Venezia start Basketball Champions League season with thrilling triple-overtime victory

MarQuez Haynes' blushes were spared as Umana Reyer Venezia clinched a triple-overtime victory over Banvit on a dramatic opening night of the 2017-18 Basketball Champions League.

Haynes sunk a three-pointer on the buzzer to tie the match and in the process drew a foul to earn a chance to win it for Venezia from the free-throw line, but he was unable to complete the and-one play with 0.4 seconds remaining.

However, the Italian side finally got the job done with Gediminas Orelik sinking twice from beyond the arc in the third overtime period to clinch a 108-101 victory against last season's runners-up.

AS Monaco, who will be hoping to go one better than their previous campaign and reach the final in 2018, got their tilt off to an excellent start with a 90-53 thumping of Juventus.

A double-double from Delroy James (21 points, 10 rebounds) was not enough for AEK as they were beaten 87-79 at home to Movistar Estudiantes.

Medi Bayreuth defeated Rosa Radom 96-79 in Poland and Oostende ran out 74-66 winners at Telekom Baskets Bonn.

MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg were the only team to score in three digits in regulation time with an emphatic 103-70 victory over PAOK, while Nanterre 92, Neptunas Klaipeda and Gaziantep also triumphed.