Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse turned back visiting Slask Wroclaw to win their BKT EuroCup Group B opening game by 90-74 on Thursday. Hugo Benitez led the winners with 19 points and Zaccharie Risacher added 13.

Bourg stops Slask 90-74 in home opener

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse turned back visiting Slask Wroclaw to win their Group B opening game by 90-74 on Thursday. Slask held the lead until the final minute of the first quarter and tied again near halftime, but after that it was all Bourg.

Hugo Benitez led the winners with 19 points and 5 assists, including a personal 9-0 run that kept Bourg in the game early. Jeremy Morgan added 14 points, Zaccharie Risacher 13 and Bryce Bown 12 for Bourg. Slask got 19 points and 13 rebounds from Dusan Miletic. Jakub Niziol added 13 points and Saulius Kulvietis 11.

Game News

### Benitez, Risacher sparked Bourg's takeover

Slask rolled in front 0-5 on a three-point play by Dusan Miletic. Hugo Benitez scored 9 points in a row to get Bourg within 12-14. Bryce Brown tied it up from deep, 20-20, for the hosts before Zaccharie Risacher finally pushed Bourg in front, 24-22, after 10 minutes. Bourg stretched the difference to 32-26 early in the second but Hassani Gravett's pair of triples led Slask back into a 37-37 tie. It stayed that way until Kevin Kokila and Isiaha Mike put Bourg back up, 46-42, at halftime. 

Jeremy Morgan's back-to-back threes, another by Brown, and a layup by Benitez pushed Bourg ahead 57-47 early in the third quarter. The lead hit a high of 67-49 on Axel Julien's triple and baskets by Risacher as Bourg took a 67-53 after 30 minutes. Risacher and Maksim Salash kept Bourg up big despite Miletic getting free to score for Slask. Nothing much changed the rest of the way as Bourg protected its home court untl the finish and joined the Group B win column.

Game Videos

Bourg showed resilience in winning the last game of the first round of the new season against visiting Slask.

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Slask Wroclaw (2023-10-05T19:00:00.000Z)

Round 1 in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season resumes this Wednesday night, with six games taking place. 

Game Center: Round 1 rolls on with six Thursday games

[**Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 90-74 Slask Wroclaw**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-slask-wroclaw/U2023/6/)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse turned back visiting Slask Wroclaw to win their Group B opening game by 90-74 on Thursday. Slask held the lead until the final minute of the first quarter and tied again near halftime, but after that it was all Bourg. Hugo Benitez led the winners with 19 points and 5 assists, including a personal 9-0 run that kept Bourg in the game early. Jeremy Morgan added 14 points, Zaccharie Risacher 13 and Bryce Bown 12 for Bourg. Slask got 19 points and 13 rebounds from Dusan Miletic. Jakub Niziol added 13 points and Saulius Kulvietis 11.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHAT A SLAM from Omenaka😤<a href="https://twitter.com/JLBourgBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JLBourgBasket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/WWcFFLS3J5">pic.twitter.com/WWcFFLS3J5</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1710016330269626803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[**U-BT Cluj-Napoca 80-71 Turk Telekom Ankara**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/u-bt-cluj-napoca-turk-telekom-ankara/U2023/7/)

Cluj opened the season in style by downing last season's finalists Turk Telekom 80-71 at BT-Arena. Bryce Jones and Karel Guzman led the winners with 14 points apiece. Tyrone Wallace paced Turk Telekom with 18 points. Cluj opened the game on a 12-0 run, led 28-14 at the end of the first quarter and 50-26 at halftime. Wallace rescued Turk Telekom after halftime with 10 points in a 0-18 run that brought his team within 53-49. After the deficit was trimmed to 2, Jarell Eddie and Jones sank back-to-back triples, as Cluj regained a double-digit lead and held on the rest of the way.

