The teams with the best records in Group A will face off when Joventut Badalona hosts Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse on Tuesday night. They each have 4-1 records and the winner will take sole possession of first place in the group.

Joventut, which is 2-0 at home this season, showed its defensive chops in a 54-68 road win at ratiopharm Ulm last week. Simon Brigander led the way with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) and 5 blocks in 18 minutes off the bench. Henry Ellenson (11.4 ppg.) and Ante Tomic (10.6 ppg.) have been the team’s top scorers this season.

Bourg comes off of its first loss this season, 80-89, against last season’s runner-up Frutti Extra Bursaspor. The team has both of its road contests thus far. Jordan Floyd (16.4 ppg.) is Bourg’s top scorer and Mike Isiaha (12.4 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has also put up big numbers.

Game News

These teams are the best three-point shooting teams in the EuroCup with Joventut converting 41.7% of its shots from downtown and Bourg making 40.5%. Joventut is the superior rebounding team, taking 7.2 boards more per game than its opponents, and the battle on the glass could be critical in this game.

Group A co-leaders Joventut, Bourg face off

Joventut Badalona v Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse (2022-11-29T19:15:00.000Z)

Hapoel Vegan Friendly Tel Aviv will try to keep its perfect home record intact when it hosts Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on Tuesday evening. The two teams enter that game with 3-2 records and the winner will be assured at least a share of third place in Group B by the round’s end.

Hapoel lost a nail-biter at Gran Canaria 85-83 in its last game despite Xavier Munford’s 24 points. Munford (16.0 ppg.) is Hapoel’s top scorer and he shares the backcourt with the EuroCup assists leader, J’Covan Brown (12.6 ppg., 6.8 apg.).

Buducnost, which is 2-0 on the road this season, lost 74-77 at home against Paris Basketball last week despite a monster performance from Alpha Kaba (17 points, 16 rebounds). Kaba (14.0 ppg., 10.8 rpg., 2.4 spg.) leads his team in scoring, leads the EuroCup in rebounding and is tied for second in steals.

The key matchups to follow in this game will likely be between Kaba and Hapoel’s Onuaku Chinanu in the paint and between Brown and Buducnost’s Trae Bell-Hayes at point guard. A big game from any of those players could make the difference in this contest.

Hapoel hosts Buducnost in key showdown

Hapoel Tel Aviv v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2022-11-29T18:00:00.000Z)

Round 6 of the 7DAYS EuroCup begins in Greece when Promitheas Patras hosts Turk Telekom Ankara. The two teams come into the game as part of a three-way tie for first place in Group B with 4-1 records, but only one of them will be able to remain in first place.

Promitheas, which is undefeated at home (2-0) so far this season, struggled its last time out to edge winless Slask Wroclaw 76-78 on the road. Arnoldas Kulboka registered his second double-double of the season (19 points, 12 rebounds) and EuroCup leading scorer Joe Young (23.4 ppg.) scored 20 to lead Promitheas in that game.

After losing at home on opening night, Turk Telekom has reeled off four straight wins, including two on the road. It comes off an 81-66 victory over Dolomiti Energia Trento in which Axel Bouteille scored a season-high 22. Bouteille leads Turk Telekom with 16.4 points per game and Tyrique Jones is second in the EuroCup in rebounding with 8.8 per game.

While Promitheas has one of the EuroCup’s most efficient offenses – it is third in scoring (86.0 ppg.) and commits the fewest turnovers (12.2 per game), it faces a Turk Telekom side that forces the second-most turnovers (16.2 per game) and has made 60.2% of its two-pointers, so the hosts must be ready to fight in the paint. 

First place in Group B on the line when Promitheas faces Turk Telekom

Promitheas Patras v Turk Telekom Ankara (2022-11-29T17:30:00.000Z)

Birgander's second chance changed Joventut

Joventut Badalona's tale of two halves in a 54-68 road win at ratiopharm Ulm on Wednesday was the same tale for Simon Birgander, its 25-year-old center.

Birgander lasted all of 4 minutes in the first half, getting 3 quick fouls and a ride on the bench as Ulm took a 35-30 halftime lead. He missed his only shot, committed a turnover, but took a rebound and blocked a shot.

"The first half was pretty rough for me," Birgander confessed after the game.

Birgander said he was surprised to start the second half, but came back well-rested and ready for action. 

He began by ripping rebounds, blocking another shot and scoring Joventut's first basket. But he was just getting started. With 2 more blocks, he anchored a defense that held Ulm to 2 points in the first 8 minutes of the third quarter, during which time Birgander collected 7 points and 7 rebounds as Joventut zoomed in front 37-46.

Simon Birgander Top Blocks, 2 Pts vs. ratiopharm Ulm, 11/23/2022

Simon Birgander super second half vs Ulm

He returned for the fourth quarter and resumed playing pick-and-roll with guards Pau Ribas, Kyle Guy and Andres Feliz, who fed Birgander for baskets or shooting fouls that saw his point total reach 11 points, while his rebounds reached 10 and he blocked a fifth shot. When he left the game with 5 minutes left, Joventut led 44-64 after having held Ulm to 9 points in 15 minutes. That amounted to a 25-point swing in the 15 minutes after Birgander rejoined the game.

