Name: Top 10 Plays | Round 5 | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Look back at all the action in Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos from Round 5

Look back at all the action from Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

AS Monaco Basket and Paris Basketball go head to head on Thursday night in the first-ever EuroLeague meeting between these two sides.

Monaco-Paris rivalry puts French hoops in the spotlight

French basketball has been on the rise. 

One example of that came this past summer as the French national team won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris. Over the last decade, there has only been one season without a Frenchman on the All-EuroLeague team. 

[Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/), a EuroLeague First Team selection in each of the last two seasons, helped Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens capture the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown in May. 

Even across the Atlantic, Wemby-mania has taken hold, with fans and analysts alike gushing over the exploits of former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague prospect [Victor Wembanyama](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/victor-wembanyama/009553/). 

And on Thursday night, French basketball will again be in the spotlight when AS Monaco hosts Paris Basketball in Round 5's Rivalry Series game. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A first EVER meeting between these two clubs in the EuroLeague takes place tomorrow 🍿 <br><br>And the hype for the latest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RivalrySeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RivalrySeries</a> clash is REAL 📈<a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASMonaco_Basket</a> host <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Parisbasketball</a> tomorrow, are you ready? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/epxNKCPaDS">pic.twitter.com/epxNKCPaDS</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1849084051539251358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This is the first time these teams will have met on the international stage, but make no mistake. They know each other well.

Back in June, Monaco ousted Paris 3-1 in the French League Finals and no fewer than 21 players from the teams’ current rosters were with the teams for that series, including one – Paris guard [Yakuba Ouattara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yakuba-ouattara/004197/) – who joined the club over the summer from Monaco, where he spent parts of seven seasons.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Le retour de Yakuba Ouattara à Monaco demain en EuroLeague pour ce match comptant dans la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RivalrySeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RivalrySeries</a> 👀🔜 <a href="https://t.co/az7rvMRheM">pic.twitter.com/az7rvMRheM</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1849103875015360964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

When it comes to the big stage, Monaco clearly has the upper hand. This is the club’s fourth season in Europe’s premier competition and it has made the playoffs in all of them, including reaching the Final Four in 2023. Before Monaco made itself a EuroLeague contender, it put the basketball world on notice by winning the EuroCup in 2021.

Paris, whose climb to the top is documented in the Euroleague Basketball Originals production 'The Making of a EuroLeague Team', followed in Monaco’s footsteps by winning the EuroCup last season to reach the EuroLeague for the first time.

How Paris Basketball Became a EuroLeague Team: The Complete Story | EuroLeague Documentary Series E1

The similarities between the teams do not end there. Both teams are led by dynamic guards, who were MVPs last season.

Monaco’s [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), the EuroLeague’s all-time leading scorer, was the EuroLeague MVP, while Paris’ [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) took home the MVP trophies for the EuroCup, EuroCup Finals and French League.

In their showdowns in the French League Finals, James had the upper hand with averages of 20.5 points and 3.3 assists and backcourt mate [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) posted 18.3 points and 4.5 assists per game.

That duo continues to lead Monaco this season with Okobo contributing 16.0 points and 5.0 assists and James, who missed the preseason after undergoing back surgery, going for 15.7 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals over the last three games.

Paris’ rising star [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) led Paris in scoring with 17.0 points per game in the playoffs, and Shorts was no slouch with 14.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

They remain Paris’s go-to guys in the EuroLeague, with Shorts fourth in the league in scoring with 17.8 points per game and third with 7.0 assists per game. Hifi has contributed 14.2 points per game off the bench.

Although these teams are by no means two-man shows, it is fair to expect the performances of these backcourt stars to play key roles in this game’s outcome.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🎬 Le remake des <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FinalesBetclicELITE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FinalesBetclicELITE</a> sur la scène de l&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>, la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> reçoit <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ParisBasketball</a> à Monaco ! 👑🇲🇨<br><br>⏰️ 𝑫𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒆̀𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒔 👇<br>🎟 <a href="https://t.co/7R1YN87BCw">https://t.co/7R1YN87BCw</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/qcDtr7J9bH">pic.twitter.com/qcDtr7J9bH</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1849136698124325069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Monaco is unbeaten at home thus far this season and its three wins at Salle Gaston Medecin over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Virtus Segafredo Bologna have come by an average margin of victory of 11.7 points. 

Paris has yet to win a EuroLeague game on the road, though it pushed FC Bayern Munich to the limit before falling 109-107 last week.

