Prometey Slobozhanske recorded its fourth win in the last five games by topping Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 89-70. Its two centers, Tai Odiase and Ondrej Balvin, had to do a lot with it.


Big men Balvin, Odiase powered Prometey 

Prometey Slobozhanske recorded its fourth win in the last five games by topping Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 89-70. Its two centers, Tai Odiase and Ondrej Balvin, had to do a lot with it.

Odiase scored 6 of his team's first 8 points to as Prometey established nearly game-long leads. When Besiktas went on a 0-12 run to tie the game at 26-26, Odiase found answers with a jump hook and a dunk that soon capped a 10-1 run that put Prometey ahead for good.

Balvin led his team's second unit, coming off the bench to get 9 points late in the first quarter which allowed Prometey to build a double-digit lead, 26-14. Odiase and Balvin ended up combining for 33 points, 19 rebounds and a PIR of 50. Balvin led five Prometey scorers in double digits with 17 points while Odiase was right behind with 16.

"We had a lot of games like this that we were either winning or losing by a few points,  but sometimes we had bad moments. And in this game, maybe we had some bad moments but we never gave up. We always fought and got strong in the rebounds in the second half. I think that in general, the team did great on defense and that helped us get good momentum," Balvin said. "We had some problems with turnovers, but not in this game."

Tai Odiase and Ondrej Balvin ended up combining for 33 points, 19 rebounds and a PIR of 50 in Round 11.

Odiase, Balvin lead Prometey past Besiktas

Indeed, Balvin had the right data in his mind soon after the game. Besiktas out-rebounded Prometey by 16-19 in the first half. Things were very different after the break, as Prometey easily won the battle of the boards by 24-13, pulling down 5 offensive rebounds and allowing Besiktas to take just 2. In other words, Prometey grabbed 90% of all rebounds under its rim after the break: 18 out of 20.

Prometey finished the game with 18 points and just 11 turnovers, showing great hustle with 9 steals and 4 blocked shots. On the other hand, Besiktas had more turnovers, 15, than assists, 13, and finished the game with 5 steals and no blocked shots. All that allowed Prometey to cruise to a well-deserved, important victory.

Game News

Game Videos

Prometey leaned on a its center tandem to record a big win and keep climbing the Group A standings.


Prometey Slobozhanske v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-12-13T17:00:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske grabbed its third consecutive home win in Group A by downing Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 89-70 in Riga, Latvia on Wednesday. Both teams now have a 6-5 record in Group A. Besiktas is now in a three-game losing streak.


Prometey thrashes Besiktas at home, 89-70!

Prometey Slobozhanske grabbed its third consecutive home win in Group A by downing Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul 89-70 in Riga, Latvia on Wednesday. Both teams now 6-5 records in Group A, but Besiktas remains ahead in the standings due to having beaten Prometey by 22 in their first go-round. Besiktas is now on a three-game losing streak.Ondrej Balvin led the winners with 17 points. Tai Odiase added 16, Illia Sydorov 14, Rob Gray 12 and Issuf Sanon 10 for Prometey. Matthew Mitchell led Besiktas with 18 points. Derek Needham added 11 while Kyle Allman had 10 for the guests.

### Balvin led Prometey's second unit

Odiase got Prometey going with a layup and a couple of jump hooks in an 8-2 opening run. Needham struck from downtown, getting help from Yigit Arslan and Mitchell to keep Besiktas within 10-9. Balvin stepped up with a put-back layup and a three-point play, and followed Sydorov's driving basket with a dunk for a 22-14 Prometey lead. Gray and an unstoppable Balvin made it a double-digit game, 26-14, after 10 minutes.

### Besiktas bounced back

Besiktas improved its defense early in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Jonah Mathews, Mitchell and Needham fueled a 0-12 run that tied the game, 26-26. Odiase hit a jump hook that Mitchell bettered with a triple to complete Besiktas's comeback at 28-29. Sydorov struck twice for the hosts from beyond the arc, however, making Besiktas call timeout at 36-31. Kerem Konan and Allman kept the guests within 45-40 at halftime.

### Prometey took off

Odiase kept pacing Prometey after the break, giving his team a 51-44 margin before Ivan Tkachenko struck twice from beyond the arc in an 8-0 run that restored a double-digit margin, 59-46. Sanon joined the three-point shootout and added a dunk that kept the hosts way ahead, 64-50. Sydorov took over with an acrobatic reverse layup and Balvin allowed his team to break the game open, 72-50, at the end of the third quarter.

