This is the second time the Spaniard has won this award

BKT EuroCup Coach of the Year, 2024-25: Pedro Martinez, Valencia Basket

Having constructed the best offense in club history and the second best all-time in the BKT EuroCup, Valencia Basket play-caller Pedro Martinez has been named the 2024-25 EuroCup Coach of the Year. This marks the second time that Coach Martinez has won the award. 

 

Valencia was a locomotive that could not be stopped during the EuroCup Regular Season, scoring 96.4 points per game – the second-highest average in history, only behind Paris Basketball from last season (97.0 ppg.). Including the Spanish side’s four postseason games, Valencia’s season average in scoring stands at 95.8 ppg., just ahead of the 2023-24 Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (95.7 ppg.) and behind the 2023-24 Paris (97.0 ppg.).

 

Coach Martinez finished first overall in voting for the Coach of the Year award, followed by Bahcesehir College Istanbul’s Dejan Radonjic and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana’s Zvezdan Mitrovic in second and third, respectively.

 

The Coach of the Year award is among several trophies handed out to recognize the outstanding work achieved by EuroCup participants during the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season. The Rising Star Trophy, also voted by the head coaches, was won by Valencia guard Jean Montero. The All-EuroCup Teams and the 2024-25 MVP – for whom coaches, team captains, fans and media all vote – will be announced before the EuroCup Finals begin.

Having been appointed last summer, Coach Martinez knew that expectations were high entering the 2024-25 campaign and his team delivered in style, winning the first 11 games of the season to create a sizeable gap at the top of Group A. Across those 11 games, Valencia poured in 100 or more points seven times, including in four straight contests between Round 2 and Round 5. It would finish the 18-game regular season having netted 100-plus points on 11 occasions.

 

Despite back-to-back defeats – at home to 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and on the road at Umana Reyer Venice – Valencia won its last five games of the regular season to finish with a competition-best 16-2 record. Having secured a bye in the last 16, Valencia comfortably eliminated U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the quarterfinals to set up a semifinal series with Hapoel Tel Aviv. After winning 91-82 in Game 1, Valencia fell 96-91 in Bulgaria in Game 2 before losing 92-94 in Game 3.

 

Such was the impressiveness of Coach Martinez’s troops that they posted a team PIR of 114.3, the best mark ever seen in the EuroCup. One of the main keys to Valencia’s offense was its three-pointers, with the team making 264 triples to tie the all-time record, which the Valencia team of 2013-14 previously set. Its average of three-pointers made, however, ranks first in competition history (12.8 threes made per game).

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pedro Martinez is the 2024-25 EuroCup Coach of the Year🧠<br><br>Leading <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> to be the best offense in club history and the second best all-time in the BKT EuroCup (96.4 points per game)👏 <a href="https://t.co/HppeEiFFZ4">pic.twitter.com/HppeEiFFZ4</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1908146363470123341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

That's not all. Valencia also led the EuroCup in assists (23.0 per game), total rebounds (40.6 per game) and defensive rebounds (27.4 per game), making the 63-year-old Martinez a worthy winner of his second EuroCup Coach of the Year award. He first took home this honor in 2016-17 after taking Valencia to the EuroCup Finals, and he’s done so again this season by guiding Valencia to the EuroCup Semifinals.

 

The previous winners of the award were Oktay Mahmuti of Benetton Treviso in 2009, Ilias Zouros of Panellinios in 2010, Aleksandar Petrovic of Cedevita Zagreb in 2011, Jure Zdovc of Spartak St. Petersburg in 2012, Fotis Katsikaris of Uxue Bilbao Basket in 2013, Andrea Trinchieri of UNICS Kazan in 2014, Maurizio Buscaglia of Dolomiti Energia Trento in 2016, Sasa Obradovic of Lokomotiv Kuban in 2018, Zvezdan Mitrovic of AS Monaco in 2021, Dusan Alimpijevic of Frutti Extra Bursaspor in 2022, Erdem Can of Turk Telekom Ankara in 2023, and Tuomas Iisalo of Paris Basketball in 2024.

