U-BT Cluj-Napoca maintained its unbeaten start to the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season following some heroics by D.J. Steeley on the road against Slask Wroclaw.

D.J. Seeley stepped up at both ends to inspire U-BT Cluj-Napoca comeback

One week after scoring as many as 50 points in the first half against Turk Telekom Ankara, U-BT Cluj-Napoca struggled on offense and only reached the half-century mark at the end of the third quarter [against Slask Wroclaw](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/cluj-fights-back-to-stun-slask-67-70/). Then, up stepped D.J. Seeley, who produced a player-of-the-match performance.

The 33-year-old Seeley went 6-for-10 from behind the arc for a game-high 24 points, including 16 of Cluj’s 37 points in the second half. In fact, the Cluj guard single-handedly led the guests to an impressive comeback, scoring 34% of their points in the game.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🤯🤯🤯What a game! What an ending! <br>Final score 🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/WKS_SlaskBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WKS_SlaskBasket</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eurocup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eurocup</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cluj?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cluj</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/haideU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#haideU</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKTEuroCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKTEuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/MLOb3cDKND">pic.twitter.com/MLOb3cDKND</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1712201182679044240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Most of his baskets after the break were crucial, as he helped Cluj to fight back from 15 points down. Slask took a 56-41 lead with 3:11 to go in the third quarter, but Seeley sank back-to-back three-pointers to get Cluj within 56-48 heading into the last quarter.

“I feel great, man,” Seeley said after the game. “That was a great comeback. We played terribly throughout the game. We missed shots, we were bad on defense, but we found a way to win it in the end.”

### Cluj left it late

Some poor shooting didn’t allow Cluj to bounce back and Slask was leading 64-57 with three and a half minutes remaining, when the hosts were pushing to finish the game off. But, Seeley came to the fore again and found Adam Mokoka for a monster dunk after stealing the ball to trim the deficit down to 5 points, 64-59. That slam served as a boost in morale for the visitors, with Seeley going on to sink two three-pointers in a row to bring Cluj within 67-66.

D.J. Seeley scored 24 points as U-BT Cluj-Napoca beat Slask Wroclaw 67-70 in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

D.J. Seeley's highlights vs. Slask

“Offensively, we couldn’t score that much,” Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan commented after the game. “Seeley stepped up and was very good in some big moments and he scored some important shots.”

With 0:25 left on the clock, Eddie Jarell gave the guests their first lead since the opening stages of the first quarter. Slask had the last possession, but Seeley registered his fifth steal of the night to practically put the game to bed and seal Cluj’s second win in as many BKT EuroCup games this season.

More Cluj News

D.J. Seeley scores the basketball for U-BT Cluj-Napoca during its Round 2 matchup against Slask Wroclaw in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Romanian side left it late but managed to seal a win at Slask Wroclaw that keeps its unbeaten start intact.

D.J. Seeley stepped up at both ends to inspire Cluj comeback

Slask Wroclaw v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2023-10-11T18:00:00.000Z)

Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria remains one of the teams to beat in the BKT EuroCup, following the champions' dominant 111-82 win against ratiopharm Ulm in Round 2 of the 2023-24 regular season.

Gran Canaria’s depth continues to be a problem for its opponents

The BKT EuroCup Group B clash between Dreamland Gran Canaria and ratiopharm Ulm was designated to be the most promising fixture in the second round of the competition’s regular season. After all, last year’s EuroCup winner was coming up against the German champions, which headed into the contest still buzzing from last season’s exploits.

It boiled down to one-way traffic, however, as Ulm, which won its first-ever Bundesliga title and reached the EuroCup quarterfinals last term, [went down tamely 111-82 to a superior rival](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-blows-away-ratiopharm-ulm-111-82/). Gran Canaria showed in no uncertain terms that it is a strong favorite to win back-to-back EuroCup titles, with selfless teamwork putting Ulm to the sword.

Dreamland Gran Canaria-ratiopharm Ulm | Round 2 Highlights | 2023-24 BKT EuroCup

### One-way traffic

The hosts mixed fast breaks and sound long-range shooting with spells of ironclad defense when it mattered, putting the game beyond Ulm’s reach as they romped into a 62-36 halftime lead and never looked back. Ulm showed some pride and grit to slash the deficit in the third quarter, 84-68, but a 14-2 run by Granca early in the fourth quickly restored the tide that swept away the visitors.

