Baskonia ended an eight-game losing streak with this high-octane victory, improving their season record to 10 wins and 24 losses. Hapoël, despite the defeat, now stands at 20 wins and 13 losses, maintaining their firm position in fifth place and remaining strong contenders for the playoffs.
Trent Forrest was the top scorer for the winning side with 22 points. He was well supported by Mamadou Diakite, who added 15 points, Kobe Simmons with 14, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot contributing 13. A remarkable seven players for Baskonia reached double-digit scoring. For Hapoël, Elijah Bryant led their efforts with an impressive 26 points, followed by Dan Oturu with 21, and Antonio Blakeney with 19.
The first 20 minutes of the game were historic, setting a new record for the highest cumulative points scored by two teams in a single half since official tracking began in the 2007-2008 season. A staggering 131 points were tallied (Baskonia led 67-64), eclipsing the previous record of 125 points set by AS Monaco and Paris Basketball earlier this season. As anticipated after such an explosive start, both offenses slowed down in the third quarter. However, Baskonia intensified its defensive efforts, gradually widening the gap to secure a nine-point victory by the final whistle.
“We just needed to get a few defensive stops,” explained Trent Forrest regarding the shift in momentum. “It was the most prolific scoring first half – we both had over 60 points at halftime – so we just needed to get a few defensive stops to be in a good position to win.”
