Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 29 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: Round 29

## Friday, March 14

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:15 CET)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"Every game against Panathinaikos is a different game. That’s how basketball goes. The result depends on your condition, your opponent's condition, the momentum, the motivation, and the players' health… Everything matters. It is going to be a tough game. Panathinaikos is a talented team, and they are in good shape. On our side, we must have patience and be focused on our game plan. I believe that we have an advantage since we play on our home court. We are motivated, and we want to finish the regular season with as many wins as possible. Players are aware of the importance of these kinds of games. And I believe that if we stick together on offense and defense, we are unbeatable."

**Evan Fournier, Olympiacos Piraeus guard**

"It is a very important for us, for our fans, for the administrators, for the whole club. We need to step on the court and fight for the win. It does not matter our position in the standings. The most important game is always the next game and our next game is the one against Panathinaikos. We do not think of the future. We are focused on what it is ahead."

### FC Bayern Munich vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)

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

"We've made progress defensively in recent games and have been defending better as a unit. That will be crucial: our team defense and one-on-one matchups. Efes is one of the best offensive teams in the league. Their talent on offense is incredible, and they have great size and physicality. But we also need to play our game and make sure Efes has to adjust to us."

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

"Numbers talk about the clear characteristic of Bayern Munich, one of the most productive teams in EuroLeague this year. They are actually playing a very efficient basketball, especially at home, because of their creativity and versatility. We need to be conscious that such a game imposes a very strict plan, great discipline from our side to control emotionally and technically this game for 40 minutes."

**Dan Oturu, Anadolu Efes Istanbul center**

"The game on Friday will be a tough game. They play well at home so we have to come prepared mentally to compete if we want to win and take another step in the right direction."

### FC Barcelona vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:45 CET)

**Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach**

"We have an important game against Partizan, a very attractive game for fans to come to Palau, against an opponent that is one of the best teams in the EuroLeague in the last 10-11 games. They are playing really well and getting a lot of wins. It will be a game featuring two teams with the same record in the standings. For us, a victory would give us a one-win lead with five games remaining, plus the tie-breaker, as we would have beaten them twice. In such a balanced competition, it is obvious that it would be very important to win. After this game, there will be five more game left and anything can happen. There will be a lot of teams fighting, and after all we went through, we are in a position to fight for everything. We are in a good position and our next three EuroLeague games are at home. I hope our fans' help will be a key factor for the team to get an advantage which we will need, for sure, in order to get the wins that we need."

**Joel Parra, FC Barcelona forward**

"I think the team is aware that we are going to play six 'finals', especially our four games at home. If we win all of our four games against four direct opponents, I think we will have a chance to make it to the playoffs. We are aware of this and the team is feeling well. Since we came back from the \[FIBA\] window, the team is competing well despite the players we are missing. Like I said, our next game is a final. Both teams have the same record in the standings and if we win, we would have one win more than them plus the tie-breaker. We know the kind of team Partizan is and the fans they have, they always bring a lot of fans to all games. Being a critical game for both teams, I am sure they will have even more fans in the stands. There will be a nice atmosphere at Palau and our fans will push for us, too. We play on the court, but fans will also play their part in the stands. People at Palau have always shown that they are with us. It will be a nice game. I used to watch these Euroleague nights on TV and wanted to be there. It will be cool place to play and enjoy."

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

"An extremely important game for us, as will be every next one. What is interesting is that in the next six games we play with five direct opponents as far as the final standings are concerned. Barcelona have certain problems but, on the other hand, they look good in the sense that they fight and play every match until the end. In these practices, we worked a lot on increasing aggressiveness, which is a very important item both for this and for every next game. A very demanding period awaits, but we must find strength and play the best possible match."

**Sterling Brown, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard**

"It’s going to be a good game. They will come out and play hard, and we’ll do our best to win. It’s a playoff situation, and we need to secure the best possible spot in the standings. I expect it to be a tough, physical game for both teams. We’ve had a couple of good practices over the last few days, so I feel pretty confident that we’ll go out there and perform well."

## Thursday, March 13

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (18:45 CET)

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

"ASVEL is always a very difficult team to play against. They have a lot of size. They present many problems playing with two very big fives and fours. It was not easy for us in Lyon. We're gonna have to have a good game to beat them."

**Bonzie Colson, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward**

"We’re expecting a hard-fought game. We’re focused on ourselves and what we can do to continue playing at this high level. We know it’s not gonna be easy. Asvel are a very aggressive team offensively and defensively. We got to focus on our principles on both sides of the floor; offensively and defensively, and get the win. We’re excited. I feel like we haven’t played here in so long. It’s gonna be fun playing with all of our fans cheering us on and giving us the momentum that we need. So we’re all excited. We can’t wait to go out there and play."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (19:00 CET)

**Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach**

"We are playing against a very good team, which has quality. They are the third attacking team in the EuroLeague and as we have seen in the last two games, we have not been good defensively and we have to face a good attacking team. That's why we have to be effective defensively. That is our priority."

