By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Starting the 2024-25 campaign in the Basketball Champions League, everybody was making the same question: who’s stopping Unicaja this season? Well, the answer is still unclear – more or less.
Galatasaray managed to defy the odds by surprising everybody all throughout Europe, not only within Spanish borders or close to Andalucia. Turning the impossible into reality, the Turkish team interrupted Ibon Navarro’s team’s 18-game winning streak in the competition.
However, following that defeat Kendrick Perry and teammates quickly bounced back: first by getting their revenge over Galatasaray, and then securing a Quarter-Finals spot by beating Manisa on the road, especially thanks to Kameron Taylor’s 33-point career-high night.
𝙎𝙞𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙡 𝙌𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧-𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨: The reigning #BasketballCL champs are on to the next round! pic.twitter.com/bvPTYmKnGF
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) March 18, 2025
On Tuesday, Galatasaray had another home celebration, taking care of business over Rytas Vilnius, while ERA Nymburk and BAXI Manresa respectively beat Falco Szombathely and Pallacanestro Reggiana.
Wednesday, instead, was all about history, as Jordan Walker broke the all-time scoring record in the competition – and one of the best ever – with 54 points to drag Promitheas to the road win in Wurzburg; in the same group, Derthona survived against AEK, and will now have a match point next week.
Two Spanish teams concluded the picture for the penultimate week of action in the Round of 16, with Tenerife beating Petkimspor on the road and Murcia losing away to Nanterre.
Round of 16 Week 5 – Results and Standings
Group I
FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets – Promitheas Vikos Cola 115-119 2OT
Bertram Derthona Tortona – AEK Betsson 83-82
1. q-AEK Betsson 9 (4-1)
2. Bertram Derthona Tortona 8 (3-2)
3. FIT/One Wurzburg Baskets 7 (2-3)
4. e-Promitheas Vikos Cola 6 (1-4)
Group J
Galatasaray – Rytas 89-81
Manisa Divissa – Unicaja 97-103
1. q-Unicaja 9 (4-1)
2. Galatasaray 8 (3-2)
3. Rytas 7 (2-3)
4. e-Manisa Divissa 6 (1-4)
Group K
BAXI Manresa – UnaHotels Reggio Emilia 96-90
Aliaga Petkimspor – La Laguna Tenerife 80-85
1. q-La Laguna Tenerife 10 (5-0)
2. UnaHotels Reggio Emilia 7 (2-3)
3. BAXI Manresa 7 (2-3)
4. Aliaga Petkimspor 6 (1-4)
Group L
ERA Nymburk – Falco Vulcano Szombathely 96-68
Nanterre 92 – UCAM Murcia 76-71
1. ERA Nymburk 9 (4-1)
2. UCAM Murcia 8 (3-2)
3. Nanterre 92 8 (3-2)
4. e-Falco Vulcano Szombathely 5 (0-5)
-The top two teams from each group qualify for the Quarterfinals
q-clinched a berth in the Quarterfinals
e-eliminated
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League