FC Bayern Munich beat EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 87-70 in Round 25. Bayern fans had plenty of things to celebrate. 


Vladimir Lucic boosted banged-up Bayern against Milan

Despite losing its starting center to injury just two days before the game, [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/roster/mun/?season=2024-25) regrouped to claim [an 87-70 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-thrashed-milan-at-home-87-70/) over [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25) on Tuesday night. With the win, Bayern remained in the thick of the playoff race and put its recent losses behind it. Bayern is now on a three-game winning streak and team captain [Vladimir Lucic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vladimir-lucic/001288/) is slowly but steadily finding his rhythm.

Lucic missed 20 regular season games due to injury and finally showed his best against Milan, the form that saw him earn [All-EuroLeague First Team](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayerns-lucic-voted-to-all-euroleague-first-team/) honors with Bayern in the 2020-21 season. He was all over the place, finishing the game with 16 points on 3-of-3 two-point shooting, 2-of-4 on three-pointers (after going 0 of 8 from downtown this season entering the game) and 4-of-4 on free throws. Lucic also had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal for a game-high PIR of 21.

In other words, Lucic is back. That is great news for Bayern and of course, bad news for its next opponents, as few players have his combination of size, shooting range and off-the-charts basketball IQ.

"It feels great, for sure. Even better, knowing that I helped the team tonight, since it was a really important game for us," Lucic said after the game. "We actually started a little bit nervous, which is maybe normal since we lost one of the most important players of this team, [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/), so we didn't have enough time, maybe one day to adjust to some new things. We talked in the locker room and I think we went out ready to play and compete. In the end, we deserved the win."

There was more good news for Bayern. In a game without starting center Booker and point guard [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/), scoring machine [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) was held scoreless for three quarters. Edwards entered the game averaging 19.7 points per games. Nevertheless, Bayern led 37-36 at halftime with solid contributions from [Niels Giffey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/niels-giffey/001557/) and [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/). Edwards scored all of his 12 points in the third quarter, in which Bayern made the difference in the game.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 ❤️<br><br>Our GM Marko <a href="https://twitter.com/pesic7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pesic7</a> creates a big moment for a little Baller at <a href="https://twitter.com/SAPGarden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SAPGarden</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fcbayern?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fcbayern</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#basketball</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weballtogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weballtogether</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tsrsr41YhN">pic.twitter.com/Tsrsr41YhN</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1886901230334521541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Voigtmann finished the game with 13 points and Giffey had a season-high 16. After the game, Voigtmann explained how difficult it was to adjust to playing without Booker.

"We had to be ready to step up: everybody, especially the bigs, because Devin Booker is a main reason why we are where we are right now, and we are missing him already," Voigtmann said. "I think we came out with the right mindset. We had good energy and defensively, we looked pretty good. We controlled the rebounds for the whole game. Offensively, we made some shots at the right moment. The third quarter was big for us, and we kept that lead until the end."

Bayern remains home for its second game this week when it hosts LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 26. It will be ASVEL's first visit to SAP Garden. Last season, Bayern was the first-ever guest at LDLC Arena in a EuroLeague game. Bayern edged ASVEL [100-101 in double overtime](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-fc-bayern-munich/E2023/82/#boxscore). If that game is as close and thrilling as the one played on November 23, 2023, you are in for a treat!

Game News

Bayern's victory over Milan gave its fans plenty of reasons to celebrate


FC Bayern Munich v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-02-04T19:45:00.000Z)

For the third game in a row, KK Crvena zvezda scored 73 points – 9.5 below its average (82.5) – yet it was still able to down LDLC ASVEL to record back-to-back wins in the EuroLeague.

Everybody did their bit as Crvena Zvezda won again, despite its stuttering offense

Nothing was going to compare to the emotion that the Belgrade brings for [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/), which always made [its Round 25 game against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-gets-total-team-effort-in-73-66-win-over-asvel/) a potential banana skin.

The early going showed just that, with ASVEL taking the first lead of the game and holding the advantage for the majority of the opening quarter as [Joffrey Lauvergne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/joffrey-lauvergne/004194/), [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) and [Ben Bentil](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/benjamin-bentil/009818/) combined for 16 of their team’s 18 first-quarter points. Yet, a pair of free throws by [Yago dos Santos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yago-dos-santos/012044/) gave Zvezda a 19-18 lead after 10 minutes – and it never trailed again.

