MIES (Switzerland) - Here we go: Season X of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL started on Tuesday, with unmissable action already starting from the afternoon as the first five games delivered.
Important wins came for Galatasaray MCT Technic and Rytas Vilnius, but Jerrick Harding's horrifying injury had the packed stands holding their breath in Lithuania.
Galatasaray MCT Technic 94-82 Igokea m:tel
We all remember what Fabian White Jr. used to do with Manisa Basket in 2024-25, don't we? From now on, get used to seeing that type of dominance on the red-and-yellow side of Istanbul as well.
The American forward delivered 19 of his 26 points (6-of-8 from deep) in the first half against Igokea m:tel, with the whole team following his guidance.
Ultimately, last season's runners-up won 94-82 in front of their beloved fans, always being in full and comfortable control.
James Palmer Jr. (18 points), Errick McCollum (13 points, 8-of-8 FT), and Will Cummings (11 points and 5 assists) joined the party, too.
"Very good teams, very good rosters, and very good organizations have attended BCL this season. But our goal is the same. [...] I hope and I believe we will achieve the goal of getting to the Final Four. We will go to the Final Four again, and this season, we will be ready for the Final," head coach Yakup Sekizkok said.
Breein Tyree had his usual brilliant performance, introducing himself to Igokea m:tel fans with 23 points and 8 assists.
Rytas Vilnius 93-85 Legia Warszawa
Mixed feelings for Rytas Vilnius following their first win of the season in front of the usual rocking crowd: Giedrius Zibenas' team beat Legia Warszawa 93-85, but they are now concerned about Jerrick Harding's condition.
The American guard, who still finished as the team's top scorer with 20 points in just 19:55 of playing time, landed roughly on his neck following a dunk attempt at 5:15 to go in the third stanza, and left the court.
"I was right there under the basket when it happened. The first thing I did was pray. My message to him is that we're all with you and I pray that he'll be back in no time," teammate Jordan Walker said after the game.
Despite their key guard missing the clutch minutes, the Lithuanians still escaped with a victory.
Walker (17 points) and Gytis Radzevicius (13 points and 6 rebounds) stepped up to save the day.
For the Polish champions, Jayvon Graves had 23 points and 8 assists against his former team, while Andrzej Pluta added 20 points.
Fitness First Würzburg Baskets 78-63 Pallacanestro Trieste
Everybody was expecting Pallacanestro Trieste to have a strong start to their first BCL Regular Season campaign, delivering high-tempo basketball with Israel Gonzalez on the sideline.
Instead, for the second straight season, it looks like it won't be easy to emerge victorious on the road against Fitness First Würzburg Baskets. They made things complicated for the Italians, picking up a 78-63 win: they slowed the pace, imposed their own rhythm, and eventually limited Trieste's hot offensive sources.
Davion Mintz (24 points) and Marcus Carr (14 points and 6 assists) shone.
Nobody scored in double-digits for Trieste except for Jahmi'us Ramsey (18 points).
Promitheas Patras BC Vikos Cola 89-83 MLP Academics Heidelberg
There couldn't have been a better start to Season X for Promitheas Patras BC Vikos Cola, which went up by 23 points (36-13) just a couple of minutes into the second quarter in Greece against MLP Academics Heidelberg.
Following that 19-0 relentless scoring run, the German side tried to recover and almost completed a miracle comeback, but it wasn't enough: Promitheas prevailed 89-83 at the final buzzer, grabbing the first win of the Regular Season in Group A.
The Greeks out-rebounded the opponents 46-32.
It was a backcourt head-to-head, with guards Rob Gray (20 points, 3-of-6 from deep) and DJ Horne (22 points) leading their respective teams in scoring.
"Time really waits for no man. This is the first time I've been the oldest player on a team, and naturally, I'm very demanding. I'm very blunt and straightforward," Gray commented.
"I just try always to hold guys to a higher standard and push them to want the best version of themselves, not just because I say it but because it's best for them, their careers, their family, and ultimately it helps us all because winning is what we're here for," he added.
ERA Nymburk 93-65 BC Sabah
No Francesco Tabellini, no party for ERA Nymburk? Well, not for Season X opening week, as the Czech powerhouse created separation between second and third quarters to escape with the 93-65 win over BC Sabah.
Oren Amiel's team struggled to make an impact early into the game, but their bigger experience made the difference against the Azeri newcomers, who were out-smarted 13-3 in steals. Nymburk had 17 points off Sabah's turnovers, and they also out-scored Sabah 21-6 in fast-break points.
"First of all, it's nice to be back after four years: it's a good start for the comeback. It was overwhelming to see the fans' faces again. We want to thank everybody who came here today to push us. It's a good start, it's a good win, and we have something to build on," Amiel - the 2019-20 BCL Coach of the Season - commented after the win.
Last season's Cinderella were led by Sir' Jabari Rice (22 points) and Marcus Santos Silva (10 points and 11 rebounds). Sabah's Hassani Gravett had 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in the loss.
"We were too soft, too slow, but it's the first time in history that an Azeri team has played Basketball Champions League, so for sure some of our players are not ready to do this. It's a good lesson for us, and once more, congratulations to Nymburk. We will look to the next game," Sabah's head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis said.