### Besiktas saved the tie-breaker

Besiktas recorded a 22-point home win in Round 2, so getting the tie-break advantage was the main goal for both teams throughout the fourth quarter. Allman and Leyton Hammonds got Besiktas within 72-56. Sanon, Balvin and Ronald March helped Prometey regain a 79-57 margin with 6 minutes left. Even when Prometey sealed the outcome long the before the final buzzer, Hammonds's three-pointer allowed Besiktas to get the potential tie-breaker between both teams at the end of the regular season.

Prometey beat a direct rival in Besiktas and tied it on record but couldn't overcome the margin of victory, a potential tiebreaker, by which it lost their first game.


Prometey thrashes Besiktas at home, 89-70

JL Bourg is on the rise over the last month and one player's steady improvement has a lot to do with that success.

Who's hot: Jeremy Morgan, Bourg

JL Mincidelice Bourg en Bresse enters Round 11 with an 8-2 record and four consecutive wins in Group B of the BKT EuroCup Regular Season. One of team's main protagonists during that span has been starting swingman [Jeremy Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jeremy-morgan/010431/).

Entering Round 11, Morgan is one of only two qualified players this season [shooting better than 71.0%](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=15&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=fieldGoals2Percent) on two-pointers and [at least 49.0%](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/expanded/?size=20&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=U2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=fieldGoals3Percent) behind the arc.

The 28-year old has really stepped it up in recent games, increasing his production across the board. He has been one of the main reasons why Bourg started stacking up victories and is sitting alone in second place of Group B.

Before the current four-game winning streak, Morgan was posting 10.8 points on average to go with 2.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and a PIR of 11.7.

During the last four games, however, Morgan has upped each of those numbers to 14.5 points, 3.0 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 3.5 steals for an average PIR of 17.3.

He has been especially dangerous shooting the ball from long range in the past three games. Only two players have made more threes than Morgan since Round 8, and he's done it on an excellent 57.9% accuracy.

Jeremy Morgan Top 11 3 Pts from JL Bourg en Bresse vs. TURK TELEKOM ANKARA 11/21/2023, ratiopharm Ulm vs. JL Bourg en Bresse 11/29/2023 and 1 other

Jeremy Morgan's 11 three-pointers in last three games

Morgan scored 12 points twice, in a 72-65 home win over Aris Midea Thessaloniki in Round 7, and again last week in a 63-72 road triumph over Slask Wroclaw, when he went  3-for-4 from downtown.

In Rounds 8 and 9, Morgan scored 17 points in each game. First, he netted 5 of 9 three-point shots in an 86-67 home thumping of Turk Telekom Ankara, then made 3 of 6 from downtown in an 84-89 road win at ratiopharm Ulm.

Apart from his scoring and efficient shooting, Morgan has also been productive on the other end of the floor. 

During its four-game winning streak, Bourg has allowed just 69.8 points per game, holding opponents under 70 points in three of those.

The Bourg defense has been quite opportunistic, taking a total of 43 steals, which is 10.8 per contest.

Morgan had 14 of those, which is more than any other EuroCup player in that span. That includes 5 steals in a Round 7 win over Aris, one shy of the Bourg club record and tied for the second-most in the EuroCup this season.

Bourg and Morgan will try to keep the performances going and try to inch closer to clinching a playoff spot on Wednesday when they welcome Dolomiti Energia Trento.

ratiopharm Ulm laid down a marker with a thoroughly impressive 103-99 overtime victory against CB Gran Canaria, which saw its 18-game winning streak come to an end in the EuroCup.

ratiopharm Ulm ended CB Gran Canaria's chance at history with statement win

Coming into Tuesday’s game at ratiopharm arena, Dreamland Gran Canaria was the big favorite and it was widely assumed that it would extend its winning streak in the BKT EuroCup to 19 games. The Spanish side had beaten all its opponents so far this season, having boasted a 10-0 record coming into its Round 11 clash against ratiopharm Ulm.

