he's been playing great for the last couple of years and you could see that in any competition – domestic league, EuroCup, Champions League. I feel like he's ready to make that big step and go further. I’m just happy to see his progress overall. You know, he's improved a lot and is ready to be the team leader. It's been a great pleasure to play with him and I'm super happy for him."

**What is it like playing for Coach Alessandro Magro and what does he bring to the team?**

"Great leader. Not only on the court but like off the court, it's great to have a coach like this. Not only a coach, but a person. In the locker room or traveling or whatever, it's always great to talk to him not only about basketball. He’s the perfect definition of a player’s coach. It's not all about basketball. Sometimes you just gotta be a friend and help each other. Like I said, it's great to have a coach like this."

**Wolves enter Round 14 in the thick of the hunt for a spot in the EuroCup Playoffs. What would it mean to you and the team to take Wolves to the playoffs for the first time?**

"That's the big goal right now for us, just to make it to the playoffs and I feel like we're able to do that and like you said, for the team, for the organization, for a brand-new organization, that would be a big step forward, making the playoffs and putting ourselves on the European map."

Wolves forward Arnoldas Kulboka is shaking off the rust after missing a season and a half to a knee injury and starting to show the form that made him a star

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-host Frankie Sachs steps in for Javier Gancedo this week to offer some tips for your fantasy teams

Fantasy tips, Round 14: Timing is everything

Timing is everything in the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge. If you can predict when a player is about to take off… Or when a superstar is about to have a clunker, it can make the difference between being a fantasy hero and a fantasy zero. This week, I have selected five players who seem poised to put up nice numbers in Round 14, each for different reasons. If they fit into your team, consider yourself lucky!  

 

[**Sam Dekker, Joventut Badalona (13.0 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/)

An All-EuroCup selection two seasons ago, Sam Dekker has yet to put together a monster effort since joining Joventut midseason. At least not in the EuroCup. Over his last three games in the Spanish League, he has averaged 21.7 points with 5 three-pointers and 6.7 rebounds per game. That translates to an average PIR of 26. With Joventut battling to reach the postseason, this could be Dekker’s time to shine.

 

[**Xavier Castaneda, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (11.4 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xavier-castaneda/013266/)

Well rested and facing a team he torched for 23 points earlier this season, Castaneda is a player to consider seriously. There is little downside; Castaneda has scored in double figures in every game this season, is averaging a PIR of 14.2 and his worst PIR was 6 back in early October. With a pretty safe floor and a high ceiling for the matchup against Lietkabelis, Castaneda may be a player to target.

Xavier Castaneda

[**Nick Johnson, Trel Sopot (10.6 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nick-johnson/007426/)

Trefl has made a few roster changes recently and Johnson has become the team’s playmaker. In that role, he has seen his assists rise in each game he has played, peaking at 10 last week. Johnson has averaged 9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.5 steals for a PIR of 17.0 over his last two games while not shooting well. If his shots fall in the up-tempo contest against Wolves this week, it could be a monster game.

Nick Johnson

[**Vassilis Toliopoulos, Aris Midea Thessaloniki (10.4 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/vassilis-toliopoulos/004292/)

Toliopoulos returned from injury last week and struggled a bit, but that’s why now is the time to buy him! As recently as Round 10, he was worth 11.1 credits. Between the few games he sat out and last week’s 1 PIR performance, his price has dropped. Toliopoulos already went for 10 points and 5 assists (and a PIR of 13) on Saturday against Turkish Airlines EuroLeague power Olympiacos Piraeus in the Greek League and could be due for a nice performance at Cedevita on Wednesday.

 

[**Davide Moretti, Umana Reyer Venice (7.2 credits)**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/davide-moretti/005404/)

Reyer heads to Hamburg to face the team that has allowed the most points in the competition thus far and that could make it the right time to bet on a player with a hot hand. Moretti set season-highs last week with 15 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting in the win over Valencia Basket and he is averaging a PIR of 11.3 over his last three games. For just 7.2 credits, Moretti could net a handsome return.

Round 14 of the BKT EuroCup will deliver several key matchups between direct rivals in the race for postseason action, including both group leaders facing in-form opponents. Here’s your guide to all the action.

