After winning the 2023 Migdal State Cup against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem has done it again. In the first official trophy of the season, the red-and-white side captured the Israeli Winner Cup by beating the EuroLeague participant 79-71.

Being named MVP in last year’s Israeli State Cup, Speedy Smith was once again a determinant asset for his team with 21 points and 4/7 from downtown. Zach Hankins went close to a double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds, while Levi Randolph scored 17 points for Aleksandar Dzikic’s squad.

On the other side, Maccabi Tel Aviv struggled a lot both from beyond the arc (5/24, 21.0%) and at the line by missing six free throws (12/18). In the loss, Lorenzo Brown ended with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists for the yellow-and-blue team.

בואו, עולים להניף pic.twitter.com/BGoeY3netH

— Hapoel Jerusalem BC (@JerusalemBasket) October 1, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League

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After Benfica, SIG Strasbourg, and Cholet Basket found their way through the Basketball Champions League Qualification Rounds, entering the official Regular Season of the 2023-24 European competition, the BCL is ready to start.

According to FIBA’s official statement, “The 32 clubs that will participate in the 2023-24 Regular Season represent 15 different countries spread across the continent, a fact that reaffirms, for the 8th consecutive year, the truly pan-European nature of the BCL”.

Moreover, as per FIBA’s press release, “Regular Season action will tip off on October 17 following the same competition format as last season, with the 32 teams split into eight groups of four teams each”. Following it, there will be time and space for the Round of 16 stage.

“The eight group-winners will qualify directly for the Round of 16, while the second and third-placed teams in each group will do battle in the Play-Ins for the remaining eight spots. The Round of 16 will get underway in January 2024, and the competition will enter the Quarter-Finals phase in April 2024. The Final Four tournament, which will crown the Season 8 champions, is set for May 2024”, the press release ended.

The 2023-24 Basketball Champions League Regular Season

Group A
Falco Vulcano Szombathely (HUN)
Le Mans Sarthe Basket (FRA)
Peristeri bwin (GRE)
Unicaja (ESP)

Group B
BK Opava (CZE)
JDA Bourgogne Dijon (FRA)
Promitheas Patras (GRE)
Rytas Vilnius (LTU)

Group C
Darüssafaka Lassa (TUR)
Lenovo Tenerife (ESP)
VEF Riga (LAT)
Cholet Basket (FRA)

Group D
AEK (GRE)
Banco di Sardegna Sassari (ITA)
King Szczecin (POL)
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (GER)

Group E
EWE Baskets Oldenburg (GER)
Filou Oostende (BEL)
Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR)
SIG Strasbourg (FRA)

Group F
Bursaspor Info Yatirim (TUR)
Hapoel Holon (ISR)
Rio Breogan (ESP)
Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER)

Group G
Galatasaray Nef (TUR)
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (ISR)
PAOK mateco (GRE)
SL Benfica (POR)

Group H
Bertram Derthona Tortona (ITA)
Igokea m:tel (BIH)
Tofas Bursa (TUR)
UCAM Murcia (ESP)

#BasketballCL Regular Season field confirmed pic.twitter.com/m7tJkZKFTc

— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 1, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League

The post The 2023-24 Basketball Champions League Regular Season is set appeared first on Eurohoops.

Kemba Walker and Jordan Loyd are still missing, but Mike James with 21 points and Elie Okobo with 19 led a balanced effort against LDLC ASVEL as the Monegasques got their first big win for the French Betclic Elite.

Alpha Diallo added 16 points and Donatas Motiejunas had 15 as Monaco finished the game with an 87-79 win after a 9-2 run in the last two minutes of the game that gave them an 87-76 advantage before Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot made a three for the final score.

Joffrey Lauvergne with 21 points was the leader of the losing side, Nando De Colo added 15 points and former Monaco and Panathinaikos guard Paris Lee had 14.

After this result, Monaco and Paris are the only two teams at 4-0, Cholet stays unbeaten at 2-0 having two games less due to their obligations in the Basketball Champions League qualifiers, while Bourg-en-Bresse, ASVEL, and Nanterre follow at 3-1.