However, it seems that Ulm didn’t read the script. [Anton Gavel’s troops](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ratiopharm-ulm-starters-made-the-difference-in-ot-win-over-cb-gran-canaria/) knew that it would take something more than just a solid home display to beat the defending EuroCup champion, and even more so after losing 111-82 at the hands of Gran Canaria back in Round 2 back on October 11. Fast-forward two months and Ulm was the winner this time, as [it downed Jaka Lakovic’s squad 103-99 in overtime](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ratiopharm-ulm-ends-cb-gran-canaria-winning-streak-ot-victory-103-99/).

“Of course we are happy about this win,” Gavel said during the post-game press conference. “If you compare the game that we played there \[with the one that\] we played here, there is a difference. It’s just another win and we have to continue growing and building.”

Gran Canaria's Ferran Bassas top-scored with 21 points in the previous meeting between with Ulm– his only double-digits night of the season. The visitors strive for physical dominance via the EuroCup's top rebounder, Trevion Williams, who recorded his seventh double-double of the 23/24 versus Trento.

ratiopharm Ulm-Dreamland Gran Canaria| Round 11 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### Ulm ended Gran Canaria’s chance at history

Gavel may have insisted that Tuesday’s victory was just a win for the German side, but coming out victorious from a game against Gran Canaria is a truly rare occurrence over the last year. The last time that Coach Lakovic’s team lost in the EuroCup was back on February 8, 2023, when it was beaten 92-70 by Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv on the road. That was Gran Canaria’s only defeat in 2023 before Tuesday’s clash in Germany.

In fact, Gran Canaria had been in pursuit of a historic winning record, as only three teams had won more games in a row than the Spanish outfit. Lokomotiv Kuban (April 13, 2013, to March 18, 2015), Lokomotiv Kuban again (October 11, 2017, to March 23, 2018) and Virtus Segafredo Bologna (March 5, 2020, to April 6, 2021) are the only teams to have bettered Gran Canaria’s run of consecutive wins in the EuroCup, having secured 20 straight victories. As such, Tuesday’s defeat at Ulm means that Gran Canaria, which boasts the fourth-best record for consecutive wins in competition history, will not be able to make history this season.

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### A bittersweet game for Coach Lakovic

Lakovic saw his former team end Gran Canaria’s 18-winning streak and didn’t hesitate to congratulate them after the game. The Slovenian tactician won the EuroCup in his first season at the Spanish side, but he had previously spent three years at Ulm, with which he reached the quarterfinals in the 2021-22 campaign.

“Congratulations to Ulm and Anton for a good game and a deserved victory,” Lakovic said in the post-game press conference. “I don’t think we played a good game, especially defensively. We allowed too many easy points in transition and that cost us the game.”

Tuesday’s statement win over Gran Canaria has shown that Ulm should be considered a serious title contender this season. Having won the German league last term, Ulm boasts an 8-3 record thus far in the EuroCup and is currently competing with Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (8-2) and U-BT Cluj-Napoca (8-3) for second spot in the standings, which would allow it clinch direct qualification to the EuroCup Quarterfinals.

More Ulm News

Karim Jallow of ratiopharm Ulm screams passionately during his team's win against Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

After coming away with a 103-99 overtime victory, the German side will fancy its chances of finishing in the top two in Group B.

Ulm ended Gran Canaria's chance at history with statement win

ratiopharm Ulm v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-12-12T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball routed Reyer Venezia 100-70 in Round 11 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season, as it scored 100 or more points for the seventh time this season and improved to a 10-1 record.

Another Paris Basketball blowout in just 13 minutes

In what was promising to be a close game, Paris Basketball scored 54 of its points in just 13 minutes, bridging the second and third quarters, en route to [a blowout 100-70 win over the visiting Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/paris-basketball-blows-past-reyer-venezia-100-70/).

When talking about Paris's entire surge, it was little longer than those 13 productive minutes. Precisely, the final 7 minutes of the second quarter and the first 9 of the third. Because, with 7:03 left on the clock in the first half, Reyer was up 26-30, but with just over a minute to go in the third, the scoreboard read 87-55.

### Paris caught fire from the floor

During that span, Paris missed just 2 two-point shots on 18 attempts. Also, after opening the game 0-for-10 on three-pointers, Paris was 6-of-11 during this game-deciding period.

It resulted in a 36-point turnaround. And, what at times looked like a game that could end in an upset of a first-place team turned into another Paris blowout win.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ht" dir="ltr">Winning feeling : définition 📚 <a href="https://t.co/1FlSg6pcjY">pic.twitter.com/1FlSg6pcjY</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1734687412423721049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Nadir Hifi lit the fuse

The key spark was Nadir Hifi's run of 8 straight points midway through the third quarter, including back-to-back nothing-but-net triples. It started an 18-5 spurt, which Paris used to end the second quarter and build a 51-39 halftime lead.

