Joventut Edges Bonn to Lead Group H (76-74)

Just 48 hours after dominating Barcelona, Asisa Joventut faced a much tougher test at the Olímpic. Telekom Baskets Bonn kept the hosts uncomfortable for half the game and had a chance to win on the final possession, but their three-pointer fell short. Joventut won 76-74, improved to 2-0 and sits alone atop Group H.

The visitors started strong. Bonn defended aggressively and attacked comfortably, taking a lead (16-19) that forced Dani Miret to call a timeout. Sulejmanovic was the only one finding the basket for Joventut, and the first quarter closed at 19-22.

Eight Down and Missing Shots

The second quarter was even worse for the home side. Bonn extended their lead to eight points (23-31) while Joventut struggled with their shot: they missed six of their first seven free throws and Laprovittola had missed all five of his three-point attempts. Heading into halftime only four points down (36-40) was almost good news.

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Three-Pointers Turn the Game

After halftime, Joventut came out with renewed defensive intensity and finally found their outside shot. Three-pointers from Isaac Nogués, Guillem Reyes and two from Laprovittola tied the game (49-49), and Sulejmanovic, from the free-throw line, gave the hosts their first lead in a while (50-49). The third quarter ended with a 19-14 run and Joventut up one (55-54).

Bonn refused to quit. Marcus Foster kept the Germans ahead (58-60) until Laprovittola appeared again with a three-pointer that forced the visiting coach to call timeout (63-60) with 6:14 remaining. From there, the connection between Ricky Rubio and Laprovittola gave Joventut a small cushion, which grew to seven points (69-63). A three-pointer from Jalen Cheatham seemed to seal the game, but Bonn still had one final possession to win it. Their three-pointer didn't fall.

Sulejmanovic finished with 17 points, Laprovittola with 16 and Cheatham with 12, while Ricky, with just 5 points, dished out 8 assists. For Bonn, Garrett led the way with 17 points, followed by Foster (14) and Aminu (13).