Will Paris be able to get its first road win on the floor of its chief domestic rival? If so, it will go a long way toward taking this rivalry to the next level. Or will Monaco hold court to remain the king of French League clubs? We will learn the answer in this week’s EuroLeague Rivalry Series game.

Game News

Last season’s French League finalists meet on Thursday for the first time in the EuroLeague

AS Monaco v Paris Basketball (2024-10-24T17:00:00.000Z)

Two extraordinary individual performances in respective winning efforts allowed Marko Pecarski of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and Axel Bouteille of Bahcesehir College Istanbul to share co-MVP honors in Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Round 5 co-MVPs: Marko Pecarski and Axel Bouteille

Two extraordinary individual performances in respective winning efforts allowed Marko Pecarski of 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys and Axel Bouteille of Bahcesehir College Istanbul to share co-MVP honors in Round 5 of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season.

Pecarski helped Lietkabelis record its first win of the campaign, having dominated in an 84-80 win over the previously unbeaten Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse. Pecarski had a career-high 34 PIR and scored a career-best 22 points on perfect shooting after going 8 for 8 on two-pointers, 1 for 1 from three-point range and 3 for 3 on free throws. His 22 points without missing a shot are the eighth most in EuroCup history and a record for a Lietkabelis player. Pecarski also posted 8 rebounds, his second-highest tally this season, and tied his career high with 2 blocks. He drew 3 fouls, too. Bouteille led Bahcesehir to a 75-92 road win over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. He had a season-high 21 points on 5-of-6 two-pointers, 3-of-7 three-pointers and 2-of-3 free throws, adding a career-high 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 34, his highest mark in 78 EuroCup career games.

The third-best PIR in Round 5 belonged to Dreamland Gran Canaria’s Miquel Salvo, who had a career-best 32 PIR in his team’s 125-78 win over ratiopharm Ulm. Salvo netted a career-high 20 points, going 2 for 3 on two-pointers, 2 for 2 on three-pointers and 10 for 11 on free throws, while he also recorded 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 6 drawn fouls. His +36 in the plus-minus column is the second-highest mark of any player this season. Jaka Blazic of Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana posted a PIR of 29 after amassing 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in his team’s 75-82 win at Aris Midea Thessaloniki. Rounding out the list of top performers is Umana Reyer Venice’s Rodney McGruder, who had a PIR of 28 on his club and EuroCup debut, as the guard finished with 28 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists and 4 steals in an 80-68 win against Veolia Towers Hamburg.

### Individual highs: Rodney McGruder, Reyer, 28 points

Reyer’s Rodney McGruder scored a round-high 28 points on his club and EuroCup debut. Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem is the competition's top scorer at 20.4 points per game.

Axel Bouteille of Bahcesehir College Istanbul led all rebounders by pulling down 12 in Round 5. Mfiondu Kabengele ranks first overall at 10.2 rebounds per night.

Six players – Hapoel Sholomo Tel Aviv's Patrick Beverley, Cedevita’s Devante Jones, Valencia Basket's Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, Trefl Sopot’s Tarik Phillip and Jakub Schenk, and Hamburg’s Brae Ivey – dished 7 assists, the most in Round 5. Zavier Simpson of U-BT Cluj-Napoca ranks first overall with 7.5 assists per contest on average.

McGruder, Harper and Dreamland Gran Canaria’s Carlos Alocen each recorded 4 steals in Round 5, the most in this round. Beverley leads the overall standings with 2.4 per game.

Two players – Buducnost's Aleksa Ilic and Aris’ Joshua Roberts – had a round-high 3 blocks. Ilic and Jaen-Marc Pansa of Bourg are tied for first overall with 2.0 blocks per night.

Bouteille (21 points, 12 rebounds) was the only player to post a double-double.

Two players share the MVP honor for Round 5.

The ‘Bouncing for Good’ initiative created by One Team, Euroleague Basketball’s social responsibility program, and Motorola got underway in Sopot, Poland, with the first sessions taking place at Primary School No. 9.

One Team-Motorola partnership begins with community events in Sopot

The ‘Bouncing for Good’ [initiative created by One Team, Euroleague Basketball’s social responsibility program, and Motorola](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Fen%2Fnews%2Fmotorola-and-euroleague-basketballs-one-team-partner-to-promote-sportsmanship-and-life-values-through-basketball%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7C4ce5a63b139c4cd7e82d08dcf414f6d0%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638653618091896302%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ZSgPK12AFtQgjBcPTKpZ81KLCWiEuick6VjqvcVYdFk%3D&reserved=0) got underway in Sopot, Poland, with the first sessions taking place at Primary School No. 9.