The dynamic guard led the EuroCup's top offense in scoring, assists, steals and PIR

Jean Montero of Valencia is the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Rising Star 

Euroleague Basketball is pleased to announce that [Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jean-montero/010042/) of [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/?season=2024-25) has been voted as the BKT EuroCup Rising Star for the 2024-25 season. Among a group of talented young players who all made major contributions throughout the 2024-25 campaign, Montero was chosen as this season's Rising Star after the votes from the competition's head coaches were tallied. The EuroCup Rising Star Trophy recognizes the most outstanding player in the competition who was younger than 22 years of age on July 1 of the summer before the season started.

Montero, 21, was selected ahead of [Joan Beringer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joan-beringer/012996/) of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, who came in second, followed by the ratiopharm Ulm duo of [Ben Saraf](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ben-saraf/011437/) and [Noa Essengue](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/noa-essengue/011391/), in third and fourth place, respectively.

The Rising Star Trophy is the first of the awards given in recognition of the EuroCup's finest each season for their efforts on the basketball court. The EuroCup Coach of the Year will be announced later in the day. The BKT All-EuroCup teams – all of whom fans, head coaches, team captains and media also voted - will be named on Saturday and the identity of this season's MVP will be revealed on Monday, April 7, one day before Game 1 of the 2024 BKT EuroCup Finals between Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv and Dreamland Gran Canaria.

Montero shined throughout the season, leading a dominant Valencia team that won 18 of its first 20 games of the season before bowing out against Hapoel in a dramatic fashion on Wednesday night in the deciding game of the best-of-three semifinals. Montero appeared uncatchable at times using his quickness and ball handling, pacing Valencia’s high-scoring offense, while leading the team in scoring (13.2 ppg.), assists (5.3 apg.) and steals (1.7 spg.). 

He ranked fourth in the competition in steals and was tied for fifth in assists. Montero also posted 2.9 rebounds and had an average PIR of 15.9, which was the best on the team, too. The young point guard started in 10 of his 17 appearances and scored in double figures in 15 of those games. His best performances of the season came in a road win at Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse, when he collected 19 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds, and in Game 1 of the semifinals when he scored a career-high 24 points, along with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

Montero began his youth-team career in his native Dominican Republic with Club Mauricio Baez, before moving to Spain in the summer of 2019 when he signed for Gran Canaria. After a season spent impressing with youth teams and Gran Canaria's B team in the Spanish third division, he made his debut with the first team in the 2020-21 and made four appearances in the EuroCup. Montero took another step up in his career when he moved for the 2022-23 season to Real Betis Baloncesto, and a year later to MoraBanc Andorra. He was named the Spanish League's Best Young Player in both of those seasons, before joining Valencia last summer.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He shined throughout the season💫<br><br>Jean Montero of <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> named the BKT EuroCup Rising Star for the 2024-25 season👏 <a href="https://t.co/SJk91GTvwY">pic.twitter.com/SJk91GTvwY</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1908068408895156645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Montero is the first player coming from the American continents to become the EuroCup Rising Star.

The list of Rising Star trophy winners includes two players who won it twice: [Aleksander Balcerowski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/2022-23-rising-star-aleksander-balcerowski-gran-canaria/) (with Gran Canaria in 2021 and 2023) and [Bojan Dubljevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/dubljevic-bojan/002742/) (with Valencia in 2013 and 2014). The other winners are [Milan Macvan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/milan-macvan/jea/) of Hemofarm Vrsac in 2009, [Victor Claver](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/victor-claver/000556/) of Power Electronics Valencia in 2010, [Donatas Motiejunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/donatas-motiejunas/lcz/) of Benetton Treviso in 2011, [Jonas Valanciunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jonas-valanciunas/000898/) of Lietuvos Rytas in 2012, [Kristaps Porzingis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/kristaps-porzingis/003695/) of Baloncesto Sevilla in 2015, [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/) of Stelmet Zielona Gora in 2016, [Rolands Smits](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/rolands-smits/007109/) of Montakit Fuenlabrada in 2017, [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) of Cedevita Zagreb in 2018, [Martynas Echodas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/rytas-vilnius/roster/lie/?season=2018-19) of Rytas Vilnius in 2019, [Khalifa Diop](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/7days-eurocup-rising-star-trophy-khalifa-diop-gran-canaria/) of Gran Canaria in 2022 and [Zaccharie Risacher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bkt-eurocup-rising-star-winner-zaccharie-risacher-bourg/) of Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse last season.

