Name: Makoundou’s emphatic slam! Magic Moment of the Night
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Noa Kouakou values the joy of celebrating - like he did with U18 Pole France INSEP Paris at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade - but deeper inside the French forward is the motivation of two gut-wrenching losses on the biggest of stages in 2024.  

Hustler Kouakou turned gut-wrenching losses into motivation 

Noa Kouakou values the joy of celebrating - like he did with U18 Pole France INSEP Paris at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade - but deeper inside the French forward is the motivation of two gut-wrenching losses on the biggest of stages in 2024. 

Kouakou was a force at both ends of the court for INSEP in Belgrade as the two-time continental champion proved too much for U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the first-place game. The athletic and versatile forward collected 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in the 74-60 victory and earned the Most Valuable Player award.

“It’s a team title - not just mine. If I am MVP, it’s because of my teammates. If they don’t pass me the ball I can’t score. It’s all the work of the team, not just mine,” said Kouakou, who averaged 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.8 blocks for the tournament.

“I am really happy for my team. And proud of myself for doing everything I could to help my team win. And that is what happened. We will just enjoy the moment and then focus on Abu Dhabi.”

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/noakkh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@noakkh</a> is the MVP of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NextGenEuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NextGenEuroLeague</a> qualifier in Belgrade 🇫🇷👏🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NextGenEuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NextGenEuroLeague</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasBasketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/HMPLVVrGOt">pic.twitter.com/HMPLVVrGOt</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1898848431797354914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

And it is in the United Arab Emirates that Kouakou hopes to avenge one of the most bitter losses in his still young career. He is one of six INSEP players back from the team that lost 85-84 to U18 Real Madrid in an overtime thriller in the NextGen Championship Game last season in Berlin.

“I learned a lot of things. Real was a really, really good team. They played good basketball with a really high IQ. They had really good players. The game was really hard physically,” said Kouakou, who contributed 1 rebound in 6:09 minutes of action playing a year younger. “Last year I didn’t have the same role as this year. It taught me that you have to be really consistent the whole game.”

Kouakou then played with his own 2007-born generation last summer at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 in Istanbul, where France was considered a title challenger to the United States, which had never lost a game in the history of the cadet global competition with six undefeated championships.

France held tight with the USA in the first game of the tournament and lost 104-81 but then were surprised by China in the second game. A win over Guinea meant a Round of 16 matchup with Puerto Rico, who ended up shocking the French 91-84 to end the hopes of a rematch against the Americans in the Final. And Kouakou had visions of Real and Berlin all over again.

"The finals will be the real, real games. The real basketball, the real best players."

“It was really the same thing as Real Madrid. The fact that you have to be really consistent the whole game. The game is 40 minutes. It’s not 39 or 38. You have to play 40 minutes and give your whole body on the court,” said Kouakou, who contributed 1 point, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 block in 16 minutes against Puerto Rico.

“The energy that the bench can give us on the court is really important. We could have been better in this aspect than we were in Turkiye - bring more energy.”

Kouakou averaged 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 16 minutes at the U17 World Cup last summer. But those two losses fueled him.

“It’s really extra motivation for me. I have never won a gold medal with the national team or a final tournament with the club. We won this tournament but it’s just a qualifier. The finals will be the real, real games. The real basketball, the real best players. It hurts me a lot to always lose, but I learned so much from those losses. It’s all a benefit for me for later.”

Kouakou has put that motivation into his work off the court. His Instagram profile includes the phrase “Hustler 69” and on one of his posts it says: “Hustlers don’t stop, they keep going”.

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The number represents France’s 69th department Lyon - Kouakou’s home city - and hustler, he says, is a mentality.

“Hustle hard every day. Reach your potential one percent more every day by giving your full potential every day. Don’t waste your time. Every day you have, improve yourself. Improve your weaknesses and try to be your best self,” Kouakou said.

The 2.08-meter forward also prides himself on his defense.

“Defense is a mentality. It’s the thing that makes you win the game. Without defense, you cannot win and you cannot be a complete player. You cannot be a very versatile player without defense. I really enjoy being able to defend every position from point guard to center. I try my best at that. It means a lot for me to get a stop and see my teammates enjoy the moment. It makes me happy,” he said.

