Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 32 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: Round 32

## Friday, March 28

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (18:30 CET)

**Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach**

"The results are proving that Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv is one of the team in best shape. They collected four wins in a row before their last game with Panathinaikos. Despite they were leading by 15 points few minutes before the end, as a statement of their actual shape and the quality of their basketball, a team that has an identity that no matter of the position in the standings. They are producing a very high level basketball with great flow and a productive defense who allowed them to win recently against top teams like Fenerbahçe Beko and Monaco. So it's enough to believe that will be a very tough game for us arriving a few hours after our important win against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Unfortunately without the possibility to play at our arena, but adding some stress because of the travel. I really wish that the team will be capable to recover fast because the game will be very challenging. The opponent has all the qualities to play till the end of the regular season competing against every type of opponent. We have to be ready to play one more time our best basketball. I really wish that for the fans who will come to the arena in Riga will be a great chance to see a spectacular EuroLeague game."

**Rolands Smits, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward**

"We're going to play against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Riga, my hometown, so it will be a very special game for me and a very important game for us. It will be difficult game like all the games in EuroLeague. So we need to play our own game. It's like we played last games together like a team and be very physical to win this game. We have a few games left, so we need to go the same way."

**Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach**

"In our current situation, playing again at this level within two days is extremely challenging. We will need to recover quickly and manage the playing time. We're facing a team in incredible form, with a top 2-3 roster in the EuroLeague. They are on the rise and in excellent shape. The matchup against Anadolu Efes will be different from the one against Panathinaikos."

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (18:45 CET)

**Saras Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach**

"Baskonia is one of the best teams in transition and this is what we need to stop first. Markus Howard has been playing with incredible rhythm, he's in great shape and always surrounded by the great ability to get offensive rebounds."

**Dyshawn Pierre, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward**

"It’s the double week. Three more games left in this season and we just got to stay focused. We lost to them in the previous one, so it's important for us to win this one. We had a great crowd on Tuesday so again, tomorrow just come and support us. We will be waiting for you."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Real Madrid (20:00 CET)

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"Crvena Zvezda has played their last two games with a lot of drive and in a very smart way. They were able to win on Olympiacos's home court and yesterday they overwhelmed Virtus Bologna. It is a team with many capabilities and players of very high quality in many positions. They are very well-balanced, although it is true that they have lost \[Joel\] Bolomboy, who was giving them a lot. In any case, they have a great \[Filip\] Petrusev, a great \[Nemanja\] Nedovic, Codi Miller-McIntyre, Yago dos Santos, \[Milos\] Teodosic, who every time he steps on the court always influences the game. It has shooters like \[Nikola\] Kalinic and \[Isaiah\] Canaan, both with tonnes of experience. Also, John Brown is an excellent defender... Crvena Zvezda is full of good players, but they are playing as a team, which is what really gives them the value of being in fifth place in the standings right now."

**Facundo Campazzo, Real Madrid guard**

"We have a tough trip to Belgrade ahead of us. We play on a court where it's difficult to win, it's difficult to play well, but that's our goal and our mindset. We will try to set the pace of the game and keep emotions as low as possible. Tomorrow's game is a very big challenge. We have to play good basketball because Crvena Zvezda plays well at home, with a lot of confidence, runs the court well and has great fans, which is always a plus. We have to continue in the line of the last games: play good basketball, run the court well and defend hard. I think that if we control all this, we will have more chances to win."

### ALBA Berlin vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:00 CET)

**Pedro Calles, ALBA Berlin head coach**

"Regardless of the situation in the standings, we want to approach the game against Virtus Bologna like any other game and get the maximum out of ourselves. It sounds strange to say this in March, but we're in a building phase right now. We need to work on our crunch-time performance. Of course, the tight schedule doesn't make it easy for me as a new head coach, but I'm very pleased with how the players are responding to the changes."

**Tim Schneider, ALBA Berlin forward**

"EuroLeague double weeks are always tough. But the first game this season against Virtus Bologna was also part of a double week. To get the win, we have to keep our confidence and focus for the full 40 minutes. Then is anything possible, especially at home with our fans behind us."

**Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach**

"After yesterday's bad performance we have to demonstrate that we are a good team, we have to do it because we are Virtus, a great club also in Europe and we will have to prove it tomorrow."