Last week, a workshop focused on sports values, led by Trefl Sopot’s One Team coaches, served as the tip-off of the project in Poland. During the session, apart from other educational activities developed with the help of Motorola devices, children were also encouraged to get creative by painting a mural of the 'perfect basketball’, using their learnings on colors and associating them to sports and life values. A local artist then captured the mural and replicated it on a real basketball. And today was the day to see some of the results of that previous work.

With the aim of providing yet another unforgettable sport values experience for the community, Motorola and One Team organized another session with 50 children from the same school. They were present for a special event that saw them take part in multiple activities together with Trefl Sopot One Team Ambassadors, Jakub Schenk and Andy Van Vliet, and this group of children received a wide variety of material donations.

There was a signed jersey by a Trefl Sopot player up for grabs, as well as a selfie with a player, while the kids also had a session using Motorola’s innovative technology that saw them solve selfie puzzles featuring the two players at the event. The children got to see the ‘Perfect Ball’ – a specially painted basketball –based on the mural they had painted on the workshop, and a little later, 50 basketballs were given away to the children. A total of 200 extra basketballs will be given away by Motorola and Euroleague Basketball during the year to help the promotion of the game of basketball and the practice of sport in public schools and the work of sport and social values.

Once the kids had taken part in the fun tasks, they had a group photo together, as a lasting memory from the day. They were all there in their new T-shirts, which featured the One Team and Motorola logos, while Motorola’s technology was key throughout the event, keeping everyone connected and enhancing the learning experience.

Barbara Lewandowska-Paluch, Marketing & Communication Manager, Trefl Sopot said: "Activities for the local community are in the DNA of Trefl Sopot. We are happy that from this season, thanks to our participation in the EuroCup, we can be part of the One Team family. We are aware of how much good the program has brought throughout Europe, and we are glad that we can join in it and use our power as a club to help others and make good influence. Thanks to the generosity of Motorola, we can support schools not only with equipment but also a great experience of a valuable workshop. The One Team–Motorola initiative is great for Trefl Sopot to join. We are very excited, and we look forward to every session of our local One Team program this season."

For the moment, five partnered clubs in association with schools and social entities across Poland, Italy, Greece, Spain and France will participate in this sport and life values initiative, with more workshops and donations to come in the upcoming months.

Be sure to take a look at the best ten plays of the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 5!

Top 10 Plays | Round 5 | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup

Top 10 Plays: Round 5

Sylvain Francisco is enjoying a wonderful start to the 2024-25 EuroLeague season with Zalgiris Kaunas, and his experiences with Vassilis Spanoulis are certainly paying dividends.

Sylvain Francisco using Spanoulis’ Mamba Mentality to star for Zalgiris

The late, great Kobe Bryant summarized his famous “Mamba Mentality” as “constantly try to be the best version of yourself.” That “hard work outweighs talent.” It’s not just a philosophy but a way of living, followed by thousands of athletes – and not only basketball players – across the globe.

This attitude is also what’s driving [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/carousels/zalgiris-kaunas/?q=%7B%22articleId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22categoryId%22%3A%22%22%2C%22linkedId%22%3A%7B%22sourceSystem%22%3A%22FS_BASKETBALL_TEAM%22%2C%22sourceSystemId%22%3A%22zal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D&carouselTitle=Zalgiris%20Kaunas) guard and certified Kobe mega-fan [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/). Tireless grind against all odds.

“I'm really happy for Sylvain. He's not coming from a rich family. So what he got, he worked hard to get it,” said Jean-Denys Choulet, Francisco’s former coach at Roanne in 2020-21.

Francisco’s hard work has been paying off with a gradual upward curve over the last couple of years. After debuting in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague last season with FC Bayern Munich, the 27-year-old player is now emerging as the main man for Zalgiris, leading his team in points (15.0) and assists (5.8).

Read more of this article [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1732491/sylvain-francisco-using-spanoulis-mamba-mentality-to-star-for-zalgiris/).

The Zalgiris star has started the 2024-25 season on fire

Congratulations to Rokas Joneliunas, our fifth winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Rokas's team, Rubšta GOAT, posted a score of 191.7.

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Round 5 winner

Congratulations to Rokas Joneliunas, our fifth winner in the 2024-25 [EuroCup Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Rokas's team, Rubšta GOAT, posted a score of 191.7.

