Racing Luxembourg opened Phase 1 with a 70-57 home win over Amicale Steesel and climbed to 3rd place in the standings, a gain of two positions. Amicale is 4th, also up two places despite the loss.
Amicale had the better start. Charel Patz (AMI) and Jona Engel (AMI) established the early rhythm, and Patz scored five straight points in the first quarter as the visitors built a 16-11 lead. Racing then changed the flow in the second period. Henrik Piirsalu (RAC) was decisive in that stretch, scoring 9 points in the quarter, including five in a row to move Racing from 23-23 to 28-23. That second quarter turned the game, with Racing going into halftime ahead 31-30.
The most important sequence came in the third quarter. Amicale briefly went in front 39-37 after baskets from Raphael Boreiko (AMI) and Patz, but Racing answered with a 13-0 run to close the period from 37-39 to 50-39. Levi Balde (RAC) gave constant scoring pressure inside, while Nikita Lamidiaux (RAC), Linas Malaise (RAC) and Timofei Plechko (RAC) all added to that surge. Malaise also had a notable foul stretch, committing three personals in the second quarter, then a fourth early in the last period.
Racing kept control in the fourth quarter and pushed the margin to 19 points at 68-49, the biggest lead of the game. Amicale still had useful scoring from Engel, Boreiko and late points by Lex Diederich (AMI), but never got back into one-possession range.
Balde led Racing with 18 points, Piirsalu added 12, Lamidiaux 10 and Malaise 9. For Amicale, Engel finished with 13 points, Patz 12, Boreiko 11, while Atanas Atapov (AMI) and Phil Linckels (AMI) scored 7 each.
(AI generated)