Especially impressive, however, was the third quarter, during which Paris scored 36 points. The hosts scored on each of their first 10 possessions, and they did not even miss a single field goal until 4:27 left. By that time, Paris was already up 22-12 in the quarter and 73-51 overall.

"We came out with a lot of energy," said Tyson Ward, who had 17 points in the win. "Coming into the second half with even more energy really separated us."

It all resulted in the margin growing to as much as 32 points late in the third quarter, and eventually saw Paris finish the game with a triple-digit number of points for the seventh time this season.

Paris Basketball erupted for 54 points in a 13-minute span during its 100-70 win against Umana Reyer Venice in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Paris scored 54 points in 13 minutes

### Defense was also key

But as much as Paris's offense amazes, it was the team's defense that was the focal point of head coach's Tuomas Iisalo's satisfaction.

"I was very satisfied with the fact the guys were able to respond and play better defense in the second half," he said, confirming that the way Paris played defense during its surge is what he hopes can be the team's identity.

"We had very good pressure on the ball all of the time," Iisalo explained. "We were physical and smart on defense; we were turning defense into offense; \[we were getting\] into some nice fastbreaks. We were playing with a clear idea — that is what we want to be known for."

So far, so good for Paris, which improved to 10-1 this season and plays its next three games, and five of its last seven, on its home floor.

More Paris News

The Paris Basketball players come together during their match against Umana Reyer Venice in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

For the seventh time this season Paris scored 100 points in a game, this time thanks to an offensive burst late in the second and throughout the third quarter.

Another Paris blowout in just 13 minutes

Paris Basketball v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-12-12T19:30:00.000Z)

The starting five for ratiopharm Ulm scored 81 of their team's 103 points against CB Gran Canaria in Round 11 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season.

ratiopharm Ulm starters made the difference in OT win over CB Gran Canaria

To beat a team that had gone as many as 18 games without experiencing a defeat takes a lot of effort, and ratiopharm Ulm’s players had to step up their game to [beat Dreamland Gran Canaria 103-99 in overtime](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ratiopharm-ulm-ends-cb-gran-canaria-winning-streak-ot-victory-103-99/) in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign.

Eight Ulm players scored at least 5 points each against the best defense in the competition, but it was the starters who made the difference on Tuesday night by netting a combined 81 points.

### The starters certainly did their part

An extraordinary LJ Figueroa scored a game-high 19 points, having gone 5-for-5 from inside the arc and 3-for-7 from downtown. Despite missing a crucial basket that could have clinched the victory on the last possession of the fourth quarter, Juan Nunez produced a mature performance with 17 points. The 19-year-old prodigy went 6-for-7 on two-pointers and converted all 5 of his free throws, but he also recorded 6 assists for a game-high PIR of 26.

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In addition, Ulm fans saw Trevion Willams come to the fore when his team needed him most, despite a slow start to the game. The Ulm center struggled at the beginning and initially went 1-for-8 from the field, but he finished the game with 15 points and 14 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.

“It just shows that if we stick together, we can beat everybody,” Williams said in post-game flash interview. “We showed character and it was a big-time \[win\] for us. \[Gran Canaria\] is a really good team, but we got the job done.”

Thomas Klepeisz and Karim Jallow also scored 15 points apiece, with some of their baskets being absolutely crucial for the hosts. The latter helped Ulm stay afloat early on in particular, having scored 10 of his team’s 20 points in the first quarter. As for Klepeisz, he was solid from beyond the arc again (4-for-9, 44.4%) and went 3-for-3 from the line, as well as registering 4 assists.

### Coming to the fore in big moments

Most importantly, the five starters demonstrated their leadership late in the game by scoring all 35 of their team’s points in the fourth quarter and overtime to secure an important win.

Having improved to an 8-3 record, Ulm will look to build on this victory next Tuesday, when it faces the 4-7 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on the road in Round 12.

LJ Figueroa of ratiopharm Ulm looks to score against Dreamland Gran Canaria in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The German side’s starting five combined for 81 of the team’s total 103 points.

Ulm starters made the difference in OT win over Gran Canaria

Aris B.C. beat Lietkabelis Panevezys 69-60 in Round 11 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season, which gave the Greek side's playoff hopes a big boost.