The team featured the following lineup: Jared Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem as team captain, Noa Essengue of ratiopharm Ulm, Semi Ojeleje of Valencia Basket, Nico Brussino of Dreamland Gran Canaria and Marko Pecarski of 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys as the other starters. Carl Wheatle of Umana Reyer Venice was his sixth man, while Adam Mokoka of U-BT Cluj-Napoca, Jaime Pradilla of Valencia and Lietkabelis duo of Georgios Kalaitzakis and Mantas Rubstavicius made up the rest of the bench. Nenad Canak of Lietkabelis was the head coach.

The prize for finishing first in Round 5 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season!

We have a steady leader in the overall standings, too, as Bert Bjelobradic's squad named Rodijaci i Kumovi has a total of 876.05 points after the first five rounds and is ahead everyone else. Trades are now open for Round 6. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season.

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

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

Trento forward Anthony Lamb had a key role as his team stunned Hapoel Tel Aviv BC to win in Round 5 of the 2024-25 EuroCup season.

Anthony Lamb shined for Trento in surprise win over Hapoel

[Anthony Lamb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/anthony-lamb/013272/) played a major role in [Dolomiti Energia Trento upsetting Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/trento-shocks-hapoel-with-fourth-quarter-comeback-79-73/) in the best game of his young BKT EuroCup career.

The European rookie scored a game-high 23 points in Trento’s 79-73 shocker over Hapoel to snap a two-game losing streak in Group A. Lamb also collected 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block – the latter coming with 15 seconds left – for a PIR of 24. He also clinched the game with two free throws with 15 seconds remaining.

Game Videos

“My teammates put me in a great spot and we took advantage of mismatches and we made the most of it,” said Lamb, who played last season in the Australian NBL for the New Zealand Breakers in his first season outside the United States.

“My teammates played unbelievably hard. We cleaned up the rebounds and a lot of the turnovers. Hapoel is an amazing team and they played so hard the whole game. It was a really tough win.”

Lamb was big throughout the game, scoring six of Trento’s first 12 points to get the team rolling right away. And the 26-year-old tallied nine points in the game-deciding 20-5 run over the final seven minutes to get the win.

“Anthony was clutch,” stated Trento coach Paolo Galbati.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crazy 🖤🦅🔥</p>&mdash; Dolomiti Energia Trento (@AquilaBasketTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/AquilaBasketTN/status/1849181894988243268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The forward has been strong all season for Trento, coming into the game averaging 11.8 points, though he had struggled from long range at just 22% three-point shooting entering the game. Lamb has shown he can handle the ball and be a playmaker at times with 7 assists against Trefl Sopot in Round 2. And he demonstrated against Hapoel that he knows how to step up in big moments.

Lamb came to Trento with some decent pedigree, being named as the All-American East Conference Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020 at the University of Vermont, winning the NBA G League title in 2022 with Rio Grande Valley Vipers and playing for United States at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. Lamb also reached the NBA Western Conference semifinals in 2023 with the Golden State Warriors, albeit as a bit-part player.

He is definitely someone the rest of the EuroCup teams will not take lightly anymore.

The former Golden State Warrior was clutch down the stretch

Dolomiti Energia Trento v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2024-10-23T18:00:00.000Z)

Bahcesehir College Istanbul registered it fourth win of the EuroCup season on Wednesday, securing a 17-point triumph in the Montenegrin capital over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. This 75-92 win was a classic tale of two halves.

'Way better defense' saw Bahcesehir flip the script at Buducnost

Bahcesehir College Istanbul registered it fourth win of the BKT EuroCup season on Wednesday, [securing a 17-point triumph in the Montenegrin capital](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-sinks-buducnost-on-the-road-75-92/) over Buducnost VOLI Podgorica. This 75-92 win was a classic tale of two halves.

In the first, Buducnost nailed 10 three-pointers and led by as many as eight points. The hosts scored 49 points behind [Fletcher Magee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/fletcher-magee/012630/), who had 23 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting.

In the second, Bahcesehir allowed just 26 points, including just 7 in the third quarter. The visitors finished the quarter on a 0-17 run, which allowed them to open a 56-70 lead and cruise the rest of the way.

"We needed to improve our defense," Bahcesehir head coach Dejan Radonjic said of his team's adjustments between the second and third quarters. "We did a lot of good things in the second half, and also offensively we played smart."