Meanwhile, Dijon stole the show with a massive 94-54 win over Mets 92, the former team of Victor Wembanyama which dropped to 0-4.

LNB Pro A 2023-2024 Round 4 results

JL Bourg – BCM Gravelines Dunkerque 90-82
ADA Blois – Nanterre 92 78-89
Le Mans – Le Portel 73-67
Limoges CSP – Paris Basketball 65-83
Roanne – Chalon 82-93
JDA Dijon – Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 94-54
ASVEL – Monaco 79-87
Cholet – Nancy (postponed)
Strasbourg – Saint-Quentin (postponed)

PHOTO CREDIT: EuroLeague

The post Monaco got the road win over ASVEL thanks to James and Okobo appeared first on Eurohoops.

As reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Wenyen Gabriel is finalizing a deal with the Boston Celtics, joining the recent addition Jrue Holiday on the green-and-white NBA team. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said he “has agreed to a training camp deal” with the same franchise.

Playing next to Chicago Bulls’ own Carlik Jones, the 26-year-old big man was really helpful to coach Royal Ivey in order to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games with South Sudan. All throughout the 2023 FIBA World Cup, he put up 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, being decisive in getting this historic achievement for the African country.

Prior to the summer, Wenyen Gabriel played in the 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game with the Californian side. Previously, he was under contract with the Sacramento Kings, the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Los Angeles Clippers. In the G-League, he played for the Wisconsin Herd and the Stockton Kings.

Free agent F/C Wenyen Gabriel is finalizing a deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Gabriel, who averaged 5.5 PPG and 4.2 RPG for Lakers last season, will compete for a reserve big man spot in Boston.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 1, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA World Cup

The post Wenyen Gabriel is reportedly finalizing a deal with the Boston Celtics appeared first on Eurohoops.

Real Madrid got the first Clasico victory of the 2023-24 season in Murcia’s Supercopa Endesa, winning the trophy once more. In the ACB’s third round, Chus Mateo’s team found itself on the victorious end once again, beating Barcelona 86-79.

Vincent Poirier was dominant on the glass for the reigning EuroLeague champs, providing 22 points and 8 rebounds with 9/13 from the field while coming off the bench. Being named MVP in the Supercopa Endesa at the beginning of the season, Facundo Campazzo had 17 points and 5 assists today.

Moreover, trying to fill the gap as Edy Tavares couldn’t be part of the game, the 16-year-old Ismaila Diagne went close to a double-double of 9 points and 8 rebounds, including a thunderous alley-oop.

On Barcelona’s side, Dario Brizuela was his team’s highest scorer with 14 points after being forced to miss basically the whole semifinal of the Supercopa Endesa due to a head injury. Rokas Jokubaitis followed with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

With this victory, Real Madrid reached Basquet Girona and UCAM Murcia up in the ACB standings with an unbeaten 3-0 record. FC Barcelona suffers its first loss of the season in the domestic league, being at 2-1 with Baskonia, Valencia, and Joventut Badalona.

16 AÑOS

¡QUÉ AUTÉNTICA LOCURA, ISMAILA DIAGNE!

@MovistarPlus#LigaEndesa | @ismad0415 #ListosParaRomperla pic.twitter.com/zmJiJkgseJ

— Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) October 1, 2023

Liga Endesa 2023-24 Round 3 Results:

Baskonia – Surne Bilbao 92-72
UCAM Murcia – Lenovo Tenerife 80-68
Unicaja Malaga – Valencia Basket 76-82
Joventut Badalona – Gran Canaria 89-75
Coviran Granada – Basquet Girona 91-102
MoraBanc Andorra – Palencia 87-74
Rio Breogan – BAXI Manresa 85-89
Real Madrid – FC Barcelona 86-79
Monbus Obradoiro – Casademont Zaragoza (11/10 at 20:00 CET)

PHOTO CREDIT: ACB

The post Real Madrid won the first ACB Clasico of the season against Barcelona appeared first on Eurohoops.