At a glance: Round 14 will see the playoff races heat up

## Tuesday, January 7

### [ratiopharm Ulm vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/ratiopharm-ulm-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2024/133/)

Red-hot Ulm (9-4) will look to extend its five-game winning streak against direct rival Gran Canaria (9-4), which is determined to snap a two-game losing run. This season’s first meeting between the teams was a total mismatch, [won 125-78 by the Spanish team](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-overwhelms-ulm-125-78/) with six different double-digit scorers led by [Miquel Salvo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/miquel-salvo/005005/) with 20 points. After allowing Gran Canaria to dish 32 assists in that game, Ulm will look for a much tighter defense as well as maintaining the same flowing offense that delivered 104 points to defeat Besiktas last time out. That victory featured 16 points from [Justinian Jessup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/justinian-jessup/013290/), who has hit top form during Ulm’s winning run with double-digit scoring in six of the last seven games.

Round 14 Head-to-Head: Jallow vs. Thomasson

### [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2024/134/)

In-form Hapoel (8-5) will look to continue its push towards the top of Group A with a visit from Trento (4-9), which is sliding towards elimination after losing four of its last five. Hapoel will attempt to maintain a flowing style that has delivered 21.2 assists per game, second-best in the league. [Joe Ragland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joe-ragland/005181/) has led those efforts during the recent [absence of Patrick Beverley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/patrick-beverley-sidelined-with-quadriceps-tear/), averaging 6.2 assists during the last five games. Trento can take confidence from its victory over Hapoel earlier in the season, [triumphing 79-73](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-shocks-hapoel-with-fourth-quarter-comeback-79-73/) behind 23 points from [Anthony Lamb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-lamb/013272/) – who will again be a key player this week after scoring at least 11 points in five consecutive games.

 

### [Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2024/139/)

Two teams heading in opposite directions face an important matchup as Bourg (6-7) looks to snap a three-game losing run with a visit from Lietkabelis (4-8) which has won two of the last three. Lietkabelis, which will be fresh after the postponement of last week’s scheduled game against Cedevita, also has a chance to secure the potential head-to-head tiebreak advantage after [beating the French team 84-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys-cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/U2024/49/), powered by 22 points from big man [Marko Pecarski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-pecarski/005656/), who is no longer with the team. Bourg desperately needs to improve its defense after allowing an average of 96.3 points during its losing run and will hope that [Xavier Castaneda](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xavier-castaneda/013266/) can continue his relentless consistency after scoring in double digits every game this season.

 

### [Valencia Basket vs. Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/valencia-basket-turk-telekom-ankara/U2024/138/)

After losing two games in a row, Group B leader Valencia (12-2) will look to get back on track with a testing visit from playoff-chasing Turk Telekom (8-5). Valencia's surprising mini-slump continued last week with its second worst offensive performance of the season, netting [just 74 points at Reyer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/reyer-downs-valencia-climbs-to-winning-record/), and star guard [Chris Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chris-jones/010568/) is searching a return to form after scoring 2 points in that defeat. Turk Telekom, on the other hand, is in great shape after beating direct rival Bourg last week to make it four consecutive victories, and Valencia will be wary of the long-range shooting threat posed by [Anthony Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-brown/009025/) after he netted 8 triples in that most recent win.

Round 14 Head-to-Head: Ojeleye vs. Brown

## Wednesday, January 8

### [Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/bahcesehir-college-istanbul-buducnost-voli-podgorica/U2024/135/)

Two teams in good form meet in Istanbul with Group A leader Bahcesehir (11-2) hosting Buducnost (6-7). The visiting team has boosted its postseason hopes by winning the last two games, most recently overcoming Trefl with 14 points and 6 assists from key backcourt presence [Yogi Ferrell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yogi-ferrell/011281/). Last week also saw Bahcesehir show its defensive strength with [a 69-73 win at Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/late-run-allows-bahcesehir-to-beat-trento-69-73-and-advance-to-playoffs/), powered by [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/)’s 10 points and 8 rebounds. Bahcesehir easily won the Round 5 meeting between the teams, [75-92](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-sinks-buducnost-on-the-road-75-92/), with [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) providing a double-double of 21 points and 12 boards. The Turkish team boasts the best defense in the competition, allowing just 72.5 points per game, so Buducnost will need its best version to grab a key road win.

