MUNICH (Germany) - Bahcesehir College and NINERS Chemnitz lock horns over two legs in the 2024 FIBA Europe Cup Finals, to complete the ninth season of the competition's history.

Turkish side Bahcesehir have been here before following their 2022 triumph, while NINERS have had an impressive run to their first European Finals appearance.

The champions will be crowned in Istanbul on Wednesday, April 24, but the first leg will take place in the German city of Chemnitz on Wednesday, April 17.

NINERS Chemnitz v Bahcesehir College

Form guide: NINERS come into the Finals with a 14-2 record in the competition this season having won their first 10 games. The German club were particularly strong in brushing aside Casademont Zaragoza by 50 points in the Quarter-Finals before another dominant victory over Spanish opposition saw them defeat Surne Bilbao Basket by 25 points in the first leg of the Semi-Finals.

As for Bahcesehir, they have a 13-3 record in FIBA Europe Cup action this season having put together an 11-game winning run. However, they had to come from behind in both the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals - relying on their dominant form at home to pull them through. 

Domestically, NINERS are enjoying a big season with their 22-5 record in the German BBL putting them in second spot behind Bayern Munich, while Bahcesehir in contrast have a 10-16 record in the Turkish top-flight in the bottom half of the league standings.

Key matchup: There are some fascinating battles all over the court including Canadian teammates Phil Scrubb and Kaza Kajami-Keane locking horns. How much control will the NINERS backcourt have? Can they limit the impact of Jerry Boutsiele in the paint? Another interesting viewpoint will be in the wings with in-form duo of Jeff Garrett and Axel Bouteille taking on different roles for their respective sides.

X-factor: 91.4 PPG plays 90.3 PPG. NINERS have the slight edge in the matchup of the top-two scoring teams in the competition - also ranking just ahead in rebounds and assists averages. But Bahcesehir have been the best three-point shooting team all season, with 11.3 makes per game on average at 41-percent. Neither side can afford to let the other get hot, and that could well prove to be the difference - as they say, defense wins Championships.

Did you know? Phil Scrubb was part of the Fraport Skyliners roster that became the first-ever champions of FIBA Europe Cup in the inaugural 2015-16 season, while teammates Tony Taylor (Enisey) and Axel Bouteille (Chalon) played against each other in the Third Place Game.

German Jonas Richter has played for NINERS Chemnitz through the junior ranks to the senior level having been part of the club's rise to the top-flight BBL, whilst making a Senior national team debut in 2023.

FIBA