Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem continue its winning run by overcoming an early 13-point deficit before downing Turk Telekom Ankara 77-94 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade Serbia. This win, Jerusalem's fourth consecutive, improved the team to 7-2 in second place of Group B, while Turk Telekom slipped to 4-5 record.

Harper leads Jerusalem in comeback win over Turk Telekom

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem continued its winning run by overcoming an early 13-point deficit before downing Turk Telekom Ankara 77-94 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. With its fourth consecutive victory, Jerusalem improved to 7-2 and second place in Group B, while Turk Telekom slipped to a 4-5 record.

Turk Telekom had a better start to the game and led 33-20 in the second quarter, but Jerusalem melted the deficit in the second quarter, jumped in front in the third and pulled away in the fourth behind Jared Harper who scored 12 of his career-high 35 points in the fourth quarter. Khadeen Carrington added 19 points, while Gabriel Chachashvili collected 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win. For Turk Telekom, Braian Angola scored 15, Yoan Makoundou had 14 points and 8 rebounds, Javon Bess netted 12 points and Anthony Brown 11 in defeat.

Game Videos

It was a slow start offensively for both teams, with Bess's triple the only basket of the opening 3 minutes. Harper had a three-pointer and a three-point play to open Jerusalem's tally. Chachashvili scored 6 points for the visitors, including an alley-oop dunk, but only tied the game at 12-12 because of Bess, who scored 5 more points of his own. Turk Telekom scored the next 6 points and held an 18-14 lead after the first quarter.

Makoundou scored 5 points, including a three-point play, followed by a transition triple from Brown to open 24-16. Angola also nailed a three-pointer, then Speedy Smith knocked down back-to-back shots, making it 4 triples in a row for Turk Telekom and a 33-20 lead. Carrington and Chachashvili gave Jerusalem a spark, combining for 9 points and cutting the deficit to 39-31. A triple from Jeremy Morgan got Jerusalem within 39-37, but Turk Telekom led 44-39 at halftime.

Game News

Makoundou made a three-pointer early in the third quarter, but Carrington had a three-point play, followed by back-to-back triples from Morgan and Harper that helped open a 49-52 lead. The teams traded blows and Angola's triple made it 58-57, but Jerusalem used a pair of Coach Erdem Can's technical fouls and a fastbreak layup from Yovel Zoosman to hold a 62-65 edge after 30 minutes.

Chachashvili and Makoundou traded baskets to start the fourth quarter, but Morgan found a wide-open lane to make it 64-71. Brown and Makoundou kept Turk Telekom within a single possession, 70-73, but that's when Harper took over. The Jerusalem guard strung together 8 points, before Chris Johnson got a basket from close range as the visitors opened a 70-83 lead and cruised to victory in the final 3 minutes.

The guard erupted for a career-best 35 points

Harper leads Jerusalem in 77-94 comeback win over Turk Telekom

Turk Telekom Ankara v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-11-28T18:30:00.000Z)

Ben Saraf's go-ahead jumper allowed Ulm to win in Hapoel coach Dimitris Itoudis's return to the competition. 



Ulm rallies past Hapoel, 80-81! 

ratiopharm Ulm returned to winning ways in Group B by edging Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 80-82 in Samokov, Bulgaria on Tuesday.

Both teams are now 5-4 in the standings at the regular season's halfway mark. Noa Essengue led the winners with 19 points and Alfonso Plummer and Justinian Jessup each added 14 for Ulm. Marcus Foster paced Hapoel with 21 points and Patrick Beverley added 18 for the hosts.

