Dolimiti Energia Trento did an excellent job taking care of the ball and that allowed the defense to hold its own and eventually pull off a surprising come-from-behind victory over Joventut Badalona.

Trento took care of the ball to get comeback win

[Dolimiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/roster/trn/) did an excellent job taking care of the ball and that allowed the defense to hold its own and eventually pull off a surprising come-from-behind victory over [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/?season=2024-25).

Trento committed only 8 turnovers in registering an [87-85 home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-shocks-joventut-with-fourth-quarter-rally/) to move to 3-4 in Group A, including a 3-1 record at home. 

“A tough win. We don’t have any club in Italy like Badalona who can play with these towers and the way they tried to limit our transitions. Spending fouls, bringing big men inside to avoid layups and shots at the rim,” Trento coach Paolo Galbiati said referring to the Joventut big man duo of [Ante Tomic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/) and [Artem Pustovyi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ante-tomic/002507/). 

Game Videos

“It’s a nice win but we have to understand that we have to play with that kind of effort every single time. And we have to play our style no matter what because in the first quarter, we slowed down too much and didn’t find a way.”

Galbiati also made special mention of his team’s ball-handling, saying: “We had just 8 turnovers which for us is kind of like a miracle.”

Trento’s offense came into the game ranked 16th in turnovers at 16.3 per game. That failure to maintain possessions is a big reason the Italian side also ranked 16th in scoring at 76.7 points a contest - which Galbiati’s men passed by more than 10 points. 

It must be said that Joventut’s defense ranked last in the league in turnovers forced at just 9.8 per game. Trento also took advantage of Joventut’s poor foul shooting, which reared its head in this one. The Spanish side converted only 11 of 19 free throws (57.9%). That is actually quite a bit worse than its average of 69.5% coming into the game - which ranked second to worst in the league.

Lamb was unstoppable for Trento in the second half

Another major reason Trento pulled out the win was the improved play of [Anthony Lamb ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-lamb/013272/)and [Jordan Ford](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-ford/013270/) in the second half. Lamb was limited to 5 points in the first 20 minutes while Ford had just 4 points. 

Lamb finished the game with 22 points and Ford tallied 14 points. 

“I’m so thankful to Trento for this opportunity. I am very elated right now and have a lot of emotions pumping. But everybody showed us a lot of love down the stretch and gave us the energy to pull it out,” said Lamb. 

Game News

The hosts erased a 16-point deficit to stun Joventut 

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Joventut Badalona (2024-11-05T19:00:00.000Z)

Johnathan Motley’s absence was ruthlessly exploited by a Bahcesehir team which used superb efficiency close to the basket to claim a vital 90-82 victory and retain first place in the group.

Tai Odiase exploited Motley absence in big Bahcesehir win

The headline news ahead of the Group A crunch clash between pace-setting [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/roster/bah/?season=2024-25) and [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2024-25) was the absence of the Israeli team’s star center [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/).

The big man had continued his strong start to the season with a spectacular 30 points to help Hapoel overcome [Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/buducnost-voli-podgorica/roster/bud/?season=2024-25) [in Round 6](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-shows-no-mercy-to-beat-buducnost-92-72/), but that was quickly followed by intense speculation about a supposed big-money offer to return to the [Turkish Airlines EuroLeague](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/) with [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/?season=2024-25).

Ironically, Hapoel’s next game was in the Serbian capital, with Tuesday’s meeting with Bahcesehir relocated away from Istanbul. And it was perhaps therefore inevitable that Motley did not appear for action, leaving a massive hole in the paint and a question mark over how Hapoel could fill it.

In the end, the loss was too big for Hapoel to overcome as Motley’s absence was ruthlessly exploited by a Bahcesehir team which used superb efficiency close to the basket to claim a vital [90-82 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-stays-atop-group-a-by-downing-hapoel-90-82/) and retain first place in the group.

Tai Odiase dominated against Hapoel

[Tai Odiase ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/)must have been particularly happy to see Motley’s name absent from the stats sheet and the Bahcesehir big man had a great night as he scored 19 points on 7-of-8 two-point shooting. That haul included a series of super slams, with the best saved for the last as he threw it down with brutality inside the final 90 seconds to cap the win.

