Estonian basketball stars shine at home and away
Estonia's basketball clubs and players were in action at the weekend, both in the domestic league and elsewhere in Europe.
Estonian national team small forward Sander Raieste delivered an excellent performance in the opening round of the Spanish Liga ACB, leading Murcia to a convincing victory.
Raieste started the game against Andorra MoraBanc in the starting lineup and ultimately logged the most minutes of any Murcia player — 23 in total — helping his team to a 95:64 (16:12, 32:17, 29:18, 18:17) victory.
The Estonian's shooting touch was on point from the start. He led all scorers with 17 points (two-pointers 5/6, three-pointers 2/4, free throws 1/2), which also marked his new career high in the Spanish top league. In addition, Raieste collected seven rebounds (two offensive), delivered two assists, and made one steal. His plus-minus rating was +14.
Murcia's second-best scorer was Canadian Dylan Ennis with 14 points. The top performer for the losing side was American Morris Udeze, who scored 15 points.
Murcia (1–0) will face Girona Basquet (0–1) away in the second round.
Henri Drell's Badalona Joventut beat Granada
Meanwhile, Henri Drell's club Badalona Joventut defeated Granada 87–75 (22:14, 12:18, 29:21, 24:22) in the opening round of the same league.
Joventut led for virtually the entire game, and Drell, who previously played in the NBA's second-tier G-League and even got court time with the full NBA Chicago Bulls in late 2023, got on the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter when he made a long three-pointer at the buzzer. Early in the final quarter, Drell scored seven consecutive points in less than two minutes.
Hola, soy Henri Drell y la enchufo desde donde quiero y sobre la bocina.
— Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) October 5, 2025
Porque quiero y puedo
#LigaEndesa | @DAZN_ES | @Penya1930 pic.twitter.com/j6g4CN811t
By the end of the game, the Estonian had tallied 10 points (two-pointers 3/5, three-pointers 1/2, free throws 1/1), two rebounds (both offensive), two blocked shots, and three personal fouls.
Veteran Ricky Rubio was the top scorer for the winners with 18 points, while Granada's best performer was Croatian Luka Bozic, who scored 22 points.
Henri Drell and Joventut (1–0) will next take on Zaragoza Basket (1–0).
BC Kalev/Cramo, University of Tartu Maks & Moorits both win
Meanwhile, at home, in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League, BC Kalev/Cramo and the University of Tartu Maks & Moorits both celebrated victories on Sunday.
After losing to the University of Tartu in their season opener earlier in the week, Kalev/Cramo secured their first win on Sunday, defeating Viimsi 100–82 (31:11, 16:17, 26:29, 27:25) on the road. The Tallinn team maintained control throughout the game.
Hugo Toom and Tyson Acuff led the winners with 15 points each, while Erik Makke delivered a versatile performance with 14 points, five assists, and three rebounds. Märt Rosenthal was unable to finish the game after injuring his knee in a fall late in the first half.
Kaspar Kuusmaa stood out for Viimsi with a game-high 19 points, six assists, and five rebounds. The game marked Viimsi's season debut.
The University of Tartu, meanwhile, recorded their second consecutive win by beating Keila KK at home 89–83 (21:16, 23:17, 30:12, 15:38).
Tartu led by as many as 29 points at the end of the third quarter, but Keila managed to cut the deficit to just three points with two minutes left. Martin Paasoja then sank a crucial three-pointer to give Tartu breathing room, and Keila couldn't get any closer.
Karl Johan Lips led Tartu with 19 points and eight rebounds. Malcolm Bernard added 18 points, and Paasoja contributed 12. Keila's Quion Burns recorded a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Keila KK meanwhile has now lost both of its games so far this season.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Henrik Laever
