By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Two favorites in Unicaja Malaga and Tofas Bursa and two outsiders in Benfica and Bakken Bears managed to get the four last spots for the Basketball Champions League regular season.
Unicaja was the first to win the ticket by beating Patrioti Levice 91-73. The Slovak outsider was simply outmatched in the final of Group B as Malaga as home proved once again unbeatable. Former EuroLeague players Nihad Djedovic (15 p.) and Dylan Osetkowski (13 p.) led the charge as Unicaja is now part of the regular season Group G together with JDA Dijon, Dinamo Sassari
and PAOK.
On the contrary, Benfica used the home court advantage in Lisbon to win the Group C final against Brose Bamberg (87-73). Despite the big performances of Justin Wright-Foreman (25 p.) and Jaromir Bohacik (21 p.), the German team couldn’t stop the hosts and 33-years old guard Ivan Almeida from Capo Verde who scored 39 points.
Benfica became the first team to represent Portugal in the Basketball Champions League regular season as a member of Group G with Baxi Manresa, VEF Rīga, and Limoges CSP.
In Belgrade and Group D, we had one more upset as the Danish champions Bakken Bears beat the hosts Serbs of FMP Meridian 88-82. The 51st pick of the 2018 NBA draft, Tony Carr (photo), with 34 points made things happen, while Beau Beech scored 23 for the losing side.
Bakken Bears will compete in the Regular Basketball Champions League season in Group E with Hapoel Jerusalem, MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, and Darüşşafaka.
Last but not least, Tofas Bursa won the final of Group A in Skopje against the Germans of Niners Chemnitz. It was a really close game, decided by big plays at the last minute with Tofas getting the 82-78 win. Bouba Toure (17 p. 14 r. 2 bl.) and former EuroCup champion Rob Grey with 26 points were the stars of the show. Matt Mooney with 21 did his best for the losing side.
Tofas will play in the Basketball Champions regular season in Group A together with SIG Strasbourg, Falco Szombathely, and UCAM Murcia.
🚨🍿 The #BasketballCL Regular Season is set! pic.twitter.com/mnkmkv9X3j
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) September 25, 2022