Odiase wasn’t the only one who enjoyed himself in the paint, with [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) also excelling as he recorded a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, without a miss from the field. [Sehmus Hazer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sehmus-hazer/011201/) and [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/) were also very effective inside the arc, both converting 4 of their 5 two-point attempts in their respective totals of 23 and 14 points.

So did Hapoel miss the presence of Motley close to the basket? Just a bit, and it didn’t help matters that his replacement in the starting five, [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/), got himself into early foul trouble before eventually finishing strong to record his own double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.

But that wasn’t enough to quell Bahcesehir’s inside dominance, reflected in the fact that the Turkish team converted an extremely impressive 23 of its 31 two-point attempts (74.2%), and won the rebounding battle 33-31.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ht" dir="ltr">𝑩𝑬𝑳𝑮𝑹𝑨𝑫 𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑹𝑨𝑺𝑰 🤩<br><br>❤️💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyHighTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyHighTogether</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/8sIkO7shWK">pic.twitter.com/8sIkO7shWK</a></p>&mdash; Bahçeşehir Koleji Spor Kulübü (@BKBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKBasketbol/status/1853918904831111172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This also marked a major shift in strategy, because Bahcesehir came into the game as the most accurate three-point shooting team in the BKT EuroCup, knocking down 41.4% of its attempts from beyond the perimeter.

That wasn’t the case on Tuesday night, with Dejan Radonjic’s men converting just 1 of their first 10 three-point attempts. Those numbers later improved, mostly thanks to Hazer making 3 of his 5 long-range efforts, but the final tally of 8 makes on 23 tries (34.8%) was still well below the season average.

It didn’t matter, though, because the one-two punch of Odiase’s scoring and Cavanaugh’s rebounding was more than enough to secure a victory that further underlines Bahcesehir’s title credentials.

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-11-05T19:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento rallied from 13 points down in the final 6 minutes to shock Joventut Badalona 87-85 at home on Tuesday. 

Trento shocks Joventut with fourth-quarter rally 

Dolomiti Energia Trento rallied from 13 points down in the final 6 minutes to shock Joventut Badalona 87-85 at home on Tuesday. Trento trailed by 16 points midway through the second quarter before getting close only to fall back behind by double figures. The hosts took advantage of Joventut collapsing in the closing minutes to improve to 3-4 this season, including a 3-1 mark at home.

Anthony Lamb scored 22 points, Jordan Ford had 14 points, Eigirdas Zukauskas 12 and Andrea Pecchia chipped in 11 points in the win. Joventut crashed to its fourth straight loss in Group A play for a 2-5 record - and just two wins in its last 10 regular season games dating back to last season. Ante Tomic collected a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds but committed 2 turnovers and an unsportsmanlike foul in the final 2 minutes. Devon Dotson had 14 points and Kassius Robertson and Adam Hanga both scored 12 points in the loss. 

Joventut came out firing on all cylinders with a 2-13 lead thanks to 4 points from Tomic and Yannick Kraag and a Hanga triple. Dotson scored back-to-back baskets and Pep Busquets drained a triple and the guests’ lead grew to 8-23. Zukauskas had 5 points at the other end and Trento trailed 17-30 after 10 minutes.

Trento scored the first 4 points of the second quarter to trim the gap to nine points. Joventut knocked down 3 triples and the cushion grew to 25-41. The hosts responded in strong fashion with an 18-5 run to finish the first half down just 43-46 thanks to 2 more three-pointers from Zukauskas and 5 points from Lamb.

Both teams struggled to execute offensively in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter and Joventut led 47-53. Ford started heating up a bit with four points for Trento but Artem Pustovyi netted up back-to-back scores to keep the visitors ahead 55-62. Ford’s first triple made it 60-62 only to see Joventut lead 60-66 after 30 minutes.

Joventut continued the momentum from the end of the third quarter, especially defensively in holding Trento to 2 points in the first 4 minutes and the visitors were up 62-75. Trento suddenly woke up and scored the next 11 points to bring it within 73-75. Dotson punched back with two baskets in the span of 8 seconds and Joventut had a bit of breathing room again at 73-79.