What was the most impressive is that everybody did their bit. At halftime, 11 of the 12 Zvezda players that stepped onto the floor had scored at least 1 point, with Yago and [Ognjen Dobric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ognjen-dobric/004007/) leading the way on 5 points apiece. By the end of the third quarter, seven players had 5 points or more, paced by [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/) on 8. And come the final buzzer, the number of players with 5 or more points had risen to nine, with Canaan having netted a team-high 11.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> Round 25 ✅ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/jwq4t3VaKy">pic.twitter.com/jwq4t3VaKy</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1886891138793267703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That team effort was something that certainly paid dividends, particularly as the team's offense is not exactly firing on all cylinders at present. What's more, Zvezda as a team finished with 8 steals on the night, the joint fourth most it has managed in a game this season, yet it was the defensive hustle that it showed time and time again that really epitomized its eventual 73-66 win over ASVEL.

“It was a team victory,” Canaan told EuroLeague TV afterward. “Everybody played defense, everybody stepped up on the defensive end, and that’s what Coach \[Ioannis Sfairopoulos\] has been preaching all week and for the rest of the season: defense will win us games. We’ll figure it out offensively.”

Curiously, Zvezda scored 73 points for the third game in a row, yet it still averages 82.5 points per night, which goes to show what its offense can do when things are going well. 

Still, the Serbian side now has back-to-back wins – against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and ASVEL – and heads into Thursday’s game on the road at ALBA Berlin feeling good about itself, sitting in the top six of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings with a 15-10 record.

For the third game in a row, coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos's team scored 73 points – 9.5 below its average (82.5)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-02-04T19:00:00.000Z)

Defending Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ground out a thrilling 91-90 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 25

Panathinaikos edges Fenerbahce, 91-90, in a titanic tussle

Defending Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ground out a thrilling 91-90 home win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Tuesday to improve to 15-10, while the visitors slipped to 16-8 after a pulsating Rivalry Series clash in the Greek capital.

The magnificent Kostas Sloukas paced the Greens with 23 points to go with 5 boards and Kendrick Nunn chipped in with 17 points of which he netted 13 in a rip-roaring second half, and 7 assists. Juancho Hernangomez came up big with 15 points and 8 rebounds and Jerian Grant scored 10 points as Panathinaikos shot 10 of 22 from deep to compensate for the long-term absence of injured big men Mathias Lessort and Omer Yurtseven.

At the other end, Nigel Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahce on 21 points but the visiting team’s hero turned villain in the last few moments of the game, when he missed a three-pointer and then fouled Nunn at the halfway line with 1.1 seconds remaining and put him on the foul line, with the game tied 90-90.

Game Videos

Nunn made the first free throw to send a fervent home crowd into raptures as Fenerbahce missed a golden opportunity to earn what would have been a precious road win in the battle for top spots in the standings. Errick McCollum netted 18 points, Devon Hall scored 14 and Sertac Sanli added 12 for the visitors, who shot 12 of 32 from downtown.

Panathinaikos was in the driving seat throughout the opening 10 minutes before Fenerbahce conjured a 0-8 run to draw level 24-24 at the end of the first quarter, setting the scene for a rugged and physical battle in the second. The home team thrived on Nunn facilitating the offense with timely assists as the Greens pulled away to 37-28, only for Fenerbahce to hit back and nose ahead 39-40, before Nunn netted a late layup to give the home team a slender 41-40 lead at halftime.

The rollercoaster continued in the third quarter as Hayes-Davis and Hernangomez traded blows from downtown while Hall caught fire for Fenerbahce, netting 12 points to propel the visitors into a 61-64 lead ahead of the final 10 minutes.

The fourth quarter produced masterclass offense on both sides, with the rivals dishing out three-pointers to each other like confetti. Nunn, who looked jittery and agitated all night, finally found his range from downtown as he sank a couple of shots to give Panathinaikos an 83-78 lead. Fenerbahce stormed back to turn the tide, 88-90, in the final minute of the captivating matchup and looked the more likely winner.

Sloukas then came up with a huge steal and sank a pair of free throws to tie the score, before Hayes-Davis made a mess of Fenerbahce’s last play and enabled Nunn to force the final twist.