Ulm head coach Anton Gavel had no excuses after seeing his team reduced to rubble. “We got our butts kicked, with the exception of a couple of minutes in the third quarter,” Gavel said during his post-game press conference.

“Conceding 17 out of 18 two-points shots in the first half was unacceptable; they were making fun of us and scored after behind-the-back passes and that kind of stuff. We were incapable of defending anything. This is the level when you play against the champions and we have to learn from it.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">📊 <a href="https://twitter.com/HiperDino_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HiperDino_</a> te trae las estadísticas de la tremenda victoria del equipo hoy ante ratiopharm Ulm <a href="https://t.co/x6gEVylOKy">pic.twitter.com/x6gEVylOKy</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1712219093158289593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gavel’s Gran Canaria counterpart Jaka Lakovic, who is usually stingy with compliments, heaped praise on his men. “Congratulations to the team, it was a good effort and a good mindset,” he stated. “We played a very good first half, but when we thought the game was over, Ulm came back and slashed it to 15 points in the third quarter. Then we stepped up again in the fourth and won the game deservedly. We have a lot of respect for Ulm, they are the German champions and they’ve got a very good coach.”

A staggering 29 assists epitomized Granca’s performance, with Ferran Bassas emerging as the top scorer with 21 points. All 12 of the home team’s players netted points and the hosts finished on 29-of-38 (78.4% 2FG) from two-point range, as well as 12-of-28 (42.9% 3FG) from beyond the three-point arc.

More Gran Canaria News

Nicolas Brussino of Gran Canaria in possession of the ball with Karim Jallow of ratiopharm Ulm in the background during the two teams' Round 2 matchup in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The Spanish side dominated in all departments against ratiopharm Ulm as the gulf in class was all too apparent.

Dreamland Gran Canaria v ratiopharm Ulm (2023-10-11T19:00:00.000Z)

Aamir Simms posted the club's second-high PIR score during Umana Reyer Venezia's 75-81 loss at home to Paris Basketball in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Aamir Simms’s career night not enough for shorthanded Reyer Venezia

Aamir Simms made Paris Basketball fans reminisce about just how good he was last season with an incredible display against the French side on Wednesday night, but his nearly historic showing was [not enough for Umana Reyer Venice to secure the win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/paris-basketball-downs-reyer-venezia-75-81-in-back-and-forth-contest/).

Simms poured in 28 points to go with 10 rebounds and 4 assists for a performance index ranking of 40 in Reyer’s 75-81 home loss to Paris. Following this defeat, Reyer has dropped 0-2.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Solo applausi per il cuore di questi ragazzi!!!<br>Ci vediamo sabato al Taliercio!<br>FORZA REYER!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uniti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uniti</a> <a href="https://t.co/2JbEngp2mg">pic.twitter.com/2JbEngp2mg</a></p>&mdash; Reyer Venezia (@REYER1872) <a href="https://twitter.com/REYER1872/status/1712200068315382078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Aamir Simms made history

The 24-year-old, who averaged 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists last season for the French side, nearly set a new Reyer record, too. His PIR of 40 is ranked second all-time behind only Michael Green’s 42 during the 2015-16 season.

Simms wasn’t the only Reyer player who had an excellent game. Amedeo Tessitori scored a career-high 21 points in addition to posting 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Rayjon Tucker also added 16 points and Jordan Parks had 8 points. The only other player to score was Alexander O’Connell, who hit a jumper for 2 points in just 18 seconds of action.

Aamir Simms scored 28 points in Umana Reyer Venice's 75-81 defeat at home to Paris Basketball in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Aamir Simms's highlights vs. Paris

O’Connell did not play the rest of the game due to an injury as he became the latest absence for Reyer. After all, Marco Spissu was out injured, as was Giga Janelidze. Kyle Wiltjer, too, was unavailable after his wife had a baby in the United States.

Head coach Neven Spahija said he was satisfied with his team’s performance, however, as his group stuck with a strong Paris team for three quarters before losing the final frame 25-15.

“The last quarter was the key… With this effort, I cannot say a word,” said Coach Spahija. “It’s impossible to play the game without players. We have a short roster and then inside the short roster we lost players like Marco, Wiltjer. Giga can help if someone is hurt. He’s hurt, too.

“And then Alexander O’Connell, who played 22 minutes the last \[Italian League\] game, played 18 seconds. I apologized to everybody, but this is not a normal condition to play basketball.”