An unsportsmanlike foul on Tomic resulted in 3 points and then Lamb made a triple and the Joventut lead was just 81-82 with 61 seconds to go. Tomic turned the ball over trying to pass to Hanga with Pecchia snatching the ball and making the layup for Trento’s first lead. Tomic committed an offensive foul on the very next possession after which Joventut coach Daniel Miret was charged with technical and Lamb made the free throw. Dotson missed a chance to tie the game as he split foul shots before Lamb and Tomic swapped made free throws. Ford also split foul shots to make it 87-85 with 10 seconds to go and Keye Van der Vuurst missed the potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. 

The Italian side improved to 3-4, with the visitors dropping to 2-5

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul ultimately made light work of its 79-100 win at Trefl Sopot after setting a club record of 32 points in the first quarter, before holding the Polish team to a mere 5 in the fourth to keep its postseason bid going strong.

High-scoring Besiktas fired on all cylinders against hapless Trefl

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul ultimately made light work of its 79-100 win at Trefl Sopot after setting a club record of 32 points in the first quarter, before holding the Polish team to a mere 5 in the fourth to keep its postseason bid going strong.

Besiktas was lethal from deep in the first half and made 8 of 13 shots from downtown, finishing on 14-of-29 shooting as the Turkish side also sank 21 of 37 from two-point territory and 16 of 17 from the foul line.

The visiting team’s utter dominance in all departments was also illustrated by 26 assists and 11 offensive boards, 8 of which came in the second half as Besiktas romped away in the fourth quarter when it held the home team to a mere 5 points.

Alongside four visiting players scoring in double figures, led by Jonah Mathews who poured a game-high 21 points, big man Emanuel Terry stuffed the stat sheet with 8 points and as many rebounds to go with 5 assists.

His contribution underlined a flowing team effort which left Besiktas head Dusan Alimpijevic coach purring with delight: “I am very happy because we kept them down to only 28 points in the second half, when we also improved our desire to go for offensive rebounds,” Alimpijevic said in his post-game comments. “We totally changed our defensive approach while the offense was already there. It was a good game."

In contrast, it was another difficult evening for Sopot’s Croatian head coach Zan Tabak, who faces the formidable task of turning around his team’s fortunes.

“We played against a stronger team but towards the end of the game, we just gave up,” he said. “We now have to try to lift the team in the next few days for the upcoming games.”

In the next round, Besiktas is at home to the competition’s 2023 winner Dreamland Gran Canaria while Trefl entertains Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in an effort to chalk up its first EuroCup win of the season. 

The Turkish side broke its first-quarter scoring record in the EuroCup and then closed shop in the fourth

Trefl Sopot v Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (2024-11-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul grabbed a key win by overcoming direct rival Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 90-82 in a game relocated to Belgrade

Bahcesehir stays atop Group A by downing Hapoel, 90-82

Bahcesehir College Istanbul grabbed a key win by overcoming direct rival Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 90-82 in a game relocated to Belgrade. The Turkish team stayed atop of Group A at 7-1, while Hapoel dropped to 4-3.

A closely contested first half was followed by Bahcesehir slowly pulling away, establishing a double-digit lead early in the fourth which eventually proved decisive. 

Jaleen Smith came close to a EuroCup record with 15 assists, while Seamus Hazer scored a career-high 23 points. Tai Odiase added 19 and Tyler Cavanaugh had a double-double of 12 points plus 10 rebounds, while Mateusz Ponitka scored 14 and Marko Simonovic netted 13. Patrick Beverley led Hapoel with 18 points and 8 assists, and Marcus Foster scored 15.

Both teams found fluent offense in the opening exchanges, with Bruno Caboclo and Odiase throwing down fierce dunks while Ish Wainright and Cavanaugh traded three-pointers. Beverley’s driving basket got Hapoel in front, 11-13, and Bar Timor protected the lead from long-range. Hazer’s determined layup and Simonovic’s hook shot tied it up, and Simonovic added free throws for a 22-20 lead after 10 minutes.

Ponitka started the second quarter with a brutal dunk before Caboclo’s tip-in ended Hapoel’s three-minute scoring drought. Hazer and Foster scored tough close-range baskets, keeping the hosts ahead at 29-25. Beverley’s triple followed by Wainright’s layup-and-one saw Hapoel move ahead before Axel Bouteille and Beverley both made tough shots. Foster scored 4 points in a row, including a high-flying alley-oop, and Hazer and Beverley traded triples. Tomer Ginat ended the half in style, beating the buzzer for a 38-44 lead.

