Lukas Vaitkevicius Shines Bright as Hapoel Tel Aviv Sweeps Coviran Granada in Breakout Playoffs Debut

In a stunningly composed and dominant performance, Lithuanian newcomer Lukas Vaitkevicius guided his Hapoel Tel Aviv squad to a 64–48 victory over Coviran Granada, controlled by Italy's Salvatore Lamari, sealing the series 2-0 and advancing to the Cyber EuroCup quarterfinals in his tournament debut season. The win marks the end of Granada’s first-ever playoff run and sets up an enticing quarterfinal clash between Vaitkevicius and top-seeded Buducnost, led by Montenegro's 2K national team representative Dejan Raicevic.

Vaitkevicius’ Hapoel Tel Aviv Overwhelms Coviran Granada With Balance and Depth

From the opening tip, Lukas Vaitkevicius’ Hapoel Tel Aviv showcased a well-oiled and balanced attack, securing small yet steady leads quarter by quarter—16-13 in Q1, 14-9 in Q2, 14-10 in Q3, and finishing strong with a 20-16 fourth-quarter push. The Israeli side was spearheaded by M. Foster, who exploded for 27 points on 10-21 shooting, including 3 three-pointers, and added 3 assists and 2 steals in a clinical performance.

Despite Foster’s scoring brilliance, it was the collective effort from Tel Aviv that proved overwhelming. Five different players recorded between 3 to 5 points, and the team dished out 12 assists overall while shooting 38% from the field. Their bench depth, hustle, and rebounding dominance defined the game—Hapoel grabbed a massive 38 defensive rebounds compared to Granada's 33 and limited their turnovers to just 11.

Coviran Granada’s Effort Falls Short Despite Heartfelt Run

Salvatore Lamari’s Coviran Granada entered this playoff series hungry and motivated after reaching the postseason for the first time in multiple Cyber Euroleague campaigns. But despite the emotional momentum, Granada struggled mightily on both ends in Game 2. Their offensive efficiency cratered—they hit just 14 of 65 field goals, including a painful 4-of-23 from beyond the arc (17%), and recorded only 7 assists total.

O. Silverio led Granada with 10 points and 4 rebounds, but no other player reached double digits in scoring. Even though Granada showed flashes of resilience—winning the offensive rebound battle 15 to 8 and producing a game-high 10 steals—they could not convert those extra possessions into meaningful offense.

The Spanish side was also plagued by poor shot selection and stagnation in their half-court execution, allowing Vaitkevicius' squad to dictate tempo and frustrate them into 12 turnovers. This marked a frustrating end to a promising season for Lamari, who finally reached the playoffs but couldn't make the deep run he had dreamed of.

Class and Closure: Salvatore’s Heartfelt Farewell of the season

Following the loss, Salvatore Lamari took to Discord to express gratitude in a heartfelt farewell message (for this season) to the league:

“I wanted to thank all my 'opponents' for giving me a season where I learnt a lot, where I improved my weaknesses, my style of play and above all my results!Grazie to Viktor Vladov for creating such a beautiful reality that endures despite the flaws in this game!Bravo also to a great opponent like jr.wash who simply proved to be stronger and more prepared 🙌🙌See you again next season always loaded and ready to lose by 40 points for example against Bora Kolday 😂😂😂❤️”

Lamari’s class and perspective resonated throughout the community and confirmed his standing as one of the most respected figures in the Cyber Euroleague/Eurocup scene—even in defeat.

Next Up: Battle of the Titans Looms

With this win, Lukas Vaitkevicius now shifts his focus to a titanic quarterfinal battle against Buducnost, led by Dejan Raicevic. The Montenegrin ace was recently pushed to a dramatic Game 3 by 16th-seeded Bourg, controlled by Bulgarian gamer Nikolay Petkov. Raicevic’s near-upset scare will only intensify his hunger, but Vaitkevicius has proven he's more than ready for the brightest stages, especially after his commanding playoff debut.

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