Round 14 Head-to-Head: Odiase vs. Kamenjas

### [U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/u-bt-cluj-napoca-hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/U2024/136/)

A key battle in the Group B playoff race will see joint-fourth Cluj (7-6) host joint-second Hapoel Jerusalem (8-5). The visitors have confidence restored after breaking a three-game losing streak with last week’s [narrow win over Aris](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/jerusalem-fights-back-to-down-aris-90-85-and-snap-skid/), while Cluj needs consistency after alternating wins with losses in the last five games. A home win would give Cluj the potential head-to-head tiebreak advantage after taking [a 73-81 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/resilient-cluj-holds-firm-to-stun-hapoel-jerusalem-73-81/) over Jerusalem in Round 5, with [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) just missing a double-double with 14 points and 9 boards. That was a good illustration of Cluj’s strong inside game as it is converting 60.6% of two-point shots – second-best in the league, so Jerusalem will need a strong interior defense.

Round 14 Head-to-Head: Mokoka vs. Carrington

### [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Trefl Sopot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius-trefl-sopot/U2024/131/)

Wolves (7-6) will attempt to hold onto its place in the all-important top six by handing another defeat to rock bottom Trefl (0-13). The Lithuanian team will look to maintain the offensive efficiency which delivered last week’s home win over Joventut, when guard [Kristupas Zemaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kristupas-zemaitis/005516/) delivered his best performance of the season by only missing one shot in his 17 points. Trefl has the [worst offense in the EuroCup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/key-stats-teams/?size=1000&misc=&seasonCode=U2024&category=Score&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&aggregate=perGame) with an average of just 75.5 points per game, but did come close to an elusive win when the teams met in Round 5 – when 25 points from [Marcus Weathers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-weathers/013297/) was not quite enough to prevent Wolves from grabbing [a 92-99 overtime victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-hold-on-in-poland-for-second-win-in-a-row/).

### [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-aris-midea-thessaloniki/U2024/140/)

After missing last week’s scheduled game at Lietkabelis due to adverse weather, playoff-chasing Cedevita (7-5) will be eager to get back in action with a visit from Aris (3-10). Cedevita, which could give a debut to [recent signing Danilo Tasic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-adds-big-man-tasic-to-frontcourt/), will look to put pressure on the visiting team after averaging 8.8 steals per game – second-best in the competition. That was the pattern of this season’s first meeting between the teams when Aris committed 16 turnovers on the way to [a 75-82 home loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-rallies-back-to-down-aris-75-82/) despite 17 points from sharpshooting [Vassilis Toliopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/vassilis-toliopoulos/004292/), who returned to action in last week’s loss to Jerusalem. The Greek team will know all about the threat of inside dynamo [Devin Robinson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devin-robinson/012042/), who netted 18 points in that Cedevita victory.

### [Joventut Badalona vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/joventut-badalona-besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul/U2024/132/)

Joventut (4-9) will attempt to keep its postseason hopes alive by downing a Besiktas team (7-6) scrapping to stay in the top six. The Turkish team has lost the last two games, with a leaky defense [allowing 104 points in last week’s loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ulm-overpowers-besiktas-104-87/) at Ulm. [Besiktas overcame Joventut 82-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul-joventut-badalona/U2024/42/) in Round 5 behind 16 points from livewire guard [Kyle Allman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-allman/011924/) and will pose a major threat from deep after averaging 38.4% of three-point attempts so far – [second-best in the EuroCup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/key-stats-teams/?size=1000&misc=&seasonCode=U2024&category=FieldGoals3Percent&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&aggregate=perGame). The Spanish side is averaging just 78.8 points per game, but veteran big man [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) won’t give up easily on his team’s playoff hopes after continuing his great season with 18 points in last week’s loss at Wolves.

