PAOK defeated Hapoel Jerusalem on their home court by 79:77, thus maintaining a perfect record in the FIBA Champions League.
This was a clash between two teams that had a perfect record with 2 wins and no losses coming into this round. Tonight, the players coached by Fotis Takianos demonstrated better performance and emerged victorious.
We witnessed a highly suspenseful first half, where the home team had a lead of +7 at one point. However, the halftime score favored the home team at 39:35.
Nevertheless, it was not to be expected that the visiting team would surrender. They played a very solid defense, found effective solutions in the offense, and managed to tie the score twice. However, that was all they could achieve, and in the end, PAOK emerged victorious with a final score of 79:77.
The top scorer for the home team was Kendall Smith with 16 points, while Michael Gilmore had a solid performance with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Levi Randolph led the losing team with 19 points.
In the next round, the PAOK team will host Benfica, while Hapoel Jerusalem will be visiting Galatasaray in Istanbul.
In another clash of undefeated teams, the Strasbourg team hosted Pinar Karsiyaka and managed to secure a convincing win by 80:65.
In the remaining three games tonight, the home teams secured victories as well. Hapoel Holon defeated Breogan with a score of 84:79. In this match, Hapoel Holon was considered the home team only ‘on paper,’ as the Israeli team plays its matches in the capital of Latvia, Riga. This was the second-round match, and Hapoel now has a 2-0 record, while the Spanish team stands at 1-2.
Oostende defeated Oldenburg by 88:83, securing their first victory, while Tortona triumphed over Igokea by 91:84, maintaining an undefeated record of 3:0.