Star-studded Hapoel comes to Stožice on Tuesday

Cedevita Olimpija will play its first home game of the new BKT EuroCup season on Tuesday at 18:30 at Arena Stožice. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem visits Ljubljana in Round 2 of the regular season, having assembled a star-studded roster over the summer with clear ambitions to challenge for the European title. A major test awaits the Dragons, with tickets already available at vstopnice.olimpija.com. The game will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1.

European basketball returns to the Dragon’s Nest! On its first European home night of the 2026/27 season, Cedevita Olimpija will host one of the contenders for the BKT EuroCup title. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem enters the new season under head coach Saša Obradović, with a significantly strengthened roster combining EuroLeague and NBA experience.

Tuesday’s matchup will be a tough test for the Ljubljana side, but also an opportunity to demonstrate its quality against an ambitious opponent with the support of the home fans. The game between Cedevita Olimpija and Hapoel tips off at 18:30, with the fan zone opening at 17:30.

An MRI scan revealed a minor hamstring injury for Urban Kroflič, who experienced discomfort during Saturday’s game against Cibona. Given his previous injury, a cautious approach will be taken to his return to training, and he will miss Tuesday’s game. He is expected to rejoin the team after the game.

To avoid congestion in the Stožice parking garage, we recommend that all visitors use public transport and set off at least 60 minutes earlier than usual. Your game ticket entitles you to free travel on Ljubljana Public Transport (LPP) buses for three hours before the game and three hours after it ends.

If you are travelling by car, please use the nearby parking areas (Žale I, Žale II, Žale III, Žale IV, Žale V, Kranjčeva and Gosarjeva). The parking garage next to Arena Stožice will remain open until its limited capacity is reached.

TICKETS:

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

The arena box office and doors will open at 17:30. The NLB “Fast Entrance” will once again be available, offering quicker access to the arena for visitors who present an NLB bank card at the entrance.

TV BROADCAST:

The BKT EuroCup regular-season Round 2 game against Hapoel will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1. Studio coverage begins at 17:45.

FAN ZONE:

Join us in the fan zone before the game, where you can collect your season tickets and take part in various challenges. Visitors can enjoy basketball shooting, colouring activities, cornhole and face painting, with our partners providing additional entertainment.

Spar Slovenija and GLS will host their own activities, HEKA will offer a spin of its wheel of fortune, and Decathlon will invite visitors to try archery and its challenge cube.

IN-GAME ACTIVITIES:

There will be plenty happening at Stožice during the game, too! Participants will test their free-throw skills in the Spar Slovenija challenge, while Zavarovalnica Triglav will offer a chance to win EUR 5,000 with a half-court shot. The Cedevita Olimpija obstacle course will give participants the opportunity to win two VIP tickets for the home BKT EuroCup game against Le Mans.

GLS will reward a lucky fan in the stands through its “Lucky Seat” promotion, and supporters can also predict the game’s leading scorer. Keep an eye on the opponents’ free throws: if they miss two in a row, Čewapi will reward you with a “5ka”!

PRE-GAME QUOTES:

“All our opponents are strong, but Hapoel is certainly one of the strongest teams in the EuroCup. Their budget also ranks among the highest in the competition. They have a very talented and physically strong roster, with proven players and an excellent head coach. This will be a very good test for us and will show us where we stand. We have not faced an opponent of this quality yet this season, so it will also be a valuable experience for our players,” said Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović ahead of Tuesday’s game.

“We are facing a very strong team led by an excellent, well-established coach. It will be a tough test, especially after the game in Spain, where we felt we could have performed better. This is a good opportunity to see where we are as a team and how we respond after a performance we were not entirely happy with,” said Noah Kirkwood during Monday’s media availability.

“In terms of the quality of their roster, Hapoel is a EuroLeague-level team. Their goal is clear every season: to win the EuroCup. They have a very talented squad with plenty of players who have EuroLeague experience, so they will certainly be one of our toughest opponents this season. We will step onto the court with determination, compete hard and give everything we have, then see where that takes us,” said Rok Radović ahead of the game against Hapoel.