**Alessandro Pajola, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard**

"We have a chance to get back on the court again to forget yesterday's night. We absolutely want to react and face tomorrow's game with the will and determination to interrupt this difficult period, for us and for our fans."

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Paris Basketball (20:15 CET)

**Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach**

"Paris Basketball plays their basketball. Now everyone knows how they play. They run the floor, look for transition, and they don’t mind shooting after the first pass. Often, in 90% of their possessions, they shoot after the first pass. Therefore, we need to stay focused and fight for the win. It’s a very important game for us. We know Paris also comes from a tough loss against Fenerbahce at the buzzer. Our opponents had one extra day of rest, but we have no excuses. Tomorrow we want a very hot atmosphere, we want to win, and we want to take the home-court advantage for the playoffs. Mathias \[Lessort\] is a huge absence for us, we miss him in every game. But we’ve understood how to manage his absence so far with \[Wenyen\] Gabriel and \[Konstantinos\] Mitoglou at the '5'. We survived. We survived without our best center, the best center in Europe. I hope he will be ready, maybe for the playoffs. Our goal is to see him ready for the playoffs. We’ll see what happens. Right now, we’re trying to find other ways in our system without Matias."

**Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard**

"The season is coming to an end in just two or three games. Throughout the year, we have played with fire multiple times, and while that has led to some positive results – like yesterday’s game – it has also cost us in certain matches. We secured a huge victory, coming back from a 15-point deficit in the last five or six minutes. We have also won some crucial home games by turning the match around in the final moments, particularly in the fourth quarter. However, there were games we wanted to win but didn’t, such as against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. The situation is different with Olympiacos. We want to win every game, and there are certain away matches where we definitely wanted the win. Still, we have earned some significant road victories in tough arenas and have managed to keep our home court undefeated for the past several months. That is exactly what we aim to do again tomorrow—secure a major victory. For us, this is a final. It will be a very difficult game."

## Thursday, March 27

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:00 CET)

**Bryant Dunston, Zalgiris Kaunas center**

"We've got to play with energy. I know it's a double week and we played an overtime game, a very emotional game, but we've got to lock in and continue to play our type of game: defensive, aggressive. In general, play with a bit more anger. I think the first game we played against them, they were really physical – they're long and athletic, they like to get up and down, so we have to try to take that away a little bit with our physicality. Also, teams that like to run don't like to get run on, so we'll have to control the tempo too, even though we're on the road."

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. AS Monaco (20:15 CET)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"The available players will be the same as yesterday, with the addition of Giannoulis Larentzakis. Vassilis \[Spanoulis\] has returned here before, as an opponent with Peristeri, and now he is with a very strong, competitive EuroLeague team, and he’s doing excellently, in my opinion. Everyone will be happy to see him here, but you understand that my job ends there. For better or worse, he is our opponent now, and we need to win. Maybe we can compare the two teams, but ASVEL beat Monaco two days ago on the road. Right now, everything is about approach, the day, and how you shoot the ball. Yesterday, we missed nine layups, had our lowest two-point shooting percentage of the season, and went 9 for 30 from three, with 10 to 12 being completely open shots from good shooters. All these things matter. In my opinion, how you shoot the ball at this level, where defenses protect the paint well, is always important."

**Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus forward**

"I think Monaco has a ton of talent. They are a very good team, fighting for home-court advantage, with an excellent coach. We had a long time without two consecutive losses, if I’m not mistaken, so we need to bounce back, play the basketball that got us here, and not lose another game at home. We know what went wrong, what we didn’t do well, and the good thing is that we play right away, so we’ll go and try to win this game."

**Elie Okobo, AS Monaco guard**

"The next three games are extremely important. And that starts tomorrow. Olympiacos have already qualified, and we still have a lot to prove and achieve to qualify, while making sure we benefit from home advantage. It's going to be a war, and that's what we're preparing for: a big fight. They're a team that plays well collectively, and they're very good defensively, with their inside men causing a lot of trouble. It's up to all of us to come together and fight back. We need to stop talking and do everything we can on the pitch to put in a string of good performances."

### FC Bayern Munich vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:30 CET)

**Gordie Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach**

"If we are still thinking about Barcelona when facing a strong team like Partizan, we have a problem. That kind of mistake often happens in sports, and we need to keep that in mind when playing in front of our fans."

**Elias Harris, FC Bayern Munich center**

"But a win like the one at Barça is only possible with a strong team effort. We have to stay focused on the next game – it doesn’t help to start looking at the standings and doing the math now."

**Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach**

"Bayern is a team that plays exceptionally well at home, but they also play well away from home. Last night they beat Barcelona away. The key will be defense, first of all, on their three-point shooters. They have a lot of players who are able to shoot from distance and do it in transition, and when they get a rebound in the attack, they immediately go for the three-point shot. A difficult game awaits us, but we will try to prepare and be at the same energy level as we were against ALBA."

**Carlik Jones, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard**

"I expect a tough game. We beat them easily here, so I expect them to play hard and try to get some revenge on us."

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. FC Barcelona (20:30 CET)

**Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach**

"We face an offensively gifted team, because of their guards and also other efficient players such as Jabari Parker, for example. Against this kind of team showing a defene consistent with the level of the competition and the all-important game we are about to play will be mandatory to increase our chances."

**Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach**

"We have this day to get together again, talk about everything and know that the competition continues. It was very hard, obviously. \[Chimezie Metu\]'s injury and losing a game we had under control, but we still have all the options. \[Milan is a\] direct rival. We have the opportunity to remain in contention to reach the playoffs. We have to rely on the strength that the team has shown throughout the season. Tomorrow is a day to be more united than ever and bring out all our ambition and fight."

**Justin Anderson, FC Barcelona forward**

"Unfortunately this \[latest injury, this time for Chimezie Metu\] is something that's not new for us. We've had to deal with it with Lapro, with Vesely currently, with Nunez, so we've kind of become immune to it. Whoever is available, play hard, play together, and play for each other. This is something that we've kind of got used to this season. Hopefully we're done with this. It's going to be difficult, but we've got a job to do and we want to make those guys happy through their recovery process. Our job is to make sure we put ourselves in a position to go out and represent the name on our chest."

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 32 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: 'We're playing in Riga, my hometown, so it will be a special game for me'

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Paris Basketball (2025-03-28T19:15:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2025-03-28T19:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-03-28T19:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-03-28T17:45:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2025-03-28T17:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-27T19:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v FC Barcelona (2025-03-27T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco (2025-03-27T19:15:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-03-27T19:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco’s main man in Thursday’s thrilling win at Olympiacos Piraeus was Jaron Blossomgame.

Jaron Blossomgame hungry for more after leading Monaco past Olympiacos

[AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) boasts an enviable roll call of superstars, starting on the bench where head coach [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vassilis-spanoulis/juo/) ranks as arguably the greatest legend of 21st century European basketball.

Then there’s [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), who last year succeeded Spanoulis as the competition’s all-time leading scorer; his backcourt teammate [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/), the man sitting atop both the all-time assists and steals charts; and recent signing [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/), who is making waves back in his home continent after a long career in the NBA.

However, Monaco’s main man in [Thursday’s thrilling win at Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/spanouliss-monaco-downs-olympiacos-77-80/) – which confirmed a top-10 finish and left the Roca Team in control of its own top-four destiny – was none of those illustrious names, but instead one of the roster’s lesser celebrated members: [Jaron Blossomgame](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaron-blossomgame/011231/).

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚀 Career-high pour Jaron Blossomgame en Euroleague ! 🌟<br><br>🏹 18 points (record)<br>💢 5 rebonds<br>📊 21 PIR<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JaronBgame?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JaronBgame</a> <a href="https://t.co/ViSZeq51b9">pic.twitter.com/ViSZeq51b9</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1905373653920817560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The veteran forward, who is in his third season with Monaco, netted 18 points to lead his team and set a new personal EuroLeague best, also showing his toughness by grabbing 5 rebounds and spending a team-high 34 minutes on the floor – just two days after he played for nearly 38 minutes in [Tuesday’s overtime win over Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-survives-overtime-thriller-against-zalgiris-96-86/).

But the modest Blossomgame was in no mood to accept individual plaudits, instead piling the praise on his teammates, as he told EuroLeague TV: “We knew what the challenge was coming in here to play this \[Olympiacos\] team, and my guys stayed together.

“We fought the whole game, it wasn’t easy but we did play Monaco basketball. Mike \[James\] was incredible with \[12\] assists, everybody did a lot of things for us tonight and that’s the beauty of our team, we have so many guys who can help us and we did it tonight.”

Jaron Blossomgame highlights against Olympiacos

The 32-year-old is far from finished, though, reflecting the unavoidable awareness of all players at the top clubs that the playoffs are just around the corner.