It wasn’t the easiest of opening games for Ettore Messina’s Olimpia Milano, which struggled against a surprising NutriBullet Treviso coached by Frank Vitucci but still found the 86-80 win to open the 2023-24 LBA season as reigning Italian champions.

Shavon Shields was once again the red-and-white leader, scoring 22 points with 5 rebounds and 7 assists, while Alex Poythress followed with 16 points and 6 rebounds, being dominant on the glass.

Nikola Mirotic didn’t leave his best offensive night, having only 12 points (6/6 at the line) with 4 turnovers, but scored the decisive three-pointer with 3:17 minutes left to give Milano the 78-77 lead. “It’s never easy at the beginning, I was a little bit nervous before our first game at home. It wasn’t my best game, but a win is a win. We have to think about the next game”, he said after the victory.

On the other side – the losing one – the newcomer Pauly Paulicap provided a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds with 6/7 from two-point range. The 26-year-old point guard Deishuan Booker led his team’s offense with 13 points and 10 assists, another double-double. Moreover, the former Boston Celtics guard James Young, who last played with Kolossos Rodi, added 14 points.

Celebration Time#insieme #ForzaOlimpia #OlimpiaMilano pic.twitter.com/BzS5fxBzxu

— Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) October 1, 2023

Virtus Bologna started the LBA with a win as well

Milano wasn’t the only EuroLeague participant from Italy who struggled in its opening LBA night, as Virtus Bologna beat Givova Scafati 81-75 after a long battle on the road.

After being named MVP of the Italian Supercup in Brescia, Tornike Shengelia was once again decisive for Luca Banchi’s team, scoring 21 points with 7 rebounds. “It’s always very tough to play in Scafati, but we wanted to come out very seriously. We want to build on this, we’re gonna try to keep mistakes”, the Georgian said. Daniel Hackett added 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists for the black-and-white side.

The home side saw Jack Nunge scoring 16 points with 7 rebounds in his first-ever professional game in Europe, while the 40-year-old David Logan had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Coming back to LBA after one year in the Italian second division, Alessandro Gentile had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

2023-24 LBA – Round 1 results

Dolomiti Energia Trentino – Vanoli Cremona 91-84
Reyer Venezia – Bertram Yachts Derthona Tortona 76-60
Germani Brescia – Carpegna Prosciutto Pesaro 81-79
Banco di Sardegna Dinamo Sassari – GeVi Napoli 90-111
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano – NutriBullet Treviso 86-80
Givova Scafati – Virtus Bologna 75-81
Openjobmetis Varese – Estra Pistoia (04/10 at 19:30 CET)
Happy Casa Brindisi – UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia (04/10 at 20:30 CET)

PHOTO CREDIT: Olimpia Milano

The post Shavon Shields gave Milano the tough win against Treviso appeared first on Eurohoops.

Following Jrue Holiday’s departure from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Boston Celtics, another piece of the puzzle gets inserted in today’s NBA movements.

As reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, in fact, the point guard Cameron Payne agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he will find the newcomer Damian Lillard, who recently joined Giannis Antetokounmpo and teammates.

In the 2022-23 season with the Phoenix Suns, Cameron Payne averaged 10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, shooting 41.5% from the field. This was his fourth straight year with the franchise from Arizona.

Drafted with the 15th overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, the now 28-year-old guard also played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before moving to Phoenix. During his eight-year professional career, he also wore the jerseys of the Oklahoma Blue, Windy City Bulls, and Texas Legends in the G-League, while playing two games in China with the Shanxi Loongs in the 2019-20 season.

Free agent guard Cam Payne has agreed on a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/va0ErtdVve

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 1, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The post Cameron Payne agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks appeared first on Eurohoops.