The coach also gave his word to the Reyer fans that the team will be better.

“I am so sorry for the people in the arena. But I promise the next time we come back and play all together, we will be way better.”

More Reyer News

Aamir Simms in action for Umana Reyer Venice during its Round 2 fixture against Paris Basketball in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

His outstanding performance against his former employers ended up being in vain.

Aamir Simms’s career night not enough for shorthanded Reyer

Umana Reyer Venice v Paris Basketball (2023-10-11T18:00:00.000Z)

Andres Feliz scored the game-winning basket in overtime as Joventut Badalona beat Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 87-88 in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Andres Feliz went from zero to hero to get Joventut Badalona back on track

Justin Cobbs looked set to emerge as the MVP of a breathtaking [BKT EuroCup contest between Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana and visiting Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/joventut-badalona-grinds-out-last-gasp-87-88-overtime-win-at-cedevita-olimpija/), capping an outstanding individual performance with a superb mid-range jumper which gave the home side an 87-86 lead with just 2 seconds left in overtime.

There seemed to be no way back for Joventut, which had missed 4 free throws moments earlier, as neither Ante Tomic nor Andres Feliz could hit from the foul line. Cedevita, which had suffered a pair of crushing defeats in its previous two games against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the EuroCup’s opening round and then Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in the regional ABA League, thought it was in dreamland as Cobbs struck.

### Andres Feliz flipped the script

Cedevita called a timeout for head coach Simone Piangiani to outline the last play, one last roll of the dice. But, it ended up turning into a nightmare as Feliz received the ball from the sideout and served up a buzzer-beating floater to give Joventut the win.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">🐅 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝙵𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚣 🐯<br><br>💥 Andrés Feliz ens dóna el primer triomf a l’Eurocup!<br><br>👉 Una cistella del base dominicà a 3 dècimes del final permet al Joventut guanyar a la pròrroga a la pista del <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKCedOL</a> (87-88)<br><br>🔗 La crònica: <a href="https://t.co/NKhpOc6WtI">https://t.co/NKhpOc6WtI</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Badalona%C3%89sFutur?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BadalonaÉsFutur</a> <a href="https://t.co/FHWhTdh5d8">pic.twitter.com/FHWhTdh5d8</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1712187750483382516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was a crushing blow for Cedevita, whose players were left standing motionless at the end of the nerve-jangling contest while Joventut was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief, having lost its opening EuroCup game 63-66 at home to Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul.

Joventut head coach Carles Duran was delighted to snatch the win but conceded his side, last season’s semi-finalist in the competition, was far from its best.

“We are happy to get the first victory in this group, but we need to improve many things because we conceded too many easy points. We showed a good mentality, but we need to play better in the next game,” Duran said during his post-game press conference.

The top plays of Andres Feliz as Joventut Badalona beat Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 87-88 in overtime in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Andres Feliz's highlights vs. Cedevita

Piangiani acknowledged that Cedevita was disappointed. “I am not happy for my players because they left it all out there and didn’t get rewarded. We played well in the first half, but in the second Jovetut piled on the pressure and we missed too many open shots,” he commented.

“The last shot is something that happens. Injuries will now force us to reshuffle and we’ll have to wait and see how quickly the sidelined players can recover. But I am proud of my players tonight and we have to stay calm positive. It’s my job to keep their confidence high.”

Cobbs led all scorers with 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the floor and veteran Jaka Blazic added 24 for Cedevita, including a pair of three-pointers which had forced overtime. At the other end Deshaun Thomas poured 23 points, Brodziansky had 19 and 8 rebounds while Tomic and lucky man Feliz chipped in with 12 apiece.

More Joventut News

Andres Feliz of Joventut Badalona in possession of the ball under pressure from Justin Cobbs of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana during the two teams' 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season matchup.

The guard from the Dominican Republic ended up overshadowing an outstanding performance by Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana's Justin Cobbs.

Andres Feliz went from zero to hero to get Joventut back on track

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Joventut Badalona (2023-10-11T16:30:00.000Z)

James Palmer Jr. was one of the shining lights as Turk Telekom Ankara defeated Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 79-77 in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

James Palmer Jr. set the tone for Turk Telekom against Buducnost

Steven Enoch may have ended up securing Player of the Game honors during [Turk Telekom Ankara’s 79-77 win at home to Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/turk-telekom-bk-holds-on-to-beat-buducnost-voli-79-77/), but it was James Palmer that got the Turkish side on the right track.