Monaco needs to win at least one of its two remaining games to secure a top-four finish and consequently enjoy home-court advantage in the playoffs, which historically gives roughly a 75% chance of advancing to the Final Four.

With Round 33 delivering a testing visit from reigning champion [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) before a final day French League derby at [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/), nothing can be taken for granted. And Blossomgame is already looking ahead to what comes next, saying: “We want to finish the season strong and get some momentum going for the playoffs.

“It's one game at a time. It's a huge win tonight, but we have another big one next week with Panathinaikos coming to town. So we'll celebrate this tonight and then refocus for the next game.”

Leading that process, of course, is Spanoulis, who is guiding his team into a serious title challenge in his very first season on the job. And Blossomgame predictably expressed his total confidence in the coach, enthusing: “He’s a very passionate guy, very energetic, he loves the game of basketball and that pours out onto the court among the team.

“He’s our leader, we look at him and we go through him. We’re happy to have him here and he’s done a great job so far.”

A great job so far… but Blossomgame knows it’s far from finished.

Game News

The veteran forward is targeting a top-four finish for the Roca Team

FC Bayern Munich trailed for much of the first half but turned the matchup on its head late in the third quarter, as Carsen Edwards netted 10 of his 25 points in the third period to help the home team grab a 65-63 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

Carsen Edwards led Bayern’s charge against Partizan 

[FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) coasted into the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague postseason with two games to spare after an emphatic [89-74 home win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-beats-partizan-89-74-books-postseason-berth/) lifted the German champs to 19-13 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

The result capped a perfect week for Bayern, which ground out [a shock 101-102 win at FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-rallies-for-101-102-victory-in-barcelona/) on Tuesday and is now in contention for a top-four finish following yet another mature performance when the chips were down.

Bayern trailed for much of the first half but turned the matchup on its head late in the third quarter, as [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) netted 10 of his 25 points in the third period to help the home team grab a 65-63 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

The hosts never looked back in the fourth and shot the lights out to force Partizan into submission, sinking 13 of 26 from deep through the contest while containing the visitors to 7-of-29 shooting on the back of steely defense in a frantic home stretch.

Carsen Edwards (25 points) Highlights vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet, 03/27/2025

Carsen Edwards scored 25 points in Round 32 against Partizan

“I am happy we got the win and I just hope we stay healthy and finish the season strong,” a delighted Edwards said in his postgame comments, having initially been unaware that Bayern had booked its postseason ticket.

“Wow, I didn’t know that,” he said. “We struggled with rebounding in the first half so we were looking to get a couple of stops in the second.”

[Shabazz Napier,](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/) who was also instrumental with some sublime assists, added: “When you play against Partizan, you know you’re going to have a fight on your hands. We showed resilience today, thriving on the big win against Barcelona in the previous round.”

The success was a fitting reward for head coach Gordon Herbert, who transformed Bayern into a force to be reckoned with after taking over during the off-season following a historic feat of winning the 2023 World Cup with Germany.

The 66-year-old tactician seems to have instilled a new level of confidence while bringing a wealth of experience from a lifetime on the sidelines, having started his coaching career in 1994 at Finnish campaigners Korihait.

Herbert acknowledged that a 13-2 run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth was decisive as Bayern overturned a 54-61 deficit and took the game by the scruff of the neck in the home straight. 

“We were searching for energy in the opening 27 minutes and fortunately, the group which was on the court late in the third quarter did a great job,” Herbert said.

“We were down by 7 points and after they tied the game, we took off in the fourth. The defense did a great job and then we got connected as a team and brought it home. It was a team effort as everybody chipped in so all the credit to our players.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/00ZLAAy1vf">pic.twitter.com/00ZLAAy1vf</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1905374167400067173?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In contrast, Partizan now faces a mountain to climb if the Serbian side is to sneak into the postseason, facing must-win games at [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/?season=2024-25) and at home to [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) while also needing some other results to go its way in the run-in.

Partizan had its fate firmly in its own hands just a few weeks ago when it was in the postseason picture on a 15-12 record, but four defeats in the last five games have derailed its topsy-turvy campaign which got off to a dreadful 2-8 start before a 13-4 streak had put it back on track.

The playmaker was instrumental in dismantling the Serbian team’s challenge

ASVEL fought off Zalgiris Kaunas all game only briefly falling behind in the third quarter of an 88-79 win at home. That gave Pierric Poupet’s men a 13-19 record with two games to go. 

