EC: Cedevita Olimpija and Budućnost VOLI Clinch Playoffs
Cedevita Olimpija have officially secured their ticket to the 2025/26 BKT EuroCup Playoffs, joining Budućnost VOLI, who also clinched a postseason spot. Meanwhile, despite a defeat, U-BT Cluj-Napoca remain firmly positioned among the Top 6 teams in their group, keeping their playoff ambitions very much alive.
Aleksej Nikolic (Photo: Cedevita Olimpija/Filip Barbalic)
Both Cedevita Olimpija and U-BT Cluj-Napoca suffered narrow road defeats in Round 16 of the 2025/26 BKT EuroCup regular season.
Yet, thanks to results across the groups, Cedevita Olimpija have officially secured their ticket to the 2025/26 BKT EuroCup Playoffs, joining Budućnost VOLI, who also clinched a postseason spot. Meanwhile, despite a defeat, U-BT Cluj-Napoca remain firmly positioned among the Top 6 teams in their group, keeping their playoff ambitions very much alive.
Cedevita Olimpija came agonizingly close to celebrating their qualification with a road win in Italy, but instead suffered a narrow 84:86 defeat against Umana Reyer Venice. The visitors controlled large stretches of the contest, only to see the game slip away in the decisive moments.
The turning point came in the fourth quarter, where Reyer Venice significantly raised their intensity. The Italian side won the final period 24:17, gradually erasing the deficit and setting up a dramatic finish. With the score tied late, it was Kyle Wiltjer who delivered the decisive blow, knocking down a game-winning two-pointer in the final seconds to seal the victory for the hosts.
A similar storyline unfolded in Spain, where U-BT Cluj-Napoca came within seconds of a valuable road win before falling 99:101 to BAXI Manresa in a true thriller.
The Romanian side appeared to be in control late on, holding a 99:97 lead with just 30 seconds remaining. However, Manresa responded when it mattered most, scoring four unanswered points in the closing moments to snatch the win in front of their home crowd.
2025/26 BKT EuroCup, Regular Season, Round 16, Wednesday, January 28, 2026:
UMANA REYER VENICE – Cedevita Olimpija 86:84 (19:29, 22:17, 21:21, 24:17)
Parks 19, Wiltjer 19 | Gibson 19, Nikolić 12.
BAXI MANRESA – U-BT Cluj-Napoca 101:99 (17:30, 35:22, 22:27, 27:20)
Obasohan 29, Olinde 18 | Creek 27, Russell 22.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026:
BUDUĆNOST VOLI - NINERS Chemnitz 97:81 (29:30, 31:14, 18:21, 19:16)
Mays 22, Morgan 17, Boutsiele 17 | Mushidi 19, Davis Jr 18.
