In his rookie EuroCup season, Joventut Badalona's Devon Dotson is learning a lot from his veteran teammates.

Devon Dotson inspired by longevity of vets like Tomic and Ribas 

[Devon Dotson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/devon-durrell-dotson/013285/) is still very early in his basketball career, but the 25-year-old [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/jov/) guard only has to look at some of his veteran teammates to realize just how long he can play this game – something he does in inspiring fashion.

Dotson works out and plays with seven players who are 30 years old or older. [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) and [Pau Ribas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/pau-ribas/jug/) are both 37, [Adam Hanga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/adam-hanga/005099/) is 35, [Artem Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/artem-pustovyi/004834/) 32, [Guillem Vives](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/guillem-vives/002361/) 31, and [Kassius Robertson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kassius-robertson/012740/) and [Sam Dekker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sam-dekker/009672/) are both 30 years old.

“It's funny because I talk about it with [Kaiser Gates](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kaiser-evan-bray-gates/013287/) almost every day, just seeing they're 37 and seeing them give 100 percent effort in practice. It's motivation – if those guys can do it at their age, we definitely can give way more,” said Dotson, who joined Joventut this offseason after playing the last two months of last season with Obradoiro.

“Seeing how much they take care of their bodies and the matureness of how to handle things is why they had a long career. So just talking with them and really gaining knowledge from their long careers it's really motivation – just seeing them go at it every day.”

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCZyD8losSs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Devon Dotson † (@ddotson_1)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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Being a guard like Ribas, it’s hard not to see how the 18-year professional takes care of his body.

“He's had a long career. I feel like every basketball player wants that long longevity and seeing how long they last is special,” said Dotson.

The Chicago native joined Obradoiro in March 2024 after three and a half years trying to establish himself in the NBA. He jumped back and forth between the G League and the NBA, appearing in 11 NBA games in both 2020-21 and 2021-22 and six games in 2022-23, playing for the Chicago Bulls the first two years and then the Washington Wizards in 2022-23.

“It's definitely a journey,” said Dotson, who went undrafted in the COVID-affected 2020 NBA Draft. "Every day was a fight to try to prove that you can belong on the NBA court… Sometimes it works out and sometimes it happens where you never really get the opportunity. You just got to keep going and keep having the faith and staying confident in your abilities.”

After games with 14 and 15 assists in his final two weeks in the G League last season but still not getting a call from the NBA, Dotson figured a change of scenery would help. He jumped at a chance to play in Spain and also got a good taste of the level as he faced teams like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Zaragoza and Joventut.

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Now wearing Joventut's jersey, playing alongside the likes of Tomic and Ribas helps Dotson remember even better one of his favorite quotes.

Listed on his Instagram is Galatians 6:9 – a Bible verse which says: 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.'

“That's my quote. That's my Bible verse. I wake up and hang my hat on that every day," said Dotson. "That's just the testimonies of this profession and just life. You can't just look at the next guy or the next situation and say why isn't that me. Everybody has their own story. Everybody has their own trials and their own path. This really just locks me in and makes me keep that faith and make sure I'm laying down the bricks, laying down the foundation every day. My time will come and it'll pay off."

Another of his life mottos he has on social media is #lfof.

“Live free of fear – in life, if you want anything, you have to be fearless. You got to be confident and nobody's just going to give it to you,” he said. “That helped me just having a mindset of fearlessness. Just not being tentative, timid. You always just got to go out there and give 100 percent and just compete. That's my mindset, just be a competitor.”

And if he takes care of his body like Tomic and Ribas, Devon Dotson could be a threat in the competition for a long time.

More Joventut News

The Joventut guard has seven teammates who are 30+ to serve as inspiration 

Look back at all the action in Round 11 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 11

Look back at all the action from Round 11 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

BC Wolves won a shootout against Hapoel Tel Aviv BC 104-100 to keep their hopes alive in the race to make the EuroCup Playoffs.

Wolves made a statement to stay in the thick of top-four race 

Even with still nearly two months of the regular season remaining, [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/)’s [104-100 comeback win over Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/wolves-bounce-back-to-down-hapoel-104-100/) on Wednesday night feels like it could become a pivotal moment in the BKT EuroCup season.

After starting the campaign with three straight losses and then bouncing back with five consecutive victories, the Lithuanian team appeared to be continuing its cold-hot-cold sequence by losing in both Rounds 9 and 10, and headed into Wednesday’s meeting with Hapoel in danger of being cut adrift in the race for a Group A top four finish.