Aris B.C.’s defense gave no chance to point guard-less Lietkabelis Panevezys

Aris Midea Thessaloniki came into [its game with 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/aris-bc-downs-lietkabelis-panevezys-snaps-four-game-losing-skid/) as one of the most aggressive defenses in the BKT EuroCup. And Lietkabelis had no chance, as it could not handle Aris’s pressure without its top two point guards.

Aris forced 23 Lietkabelis turnovers en route to a 69-60 victory, which snapped a four-game losing skid and kept its playoff hopes alive with a 4-7 record. Ioannis Kastritis’s team had 10 steals and shut down Lietkabelis’s offense. 

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The one disappointment for the winners was not being able to win the tiebreaker as Lietkabelis won its home game with Aris by 10 points, just shy of the Greek side’s winning total on Tuesday night.

“We were 1 point off, but I’ll take the win. That’s better than the loss. We played hard. It’s important for the qualification so I’ll take it,” said Ronnie Harrell, who scored 18 points and had 5 steals to lead Aris.

“Of course you want everything, but on the other hand you have to be realistic and satisfied,” noted Coach Kastritis. “We are not in a place where we can underestimate any victory. We have said that for most of our games we will be the underdogs. We are happy about every win that we get.”

Two teams aiming to emerge from a slump go head-to-head as Aris pursue an upturn in offensive fortunes having lost four straight and netted more than 67 points in only one of its last six, whereas Lietkabelis have focus on at the back after conceding 88.6 ppg, the fourth-most in the tournament.

Aris Midea Thessaloniki-7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys | Round 11 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### Lipkevicius, Sabeckis absences were notable

Lietkabelis went into the game with just 10 players including missing its best two point guards, Vytenis Lipkevicius and Donatas Sabeckis. Lietkabelis was already ranked 18th in the league in turnovers with 15.7 per game. But its 23 miscues were quite a bit more than usual.

But that is Aris’s game, as the Greek side ranks second in steals with 9.6 and turnovers forced at 17.2.

Without its point guards, Lietkabelis just could not get its offense going, having averaged 85.2 points per game, ranked eighth in the league. Instead, it is was Aris’s defense which ruled the day, conceding 6.2 points fewer than its average of 75.2 coming into the game, which had the team ranked third in the league.

More Aris News

Roberts Blumbergs of Aris Midea Thessaloniki looks to score against 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Greek side kept its playoff hopes alive with an important victory.

Aris’s defense gave no chance to point guard-less Lietkabelis

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-12-12T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball scored 100 points or more for the seventh time this season as it beat Reyer Venezia 100-70 in Round 11 of the 2023-24 EuroCup Regular Season.

Paris Basketball blows past Reyer Venezia, 100-70

Paris Basketball showed just why it is the Group A leader with a 100-70 blowout win against the visiting Umana Reyer Venice on Tuesday night in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. Paris improved to a 10-1 record following this win while Reyer dropped to a 4-7 mark, with the Italian side sitting just outside the top six playoff spots.

Reyer battled for a quarter and a half and led 33-34 midway through the second quarter, but Paris went on a run that set a 51-39 scoreline at halftime. The French team led by as many as 32 points, 87-55, entering the final minute of the third quarter, before coasting its way to another win. The hosts had six scorers in double figures. Nadir Hifi scored 18 points in 19 minutes and Tyson Ward had 17 on 7-for-7 two-point shooting. TJ Shorts had 13 points and 6 assists, Collin Malcolm netted 12 points, Mehdy Ngouama added 11 and Justin Simon contributed 10. For Reyer, Jordan Parks scored 16 and Alexander O'Connell finished with 13.

### A close game early on

Reyer got off to a good start, with Aamir Simms and Amedeo Tessitori hitting a triple apiece to make it 8-12. Paris answered with a 9-1 run, sparked by Hifi and capped by Malcolm's three-point play. But Rayjon Tucker's three-pointer sparked a 0-7 run and, despite Shorts netting 5 points for the hosts, Barry Brown's last-second coast-to-coast bucket tied it at 24-24 after 10 minutes. 