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

Top 10 photos from Semifinals

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

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) became the first Israeli team to reach the BKT EuroCup Finals in more than 20 years. Here is how it happened.

Before Game 3 against [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) at La Fonteta, all eyes were on playmaker [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) and center [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), Hapoel's main threats on offense. Motley dominated in Game 2, leading Hapoel to a 96-91 win with 26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a PIR of 32. Madar was simply unstoppable in the series, averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and a PIR of 26.0 in the first two games.

Valencia was well aware of that. Madar showed up in Game 3 slowed by a knee problem and Motley got into early foul trouble, playing 19 minutes. Madar and Motley were limited to 8 points apiece but Hapoel managed to find ways to compete throughout the game, lighting it up from beyond the three-point line in the fourth quarter to qualify for the finals. By doing so, Hapoel became just the second Israeli team to reach the EuroCup Finals, as Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem lifted the trophy in 2004 after downing Real Madrid 73-82 in the championship game in Charleroi, Belgium.

Hapoel showed its full potential on a night in which its two superstars could not find their rhythm. [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-foster/010386/) had a season-high 23 points against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in Round 6, but he has been outstanding throughout the playoffs, getting 21 points in the quarterfinals against Turk Telekom Ankara, 20 in Game 1 against Valencia and 22 in the do-or-die Game 3, hitting the go-ahead jumper with 2.7 seconds remaining.

[Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) allowed Hapoel to get that chance to win Game 3 down the stretch. He buried 5 of his 6 three-pointers in the fourth quarter, helping Hapoel tie an all-time record. Hapoel hit 9 three-pointers in the fourth period, tying the record for that period. Only Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse managed to do that in 2023. Blakeney finished the game with career highs of 32 points and 9 rebounds. Until then, Blakeney had averaged 10.8 points and 1.9 rebounds.

With Motley sitting on the bench due to foul trouble, coach Dimitris Itoudis found answers from [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) and [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/). Caboclo hit a crucial triple in the fourth quarter. Ginat had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a PIR of 17. Caboclo was able to open the floor and use his fouls wisely on defense, and Ginat gave Hapoel a lot of versatility at power forward, finding a lot of advantages in transition against Nate Sestina and Semi Ojeleye.

Hapoel ended up hitting 26-of-36 two-pointers (72.2% 2FG) and buried 9-of-15 three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Once the long-distance shots starting to fall Hapoel took control of the game, and even when Valencia never gave up, Foster buried the final dagger to send Hapoel to the finals.

"I came back for this. I am the happiest person in the world," Madar claimed after the game. "I came to this game on one leg. I hoped I would be OK. I didn’t know how I would feel. I had a \[painkiller\] shot to be able to play… 

"I think Foster made big baskets. As a team we knew who to go to, whether it was Foster or Blakeney. We trusted each other, even when it was less good. And it has brought us to the EuroCup Finals."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">תודה לקהל הטוב בעולם ♥️ <a href="https://t.co/8pcyU2SPk7">pic.twitter.com/8pcyU2SPk7</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1907833222097965213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We came in with a good mentality and good spirit. I think we came prepared for the game. Even they started I think 9-0 up, we were still calm and came back to the game," Caboclo said. "Marcus \[Foster\] made a great play and AB \[Anthony Blakeney\]. Motley had foul trouble, so some guys had to step up, and I'm glad that everybody stepped up and help the team to come with this victory."