Bahcesehir's defense held Buducnost to just 34.5% on two-pointers in this game, and also just 3-for-15 three-point shooting in the second half. What's more, the Turkish side forced 13 turnovers, including 11 in the last two quarters.

"I think our offense was good the whole game, but our defense was way better in the second half," admitted Bahcesehir's [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/), who finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 0 turnovers.

"I think we played consistently on offense and that's why we won tonight," Bouteille added.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Buduċnost VOLI galibiyetimizin MVP&#39;si 21 sayı, 12 ribaund, 6 asist, 34 verimlilik puanı performansıyla Axel Bouteille oldu. <a href="https://t.co/EY4OLDWsNZ">pic.twitter.com/EY4OLDWsNZ</a></p>&mdash; Bahçeşehir Koleji Spor Kulübü (@BKBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKBasketbol/status/1849182128078254485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Alongside Bouteille, [Sehmus Hazer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sehmus-hazer/011201/) had an all-round performance of 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, while [Jaleen Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaleen-smith/011192/) netted 20 points.

With four wins after five rounds, and the EuroCup's second-best point difference (+86), Bahcesehir has shown that it is aiming high this season.

The visitors allowed just 7 third-quarter points en route to a big road win

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Bahcesehir College Istanbul (2024-10-23T17:30:00.000Z)

Will Clyburn enjoyed a rare win at Belgrade Arena on Wednesday night, playing a key role as Virtus Bologna got its first win of the EuroLeague season at KK Partizan.

Will Clyburn instrumental as Virtus gets the monkey off its back

In a thriller, [Virtus Segafredo Bologna edged Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 69-70](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-gets-off-the-mark-with-hard-fought-win-at-partizan-69-70/) on Tuesday night to secure its second win in as many years at Belgrade Arena, with two-time All-EuroLeague forward [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) leaving his fingerprints on the contest. 

With Virtus' win, all 18 teams competing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season have at least one victory to their name. Since last week, there are no undefeated teams left in the competition. Virtus used defense to keep its chances open in the fourth quarter, limiting Partizan to just 8 points in the final 10 minutes. When it was time to deliver, Clyburn was ready.

He had the most crucial baskets of the game in the final two minutes. [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/) hit a three-pointer to give Partizan a 68-66 edge, then Virtus put the ball in the hands of Clyburn, who missed a step-back three-pointer. [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/) grabbed the offensive rebound and found Clyburn all alone under the basket for a layup. Lundberg split free throws at the other end and Partizan got the ball back. [Rayjon Tucker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rayjon-tucker/012591/) collected the all-important steal before Clyburn got the ball and silenced the home crowd with a go-ahead driving layup, which ended up being the final basket of the game.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WE DID IT, AGAIN. 🤍🖤 <a href="https://t.co/pQKZJWercx">pic.twitter.com/pQKZJWercx</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1849187591049884006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Clyburn finished the contest with 27 points on 9-of-12 two-pointers, scoring 13 of those in the final 15 minutes. At the end of the game, Clyburn said something that made us double-check what he said.

"I am just happy we got the win. I am pretty sure I have been winless in this building against Partizan, so I am just happy we got the win," Clyburn told EuroLeague TV in a courtside interview. "That's all that matters, we got the win today.

"We were fighting. Obviously there are going to be ups and downs in the game, but it was no point in the game where I felt we were out of it today. Everybody was locked in defensively and it was only a matter of time before we made shots and get back in the game."

Will Clyburn of Virtus Segafredo Bologna had 27 points to lead his team to a 69-70 road win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 5 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Clyburn leads Virtus past Partizan

Indeed, Clyburn had not enjoyed great results at Belgrade Arena. He played his first-ever EuroLeague game with Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul against Crvena Zvezda MeridianBet Belgrade in the Serbian capital, registering a 70-73 win and scoring 19 points, but the game was played at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall. During his two years at Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Clyburn twice played against Partizan at Belgrade Arena, losing both games.

It gets worse. Clyburn also lost twice at Belgrade Arena at the 2018 Final Four with CSKA Moscow; first against Real Madrid in the semifinals, then again Zalgiris Kaunas in the third-place game. Until tonight, Clyburn was 1-5 in the building. His only victory came with CSKA against Zvezda, 59-85, on November 15, 2017, almost seven years ago.

Clyburn was not the only key contributor for Virtus on Wednesday night as [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/) finished the game with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, recording his first EuroLeague double-double in his 55th game in the competition. Cordinier thinks that playing in front of a such strong atmosphere helped the team get the focus it needed to finally get that elusive first victory.