Playing in his second BKT EuroCup season, having shined in his rookie campaign with Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse in 2022-23, Palmer recovered from a difficult opening few minutes by scoring 8 first-quarter points. His first basket of the night was a memorable one for the Turk Telekom fans, too, as he did a reverse dunk after stealing the ball from Brandon Paul.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Buducnost Voli karşılaşmamızın istatistikleri! 📈 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AimToGlory?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AimToGlory</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnkaraBasketbolu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnkaraBasketbolu</a> <a href="https://t.co/hpk2mQrNBC">pic.twitter.com/hpk2mQrNBC</a></p>&mdash; Türk Telekom Basketbol (@TT_Basketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/TT_Basketbol/status/1712185722617086452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Those 8 points helped Turk Telekom end the first quarter 25-20 ahead, while the American also had 1 rebound and 1 steal to his name. In the second quarter, he didn’t add much to his tally, scoring 3 points, grabbing 1 rebound and dishing 2 assists. Importantly, though, his 11 points in total helped Turk Telekom establish a 50-38 lead heading into the halftime interval.

Palmer kept things moving in the second half, scoring a triple that made it 58-48 and recording a further 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Then, just as Buducnost was attempting to mount a comeback, he scored the first points of the fourth quarter – a finish under pressure – to open the gap to 13 points, 71-58.

Buducnost kept coming and managed to outscore Turk Telekom 8-19 the rest of the way, but without Palmer’s 16 points to that point, the visitors would have likely come away with the victory.

The top plays of James Palmer during Turk Telekom Ankara's 79-77 win against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

James Palmer's highlights vs. Buducnost

### Building off a solid debut

Having finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks on his Turk Telekom debut, an 80-71 road loss at U-BT Cluj Napoca in Round 1, Palmer showed off his ability in front of his own fans this time, recording a stat line of 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Turk Telekom may feel somewhat fortunate to have come away with the victory, but following a summer in which it changed most of its roster, growing pains are to be expected. Fortunately for head coach Nenad Canak, being able to call upon a player such as Palmer should make his job a lot easier in the long run.

More Turk Telekom News

James Palmer of Turk Telekom Ankara (center) under pressure from Buducnost VOLI Podgorica duo Vladimir Mihailovic (left) and McKinley Wright (right) in the two teams' 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season matchup.

The 27-year-old forward impressed on his home BKT EuroCup debut for Turk Telekom Ankara.

James Palmer set the tone for Turk Telekom against Buducnost

Turk Telekom Ankara v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2023-10-11T17:00:00.000Z)

Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria put in a champions' performance in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season, beating ratiopharm Ulm 111-82.

Gran Canaria blows away ratiopharm Ulm, 111-82

Dreamland Gran Canaria made it two wins out from two in Group B of the BKT EuroCup after the holder brushed aside ratiopharm Ulm 111-82 in a lop-sided contest on Wednesday. During the convincing win, the Spanish side showed that it means business as it goes about winning back-to-back titles in the competition.

Gran Canaria was indeed in dreamland as all the players on its roster scored and six of them ended up in double digits. The hosts were paced by the versatile Ferran Bassas, who netted 21 points and dished out 4 assists, shooting 6-of-8 from the three-point line. Jovan Kljajic scored 15 points and John Shurna added 14, hitting 4-of-5 three-pointers. Ethan Happ amassed 12 points while Miquel Salvo and AJ Slaughter chipped in 11 apiece. At the other end, LJ Figueroa stood out with 19 points. Dakota Mathias scored 17, Karim Jallow netted 16 and Tomasz Klepeisz added 12.

Gran Canaria was in cruise control from start to finish, having moved up two gears early in the game to turn a slender 13-9 lead into a whopping 30-16 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The home side poured in the shots from all angles, with Bassas doing the damage with a second-chance triple to put Gran Canaria in a commanding position.

Ulm continued to struggle on offense in the second, while Granca carried on where it left off, turning up the heat with a 16-5 run which upped the advantage to 46-21. The lead soared to 62-36 at halftime, but the visitors refused to roll over and produced a much better third quarter.

Game Videos

They showed tremendous fighting spirit and slashed the deficit to 84-68 ahead of the final 10 minutes, reigniting hopes of staging what would have amounted to a spectacular comeback.