### Paris began to pull away

Simms and Parks scored inside for Reyer to go up 26-30 in the second, but Bandja Sy hit Paris's first three-pointer after the team had gone 0-for-10 until that point. Kyle Wiltjer's triple kept Reyer ahead, 33-34, but Hifi answered with back-to-back daggers from downtown, and Simon's three-point play helped make it 45-37. A pair of baskets from Shorts capped an 18-5 quarter-ending spurt, sending the teams into halftime with Paris up 51-39.

### Reyer couldn't deal with Paris

Tessitori opened the second half with a three-pointer, but it was all Paris after that as the hosts scored 11 unanswered points, including a tip-in after a missed free throw from Leon Kratzer and a three-point play from Malcolm. A dunk from Sy opened a 62-42 scoreline, but the margin continued to grow as Hifi, Sy and Mikael Jantunen hit a three-pointer each. Then, a three-point play from Ngouama made it 76-51. After Simms made a basket for the visitors, Paris scored the next 9 points to go up by 32 points, 85-53. Wiltjer's back-to-back triples made it 87-61 at the end of three quarters. 

### Paris coasted to the win

The scoring slowed down in the fourth quarter. Paris managed to score just a single field goal in the first 5 minutes of the fourth, but Reyer only managed to close within 80-66, after which the margin grew again as Paris closed it out with another 100-point performance.

Nadir Hifi of Paris Basketball makes a pass against Umana Reyer Venezia in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Tuomas Iisalo's side simply had too much firepower for Neven Spahija's visitors.

Paris blows past Reyer, 100-70

Veterans Patrick Richard and Andrija Stipanovic played major roles as U-BT Cluj-Napoca overcame the visiting Slask Wroclaw 80-76 in Round 11 of EuroCup.

Veteran experience helped U-BT Cluj-Napoca seal its eighth win

U-BT Cluj-Napoca did not shine but it got the job done, [beating and sweeping its season series against Slask Wroclaw, 80-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ubt-cluj-napoca-battles-to-hold-off-slask-wroclaw-80-76/). The main things that helped Cluj get its eighth win of the season were its good start to the game and its good ball movement, which resulted in many easy close-range baskets.

That was especially evident early in the game, with big man Andrija Stipanovic scoring 10 quick points, all around the rim. Cluj made 8 two-point shots in the first quarter, while Slask had only 7 in the entire first half, as the visitors opened a double-digit lead.

### Cluj was careful with the ball... at first

Cluj had no turnovers in the first quarter, then dished 12 assists while committing 3 turnovers in the second. Bryce Jones was Cluj's main ball distributor in the first half, as he linked up with big men Stipanovic and Emanuel Cate.

Cluj boasts one of the best defenses in the competition, with just 79.6 ppg allowed, while Slask is next to last in scoring, with an average of just 76.2 points. DJ Seeley led the way with 24 points and 5 assists in the reverse fixture, but the hosts will be sure to respect the defensive abilities of Dusan Miletic.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca-Slask Wroclaw | Round 11 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

In the second half, however, Cluj failed to keep the same focus. Struggling from long range, Cluj shot 6-for-23 (26.1%) from behind the arc for the night, the hosts' offense slowed down while the resilient hosts kept melting the deficit.

"We relaxed a little in the second half, which shouldn't happen, and it almost cost us the win", Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan said.

### Patrick Richard saw Cluj over the line

However, in the final 5 minutes of the fourth quarter, when Slask first tied the game, then took a slim 67-68 lead, veteran point guard Patrick Richard stepped up. In that span, Richard scored 8 points and dished 3 key assists, including finding Jarell Eddie on an open three-pointer to make it 70-68, before sending a long pass for a game-sealing basket from Stipanovic with 35 seconds to go.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tough win at home… 8-3! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/haideU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#haideU</a> 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eurocup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eurocup</a></p>&mdash; Patrick Richard (@prichard_3) <a href="https://twitter.com/prichard_3/status/1734672950329053507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In the end, it was the experience of Richard, who finished with 12 points and 8 assists, as well as clutch baskets from Eddie and Stipanovic, that allowed the hosts to pull out this win.

With it, and its 8-3 record, Cluj remains firmly in the hunt for the top two spots in Group B.

More Cluj News

Patrick Richard of U-BT Cluj-Napoca in action against Slask Wroclaw in Round 11 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Patrick Richard and Andrija Stipanovic played major roles in key parts of the game.

Veteran experience helped Cluj seal its eighth win

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Slask Wroclaw (2023-12-12T17:00:00.000Z)