**Ognjen Dobric, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward**

"We have a tough job ahead of us, every game is important and more important because the end of the season is approaching. There is less and less room for mistakes. We were in a bit of a bad period, but I hope that the team will overcome it. I can't say that this game is the most important, of course it is. When we look at the table, and how many teams are fighting for the top six or top 10, there is less and less room for mistakes. We have to play serious, tough basketball against everyone."

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

"We meet a very athletic team, with efficient shooters, and a lot of depth. As a consequence, we need to play a high-level game in Belgrade, perfectly aware that rebounds, as always, and guarding well their pick and roll plays, which they use very often, will go a long way in determining the outcome."

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Paris Basketball (19:00 CET)

**Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach**

"After the break, we are playing with good consistency. We had a chance to win in Belgrade, we should have won at Baskonia, and we want to prepare for tomorrow's game. We are focusing just one game at a time. Our effort is condensed for tomorrow's game. We don't have too many thoughts on the long term, it's now and here. We're playing against a very specific team, they play with a lot of energy. It's something that we know and we need to display a very energetic and a very smart game."

### ALBA Berlin vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:00 CET)

\--

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. AS Monaco (20:05 CET)

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

"Monaco is in good form and has strengthened with a dominant big man. They are a very talented and athletic team. After receiving the news about \[Jasiel\] Rivero's injury, we will be significantly short-handed, especially in our frontcourt, and it will be very challenging. We will need to compensate for the absences and control the rebounds. We will be using slightly different lineups than what we are used to."

**Jimmy Clark, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard**

"I don't look at it as a challenge, I just look at it as another opportunity. It's another opportunity to display what I bring to the team, so that's what I want to do: go out there, play hard, and follow the game plan. We need to be disruptive on the defensive end; I don't think we have too many problems on the offensive end. I just feel like if we can be disruptive end and follow our game plan on the offensive side of the ball, we'll get the win."

**Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach**

"Last week, we played as one, together, both offensively and defensively. We need to keep up these efforts. Every EuroLeague game is a battle. Even if they're no longer in the playoff race, Maccabi is still a dangerous team. It's a very special situation, not playing at home and without a crowd. We'll have to be ready.”

**Elie Okobo, AS Monaco guard**

"There are still six games to go to get the best possible EuroLeague ranking. We had a very good week, and everyone played their part in the team's success against Paris. The ball was moving really well, we were making the effort and communicating well. We need to keep up this momentum. Maccabi are always dangerous, and they've just beaten Fener. We'll have to play hard and be very focused, and keep our identity.”

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Real Madrid (20:45 CET)

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

"We play against Real Madrid, which is a team that wants to win and wants to get into the playoffs, but we also want to win because I consider my players and my team a winning team. We want to fight until the end to bring this win home."

**Toko Shengelia, Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward**

"Very important game tomorrow because we know Real Madrid will come here to try to play the best game possible. I think we right now are trying to build something special and winning this game could be an important step to continue in this direction."

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"It's an important challenge ahead of us. We have six games left, but obviously we are only thinking about tomorrow's game against Virtus, a team that is not in the top positions in the EuroLeague but in the Italian League is fighting to be champion. I am sure that, on their court, they will be strong. We have a challenge ahead of us, an opportunity to play a good game away from home and that's how we are approaching it: as something that could be the beginning of a good end to the regular season."

**Andres Feliz, Real Madrid guard**

"We head into tomorrow's game with a lot of responsibility because we all know the importance of the game against Virtus. We must be prepared to play a tough game in which, obviously, our physical level and our defensive level must be very high if we want to achieve a victory that would be very important for us. We have to be more than ever a team, stay together and believe until the end. I believe we can do it and, as I say, we have to believe until the end."

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 29 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: 'Every game against Panathinaikos is a different game'

FC Barcelona v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-14T19:45:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-03-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-03-14T19:15:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-03-13T18:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Real Madrid (2025-03-13T19:45:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2025-03-13T19:05:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-03-13T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Paris Basketball (2025-03-13T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-03-13T17:45:00.000Z)

In his second day as ALBA Berlin head coach, Pedro Calles oversaw a 97-90 win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to end a four-month run of defeats at home.

Pedro Calles got off to perfect start on EuroLeague coaching debut

How much can you really change a team with just one practice? 

As it turns out, for [Pedro Calles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/ber/calles-pedro/?season=E2024) it was enough to lead [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/ber/) to a victory in his first game as new head coach and snap a long losing streak.

“I am happy for the guys. What’s most important is the fifth win in the EuroLeague. It’s not my first win, it’s ALBA’s fifth win. I am happy for the guys, for the fans who came to support us. That is a strong part of our culture,” said Calles, who oversaw [a 97-90 win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/alba-snaps-4-month-home-losing-streak-in-first-game-under-coach-calles/) to end a four-month run of defeats at home. 

The 41-year-old, leading his team in a EuroLeague game for the first time in his second day on the job, only had one practice session and one shootaround to institute some of his ideas for the team. 

