MIES (Switzerland) - Tuesday night gifted us five games full of action and different protagonists to start the week in the Regular Season of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
Wednesday followed with a three-clash menu, and didn't disappoint either. Frank Bartley's return, a very first win at home for a Polish powerhouse, and the 2023 Champs staying focused. Stay with us to find out more.
AEK survived a starting Zoltan Perl
Some things are simply inevitable. Zoltan Perl coming off the bench for Falco Vulcano Szombathely was one of them, everyone thought. Hosting AEK BC on Wednesday night, however, the Hungarians changed the script.
Falco's captain dropped 18 points as a starter - his first start after 31 consecutive BCL games off the bench - but even this wasn't enough to contain AEK BC's desire for revenge following their most recent defeat to Windrose Giants Antwerp.
The Queen prevailed, 72-66.
Frank Bartley returned from injury to immediately make an impact, contributing to AEK's road win with 15 points and 5 assists. Not only that; this game ended up being remarkable for the MVP of Season X.
Barley entered the competition's history books, once again. He overcame the 350-point mark in 19 BCL games, the only two players reaching that mark faster than him were none other than AEK legends:
Kevin Punter, 18 games
Keith Langford, 18 games
Meanwhile, Perl also wrote another iconic chapter of his memorable career in the competition, becoming the sixth different player to reach the 1000-point club.
He has also improved his double-digit scoring record to 22 overall games.
After this result, Group C is split evenly: Antwerp and AEK share the top at 2-1, while Salon Vilpas and Falco follow at 1-2.
Such a balanced four-game gathering where everything can happen!
Legia finally on the winning end in Warszawa
Usually, they say that playing in front of their own fans is a concrete advantage. But there are always exceptions to rules, and Legia Warszawa's performances at home in the BCL have proved it.
Entering Wednesday's clash, the Polish side were 0-6 when playing in Torwar Arena.
For the first time at home in Season 11, they broke their losing streak by getting a signature 79-72 win over Galatasaray MCT Technic, fueled by 4,407 fans in the stands!
Arguster Daniels flirted with a triple-double with 17 points - 7 of those in the 4Q - 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. He keeps on being a scoring factor, scoring in double figures for the fifth straight game across all competitions.
Once again, Galatasaray not only had to go up against their opponents, but themselves too. The Turkish side lacked consistency over the 40 minutes, heavily losing both the second (20-11) and fourth (26-14) quarters.
That's one aspect Manuchar Markoishvili will have to stress to his players, especially if they want to keep building as contenders in 2026-27.
This was their fourth consecutive road defeat in the competition.
Legia's victory was also crafted on a fantastic performance by Zach Freemantle, who had a breakout night with 23 points on 10-of-14 2FG. It was a hell of a battle with Chimezie Metu, who had 24 points and 9 rebounds.
Home sweet (Telekom) Dome for Bonn
While Legia were coming off a difficult stretch in front of their fans in Warszawa, Telekom Baskets Bonn approached their third clash in Season 11 with a certainty: Telekom Dome has been the place to be for them.
After winning their previous four home games in the BCL Regular Season, the Germans made it to five by beating Bnei Penlink Herzliya 101-89 on Wednesday night. Home sweet Dome, especially when 4,046 fans keep it rocking!
It was a collective effort for Bonn, as five players finished in double digits.
However, Joel Aminu was the clear protagonist for his team, ending with a 23-point showcase on 6-of-6 from two and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
The hosts prevailed by margins of fewer than five points in their previous four home games, while they finished with a 12-point margin against the Israeli side. Spooky season's over, no more thrillers in Bonn.
Bnei Herzliya, instead, are coming off a five-game losing streak on the road in the BCL, and they have lost seven of their eight games played as guests in the BCL: seven of those eight ended with 10+ point margins.
After Asisa Joventut (3-0) picked up the road victory against FC Porto (1-2) on Tuesday, Bonn (2-1) would have home-court advantage in the Play-Ins at the moment, while Bnei Herzliya (0-3) are winless in Group H.