Hapoel Jerusalem opened their EuroCup Basketball campaign with a composed 75-64 road victory over KK Cedevita Olimpija, controlling the second half in Ljubljana to hand the Slovenian club a frustrating home defeat on the opening night of the competition.

The Israeli side trailed early but found their rhythm behind disciplined half-court execution and a decisive third-quarter surge, turning a tight contest into a double-digit win that will be remembered as one of the more convincing road performances of the round. Cedevita Olimpija, backed by a lively home crowd, never found a consistent offensive answer once Jerusalem tightened their defensive grip.

Match Overview

• Competition: EuroCup Basketball
• Fixture: KK Cedevita Olimpija vs Hapoel Jerusalem
• Final score: Cedevita Olimpija 64 – 75 Hapoel Jerusalem
• Margin: Hapoel Jerusalem by 11 points
• Venue: Stožice Arena, Ljubljana
• Date: 7 October 2026

An eleven-point road win in the EuroCup is never a small thing. The competition's regular season rewards consistency and point differential, and Jerusalem left Slovenia with both the victory and a healthy cushion that could matter when the standings are settled later in the campaign.

How the Game Unfolded

Cedevita Olimpija came out with energy, feeding off the home support and attacking the rim early. The hosts' guards pushed the tempo, looking to beat Jerusalem's transition defence before it could set, and for much of the opening period the approach worked. The Slovenian side built a slender lead and forced Jerusalem into a series of contested, late-clock attempts.

That pattern did not last. Jerusalem adjusted, slowed the game down and began to dictate the terms of each possession. Their ball movement stretched Cedevita's defence from side to side, opening driving lanes and clean looks from the perimeter. By the interval the visitors had erased the deficit, and the momentum shift was visible in the body language on both benches.

The third quarter proved decisive. Jerusalem opened the period with a sustained run, stringing together stops at one end and efficient offence at the other. Cedevita Olimpija's shot selection deteriorated under pressure, and the home side's offence became increasingly reliant on individual plays rather than collective rhythm. By the time the final period began, the visitors had built a lead they would never surrender.

Key Moments

• Early Cedevita push: The hosts started brightly, using crowd energy to take the initiative in the first quarter.
• Jerusalem's response before halftime: A controlled stretch of half-court basketball levelled the game and flipped the momentum.
• The decisive third quarter: A sustained two-way run from Hapoel Jerusalem turned a close contest into a double-digit lead.
• Closing discipline: Jerusalem managed the clock well in the final minutes, refusing to let Cedevita string together the quick baskets needed for a comeback.

Tactical Story

The game was decided in the half court. Hapoel Jerusalem's defensive scheme prioritised protecting the paint and forcing Cedevita Olimpija into lower-percentage perimeter shots. That approach paid off handsomely as the game wore on: the deeper it went, the more the hosts settled for contested jumpers rather than the drives that had worked early.

Offensively, Jerusalem played with patience. Their spacing created room for cutters and shooters alike, and their willingness to make the extra pass repeatedly produced open looks late in the shot clock. Cedevita's defensive rotations, sharp in the opening minutes, began to lag as the game progressed, and Jerusalem punished every late close-out.

The rebounding battle followed a similar trajectory. Once Jerusalem established control on the glass, Cedevita's second-chance opportunities dried up, and with them went the easy points that had kept the game close in the first half.

Standout Performances

Jerusalem's backcourt controlled the tempo of the contest, dictating pace and repeatedly finding the right pass in pick-and-roll situations. Their frontcourt, meanwhile, anchored the defensive effort, contesting shots at the rim and cleaning up the defensive boards to end Cedevita possessions.

For Cedevita Olimpija, the bright spots came in the opening quarter and in isolated individual efforts thereafter. The Slovenian side's guards competed hard on both ends, but the support around them was inconsistent, and the offence lacked the secondary scoring needed to answer Jerusalem's runs.

What It Means for the Standings

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