"In the second half, I just tried to come out and do my best and try to help the team get better and better," Birgander said.

The four-year EuroCup veteran finished with a performance index rating of 22 in less than 18 minutes played. In most of those, he was the main defensive force as Ulm had its worst-ever scoring quarter (6 points) and half (19) in the club's 133 7DAYS EuroCup games to date.

The significance of the game was not lost on him. The victory avenged a still-painful upset when Ulm went down to Badalona last season and knocked out top-seeded Joventut from title contention in the single-elimination eighthfinals.

For Birgander and his many teammates, that was a lesson that has not faded as they now sit tied for first place in Group A, but are taking the long view.

"We have good chances. There are a lot of good teams that we have to beat first, and it's pretty hard because after the group stages, it's only one game," Birgander said. "And if you lose that, you're out, like last year we lost to Ulm in the eighthfinals. It's just hard to win those games."

Look back at all the action in the Regular Season Round 5 by checking out the best photos of the week!

EuroCup, The Top 10 photos of the week, Round 5

Round 5 roll call: Veterans impact big wins

Tomislav Zubcic (22 points) Highlights vs. Hamburg Towers, 11/22/2022

Zubcic impresses for impressive London Lions

### Zubcic impresses for impressive London Lions

Arguably the most impressive win in Round 5 was that of London Lions, a 28-point drubbing on the road against Veolia Hamburg Lions. One of the team's many impressive performances was the one by veteran forward [Tomislav Zubcic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tomislav-zubcic/ljp/), who had a game-high 22 points in 26 minutes. That is tied for the second-best scoring performance in Zubcic's seventh season in the competition. He connected on 4 of 6 two- and three-pointers, the latter being his season-best. Zubcic's performance also included 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals for a performance index rating of 26.

Amar Gegic highlights vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, 11/23/2022

Gegic was everywhere for Paris

### Gegic was everywhere for Paris

Paris Basketball is three for three in EuroCup road games. The team from the French capital kept its perfect away record intact with a dramatic 74-77 win at Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. The key moment in the game was a 0-14 fourth-quarter run, which turned a 65-55 deficit into a four-point Paris lead. [Amar Gegic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/amar-gegic/004466/) was the key facilitator in that run, with a pair of steals that led to easy fastbreak layups, one of which was his own. Gegic scored 5 points during that key run, but also assisted for Dustin Sleva's corner triple and Ismael Kamagate's big dunk. Gegic finished the game with 11 points, second-most in his career, while also setting new career highs in rebounds (6), assists (4) and steals (2).

John Shurna (18 points) Highlights vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv, 11/23/2022

Shurna's fine shooting

### Shurna's fine shooting

[John Shurna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/john-shurna/006588/) had one of the finest shooting performances of his EuroCup career in the first half of Gran Canaria's win over Hapoel Tel Aviv. Shurna netted 16 of his team-high 18 points in the first half. He was the main reason that Gran Canaria played and shot the ball with unbelievable confidence and built a 17-point lead with 2 minutes to go in the first half. He was 4-for-5 from long range and 2-for-3 on two-pointers at that point. Hapoel did come back and Gran Canaria need to rally from 8 points down in the final 5 minutes to win. Shurna scored only another baseline jumper in the second half, but it came in the key moment, during his team's final 12-2 run to win the game.

Anthony Clemmons (18 points) Highlights vs. JL Bourg en Bresse, 11/22/2022

Clemmons ties career-high in assists

### Clemmons ties career-high in assists

Frutti Extra Bursaspor got back on the winning track with a road win over the previously unbeaten Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, and [Anthony Clemmons](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/anthony-clemmons/009565/) did a great job orchestrating Bursaspor's offense. Clemmons finished the game tying his career-high with 8 assists, half of which he dished in the fourth quarter. In 34 minutes on the floor, he scored 18 points, making all 3 of his two-point shots and also sinking 3 of 9 three-pointers.

Birgander s defensive party_7902165.mp4

### Birgander's defensive party

[Simon Birgander](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/simon-birgander/009682/) had his best game of the season and arguably one of the most complete ones of his career in Joventut Badalona's 14-point win at ratiopharm Ulm. Birgander had 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, pulled down 10 rebounds, including 8 on the defensive end, and delivered a career-high 5 blocks, one shy of Joventut's club record. He did all of that in just 18 minutes on the floor as Joventut's defense held Ulm to just 54 points. Birgander now has 10 blocked shots in the last three games, which catapulted him into a tie for the league lead in that category with an average of 2.2.

Vintage Watt leads Reyer past Lietkabelis

### Vintage Watt

[Mitchell Watt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mitchell-watt/006332/) had another fine performance in what was the third straight win for Umana Reyer Venice, this time against the visiting 7-Bet Lietkabelis Panevezys. Watt played 31 minutes and scored a team-high 19 points, tied for his season best as he made 6 of 12 two-point shots. Watt also pulled down 8 rebounds and go to the free throw line 9 times, making 7 foul shots, also all his season-best marks. Watt was instrumental in Reyer's win with a +15 plus-minus in the 74-71 victory.