Round 14 Head-to-Head: Hanga vs. Martin

### [Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/veolia-towers-hamburg-umana-reyer-venice/U2024/137/)

After last week's memorable victory over Valencia, in-form Reyer (7-6) will look to strengthen its push for the playoffs against struggling Hamburg (3-10). The Italian team has won five of the last six, mostly thanks to a much-improved defense and strong physicality that has yielded 37.4 rebounds per game, [third-best in the league](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/key-stats-teams/?size=1000&misc=&seasonCode=U2024&category=TotalRebounds&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&aggregate=perGame). Backcourt star [Davide Moretti](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/davide-moretti/005404/) will look for more success from deep after netting 4 triples in the win over Valencia, while Hamburg - which has lost four of its last five and is close to dropping out of playoff contention – will hope for long-range inspiration from [Osaro Rich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/osaro-rich/011256/), who has converted 40.6% of his three-point attempts so far this season.

There has been a rise in post-up usage and efficiency in the EuroCup this season led by Umana Reyer Venice

Stats review: Which teams are using post play to their advantage

Round 13 of the BKT EuroCup saw [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/roster/vnc/?season=2024-25) hand previously undefeated Valencia Basket its second straight loss to rise back into the playoff picture following some early-season struggles. One source of momentum for Reyer over the last month and a half and a contributing factor to their hard-fought victory has been their ability to play through the post.

It is no secret that modern offenses have pivoted away from post play — while only 1 of 20 teams created less than five possessions per game playing out of post-ups during the 2016-17 season, half the league has fallen under that mark this year. The driving factor in that decline has been obvious in previous seasons as teams scored just 0.86 points per post-up possession in the three years leading up to this one, making it a real challenge to justify throwing the ball inside with teams attempting and making more three-pointers.

This season has seen a renaissance on the block as teams have scored 0.97 points per post-up possession — a massive jump from recent seasons and a little higher than the league average for overall offensive efficiency. That number doesn’t even include passes out of the post, which tend to be quality looks. There’s no specific offensive approach driving the change either, both teams with the personnel to play through the post consistently and those doing so in specific instances have found significantly more success doing so to this point this year. Field goal percentages are up, turnovers are down — there are multiple factors at play.

All of that circles back to Reyer, which has nearly doubled its post usage in the stretch following its sluggish start and ascended to lead all teams in points created through post ups as the table above suggests. That covers not only the points scored in back-to-the-basket situations but those created by passes out of back-to-the-basket situations as well. 

Perhaps the least surprising team on this list is [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/?season=2024-25), which has been the most consistently balanced offense in the EuroCup over the last decade. The presence of veteran [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) has bolstered the efficiency of those efforts in recent years and he and [Artem Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/artem-pustovyi/004834/) have both shot over 51% on the block to rank second and first in individual post scoring, respectively, this season. 

Reyer is the only other team on this list to rival the efficiency of Joventut’s one-on-one scorers though several teams like [U-BT Cluj Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/roster/clu/?season=2024-25) and [ratiopharm Ulm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/roster/ulm/?season=2024-25) have been in the same tier on a much smaller volume of chances. [Kyle Wiltjer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kyle-wiltjer/008052/) has been very effective using his touch inside while [Aamir Simms](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/aamir-simms/011928/) has been a consistent weapon and [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) has punished certain matchups as well. 

[Trefl Sopot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/trefl-sopot/roster/tso/?season=2024-25) falls in the middle of the road in one-on-one efficiency but has been extremely effective passing out of the post with its shooters and finishers consistently paying off the efforts of [Geoffrey Groselle](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/geoffrey-groselle/013296/) and [Marcus Weathers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-weathers/013297/). 

[Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) and [Tai Odiase](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/) give [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25) quality play on the interior while [Nikola Tanaskovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nikola-tanaskovic/005637/) has been the most effective of several interior options for [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/roster/bud/?season=2024-25). Though many of the teams above rely on no fewer than two back-to-the-basket weapons for balance, the notable absence from this list, [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2024-25), relies almost exclusively on [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/). Motley leads the EuroCup scoring or creating over 6 points per game out of the post and that has accounted for close to three-quarters of the team’s post-production when he’s been active. 

Post play may never regain the real estate it held in professional basketball even a decade ago, but it has made a notable comeback in the EuroCup this season and that’s a trend worth keeping an eye on moving forward.