At the end of the 2022-23 season, Cholet Basket couldn’t surely celebrate after losing the opportunity to win the first-ever trophy in the French club’s history since 2010, coming up short in the 2023 FIBA Europe Cup Final against Anwil Wloclawek. However, now they have a reason to be happy.

After getting the upper hand first against Telenet Giants Antwerp and then over Pallacanestro Varese, the French side beat Happy Casa Brindisi 80-69 to officially advance to the 2023-24 Basketball Champions League Regular Season, coming back to the competition after three years.

Neal Sako led his team in scoring with 19 points and 9/12 from the field, helped by the veteran Vojtech Hruban, who added 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. On the losing end, JaJuan Johnson went close to a double-double with 13 points and 7 boards, while Jamel Morris scored 15 points.

Beating the Italian side, Cholet Basket reached Group C in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season with Darussafaka, Lenovo Tenerife, and VEF Riga. Previously in the Qualification Rounds, SIG Strasbourg and Benfica also joined the Regular Season respectively in Group E and Group G.

The groups for the 2023-2024 #BasketballCL 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩! pic.twitter.com/ZNdwSQ3mlA

— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) July 5, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League

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Pushing late in the game to come back with a 25-7 run in the fourth quarter, Zalgiris Kaunas managed to beat Pieno Žvaigždės 78-68 with a great performance by Laurynas Birutis, who came off the bench for a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The green-and-white side, which will begin the EuroLeague season on the road against Virtus Bologna on Thursday, had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists from the newcomer Nazareth Mitrou-Long. The 24-year-old Danielius Lavrinovičius scored 16 points in 14:49 minutes on the court. On the losing side, instead, Brandon Tabb provided 26 points and 5 steals.

With this victory, Zalgiris Kaunas remains unbeaten in the 2023-24 LKL so far next to BC Wolves, which beat BC Mazeikiai 84-74 on Saturday with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists from the 2023 FIBA World Cup Latvian sensation Arturs Zagars.

16 minutes = double-double! pic.twitter.com/vHVcrA6R0t

— BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) October 1, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Zalgiris Kaunas

The post Zalgiris Kaunas beat Pieno Žvaigždės with a late effort appeared first on Eurohoops.

There couldn’t be a better way to open the domestic league season, as the yellow-and-blue side dismantled the newcomer Cagdas Bodrumspor with a 37-point margin (95-58).

Preparing for the first game of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season at home against Olimpia Milano, Fenerbahce won the first official game of the BSL season with 17 points from its highest-scorer Tyler Dorsey.

Other notable performances came from the hands of Yam Madar, who went close to a double-double with 7 points and 12 assists, and Nigel Hayes, who had the usual all-around performance with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. On the losing side, Dominic Artis had 17 points and 6 rebounds.

Earlier in the day in Turkey, Darussafaka beat Besiktas thanks to a clutch buzzer-beater by Kyle Allman, who ended with 13 points. On the black-and-white team, the former ASVEL guard Jonah Mathews had 16 points in the losing effort. David Efianayi, instead, led Petkim Spor to the win against Pinar Karsiyaka with 23 points and 5 rebounds.

Kyle Allman (@kyleallmanjr) wishes you guys a great Sunday with his clutch buzzer-beater to beat Besiktas. So hyped to see him at work in the Basketball Champions League with Darussafaka.pic.twitter.com/PhFEa1tcbd

— Cesare Milanti (@cesaremilanti) October 1, 2023

BSL 2023-24 – Round 1 results:

Manisa – Bahcesehir 90-88
Merkezefendi – Galatasaray 77-93
Tofas Bursa – Samsunspor 104-91
Anadolu Efes – Büyükçekmece 89-78
Turk Telekom Ankara – Bursaspor 72-68
Petkim Spor – Pinar Karsiyaka 81-69
Darussafaka – Besiktas 64-61
Fenerbahce – Cagdas Bodrumspor 95-58

PHOTO CREDIT: Fenerbahce’s X profile

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According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Jrue Holiday has been traded to the Boston Celtics from the Portland Trail Blazers, where he recently moved as part of the big package that saw Damian Lillard heading to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The NBA market expert also stated that “The Celtics are trading Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, 2024 GSW 1st, 2029 unprotected BOS first to the Blazers”, and that “The Celtics were among the teams at very top of Holiday’s wish list in recent days and expectation is Celtics are eager to retain him long-term, sources said. Holiday has a year left on the deal. Boston beat out several teams in both conferences with a significant trade package”.