Indeed, another loss against Hapoel would have left Wolves two games behind three teams tied for third place, and nervously looking over its shoulder at both Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and Dolomiti Energia Trento, just one game further back.

So when the meeting with [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris/?season=U2024)’s men saw the visitors string together a series of double-digit leads in the first half, it was a massive test of character for Wolves. The kind of moment that can make or break a team, and end up defining a season.

In the end, the challenge was met, the hurdle was cleared, and a thrilling high-scoring victory leaves Wolves in a batch of four teams – alongside Hapoel, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul and ratiopharm Ulm – separated by just one win between third and sixth place.

As Wolves coach [Alessandro Magro](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/magro-alessandro/?season=U2024) acknowledged after the game, finishing in the top six to secure postseason action is a defined objective for his team.

“It was an important win for us, for sure, for the standings, to try to keep the run and try to achieve our goals,” said the Italian play-caller. “For sure, one of our goals is to have the EuroCup Playoffs.”

But the format of the competition means that top six is the minimum requirement, and a bigger prize is finishing third or fourth to secure home-court advantage in the eighth-finals when the playoffs begin.

Wednesday’s win over Hapoel means that ambition is very much still alive for Wolves, and Magro is well aware of the schedule that will see his team play four of its remaining seven games in Vilnius – including visits from three of the bottom four.

“In the second round \[of the regular season\] we have many home games and that’s really important, trying to have this kind of performance in our arena, beating a very, very talented team like Hapoel,” he said.

The one negative of the night for Wolves was an inability to clinch the head-to-head advantage over Hapoel. The Israeli team won by 5 points, 89-84, in the Round 2 meeting between the teams, and with a couple of minutes remaining it looked likely that Wolves would overhaul that margin to seal a perfect evening.

But the relentless [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) – who ended up with a personal best 28 points – scored 7 points in the last 90 seconds to turn a 9-point deficit into a 4-point defeat, good enough by the narrowest possible margin to keep the head-to-head advantage for Hapoel.

In such a tight race, that could prove vital when the regular season ends in February. But although Magro admitted he was disappointed to let that prize slip away, he was perfectly happy to focus on the positives and look forward to a special celebration.

“Christmas dinner is coming,” he concluded with a smile. “So the joys of Christmas dinner after such a win like this are different!”

And the rest of the EuroCup season could be different, too.

Wednesday’s vital victory over Hapoel has tightened up the Group A playoff picture


Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-12-11T16:30:00.000Z)

A stellar performance in a memorable victory has seen BC Wolves guard Anthony Cowan Jr. finish as the MVP of the Round for Round 11, the second time he has earned this accolade this season.

Round 11 MVP: Anthony Cowan Jr., Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius

A stellar performance in a memorable victory has seen [Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/) guard [Anthony Cowan Jr.](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/) finish as the MVP of the Round for Round 11, the second time he has earned this accolade this season.

Cowan led the Wolves to an emphatic 104-100 win over the visiting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, scoring 28 points on 3-of-7 two-point and 5-of-8 three-point shooting, while making 7-of-9 free throws. Cowan also dished 10 assists, had 4 rebounds and 2 steals, while drawing 10 fouls. As such, he finished the night with a 37 PIR, the highest among all players on winning teams. This is also his highest PIR of the season, and Cowan has become the second player to earn multiple MVP of the Round honors in this BKT EuroCup campaign.

Round 11's highest PIR, 41, belongs to Hapoel point guard [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/). In just his second game in a Hapoel jersey, Madar had 28 points on 5-of-8 two-point shooting, 3-of-3 three-pointers and 9-of-9 free throws. He also posted 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds and 7 drawn fouls. [Zavier Simpson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/zavier-simpson/013302/) of U-BT Cluj-Napoca had a 35 PIR in his team's 89-86 win over Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. Simpson scored 27 points, dished a club-record 11 assists and also drew 10 personal fouls. The next best PIR, 30, belongs to Trefl Sopot’s [Marcus Weathers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-weathers/013297/), who collected 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in his team's 70-82 loss against Dolomiti Energia Trento. Rounding out the list of top performers is Bourg's [Xavier Castaneda](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/xavier-castaneda/013266/), as he recorded 17 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 11 drawn fouls for a PIR of 28.

 

### Individual highs: Amida Brimah, Valencia Basket, 4 blocks

Madar and Cowan each scored 28 points to take the honor as Round 11's top scorers. [Jared Harper](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jared-harper/011970/) of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem leads the EuroCup in scoring with 22.5 points per game.