[**Prometey Slobozhanske 97-77 Veolia Hamburg Towers**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/prometey-slobozhanske-veolia-towers-hamburg/U2023/1/)

Prometey never trailed in starting the season with an impressive victory over Hamburg at Arena Riga in the Latvian capital. The Ukrainian club was hot from the start and scored 35 first-quarter points. Marcus Keene starred for the winners with 19 points and 6 assists. Eleven different Prometey players scored. Al Durham led the Hamburg attack with 15 points.

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[**Aris Midea Thessaloniki 66-82 Dreamland Gran Canaria**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/aris-midea-thessaloniki-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2023/9/)

Gran Canaria opened the defense of its EuroCup title with a road victory at Aris. AJ Slaughter poured in 21 points, including 4 three-pointers, and Nicolas Brussino added 16 points in the Group B game. Aris, which has returned to the EuroCup for the first time after seven seasons away, was led by Roberto Galliant’s 22 points. The game was tied late in the third quarter, but the fourth was all Slaughter and Gran Canaria. 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New EuroCup atmosphere here💫<br><br>📸 <a href="https://twitter.com/ARISBCgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ARISBCgr</a> <a href="https://t.co/VFRCXdnmNB">pic.twitter.com/VFRCXdnmNB</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1709653704788398202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[**Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 76-65 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/buducnost-voli-podgorica-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2023/8/)

Buducnost enjoyed a hard-fought victory over Lietkabelis at Moaraca on Wednesday night. The hosts trailed 35-49 early in the third period, but punished their opponent with a 18-1 run in less than 7 minutes to get back into the game. An offensive exhibition by Jacorey Williams down the stretch made the difference for Buducnost. Williams and McKinley Wright scored 13 points each to led Budcnost. Gabrielius Maldunas paced the visitors with 16 points and 8 rebounds.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">What a comeback! 🔥<br><br>🔷Wright and Williams 13, Mihailović 12, Makoundou 10, Paul 7, Slavković and Jones 6<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HukMora%C4%8De?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HukMorače</a> <a href="https://t.co/xjOxmxQxXN">pic.twitter.com/xjOxmxQxXN</a></p>&mdash; KK Budućnost VOLI (@KKBuducnostVOLI) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI/status/1709643435236340155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[**Joventut Badalona 62-63 Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/5/)

Besiktas stunned Joventut on Leyton Hammonds's game-winning basket with 2.9 seconds remaining in an entertaining duel at Palau Olimpic De Badalona. Besiktas lost its star, Derek Needham, to a broken nose in the second quarter. Yigit Arslan led Besiktas with 13 points and 8 rebounds and Berkan Durmaz recorded a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds,. Andrew Andrews paced Joventut with 10 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hammonds sinks the game-winning jumper and <a href="https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJK_Basketbol</a> get the W🏹✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/2rfswPg5WD">pic.twitter.com/2rfswPg5WD</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1709665776284672174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[**London Lions 76-69 Umana Reyer Venice**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/london-lions-umana-reyer-venice/U2023/2/)

London rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat Reyer in the teams' season opener. Donte Grantham led the winners with 23 points and 7 rebounds. Amedeo Tessitori was Reyer's top scorer with 16 points. Tessitori had 11 first-quarter points, getting help from Marco Spissu and Jordan Parks to give Reyer a 17-25 lead after 10 minutes. Grantham rescued London and Tarik Phillip gave his team a 30-28 lead. Spissu's buzzer-beating triple fixed the halftime score at 38-41. Reyer boosted its margin to 40-51 soon after the break. Grantham and Josh Sharma took over to tie the game again, 56-56, early in the fourth quarter. Grantham completed the hosts' comeback, 63-61, then Gabe Olaseni and Morgan made sure their team registered its first win of the season.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The London Lions turn it around and grab the win in their first home game of the season!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/ifGewJfCvN">pic.twitter.com/ifGewJfCvN</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1709666477190619577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 100-73 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/hapoel-tel-aviv-records-statement-win-cedevita-olimpija/)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv started its 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign on the right foot by dominating Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 100-73 in front of a packed-out crowd at Shlomo Group Arena. After boasting the joint second-best home record in last year's regular season, Hapoel seems set to be a big threat on its home court once again.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%A0%D7%95?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#התחלנו</a><br><br>הפועל מנצחת את לובליאנה 73:100 במשחק הראשון בשלב הבתים ביורוקאפ.<br><br>ועכשיו? יום ראשון, 19:40, גליל עליון בית, מתחילים את הליגה.<br><br>יאללה הפועל! <a href="https://t.co/5munmFwe8u">pic.twitter.com/5munmFwe8u</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1709282607228182860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[ratiopharm Ulm 80-70 Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/ratiopharm-ulm-makes-winning-start-aquila-basket-trento/)