Beverley got Hapoel going with a three-pointer. Ulm's Nelson Weidemann and Hapoel's Foster also hit one apiece from downtown. Then Essengue scored and Jessup joined the three-point shootout. Hapoel's Tomer Ginat stepped up with consecutive layups and Essengue scored a put-back dunk to tie it at 10-10. Bruno Caboclo took over with a fast-break layup that Ulm's Karim Jallow improved on with a three-point play. Beverley rescued Hapoel with a driving layup and Caboclo followed Bar Timor's triple with a power basket for a 20-14 score. Ben Saraf struck from beyond the arc, Hapoel's Antonio Blakeney erased it with a three-point play and Plummer's layup kept Ulm within 23-19. Ish Wainright sank a triple, getting help from Guy Palatin to keep the hosts fully in charge, 28-19, after 10 minutes.

Thomas Klepeisz buried a triple early in the second quarter and Essengue gave Ulm hope at 28-24. Wainright and Blakeney rescued Hapoel, then Foster's layup made it a double-digit lead, 34-24. Tobias Jensen stepped up with a driving layup, then Beverley and Wainright boosted their team's lead to 37-26. Jallow rescued Ulm with a big basket. Plummer added a three-pointer and followed Jessup's floater with a huge four-point play for a 37-39 Ulm lead, after a 0-13 run. Marcus Bingham took over with a layup-plus-foul, igniting an 11-0 run in which Joe Ragland, Ginat and Foster each scored around the basket. Nicolas Bratzel's three-point play fixed the halftime score at 48-42.

Foster scored around the basket soon after the break. Weidermann banked in an off-balance shot, then Ragland and Foster restored a 9-point Hapoel lead. Philipp Herkenhoff struck from downtown and Ragland matched that with an acrobatic three-point play. Essengue singlehandedly brought Ulm within 57-52. Foster and a red-hot Essengue traded fastbreak layups. Beverley's turnaround jumper gave Hapoel a 61-54 lead. After Bretzel scored in the paint, Isaiah Roby followed a three-pointer with a layup in transition that tied it at 61-61. Beverley followed a fadeaway jumper with a driving layup for a 65-61 Hapoel lead after 30 minutes.

Beverley took over with a reverse layup early in the fourth quarter. Jessup answered from downtown, Foster took over with a power layup and soon added a three-pointer that prompted Ulm to call timeout at 73-64. The visitors found a go-to guy in Jessup, who buried consecutive three-pointers to get Ulm as close as 75-72 with over 4 minutes left. Ragland buried a mid-range jumper, Jallow and Essengue each hit free throws and Foster's three-point play gave Hapoel some fresh air, 80-76, with 2:22 left. Plummer struck from beyond the arc and Saraf buried a jumper off a wild spin move for a 80-81 Ulm lead. Hapoel had a chance to win the game but Foster turned the ball over with 3.3 seconds left. Essengue drew a foul and missed his second attempt on purpose to run the game clock out.

Ben Saraf's go-ahead jumper allowed Ulm to win in Hapoel coach Dimitris Itoudis's return to the competition

Ulm rallies past Hapoel, 80-81, on Saraf's game winner

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v ratiopharm Ulm (2024-11-28T18:30:00.000Z)

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul outscored Dolomiti Energia Trento 22-43 in the middle two quarters to take control en route to a 68-83 victory at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Thursday 

Besiktas hammers Trento, 68-83, on the road

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul outscored Dolomiti Energia Trento 22-43 in the middle two quarters to take control en route to a 68-83 victory at Il T Quotidiano Arena on Thursday night. The result saw Besiktas climb into at least a share of fourth place in Group A with a 5-4 record, while Trento slipped to 3-6.

Kelan Martin paced the winning effort with 13 points, Yigit Arslan and Berk Ugurlu added 12 points apiece and Jonah Mathews scored 10. Quin Ellis, Myles Cale and Toto Forray all scored 13 for Trento and Anthony Lamb had 12 in defeat.

Lamb and Cale got Trento going before Dustin Sleva and Kyle Allman answered back for the visitors. The hosts clamped down on defense and pushed the ball on offense with Cale capping an 8-0 run for a 12-4 lead. Ugurlu and Sleva came alive to rally Besiktas within 16-13. Lamb gave Trento some breathing room only to see Sleva and Allman keep Besiktas in the hunt. Toto Forray's layup made it 20-17 after 10 minutes.  