"First win of the season in the EuroLeague. Coming in, in this special atmosphere, maybe it was the type of game we needed to find ourselves," Cordinier said. "And today we fought until the end. We had a great effort on defense, rebounding the ball and thanks to Will \[Clyburn\], who scored these big buckets to get the lead down the stretch.

"I want to enjoy the first win of the season. We went through a lot of struggle and kept building, trying to find our chemistry, our identity. And tonight, we found something we can work on and build on for the future."

Cordinier talked about rebounding at the end of the game, and that definitely was one of the keys to his team's win. Virtus outrebounded Partizan 28-34, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds and only allowing the hosts to grab 18 defensive boards. In other words, 45.5% of all rebounds under Partizan's rim went the other way. Virtus grabbed 65.5% of all rebounds under its rim, 19 out of 29.

Virtus is not leaving Italy during the next three rounds as it hosts FC Bayern Munich in Round 6, visits EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 7 and plays at home again against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 8. It should be a good test for Virtus, which started the 2023-24 campaign with a 5-1 record but is 1-4 so far this season. At least it got the monkey off its back and notched its first win in Round 5.

The Italian side got its first win of the season in Round 5

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-10-23T18:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Virtus Segafredo Bologna| RS Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Jaka Blazic inspired KK Cedevita Olimpija to an impressive road win at Aris BC in Round 4 of the 2024-25 EuroCup season.

Jaka Blazic turned back the clock to inspire Cedevita past Aris

There are not many players who can boast [Jaka Blazic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaka-blazic/003452/)’s on-court experience in the BKT EuroCup. On Wednesday night, the Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana captain proved on the road at Aris Midea Thessaloniki that time hasn’t dimmed his star.

The 34-year-old guard put together a player-of-the-game display on Greek soil and led his team to [a 75-82 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/cedevita-rallies-back-to-down-aris-75-82/) that allowed Cedevita to improve to a 4-1 record. In fact, Cedevita’s 4-1 start is made all the more impressive given that the club had gone 4-32 over the last two EuroCup seasons.

Boosted by the crowd at Palais De Sports, Aris took a 48-37 lead into the second half. Meanwhile, Cedevita struggled to get stops on defense and didn’t manage to find its flow on the other end. The player who carried the Slovenian side on his shoulders was none other than Blazic, who produced a mature performance. The Cedevita guard recorded 10 first-half points, going a perfect 3 for 3 from inside the arc and 4 for 4 from the charity stripe.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="sl" dir="ltr">📊 Končna statistika tekme:<br><br>➡ Blažič 19 točk / 5 skokov / valorizacija 29<br>➡ Robinson 18 točk <br>➡ Stewart 15 točk / 8 skokov / valorizacija 23<br>➡ Radović 10 točk / 5 skokov<br>➡ Nikolić 6 točk<br>➡ Geben 6 točk<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZmajevaDruzina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ZmajevaDruzina</a> <a href="https://t.co/4ve5lxKALT">pic.twitter.com/4ve5lxKALT</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (@KKCedOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL/status/1849168557814223173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The guests turned the tide after the break, putting an emphasis on their defense and holding Aris to 13 and 14 points, respectively, in the last two quarters to pull off a hard-fought comeback. Blazic spearheaded Cedevita’s effort on both ends, playing a key role in its fourth-quarter run. In the last seven minutes of the game, the experienced guard recorded 7 points, 2 assists and 2 important steals to help Cedevita gain back the momentum, outscore Aris 14-28 and seal the victory.

“We showed character in the second half, especially on defense and through that we got easy points on offense and confidence,” Blazic said after the game. “At the end we also showed character when the game was close. On defense we were aggressive, we changed some things and it worked. We will build on this and hope to get more wins in the EuroCup.”

Blazic nailed 4 free throws that saw him move into sixth place all-time in EuroCup charts with 284 free throws made. He ended the duel with a game-high 19 points, as well as 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn for a season-high PIR of 29.

Had he added another 3 points to his tally, he would be now tied with E.J. Rowland in sixth place overall in the scoring charts. Yet, Blazic will surely enjoy reaching that milestone on home soil next week, when Cedevita is set to host Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem at Arena Stozice.

The veteran guard was instrumental in the Slovenian side grabbing its fourth win of the season

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (2024-10-23T17:00:00.000Z)

Dolomiti Energia Trento-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | Round 5 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

U-BT Cluj-Napoca showed impressive fight and determination as it beat Hapoel Jerusalem in the EuroCup on Wednesday night.

