On Monday, Vilnius Wolves Twinsbet will travel to Samokov, Bulgaria, to play the second game of the BKT EuroCup in Group A. The opponent of the Vilnius team is Tel Aviv Hapoel, one of the favourites to win the tournament according to basketball experts.

The Israel club, which is still unable to play due to the tense situation in its home country, has welcomed the new season with a significantly increased budget and a completely renewed line-up, with only 4 players left who wore the team's jersey last season.

Perhaps the most high-profile signing of the summer was the return of defender Patrick Beverley to Europe. The American, who played in the NBA for more than 10 years, started his career in the European Cup, where he was MVP in season 2011-2012, and in the Euroleague, where he reached the 2010 finals with Panathinaikos Athens.

In addition to Marcus Foster, who is well-known to Lithuanian basketball fans, the team is joined by centres Bruno Caboclo and Johnathan Motley, guards Joe Ragland and Ish Wainright, and forward Benjamin Bentil.

However, despite the big names, Hapoel has not yet found its way to victory. At the start of the season, it lost 109:102 to Ramat Gan's Maccabi Ironi in the quarter-finals of the Israeli League Cup, and stumbled in the European Cup away to Badalona's Joventut after, 75:78.

The Wolves, who started the season victoriously, also suffered two defeats later in the season, both in the European tournament and in the national championship.

Before their trip to Bulgaria, A. Magro shared his thoughts on the upcoming opponent, Andrews's injury situation, the aspects of Wolves Twinsbet's game that need to be fixed and the starting five based solely on foreign players.

What are your thoughts going into Tuesday's game against Hapoel?

It will be a really tough game. We are going to play on the road, the first Euro Cup game against probably one of the most skilled teams in this group. They lost in Badalona game 1 so probably they have the will to bounce back like we have the will to bounce back after the last two games. I saw progress in the last game.

We have to throw it through the games because the time for practicing is not a lot but we are ready to go and show everything we got in order of pride and the level of energy that has to be at the top even the focus to try to face this kind of talented team.

Andrew Andrews suffered an injury in the last game. What is his situation?

We are monitoring him. He got a bump on his muscles, and both legs during the game so we are monitoring him and we hope he will be at the game.

Will there be a decision on him before the match?

Yes, exactly.

Regarding the team's play in the last matches, what does it need to improve?

The level of aggressive and defense was not the level that we can put and we need to have in the game. So obviously we are focusing a lot on our defensive side, knowing that we are facing a team that has a lot of talent and a lot of players that can make a game.

We know very well that Marcus Foster was one of the main players in this league and now he is just one of the guys that they have. For sure we need to have the will and the organization as a team defense that has to get better and be better respecting game one.

What are Hapoel's strengths?

They have a lot of talent, and a lot of players who can make the game. They can be a threat running the floor, using the drag situation. You know Beverly, Ragland, Foster - a lot of guys that can create. Talking about the bigs, you know Caboclo, Motley, Bentil. They are experienced players even at the EuroLeague level, they have a lot of skills. Obviously, we have to try to slow down their rhythm and try to protect our paint. In offense we need the will. But this is not just Hapoel. Every time we must have the will to be patient and share the ball.

In the last European Cup, you were the first in Lithuanian basketball history to start with five foreign players. Do you plan to continue doing so?

I was the first?

Yes, in the Euroleague and the European Cup.

I didn't know that. No, to be honest, we are adjusting something about the lineup. Like I said already last time, we are still in the process just because players are arriving in the team later, like Tre'Shawn who was out for three weeks of the preparation. We are trying to find the best balance. So starting five is not every time the same, we can change and we will try even different things.

Wolves Twinsbet's second match of the new European Cup season will take place in Bulgaria against Tel Aviv Hapoel on Tuesday, 1 October.

(Photo by Sauliaus Čirba)

7bet-Lietkabelis Panevėžys (2-0) came out on top in a dramatic repeat of last season’s Betsafe-LKL 3rd place final, defeating Vilnius Wolves Twinsbet (1-1) 83:81 (28:15, 24:25, 18:21, 13:20).

After an even start (10:10), the home team began to build momentum. Panevėžys went on a 10-0 run (20:10) and ended the first quarter ahead 28:15.