Cale remained hot with a pretty move in the paint for Trento but Arslan was even hotter with a pair of threes to give the visitors their first lead, 22-23. Andrea Pecchia scored straight off a Trento timeout, Jordan Ford netted a free throw after Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic was called for a technical foul and Lamb finished off a three-point play for a 28-24 cushion. Mathews scored 4 points in a 0-6 spurt as Besiktas regained control. Free throws by Ugurlu and Kerem Onan made it 30-35. A tough score by Ugurlu extended the margin to 32-39 at halftime.

A three-pointer by Conor Morgan gave Besiktas a 10-point lead and Derek Needham's first points of the game made it 34-46. A timeout changed little for the hosts as Martin and Arslan kept Besiktas cruising as 35-53. Martin’s next three-pointer made it a 20-point game. Free throws by Eigirdas Zukauskas were not enough to spark a comeback and Besiktas was sitting pretty at 42-60 through three quarters.  

Ellis started to heat up for Trento, making the team’s first three of the night after 18 misses. Even so, Besiktas was able to match almost every shot. Zukauskas kept fighting for Trento, but to no avail. The Besiktas lead peaked at 54-78 on a Needham free throw with 2 and a half minutes remaining as the visitors closed out a comfortable win.

The visitors led by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2024-11-28T19:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice pulled off a superb comeback to beat 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 93-100 in overtime

Reyer rallies back to beat Lietkabelis, 93-100, in overtime

Umana Reyer Venice pulled off a superb comeback to beat 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 93-100 in overtime. The hosts led throughout regulation, being up by 15 three minutes into the third quarter. Yet, Reyer took its first lead in overtime and pulled away to clinch the victory on Thursday. Reyer celebrated its first road win of the season and improved its record to 4-5, with Lietkabelis dropping to 3-5.

Kyle Wiltjer led all scorers with 22 points, with Mfiondu Tshimanga Kabengele recording a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Parks and Amedeo Tessitori netted 13 points each and scored 10 in the comeback effort. Dovis Bickauskis and Martynas Varnas paced Lietkabelis with 16 points apiece. Georgios Kalaitzakis scored 14 points and Marko Pecarski added 13.

Gabrielius Maldunas opened the scoring in transition, but Kabengele netted back-to-back buckets to put Reyer in front, 2-4. Mantas Rubstavicius and Varnas drilled a triple each before Bickauskis extended Lietkabelis’s run to 8-0 from the charity stripe. Wiltjer attempted to end the Lithuanian side’s momentum with a floater, but Varnas nailed another one from deep for a 13-6 lead. Wiltjer and Pecarski exchanged baskets before Varnas scored 5 unanswered points to extend Lietkabelis’s lead to 20-10. Then, Oleksandr Kovliar, Kalaitzakis and Justin Briggs all opened their accounts for the hosts, but Tessitori netted 8 points off the bench to keep the visitors within 30-20 after 10 minutes.

Grantas Vasiliauskas nailed a hook shot to start the second quarter, but Tessitori scored from inside and Davide Moretti sank Reyer’s first triple of the night, cutting the difference to 32-25. A three-point play from Vasiliauskas restored a double-digit lead before Aamir Simms and Bickauskis traded triples to make it 41-31. Rubstavicius scored Lietkabelis’s seventh triple of the first half, but Reyer responded with Jordan Parks hitting two free throws and Moretti nailing his second from beyond the arc to trim the deficit to 44-38. What followed was a sloppy last 2 and a half minutes of the first half, with turnovers and missed shots by both sides, as Lietkabelis maintained a 47-40 cushion at halftime.