Cluj outmuscled Hapoel with steely defense and hustle 

Flying after a 67-103 demolition of Veolia Towers Hamburg in the previous round of the BTK EuroCup, U-BT Cluj-Napoca carried its momentum into Round 5 for [an impressive 73-81 victory at Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/resilient-cluj-holds-firm-to-stun-hapoel-jerusalem-73-81/).

[Karel Guzman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/karel-guzman/011797/) stood out with a career-high 20 points for Cluj, which prevailed in almost all departments as the visitors won the battle of the boards 46-34 and nailed 11-of-26 three-pointers against a mere 6 of 23 sank by the Israeli outfit.

In addition, Cluj was clinical from the foul line as the visitors buried 10-of-12 free throws while Hapoel made 19 of 30, highlighting the home team’s scoring woes. With both sides hustling and playing aggressive defense, turnovers piled up at both ends as Cluj committed 22 and Hapoel had 16.

However, Cluj did a better job sharing the ball as it racked up 17 assists while Hapoel only managed 12 against a stingy visiting defense which cut out the supply routes to the home side’s shooters.

Despite Guzman’s heroics, including a clutch three-pointer which completed Cluj’s 0-13 run for an unassailable 67-80 lead in the closing stages, it was the relentless [Adam Mokoka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/adam-mokoka/012698/) who won the player of the game award with 14 points and 9 boards.

“It’s a good team and very talented offensively but we never stopped fighting,” Mokoka said in a post-game courtside interview. “We had ups and downs, but from the beginning to the end we kept playing together and that’s how we got this win. We are in a good spell right now and we will try to build from here."

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Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan was pleased with his team’s effort but also rued a serious injury suffered by captain [Patrick Richard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/patrick-richard/011801/).

“I am very happy with the performance and the fact that we won on a very difficult court against a good team,” he said.

“It’s a sign that we are growing from game to game in our effort to become a better team. Unfortunately, we just found out that our captain Patrick Richard suffered a double fracture to his hand and we’re very sad about that. We need to move forward step by step and be a team in every sense of the word.”

In Round 6, Cluj is at home to Umana Reyer Venice while Hapoel visits Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana as the battle for postseason spots in Group B intensifies.

The hosts endured a torrid night against the physical Romanian outfit, which forced a barrage of tough shots and dominated the boards

Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem v U-BT Cluj-Napoca (2024-10-23T16:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna forward Will Clyburn spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat KK Partizan on the road in Round 5 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Will Clyburn: 'Everybody was locked in'

Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward Will Clyburn spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on the road in Round 5 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Virtus Bologna registered its first win of the EuroLeague season by edging KK Partizan 69-70 in the Serbian capital on Tuesday. 


Virtus gets off the mark with hard-fought win at Partizan, 69-70

Virtus Segafredo Bologna registered its first win of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season by edging Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 69-70 in the Serbian capital on Tuesday. 

Virtus improved to 1-4 in the standings, while Partizan dropped to 2-3. Will Clyburn paced the winners with 27 points, scoring the go-ahead layup with 12.5 seconds remaining. Isaia Cordinier added 12 and 10 rebounds, and Matt Morgan had 10 points for Virtus. Tyrique Jones led Partizan with 20 points and 5 steals. Iffe Lundberg added 14 points and Vanja Marinkovic had 10 for the hosts.

Sterling Brown got Partizan going with a layup and a three-point play, then Lundberg added a jumper for a 7-1 lead. Ante Zizic stepped up with a put-back slam, which Clyburn followed with a layup high off the backboard that brought Virtus within 7-5. Brandon Davies scored around the basket and Marinkovic followed a layup with a fast-break basket that made the guests call a timeout at 13-5. Tyrique Jones soon added a three-point play for a 16-7 score. Clyburn struck from downtown and followed Morgan's triple with a jump hook to bring Virtus within 16-15. Tyrique Jones single-handedly restored a 20-15 Partizan lead after 10 minutes.

Aleksej Pokusevski struck from beyond the arc early in the second quarter. Rayjon Tucker buried an off-balance shot and soon added a jumper to bring Virtus within 23-19. Carlik Jones sank a mid-range jumper that a red-hot Tucker erased with a two-handed slam. Clyburn beat the shot clock with a wild turnaround jumper and Toko Shengelia added a driving layup that tied it at 25-25. Tyrique Jones took over with a huge dunk and Brown bettered Morgan's layup with a three-pointer. Clyburn scored around the rim, then Isaac Bonga and Lundberg restored a 34-29 Partizan margin. Clyburn and Lundberg traded three-pointers to fix the halftime score at 37-32.