The second half started with a Beverley triple, but Odiase’s three-point play sparked a big Bahcesehir fightback. Bouteille scored at the rim, Odiase netted again and Hazer was on target from long- and close-range for a 12-2 run and a 52-49 lead. Foster and Bouteille traded triples, and Odiase kept on rolling with another three-point play for a 60-54 advantage. Beverley hit his fourth triple, before Ponitka and Joe Ragland both netted two and three-pointers to make it 68-64 with 10 minutes left.

Another Hazer triple and Simonovic’s dunk pulled Bahcesehir further clear, and Ponitka was also on target from deep for a 76-64 lead. Deep strikes from Ginat and Caboclo gave Hapoel hope, and Ginat’s layup completed a 0-8 run for a 76-72 score. But Ponitka scored twice to reassert Bahcesehir, and close-range baskets for Cavanaugh and Odiase secured the win as Hapoel could only score free throws in the closing 5 minutes.

Jaleen Smith and Sehmus Hazer put up the big numbers for the winners

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul improved to 4-3 in Group A of the BTK EuroCup after blistering shooting from deep helped it to a 79-100 road win over Trefl Sopot in Round 7. 

Besiktas shines from long range to thrash Trefl Sopot

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul improved to 4-3 in Group A of the BTK EuroCup after blistering shooting from deep helped it to a 79-100 road win over Trefl Sopot in Round 7.

Jonah Mathews led the charge with a game-high 21 points. Yigit Arslan added 19 points while Conor Morgan and Dustin Sleva chipped in with 11 apiece for the visitors, who found an extra gear in the last few minutes to break Sopot down after leading for the lion’s share of the contest.

Trefl, which is still winless as the Polish outfit dropped to 0-7, was paced by Andy van Vleet who had 15 points. Robert McGowens scored 15, Aaron Best amassed 12 and Mikolaj Witllinski netted 11, but the supporting cast was well short of the requirements for the home team to register its first win of the season in the competition.

Trefl made a promising start as the hosts raced into a 6-2 lead, but they nosed ahead for the last time in the game, 17-16, before a 4-16 run by Besiktas turned the tide for good. The visitors were 25-32 ahead at the end of the first quarter.

Although Sopot fought hard to slash the deficit, the Turkish team led 33-45 midway through the second quarter before the home side managed to close the gap to 51-57 at halftime.  

Besiktas thrived from deep as it made 8 of 13 shots from downtown in the opening two quarters and the visiting team carried on in the second half where it left off in the first, with Mathews scoring its first 7 points after the break.

Still, stubborn Sopot kept coming and soon closed in to 72-75 late in the third quarter before a Besiktas blitz lifted the visitors to 74-81 ahead of the final 10 minutes.

The fourth quarter was one-way traffic as Besiktas, which was 78-86 in front midway through the final period, beefed up its defense and raced clear on the back of a 1-14 streak in the last few minutes to celebrate an emphatic victory over its beleaguered rival.

The visitors shot the lights out and kept their feet on the gas in the fourth quarter

Besiktas shines from long range to thrash Trefl

Bahcesehir and Hapoel Tel Aviv, two of the leading contenders to win the EuroCup, go head to head in Round 7 on Tuesday night.

Bahcesehir hosts Hapoel in high-profile showdown

A big basketball battle is expected in Group A on Tuesday night as Bahcesehir College Istanbul (5-1) takes on Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (4-2) at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. Entering this contest, Bahcesehir has won its last three games while Hapoel has lost just one of its last five showdowns. 

The two squads have confirmed their status as title contenders so far this season. Bahcesehir is back in the EuroCup after its first experience in the 2020-21 campaign that did not go too well. With experienced players like [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/), [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/), [Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tyler-cavanaugh/009601/) and [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/), things were meant to be different. 

It is defense, however, which is setting Bahcesehir apart from the other teams in Group A. Coach Dejan Radonjic's team statistically has the best defense in the competition, allowing just 68.8 points per night. That is over 7.0 points better than any other team in the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup; Turk Telekom Ankara ranks second on that list, allowing just 76.0 points per game. 