Weathers and [Kur Kuath](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kur-kuath/013313/) of Veolia Towers Hamburg each had 12 rebounds, the most this round. Umana Reyer Venice's [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) is the EuroCup’s leading rebounder with 10.1 rebounds per night.

Simpson and Bahcesehir College Istanbul guard [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) dished 11 assists apiece in Round 11. Simpson is the league leader with 7.3 dimes per contest.

[Kevin Kokila](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kevin-kokila/011837/) of Bourg, and [Gabrielius Maldunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gabrielius-maldunas/010461/) of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys each had 5 steals, more than any other player this week. [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) of Dreamland Gran Canaria tops the steals charts with 2.1 per game.

[Amida Brimah](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/amida-brimah/012075/) of Valencia Basket led all players in Round 11 with 4 blocks. Kuath is EuroCup's top shot blocker with 1.9 rejections per game.

This Round's MVP Cowan (28 points, 11 assists), Simpson (27 points, 11 assists), Jaleen Smith (11 points, 11 assists), [Jordan Parks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-parks/011909/) of Umana Reyer Venice (20 points, 10 rebounds), Kuath (12 points, 12 rebounds) and Weathers (14 points, 12 rebounds) all had a double-double in Round 11.

Congratulations to Gustavo Adolfo Navarro, our 11th winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Gustavo Adolfo's team, 'gustino2', posted a score of 202.90.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 11 winner

Congratulations to Gustavo Adolfo Navarro, our 11th winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Gustavo Adolfo's team, 'gustino2', posted a score of 202.90.

Gustavo Adolfo had the following starting lineup: Anthony Cowan of Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius as team captain, then Wolves forward Tre'Shawn Thurman, Valencia Basket guard Chris Jones, Trefl Sopot forward Marcus Weathers, and Veolia Towers Hamburg center Kur Kuath. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem's Jared Harper was his sixth man.

His team's head coach was Dolomiti Energia Trento's Paolo Galbiati, while his four bench players were Joventut Badalona's Artem Pustovyi, ratiopharm Ulm's Noa Essengue, 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezy's Georgios Kalaitzakis, and Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse's Maxime Courby.

The prize for finishing first in Round 11 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Gustavo Adolfo!

The leader in the overall standings remains Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallIsLife', which has a total of 1,889.90 points after the first 11 rounds. Trades are now open for Round 12. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

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

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

Superb first-half defensive outing paved the way for Gran Canaria

The first 20 minutes of its clash away at [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/roster/can/?season=2024-25) on Wednesday night were enough for [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/roster/bud/?season=2024-25) to find out why the hosts are considered one of the best defenses in the BKT EuroCup. Gran Canaria came into Wednesday’s duel as the second-stingiest defense in the 2024-25 campaign with just 73.3 points conceded per game and effectively used its finest quality to send a resounding message to the visitors.

Buducnost may have averaged a league sixth-best 85.5 points scored per game in the first 10 rounds, but the Spanish side started strong and held its rival to just 9 in the first quarter. The visitors slightly improved on offense in the second, but Gran Canaria secured a 43-25 cushion at the break.

“Our start of the game, and especially the first half, was very good,” Gran Canaria head coach [Jaka Lakovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/lakovic-jaka/?season=U2024) said in the post-game press conference. “We came out with great energy, with great effort and this effort gave us confidence offensively.”

Game Videos

Buducnost’s first half was its lowest-scoring first 20 minutes this season, with forward [Juwan Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/juwan-morgan/013256/) being blunt regarding his team’s performance before the break.

“We’re down 20 points,” he said in the halftime interview. “They play more aggressive than us. They get offensive rebounds. They’re making us look like little kids out here.”

Gran Canaria shared the ball well, registering 12 first-half assists – just 3 fewer than Buducnost’s tally after 40 minutes. The hosts had shot well (6 for 23; 46.2%) from beyond the arc, but more importantly, they missed just 4 of their 16 attempts from inside. Gran Canaria also outrebounded a helpless Buducnost 19-14 in what was a dominant first-half outing that paved a way for its fourth straight victory despite Buducnost’s late attempt to bounce back.

Having climbed top of the Group A standings alongside Bahcesehir College Istanbul (9-2), Gran Canaria will look to overtake the Turkish side as the two teams face each other in a highly-anticipated duel next week. And what better way to send a message to their fellow top-seed contender than producing a similar, emphatic start to the duel at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. 