Lundberg and Cordinier exchanged three-point plays soon after the break. Cordinier kept pacing Virtus with a jumper and the free throw that came with it. Marinkovic hit a corner three-pointer and an outstanding Tyrique Jones restored a 47-41 Partizan lead. Momo Diouf scored down low, Marinkovic insisted from downtown and Tyrique Jones's put-back basket made Virtus call a timeout at 52-43. Clyburn buried a triple that Jones improved with consecutive dunks. Clyburn scored around the basket and followed Cordinier's layup with a dunk off a steal for a 56-55 Virtus deficit. Bonga rescued Partizan with a put-back layup and got help from Carlik Jones and Tyrique Jones to give the hosts a 61-57 edge after 30 minutes.

Morgan was the first player to score in the fourth quarter. Brandon Davis hit a jumper and Zizic got Virtus as close as 63-61. Carlik Jones ignited the crowd with a driving layup that Shengelia improved on that with a three-pointer. Cordinier made free throws to complete Virtus's comeback, 65-66, with 3:41 left. Lundberg buried a critical three-pointer in the penultimate minute, good for a 68-66 Partizan lead. Clyburn scored around the basket, then Lundberg split foul shots for a 69-68 Partizan lead. Both teams exchanged turnovers and Clyburn scored in penetration, putting Virtus ahead, 69-70, with 12.5 seconds left. It all came down to the final second, which saw Frank Ntilikina airball a three-point shot at the buzzer.

Vassilis Toliopoulos misses the floater, but Banks gets airborne to hammer it home!

Banks with a put-back slam! Magic Moment of the Night 

 Vassilis Toliopoulos misses the floater, but Banks gets airborne to hammer it home!

Trento defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv BC 79-73 in Round 5 of the 2024-25 EuroCup season to stun the Israeli side.

Trento shocks Hapoel with fourth-quarter comeback, 79-73 

Dolomiti Energia Trento pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the young BKT EuroCup season as it shocked Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 79-73 at home, bouncing back from two bad losses in a row. Trento trailed by nine points with under seven minutes to go against the EuroCup title contender before finishing the game on a 20-5 run. 

Anthony Lamb scored nine of his 23 points in the final stretch and Jordan Ford tallied 17 points as Trento improved to a 2-3 mark in Group A. The Italian team had lost its last two games by 21 and 40 points and Hapoel had won its last three games. Marcus Foster was on his way to becoming the hero before Trento’s big finish, scoring 18 points, while Johnathan Motley collected 16 points and 6 rebounds in a losing effort. Hapoel fell to 3-2 in the group.

Trento scored the first four points of the game, with a second score from Lamb giving the Italian side a 10-4 lead. A three-pointer by Toto Forray increased the cushion to 17-8 as Trento’s defense held strong in the early going. Eigirdas Zukauskas twice scored to extend the gap to double figures 26-16 and the home side was up 26-18 after 10 minutes.

Saliou Niang opened the second quarter with a triple for the home side, which gave Trento a 29-18 lead. The hosts’ offense stalled with just one jumper over the next 6:10 minutes while Motley scored eight points in a 2-14 run to pull Hapoel ahead, 31-32. Trento punched back with a 10-2 surge to move back ahead 41-34 and went into the break with a 41-38 lead.

Lamb’s triple early in the second half was matched by a Foster three-pointer and Motley gave the guests the lead, 44-45. Lamb continued his strong game with another score while Foster knocked down another triple. The game remained tight and the lead changed hands three times in the final 61 seconds of the third quarter, with Hapoel 57-58 ahead after 30 minutes.

Hapoel started the fourth quarter better, especially Foster, who had eight straight points including two dunks for a 59-68 advantage with under seven minutes to go. Trento picked up its defense and held the guests scoreless for nearly five minutes to even the game at 68-68. And Myles Cale converted a four-point play to make it 72-70 with 1:45 minutes to go. Joe Ragland evened the game, 73-73, with a three-pointer with 49 seconds to go, only to have Lamb hit a fadeaway jumper with 32 seconds remaining to put the hosts back up. Lamb added a blocked shot and two free throws to his stat line with 15 seconds to go for a 77-73 lead to ice the game.

The Italian side responded after suffering two heavy defeats in Rounds 3 and 4