Itoudis now has the chance to be the fourth coach to win the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup titles, along with Dusan Ivkovic, David Blatt and Ergin Ataman.

"We were working through the quarters, half-times, changing details. We were changing details, they were changing details. And that made us even smarter as a group and as individuals," Itoudis said in the press conference room."I think we were composed on the fourth quarter. And also when they took the double digits, we were composed, stayed in our plan, believed and made some top baskets. In the first half, we shot more than 80% \[in two-point shooting\] and at the end of such an important game, we had over 70% for twos. Everybody who contributed deserves the applause."

Hapoel is now set to battle against Dreamland Gran Canaria for the EuroCup crown. Game 1 is scheduled in Samokov, Bulgaria on Tuesday, April 8.

Game News

Coach Itoudis's men are the first Israeli side to reach this point since Hapoel Jerusalem in 2004

Hapoel found new go-to guys and made history

Valencia Basket v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-04-02T18:30:00.000Z)

After winning its semifinal series against Bahcesehir College, CB Gran Canaria is hoping to win the EuroCup for the second time in three years by beating Hapoel Tel Aviv in the EuroCup Finals.

Gran Canaria aims to replicate recent EuroCup glory

[Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/) still has fresh memories of winning the BKT EuroCup in 2023 and the Spanish club will be confident of repeating the feat this term when it locks horns with [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) in the best-of-three finals series later this month.

Both teams staged stunning tie-breaking upsets on the road to reach the finals, as [Hapoel shocked Valencia Basket 92-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-upsets-valencia-to-reach-the-finals-92-94/) while [Gran Canaria edged out Bahcesehir 72-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-beats-bahcesehir-72-76-to-reach-the-finals/) in a rugged and physical contest which went down to the wire.

Player of the game [Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/) was instrumental in Granca’s unlikely win, as the team based on a remote Spanish island close to the shores of North Africa came from behind in the series to deny Bahcesehir a first shot at glory.

Having lost the opener 74-66, Granca evened the series after Homesley came up with a clutch three-point play at the buzzer to give the Spanish side a 69-68 win in Game 2 and level the series.

The 28-year-old guard then poured 19 points in the tie-breaker, including a vital three-pointer and a pair of free throws which sealed Gran Canaria’s victory and a berth in the finals.

Coach Jaka Lakovic, who guided Granca to its first EuroCup title two years ago, was delighted with the outcome and also heaped praise on Bahcesehir after the Turkish team came agonizingly close to prevailing on home court.

“We knew what we needed to do to win this game and the players deserve all the credit,” the Slovenian tactician told the postgame press conference.

“They put in a great effort and showed a great mentality. In the end we made the free throws and grabbed some important rebounds, we were more determined and hence we deserved to win. But I still want to congratulate Bahcesehir for a great EuroCup season, they were the best team in the toughest group during the regular season.”  

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Muchos kilómetros.<br>Muchas semanas de éxodo.<br>Representando a una isla. A un club.<br><br>Estamos en otra final europea ✊ <a href="https://t.co/JjG6AdahUT">pic.twitter.com/JjG6AdahUT</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1907514028345209316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bahcesehir romped through the regular season and won Group A with a 14-4 record ahead of second-placed Hapoel and Gran Canaria in third, with both sides finishing on 12-6 in a fiercely competitive section.

Hapoel will therefore have home court advantage in the finals but Gran Canaria will not be intimidated as the Israeli team has been forced to play its home games this season in the Bulgarian town of Samokov, some 55 kilometers from the capital Sofia.

Coach Jakovic and his men will be more concerned with a pair of crushing defeats they suffered at the hands of Hapoel during the regular season, 79-66 on the road and 64-87 in Gran Canaria, as Hapoel’s deep roster including several former EuroLeague players proved too strong.