However, Granca showed the resolve of champions and quickly vanquished Ulm’s fightback, with Slaughter at the heart of a 14-2 run which sealed the game as a contest. Ulm kept fighting to keep the score remotely respectable, but ultimately the hosts had too much firepower, having nailed 12 three-pointers in a rock solid all-round performance.

Game News

Pierre Pelos of Gran Canaria in possession of the ball during his team's Round 2 matchup against ratiopharm Ulm in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The reigning BKT EuroCup champion showed just why it lifted last season's title with a dominant showing. 

Gran Canaria blows away Ulm, 111-82

Paris Basketball extended its unbeaten start to the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season by beating Reyer Venezia 75-81 in Round 2.

Paris Basketball downs Reyer Venezia 75-81

Paris Basketball fought past Umana Reyer Venice to secure a 75-81 road victory and remain undefeated in this season’s BKT EuroCup. The French side is now 2-0, while Reyer is 0-2.

TJ Shorts led Paris in a back-and-forth battle with 18 points and 6 assists, and Nadir Hifi added 17 points. Reyer lost despite Aamir Simms scoring 28 points to go with 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Amedeo Tessitori added 21 points for the hosts, too.

Reyer, which came into the game missing Marco Spissu and Kyle Wiltjer, found itself in a three-point shootout early on as Paris’s Bandja Sy sandwiching two triples between a Tessitori long ball and one from Simms for an 8-6 lead. Both offenses were clicking, while 3 free throws from Shorts had Paris up 22-24 after 10 minutes.

The hosts held their French visitors scoreless for the first 4 minutes of the second quarter, during which time a Simms three-pointer and layups from Tessitori and Jordan Parks made it 31-24. However, Paris then got within 31-29 after keeping Reyer without a point for 2 minutes. Reyer continued to get production from Tessitori and Simms to move the lead to 36-31. Paris did not let up and Malcolm’s second triple put the French side ahead 38-40 only to have Tucker counter from deep and Reyer was up 41-40 at the break.

After Shorts started the scoring in the second half, Simms hit a triple and put back his own miss to put Reyer up 46-42. Tessitorri twice found Parks inside to make the lead 50-45. Tessitori continued his excellent showing with 2 free throws as the hosts moved up 59-52, the joint biggest lead of the game. Reyer led 60-56 after 30 minutes.

Mikael Jantunen stepped up early in the final frame for Paris with a basket, two diving steals and an assist in a 0-8 spurt to edge the visitors ahead, 60-64. Reyer was not ready to let Paris get away and went ahead 67-66 with a Tessitori three-pointer and 2 Simms free throws. The back-and-forth just kept going as Paris reeled off 7 straight points, including Hifi’s three-pointer, for a 67-73 lead. Simms punched back with a triple of his own, but Shorts answered with a three-point play inside the final 2 minutes. Reyer still was alive after Simms converted a fastbreak layup to get within 73-76 with 70 seconds to go. Shorts, however, iced the game with 2 free throws with 16 seconds remaining.

Mikael Jantunen of Paris Basketball looks to score the ball under pressure from Jeff Brooks of Umana Reyer Venice in the two teams' Round 2 matchup in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

TJ Shorts and Nadir Hifi once again shined for the French side.

Paris downs Reyer 75-81 in a back-and-forth contest

U-BT Cluj-Napoca improved to 2-0 in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season after defeating Slask Wroclaw 67-70 on the road.

U-BT Cluj-Napoca fights back to stun Slask Wroclaw, 67-70

U-BT Cluj-Napoca fought back from 15 points down to snatch a hard-fought 67-70 victory on the road at Slask Wroclaw on Wednesday night. The visitors bounced back in the last quarter to turn the game around, as they clinched their second victory of the season and improved to 2-0. Slask, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2.

D.J. Seeley recorded a game-high 24 points, as well as 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists for a 24 PIR. The experienced Andrija Stipanovic added 14 points and Bryce Jones had 10. Jakub Niziol led Slask with 18 points and Daniel Golebiowski had 10.

The two teams got off to a nervy start, scoring just a couple of points each in the first 3 minutes of the duel. Niziol sank a three-pointer and went 3-of-3 from the free-throw line for an 8-4 Slask lead. Jarrell Eddie responded from behind the arc, but Dusan Miletic scored his first points of the night to make it 10-7. Niziol threw down an impressive slam and converted from the line to take his scoring tally to 11 points in less than 7 minutes, as Slask headed into the second quarter ahead 21-15.