ASVEL tied its club record for most wins in a EuroLeague season 

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/?season=2024-25) picked a great time to tie the club record for the most wins in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season as it grabbed lucky victory number 13 to finish off ‘European Heritage Week’ with a home sweep of the final double round week of the season.

ASVEL fought off [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/?season=2024-25) all game only briefly falling behind in the third quarter of [an 88-79 win at home](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-beats-zalgiris-88-79-to-finish-week-with-two-home-wins/). That gave Pierric Poupet’s men a 13-19 record with two games to go.

“I am very proud of my guys. Thanks to AstroBalle. The crowd was amazing. We really have a great crowd at ASVEL. And it’s a good way to show it, to face our history. I am happy to put ASVEL in a good place,” said Poupet, whose team finishes the season with a game at [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/?season=2024-25) before hosting [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/?season=2024-25).

Game Videos

The ASVEL players for a second straight game wore a special green jersey to commemorate the team that reached the 1997 Final Four in Rome.

“I think it’s always good to celebrate history with pride and the best face we can have - in terms of behavior, will to give everything on the court,” the coach said.

The 13 wins evened the club mark from 2020-21 when the French side went 13-21. ASVEL had a 10-28 record when the 2019-20 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The club’s record was 8-20 in 2021-22, 8-26 in 2022-23 and 9-25 last season.

The team’s 23-year-old star [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) led the way with 19 points and talked about the importance of playing in the green jersey in front of the club heroes from 1997.

“This jersey means a lot to everyone. For us too. So we had to show up and show what we are about,” Maledon said.

The guard emphasized that the team is still hungry to add more wins.

“The season may be over but we can still grow as a team. And we tied the record for the most wins in ASVEL history. It’s still a challenge for us to get and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Veteran star [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) is not ready to mail it in for the final two games.

“I think it’s good when we remember what the older generations did before us. The most important thing is what we did as a team,” he said. "We still have two more games. We will try to win both of them. It’s never easy, but we will try to play the right way.”

The French side has two chances to set a new mark 

Dario Brizuela, Kevin Punter and Dame Sarr allowed FC Barcelona to get a good-as-gold victory.


Barca's shooting guards shine in Milan 

In a critical game in the fight to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague postseason, [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/?season=2024-25) captured [an 88-98 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barca-gets-critical-win-in-milan-88-98/) over [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25). The winners did so by bouncing back from [a heartbreaking home loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-rallies-for-101-102-victory-in-barcelona/) that came with yet another injury on Tuesday when [Chimezie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chimezie-metu/013379/) joined a long list of injured players that already featured [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/), [Juan Nunez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juan-nunez/010106/) and [Nico Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/).

Barca turned its injury situation into an opportunity to play better, looking for its regular go-to guys while finding others along the way. In Milan, three of its guards shot the lights out in a critical game for head coach [Joan Penarroya](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/penarroya-joan?season=E2024)'s team.

Teenager [Dame Sarr](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dame-sarr/011666/) started for the first time in his EuroLeague career. In his previous nine games, Sarr had averaged 0.3 points and a PIR of -0.3. Sarr made the most of the opportunity right away, opening the game with an off-balance layup and a basket off a steal in Barca's 0-7 opening run. He still had time to get a layup-plus-foul and a couple of three-pointers to finish the game with a career-high 13 points. He added 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals for a personal-best PIR of 16 in just 18 minutes.

Punter, Brizuela and Sarr combined for 65 points on 11 of 17 three-pointers (64.7% 3FG).

Punter, Brizuela, Sarr shoot the lights out

Barca found even better scoring options off the bench. [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) put Barca ahead for good in an outstanding second quarter in which he made 7 of his 8 shots, including 3 from beyond the arc. Brizuela did a little bit of everything in the second quarter: he made those shots from deep, added a couple of mid-range jumpers, a driving layup and an off-balance floater. He scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the second quarter, leading Barca to a 44-55 lead.

[Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) also came off the bench to lead Barca in the second half, in which he scored 17 of his 25 points. Punter, Brizuela and Sarr combined for 65 points on 11-of-17 three-point shooting (64.7% 3FG). 

