CSM Oradea opened their Basketball Champions League fixture list with a convincing 95-87 win over AEK Larnaca on September 17, 2026, using a ruthless third quarter and a deep, balanced scoring effort to hold off a Cypriot side that refused to go away. The eight-point final margin flatters Larnaca slightly, but it also reflects the character they showed in a lively closing stretch.

The Romanians never trailed after the midway point of the second quarter, and at their peak they led by 15. It was a performance built on efficient half-court offense, work on the offensive glass and a defence that forced Larnaca into tough, late-shot-clock attempts for long stretches of the middle two periods.

Match Overview

• Competition: Basketball Champions League
• Match: CSM Oradea vs AEK Larnaca
• Date: September 17, 2026
• Final score: CSM Oradea 95 – 87 AEK Larnaca
• Quarter scores: 24-21, 22-20, 26-18, 23-28

For Oradea, it is exactly the kind of start a European campaign needs: a home victory, a healthy points differential and contributions from every position on the floor. For AEK Larnaca, the defeat leaves them with plenty of positives but no reward, and a clear sense that a single flat quarter cost them a genuine shot at an upset.

How the Game Unfolded

The opening ten minutes were tight and fast. Both teams pushed the pace early, trading baskets in transition as the defences settled into the rhythm of a first competitive meeting. Oradea's guards attacked the paint off high ball screens, while Larnaca answered with quick ball movement and outside shooting that kept the deficit to a single possession. The hosts edged the first quarter 24-21.

The second period followed a similar pattern, but Oradea began to win the small battles. An extra offensive rebound here, a deflection that turned into an easy transition basket there — the margin crept out to five at the break, 46-41. Larnaca's shot selection remained good, but the foul count started to climb and their rotations grew stretched.

Then came the decisive stretch. Oradea opened the third quarter with a 12-2 run, forcing a Larnaca timeout inside the first four minutes. The hosts dialled up their defensive pressure, switching aggressively on the perimeter and daring the visitors to beat them inside, where the Romanian frontcourt controlled the glass. By the end of the third, the scoreboard read 72-59 and the game looked settled.

To their credit, AEK Larnaca made a real fight of it. A 10-0 burst early in the fourth cut the lead to seven and briefly silenced the home crowd. But Oradea responded with composure rather than panic, converting free throws and finding open shooters against a scrambling defence, and they closed the game out without ever allowing the visitors to get within one possession in the final four minutes.

Tactical Story

Two things decided this game. First, Oradea's control of the defensive rebound. By limiting second-chance opportunities, they forced Larnaca to score against a set defence, which is a much harder ask on the road. Second, the hosts' willingness to play inside-out: post touches drew help defenders, and the resulting kick-out passes generated clean three-point looks that kept the lead growing.

Larnaca's best basketball came when they played small and spread the floor. Their shooting guard Tyrese Booker was the game's most dangerous perimeter threat, and centre Nikos Stavrou caused problems with his mobility in pick-and-roll coverage. The problem was consistency — every time the visitors strung together a run, they gave something back at the other end with a turnover or a foul.

Oradea's bench also proved decisive. The hosts got meaningful minutes from their second unit, which maintained the defensive intensity and, crucially, avoided the scoring droughts that so often swing European games in the third quarter.

Standout Performers

• Marcus Delaney (Oradea): The American guard set the tone with his penetration and finished as the game's leading scorer, repeatedly breaking down Larnaca's first line of defence.
• Andrei Popa (Oradea): Controlled tempo, made smart decisions in the pick-and-roll and knocked down the open shots that arrived as a result.
• Krisztián Nagy (Oradea): A dominant presence on the boards at both ends, and the anchor of the defensive effort that squeezed Larnaca in the third quarter.
• Tyrese Booker (AEK Larnaca): Kept his team alive with timely three-point shooting and was the main reason the game stayed competitive into the final minutes.
• Dimitris Andreou (AEK Larnaca): Battled hard on the interior and gav