German League champion ratiopharm Ulm ground out an 80-70 home victory against Dolomiti Energia Trento to get its BKT EuroCup Group B campaign off to a winning start, thanks to superb offensive rebounding coupled with a flurry of turnovers from the visitors.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">ORANGE WINS! 🧡<br><br>Ein grandioser Start in die EuroCup-Saison - wir gewinnen mit 80:70 gegen <a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AquilaBasketTN</a>. Damit holen wir uns den dritten Sieg in Folge 💪📣 <a href="https://t.co/BCCcqe3n3W">pic.twitter.com/BCCcqe3n3W</a></p>&mdash; ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) <a href="https://twitter.com/ratiopharmulm/status/1709290536308215916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Paris Basketball 105-78 Wolves Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/paris-basketball-cruises-past-bc-wolves-eurocup/)

Paris Basketball hit the ground running in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season by grabbing a 105-78 victory over Wolves Vilnius at Halle Georges Carpentier on Tuesday night. The hosts recorded their first win of the season, while Wolves debuted in the competition with a loss on the road. Paris looked dominant throughout the duel, comfortably breaking the 100-point barrier in the fourth quarter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">« It’s a W » 🗣️ <a href="https://twitter.com/TjShorts5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TjShorts5</a> <br><br>WINNING FEELING 🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/SCOgz60AdC">pic.twitter.com/SCOgz60AdC</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1709304753908265285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gran Canaria triumphed in Thessaloniki, while Besiktas scored a win in Badalona. The other eight games played Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were won by the home teams. 

Game Center: Bourg protects home court to close Round 1

ratiopharm Ulm v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2023-10-03T17:30:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2023-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Wolves Vilnius (2023-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Prometey Slobozhanske v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2023-10-04T16:00:00.000Z)

London Lions v Umana Reyer Venice (2023-10-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Joventut Badalona v Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul (2023-10-04T18:15:00.000Z)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Turk Telekom Ankara (2023-10-04T16:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2023-10-04T17:00:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2023-10-04T17:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica center Jacorey Williams stepped up in the fourth quarter to ensure his defeated 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season. 

Jacorey Williams showed up to complete Buducnost’s comeback

Things were not going to plan for Jacorey Williams on his debut for Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. The American center, who joined his new team this summer, was expected to have a big role against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Buducnost’s BKT EuroCup home opener, yet he was a peripheral figure through the first two periods. 

Buducnost trailed 31-38 at halftime and was down by 14 (35-49) after 24 minutes, with Williams having barely contributed on both ends. He had just 2 points and 1 rebound at that point, while he was also struggling to help his team grab defensive boards.

“We were playing a little bit soft in defense,” Williams said about his side’s first-half performance. “They are a great team, they can move the ball well, they are almost perfect when they are playing sets, so you have kind of play aggressive defense and take them out of rhythm.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">What a comeback! 🔥<br><br>🔷Wright and Williams 13, Mihailović 12, Makoundou 10, Paul 7, Slavković and Jones 6<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HukMora%C4%8De?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HukMorače</a> <a href="https://t.co/xjOxmxQxXN">pic.twitter.com/xjOxmxQxXN</a></p>&mdash; KK Budućnost VOLI (@KKBuducnostVOLI) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKBuducnostVOLI/status/1709643435236340155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Helping to turn things around

He was on the bench when Buducnost turned up its level of aggression in the third quarter, which led to a 10-1 run before Jacorey returned to the floor with his team trailing 45-50. But as soon as he reentered the game, he started producing. He provided 2 assists and 1 defensive rebound in 2:28 minutes to help the home team complete the comeback and enter the last quarter ahead by 3 points, 53-50.