Bahcesehir has been protecting its paint at an elite level, allowing opponents to hit just a league-low 48.5% of its two-point shots, and teams are not doing much better from downtown (32.1% 3FG). Despite so many misses, Bahcesehir only allows 10.3 offensive rebounds per night, getting 25.0 defensive boards. Only 29.2% of all rebounds under its rim end up in their rivals' hands. 

One can think Bahcesehir allows fewer points because of the game pace. Numbers should prove critics wrong, as Coach Radonjic's team ranks fifth in scoring at 85.2 per game. Excellent defense leads to a very efficient offense, as Bahcesehir ranks first overall in three-point shooting (41.4%) and has an excellent 1.50 assist-to-turnover ratio. 

Bahcesehir College Istanbul ranks first overall in three-point shooting (41.4%).

Bahcesehir: effective from beyond the arc

Four of its players are shooting over 45.0% from beyond the arc. [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/) (57.1% 3FG) ranks seventh overall, then Bouteille (46.4%), Cavanaugh (46.2%) and Ponitka (45.5%) also being deadly from three-point territory. 

No team has scored over 75 points against Bahcesehir this season, but Hapoel is definitely a good candidate to do so given its very talented roster. 

Hapoel averages 84.8 points this season, boosting that number to 90.3 points in its four wins until now. It ranks second in assists (20.2 apg.) with a slightly better assist-to-turnover ratio than its opponent, 1.53. It is also fourth in steals at 8.2 per night, with [Patrick Beverley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/patrick-beverley/001927/) leading the competition at 2.2 per night. 

Hapoel Tel Aviv Top Steals of the 2024-25 Regular Season

Hapoel's steals make the difference

Boxing out should be an issue for Hapoel as it faces the best offensive rebounding team in the competition. Bahcesehir leads the standings at 12.7 offensive boards per night, way ahead of Hapoel, which ranks 17th at just 9.7 per game. This is partly because Hapoel barely misses shots inside the arc, leading the competition with a 62.6% two-point percentage. 

[Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) leads the EuroCup in two-point shots made (6.3 per night) with a really solid percentage (66.7%). With his future and status uncertain, Motley – if available – is set to test his strengths against a top-class defender like [Tai Odiase](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tai-odiase/011823/). Other players with really high numbers inside the arc are [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marcus-franklee-foster/010386/) (74.1% 2FG), [Joe Ragland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/joe-ragland/005181/) (68.8%) and [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) (68.6%), giving Hapoel head coach Stefanos Dedas plenty of scoring options everywhere. 

Hapoel has players that have nor performed to their full potential, such as [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) (8.0 ppg.), [Ish Wainwright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/ishmail-carzell-wainright/013284/) (6.5 ppg.) and Ragland (5.7 ppg.), and it only seems a matter of time before all of them step up and make their team an even tougher opponent. There is plenty of room for improvement, and going against the group's leader should be an extra motivation. 

Both teams had impressive performances until now, playing very different basketball brand, and go against each other in this amazing showdown. Expect nothing but a great basketball game on EuroLeague TV from 20:00 CET to find out.

Both teams have started strong in Group A and come into this game in good form

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 7 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.

Round 7: Pre-game quotes and injury reports

## Tuesday, November 5

### Trefl Sopot vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (19:00 CET)

**Tarik Phillip, Trefl Sopot guard**

"They're a very good team, they play hard. They shoot a lot of three-pointers, they get out and they run, and they're athletic. We've got to be on our game for them."

### Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Joventut Badalona (20:00 CET)

**Andrea Pecchia, Dolomiti Energia Trento guard**

"\[Sunday night's win against Milan\] was beautiful and I have to thank the fans because there was a wonderful atmosphere. A game like that gives you awareness that we are working in a certain way, but we know that we should not feel we have arrived because we beat Milan; the season is still long and we haven't done anything yet. Mentally, we are already thinking about Joventut because we know how important this game will be to try to reach the playoffs. They are a very physical team, but with the help of our fans we know we can do well."

**Dani Miret, Joventut Badalona head coach**

"Trento are the leaders of the Italian League, they just beat Milan by 34 points and that is a reflection of the great level that exists in this EuroCup group. We're playing against teams that are beating EuroLeague teams. They have two Americans with a differential talent, Jordan Fort and Anthony Lamb, who can score, and young players with a special physical level and intensity. We have to play a great game and continue to improve. They play with a defense that is difficult for us to attack and we have to prepare ourselves not to lose fluidity and play the game of rebounding and contact to have a chance of winning. Trento has some peculiarities that will require us to have clairvoyance and find solutions to these traps that await us".

### Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (20:00 CET)

**Stefanos Dedas, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach** 

"One more tough game in between travels and many games. Regardless of the changes and the upsets, inside the team we are working hard to set new roles and find chemistry at the same moment we need to win. Bahcesehir are a very good team with the same targets as us. Once more our desire must overcome the problems and get out there and fight till the last ball and try to get the win."

**Tomer Ginat, Hapoel Shomo Tel Aviv forward**

"We're coming into tomorrow's game against Bahcesehir after a few important wins that have given us confidence and momentum. The recent period has been challenging for us, but we've managed to come together and play solid basketball through hard work and unity. Tomorrow is another test for us, and we know it won't be easy against a quality team like Bahcesehir. However, we're determined to keep up the momentum, play smart, and give everything we have."

## Wednesday, November 6

### Turk Telekom Ankara vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (17:30 CET)

**Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach**

"We will play against a team that has talented players. They are having the results they are looking for, but we know how competitive they can be. From our point of view, we want to win and continue playing well in the EuroCup. We hope to return home with a victory. It will not be easy, but we will fight to get a win."

**Karel Guzman, U-BT Cluj-Napoca forward**

"It will be a hard game. Both teams have the same record and it will be a serious fight for the victory. We are motivated. We came to Turkey two days before the game, just to prepare and rest. We are ready to give everything and I hope our fans will support us from home and send us their energy, like always."

### 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (18:00 CET)

\--

### Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (18:30 CET)

**Devin Robinson, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana forward**

"We are playing quite well in the EuroCup, at a high level. Every game is exciting because we face different teams from various countries who play at a top level. So far, we are playing well, and we want to keep winning to set a strong foundation for the rest of the season. A battle is ahead of us. We lost our last game in the EuroCup, so we want to get back to winning ways, and we’ll try to give our all and perform at a high level. JL Bourg is a tough opponent, and both teams have the same record of wins and losses. I’m looking forward to the game and hope our fans will join us in the arena."

**Frederic Fauthoux, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach**

"It is a club with EuroCup experience. Ljubljana is having a good start to the season, they are an aggressive team that likes to set the pace, so this will be another big game in perspective. We move there with determination and the desire to bounce back."

**Kevin Kokila, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse center**

"It’s an important game to get us back into the competition. After two defeats, the team is keen to start a positive dynamic with a victory against a great team. It's going to be complicated, but we're focused and ready to give everything." 

### Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. Valencia Basket (19:00 CET)

**Ioannis Kastritis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki head coach**

"Our opponent tomorrow is one of the best teams in the competition. This is a team whose roster, staffing, and style of play are very close to the EuroLeague level. They have great depth and experienced players. It’s certainly a big challenge for us, and we already stand to gain a lot regardless of the final result. We’re managing several issues; DeJulius recently left, and we’re dealing with Nolly's injury as well. In any case, as we always do, especially in front of our fans, we need to give 100% and see what we can achieve."

**Nate Laszewski, Aris Midea Thessaloniki center**

"Valencia is a very strong team. We need to stay focused on what we have to do to secure the win. Everyone supported me after my surgery and throughout my recovery. Now, I need to get back on the court, find my rhythm, and build chemistry with the rest of the team."

**Pedro Martinez, Valencia Basket head coach**

"The group is very affected, like everyone else, by what we are seeing. We all have someone close to us who has loved ones going through a hard time these days, so all our solidarity and affection go out to them. Now we have to get back to playing, and of course we would have preferred to do it under different circumstances, but we also believe it can be a good way to bring visibility to the name of Valencia everywhere, and to highlight the huge problem and the enormous work ahead. This won’t be solved in two weeks or a month; it’s going to require a lot of effort from many people. So, if we can help by playing the games we are asked to, to make the great problem we face more visible, and to try to adapt in whatever way we can, like the club is doing, then that’s what we’ll do. It affected us deeply to see, in the first few days, people who were affected and had taken shelter in L'Alqueria, now with soldiers. In some way, we have to try to see what each of us can do from our small space, so that this situation is made visible, and the help reaches where it needs to as soon as possible and in the most effective way."