Varnas took his tally to 15 points with a layup before 5 points from Pecarski and a triple from Bickauskis extended Lietkabelis’s run to 10-0 and its lead to 57-42. Reyer responded with a 2-9 surge, but Rubstavicius knocked down one from downtown for a 62-51 lead. Kalaitzakis and Wiltjer took over in an exchange of blows, scoring 4 and 8 points, respectively, as Reyer cut the difference to 70-62 heading into the closing quarter.

Wiltjer started strong in the fourth, completing a three-point play to take his tally to 20 in less than 19 minutes on the floor. Then, Kalaitzakis and Wiltjer traded buckets before 5 points from Kovliar allowed Lietkabelis to secure a 77-69 cushion. Reyer pushed for a comeback after an unlikely buzzer-beating bucket from Pecarski, with Kabengele scoring back-to-back baskets and Ennis netting inside to bring the visitors within 79-74. Yet, Bickauskis replied with 5 points including a triple after a Reyer turnover to make it 84-76 with 02:18 left on the clock. Reyer didn’t give up and responded with a 0-8 run inspired by Kabengele, who nailed a rare triple to tie it, 84-84. Then, Lipkevicius netted a turn-around bucket with 24 seconds remaining, but Ennis scored a layup to force overtime.

Parks netted a jumper for Reyer’s first lead of the night, but Bickauskis responded with a bucket and Pecarski made 2 of 2 from the line to put Lietkabelis back in front, 90-88. Yet, a couple of free throws from Kabengele were followed by a corner three from Carl Wheatle, an Ennis layup and 5 points from Parks to complete an extraordinary Reyer comeback.

Despite trailing throughout regulation, Reyer tied the game late to force overtime, where it clinched a hard-fought victory

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-11-28T17:00:00.000Z)

KK Cedevita Olimpija got back on track in the EuroCup by beating the Hamburg Towers 95-68 in Round 9.

Cedevita Olimpija coasts to 95-68 win against Hamburg

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana ended its three-game losing streak in perfect fashion on Thursday night, erupting for 95 points in a 95-68 triumph over Veolia Towers Hamburg, which is now 0-5 on the road this season. The Slovenian side is now 5-4 on the season and the German outfit is 2-7. This game marked Zvezdan Mitrovic's return to the bench after a spell away due to illness.

Devante Jones led six Cedevita players in double figures with 16 points, followed by DJ Stewart (15 points), Andrija Stipanovic (14) on his second debut for the club, Jaka Blazic (12), Devin Robinson (12) and Brynton Lemar (11). Hamburg's Jordan Barnett netted 23 points in a losing effort, while Johnathan Stove – on his debut – and Niklas Wimberg had 12 apiece. 

Hamburg got off to a good start by taking a 0-4 lead thanks to Osaro Rich and Brae Ivey, but a couple of scores by Stewart got Cedevita off the mark before Robinson stepped up to give Cedevita a 10-8 edge. Stipanovic netted 4 points, then four straight points to close the period saw Cedevita hold a 20-14 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

Blazic was able to capitalize on a Hamburg turnover to score the first points of the second quarter, 22-14, but the visitors fought back through Ivey, Stove on his debut and Barnett to make it 26-24. Cedevita then went up a notch, with Robinson and Blazic combining to put the hosts in a comfortable position, 34-24. Hamburg could not reduce that deficit before the break, with the score 42-32 after 20 minutes.

The start of the third quarter saw Cedevita put its foot on Hamburg's throat, outscoring the visitors 18-7 to take a commanding 60-39 lead on multiple scores by Jones and Stipanovic. When Lemar netted Cedevita's first triple of the night to make it 63-41, it was already clear which way this game was going. A couple of three-pointers by Barnett inside the final minute of the quarter put some gloss on the score, but it was 71-50 entering the final frame.

There was no slowing down Cedevita in the fourth quarter, with Aleksej Nikolic getting his first points of the night and helping Cedevita go 76-52 ahead. In fact, Barnett was the only Hamburg player to score through the first four and a half minutes, netting 7 points in that time, as the visitors trailed 84-59. He started to get a bit of help, but it was too late as Cedevita coasted the rest of the way en route to a 95-68 win.