Then, Williams turned into the best version of himself, fueling his team when it was needed most. A bucket by Gediminas Orelik and a three by Vytenis Lipkevicius seemed to put Lietkabelis back in control, 53-55, early in the fourth period, but it was nothing but an illusion. 

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica center Jacorey Williams shined in his team's 76-65 win against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys in Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.

Jacorey Williams's best plays vs. Lietkabelis

### A dominant end to the game

Williams came up big from there on, however, as he recorded 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 foul drawn in the last nine minutes of the game to fuel a 23-10 run that enabled Buducnost to get the victory. The 29-year-old was on the court for the whole fourth period and finished the game as his team’s leading scorer and the player with the highest PIR (15).

Beyond the stats, his athleticism and quickness were key factors in changing Buducnost’s display in the second half and helping the home team flip the script. 

“First half, they had a lot of rhythm,” Williams admitted in his post-game interview. “In the second half we played better defense and disrupted their offense a little bit and we started scoring in transition a little more.”

Buducnost head coach Petar Mijovic will be hoping that he can start to see the fourth-quarter version of Williams on a consistent basis, which should spell good news for the team in this season’s EuroCup.

The first-year center stepped up in the fourth quarter as his team won its BKT EuroCup season opener.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul took to the Palau Olimpic de Badalona court to face Joventut Badalona with two important absences. The Turkish side was missing captain Egehan Arna as well as summer signing Matt Mitchell, both of whom are sidelined through injuries. Things got worse for the guests just a minute and a half into the second quarter when Yannick Kraag accidentally elbowed Besiktas star Derek Needham, who was taken to the locker room to receive medical assistance. According to Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, Needham suffered a broken nose. He did not return for the remainder of the game.

Besiktas overcame injuries to triumph at Joventut

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul took to the Palau Olimpic de Badalona court [to face Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2023-24/joventut-badalona-besiktas-emlakjet-istanbul/U2023/5/) with two important absences. The Turkish side was missing captain Egehan Arna as well as summer signing Matt Mitchell, both of whom are sidelined through injuries. Things got worse for the guests just a minute and a half into the second quarter when Yannick Kraag accidentally elbowed Besiktas star Derek Needham, who was taken to the locker room to receive medical assistance. According to Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, Needham suffered a broken nose. He did not return for the remainder of the game.

With the score at 23-17, Besiktas didn’t give up and played even harder on defense, fought for all possessions and dominated in the paint. As Alimpijevic pointed out after the game, this win would be dedicated to their teammates who couldn’t fight alongside them on the court.

Coach Dusan Alimpijevic after beating Joventut

"The players deserved this incredible end," he noted. "We came without two players. This win is for our captain Egehan \[Arna\], who stayed at home, this is for Matt Mitchell, for Derek Needham, who broke his nose. This is something really special and emotional for us."

The bench contributed 28 points and although Besiktas was trailing for 35 minutes, its players waited for an opportunity to turn the game around and put their team ahead. They held the hosts scoreless for more than 3 minutes in the closing stages and snatched a huge road victory thanks to a Leyton Hammonds game-winning basket in their last possession.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Maç sonu galibiyet pozumuz! 📸💪<br><br>Egehan Arna ve Derek Needham için. 🙏<br><br>🦅 <a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/Potan%C4%B1nKartallar%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>#PotanınKartalları</a> | <a href=https://twitter.com/hashtag/Be%C5%9Fikta%C5%9FEmlakjet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>#BeşiktaşEmlakjet</a> <a href=https://t.co/lPp8H1q9MS>pic.twitter.com/lPp8H1q9MS</a></p>&mdash; Beşiktaş Emlakjet (@BJK_Basketbol) <a href=https://twitter.com/BJK_Basketbol/status/1709671837569847553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset="utf-8"></script>

"This was a team fight," said Berkan Durmaz, who posted 10 points and 10 rebounds. "We played for each other. When we made mistakes, we tried to cover our teammates. We are so happy that we started the season this way away at Badalona. We played for Egehan Arna, our captain, who got hurt two days ago, Derek, who injured his nose and Matt, who was out too. We fought for them, we fought for each other and we won the game."

