By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In the only game played for Group A, behind 22 points by Derek Willis and 18 by Marco Spissu, Umana Reyer Venice for the 85-80 road win over Cluh and finally got their first points in the winning column.
Jordan Taylor scored 21 points for the losing side, but on crunch time both Willis and Spissu made their free throws to seal the deal, while Cluj was trying to mount a comeback in the last minute.
In Group B, the news came from Promitheas Patras first defeat. Buducnost beat the Greeks in overtime (95-89) starting the extra time with a 10-1 run, while Phil Booth saved the day and tied the score for the hosts in regulation (81-81).
Promitheas still had the chance to win the game before going to extra time, but Aleksandar Lazic blocked the shot of Michalis Tsairelis. It was an amazing comeback from Promitheas after trailing by 16 (73-57) with seven minutes left. Booth scored a total of 18 points for the winning side, while Joe Young had 22 for Promitheas.
Veolia Towers Hamburg played with fire but ultimately prevailed over win-less Slask Wroclaw by four ( 87-83). Kendale McCullum with 18 points was the top scorer of the home side.
Last but not least, Kyle Allman led Paris to its second win, again on the road by scoring 23 points on the 91-86 over Dolomiti Energia Trento. Former NBA champions with the Bucks Axel Toupane added 16 points, however, it was newcomer Jeremy Evans who made the most crucial basket of the night with 10 seconds left in the game and then sealed the deal with two free throws.
Darion Atkins with 24 points and Andrejs Grazulis with 17 almost completed a miraculous comeback for Trento, which was trailing by 11 (80-69).
Group A
U-BT Cluj Napoca – Umana Reyer Venice 80-85
Prometey Slobozhanske – Frutti Extra Bursasporapoca (26/10)
Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse – 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (26/10)
ratiopharm Ulm – Germani Brescia (26/10)
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana – Joventut Badalona (26/10)
STANDINGS
- Frutti Extra Bursaspor 2-0
- Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse 2-0
- Prometey Slobozhanske 1-1
- Joventut Badalona 1-1
- 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys 1-1
- ratiopharm Ulm U-BT 1-1
- Germani Brescia 1-1
- Umana Reyer Venice 1-2
- U-BT Cluj Napoca 1-2
- Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 0-2
GROUP B
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica – Promitheas Patras 95-89 (OT)
Veolia Towers Hamburg – Slask Wroclaw 87-83
Dolomiti Energia Trento – Paris Basketball 86-91
Turk Telekom Ankara – Hapoel Tel Aviv (26/10)
Gran Canaria -London Lions (26/10)
STANDINGS
- Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-0
- Promitheas Patras 2-1
- Buducnost VOLI Podgorica 2-1
- Veolia Towers Hamburg 2-1
- Paris Basketball 2-1
- Gran Canaria 1-1
- Turk Telekom Ankara 1-1
- London Lions 1-1
- Dolomiti Energia Trento 0-3
- Slask Wroclaw 0-3