INSEP head coach Francois Peronnet can see the work Kouakou has put in.

“He has energy at both sides of the court and on and off the court. He has improved a lot the last two seasons. Now he is more facing the basket. He can really move on the floor - both offensively and defensively. He can be an outside player. He still can improve but it’s great to have him on the team,” said Peronnet, who is spending his first season as INSEP head coach.

Koukoua has one more chance to win a NextGen EuroLeague crown, which would make hoisting the trophy in Abu Dhabi that much more special.

“It would mean a lot because it’s my last year at INSEP. I did my three years at INSEP and improved a lot. I respect all my coaches, shout out to them. It would mean a lot of things for me,  lots of emotion to play with those guys. I have known some of them for eight years. So it would really make me happy.”

And the hustler could finally call himself a champion.

Noa Kouakou was named the NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade MVP

Makoundou’s emphatic slam! Magic Moment of the Night

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Turk Telekom Ankara (2025-03-12T17:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket-U-BT Cluj-Napoca | Quarterfinals Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Valencia Basket v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2025-03-12T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket guard Chris Jones spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals. 

Chris Jones: 'We played hard'

Valencia Basket’s 98-74 victory over UB-T Cluj-Napoca felt like the Spanish team was not only advancing to the next stage but also sending a message for the rest of the teams remaining in the BKT EuroCup, with a ruthless and focused performance that saw Coach Pedro Martinez’s men lead by double digits for nearly 33 minutes.

Chris Jones was staying focused after leading Valencia to victory

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/?season=2024-25)’s [98-74 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/valencia-cruises-past-cluj-98-74-and-into-last-four/) over [UB-T Cluj-Napoca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/u-bt-cluj-napoca/roster/clu/?season=2024-25) felt like the Spanish team was not only advancing to the next stage but also sending a message for the rest of the teams remaining in the BKT EuroCup, with a ruthless and focused performance that saw Coach Pedro Martinez’s men lead by double digits for nearly 33 minutes.

Although this was truly a team effort, the best performer statistically was [Chris Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/chris-jones/010568/) with a game-high 14 points along with 9 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots for a PIR of 18.

Chris Jones stood out for Valencia in the quarterfinals

And the point guard readily agreed with the notion that this performance was a clear statement of intent for the title-chasing *Taronjas*, with Jones saying, "Definitely we wanted to show something in our first game in the playoffs in the EuroCup.

“We went out, we played hard, we got after it defensively, and I think that sparked the game for us, getting out on transition and stuff like that. We executed, not the best that could have, but we got the win, so I’m happy with that.”

Game Videos

The impression that Valencia knows its job is nowhere near done was further strengthened by the lack of celebratory atmosphere at the final buzzer. The Spanish team has already won the EuroCup on three occasions since 2010 and is clearly in the mood to add another trophy, with Jones keeping his game face on as he assessed the upcoming challenge presented by Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the last four.

“It’s a journey,” he said. “We’ve got this one, we’ll enjoy it tonight, and then we’ll get back to the drawing board, focus on what we need to do and prepare ourselves.”

Judging by Wednesday’s performance, Valencia will not be lacking preparation or focus when the matchup with Hapoel rolls around.

Game News

The Spanish team is not celebrating yet despite a huge win over Cluj

Valencia Basket held its home court in emphatic fashion for a 98-74 victory over UB-T Cluj Napoca, sending the Spanish team into a semifinal meeting with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv.

Valencia cruises past Cluj, 98-74, and into last four

Valencia Basket held its home court in emphatic fashion for a 98-74 victory over UB-T Cluj Napoca, sending the Spanish team into a semifinal meeting with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv.

Valencia quickly found its offensive rhythm to take a double-digit first-quarter lead, and raced into a 53-36 advantage by halftime. Cluj fought but never got within single digits, as the host cruised to a victory that was safe long before the final buzzer.

Chris Jones orchestrated Valencia with 14 points and 9 assists, while Semi Ojeleye added 13 and Jean Montero netted 12, with Matt Costello and Xabi Lopez-Arostegui both scoring 10. Zavier Simpson led Cluj with 12 points and 10 assists, while Zach Hankins also had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, Adam Mokoka netted 12, and Gediminas Orelik and Karel Guzman both scored 11.

