On Wednesday, showdown in Istanbul awaits the Dragons

On Tuesday, Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team traveled to Istanbul, where on Wednesday at 18:00 (Slovenian time) they will face Bahçeşehir in a clash of two undefeated teams in Group A of the BKT EuroCup. The game will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1, and fans can also watch it together at Pivnica Union.

Ahead of Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team is their second mini road trip of the 2025/26 season – the Dragons traveled to Istanbul on Tuesday, where they will face Bahçeşehir on Wednesday at 18:00 Slovenian time in Round 4 of the BKT EuroCup. On Saturday at 19:30, they’ll play another Round 4 game in the AdmiralBet ABA League against Bosna in Sarajevo. The Dragons will travel directly from Turkey to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and return to Ljubljana on Sunday.

After three consecutive wins to open their new EuroCup campaign, the Ljubljana side now faces Bahçeşehir, who are also undefeated after three rounds of regular-season play. Cedevita Olimpija and Bahçeşehir share this record with JL Bourg and Ulm — the only two unbeaten teams in Group B. The matchup in Istanbul will carry extra meaning, as the two teams last met in last season’s quarterfinals, when Bahçeşehir won 85–81 at home in March.

The Ljubljana team enters the game against the Turkish side after two consecutive home victories, though they will be without Luka Brajković. He returned from an ankle injury in the last game against Zadar but had to leave the court in the third quarter due to calf pain. Medical tests revealed a calf muscle injury, which is expected to sideline him at least until the end of the upcoming national team break in late November. His condition will be monitored, and updates on his return will be provided in due course.

ORGANIZED WATCH PARTY AT PIVNICA UNION:

A fun atmosphere awaits all fans at Pivnica Union, where the popular Pub Quiz will take place first, followed by the game screening. The event starts at 16:30, with the game beginning at 18:00. All information about activities at Pivnica Union — including the registration form for the Pub Quiz — can be found [at this link].

The game will be shown on multiple screens at Pivnica Union, so everyone is invited to come enjoy the broadcast and social gathering, even if not taking part in the quiz.

TV BROADCAST:

The Round 4 BKT EuroCup game against Bahçeşehir will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1. The studio segment will begin at 17:15.

PRE-GAME STATEMENTS:

Zvezdan Mitrović, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija:
“A very tough game awaits us. Bahçeşehir has shown themselves to be the best team in the competition so far. I won’t talk much about their budget or roster — that’s already well known. For us, this game is an important test to see how we can respond at a higher level of play. Bahçeşehir averages 99 points per game in the EuroCup and is also undefeated in the Turkish league. Unfortunately, once again we’re not at full strength — Luka Brajković got injured again against Zadar, and Nikos Chougkaz remains sidelined. That worries me, as it’s very difficult to play such a demanding series of games with a shortened rotation. We’re traveling to Istanbul without pressure, hoping to play a good game.”

The Montenegrin Basketball Federation announced on Monday evening that Mitrović will once again take over as head coach of Montenegro’s national team next year.

Joseph Girard III:
“We know it’s going to be a tough game. Our opponent, like us, has three wins from three games. Bahçeşehir has high-quality players and remains unbeaten this season. It will definitely be a challenge, but we’ve already played similar games, so we’ll try to prepare well and deliver a good performance. In our last two home games, we executed our game plan successfully, and we had great fan support, which gave us extra energy. With their support, it’s definitely easier to play and win. We’ll need that all season long.”

GAME PREVIEW:

Cedevita Olimpija enters the clash with Bahçeşehir on a high note after their last EuroCup game, in which the Dragons convincingly defeated Aris Thessaloniki 80–59 last Tuesday. That victory made history — it marked their first-ever 3–0 start in EuroCup play, and the 59 points conceded tied a 12-year-old club record for fewest points allowed at home in the competition. The good form continued on Sunday with a 97–73 home win over Zadar in the ABA League. Against Aris, three players scored in double figures — Umoja Gibson (19), Joseph Girard III (16), and Aleksej Nikolić (15). Against Zadar, six players scored double digits — Gibson (16), Girard III (15), DJ Stewart and Aleksej Nikolić (12 each), Miha Cerkvenik, and David Škara (11 each).

The Slovenian champions have had an excellent start to the new season — after victories over Manresa, Hapoel Jerusalem, and Aris in the EuroCup, they now face another major test against one of the title contenders, Bahçeşehir, who entered the season with high ambitions. Over the summer, the Turkish club replaced head coach Dejan Radonjić with Marko Barać, who arrived from Mega.

Bahçeşehir strengthened their roster with players such as Malachi Flynn, Trevion Williams, Balša Koprivica, Matt Mitchell, and Hunter Hale. Together with Germany’s Ulm, they currently boast the EuroCup’s best offense, averaging 99.0 points per game. Flynn, who joined Bahçeşehir this summer after stints in both the NBA and G League (where he was named to the All-First Team this year), is the league’s second-leading scorer.

Bahçeşehir opened the EuroCup season with a 98–90 win over Cluj, followed by convincing victories over Umana Reyer (93–74) and Hamburg (106–85). They are also undefeated in the Turkish league after four rounds, most recently defeating Buyukcekmece 96–81 on Friday. Five players scored in double figures in that game, led by Hunter Hale with 18 points.

BKT EUROCUP, REGULAR SEASON, ROUND 4

Sinan Erdem Dome (Istanbul, Turkey), Wednesday, October 22, 19:00 local time (18:00 Slovenia)
BAHÇEŞEHİR COLLEGE ISTANBUL – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (TV broadcast on Šport TV 1)

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Istanbul game is the first of two consecutive road matchups — from Turkey, the Dragons will travel directly to Bosnia and Herzegovina to face Bosna on Saturday at 19:30. They will return to Ljubljana on Sunday, where they’ll host Neptunas Klaipeda on Wednesday at 19:30 in Round 5 of the BKT EuroCup.