7bet-Lietkabelis, who continued to shoot well from deep, maintained a solid lead (37:23). While Vilnius managed to cut the deficit to single digits (31:39), the home team entered halftime with a 52:40 advantage.

After the break, the game remained largely unchanged, with the gap between the teams staying around double digits. Panevėžys led by 9 points, 70:61, after 30 minutes of play.

The Wolves Twinsbet then mounted a comeback. Anthony Cowan hit three consecutive three-pointers in just over a minute, and Marek Blaževič added a two-pointer, bringing the game level (74:74). However, the hosts responded with a 7-point burst of their own (81:74).

Although it seemed like Panevėžys had weathered the storm, Tre'shawn Thurman nailed a three-pointer (81:83) and managed to steal the ball. Unfortunately, his last-second midcourt shot missed, allowing 7bet-Lietkabelis to secure the victory.

Georgios Kalaitzakis had an excelent game for Panevėžys. The Greek player scored 23 points (4/4 doubles, 3/5 three-pointers), grabbed 4 rebounds and scored 26 efficiency points.

The visitors from Vilnius were led by a guards duo: A. Cowan added 20 points, 6 assists and 19 efficiency points, while Andrew Andrews scored 15 points and 20 efficiency points.

"Wolves Twinsbet: Anthony Cowan 20 (6 ast.), Andrew Andrews 15, Tre'shawn Thurman 12, Garrison Brooks 10, Jeffery Taylor 7 (8 reb), Marek Blaževičius 6, Regimantas Miniotas 4, K. Daniel Baslyk and Justinas Marcinkevičius were not on the court.

"7bet-Lietkabelis: Georgios Kalaitzakis 23, Marko Pecarski 14, Daniel Lavrinovic and Oleksandr Kovliar 10 each.

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius started its second season in the European Cup (BKT EuroCup) with a setback. The team from the capital city lost 69:80 (26:23, 17:22, 13:20, 13:15) to Bahcesehir Istambul in front of their home crowd.

The visitors had a better start to the game and led 9:3. Anthony Cowan scored a difficult shot in the middle of the quarter and added a free throw. The difference was kept to a minimum at 12:13. The Wolves managed to take the lead only at the very end of the period after another ‘and one’ play by Cowan - 26:23.

Wolves Twinsbet started the second quarter with a three-pointer by Kristupas Žemaitis. But after 5 minutes, the scoreboard showed the game tied again - 35:35. After a time out, Bahcesehir scored 5 unanswered points to take a 40:35 lead, and the home team's head coach Alessandro Magro called for another time out. 

The Wolves' empty period was finally broken by Tre'Shawn Thurman (37:42). Before the break, the challenge of the Vilnius coach proved to be successful, after which A. Cowan stood at the free-throw line. After his three made shots, the teams were separated by only 2 points - 43:45.

The Wolves Twinsbet point guard had an impressive first half with 18 points and 22 efficiency points.

The teams exchanged long-range shots at the start of the third quarter and the Vilnius team was ahead 52:50. As the quarter entered the second half, the Turkish club was ahead 60:56. With one minute left to play, Magro called for a timeout as Vilnius team's deficit increased to 9 points, 56:65. The score remained unchanged until the end of the quarter.

In the middle of the last quarter, Marek Blaževičius scored a two-pointer to cut Wolves Twinsbet's deficit to 3 points (62:65). Bahcesehir responded with a couple of successful offences to pull away within a safe distance again - 74:65 with 3 minutes to play. The visitors did not let the victory slip away for the rest of the game.

Wolves Twinsbet: Anthony Cowan 20, Tre'Shawn Thurman and Jeffery Taylor 10, Garrison Brooks 8 (8 reb), Andrew Andrews 7 (7 ast), Marek Blaževičius 6, Kristupas Žemaitis and Vaidas Kariniauskas 3, Regimantas Miniotas 2. 

Axel Bouteille scored 17 (7 reb.), Tai Odiase 14, Tyler Cavanaugh 13 and C.J. Massinburg added 12 points for Bahcesehir.

The Wolves Twinsbet will play against Tel Aviv Hapoel (Israel) in the European Cup in Bulgaria on 1 October.