The reigning champion snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a dramatic finish 

Panathinaikos edges Fenerbahce, 91-90, in a colossal tussle

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-02-04T19:15:00.000Z)

Consistent defensive intensity was key to Zalgiris’s win over ALBA

It wasn’t the first time Zalgiris Kaunas proved why numbers have crowned it the stingiest defense in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season and it will most probably not be the last one. Heading into Tuesday evening’s clash against ALBA Berlin, Zalgiris conceded a league-low average of 79.0 points per game. Yet, in basketball, there’s always room for improvement and some extra sessions on defensive intensity this week paid off against the German side.

Zalgiris strangled ALBA with its defensive intensity, holding the visitors to a season-low 53 points. This win allowed Andrea Trinchieri’s side to get back to winning ways after losing their previous three duels.

“It was a must-win game for us,” Ignas Brazdeikis told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Especially with a few tough \[losses\]. We came out aggressive. We were really focused on defense. This whole week we were focusing on just the fundamentals of defense and locking in together and it showed tonight.”

Brazdeikis pulled off his finest performance this term, netting a season-high 21 points. Yet, more importantly, he fulfilled the role of being just one of Trinchieri’s warriors on the other end of the floor.

Bryant Dunston was the one to set the tone with a game-high 3 blocks and a team-high 7 rebounds. Zalgiris recorded 9 blocks, the highest tally of any EuroLeague side so far this season. The hosts also registered 9 steals, forcing ALBA into a total of 21 turnovers. Hustle, stops, deflections and blocks have been the key words that have sculpted Zalgiris’s mentality this season.

Zalgiris's block party against ALBA

“This is the kind of game I actually think is best for us,” Dunston told EuroLeague TV. “Defensively, even when the shots are not going down, we are still there, physically imposing our way on the game on the defensive end. And that’s important, especially when we play against teams that have a lot of offensive weapons.”

Zalgiris held the visitors to 12 and 10 points in the first and second quarter, respectively, taking a 37-22 lead into the second half. It took a frustrated ALBA more than 5 and a half minutes to score a field goal in the third quarter, with Zalgiris not even letting its guard down in the fourth, when the game was practically over.

Having opened the last double-round week of the season in style, Zalgiris is set to host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Thursday. And should it maintain the same defensive intensity, it could open a winning streak that would serve as a major boost in morale.

The hosts held the German side to a season-low 53 points

Zalgiris Kaunas v ALBA Berlin (2025-02-04T18:00:00.000Z)

KK Crvena zvezda built on last Friday’s derby win by downing LDLC ASVEL 73-66 on Tuesday night. Ioannis Sfairopoulis’s team is now 15-10 and remains in the top six, while Pierric Poupet’s squad dropped to 11-14.

Crvena Zvezda gets total team effort in 73-66 win over ASVEL

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade built on last Friday’s derby win by downing LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 73-66 on Tuesday night. Ioannis Sfairopoulis’s team is now 15-10 and remains in the top six, while Pierric Poupet’s squad dropped to 11-14. Should it come down to it, Zvezda now has the tiebreaker after winning by seven points, having lost by three (77-74) in Lyon earlier this season.

Isaiah Canaan led Zvezda in scoring with 11 points, followed by Codi Miller-McIntyre and Nikola Kalinic with 10 apiece. Center Joel Bolomboy finished with 7 points and 10 rebounds. For ASVEL, Theo Maledon netted 13 points and Ben Bentil added 12.

Paris Lee’s deep three-pointer got the scoreboard moving before Joffrey Lauvergne converted back-to-back scores inside to give ASVEL a 4-7 lead. Ognjen Dobric tied it up at 7-7 with a three, but Theo Maledon and Lee pushed ASVEL back ahead at 9-14. An 8-2 Zvezda run capped by a Dejan Davidovac triple and a Joel Bolomboy dunk gave the hosts a 17-16 advantage. Ben Bentil responded, but a pair of free throws by Yago dos Santos made it 19-18 after 10 minutes.

Isaiah Canaan showed Zvezda’s intentions with a triple just seven seconds into the second quarter, then Filip Petrusev made both of his free throws to make it 24-18. Nemanja Nedovic and then Luka Mitrovic appeared, with the former draining a three-pointer before the latter scored twice inside as Zvezda’s lead swelled to 31-21. Edwin Jackson came into the game and quickly scored under the rim, with Maledon, Nando De Colo and Lauvergne joining forces to pull ASVEL within three points, 34-31, but Canaan’s floater with eight seconds left ensured it was 36-21 heading into the break.