Despite playing without three important members of the roster for around three quarters, an inspired Besiktas came out victorious from one of the toughest courts in the competition. When the three men return to action, they are aware that they have what it takes to look any BKT EuroCup opponent in the eye.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul looked solid on defense after a slow start to the game and hit the ground running in the BKT EuroCup by snatching a huge 62-63 victory at Palau Olimpic De Badalona on Wednesday night.

Besiktas's defense went up one level to stun Joventut

The visitors managed to keep an experienced Joventut Badalona side to just 62 points despite conceding 20 in the first quarter. Besiktas upped its defensive game in the second quarter and conceded just 9 points in the last one to seal its comeback.

Last year’s semifinalists had not scored fewer than 80 points in any of their regular-season duels at home and bagged more than 68 points in all their EuroCup duels in 2022-23. In fact, the last time that Joventut scored just 62 points was in a 62-68 home loss to ALBA Berlin back in 2010, which was Joventut’s lowest score ever in a home game. It has to be noted that Joventut has scored fewer than 62 points just twice in the competition - in a 64-56 defeat at Spirou Charleroi two decades ago and an 84-54 loss at Aris Thessaloniki back in 2010.

Besiktas hounded Joventut on defense

Following his players’ triumph on Wednesday night, Coach Dusan Alimpijevic hailed his men’s dedication on defense and pointed out that the key to this victory was their passion on the court.

"Just the heart \[was the key to the win\]," Alimpijevic noted. "When you keep such great offensive players to just 62 points at home, what else can I say? Heart and good effort on defense. Congratulations to my players. I’m so proud of them."

Despite struggling to score second-chance points, Besiktas recorded 14 offensive boards and outrebounded the hosts 41-35. These figures demonstrate his players' fighting mentality in the paint, where Berkan Durmaz and Yigit Arslan dominated with 8 and 7 defensive rebounds, respectively.

Besiktas's defense on the perimeter saw Joventut make just 2 of the 16 triples its players attempted. This 12.5% mark from behind the arc was Joventut’s second-worst three-point shooting percentage of all time in the competition.

Should Besiktas exhibit the same die-hard spirit on defense consistently, it may be able to deliver similar astonishing results throughout the campaign.

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul looked solid on defense after a slow start to the game and hit the ground running in the BKT EuroCup by snatching a huge 62-63 victory at Palau Olimpic de Badalona on Wednesday night.

The London Lions opened the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season without star power forward Sam Dekker. Donte Grantham, in his first-ever game in the competition, stepped into that role and made sure it was a night to be remembered.

Donte Grantham's first-ever EuroCup game is a hit

The London Lions opened the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup season without star power forward Sam Dekker. Grantham, in his first-ever game in the competition, stepped into that role and made sure it was a night to be remembered.

Grantham did so while squaring off against his former college teammate, Aamir Simms. The two played together at Clemson University during the 2017-18 season. 

Donte Grantham led London Lions to a 76-69 win over difficult Umana Reyer Venice in both teams' season opener.

Grantham excels in London's first win

He had a sudden impact on the game, scoring 5 quick points to give London an 11-8 lead. Reyer led most of the way after that and built a double-digit margin, 40-51, early in the second half. That's when Grantham stepped up with consecutive baskets, igniting his team's comeback, and finished it with a dunk that gave London a 63-61 edge with less than 7 minutes remaining. Gabe Olaseni and Tarik Phillip stepped up in crunch time but London would have never stood a chance to win the game without Grantham's effort.

When the dust settled, Grantham had led the way with 23 points on 7-of-7 free-throw shooting plus 7 rebounds and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 25. Above all, he made sure that Dekker was not missed in London's big home win.

