It’s Dragons facing Tigers in Thessaloniki!

Cedevita Olimpija is facing the second of two consecutive away challenges to close the 2025 calendar year. On Tuesday at 7:30 PM Slovenian time, the Dragons will take on Aris in Thessaloniki in a Round 12 regular-season BKT EuroCup matchup, as they look to end their losing streak in the European Cup.

An important BKT EuroCup test awaits the Cedevita Olimpija senior team, which will also be their final game of the 2025 calendar year. On Tuesday at 7:30 PM Slovenian time, the Ljubljana side will face host Aris in Thessaloniki in a Round 12 regular-season clash. The Slovenian champions will try to snap a two-game losing streak in the European Cup and record a win that would keep them near the top of Group A standings. Cedevita Olimpija arrived in Thessaloniki directly from Belgrade, where they faced Crvena zvezda Meridianbet on Saturday in the round derby of the regional league.

Between November 5 and December 4, head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team recorded four consecutive EuroCup wins, which lifted them to the very top of their group standings. However, they have since suffered two defeats, first away against Manresa and then at home at Stožice against Hapoel Jerusalem.

Their Tuesday opponent in Thessaloniki, Aris, is one of three teams in Group A currently holding a record of six wins and five losses after eleven regular-season games. With that record, the Greek side trails the Ljubljana team by just one win. Aris enters the matchup against Cedevita Olimpija riding a two-game EuroCup winning streak against Umana Reyer and Hamburg, while in their last four EuroCup games, Aris has suffered only one defeat, against Cluj.

TV BROADCAST:

The television broadcast of the Round 12 BKT EuroCup game against Aris will be available on Šport TV 1. Studio coverage will begin at 6:45 PM.

PRE-GAME STATEMENTS:

“Another in a series of very demanding EuroCup games is ahead of us. Compared to our first head-to-head matchup in Ljubljana, Aris has further strengthened its roster with two EuroLeague-caliber players — Danilo Anđušić and Amin Noua — which clearly shows the seriousness and high ambitions of our opponents. I expect a very tough game in a hot atmosphere, the kind that home fans know how to create. Aris is certainly at a higher level today than it was at the start of the season. Not all of our players have fully recovered from illness and injuries, but on Tuesday we will give everything we have to try to surprise the home team and fight for a win,” said Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović ahead of Tuesday’s game in Thessaloniki.

“An extremely demanding game awaits us. We know there will be a hellish atmosphere in the arena and that it will be very difficult to play. We will focus on what we can do on the court. We will give everything we have to return to Ljubljana with a win. Every game is important, and every win means a lot for the continuation of the season. We approach every game as if we are playing a EuroCup final, and we must step onto the court with that mentality,” said Miha Cerkvenik ahead of Tuesday’s game in Thessaloniki.

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GAME PREVIEW:

After 11 games in the EuroCup regular season, Thessaloniki’s Aris stands alongside Cluj and Manresa with a record of six wins and five losses. However, due to head-to-head results, Aris occupies sixth place, rounding out the group of six teams in Group A currently holding playoff positions. Alongside Bahçeşehir, who will visit Ljubljana next week, Cedevita Olimpija has seven wins, while Hapoel Jerusalem leads the standings with nine. After the away game against Aris, the Dragons will have six regular-season games remaining, two of which will be played in the Slovenian capital. In their most recent European outing, Cedevita Olimpija suffered a narrow home loss to Hapoel (81–84) at Stožice.

On Saturday, Cedevita Olimpija visited EuroLeague side Crvena zvezda, who played extremely aggressively from the opening tip on the floor of the legendary Aleksandar Nikolić Hall. The hosts made the decisive move toward victory in the second quarter, which they won 30–13, while in the remaining periods the Dragons were an even opponent on the scoreboard. Aleksej Nikolić (17) and William McNair Jr. (10) were the only double-digit scorers for the Ljubljana side, while captain Jaka Blažič, young Derin Can Ustun, and Nikos Chougkaz all scored nine points each.

Aris opened its EuroCup season with wins over Umana Reyer and Hamburg, followed by a three-game losing streak against Cedevita Olimpija, Manresa, and Hapoel. In the next six games, the Thessaloniki club recorded four wins, the most recent on December 17, when they defeated Hamburg away 92–89. Like Cedevita Olimpija, Aris was also active on Saturday, visiting AEK in the Greek national championship. Aris went into halftime trailing by one point (36–37), and AEK eventually won the tight game 82–76. Bryce Jones finished the game with 19 points.

The most efficient Aris player in this season’s EuroCup is former ABA League top scorer Bryce Jones, who is averaging 17.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game, good for a performance index rating of 19.1, which places him eighth among the competition’s most efficient players. Rounding out the top ten is Cedevita Olimpija point guard Aleksej Nikolić, who is averaging 16.1 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game in this season’s European Cup.

In the first head-to-head matchup of the season at Stožice, Cedevita Olimpija defeated Aris convincingly, 80–59. At the time, it was the Dragons’ third consecutive win to open the new EuroCup season. The Ljubljana side controlled most of the game in October at Stožice and led by a double-digit margin after three quarters. When Aris dangerously closed the gap in the final quarter, a strong response followed from the Slovenian champions, who ultimately celebrated a comfortable victory.

The most efficient scorer for Cedevita Olimpija was Umoja Gibson with 19 points, Joseph Girard III added 16, and Aleksej Nikolić scored 15. For Aris, Elijah Mitrou-Long scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds.

BKT EUROCUP, REGULAR SEASON, ROUND 12

Nick Galis Hall (Thessaloniki, Greece), Tuesday, December 30, at 8:30 PM (7:30 PM SLO):
ARIS THESSALONIKI BETSSON – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA

STANDINGS

LOOKING AHEAD:

This will be the final test for Cedevita Olimpija in the 2025 calendar year. The Ljubljana side will return to the Slovenian capital on Wednesday, with another regional challenge already ahead on Saturday. At 5:00 PM, they will face Spartak Office Shoes at Stožice, followed by a EuroCup matchup against Bahçeşehir on Tuesday. Tickets for both games are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com.