**Valencia injury report:** Chris Jones (out, hand), Goran Filipovic (out, back), Ethan Happ (out, foot).

### Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Umana Reyer Venice (19:00 CET)

**Yonatan Alon, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem head coach**

"Venice is an excellent team with many tools. We have a very limited roster, missing Harper, Nimrod Levi, Wiley, and Justin Smith. We'll need to give our best to make the most out of it, like we did last week, and hope for the best."

**Yovel Zoosman, Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem forward**

"Everyone needs to do their best. It's no secret that we have a short roster, but that's no excuse. We need to work hard and try to win, doing everything possible under these circumstances. Some players are playing in positions that aren't theirs, but we're adapting to it. The most important thing right now is to keep winning and we want to continue the momentum we've built."

**Injury report, Hapoel:** Jared Harper is unavailable due to an eye injury.

**Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach**

"Every game is important. Both teams will be missing key players. It will be challenging because they are a strong team, but we want to go to Samokov with confidence and try to win. We aim to play better than we did in the game against Cluj-Napoca, with more focus and quality. Every victory helps to build confidence and group chemistry. Winning the way we did in Naples means a lot: we came back from 15 points down, just as Cluj-Napoca did to us, which shows we’ve learned a lot recently."

**Rodney McGruder, Umana Reyer Venice guard**

"We’re excited to head to Samokov to compete in an important game. We need to be ready since we're playing away against a strong team. I’m happy for the team that my last shot went in at Naples. We have a good group, and this win gives us even more confidence."

**Injury report, Reyer:** Xavier Munford (out, knee surgery), Tyler Ennis (out, knee sprain).

### Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. ratiopharm Ulm (19:45 CET)

\--

### Dreamland Gran Canaria vs. Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (21:00 CET)

**Alessandro Magro, Wolves head coach**

"We are ready for the game. It will be a very long trip to get there, but we are ready to play one of the best teams in the EuroCup. They won the trophy a few seasons ago but decided to stay in the tournament. They have a great coach, great players, and experienced veterans, but we are ready to face it. It's very exciting every time to try to check the level of our preparation and where we are in our journey when we face such a big team like Gran Canaria."

**Vaidas Kariniauskas, Wolves guard**

"We expect a very physical game with a lot of fast offense from the hosts. We’ll need to stop their attacks, play smart on defense, and avoid mistakes on offense as well. It’s also very important to keep their fans quiet because when they get going, it becomes extremely challenging for any team that plays there."

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2024-11-06T20:00:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v ratiopharm Ulm (2024-11-06T18:45:00.000Z)

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Valencia Basket (2024-11-06T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-11-06T18:00:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (2024-11-06T17:30:00.000Z)

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-11-06T17:00:00.000Z)

Turk Telekom Ankara v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-11-06T16:30:00.000Z)

CB Gran Canaria guard Andrew Albicy spoke with Javier Gancedo of Euroleague.net to discuss his EuroCup season so far.

Andrew Albicy: 'I want to finish my career at Gran Canaria’

This is a special season for [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/) point guard [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/). 

A BKT EuroCup champion in 2023, Albicy is in his sixth season with the club and getting closer and closer to a couple of EuroCup records. Albicy ranks second all-time in assists (631) and steals (183), behind only Stefan Markovic (698 assists, 214 steals). 

If Albicy plays the way he did in Round 6 against Joventut Badalona, he will not have to wait long to reach the top spot.

Albicy led Gran Canaria to a 76-78 overtime road victory last week with 11 points, 7 assists and 4 steals for a PIR of 22. He has helped Gran Canaria to a strong start, with five wins out of six games in Group A. Albicy is aware and excited about claiming his place in history, as he expressed to Javier Gancedo in this week's EuroCup interview.

"We are showing character and not giving up and I think this is why we are winning these types of games."

**Congratulations on beating Joventut in Badalona. Another overtime win! You've been winning a lot of close games this season. What is the secret?**

"Thanks. I would say it is just the character of the team. I feel like we are not where we want to be, everybody can be better, but we are winning and that is a good thing for the future. When everybody knows more about their role, we will do even better in the competition. But we are showing character and not giving up and I think this is why we are winning these types of games."

**You had 7 assists and 4 steals. You know where this is going, right?**

"Yeah, I know. Go ahead."