In the 2022-23 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, the former Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans player had 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, shooting 47.9% from the field and 85.9% at the charity stripe.

With the Milwaukee Bucks, the 33-year-old American guard won the 2021 NBA Championship. He also won the 2020 Olympic Games alongside Kevin Durant with USA Basketball in Tokyo.

BREAKING: The Portland Trail Blazers are trading guard Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/rOx1Hpwcpk

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2023

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

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Speaking on Bayern Munich’s official website – full interview here – ahead of the second game in the Bundesliga and the EuroLeague debut against ALBA Berlin at home, Pablo Laso commented on the first months on the Bavarian bench.

After getting the first win of his new adventure – beating Syntainics MBC 96-87 with 16 points from Leandro Bolmaro, one of Bayern Munich’s new faces – following 11 years at Real Madrid, the Spanish head coach is living a new life in Germany.

Talking about the growth of basketball there, Pablo Laso is optimistic. “I’ve known Marko Pesic and his whole family for decades, and we have a very good relationship”, he first talked about his connection with Marko Pesic. “From the first day I talked to him about Bayern, I felt like we had the same vision. Also, it seems like the ideal moment: German basketball is on the rise, not only because of the World Cup win but also because the league has improved significantly. It was as if something inside me said that I was making the right choice”, he went on to add about the basketball culture in the country.

Touching on the World Cup victory by Gordie Herbert’s national team, the legendary EuroLeague figure had nothing but great words. “The Germans have fantastic players who have gone through tremendous development. In addition, Gordon Herbert has put together a perfect mix. The Germans had the patience required to win the World Cup. Last year, they lost to Spain in the semifinals of the European Championship, a strong game they could have won. But nobody panicked. They waited and knew they were now competitive”, he said on the German national team which brought gold medals home.

Having three World Champions (Isaac Bonga, Andreas Obst, and Niels Giffey) on his team, expectations may rise. But Pablo Laso isn’t worried about it. “Expectations must always be high at FC Bayern. We want to be competitive from day one. We want to be angry when we lose and happy when we win. At the same time, we also need the right perspective for the future. And that’s something you have to work on day by day. My goal is to have a team where everyone feels that giving their best every day is essential”, the 55-year-old also added.

During the interview, Pablo Laso also talked about the importance people gave to results. “I definitely want to win every game. But we all know it’s impossible. In Madrid, there were times when we won, and I wasn’t satisfied because I felt we could have done better, and sometimes we didn’t win, but I was still very satisfied. Results are very important; they are a part of our lives. However, I consider it shortsighted to think that victories are the most important thing. Rather, I want to mold my players so that I can say: We may not have won every trophy, and yet the time we spent together was a gain”, the former Real Madrid head coach stated.

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Deandre Ayton appeared to be quite excited upon entering his new locker room spot at the Portland Trail Blazers gym following his trade from the Phoenix Suns.

“I feel like I just got drafted,” Ayton said in a video posted by the Blazers.

Ayton was actually drafted by the Suns with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018. He spent the next five years in Phoenix and was getting ready for his sixth season with the team until the biggest blockbuster trade of the 2023 offseason happened and he found himself switching clubs.

The three-team deal that sent Blazers superstar Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks also involved the Suns and Ayton, now a Portland resident.  The 25-year-old big man will be called to assume a substantial, maybe even leadership role in his new team after five productive years in Phoenix

“They need a Dominayton so I’m up in the building man,” Ayton was saying while walking through the Blazers’ facilities.

“I’m so glad to be here,” he added.