Simpson’s layup was bettered by Brancou Badio’s triple in the opening possessions. Guzman also struck from deep before Jaime Pradilla and Badio kept the three-point party going. Hankins and Jones traded inside buckets for a 15-7 Valencia lead, and Lopez-Arostegui kept the host moving with a corner three. Montero’s jumper made it a double-digit game, before Costello’s three and Josep Puerto’s putback gave Valencia a 30-15 lead at the end of the first.

Ojeleye’s triple started the second quarter, and an inside score by Hankins was bettered by another Ojeleye triple to make it 38-17. DJ Seeley lifted Cluj with a pair of deep strikes, but Lopez-Arostegui and Nate Sestina protected a comfortable lead. Orelik and Sasu Salin added threeballs as Cluj rallied to 47-31, only for Sestina to hit another Valencia triple followed by a layup-and-one from Jones. Guzman’s close-range finish and Mokoka’s three-pointer made it closer at the half, 53-36.

Cluj further narrowed the gap early in the third, with Guzman, Hankins and Mokoka all scoring from close range to make it 55-42. But Valencia responded with a dunk from Nate Reuvers and a three from Jones, as Cluj went three minutes without scoring. Simpson’s smooth hook shot was bettered by Montero’s three-pointer, and further triples from Mokoka and Montero made it 70-52 with 10 minutes left.

Orelik’s triple to open the fourth quarter gave Cluj hope, but Ojeleye’s inside score settled the host. Another Mokoka triple was followed by Pradilla’s dunk, making it 74-58. Simpson’s driving layup was followed by Ojeleye’s three-pointer, and the long bombs continued from Costello, Seeley and Orelik, pulling Cluj back to 80-68. Costello’s layup and Jones’s long two made sure Cluj didn’t get closer, and a Costello putback was followed by Montero’s three-point play to ensure a big winning margin.

The Spanish side underlined its title credentials with another dominant display

In three years since joining BKT EuroCup, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv never won a game in which it scored fewer than 76 points, but it managed to do it Wednesday when it mattered most. Hapoel downed Turk Telekom Ankara 67-61 in a hard-fought one-and-done quarterfinals clash that has seen Hapoel reach the semifinals of the competition for the first time.

Defense, boards, belief and unity have Hapoel keep on going

In three years since joining BKT EuroCup, [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-tel-aviv/hta/) had never won a game in which it scored fewer than 76 points, but managed to so on Wednesday when it mattered most. Hapoel fought hard for [a 67-61 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-fights-off-turk-telekom-moves-into-semifinals/) over [Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/turk-telekom-ankara/roster/ttk/?season=2024-25) in a one-and-done quarterfinal clash that saw Hapoel reach the semifinals of the competition for the first time.

“This is what playoff basketball is about,” said Marcus Foster, Hapoel’s leader in the game with 21 points and 8 rebounds. “Sometimes it’s not got to be pretty, so you just have to find your way to win.”

Hapoel came into the quarterfinals as the third-best scoring team, having averaged [88.8 points per game](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/stats/key-stats-teams/?size=1000&misc=&seasonCode=U2024&category=Score&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&aggregate=perGame&phase=RS) during the regular season. But on Wednesday night the offense struggled.

In the first half, Hapoel scored just 28 points, which was its lowest-scoring half in any EuroCup game. But the team still led by 2. 

By the end of the night, Hapoel only had 67 points on its tally, its second-worst scoring performance in three EuroCup season. But the team still managed to pull out a win.

"Defense is what won the game,” said [Oz Blayzer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/oz-blayzer/009877/), who played 17 minutes, which is 10 more than his season average, due to team captain [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) not being able to go in the second half.

“We came committed to our game plan. We kept them to a low score but we also didn’t score much. In the end, we made the correct plays,” Blazer said.

The way Hapoel had done the job was the dominance on the offensive glass. Hapoel pulled down 18 offensive board to just 3 by Turk Telekom.

What’s more, all 3 of those offensive board Turk Telekom grabbed in the first quarter.

That’s not all the damage that Hapoel’s defense has done. The Coach Dimitris Itoudis team has allowed only 3 field goals in each the second and third quarter. So, even though the offense was not clicking, the defense was there to step up.