Game News

The hosts held Buducnost to just 25 points before the halftime break

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (2024-12-11T20:00:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm’s offense was purring in Round 11 as Ty Harrelson’s team poured in a season-high 102 points thanks to unusually strong inside scoring.

Ulm offense shines with passing, sharing the load

ratiopharm Ulm’s offense was purring in [Round 11](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/?round=11&season=U2024) as [Coach Ty Harrelson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/ratiopharm-ulm/ulm/harrelson-ty/?season=U2024)’s team poured in a season-high 102 points thanks to unusually strong inside scoring.

Ulm grabbed its third straight victory by [winning 88-102](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/joventut-badalona-ratiopharm-ulm/U2024/105/) at Joventut Badalona and has a 7-4 record - even with Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul in third place and [three wins ahead](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/standings/) of the first team outside the playoff zone.

"It’s an important win for us. We want to be in the playoffs and it’s another step in that direction," said Ulm’s talented young point guard [Ben Saraf](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ben-saraf/011437/), who scored a career-high 18 points to go with 2 rebounds and 3 assists. "We executed what coach told us to do. We played aggressive and controlled the rebounds - that’s what gave us the W."

Saraf was one of seven players to score at least 8 points for Ulm, which came into the game averaging 85.0 points per game.

"The strength of our team is all 12 guys playing together and sharing the basketball, playing unselfishly but then also being able to make the one-on-one plays," said Harrelson.

Ulm shot 62.9% on two-pointers - a drastic improvement on its 50.7% clip entering the game as the second-worst team in that category. Ulm also drained 11 of 22 three-pointers - which was not unexpected as the German side ranked fifth in three-point shooting at 36.6% entering the game.

Ulm did not exactly shine on defense though, but the relatively inexperienced team has been struggling with that all season - ranking last in 90.0 points per game allowed and 60.0% on two-pointers. And Joventut made 66.7% of its close range attempts.

The main thing for Harrelson is the team grabbed a road victory.

"Any time we can go on the road in the EuroCup and steal a win I think it’s very important for us. As we gain more experience and get more time together I feel like the team is playing better each week," said the American, whose team is now 4-3 away from home this season.

Ulm scored a season-high 102 points and is in a strong spot to make playoffs

Ulm's offense shined with passing, sharing the load

Joventut Badalona v ratiopharm Ulm (2024-12-11T19:30:00.000Z)

Five BKT EuroCup games for Brynton Lemar, five wins!


Lemar steps up to stay undefeated

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/?season=2024-25) remains undefeated in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup. There is someone else, however, who hasn't lost until now.

[Brynton Lemar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/brynton-lemar/013261/) had another strong performance to lead [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana/roster/lju/?season=2024-25) to [a 75-80 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-gets-pivotal-win-in-venice-75-80/) over [Umana Reyer Venice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/umana-reyer-venice/roster/vnc/?season=2024-25). With this win, Lemar registered his fifth victory in as many games.

Lemar helped Cedevita win its first two games, on the road against [U-BT Cluj-Napoca, 86-93](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-olimpija-rallies-to-stun-cluj-in-a-thriller/), and at home [against Reyer, 87-82](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2425-rs2-report-lju-vnc/). After missing six games due to injury, Lemar returned in Round 9. He led Cedevita to a [95-68 home win over Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-olimpija-coasts-to-95-68-win-against-hamburg/) with 11 points, 3 assists and 5 fouls drawn. Lemar did much better in [Round 10 against Cluj](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-olimpija-wins-shootout-with-cluj-at-home-103-96/), getting 23 points on 10 of 10 free throws, 4 rebounds and a PIR of 24 in a 103-96 home win.

In his second game against Reyer, Lemar showed again his best version, hitting one clutch shot after the next in the fourth quarter to make sure his team grabbed a pivotal road victory.

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana guard Brynton Lemar had 23 points on 6 of 9 two-pointers, 3 of 3 three-pointers and 2 of 2 free throws, adding 3 rebounds, 2 steals and a career-high PIR of 27 in his team's 75-80 road win over Umana Reyer Venice.

Lemar leads Cedevita past Reyer

After a 10-0 Reyer run that gave the hosts their last lead, 47-46, Lemar stepped up with a backdoor layup and a fadeaway jumper in an 1-8 run that put Cedevita ahead for good, 47-54. Once in the fourth quarter, Lemar buried a couple of jumpers and added a three-pointer to make sure his team stayed in the driver's seat until the final buzzer.