Namely [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) and [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/), whose experience in Europe’s premier club competition could play a telling role again when the two sides clash with the EuroCup title at stake.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The stage is set🏆<br><br>EuroCup supremacy at stake💫<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToGreatness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoadToGreatness</a> <a href="https://t.co/gOTmStwuhj">pic.twitter.com/gOTmStwuhj</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1907797167076515905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Granca, on the other hand, will be buoyed by grinding out a series of close wins in the playoffs, including an 89-92 victory at Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem in the quarterfinals, when Homesley sank 21 points to put the other Israeli team in the competition to the sword.

Ultimately, Gran Canaria showed the makings of a championship winning team in the gritty Game 3 win against Bahcesehir, handing the Turkish side its first loss on home court in the EuroCup this season which ended an impressive run of 11 straight wins.

It was a heartbreaking finale for the Turkish side and its Montenegrin head coach Dejan Radonjic, who rued missed shots from the foul line when the chips were down but hailed his team’s fighting spirit.     

“We missed a chance to force overtime and it’s very tough to analyze the game right now,” Radonjic told reporters. “Missing five free throws in the last 10 minutes is just too much in a game like this. It’s been an amazing EuroCup season for us and I am very proud of what we have accomplished in this competition.”

Jakovic will be even prouder if Gran Canaria can complete its fairytale postseason run and cap it with a second EuroCup title in two years, a feat which would indeed take the former Slovenian point guard and his men to dreamland.

The islanders have a genuine chance of winning a second EuroCup title after defying the odds to reach the finals

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-04-02T17:00:00.000Z)

After spectacular performances in the first two games of the series and gutting out some key plays despite a knee injury in Game 3, Yam Madar of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv earned the honor of being the MVP of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals. 

Semifinals MVP: Yam Madar, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv

After spectacular performances in the first two games of the series and gutting out some key plays despite a knee injury in Game 3, [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) of [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) earned the honor of being the MVP of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals. 

Madar finished with the highest PIR of any player in either semifinal series after averaging 16.3 points, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals for a PIR of 20.7. He was the semifinals' leader in steals, ranked second in assists and tied for third in scoring.

The 24-year-old returned to Hapoel, which he first starred for as a teenager, during the season with the explicit goal of winning the EuroCup to claim a berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. And in the win-or-go-home semifinal series, he carried Hapoel at times. 

In Game 1, Madar tallied 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in a narrow loss before posting 21 points, 9 assists and 4 steals to lead Hapoel to a Game 2 victory.

Madar sustained a knee injury in that game and his participation in Game 3 was in doubt until the afternoon of the Game 3. He was quiet in the first half, but then contributed 8 points and 2 assists in the second to help Hapoel wrest away the game and series.

"I came back for this. I am the happiest person in the world," Madar told Israel Hayom, the EuroCup rightsholder in Israel after the game. 

"I came to this game on one leg. I hoped I would be okay. I didn’t know how I would feel. I received a \[painkiller\] shot to be able to play… There were huge baskets. I think it was great that we knew as a team where to go. We didn’t panic. 

"We got huge baskets from \[Antonio\] Blakeney and \[Marcus\] Foster and almost every time they responded within 7 seconds. We stayed focused and knew what we needed to do on offense. We trusted each other and that brought us the series and to the EuroCup Finals."

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

The explosive guard led all semifinalists in PIR in helping his team reach the EuroCup Finals for the first time

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Semifinals winner, Game 3

Congratulations to Yannick Roffel, our 23rd winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Yannick's team, 'pierogi', posted a score of 150.25.

Yannick had the following starting lineup: Mike Tobey of Dreamland Gran Canaria as team captain, then his teammate Nico Brussino, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv's Yam Madar and Tomer Ginat, and Valencia Basket's Jean Montero. Hapoel's Antonio Blakeney was the sixth man.

The head coach of Yannick's team was Gran Canaria's Jaka Lakovic, and the four bench players were Hapoel's Marcus Foster and Oz Blayzer, Gran Canaria's Pierre Pelos and Goktug Bas of Bahcesehir College Istanbul.

The prize for finishing first in the 23rd round of the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Yannick!