“\[Key\] was the belief,” Itoudis said. “Trust to the unity, the locker room is healthy. Players are together. They are ready to accept criticism, and they are ready to fight.”

And fought they did. For a place in the semifinals, for the first time in club history.

Hapoel had to get a little bit out of character to pull out a hard-fought win and move into the semifinals

Defense, boards, belief and unity fueled Hapoel

Lopez-Arostegui turns on the style! Magic Moment

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv guard Marcus Foster spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Turk Telekom Ankara in the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals. 

Marcus Foster: 'This is what playoff basketball is about'

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Turk Telekom Ankara | Quarterfinals Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Ojeleye says no! Magic Moment

Hapoel fights off Turk Telekom, moves into semifinals

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has reached the BKT EuroCup Semifinals for the first time after a hard-fought 67-61 win over Turk Telekom Ankara at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria on Wednesday. After getting stopped at the quarterfinal stage in each of the last two seasons, Hapoel is final through to the best-of-three semis where it will play Valencia Basket in two weeks.

Hapoel led for most of the night and took the lead for good midway through the third quarter. The margin reached 12 points in the fourth, before Hapoel held off Turk Telekom’s rally. Marcus Foster led Hapoel with 21 points plus 8 rebounds and Yam Madar contributed 12 points and 4 assists. For Turk Telekom, Olivier Hanlan had 17 points and 6 rebounds, Braian Angola scored 15, and Kyle Alexander 10 points in the season-ending defeat.

The game got going with Angola and Ish Wainright trading three-pointers. Foster also nailed a three for Hapoel before a pair of baskets from Motley opened a 10-5 lead. But Alexander had a dunk before Anthony Brown and Hanlan each hit a triple to give Turk Telekom a 12-15 edge. Hapoel answered behind Johnathan Motley and Foster, restoring its lead by scoring the last 8 points of the quarter for a 20-15 advantage at the end of the opening 10 minutes.

Hapoel’s run continued into the second quarter, with Marcus Bingham scoring twice to make it 24-15. Hanlan’s fastbreak layup ended Turk Telekom’s drought of more than 6 minutes without a basket. Yoan Makoundou added a dunk, then Alexander and Makoundou made three defensive stops with blocked shots that led to 5 points by Turk Telekom, including a triple from Angola as the visitors closed within 26-24. Hapoel held on 28-26 at the break.

Turk Telekom had a superb start to the third quarter, with Speedy Smith knocking down a pair of triples in a 0-8 run that put the visitors up 30-34. But Foster answered with 2 threes of his own and then made his third in a span of less than 2 and a half minutes as Hapoel went up 43-37. Joe Ragland made tough runners on three consecutive possessions that extended the margin to 8 points going into the final minute of the third quarter, and Hapoel led 52-45 after three quarters. 

Javon Bess nailed a triple for his only points of the night to cut it the margin to 53-48, but Foster made a tough basket in the paint and then Madar made 6 free throws for Hapoel’s first double-digit lead of the night, 61-49, with 4:43 to go. Hanlan’s triple revived Turk Telekom and driving layups by Angola and Hanlan made it 61-58 with 1:33 to go. But Foster scored at the rim and Hapoel closed the game out from the free-throw line.

Hapoel reaches semis for first time after a dramatic low-scoring affair

Hapoel fights off Turk Telekom, 67-61, to move into semifinals

Ragland to Bingham alley-oop! Magic Moment

Motley’s big dunk! Magic Moment

In his best season to date in the EuroLeague, Nick Weiler-Babb has transformed into a versatile all-around weapon for FC Bayern Basketball.

Nick Weiler-Babb feels confident as Bayern’s starting point guard

Never change a winning team, they say. But what defines ‘team’? A bond of athletes who, thanks to cultural, social, sporting closeness, come together to be successful. On wooden floors around Europe, for example.

This version of [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) coached by Gordon Herbert perfectly sums up the definition of a well-equipped and strong team, for different and various reasons.

Starting with the novelty of having the German national team’s former head coach, who has been capable of writing the country’s basketball history in recent times, bringing his style to one of the most decorated German powerhouses.

But also relying on continuity, considering the vast majority of Bayern’s roster is composed of players who have been around Munich for more than one Oktoberfest.