Ayton had a productive run with the Suns but didn’t actually develop into the player that the club was expecting from a No. 1 overall pick. Over five years, he averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds in 30.6 minutes over 303 regular season games, along with 15.9 points and 9.7 rebounds in 33.7 minutes over 44 playoff appearances.

The post Deandre Ayton: “I feel like I just got drafted” appeared first on Eurohoops.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum stated that if his career leads him back to Europe one day, then his former team Partizan Belgrade will likely be the only club that he’ll consider signing with.

Let me say right now, if I ever return to Europe, Partizan is the first option, and probably the only one,” Exum said to Mozzart Sport.

After spending his debut season in Europe with EuroLeague powerhouse Barcelona, Exum joined Partizan for 2022-23 and his game reached new heights. The Australian player averaged 13.2 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds, thriving at the point guard position under Zeljko Obradovic and being a pivotal member of a team that came one game away from making the Final Four, falling 2-3 to powerhouse Real Madrid in a dramatic series.

“[Obradovic] wanted me to be a playmaker, which of course I immediately liked,” Exum said. “I wanted that challenge, that responsibility. I knew I could help with the ball in my hands. However, my wishes are one thing, the coach decides and he saw me in that position and showed his trust in me. I have to thank him for that. During the season, we talked a lot about responsibilities and the details that are needed for a playmaker. He wanted to hear my opinion and what I would do in a certain situation. It would be an exchange of opinions that helped me a lot, and ultimately helped the team as well.”

Before returning to the NBA by signing with the Mavericks, Exum helped Partizan win the ABA League championship title. It was the club’s first since 2014.

“I still occasionally remember some scenes during the season that I experienced with Partizan,” Exum mentioned.” It was a period that won’t be forgotten. I already talked to my teammates in Dallas, I told them that it’s an experience that every basketball payer must experience. The atmosphere created by Partizan fans is unimaginable. That passion in Europe, the fight on the court, the camaraderie that was created, the overall incredible connection with the club. It was like a dream.”

The post Dante Exum: If I return to Europe, Partizan is probably the only option appeared first on Eurohoops.

The Spanish Basketball Federation and Municipality of Valencia have officially applied to host one of the four 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. Spain is one of the national teams that will compete in the Olympic Qualifiers for a spot in Paris.

Greece has also submitted its own bid to host a Qualifying Tournament.

Spain has consistently participated in the Olympic Games since 2000 primarily by getting automatic qualification due to ranking high in FIBA tournaments. Next year, they will play in the Qualifiers after finishing 9th in the FIBA World Cup and seventh among European national teams.

Apart from Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Montenegro, Greece, Georgia, Finland, Croatia, Poland, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Bahamas, Egypt, Angola, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, New Zealand, Lebanon, the Philippines and Bahrain will participate in the Olympic Qualifiers. Each Qualifying Tournament will feature six countries and only four out of the 24 national teams will manage to advance to the Olympic Games.

2024 Olympic Games host France, newly crowned world champion Germany, World Cup finalist Serbia, bronze medal winner Canada and fourth-placed Team USA have already booked their ticket, along with South Sudan, Japan and Australia.

The post Spain officially applies to host a 2024 Olympic Qualifiying Tournament appeared first on Eurohoops.

Greece parted ways with head coach Dimitris Itoudis after the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and Vassilis Spanoulis is expected to replace him at the helm of the National Team, as reported by Sport24.

It is believed that the official announcement will be made on Monday.

After finishing the World Cup in 15th place, Greece and Itoudis decided to go their separate ways. After just a year as head coach of Peristeri (his first solo position apart from leading the EuroLeague Under-18 Next Generation Select Team), the Olympiacos legend will reportedly take over the Greek NT.

The collaboration, that both sides are excited for, is expected to last for the next two years, covering the 2024 Olympic Games if they qualify from the Pre-Olympic tournament, as well as EuroBasket 2025.

The post Spanoulis reportedly to be announced as Greek NT coach on Monday appeared first on Eurohoops.