In a game in which both teams had similar numbers in rebounds (35-33), assists (15-16) and turnovers (15-15), these three players made the difference with their outside shots. Barca ended up making 14 of 29 three-pointers (48.3%) and limited Milan to just 8-of-25 shooting from beyond the arc (32%). Milan had the higher PIR in this game, 97-96, but Barcelona recorded a double-digit win.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">25 punts i 23 de valoració. <br><br>Un nou partidàs de <a href="https://twitter.com/KPJunior_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KPJunior_</a> 👏👏👏 <a href="https://t.co/Nh07xa0qBN">pic.twitter.com/Nh07xa0qBN</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1905390852245258640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"I'm just trying to play my best, possession to possession, and once I'm start feeling hot, then it's when I start to trying to be more aggressive. It was my time in the first half. In the second half, this monster \[called\] Kevin Punter did his thing and I'm just happy because we won. It's all about the team and today we did a really good job with all the injuries and all the bad moments we had this week," Brizuela said after the game. 

"It was a bad day yesterday, but today we woke up with the will to compete with high intensity. Shout out to everybody, to Yous \[[Youssoupha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/youssoupha-fall/006568/)\] and Billy \[[Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/)\] for playing really good miutes. Maybe it wasn't shown in the stats, but they play amazingly today."

Barcelona has two more games, visiting already-qualified Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 33 and hosting already-eliminated Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 34. After this loss and despite having a 16-16 record, Milan remains one win behind the play-in spots, ranked 12th overall. It visits Virtus in Round 33 and hosts Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 34.

Dario Brizuela, Kevin Punter and Dame Sarr led the Blaugrana to a good-as-gold victory

Barcelona's shooting guards shined in Milan 

FC Bayern Munich punched its postseason ticket in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with two games to spare after improving to 19-13 with an impressive 89-74 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on the back of a game-high 25 points from guard Carsen Edwards

Bayern beats Partizan, 89-74, books postseason berth 

FC Bayern Munich punched its postseason ticket in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with two games to spare after improving to 19-13 with an impressive 89-74 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on the back of a game-high 25 points from guard Carsen Edwards.

Captain Vladimir Lucic and Andy Obst added 11 points apiece while big man Danko Brankovic chipped in with 10 points for Bayern, which rallied from a 42-44 halftime deficit to prevail thanks to an effervescent fourth quarter which the home team won 24-11.

Carlik Jones paced Partizan with 19 points and 10 assists while Sterling Brown scored 13 points, but the duo received preciously little support from their teammates as the Serbian side dropped to 16-16 and now faces an uphill battle to reach the business end of Europe’s premier club competition.

Partizan had the upper hand for the best part of a dynamic first quarter as Jones pulled all the strings on offense, pouring 9 points to give Partizan a 15-19 advantage before a pair of threes allowed Bayern to slash the deficit to 21-23 ahead of the second period.

Bayern was able to stay in touch thanks to sound shooting from downtown, 4 of 8, while Partizan was lethal from mid-range as the visiting team sank 10 of 13 from inside in the opening 10 minutes.

It was pretty much the same pattern in the second quarter as Partizan kept chipping away and carved out a 30-37 lead but the stubborn hosts closed in to 42-44 at halftime, nailing 7 of 13 from downtown in the first half to compensate for 9 offensive boards and 19 in total racked up by the visitors.

The battle got rugged and physical in the third quarter and Partizan pulled away to 54-61 before Edwards caught fire to instigate an 11-2 Bayern run, capping the period with a corner three on the buzzer to propel the hosts into a 65-63 lead ahead of the decisive 10 minutes.

The game was delicately balanced early in the fourth with Partizan closing to 69-68 on a Sterling Brown three, but Obst then returned the favor at the other end, allowing Bayern to pull away to 79-70 soon afterwards.

Partizan’s offense was ground to a screeching halt when the chips were down while the home players rained down their long-range shots from all over, silencing a fervent band of several thousand away fans in the Sap Garden.

Nick Weiler-Babb put the icing on the cake for Bayern with a pair of late threes to give the hosts an ultimately emphatic win as Partizan descended into a meltdown, shooting 3 of 17 from deep in the second half in the wake of ironclad defense from the home team.

The German champs excelled in the fourth quarter to delight their home fans

AS Monaco secured a spot in the top 10 with a hard-fought road win at Olympiacos Piraeus, condemning the Reds to a third straight loss

Spanoulis’s Monaco downs Olympiacos, 77-80

AS Monaco secured a spot in the top 10 with a hard-fought road win at Olympiacos Piraeus, condemning the Reds to a third straight loss. Monaco improved to 20-12 and will now target a top-six finish, while Olympiacos dropped to 22-10.

