Bonn defeated Peristeri on their home court by 89:78 in the first game of the FIBA Champions League quarterfinals.
We witnessed an evenly matched first half, with neither team managing to establish a significant lead, leading to a halftime score of 45:44 in favor of the German team. The crucial period of this game was the third quarter, where Bonn surged ahead by 13 points (73:60). Vassilis Spanoulis‘ team attempted a comeback in the final quarter, but the home team calmly closed out the game.
The top scorers for Bonn were Sam Griesel and Noah Kirkwood, each with 19 points. Elijah Mitrou-Long stood out for the visiting team with 22 points, while Jermaine Love also contributed with 13 points. Joe Ragland, the top player for the Greek team, had a slightly off night, scoring 9 points while shooting 4/14 from the field.
In the FIBA Champions League, the quarterfinals are played in a two-game series, and the defending champions will seek to secure their spot in the semifinals next Wednesday.
In the first game of the day, Murcia convincingly defeated Ludwigsburg by 98:72, taking a 1-0 lead in the quarterfinal series.
Right from the first quarter, Murcia demonstrated why they are considered the heavy favorite in this matchup. They won the quarter 27:14, building a comfortable lead early on. Ludwigsburg managed to put up some resistance only in the second quarter, where they won the period 19:17. However, Murcia continued to extend their lead in the second half, leaving Ludwigsburg with no chance of a comeback, resulting in a very convincing win for the home team.
Rodions Kurucs led Murcia to win with 18 points, shooting a perfect 8/8 from the field. Marko Todorovic also had an impressive performance with 17 points, while Nemanja Radovic contributed 11 points. Jayvon Graves led the visitors with 16 points, while Desure Buie finished the game with 11 points.
The rematch between Murcia and Ludwigsburg will take place next Tuesday in Germany.
Good job for @UCAMMurcia and @TelekomBaskets ✅ pic.twitter.com/d9EuFTgrUO
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) April 3, 2024