MIES (Switzerland) - Do we already have one of the clutchest road teams in Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL? Because Elan Chalon look exactly like it.
After beating ALBA BERLIN in Germany, the French side did it again against ERA Nymburk, one of last season's sensations in the BCL.
ERA Nymburk 95-97 Elan Chalon
Chalon had an early upset in the BCL Regular Season by taking down ALBA on the road in the German capital. One week later, they repeated their feat in Czechia, hosted by Nymburk.
They needed two overtimes to bring the 97-95 victory home, but they eventually went up 2-0 in Group B.
It was a crazy game, which Chalon almost won in regulation with Jeremiah Hill (18 points) scoring another three off the dribble with six seconds to go.
However, Sir' Jabari Rice (24 points) forced the first overtime as time expired in the fourth.
In the second OT, Nate Darling (17 points) demonstrated his long-range capabilities by sinking two clutch three-pointers. Ondrej Sehnal reduced the gap at 97-95 with 36 seconds to go, but that's as close as Nymburk got.
Zac Cuthbertson (20 points) and Lionel Gaudoux (8 points and 10 rebounds) also contributed to Chalon's win.
"We are all fighting for each other. This team, we are talking about the team. Indivdual players who are playing one for each other and that's our biggest strength. We have a lot of work to do, but that's why we are in all the games and we are fighting. Even when we are in trouble we find a way to be there anyway," coach Elric Delord said.
Marcus Santos Silva had his second consecutive double-double, delivering a monster night at the glass with 15 points and 19 rebounds.
That was the second-highest number of rebounds in a single game, trailing only Dave Dudzinski's 22 rebounds from 2019.
VEF Riga 73-92 Patrioti Levice
If you're a Slovakian basketball fan, go out there and celebrate this historic night: Patrioti Levice beat VEF Riga 92-73 in Latvia, conquering the first-ever victory in the BCL by a Slovakian side.
After entering the competition through the Qualifiers, they surprised everybody once again thanks to a huge start of the second half, where they produced a 14-0 run, which extended their lead to 57-42 with 4:47 in the third.
Forcing the Latvians to their second straight loss at home, Patrioti were propelled mainly by Andre Wesson Jr. (19 points, 5-of-6 from deep) and by Rickey McGill, who almost had a triple-double at 22 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds.
"I will not only speak about the second half, as the first half was also a lot of gambling. A lot of things where we risked over helping from the shooters. Totally disrespectful to the game plan," head coach Martins Gulbis said.
"I will take it on myself. We need to keep working. It's unacceptable to play like this at home."
Zahir Porter (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists), Arnaldo Toro (11 points and 11 rebounds), and the 2007-born Adrians Andzevs (10 points over 4-of-6 from the field) all had good individual performances despite the defeat.
Hapoel Netanel Holon 65-81 Joventut Badalona
Everybody was waiting for Ricky Rubio to display the best version of himself once he announced he would return to wearing those long-missed black-and-green stripes. Tuesday was the right moment.
Inspiring Joventut Badalona's 81-65 road victory over Hapoel Netanel Holon, the Spanish magician led his team in scoring with 14 points in only 14:40 minutes of playing time.
There's also a reason why we have included Ante Tomic among our candidates in the MVP Race, as the Croatian delivered 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 5-of-9 from the field.
Henri Drell (14 points and 6 rebounds) and Adam Hanga (11 points and 7 rebounds) were also effective in their team's second straight win.
"This was an emotional game for me; it was my first opportunity to play in Hungary. I've been playing outside Hungary for the past 15 years. So, for me, it was the first opportunity to play as the visiting team, so it was nice to see all my friends and family over there."
Derrick Walton Jr. had a 14-point losing effort for the Israeli side.
Fitness First Würzburg Baskets 70-68 Igokea m:tel
When Davion Mintz knocked down the three-pointer to give Fitness First Würzburg Baskets a 68-62 lead with two minutes to go, everybody was expecting the hosts to finish it off in control.
Instead, Igokea m:tel demonstrated once again why nothing can be written before the final buzzer in the BCL, and tied following six straight points scored by Nighael Ceaser (15 points and 6 rebounds).
The Germans needed one of their leaders to step up, and Marcus Carr (12 points and 5 assists) drove to the basket to win it at 70-68 with a soft touch off the glass.
Five Würzburg players finished in double-digits, including the leading scorer Johnathan Stove at 13 points.
"Very grateful we got the win today, protecting our home. Igokea came out, credit to them, more physical than us. They stopped us from executing a lot of our sets. They had a lot of time to scout and you could tell based on how they made us adjust our rhythm," Mintz commented.
Breein Tyree had 12 points in a tough shooting night, ending at 2-of-9 from beyond the arc.
This was one of the most balanced games of the night, which saw the hosts improving to a 2-0 record in Group E. Waiting for Pallacanestro Trieste to host Galatasaray MCT Technic, things aren't looking easy for Igokea at 0-2.
Bursaspor Basketbol 72-84 Cholet Basket
While Badalona enjoy the top of Group C with a 2-0 record, Cholet Basket managed to grab their first win of the season and reach Holon at 1-1 following a successful road trip in Türkiye.
Bursaspor Basketbol proved they were ready for the challenge in the first half, which featured 10 lead changes in an eventful and back-and-forth fashion.
However, the remaining two stanzas saw Cholet run away, eventually claiming the 84-72 win away from home by scoring 46 points in the paint.
Most of their scoring contribution came from the bench, with non-starters Chibuzo Agbo and Daylen Kountz combining for 30 points.
Bryant Crawford (19 points over 7-of-9 from the field) and Landry Nnoko (13 points and 13 rebounds) weren't enough for the green-and-white Crocodiles.