Artsiom Parakhouski dominated in the paint and netted 6 points off the bench to extend Slask’s lead to 29-22. Golebiowski responded to a Stipanovic basket with a layup to maintain a 7-point lead and force Cluj to call a timeout. The visitors bounced back, as Stipanovic scored 4 straight points before getting some rest and Seeley drilled a tough triple to get Cluj within 36-33 at halftime.

Seeley tied the game from behind the arc, but Miletic bagged 4 points and Hassani Gravett sank a three for a 43-36 Slask lead. The hosts upped their game and Saulius Kulvietis made two straight triples to stretch the difference to 56-41. Cluj managed to stay in the game, with Seeley scoring twice from downtown to cut the deficit to 56-48 heading into the last quarter.

Mateusz Zebski and Golebiowski scored a basket each for a 64-56 Slask lead, but Cluj paid for its poor shooting heading into crunch time, despite securing a series of second-chance opportunities through offensive rebounds. Slask didn’t put the game to bed and Seeley made two straight triples to get the guests within 67-66. Stipanovic drew an offensive foul at the other end and Jarrell Eddie made a huge fadeaway jump shot to put Cluj ahead 67-68 with 0:25 left on the clock. Then, Gravett made a turnover and Jones went 2-of-2 from the line to seal an enormous comeback victory for the visitors.

Bryce Jones of U-BT Cluj-Napoca looks to finish with a series of Slask Wroclaw players around him during the two teams' Round 2 matchup in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

The hosts ended up losing the game in the final minutes of the contest.

Cluj fights back to stun Slask, 67-70

Andres Feliz sank a buzzer-beating baseline floater as Joventut Badalona defeated Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 87-88 in overtime in Round 2 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Joventut Badalona grinds out last-gasp overtime win at Cedevita Olimpija

Joventut Badalona celebrated a dramatic 87-88 overtime victory against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana in an enthralling BKT EuroCup Group A clash at Arena Stozice. This triumph gets the Spanish side’s campaign on track and inflicts a third successive defeat on the Slovenian team in all competitions.

Deshaun Thomas paced Joventut with 23 points, Vladimir Brodziansky added 19 and 8 rebounds while Ante Tomic and Andres Feliz chipped in with 12 points each, the latter also sinking the winning shot at the death. Justin Cobb led the home side with a game-high 28 points, veteran guard Jaka Blazic added 24 and Karlo Matkovic racked up 11 to go with 9 rebounds.

Joventut got off to a flying start as it raced into an 0-7 lead but Cedevita, which was beaten by Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 51-94 in the regional ABA League after suffering a 73-100 drubbing by Hapoel Sholom Tel Aviv in the EuroCup’s opening round, quickly regained its composure.

A Luka Scuka three-pointer gave the hosts a 21-20 lead early in the second quarter and they opened up an 11-point gap at halftime, 43-32, with Cobbs and Blazic running the show. Cobbs, who hit his opening 10 shots from the floor and finished on 12-of-13 shooting, was unstoppable on offense, while 33-year-old Blazic rolled back the years as Cedevita fired on all cylinders in the second period.

However, Joventut closed the gap by the end of the third quarter, 53-51, and the visitors looked like cruising to a comfortable victory when they turned the tables in the fourth, having taken a 63-70 lead midway through. They were still in a commanding position to come out on top in regulation in the closing stages, but Blazic had other ideas, hitting a pair of clutch three-pointers to force overtime.

Joventut had the upper hand in the additional five minutes, but it looked like it had thrown the game away after the outstanding Cobbs nailed a mid-range jump shot with only 2 seconds left on the clock to give the home side an 87-86 lead. It seemed a fitting punishment for Feliz and Tomic missing 4 free throws between them in quick succession at the other end moments earlier.

Feliz then came up with the final twist when he sank a tough baseline floater after a side-out, throwing his teammates into raptures while Cedevita’s players and fans were left stunned at the end of a rip-roaring contest.

Pau Ribas of Joventut Badalona attempts to get away from Jaka Blazic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana during the two teams' Round 2 matchup in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Andres Feliz sank a buzzer-beating baseline floater to claw victory from the jaws of defeat for the visitors.