Lemar finished the game with 23 points on 6-of-9 two-point shooting, 3-of-3 on three-pointers and 2-of-2 on free throws, plus 3 rebounds and 2 steals for a career-high PIR of 27. In his five victories with Cedevita, Lemar has averaged 16.8 points on 13 of 28 three-pointers (46.4% 3FG) and 23 of 26 free throws (88.5% FT) for a PIR of 18.6.

"It was a team effort. We fought, stuck to the game plan and came out with the W," Lemar said after game. "This is very important. Every game is important but this one is special because we are fighting for playoffs and fighting to win a championship, so every win is important. I am proud of my team, it was great."

Cedevita is 9-4 and has a 2-0 record against Cluj and Reyer, two of its direct rivals in the playoff race. Its next game is at Stozice Arena against the first team that handed Cedevita a loss this season, Turk Telekom Ankara, which also comes off an important victory. Tune in on Wednesday at 18:30 CET.

In five BKT EuroCup games for Brynton Lemar, his club has ... five wins!


Cedevita's Brynton Lemar stepped up to stay undefeated

Umana Reyer Venice v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2024-12-11T19:00:00.000Z)

Lietkabelis ended up sealing the outcome in the last 3 minutes of the game, outscoring its opponent 4-10 when the score was tied, 83-83.

Timely rebounding allowed Lietkabelis to finally smile on the road

[7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/lietkabelis-panevezys/roster/lkb/?season=2024-25) ended a three-game losing streak when it defeated [Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/roster/jer/) at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria on Wednesday night. The Lithuanians could finally enjoy a road victory after having lost to [U-BT Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cluj-holds-off-lietkabeliss-comeback-100-93/) (100-93), [Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2425-rs4-report-lju-lkb/) (76-72) and [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/ec2425-rs1-report-ttk-lkb/) (72-66).

In Lietkebelis's last three losses, it had performed pretty well on offense, scoring 93 points each time but falling short in the end. This time, Lietkabelis didn’t repeat the same mistake and ended up sealing the outcome in the last 3 minutes of the game, outscoring its opponent 4-10 when the score was tied, 83-83.

“\[It was a\] very important win for us. Finally, we managed to convert the good game into a victory, what we didn't do in the last two games in Europe,” celebrated Lietkabelis head coach [Nenad Canak](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/lkb/canak-nenad/).

“We controlled the game. We didn't panic in some moments when Hapoel tried to change some defensive systems”, he continued. “And we controlled the rebound at the end, and it was very important for us that we just took 18 points in the last quarter, as we had many problems in previous games in the last quarters."

Rebounding, as Canak stressed, was a key factor in deciding the game, but not in the usual way. It was not because of a massive difference in the number of rebounds, as the visitors were slightly better, with 31 rebounds against Jerusalem's 27, and it was not either about the second-chance points difference, because Jerusalem even led that category with 13 against 10.

It was not about how many; it was all about when.

“We played bad, we didn't take the rebounds. You cannot win without rebounds... They had five more possessions in the last 2 minutes. So, they won,” Jerusalem head coach [Yonatan Alon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-bank-yahav-jerusalem/jer/alon-yonatan/?season=U2024) pointed out in the press conference. “We cannot turn the ball over so many times, and second, we need to play better defense. It’s not what we are. We need to go back to the fundamentals.”

That analysis can be summarized with the key plays that ended up deciding the game when the game was on the line. First, when the score was 81-81, two consecutive offensive rebounds by [Marko Percarski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-pecarski/005656/) and [Gabrielius Maldunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/gabrielius-maldunas/010461/) allowed [Martynas Varnas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/martynas-varnas/005521/) to push his team ahead 81-83. Then, and few seconds later, [Mantas Rubstavicius ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mantas-rubstavicius/009299/)buried 3 consecutive free throws to start the final run, which continued with an off-the-steal basket by Maldunas and finished with a layup by [Oleksandr Kovliar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/oleksandr-kovliar/013247/) after - again - two consecutive offensive rebounds by Maldunas and Pecarski.

“It's an amazing team victory,” Maldunas celebrated. “Finally, we won on the road. If we play like this, we are a very good team. We played two good games in EuroCup before this one, but we came up short and lost by a couple of points, but now we finally came through”.

This win gave Lietkabelis a much clearer and cleaner vision of the upcoming challenges, returning its hopes of reaching the postseason.

“Of course, we're still alive,” Canak assured. “We are still alive and when you are alive in a competition, it's easier to practice, easier to accept new things. So, it's very important for us.”

The Lithuanians made the most from Jerusalem's mistakes in the last minutes

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2024-12-11T18:30:00.000Z)