Donar Groningen held off a late surge from AB InBev Leuven Bears to win 81–78, a genuine three-point finish decided in the final stretch after the visitors clawed back from a 16-point hole. The game was loose and contested from the start—nine lead changes and five ties kept it in flux through the opening half. Donar built momentum in the second quarter, stringing together a 9-0 run midway through to push the lead to 38–27, and took a commanding 40–30 halftime advantage. Early in the third, Donar extended their cushion to 50–34 with 06:41 on the clock, but Leuven Bears refused to fold. The visitors outscored Groningen 23–22 in the quarter to cut it to 62–53 heading into the fourth. The final ten minutes belonged entirely to Leuven Bears. A 25-point fourth-quarter output against Donar's 19 made it a one-possession game inside the final two minutes, but Groningen found enough to close it out. Brandon Bergsma led Donar with 19 points on efficient 6/9 shooting and five made free throws. Aleksandre Merkviladze contributed 16 points and 9 rebounds. For Leuven Bears, Sebastian Thomas finished with 27 points and 8 rebounds despite 9/19 shooting, while Carl Cleveland added 25 points on a sharp 9/15 from the field. Donar host Val-Dieu Spirou Basket on Wednesday 14 October.