By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Legia Warszawa had its hands on the first-ever Basketball Champions League victory of the club, but Hapoel Holon came back in the fourth quarter to close the gap, eventually getting the 81-84 away win in overtime.
After averaging 7.6 assists per game in 2021-22, the most amongst all players in the BCL last season, Joe Ragland started his third BCL season with 13 assists, coming very close to his career-high in the competition – 14 assists against Ludwigsburg last season – and almost getting a triple-double with 10 points and 7 rebounds. Erick Green, the latest addition to Guy Goodes’ team, put up 19 points while shooting 4/6 from three-point range, while Chris Johnson ended with a double-double of 18 points and 9 rebounds.
The best player for Legia Warszawa, which are the seventh team from Poland to take part in the BCL, was by far Devyn Marble, who debuted in Europe with his new team scoring 21 points, adding 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ray McCallum and Travis Leslie, who is back in the BCL after playing for Pau-Lacq-Orthez in 2019-20, added 15 and 17 points respectively.
Hapoel Holon started hot, shooting an almost perfect 6/7 from downtown in the first quarter, going up 21-29 after the first ten minutes. From then on, the hosts got in control, producing a 39-24 partial between the second and third quarters.
The last ten minutes of the game saw the Israeli team getting the lead of the game again before Ray McCollum could force overtime with a clutch three-pointer. There, one of last year’s Final Four participants finally managed to get the definitive upper hand with a huge long-range three by Joe Ragland.
After this 2022-23 Basketball Champions League season opener, Hapoel Holon got the first position in Group C, waiting for Filou Oostende–Galatasaray (05/10, 20:00 CET).
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League