It proved to be a comfortable night for Coach Mitrovic's men, who bounced back from three straight defeats in style

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-11-28T17:30:00.000Z)

Adam Mokoka set a career-high with 24 points and Zavier Simpson and De'Shawn Stephens both posted double-doubles as U-BT Cluj-Napoca bested Aris Midea Thessaloniki 87-79 on Thursday night at BT-Arena for the team’s third straight win at home. 

Adam Mokoka powers Cluj past Aris 

Adam Mokoka set a career-high with 24 points and Zavier Simpson and De'Shawn Stephens both posted double-doubles as U-BT Cluj-Napoca bested Aris Midea Thessaloniki 87-79 on Thursday night at BT-Arena for the team’s third straight win at home. Cluj improved to 5-4 on the season while knocking Aris down to 2-7.

Simpson and Zach Hankins finished with 14 points each for the winners with Simpson dishing 10 assists and Hankins collected 9 rebounds. Stephens posted 11 points and 11 boards and Karel Guzman contributed 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for the winners. Landers Nolley led Aris with 22 points, Vassilis Toliopoulos scored 19 and Sharife Cooper ended his EuroCup debut with 15.

Hankins got Cluj going with a fast-break dunk and Guzman scored off a steal for a 4-0 lead. Nate Laszewski stepped up with a jump hook that Simpson bettered with a triple. Hankins dunked again and Guzman boosted the hosts' lead to 11-4. Laszewski improved on Stephens's layup with a wild three-pointer before Mokoka gave Cluj a 15-9 lead. Nolley rescued Aris with back-to-back baskets, bringing his team within 17-13. Mokoka followed a layup-plus-foul with a bomb from downtown to make it a double-digit game, 23-13. Sasu Salin hit a triple before Toliopoulos and Cooper drew the visitors within 26-19 after 10 minutes.

Toliopoulos struck from beyond the arc and Nolley buried consecutive jumpers as Aris completed its comeback to lead 26-28 early in the second quarter. Stephens dunked to even things and Guzman pushed the hosts ahead with free throws. Gediminas Orelik scored his first points for Cluj with a triple, though Aris remained close behind Toliopoulos. Guzman fed Hankins for an alley-oop slam and Mokoka added a three-pointer that gave the hosts a 42-38 lead at the half.

Toliopoulos and Laszewski kept Aris on Cluj's heels, but the hosts remained in front thanks to Simpson and D.J. Seeley. The lead reached 9 before James Banks and Nolley went to work for Aris. Toliopoulos made it 51-48 from the line. The momentum continued to swing back and forth with Simpson and Mokoka rising to the challenge and Toliopoulos and Cooper answering back. A buzzer-beating put-back by Stephens gave Cluj a 63-57 edge after three quarters.

Guzman rocked the rim and Mokoka connected from deep to give the hosts a double-digit advantage. Nearly 3 minutes passed before Emmanouil Chatzidakis scored Aris’s first points of the fourth quarter. Joshua Roberts shined for the visitors with a block and a put-back slam to get Aris within 69-63. D Moi Hodge gave Aris hope with a three-pointer only to see Hankins dunk twice as Cluj extended its advantage to 78-68 with 3 minutes remaining to all but put the game on ice.

The shooting guard set a career-high in scoring with 24 points

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Aris Midea Thessaloniki (2024-11-28T17:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul defeated Joventut Badalona 89-78 to notch its sixth straight win in the EuroCup.

Bahcesehir downs Joventut, 89-78, for sixth straight victory 

Bahcesehir College Istanbul confirmed its spot atop Group A at the halfway point of the regular season after beating Joventut Badalona 89-78 at home for a sixth straight victory. Coming off the national team break, the Turkish side did not look rusty at all in improving to 8-1. 

