ALL TO STOŽICE: A battle for the top of the standings against Hapoel

The Cedevita Olimpija senior team will host Hapoel Jerusalem on Tuesday at 6:30 PM in Arena Stožice as part of Round 11 of the BKT EuroCup regular season, chasing a win to return to winning ways in the EuroCup and, at the same time, a place at the top of Group A. After the away defeat in Manresa in the previous round, the Dragons are aware of the importance of the home game, which represents an opportunity for the Slovenian champions, together with their fans, to take a step toward qualification for the playoffs.

Hapoel Jerusalem arrive in Ljubljana as a high-quality and physically strong opponent, which is also reflected in the current standings in EuroCup Group A. The Israeli team sits at the very top with eight wins and just two losses, while Cedevita Olimpija and Bahçeşehir follow with an equal number of wins (7).

Cedevita Olimpija remain without Rok Radović, who is not yet ready to return to training and games, and Ognjen Jaramaz, who is still recovering from injury. The Ljubljana team will also be without Cameron Houindo for the next six weeks after he injured a metacarpal bone.

Tickets for the game are still available at half price at vstopnice.olimpija.com, and the club invites all fans to fill Arena Stožice on Tuesday evening and help the Dragons secure an important victory.

To avoid congestion in the Stožice garage, all spectators are advised to arrive in good time, at least 45 minutes earlier than usual, and to use public transport. With a game ticket, fans can ride Ljubljana public transport buses free of charge for three hours before the game and three hours after its conclusion.

If you decide to attend the game by car, please park at parking areas near Stožice (Žale I, Žale II, Žale III, Žale IV, Žale V, Kranjčeva and Gosarjeva). The garage next to Arena Stožice will be open only until its limited capacity is reached.

TICKETS:

Tickets for the game are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com, Eventim Slovenia, and at all Petrol service stations across Slovenia.

The ticket office in front of the arena and the arena doors will open from 5:30 PM. The NLB “Fast Entry” will again be available, allowing visitors who present an NLB bank card before entering the arena faster access to Arena Stožice.

GAME DAY ACTIVITIES:

On Tuesday, the action will begin even before the opening tip-off, as the fan zone in front of the arena will come alive as a true hub of socializing, games, and fan atmosphere. Fans will be able to visit the Heritage Under the Basket exhibition, organized by the club in cooperation with the Museum of Sport, the City of Ljubljana, and the Sport Ljubljana Public Institute. The youngest fans will be welcomed by our basket, where they can try their hand at shooting, enjoy coloring books, and receive a special diploma for their first attended game. Creative fans will be making banners and messages of support on A3 sheets, which they will later proudly display in the stands.

Additional entertainment will be provided by numerous prize games. Spar will invite fans to spin the wheel of fortune, Heka will host its own prize activation at its stand, and special attention will be drawn by the Pleško Cars / Renault zone. There, the youngest visitors will be able to drive electric cars on a special track, while adults will compete for the main prize – a weekend with a selected Renault R4 or R5. A new Renault will also be on display in the green ring, further enriching the experience. To top it all off, Sole Cleanic will provide shoe cleaning, and fans will also be able to take part in the “Score or not” activation.

Throughout December, the Dragons’ Nest will be collecting non-perishable food for families in need, with all donated food to be handed over to Anina zvezdica. This is the last home game of the calendar year, and all those who have not yet joined our initiative within the Dragon’s Smile project are encouraged to do so now. Volunteers in the fan zone will provide coupons for free entry to the game against Spartak, and there will also be a Dragon’s Smile corner where visitors can donate food and contribute to the charity drive.

Once the game starts, the fun will continue. Between the first and second quarters, Heka will organize a prize game in which a lucky fan will win a signed jersey. At halftime, there will be an attractive Triglav half-court shot, as well as the “Score or not” competition, adding extra excitement in the arena. In the first minute of the third-quarter break, Spar will select fans for a free-throw contest, and between the third and fourth quarters, Petrol’s ball-into-the-barrel shot will take place.

Tuesday will thus offer a complete experience – from a lively fan zone to tense moments during the game itself, with fans actively involved throughout.

