Second-ranked Sparta Bertrange extended its winning streak to 14 games and stayed unbeaten in the phase finale with a 77-74 road win over fourth-ranked T71 Dudelange, in a much tighter game than the two previous meetings.
Coach Daniel Wolf's side controlled the first half. T71 led 19-13 after the opening quarter and pushed the margin to 40-32 at the break, their highest lead of the night. Pol Guedes (Season PPG: 11.50) gave the home team an early lift with 9 first-quarter points, while captain Ben Kloos (Season PPG: 13.94) kept the offense balanced. Ben Stork (Season PPG: 6.80) also brought important points before halftime.
The turning point came late in the third quarter. After T71 moved ahead 53-45, Sparta produced 8 points in a row to level at 53-53. Petar Kulisic (Season PPG: 27.21) was central again, with strong support from Alexander Möller (13, SWE, Season PPG: 13.64). T71 still carried a 57-54 advantage into the fourth, but coach Yann Ewert's team had shifted the rhythm.
Sparta opened the last quarter by going back in front and later built a 68-64 edge. T71 answered through Kloos, who scored 6 consecutive points for his team to bring it back to 70-70. The decisive sequence came after T71 edged in front 72-70: Bora Oner (14, ITA, Season PPG: 8.00) hit the go-ahead three, Kulisic added two free throws, and after Lorenzo Magoum reduced the gap to 74-75, Kulisic scored the final basket.
Kulisic finished with 28 points, Oner added 17 and Möller 14 for the winners. For T71, Guedes and Kloos both scored 18, Ivan Barbic had 9, and Noah Baseggio and Stork added 7 each.
(AI generated)