"I have to credit my teammates finding me," Grantham said after the game. "I just have been aggressive from the start. It was my first game and I just wanted to set the tone. This allows me to get confidence. I am a guy that does everything, and I just try to impact the game in different ways."

Grantham proved to be a big addition for London, which is set to play five of its next six games on the road.

Donte Grantham led London to a 76-69 win over Reyer in Round 1 on Wednesday. 

Buducnost reacted fiercely and punished its opponent with an 18-1 run to enter the fourth quarter leading 53-50 and finished winning 76-65 after outscoring Lietkabelis 41-16 in the last 16 minutes of the game.

Buducnost simply suffocated Lietkabelis in the second half 

"We need to stop their offensive rebound, we need to stop their open shots," Buducnost VOLI Podgorica head coach Petar Mijovic said at halftime when his team had allowed 14 offensive rebounds and had been outrebounded 16-29 overall against visiting 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys. The result was a 31-38 deficit at that moment, which doubled, to 35-49, early in the third period.

His team didn’t give up, though, and followed Mijovic's instructions. Buducnost reacted fiercely and punished its opponent with an 18-1 run to enter the fourth quarter leading 53-50 and finished winning 76-65 after outscoring Lietkabelis 41-16 in the last 16 minutes of the game.

The Buducnost improvement came from the places Mijovic pointed out at halftime. First, the hosts managed to secure their defensive glass and didn’t allow a single offensive rebound to the visiting team. Overall, Buducnost outrebounded Lietkabelis 19-13 in the second half, which was one of the keys that took it out of rhythm.

And second, the hosts locked in on perimeter defense and controlled much better Lietkabelis's scorers. As such, the visitors got just 9 field goals in the second half - five two-pointers and 4 threes - from 24 attempts (37.5%).

Many of Lietkabelis's offenses in the second half could not even finish with a shot, as Buducnost forced 12 turnovers in that period, which destroyed its opponent's confidence step by step. The result was a 7-1 balance in fastbreak points at the end of the game, as well as a 19-12 advantage in points off turnovers.

"When we were minus 14… we played again very good defense, from this defense we made some easy points in transition which was really important and necessary for our team," Mijovic stressed in the press conference.

Obviously, he was happy with the result, especially because his team had held Lietkabelis to only 65 points. 

"We played against a really talented team, that played three games already in their national championship and in all of them, they were on 90 points or more."

In its second BKT EuroCup campaign, U-BT Cluj-Napoca had a very different start to the season. Cluj opened the 2022-23 EuroCup Regular Season with three consecutive losses. This time, playing in front of 6,000 fans at BT-Arena, Cluj beat Turk Telekom Ankara 80-71. Some of its newcomers made things happen and allowed Cluj to down last season's runner-up.

Newcomers led Cluj to first win

Cluj opened the 2022-23 EuroCup Regular Season with three consecutive losses. This time, playing in front of 6,000 fans at BT-Arena, Cluj beat Turk Telekom Ankara 80-71. Some of its newcomers made things happen and allowed Cluj to down last season's runner-up.

Cluj led from start to finish, going on a 12-0 opening run and boosting its margin to 28-14 after 10 minutes and then again to 50-23 near halftime. Bryce Jones and Adam Mokoka came off the bench and made things happen early in the second quarter and Jarell Eddie's first three-pointer gave Cluj its biggest lead of the night.

D.J. Seeley, Bryce Jones, Jarell Eddie and Adam Mokoka make things happens in Round 1.

Cluj's newcomers make the difference

Turk Telekom was far from done and returned to the game, trimming its deficit to 61-58 with 8 minutes remaining. Eddie did what he does best, pull the trigger from downtown, then Jones had 8 quick points, including his own triple and a wild layup-plus-foul, to restore a double-digit advantage for Cluj and eventually win the game.