Monaco controlled the opening stages but Olympiacos responded during a low-scoring second quarter to lead 37-35 at halftime. The second half was tight until the visitors dominated the closing stages to seal a big win. Mike James guided Monaco with a double-double of 11 points and 12 assists, while Jaron Blossomgame top-scored with a career-high 18 points and Mam Jaiteh added 11. Sasha Vezenkov paced Olympiacos with 21 points, and Alec Peters added 15 on a night when the Reds missed 14 free throws.

Moustapha Fall’s inside finish helped Olympiacos into an early 4-0 lead, before Donatas Motiejunas’s triple got Monaco on the board. Alpha Diallo’s steal and slam gave the visitor its first lead, but Fall and Vezenkov were on target to tie it up, 9-9. Daniel Theis scored from close and long-range, before James’s layup and Blossomgame’s triple completed a 2-10 run. Nigel Williams-Goss and Vezenkov pulled the Reds closer, but Blossomgame stayed hot by scoring at the rim and it was 15-23 after 10 minutes.

Peters started the second quarter with a corner three and Saben Lee added a driving layup, but Diallo’s layup and Jaiteh’s putback kept Monaco ahead. Peters hit a long two and Shaquielle McKissic followed a layup with another deep two for a tie, 27-27. Elie Okobo responded with a jumper before free throws and a three-point play for Vezenkov sent the host ahead. Jaiteh’s dunk was answered by another score for Vezenkov, and it was 37-35 at the break.

The second half started with Kostas Papanikolaou’s triple and Vezenkov’s close-range finish, but Motiejunas pulled Monaco closer from deep. Evan Fournier and Motiejunas scored at the rim, before the Reds raced clear, 53-44, through Papanikolaou, Williams-Goss and Vezenkov. Peters and Terry Tarpey traded triples, before James also struck from deep to make it 56-52. Fournier scored twice to protect the host’s lead, but Theis’s alley-oop helped make it 60-58 at the end of the third.

Matthew Strazel’s triple gave Monaco the lead, and although McKissic tied it up the visitor surged ahead again through two scores apiece from Okobo and Blossomgame, 67-71. Peters made a three-point play but Strazel’s jumper kept Monaco in front. Vezenkov’s tough inside score was bettered by two slams from Jaiteh to make it 73-79 inside the last 2 minutes. Vezenkov scored again to make it closer, but it wasn’t enough as Monaco held on.

Monaco coach Vassilis Spanoulis enjoyed a triumphant return to his former club Olympiacos

Dario Brizuela and Kevin Punter combined for 52 points in Barca's 18th victory. 

Barca gets critical win in Milan, 88-98! 

FC Barcelona took another step toward reaching the postseason by downing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 88-98 at Unipol Forum in Round 32 on Thursday. Barca improved to 18-14 in the standings while Milan dropped to 16-16 to remain one win behind the Play-In Showdown spots. 

Dario Brizuela led the winners with 27 points, Kevin Punter added 25, Dame Sarr scored a career-high 13 points and Jabari Parker netted 10 for Barca. Nikola Mirotic paced Milan with 28 points and 9 rebounds. Shavon Shields added 18 points while Nico Mannion had 16 points and 8 assists for the hosts.

Parker got Barca going with a three-pointer, which Sarr followed with back-to-back layups for a 0-7 lead. Shields stepped up with a driving layup that Parker matched with a jumper. Mirotic and Mannion combined for the first 7 points in a 9-0 run that Stefano Tonut capped with a layup off a steal for an 11-9 lead. Tomas Satoransky rescued Barca with a three-point play before Mirotic made it 15-12. Guglielmo Caruso matched Joel Parra's jump hook with a layup and added a dunk that prompted a Barca timeout at 19-14. Youssoupha Fall scored twice down low to ignite an 0-8 run that Brizuela capped with a jumper. Zach LeDay made free throws before Punter's three-point play gave Barca a 21-25 edge after 10 minutes.