Jamel Morris led all Round 5 scorers with 25 points in a loss vs. Umana Reyer Venice, 11/22/2022

Morris was Round 5 scoring leader

### Morris was Round 5’s scoring leader

On the other side in that same game, Lietkabelis guard [Jamel Morris](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/jamel-morris/011931/) netted 25 points, more than any other player in Round 5. It is also the most points scored by a Lietkabelis player this season, a mark that Morris has improved upon in each of the last three games. He scored 21 points in Round 3, then 24 points in Round 4 before dropping 25 on Tuesday, improving his season average to 18.4 points. In doing so, he also set a club record by going perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season Round 5 is in the books, and it featured several big and impactful performances by seasoned veterans. Here are some of them.

Regular Season Round 5 is already in the books. Check out the individual leaders in all main statistical categories.

 Round 5 individual highs: Kaba, Buducnost 16 rebounds 

Regular Season Round 5 is already in the books. Check out the individual leaders in all main statistical categories.

Jamel Morris of 7-Bet Lietkabelis Panevezys led all scorers in Round 5 with 25 points. Joe Young of Promitheas is EuroCup's top scorer this season with 23.4 points per game. 

Alpha Kaba of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica had 16 rebounds, a new career high that tied the Buducnost club record. Kaba improved his EuroCup-best average to 10.8 rebounds. 

Anthony Clemmons of Frutti Extra Bursaspor and Patrick Richard of U-BT Cluj-Napoca each had 8 assists, the most this week. J'Cowan Brown of Promitheas Patras leads the competition in assists with 6.8 per game.

Four players had 4 steals in Round 5: Josh Adams of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, Jeremiah Martin of Slask Wroclaw, Darion Atkins of Dolomiti Energia Trento and Miye Oni of London Lions. Martin tops the season steals charts with 2.8 per game. 

Simon Birgander of Joventut Badalona had 5 blocks, more than any other player this round. Birgander and Ismael Kamagate of Paris are this season's top shot-blockers with 2.2 per game. 

Round 5 also so as many as seven different players register double-doubles, all in points and rebounds: Kaba (17 points,16 rebounds), Arnoldas Kulboka of Promitheas (19, 12), Aleksander Dziewa of Slask Wroclaw (14,11), Birgander (11, 10), Dave Dudzinski (20,10) and Zach Auguste (19, 10) of Frutti Extra Bursaspor, and DJ Stephens of Prometey Slobozhanske (10, 10).

Round 5 individual highs: Kaba, Buducnost, 16 rebounds

Round 5 MVP: David Dudzinski, Frutti Extra Bursaspor

[David Dudzinski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/david-dudzinski/010427/) shined for his Frutti Extra Bursaspor on Tuesday night with a career-best performance that led this team to an 80-89 road win over previously unbeaten Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, earning him his first MVP of the Round honor. Dudzinski scored 10 of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, finishing the game having made 3 of 5 two-point shots and 4 of 5 threes. He pulled down 4 of his 10 rebounds in the fourth quarter and also dished 2 assists. His performance index rating of 28 was a personal best and the highest among players on winning teams in Round 5. This round's best PIR, 29, belonged to Alpha Kaba of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and Aleksander Dziewa of Slask Wroclaw. Kaba collected 17 points plus 16 rebounds and 3 steals in a 74-77 home loss against Paris Basketball, while Dziewa had 14 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in Slask's 76-78 home defeat to Promitheas Patras. Rounding out the list of Round 5’s top performers are Xavier Munford of Hapoel Tel Aviv and Arnoldas Kulboka of Promitheas, each with a PIR of 27. Munford netted 24 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in an 85-83 loss at Gran Canaria, while Kulboka had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists in a win over Slask.

David Dudzinski | Round 5 MVP | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-11-22T18:00:00.000Z)

Congratulations to Andrea Sgrulletta, who is the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge winner for Round 5! Andrea's team LOLLO's TEAM posted a score of 196.5.

The team featured the following lineup: team captain Yoeli Childs of London Towers, Ismael Kamagate of Paris Basketball, Jerian Grant of Turk Telekom Ankara, Arnoldas Kulboka of Promitheas Patras and James Palmer Jr. of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse as starters; Axel Bouteille of Turk Telekom as the sixth man; Marco Spissu of Umana Reyer Venice, Kristian Kullamae of 7-Bet Lietkabelis Panevezys, John Petrucelli of Germani Brescia and Yigitcan Saybir of Frutti Extra Bursaspor as bench players; and Can Erdem of Turk Telekom as head coach. The prize for finishing first in Round 5 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2023-24 season!

Bugra Alpagut is the new leader atop the overall standings. His team The Defending Champs is ahead of everyone else with 829.00 fantasy points.

Trades are now open for Round 6. Remember, three trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season, and you can also trade your head coach.

The first game in Round 6, Promitheas Patras vs. Turk Telekom, is scheduled to tip off on Tuesday, November 29 at 18:30 CET, and thus marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!