Now to the more difficult question: what defines a ‘winning team’? Well, the ones who are superior enough to finish with trophies in their hands at the end of the season, that’s the easy answer.

The genesis of a winning team could also rely on going on a 25-0 run in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game, considering how extremely difficult that is.

Bayern did just that at SAP Garden against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, one of their fiercest rivals in the race to make the EuroLeague Playoffs, finishing with a crucial 100-82 win in Round 28.

As said, never change a winning team and therefore the players who are key to that success: [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) didn’t rest for a single minute during that 25-0 run.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1796550/nick-weiler-babb-bayern-munich-euroleague-germany-interview/).

In his best season to date in the EuroLeague, the defensive specialist has transformed into a versatile all-around weapon for the Bavarians

ALBA Berlin has announced its decision to part ways with head coach Israel Gonzalez, who has been replaced by his assistant, Pedro Calles.

Pedro Calles replaces Israel Gonzalez as ALBA head coach

[ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/ber/) has announced its decision to part ways with head coach Israel Gonzalez, who has been replaced by his assistant, Pedro Calles.

Gonzalez oversaw 129 ALBA games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague over the last four seasons, posting a 33-96 record. He had previously worked as an assistant at ALBA between 2017 and 2021, when he was promoted to the role of head coach.

This season, Gonzalez's ALBA have gone 4-24 and sit bottom of the EuroLeague standings.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Israel González freigestellt / Pedro Calles übernimmt als Cheftrainer<br> <br>Wir haben unseren Cheftrainer Israel González mit sofortiger Wirkung freigestellt. Diese Entscheidung teilten die Club-Verantwortlichen dem Team am Mittwochmorgen mit.<br> <br>Gracias por todo, Isra! <a href="https://t.co/C3FegH2XkY">pic.twitter.com/C3FegH2XkY</a></p>&mdash; ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin/status/1899816421556719932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Calles, meanwhile, will get his first taste of being a head coach at the EuroLeague level. His only previous experience in Europe's top two continental competitions came in the 2021-22 season with Veolia Towers Hamburg, which he led to a 7-11 record in the BKT EuroCup.

Like Gonzalez, Calles takes on this role after being an assistant coach at the club. He arrived at ALBA in January 2025 and has previously been head coach at three German clubs: Rasta Vechta (2018-20), Hamburg (2020-22) and Oldenburg (2022-24).

Calles, who took ALBA's training session this Wednesday morning, will lead the team for the first time on Thursday night as the German side takes on Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz at Uber Arena.

More ALBA News

The assistant will lead the team for the first time against Baskonia on Thursday

CB Gran Canaria booked its place in the EuroCup Semifinals after beating Hapoel Jerusalem, but it had to hold on in the final minutes of the contest.

Gran Canaria prevailed in quarterfinals despite fourth-quarter lapses 

[Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/) ground out a thrilling [89-92 quarterfinal 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 BKT EuroCup Playoffs to earn a semifinal series against [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/) after nearly spilling a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter.

The Spanish side was up 58-70 ahead of the final 10 minutes and then allowed the home team back into the game with a flurry of turnovers, which enabled Hapoel to cut the deficit to just one point, 89-90, with 16 seconds remaining.

Fortunately for Gran Canaria, player of the game [Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/) kept his nerve from the foul line to seal his team’s win as [Khadeen Carrington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/khadeen-carrington/008912/) missed with a wild three-pointer from half court at the final buzzer.

Gran Canaria prevailed thanks to 11 offensive boards and 23 assists, cancelling out 15 turnovers and a mere 3 steals, with Hapoel managing 8 steal and shooting an impressive 11 of 21 from deep while Granca sank 12 of 30. However, Hapoel was contained to just 14 of 30 from inside as the Spanish side’s big man [Mike Tobey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mike-tobey/008966/) played a key role.

The 30-year old Tobey drew on his wealth of experience acquired in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with the likes of Valencia Basket, FC Barcelona and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade to rack up 14 points and 8 rebounds against a physical Hapoel side as Gran Canaria won the battle of the boards 33-21.

Coach [Jaka Lakovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/lakovic-jaka/) was pleased with the outcome, having praised his team’s composure when the chips were down.