Jaleen Smith scored 17 points to pace four Bahcesehir players in double figures including Sehmus Hazer with 15, Axel Bouteille 13 and Marko Simonovic had 11 points. Four more players had at least seven points. Joventut has now lost five of its last six games for a 3-6 record. Sam Dekker led the Spanish side with 22 points, Ante Tomic scored 18 points, Artem Pustovyi chipped in 17 points. Devon Dotson was held to 5 points, 10.1 below his average of 15.1. 

Bahcesehir opened the game hot from long range, with Smith and CJ Massinburg both hitting two three-pointers apiece for a 16-6 lead. A second basket from Tai Odiase had the cushion up to 19-8. Joventut went inside to Pustovyi, who had 9 points in cutting the deficit to 23-19. The score was 26-21 after 10 minutes. 

Dekker stepped up in the second quarter with a three-pointer among 7 points as Joventut evened the game 31-31. Hazer countered with a three-point play and Bouteille and Smith both drained three-pointers as the gap grew to 44-35. And the hosts scored the final seven points of the first half to lead 51-38 at the break.

A Tyler Cavanaugh free throw increased the cushion to 52-38 to start the second half. Yannick Kraag tried to get Joventut back into the game with 5 straight points to make it 52-45. Bouteille answered with 4 points at the other end while Dekker had Joventut within 61-54, but it was 66-56 after 30 minutes. 

Simonovic started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to re-establish a 13-point lead and every time Joventut tried to get close Bahcesehir would answer. That was until back-to-back three-pointers by Dekker to finish a 4-12 surge to get the gap down to 75-70 with 5 minutes to go. Mateusz Ponitka punched back with a triple of his own and the hosts were back to scoring with consistency again as two Simonovic scores making it 84-73 with just more than a minute to go.

The Turkish side just had too many weapons, while the visitors' struggles continue

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Joventut Badalona (2024-11-28T16:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has further strengthened by signing Yam Madar on a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Yam Madar seals his return to Hapoel Tel Aviv

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) continues to make noise in European basketball, with the club announcing the signing of [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/) on a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Madar (1.90 meters, 23 years old) returns to Hapoel after coming through the club's academy and playing in the first team between 2018 and 2021. 

The Israeli guard spent the first part of this season with [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, averaging 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in five games off the bench.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">עיר נשימתה עוצרת <a href="https://t.co/Vxd2zQZJ9B">pic.twitter.com/Vxd2zQZJ9B</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1862061120162296272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Madar has spent the last three seasons playing among the best of the best in the EuroLeague, having featured in the league for [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) (2022-23), [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) (2023-24) and most recently Bayern (2024-25).

During his rookie EuroLeague season with Partizan, Madar helped the team reach the playoffs and was [later rewarded with the EuroLeague's Rising Star award](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/yam-madar-is-the-2022-23-euroleague-rising-star-winner/) for his efforts throughout the campaign.

2023 RISING STAR I Yam Madar EuroLeague highlights

With Hapoel competing in the BKT EuroCup, this will be the 23-year-old's second year in the competition with Partizan in 2021-22. That season, he averaged 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists as Partizan made it to the eighthfinals.

The addition of Madar should strengthen Hapoel's odds of going far in this season's EuroCup, with the team having gone 5-3 so far in Group A, good for third place in the standings.

What's more, Madar reunites with [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-tel-aviv-appoints-dimitris-itoudis-two-time-euroleague-champ/), his former head coach at Fenerbahce, which should further help his integration into the team.

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

The talented guard has rejoined the Israeli club after more than three years away

Yam Madar leaves Bayern, seals return to Hapoel Tel Aviv

Jean Montero is turning heads in the EuroCup with his excellent performances for Valencia Basket, but this is his story to date.