Punter and Brizuela each struck from downtown early in the second quarter. Shields tried to change things for Milan with 4 quick points. Brizuela insisted from beyond the arc and answered Mirotic's triple with a jumper. Mirotic kept pushing Milan, but an unstoppable Brizuela downed a step-back triple that caused the hosts to call timeout at 30-39. Shields followed a three-point play with a layup. Brizuela scored in penetration and Sarr's three-pointer made it a double-digit game, 35-45. Sarr took over with a layup-plus-foul, which Brizuela followed with another jumper for a 15-point lead. LeDay hit free throws and Giampaolo Ricci added a three-pointer, bringing Milan within 40-50. Brizuela made an off-balance floater that Mannion matched with an up-and-under layup. Parra struck from downtown before Leo Bolmaro got Milan within 44-55 at halftime.

Parker and LeDay traded triples soon after the break and Sarr joined the three-point shootout. Mirotic followed a layup with a bomb from downtown before Parra's backdoor layup gave Barca fresh air at 52-63. Fall stepped up with a tip-in that Shields improved on with a catch-and-shoot three-pointer as Barca called timeout at 55-65. Shields kept pacing Milan with a driving layup and a pair of free throws, singlehandedly bringing his team within 59-65. Punter buried one from downtown and bettered Mirotic's layup with a highly-contested triple. Bolmaro hit a stop-and-pop jumper and Brizuela's driving layup boosted Barca's lead to 63-74 after 30 minutes.

Brizuela downed a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Bolmaro nailed a mid-range jumper before Punter established a 65-80 margin. Willy Hernangomez nailed a baseline jumper, which Punter followed with a triple that seemed to break the game open at 65-85 with 7 minutes left. Milan had other ideas, as Mannion and Caruso fueled an 11-0 run that Mirotic capped with a put-back layup. Brizuela stepped up for the visitors. Mannion struck from beyond the arc before Punter buried a jumper for a 79-91 score. Mannion followed a floater with a layup to make it a single-digit game, 83-91. Brizuela's eight-meter bagger sealed the outcome in the final minute.

Dario Brizuela and Kevin Punter combined for 52 points for the winners


Barcelona gets crucial win in Milan, 88-98

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne completed a perfect double-round week by fighting off Zalgiris Kaunas 88-79 at home in Round 32 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season

ASVEL beats Zalgiris, 88-79, to finish week with two home wins

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne completed a perfect double-round week by fighting off Zalgiris Kaunas 88-79 at home. After beating Olympiacos Piraeus at home on Tuesday, ASVEL shot 44.4 percent on three-pointers and forced 20 Zalgiris turnovers as it improved to 13-19 on the season.

Theo Maledon led the way with 19 points and 6 assists while Nando De Colo had 16 points and Paris Lee chipped in 12 points on 4 triples.

Zalgiris came into the game having lost at AS Monaco earlier in the week in overtime and now has dropped three straight games and four of the last five for a 14-18 record. Sylvain Francisco collected 19 points and 8 assists and Laurynas Birutis tied his career high with 18 points and had 8 rebounds. 

ASVEL jumped ahead right away with a 10-2 lead with Maledon hitting a three-pointer for 5 points while Zalgiris connected on just 1 of its first 10 shots. The visitors finally started to make shots, but the cushion grew to double figures at 23-13 after a Maledon three-point play and Lee triple. Zalgiris got the gap to 23-18 after 10 minutes.

Birutis had two alley-oops for 10 points in getting Zalgiris within 23-22. ASVEL needed nearly 3 minutes to score with Edwin Jackson hitting a three-pointer. Maledon continued his strong game with 8 points and an assist as the lead was 36-26. Zalgiris trimmed the deficit to 4 points and the score was 40-34 at the break.

While Andre Roberson had 5 points for the hosts, Francisco tried to keep Zalgiris close, twice making it a 4-point game. ASVEL extended the cushion to 8 points again, but Zalgiris would not go away. Alen Smailagic, Francisco and Deividas Sirvydis all made triples in a 4-15 surge for Zalgiris’s first lead of the game, 55-58. Lee and De Colo both knocked down long balls and the home side led 63-61 after 30 minutes.

Lee and De Colo went back-to-back from long range early in the final frame and the advantage was 69-61. Two Birutis scores were answered by a David Lighty three-pointer to make it 74-65. It was 78-70 after Lee’s fourth triple. Zalgiris answered with the next 5 points for a three-point margin only to see Lighty drain another big three-pointer, De Colo converted 3 free throws for an 88-79 margin with 40 seconds left.

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne wins back-to-back games for the first time since Rounds 22 and 23 