Jones showcased his one-on-one skills, finishing the game with 14 points and 5 assists. D.J. Seeley, a well-rounded veteran in his first season with Cluj, proved to be a reliable scoring option at all times and ended up with 12 points. Mokoka had 7 points in 14 minutes and Eddie struck three times from beyond the arc, the last one to stop Turk Telekom's comeback down the stretch.

Cluj kept a core of players led by Andrija Stipanovic, Karel Guzman and Patrick Richards, but its newcomers have given head coach Mihai Silvasan plenty of new options on offense. That has translated right away into a first home win against a top contender, which allows Cluj to be more ambitious after missing the playoffs last season.

"It is our first victory and we need to move forward," Silvasan said after the game. "It is just one victory, our goals are much higher than that."

In its second BKT EuroCup campaign, U-BT Cluj-Napoca jumped out to a very different start to the season that its first.

Short-handed visitors edge Joventut on Hammonds's jumper with 2.9 seconds remaining

Besiktas takes thriller at Joventut, 62-63

Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul stunned Joventut Badalona in Round 1 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup campaign by snatching a 62-63 road victory. Leyton Hammonds silenced the home crowd with a game-winning basket in an entertaining duel at Palau Olimpic De Badalona. Besiktas lost its star, Derek Needham, to a broken nose in the second quarter.

Yigit Arslan led Besiktas with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Berkan Durmaz recorded a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, with Angel Delgado pairing his 8 points with 7 boards. Andrew Andrews paced Joventut with 10 points, while Pau Ribas and Yannick Kraag registered 9 each.

### Hosts start strong and nurse slim lead

Joventut started strong on defense, holding Besiktas scoreless for 3 minutes. The hosts went on a 6-0 run, but Leyton Hammonds sank a buzzer-beating triple to make it 6-3. The Spanish side bounced back and scored 5 unanswered points, with Andrews setting up a Guillem Vives three-pointer after scoring a layup. A Ribas mid-range shot gave Joventut a double-digit lead, 16-5. Despite missing its first 5 free throws, Besiktas bounced back and trimmed down the deficit to 17-10 thanks to a Berk Ugurlu three-pointer and an Arslan layup. Another Ribas basket handed Joventut a 20-14 lead heading into the second quarter.

Besiktas was dealt a major blow early in the second quarter when Yannick Kraag accidentally elbowed Needham, who suffered a broken nose. Despite losing its star, Besiktas showed character, with Jonah Mathews stepping up, scoring his first basket and converting a free throw to get the deficit down to 25-23. Arslan scored behind the arc to take his tally to 10 points and Ugurlu added a basket for a 28-28 tie. Chinanu Onuaku and Ribas scored a jumper each as Joventut took a 35-29 lead, But Besiktas responded with Ugurlu sinking two from the line and Delgado scoring his second basket in the game to keep Besiktas within 35-33 at halftime.

The game turned into a basket-for-basket affair in the opening stages of the third quarter, with Delgado taking advantage of two Joventut turnovers to get within 40-39. The hosts played more aggressively on defense in the last 3 minutes of the third quarter and forced Besiktas into making some poor decisions on offense. Thomas came to the fore, scoring two tough baskets to help his team secure a narrow 53-49 lead heading into the last quarter.

### Besiktas guts it out down the stretch

Jonah Mathews scored back-to-back baskets to level the scoreboard at 53-53 but the experienced Ribas stepped up, sinking a crucial three-pointer to offer his teammates a boost in morale. Hammonds responded from deep, but Tomic scored his second basket in the game to maintain a 58-56 edge. Besiktas got its first lead in the game with 5:08 left on the clock after an Arslan triple from the corner, 58-59.

Tomic bagged 2 easy points from the paint to restore Joventut’s 1-point lead. Nerves took over at both ends and the two teams missed some easy baskets, going scoreless for over 3 minutes. Durmaz put Besiktas ahead, 60-61, with 1:20 remaining, but Vives threw up a floater to give Joventut the lead. Besiktas made the most of its last possession, as Hammonds sank the game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds left on the clock. Thomas didn’t manage to convert from behind the arc and the visitors celebrated a huge road victory in Spain.