The leader in the overall standings remains Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallIsLife', which has a total of 3,765.80 points after the first 23 rounds. Trades are now open for the 24th round, which is Game 1 of the EuroCup Finals, and the number of trades is unlimited.

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!

Hapoel tied an all-time BKT EuroCup record in a legendary victory 


A rain of threes sends Hapoel to the finals 

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/roster/hta/?season=2024-25) advanced to the BKT EuroCup Finals for the first time in club history thanks to [a 92-94 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-upsets-valencia-to-reach-the-finals-92-94/) over [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/?season=2024-25) in an outstanding basketball game at La Fonteta. Hapoel trailed for most of the game but found answers from beyond the arc right when it needed them most.

Hapoel struggled from beyond the three-point line in the first three quarters but found ways to be effective and stay in the game. At halftime, Hapoel had scored just 1 of 10 three-point shots and had committed 7 turnovers. Coach [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris?season=U2024)'s team was extremely effective in the paint, making 18 of 21 two-pointers (85.7% 2FG). 

Things did not improve in the third quarter, in which only [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/) was able to strike from downtown. As a team, Hapoel entered he fourth quarter with an 11.1% accuracy from three-point range. In Games 1 and 2, Hapoel averaged 40.4% from downtown.

It was only logical that Hapoel improved its shooting percentage in the fourth quarter but tying an all-time EuroCup record in a do-or-die semifinal game was something no-one saw it coming.

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv downed 9 three-pointers in the fourth quarter to get a 92-94 road win in Game 3 of its semifinal playoffs series against Valencia Basket. Only one other team had been able to hit that many threes in a fourth quarter: Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse also downed nine shots from beyond the arc in a 92-88 loss against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on January 25, 2023.

Hapoel tied EuroCup record

Madar and [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-foster/010386/) got the shooting party started with a three-pointer apiece early in the fourth quarter to put Hapoel ahead, 68-71. After [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) added back-to-back triples, Valencia needed a timeout at 68-77. Hapoel was far from done: Foster and Blakeney each insisted from beyond the arc after [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) hit his own shot from downtown. Even though Blakeney had time for a sixth three-pointer, Valencia managed to tie the game, 92-92, on free throws by [Jean Montero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jean-montero/010042/). Foster buried the game-winning jumper with 3.1 seconds remaining.

Hapoel tied a EuroCup record by making 9 three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Only one other team had been able to make as many threes in a fourth quarter: [Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/?season=2024-25) also downed 9 shots from beyond the arc in [a 92-88 loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/orelik-leads-lietkabelis-to-fifth-win/) against [7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/lkb/?season=2024-25) on January 25, 2023. Hapoel only scored 4 of its 31 points inside the arc, but it was Foster's shot that made the difference down the stretch. 

Hapoel was close the record for most fourth-quarter points in a EuroCup Semifinals. UNICS Kazan holds the record with 34 in [a 100-107 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2020-21/virtus-segafredo-bologna-unics-kazan/U2020/183/) against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Game 3 of the 2021 semifinals.

Game Videos

"It was a great game. It was a hard fought series. Obviously, we knew it wasn't going to be easy. Losing that first game was tough," Blakeney said after the game. "But it showed a lot of character about our team to come back and win two games in a row versus a great team like Valencia."

Blakeney finished the game with 32 points and 9 rebounds. Hapoel ended up burying 9 of 15 three-pointers (60%) in the fourth quarter and turning the ball over just three times after the break.

"AB \[Antonio Blakeney\] and Marcus \[Foster\] were very confident one-on-one. We based a lot of situations on them breaking one-on-one on their defense, attacking certain players. Montero was with four fouls, we want to attack him and \[Brancou\] [Badio](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/brancou-badio/007527/) at the same time. They were doing the same things on their offense, on their offensive end with their goal screens or isolations over there," Coach Itoudis said after the game. We were good and confident that we can hit shots. This is the way we practice, they stay over there and do extra work on their shots, and the team was supporting that."

