MIES (Switzerland) - A lot of things can happen on a five-game menu scheduled on Tuesday night in Season 11 of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
Players can instantly turn into iconic protagonists, teams can have fantastic shooting performances, clubs might live historic victories. Tuesday was all about this. Let's dive in to find out more.
Leland-less Vilpas even stronger!?
Following his masterful start to the 2026-27 season, capturing everyone's attention from Finland, Leland Walker moved to a former BCL team (Cluj-Napoca) on loan from another former BCL team (PAOK).
If one thought this meant Salon Vilpas had to say goodbye to their Regular Season ambition, however, it's in fact quite the opposite, as they managed to pick up a crucial 77-69 victory against Windrose Giants Antwerp.
They interrupted the Belgian side's 8-0 unbeaten run in all competitions, and at the same time they became the first-ever Finnish team capable of winning their debut game at home in the BCL.
Walker's offensive contribution was ultimately split among three of Vilpas' main contributors:
Karl Chavis (23 points and 5 rebounds)
Jarred Godfrey (21 points and 9 assists)
D.J. Jeffries (13 points and 11 boards)
How to explain Antwerp's offensive struggles on the road in Finland after putting up 99+ points in each of their first two outings, and averaging 102.5 across all eight games this season?
It starts with leading scorer Enoch Cheeks, who had just 4 points on 1-of-8 FG.
Lyonnais Mamba ties Basque Mamba
Every Unicaja fan will never forget how impactful and memorable was the time spent in the Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena by Dario Brizuela, the so-called Basque Mamba.
The Spanish guard, now in Barcelona, has been for years the only player scoring 15+ points in three consecutive BCL fixtures for the side from Malaga. Then, Season 11 started, and the myth of Amine Noua emerged.
Should we call him the Lyonnais Mamba, given his French origins?
One of the most underrated players in the league had 27 points (5-of-7 3FG) in the 99-94 win over Pallacanestro Reggiana, improving Brizuela's record. He also tied Brizuela for second-most points in a BCL game for Unicaja, with Kameron Taylor still at the top of the standings with 33 there.
In his first two games with Unicaja, the 29-year-old Noua had 19 (vs. Juventus Utena) and 20 (vs. BK KVIS Pardubice) points.
Unicaja also broke a record: they knocked down 19 three-pointers, their most in a single BCL game, just two short of the all-time BCL mark.
Txus Vidorreta's team picked up their 22nd consecutive home victory in the competition, and the third winning outcome against Reggiana.
Jaylen Barford's third straight game with 15+ points (22-7-4) wasn't enough for Dimitris Priftis' team, now 3rd in Group E on a 1-2 record and forced to bounce back immediately on November 17 against Juventus.
Joventut made it rain in Porto
Following a great first campaign in the BCL and an excellent 3-0 start in Season 11, one wouldn't expect Asisa Joventut to still surprise in the competition once they have now reached contender status.
Instead, they displayed another unique offensive show on Tuesday night, recording their biggest margin of victory in a BCL game on the road by beating FC Porto 81-64 in Portugal.
The Catalans have now broken their losing streak away from home in the BCL, which had lasted for four consecutive games.
Once again, Nicolas Laprovittola was decisive for Joventut, ending with 23 points on 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Overall, it was a great shooting night from deep for the winners, who finished with 16-of-30 3PTS.
"In the second quarter, I think the three-point line was one of the keys to the game. But we played, and we stuck to our ideas. This is very important: we need to persist in our ideas in our spacing, especially now that we have different rosters and different lineups," Dani Miret commented.
Porto, on the other end, got 11 points and 5 assists from Childe Dundao, but they drop to 1-2.
Strasbourg in great Hands with Difuidi
We have been talking about the best duos in the BCL, mentioning one-two punches such as Nicolas Laprovittola and Ricky Rubio for Joventut, or Ty Nichols and Jalen Finch for Peristeri Betsson.
Should we start adding Jaylen Hands and Neftali Difuidi to the list?
After all, they have been scoring in double digits for SIG Strasbourg in the last three games that turned into wins between LNB and BCL.
Things didn't change against Cibona, as the French side won 95-70, improving to 3-0 in the matchups against the Croatian side after their previous two games played in the 2016-17 season.
Hands (22 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds) and Difuidi (23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists) were once again decisive.
They became the first pair of teammates in BCL history to each record more than 20 points, more than 5 rebounds, and more than 5 assists in the same game.
Strasbourg (2-1 in Group B) have now scored 95+ points in each of their two home games in the BCL this season, their first sequence of back-to-back games at home with that many points scored.
On the losing side, still without Khalif Battle, Cibona could count on the third straight double-figure game night by Lovro Mazalin, who had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in his team's defeat.
Overtime drama in Lithuania
Group E action wasn't featured only in Malaga on Tuesday night, as Juventus and Pardubice squared off in Lithuania in a significant matchup on the road to the Play-Ins.
In a game that featured 45 minutes of action, 10 lead changes, and the two teams tied 12 times, the hosts picked up the 98-95 OT win, getting back-to-back BCL wins for the first time in 10 years.
Led by Tevian Jones' 24 points, Juventus got a great win on the road to a spot in the Play-Ins, potentially returning to such a stage after a decade of absence and the competition format changing in the meantime.
These kinds of games are probably very interesting for the spectators, but for us coaches, they’re killing our nerves. I’d like to finish in an easier way. But a win is a win, and we take it.
On the other end, things will now get difficult for Pardubice, winless at 0-3 just like the other Czech team in the Group Stage, SK Slavia Praha ERA NBK, which are yet to win in Group G.
After winning no quarters thus far in Season 11, they were on the positive end in both the second (25-19) and fourth (20-14) quarters in Vilnius Arena. However, it wasn't enough.
Robert Lee Bonham III flirted with a triple-double in his first BCL showing with Pardubice, and followed with a 30-point losing effort on 4-of-9 from beyond the arc in Lithuania.