Zvezda kept its foot on the gas after halftime, going on a 9-2 run that featured baskets from Miller-McIntyre, Nedovic and Bolomboy to go 12 points ahead at 45-33. Maledon and De Colo provided some resistance, helping give ASVEL a boost at 46-39. Then it was the turn of Bentil and Sako to keep ASVEL pushing, with the duo combining to make it 47-43, but Canaan’s three burst the visitors’ momentum, 50-43. Bentil scored over Brown soon after, but Bolomboy’s three-point play was another tough blow at 53-45. A Bentil three to end the quarter meant it was 56-48 after 30 minutes.

Rokas Giedraitis’s fast-break dunk and a couple of free throws by Miller-McIntyre put Zvezda in complete control at 60-48. Shaquille Harrison scored on back-to-back plays to give ASVEL a bit of hope, 60-52, but a three by Giedraitis and another by Canaan gave Zvezda a game-high 14-point lead, 66-52. Neal Sako, playing on four fouls, came into the game and scored six points in a row to make it an eight-point ballgame, 66-58, but then fouled out. Maledon’s three-point play meant it was a 9-0 ASVEL run, 66-61, but Miller-McIntyre’s layup and a couple of Kalinic free throws calmed things down at 70-61 with 47 seconds remaining. Zvezda ended up seeing out the game as it came away with a 73-66 victory.

Now on a two-game winning streak, the Serbian side has also gone 6-1 at Belgrade Arena in its last seven home games

Vladimir Lucic led Bayern to its 15th win of the season. 

Bayern thrashed Milan at home, 87-70! 

FC Bayern Munich recorded its third consecutive win by downing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 87-70 at SAP Garden in Round 25 on Tuesday. Bayern improved to 15-10 in the standings while Milan dropped to 13-12. 

Vladinir Lucic led the winners with 16 points. Niels Giffey added 16, Johannes Voigtmann 13 and Carsen Edwards 12 for Bayern. Zach LeDay paced Milan with 17 points. Armoni Brooks added 13 and Shavon Shields 12 for the visitors.

LeDay got Milan going with a jump hook which Shields followed with a layup for a 0-4 lead. Voigtmann struck from downtown before Oscar da Silva gave Bayern its first lead, 5-4. Nick Weiler-Babb improved Leday's jumper with a triple before Lucic buried a jumper to boost the hosts' lead to 10-6. Leandro Bolmaro stepped up with a driving layup that Lucic bettered with his trademark corner triple. Giampaolo Ricci answered from downtown, Giffey found his first points and Brooks's triple kept Milan within 15-14. Elias Harris hit free throws and Brooks's backdoor layup fixed the score at 17-16 after 10 minutes.  

Brooks insisted from downtown before Leday followed a running hook with a one-handed turnaround jumper that made it 19-23 early in the second quarter. da Silva finished a four-chance Bayern offense with a put-back basket that he followed with a backdoor layup to tie the score. Giffey struck twice from beyond the arc to give Bayern fresh air at 29-25. Nico Mannion hit a floater that Voigtmann bettered with a three-point play. Mannion kept pushing Milan and got help from LeDay to put the visitors back in charge, 32-33. Weiler-Babb fed Lucic for a layup and added a three-pointer for a 37-33 Bayern lead. Shields answered from beyond the arc to bring Milan within 37-36 at the break.

Edwards took over with a wild three-point play right after the break. Lucic soon added another corner triple which forced Milan to call timeout at 43-36. Bolmaro and Edwards traded jumpers before LeDay's three-point play kept Milan within 45-41. Lucic scored in penetration and Vogitmann improved LeDay's jump hook with a three-pointer. Lucic scored again and Edwards's catch-and-shoot triple made it a double-digit game, 55-43. Neno Dimitrijevic hit a couple of jumpers but Lucic and Edwards pushed the hosts' margin to 61-47. Stefano Tonut scored around the basket and Brooks added a jumper to give Milan hope at 61-51. Andreas Obst splashed a fallaway corner three-pointer and Danko Brankovic scored in the paint before Edwards boosted Bayern's lead to 68-55 after 30 minutes. 