Hapoel tied a EuroCup record in a historic victory 


A rain of threes sent Hapoel to the finals 

Dreamland Grand Canaria fully vindicated its name after a 72-76 win at Bahcesehir College Istanbul gave the Spanish outfit a well-deserved triumph over its Turkish rival in a rip-roaring BKT EuroCup semifinal series, largely thanks to Caleb Homesley’s heroics

Caleb Homesley propelled Gran Canaria past Bahcesehir 

[Dreamland Grand Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/?season=2024-25) fully vindicated its name after [a 72-76 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-beats-bahcesehir-72-76-to-reach-the-finals/) at [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/?season=2024-25) gave the Spanish outfit a well-deserved triumph over its Turkish rival in a rip-roaring BKT EuroCup semifinal series, largely thanks to [Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/)’s heroics.

With Bahcesehir leading the best-of-three series 1-0 and forging a 66-68 lead late in Game 2, Homesley came up with [a clutch three-point play](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/videos/homesley-keeps-gran-canaria-alive-magic-moment/?feedId=62eb7d6ed179705484231217&title=EuroCup%20Magic%20Moments) with one second left on the clock to [even the series](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-still-alive-after-69-68-win-over-bahcesehir-thanks-to-homesley-heroics/) and force a tiebreaker in Istanbul.

That was the solitary shot Homesley made from the floor and having sank 4 free throws, he finished on a mere 6 points but few Gran Canaria fans were bothered as the guard’s late antics had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Homesley then found his range and room to operate in Game 3, knocking down a pair of triples in the third quarter and another one late in the fourth, giving Granca a decisive 71-73 lead before he put the icing on the cake with a pair of free throws with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.

Caleb Homesley propelled Gran Canaria past Bahcesehir

“I am really proud of our guys, the organization and the coaching staff,” a humble as ever Homesley said in his postgame comments after posting a team-high 19 points. “It hasn’t been an easy EuroCup season as we’ve won some and lost some, but tonight was a testament to our hard work throughout the season. It’s all about confidence and as long as you refocus and understand what you need to do better, the outcome is whatever it may be.”

It was a fitting end to this season’s rivalry between the two teams, as they also met twice during the regular season with each side winning on home court. The pattern continued in the opening two games of the semifinal series before Gran Canaria flipped the script when the chips were down.

It put Granca and their head Jaka Lakovic in dreamland after a tough regular season in which the Spanish side finished third in Group A on a 12-6 record, which denied the competition’s 2023 champions a bye in the first knockout round and an automatic quarterfinal berth.

Having squeezed past visiting [Umana Reyer Venice 84-80 in the eighthfinals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-outlasts-reyer-84-80/), Gran Canaria ground out [an 89-92 road win at Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-beats-hapoel-89-92-to-advance-to-semifinals/) in the last eight to book what turned out to be a captivating semifinal series against Bahcesehir.

In his postgame comment, Lakovic reflected on the monumental effort it took the reach the finals. 

“It was a tough game as we expected it to be, much like all five games we played against Bahcesehir this season,” the Slovenian tactician said.  “We are talking about a great team as they were the best in the group stage. This game came down to one possession and some free throws in the end, we were just a little luckier and we collected some important rebounds,” he added.

There is little doubt that Bahcesehir will find it difficult to stomach its first home loss of the season in the EuroCup after 11 straight victories, having clinched Group A with a 14-4 record to emerge as the favorite to reach the championship series from its side of the draw.

The Turkish team’s head coach Dejan Radonjic tried to put on a brave face but he could not disguise bitter disappointment after his men failed to hold on in the home stretch, having nosed ahead 71-70 on the back of a [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) three-pointer.    

“Congrats to Gran Canaria for the win, it was yet another tough game between these two teams,” Radonjic said. “It came down to the last possession after we missed 5 free throws in the last 10 minutes. We need to analyze the game and then focus on the next one.”

The 28-year-old guard emerged as the Spanish team’s game-winner twice in two games 