TV BROADCAST:

The broadcast of the Round 11 BKT EuroCup game against Hapoel will be available on Šport TV 1. Studio coverage will begin at 5:45 PM.

PRE-GAME STATEMENTS:

“At the beginning of the season, I mentioned that Hapoel, together with Bahçeşehir and Beşiktaş, are among the three best teams in the EuroCup. I expect a very tough game. Our opponents are in good rhythm and very good form. Hapoel are well covered at all positions. Earlier in the season, we took advantage of the opportunity to surprise them and turn the game around after trailing. The game in Ljubljana will certainly be much tougher than the one in Belgrade. They have all players available and have also strengthened the power forward position. One of the best teams in the competition is coming to us, so a very difficult game awaits us,” said Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović ahead of Tuesday’s clash in Stožice.

“Hapoel are among the best teams in the EuroCup, so a demanding challenge awaits us. In the first head-to-head game, we played very well and recorded a win. We are aware that all teams improve over the course of the season, and that applies to them as well. We will need to deliver a very good performance, as a tough test awaits us, and all of us want to record another victory,” said Joseph Girard III ahead of the game against Hapoel. In the first meeting against the Israeli team, he scored nine points, and on Saturday against Bosna in Tivoli he added seven.

GAME PREVIEW:

On Tuesday, a basketball spectacle awaits us in Stožice – the top-ranked team in EuroCup Group A, Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem, are coming to face Cedevita Olimpija. After ten games in the regular season, the Israeli team has recorded eight wins and two losses. They have one more win than the Dragons and Bahçeşehir, who are tied for second place, followed by a group of four teams (Cluj, Manresa, Neptunas, Aris) with an even win-loss record after ten games.

After the loss in Manresa, Cedevita Olimpija returned to winning ways on Saturday in Tivoli with a convincing victory over Bosna (89:73). The Ljubljana team thus recorded their eighth win in the ABA League, keeping the Dragons at the top of Group B standings. Head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team led for all 40 minutes against the Sarajevo side, gradually building their advantage. All 12 players took the court, with Luka Brajković the only one not to score. Aleksej Nikolić led the team with 14 points.

Hapoel’s last EuroCup defeat came on October 15 in Manresa. That was the second of two consecutive losses, the first inflicted by Cedevita Olimpija a week earlier. Since then, Hapoel have recorded seven consecutive EuroCup wins, and in the previous round capitalized on the Dragons’ loss in Manresa by defeating Hamburg and moving to the top of the group standings.

The Israeli team are considered one of the main favorites to win the EuroCup title this season. Hapoel have demonstrated their strength with several convincing victories in recent games. Including the Israeli domestic league, Hapoel have suffered only two losses in their last 13 games. The most recent came on Saturday in the Israeli league, when Bnei Herzeliya defeated them away from home (95:80).

Hapoel’s most dangerous player in the 2025/26 EuroCup season is once again point guard Jared Harper, who is averaging 18.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game, making him the most efficient player in the competition. Hapoel are also the highest-scoring team in the EuroCup this season, averaging 95.2 points per game, and they lead the competition in performance index rating (112.6).

Cedevita Olimpija and Hapoel met for the first time this season in Round 2 of the BKT EuroCup regular season, when the Ljubljana team recorded a convincing 99:84 win in Belgrade on October 8. The Israeli club started the game better and went into halftime with an 11-point lead (53:42), but the Dragons staged a complete turnaround in the second half, scoring 57 points and allowing Hapoel just 31. DJ Stewart led Cedevita Olimpija with 27 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists, and was named Round 2 MVP. Aleksej Nikolić added 22 points, while Umoja Gibson scored 21.

BKT EUROCUP, REGULAR SEASON, ROUND 11

Arena Stožice (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Tuesday, December 16, at 6:30 PM:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – HAPOEL MIDTOWN JERUSALEM (TV broadcast on Šport TV 1)

STANDINGS

LOOKING AHEAD:

Tuesday’s clash with Hapoel in Stožice will be Cedevita Olimpija’s final home game of the 2025 calendar year. The Dragons will conclude the year with a series of away games – against Mega, Ilirija, Crvena zvezda, and Aris. The game against Mega will take place on Sunday at 12:00 PM in Belgrade.