GAME PREVIEW:

Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem took a significant step towards challenging for the BKT EuroCup title ahead of the 2026/27 season. Following a quarterfinal appearance last season, the club substantially strengthened its roster and appointed Saša Obradović as head coach. The experienced Serbian coach, who previously led Monaco and Crvena zvezda and guided Monaco to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2023, signed a contract through the end of the 2028/29 season.

The strength of the revamped team was already evident in its European opener. Last Tuesday, Hapoel defeated Rostock Seawolves 94–73 in Belgrade. Kenneth Lofton Jr. recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds, Jaleen Smith added 20 points, and Shake Milton contributed 14. The Israeli side won all four quarters to make a successful start in Group A. Hapoel also opened its Israeli Winner Cup campaign convincingly, beating Maccabi Ashdod 110–77 on the road, followed by an 83–69 victory over Hapoel Beer Sheva/Dimona and an 88–68 quarterfinal win over Bnei Herzliya. Those three victories came by a combined margin of 67 points. Hapoel will begin its Israeli league campaign next week with a visit to Hapoel Holon.

Hapoel will arrive at Stožice following its first defeat in an official game this season. On Sunday, it lost 71–88 to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Winner Cup semifinal in Holon, ending its title defence. Saša Obradović’s team led 25–15 in the second quarter, but Maccabi took control in the second half and built a decisive advantage in the final period. The defeat ended Hapoel’s four-game winning streak: three victories in the Winner Cup and one in the BKT EuroCup.

Kenny Lofton Jr. led the Jerusalem side with 16 points and six rebounds, while Shake Milton added 14 points and five assists. Devontae Cacok recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and David Roddy also scored 12 points. Tuesday’s visit to Ljubljana will therefore be Hapoel’s first opportunity to return to winning ways and build on its successful European opener against Rostock.

Cedevita Olimpija will approach its first European home game of the new season following a successful start in the AdmiralBet ABA League. On Saturday, the Dragons defeated Cibona 89–76 at Tivoli Hall in Round 2 of the first stage, securing their first victory in an official game of the 2026/27 season. Following the postponement of the opening matchup against Krka, this was their first regional league appearance and first official home game of the new season. The victory also extended their winning streak against Cibona in the ABA League to seven games.

The win required a determined response in the second half. The teams went into halftime tied at 43–43, before Cibona moved ahead 56–51 midway through the third quarter. Ljubljana then raised its level and closed the period with a 15–2 run to take an eight-point lead into the final 10 minutes (66–58). The Dragons maintained their intensity in the fourth quarter, with Noah Kirkwood’s basket in the 34th minute putting them ahead 75–62, and held on to their advantage until the final buzzer.

Matthew Hurt led the Ljubljana side with 21 points, four rebounds and two blocks, while Anthony Cowan Jr. added 18 points. Urban Kroflič scored 14 points in just under 12 minutes without missing a field goal or free throw. Noah Kirkwood contributed 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Rihards Lomažs dished out five assists, while Osayi Osifo recorded three of the Dragons’ six blocks.

The victory over Cibona is an important boost for a team still building chemistry following its injury problems. After a narrow 81–85 European defeat in Burgos, Ljubljana showed at Tivoli that greater intensity and aggression can turn a game in its favour. That second-half response provides a good foundation for Tuesday’s matchup, when the Dragons will need to sustain that level of play for as long as possible against Hapoel’s talented roster.

BKT EUROCUP – REGULAR SEASON, GROUP A, ROUND 2

Arena Stožice (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Tuesday, October 6, at 18:30:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – HAPOEL MIDTOWN JERUSALEM (buy tickets; live on Šport TV 1)

GROUP A STANDINGS

LOOKING AHEAD:

Following the game against Hapoel, Cedevita Olimpija will visit Široki TT Kabeli on Saturday, October 10, in Round 3 of the first stage of the AdmiralBet ABA League. Its next European test comes on Wednesday, October 14, with a road game against Riga Zelli in Round 3 of the BKT EuroCup regular season. Ljubljana will conclude the stretch of away games on Saturday, October 17, against Igokea m in Laktaši.