Valencia's Jean Montero piling up honors, but concentrating on limiting mistakes 

There are many things that [Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/montero-jean/010042/) can be proud of, including being one of the front-runners for the BKT EuroCup Rising Star Award, as well as two achievements he shares in common with the great [Luka Doncic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luka-doncic/005929/). But the thing the [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) guard is possibly most proud of is the statistic 1.5. 

That was the average number of turnovers per game that Montero committed last season at MoraBanc Andorra, despite playing more than 26 minutes per contest as the club’s main ball-handler. 

"That was one of the things my dad used to tell me - take care of the ball," said Montero, who was playing his second season in the Spanish League. "I was very proud of myself because I used to have the ball a lot in my hands and being able to control it and not just throw the ball away and make the right play every time. That’s what I am still learning.

“I'm a young age. I think it's very, very important. I think I am still developing that, and also in the future, it could help me.”

Jean Montero highlights Sept-Nov 2024

Montero mentioned he was young and it needs to be stated that the Dominican Republic playmaker played the entire 2023-24 season at age 20. He averaged 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and the aforementioned 1.5 turnovers. And that in the strongest domestic league in Europe.

“The biggest thing I was trying to do last season as the leader of the team was to get my teammates involved every time, just trying to help them. They helped me too,” he said. “I think the most unique thing that we had last year was the friendship among everybody on the team, even the staff, the fans, everybody. You feel family. You feel love. So that was the most unique thing.”

Montero played the 2022-23 season in Spain for Real Betis and averaged 17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.4 turnovers in 27 minutes per game - as a 19-year-old.

Both of the last two seasons ended with Montero winning the Best Young Player award for the Spanish League. Only two players had repeated as the top youngster in Spanish basketball: Luka Doncic with Real Madrid and [Carlos Alocen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/carlos-alocen/010623/), who did it with Zaragoza. 

“I don't really put too much focus on individual achievements," he stated. "I just try to show the people that I'm a competitor and always give 100 percent on the court. I always want to improve. That's the most important thing for me. And as things go, those achievements are very welcome. But I don't put a lot of focus on that."

And what if he wins it again this season? 

“I will be the first one to ever win it three times in a row." 

That would be kind of fun, no? 

“Yeah,” he says with a smile. 

Montero has another thing in common with Doncic. In May 2023, he scored 25 points and dished out 10 assists against Girona, becoming just the third player under the age of 20 to achieve that in the Spanish League – Doncic and [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/) being the others.

“I remember that game. It was an important game for us," he recalled. "I mean, they're great players. Luka is still young and still has a long way to go. Sergio Rodriguez, I used to watch a lot of EuroLeague games of him in Madrid, and he was a very impressive player. I try to take one thing from everybody who came before me to improve my game. It was a very impressive game."

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One of the things that is impressive is the maturity in Montero’s game despite his tender age. But that comes from quite a striking past. 

Montero is the fifth oldest of a group of 10 children, who range in age by 27 years and are a total five boys and five girls. He started taking basketball seriously at age 10 in the capital of Santo Domingo. 

At age 13 he left his homeland alone for Mexico and the NBA Academy, and after one year there he left for the United States to play at the DME Academy in Florida. After just one season, he came to Europe and spent two seasons with Gran Canaria – during which he won the MVP of the ANGE Valencia in 2019-20 and appeared in four EuroCup games in 2020-21. 

In 2021, Montero became the first international player to sign with Overtime Elite and was the OTE scoring champion in its inaugural season after averaging 22.5 points and 6.2 assists. 

Again, after just one year, it was back to Spain – where he joined Betis. 

Fast-forward to this season and Montero is back in the EuroCup and now is dealing with having a target on his back with the rest of the Valencia team.

“We just have to keep the same mindset, just live in the present and try to do things and control things that you can control," he said. "Just have the same mentality, day by day, game by game. That's how we can accomplish our best."

Montero has been a major reason for Valencia’s perfect start to the season with 10.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals. Oh, and a very respectable 1.8 turnovers per game.

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