“Congratulations to my team for advancing to the semifinals. I thought the game was very physical with a lot of quality, there were lots of players with a lot of talent out there,” Lakovic told the postgame press conference. “We started well and did a good job in the third quarter, then in the fourth quarter we turned the ball over seven times which helped Hapoel’s fightback.

“In the end, we were focused enough to make some important shots, especially the free throws, while were smart enough on the last defense to avoid committing a foul.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔥 Cinco semifinales europeas en diez años.<br><br>✅ 2015 vs Unics Kazan<br>✅ 2016 vs Galatasaray<br>✅ 2021 vs Mónaco<br>✅ 2023 vs Joventut<br>✅ 2025 vs Bahcesehir<br><br>🇮🇨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VamosGranca?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VamosGranca</a> <a href="https://t.co/5ui1i7Dek1">pic.twitter.com/5ui1i7Dek1</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1899574538813198673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gran Canaria now faces a formidable task of eliminating Bahcesehir in a best-of-three semifinal series, with the Turkish side enjoying home-court advantage after finishing top of Group A with a 14-4 record in the regular season. 

In their two regular-season meetings, the rivals shared the spoils in a pair of rugged contests as Gran Canaria prevailed 66-63 on its home court before Bahcesehir won 73-65 in the reverse fixture.

The upcoming contest promises to be every bit as exciting, with Gran Canaria aiming to contain Bahcesehir big man [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/), who poured a game-high 20 points in [a comeback 85-81 quarterfinal win over Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-rallies-past-cedevita-85-81/), when the Turkish side rallied from a 17-point first quarter deficit.

Gran Canaria is again likely to lean on Homesley, who averages 12.5 points per game, as well as Tobey, who totals 9.2 points and 5.8 rebounds, with [Nico Brussino](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nicolas-brussino/008121/), [Joe Thomasson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joe-thomasson/012095/) and [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) expected to lead the supporting cast.  

The Spanish team came out on top against Hapoel although the home side launched a spirited late fightback 

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-03-11T19:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague Basketball and Saran Media Group have announced the renewal of their long-standing media rights agreement for an additional four years, covering the 2025-26, 2026-2027, 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons. This partnership further strengthens Saran Media’s position as a leading broadcaster of premium global sports content in Türkiye. It also promotes Euroleague Basketball's aim to enhance a passionate fan base and a deep-rooted basketball culture.

Saran Media and Euroleague Basketball extend media rights partnership for four more years

Euroleague Basketball and Saran Media Group have announced the renewal of their long-standing media rights agreement for an additional four years, covering the 2025-26, 2026-2027, 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons. This partnership further strengthens Saran Media’s position as a leading broadcaster of premium global sports content in Türkiye. It also promotes Euroleague Basketball's aim to enhance a passionate fan base and a deep-rooted basketball culture.

Under the renewed agreement, secured by Euroleague Basketball’s strategic partner IMG, Saran Media Group, will continue to hold the exclusive media rights for broadcasting Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup games across its platforms. With this agreement, these premier European basketball competitions will continue to be a crucial part of Saran’s impressive portfolio on its linear TV channel, S Sport, and OTT platform, S Sport Plus, which already features top-tier sports organizations such as the NBA, LaLiga, Serie A, Wimbledon, ATP Masters 1000, MotoGP, NFL, and UFC.

Kenan Saran, CEO of Saran Media Group, added: “Our collaboration with Euroleague Basketball has been a great success over the years. We are excited to further strengthen our relationship and continue providing extensive and high-quality coverage of the EuroLeague and EuroCup. Turkish basketball fans can look forward to another four years of thrilling action.”

"We are thrilled to announce the renewal of our partnership with Saran Media for another four years," stated Paulius Motiejunas, Euroleague Basketball CEO. "Turkey remains one of our core markets, with millions of passionate fans following our competitions. With Saran Media’s top-tier production and commitment to delivering high-quality broadcasts, we couldn't imagine a better partner to continue bringing our thrilling games and engaging content to audiences across the country."

This renewed partnership ensures that Turkish basketball fans can continue to follow top teams like Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul as they compete against Europe's best, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

With an expert, young, and dynamic team of basketball announcers and commentators, S Sport and S Sport Plus will continue to be the home of basketball. They will bring the excitement of EuroLeague, NBA, and NCAA to an audience of nine million fans.