After a surprising loss to Murcia, Baskonia got back on the right track with a convincing 92-72 win over Bilbao in front of 15,500 fans at the first match in Fernando Buesa Arena of the new season.

Marcus Howard led the way with 16 points, while Chima Moneke added 14 points, Nikos Rogkavopoulos 13. Vanja Marinkovic also finished in double digits with 11 points, as Khalifa Diop was on the verge of a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.

For Bilbao, Tryggvi Hlinason scored 13 points with eight boards, Kristian Kullamae added 12, and Adam Smith 11 points.

Big win for Valencia in Malaga

After a loss in the opener against Girona, Valencia first defeated Tenerife on the road, and now recorded another big win over Unicaja in Malaga – 76-82.

Former NBA and Virtus Bologna player Semi Ojeleye led the winning side with 19 points, while Chris Jones added 15.

Kendrick Perry’s 23 points weren’t enough for the hosts. Dylan Osetkowski followed him with 13, Nihad Djedovic with 12 and Jonathan Barreiro with 10 points

The post Baskonia cruised past Bilbao, Valencia wins in Malaga appeared first on Eurohoops.

Crvena Zvezda revamped the squad during the summer, signed 10 new players, and started the 2023/24 season with a convincing 81:63 win over Igokea in Laktaši.

Mike Tobey led the way for Dusko Ivanovic’s squad with 19 points and eight rebounds, scoring majority in the second half. Former Baskonia player Rokas Giedraitis added 12 points, Dalibori Ilic 11, while Luka Mitrovic finished with 10. Milos Teodosic had seven assists, but only four points on his debut.

For the Basketball Champions League Regular Season participants Igokea, Nikola Tanaskovic was on the verge of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Marko Jeremic had 15 points, all from beyond the arc, shooting 5/8 for three.

The first half was tough, with both teams making a bunch of fouls, so the players started making regular trips to the free throw line already after three minutes in the second period. Zvezda stayed in front thanks to Giedraitis heroics, who scored 11 points in the first 20 minutes, including a buzzer beater triple at halftime.

Mike Tobey than took matters into his own hands, scoring seven points in a row to open the third period, capitan Branko Lazic added couple of triples, and Zvezda pulled away, grabbing 66-45 lead after 30 minutes of play. Soon in the final period, it was all over.

Photo: ABA League/Igokea/Marija Vuruna

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What a game from Olympiacos in the first Greek derby of the season. The Piraeus side crushed arch-rivals Panathinaikos in Greek Super Cup final with a whooping 75-51 final score.

Olympiacos had a historic 27-0 run in the first 20 minutes, to end the half with a huge 37-11 lead. Panathinaikos improved after the break, but couldn’t threaten the Georgios Bartzokas’ squad advantage.

Giannoulis Larentzakis led the winning side to the first trophy of the season with 20 points. Isaiah Canaan added 12 points, while Nikola Milutinov and captain Kostas Papanikolaou also scored in double figuers, with 10 points each.

For Panathinaikos, only Juancho Hernangomez with 15, Jerian Grant with 14 and Kostas Sloukas with nine points and six rebounds were up to the task.

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After defeating Jonava in quarterfinals and Nes Ziona in semifinals, SIG Strasbourg defeated Obradoiro 82-78 in a decisive match and advanced to the Basketball Champions League Regular Season.

The French side will join Regular Season Group E, alongside Pinar Karsiyaka, Filou Oostende and EWE Baskets Oldenburg.

Quinton Hooker led the winning side with 18 points, while Phil Bootk added 17. Paul Lacombe finished with 12, while Leo Cavalier added 11, with six rebounds for a team-high PIR of 18.

𝐮𝐩𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 🪜#BasketballCL | @sigstrasbourg x @Philb_5 pic.twitter.com/NQmnFpCM0p

— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) September 30, 2023

Tres Trinkle was the best in the Spanish team with 16 points, Thomas Scrubb added 14, while Artem Pustovyi also finished in double digits with 10 points.

Photo: fiba.basketball

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