**You are second all-time in both steals and assists, behind Stefan Markovic. I know you keep track of that. How much do you want that to happen, to lead one of these all-time standings or both?**

"It is one of my goals this year, for sure. I want to get that first spot because it would be a big achievement and I know that beating me after that will be very hard and it could take a long time, so it would be something amazing. It is something I can tell my kids, too! Steals will be harder, but the assists record, I think I can do it this year."

**We will be watching. You just scored your 1,000th career point. Only 32 players have reached that mark. How does it feel?**

"I really didn't know that because I really never look to score. For me, it is secondary, I prefer to see my teammates score, but it is good. It is very good to know that!"

**Another member of the 1,000-point club is John Shurna. You have played with him for the last six years and won the EuroCup together in 2023. How great has that journey been for you?**

"John is the greatest teammate I ever had. He is a very good person, too. I think we understand basketball the same way, so it is easier to find each other on the court. And as a point guard, it is great for me to play with him. It is perfect to play with guys like John because he's allowed me to get a lot of assists!"

<center>
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**The last time we spoke was after the EuroCup Finals in 2023. It's been a year and a half already. Looking back, how much of an achievement was it for you to become a EuroCup champion?**

"It is amazing because it is something every player wants, to have this trophy, especially me or John, for example. We played a lot of years in this competition so, for sure, it was a big goal for me, for my career and especially for the club, because they have always been in a good spot to win it, but they never did before. I have been here for a long time and we made club history, which is something big, especially for me because I want to finish my career here. So it was perfect to make history in this club."

**This is your fifth season with Gran Canaria. That's a lot of traveling around Europe. How do you entertain yourself?**

"Right now, it's sleeping more than anything else, because my daughter was born two months ago, so I am waking up at night all the time. So when I travel, I try to sleep as much as possible to have more energy for the games and also when I come back home. If not, most of the time I am watching TV shows because I love them."

"When we won two years ago, it was because we protected our home court."

**Your next game is at home against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius, a good team with experienced players. How difficult is it going to be against the Wolves?**

"They are in a really good moment. They just beat two big teams. Like I said, we will try to keep building the team and keep protecting our house. When we won two years ago, it was because we protected our home court, so we will try to do the game this year. That's it, we will play as hard as we usually play at home and get energy from our fans."

**I wanted to ask you about T.J. Shorts, last season's EuroCup MVP, now in the EuroLeague. How is it that he is playing so well and also, how good is it for Paris to have a EuroLeague team this season?**

"It was funny because we were talking about that, small point guards, with a French journalist. We can see a lot of small point guards dominate the EuroLeague: Shane Larkin, T.J. Shorts, Mike James, Sylvain Francisco... All short players who can do so many things on the court, who are so different. People think they have an advantage against them and we step up to show it doesn't make any difference and that we can play well in any team, which is great. Seeing Shorts do so well in the EuroLeague after his great last season with Paris is amazing because he keeps doing the same stuff in the EuroLeague, and we can see how he worked to be in that position. As for Paris, of course, it is also great to have them in the EuroLeague. It is great for French basketball, for the future, to see more young people playing at this level. I am from Paris, so it is amazing for me to see Paris Basketball in the EuroLeague and the way they developed year after year."

Dreamland Gran Canaria playmaker Andrew Albicy ranks second in assists (631) and steals (183), only behind Stefan Markovic (698 assists, 214 steals)

Andrew Albicy: assists and steals specialist

**Other than Gran Canaria, which other teams do you see as top candidates to win the title?**

"For sure, Hapoel Tel Aviv with the roster that they have, and of course Valencia Basket. I think these two teams want to win the EuroCup and have the roster to win it."

**You won the silver medal with France at the Olympic Games in your own city. Can that experience inspire you to have an even better season?**

"Like everybody saw, we started badly in the first round and were criticized a lot by journalists and fans, but we just kept working and stayed together. That was the most important thing: we fought, talked to each other and fought together, this is why we won the silver medal. We always stayed together and everybody worked for the same goal. Now, I hope we don't start the same way, but I hope we can have the same spirit. It is something that I hope we can get and I think we will have it because we could have lost some more games already but stayed together. We talked and were much better than in the previous game and this is something very important: trying to be better and helping each other to be better as a team, too."

The French guard spoke with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo about his season so far