Brankovic scored again early in the fourth quarter, as Bayern held Milan scoreless for more than 2 minutes. LeDay tried to change things for the guests but Obst's three-pointer boosted the hosts' lead to 73-57. Shields bettered Brankovic's layup with an eight-meter bomb, Voigtmann hit a jump hook and Giddey's three-pointer sealed the outcome, 81-60, midway through the fourth quarter. Milan head coach Ettore Messina send its starting lineup to the bench, and ayern fans had plenty of time to celebrate an important home victory. 

Vladimir Lucic led Bayern to its 15th win of the season

Bayern thrashed Milan at home, 87-70

Vincent Poirier made sure he brought his A-game in this important showdown to lead Anadolu Efes Istanbul past Real Madrid in Round 25 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Vincent Poirier sends message in home win over Real

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) arrived to the Basketball Development Center with two new players, [Dennis Smith](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dennis-smith-jr/013666/) and [Bruno Fernando](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bruno-fernando/013667/), who had already made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague last week. This game was [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/?season=2024-25) center [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/)'s first home game against his former team since he left *Los Blancos* last summer, and he made sure he brought his A-game in this important showdown.

Fernando started instead of [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) and Poirier got off to a strong start, getting two alley-oop dunks in an opening 8-0 run. He stayed solid throughout the game and stepped up when it was time to deliver, first with a wild put-back slam in traffic and then with an alley-oop dunk that stopped Real's one-man fourth-quarter comeback. [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) scored all of his team's 12 points in the fourth quarter but Poirier and [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) stepped up at the right time to make sure Efes added its 12th win of the season.

When the dust settled, Poirier had played a critical role, finishing the game with 15 points on 7-of-8 two-point shooting, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks for a PIR of 19. Bryant stepped up in [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/)'s absence due to injury, leading Efes with an all-around performance: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 8 fouls drawn.

Poirier helped Efes outrebound Real, 39-36, in one of the keys to this game. [PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/) put the exclamation mark with a huge poster dunk on Tavares. He ended up with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">&quot;Kaderimiz gösterdiğimiz efora ve yaptığımız fedakarlığa bağlı!&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/pIWxxpxrh0">pic.twitter.com/pIWxxpxrh0</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1886885756310032728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After the game, Poirier spoke about his team's fourth-quarter defense.

"More than the win, I think it is the way that we won and competed tonight. That was one of the best games we had so far, offensively and defensively," Poirier said. "I think we showed we have pride and that is the best thing we can take from this game. The way we played is good for the rest of the season. We had the ability to grab offensive rebounds and get second chances."

Efes beat Real Madrid and center Vincent Poirier played a key role against his former team

Vincent Poirier sent message in home win over Real Madrid

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Real Madrid (2025-02-04T17:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas ended its three-game losing slide by thrashing ALBA Berlin 73-53 on Tuesday evening at Zalgirio Arena in Round 25 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Zalgiris returns to winning ways with 73-53 blowout of ALBA

Zalgiris Kaunas ended its three-game losing slide by thrashing ALBA Berlin 73-53 on Tuesday evening at Zalgirio Arena. The hosts opened the last double-round week of the season in style, as they led from start to finish, grabbing a well-earned victory thanks to a solid defensive display throughout the game. Zalgiris improved its record to 12-13, with last-placed ALBA falling to 4-21.

Ignas Brazdeikis led all scorers with a season-high 21 points and Edgaras Ulanovas netted 10. For ALBA, Matteo Spagnolo, Matt Thomas and Yanni Wetzell scored 10 points each, with the latter completing a double-double by collecting 10 rebounds.

Brazdeikis opened the scoring from deep before an easy bucket by Laurynas Birutis and a triple from Arnas Butkevicius gave Zalgiris an 8-4 lead. Brazdeikis took his tally to 10 early points, including a floater that extended his team’s lead to 17-8. Four points off the bench from Lonnie Walker were followed by a dunk from Wetzell, but Bryant Dunston and Ulanovas scored inside for a 25-12 cushion after 10 minutes.

No field goal was scored by either team in the first 2 and a half minutes of the second quarter before a basket from Spagnolo made it 27-14. Lukas Lekavicius replied with a three-point play, but buckets from Spagnolo and David McCormack trimmed the deficit to 30-20. Dunston dunked and Matthew Mitchell made 2 from the line for a 37-22 lead at halftime.

Ulanovas opened the third quarter with a step-back three before a couple of free throws by Brazdeikis extended Zalgiris’s lead to 42-24. Thomas finally drilled a triple after 16 failed attempts by ALBA, with Will McDowell-White converting a three-point play to bring the visitors within 42-32. Yet, Dunston ended ALBA’s 0-8 run with a three-point play of his own before netting again inside for a 47-34 cushion. Thomas connected again from downtown, but Mitchell and Walker made 3 free throws apiece for a 55-37 lead heading into the last quarter.

Spagnolo made 2 from the charity stripe before setting up Wetzell, who netted inside to make it 55-41. But Zalgiris responded with a 10-4 run including triples by Ulanovas and Sylvain Francisco to practically finish the game off.

The hosts led throughout the 40 minutes to snap a three-game losing streak

Anadolu Efes Istanbul grabbed its second consecutive home victory by downing Real Madrid 79-73 at Basketball Development Center in Round 25 on Tuesday. 


Efes stops Real at home, 79-73! 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul grabbed its second consecutive home victory by downing Real Madrid 79-73 at Basketball Development Center in Round 25 on Tuesday. Efes improved to 12-13 in the standings and took a 2-0 record on the season against Real, which dropped to 13-12. 

Elijah Bryant led the winners with 21 points, Vincent Poirier added 15 plus 8 rebounds while Darius Thompson had 12 for Efes. Mario Hezonja paced Real with 18 points, Hugo Gonzalez and Bruno Fernando each added 11 and Alberto Abalde 10 for the visitors.

Poirier got Efes going with an alley-oop slam before Bryant followed a jumper with a dunk off a steal. Thompson fed Poirier for an alley-oop slam that made Real call timeout at 8-0. Abalde rescued Los Blancos with a jumper which Facu Campazzo followed with a driving layup. Hezonja scored down low and Bruno Fernando's dun brought the guests within 10-8. Poirier stepped up with a tip-in and Thompson erased Fernando's dunk with a layup. Jordan Nwora and Fernando traded layups before Thompson's three-pointer boosted Efes's lead to 20-13. Gonzalez answered from downtown, Dan Otutu finished a three-chance offense with a put-back layup before Rodrigue Beaubois hit a triple for a 25-17 Efes lead after 10 minutes. 

Gonzalez tried to change things with an acrobatic basket early in the second quarter. Andres Feliz added a fastbreak layup for a 25-21 score. After Beaubois buried a six-meter shot, Sergio Llull and PJ Dozier exchanged jumpers. Llull kept pacing Real and Walter Tavares's layup brought the visitors within 32-28. Bryant ignited the crowd with an off-balance three-point play. Tavares answered with an alley-oop dunk and Feliz's triple caused Efes to call timeout at 34-33. Nwora struck from downtown and Dennis Smith banked in a floater. Gonzalez's buzzer-beating three-pointer tied it at 38-38 as the teams headed back to the locker room.

Rolands Smits nailed a catch-and-shoot triple right after the break. Abalde fed Tavares for an alley-oop slam and improved on Poirier's floater with a bomb from beyond the arc. Poirier scored in the paint and Thompson's jumper gave Efes fresh air at 47-43. Abalde insisted from downtown and Hezonja erased Bryant's layup with a turnaround jumper. Gonzalez's follow-up layup soon gave Real its first lead, 49-51. Bryant scored again, but Fernando followed an alley-oop slam with a put-back basket for a 52-56 score. Ercan Osmani swished a turnaround jumper that Campazzo improved on with a three-point play. Oturu took over with a put-back slam before Abalde restored a 56-61 Real lead at the end of the third quarter.

Osmani and Thompson each buried a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter to put Efes back ahead, 62-61. Bryant capped a 9-0 run with a floater and the free throw that came with it. Hezonja got a lucky bounce on a three-point shot before Dozier stopped the show with a huge dunk on Tavares. Dozier kept pacing the hosts and Bryant matched Hezonja's layup with a floater for a 71-66 Efes lead. Poirier stepped up with a put-back slam before Bryant made it an 8-point game with over 4 minutes left. Hezonja buried consecutive triples to bring Real back to life at 75-73. Dozier found Poirier for an alley-oop dunk before Bryant made it 79-73 with 1:24 left. *Los Blancos* was held scoreless when it mattered most, allowing Efes to cruise to a well-deserved win.

Luca Banchi got his second win as Efes head coach