“Congratulations to our players for a great collective effort. It wasn’t an easy game to play with just one practice and one shootaround. It was difficult to pick the things you want to touch on. But they did a great job focusing on the point of emphasis,” he noted. “I decided to touch a couple of things on defense. But only a couple of things, no more.”

Calles joined the team about two months ago as an additional assistant coach after being fired from German side EWE Baskets Oldenburg. On Wednesday, he was informed of [the decision by the club leaders to fire Israel Gonzalez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/pedro-calles-replaces-israel-gonzalez-as-alba-head-coach/) and hand him the spot as head coach. 

Calles immediately had a new sense of responsibility. 

“All of a sudden your position changes, your decision-making completely changes with a different role,” he said. 

But Calles also admitted he had mixed feelings about replacing his Spanish compatriot, who had coached ALBA since 2021 and served as an assistant since 2017. As head coach, Gonzalez guided the club to two league championships.

“I was only here two months working with Israel, but I knew before coming here how good of a person he is. When I came here, even more,” Calles said. 

“I am not gonna lie to you, it’s a dream come true to coach a EuroLeague team like ALBA. Is it the way that I wanted it? No.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">FIRST OF MANY! 🔥☝️<br><br>Starkes Headcoach-Debüt für Pedro Calles. Unser Team kämpft bis zur letzten Sekunde und holt sich den <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>-Heimsieg gegen <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Baskonia</a>. War das geil!!! 😤<br><br>📸 Tilo Wiedensohler <a href="https://t.co/qQq2VGWiw6">pic.twitter.com/qQq2VGWiw6</a></p>&mdash; ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin/status/1900291147404038334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Calles emphasized how important communication is for him.

“We have to be connected. This is almost impossible without communication. I have only been here for two months. I don’t know them as much as I want so I have to use every possession, every situation to communicate and get to know them better in order to help them,” he said. 

[Matt Thomas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matt-thomas/008967/) scored 21 points as ALBA’s leading scorer in the first game under Calles. For him and the other players, the whole situation was difficult. 

“A coaching change is always tough. On a personal level, it’s always hard when people leave the team - players, coaches, anyone from the staff. But it’s part of the business. Now we are ready,” he said. 

“Coach Pedro did a great job with only a day to prepare for this game. I feel we were really prepared. We came out and executed the game plan pretty well. But there’s always room to improve and we are just excited to build off this one.”

And have more than just one day with their new head coach. 

Game News

The Spaniard only had one training session with the ALBA players after being promoted to the role of head coach

Sylvain Francisco hit the game-winning shot to cap a memorable night for Zalgiris Kaunas against Paris Basketball in Round 29.

Zalgiris hit Paris hard in the second half for remarkable win

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) matched its greatest-ever comeback at Zalgirio Arena by rallying from 20 points down [to defeat Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-edges-paris-83-81-on-franciscos-jumper/). Every Zalgiris fan knows to expect an incredible effort when they buy a ticket to watch the Lithuanian champs in action, but what coach [Andrea Trinchieri](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/trinchieri-andrea/?season=E2024)'s men served up on Thursday night was quite out of the ordinary. 

The 83-81 victory not only featured a historic comeback, but it also came down to the wire. Zalgiris won only after a topsy-turvy final minute in which Paris's star guard [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) missed two free throws and a layup with his team down two and – after Shorts managed to tie it – [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) buried a game-winning jumper with 2.5 seconds remaining. 

The comeback was not some stroke of coaching genius, with changes in tactics and trickery. It came down to good old-fashioned effort. 

When Francisco was asked after the game what Trinchieri said at halftime that changed things, he responded: "To hit them. That's the most important thing. When we hit them, they don't know what to do."

The "hitting" in this case was, of course, metaphoric and Trinchieri explained it in a little more detail.

"\[Paris is\] a team that feed their energy with your weaknesses. When you are soft, they feel it, and they play harder and more energy. They knock down big shots. In the first half, we could not catch them. We were one, two sometimes three steps late on everything. It's not a matter of tactics. It's a matter of how you play the game," Trinchieri explained. 

"We had a very productive and efficient talk \[at halftime\]. In the second half, we didn't change much. A couple of adjustments, but we changed the way we were doing everything. We played with tons of energy. We never give up. They scored some big buckets. We didn't stop playing and we won one of the best games of our season."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The highlight of the game - right here. 😎📸 <a href="https://t.co/zGDSXKVb14">pic.twitter.com/zGDSXKVb14</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1900290391498277228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The effort that Trinchieri spoke of was epitomized by many players, starting with Francisco, who after not scoring at all in the first half had 8 points in a 15-0 start to the second quarter. That was the "hitting" Trinchieri sought and it could be seen by the naked eye in the team's revitalized effort as well as in the stat sheet.

Zalgiris made 2 of 14 threes in the first half and 5 of 11 in the second. After being outrebounded 12-15 in the first 20 minutes, Zalgiris dominated the glass 24-10 in the last 20. Zalgiris outscored Paris 10-3 in second-chance points in the second half.

When asked about the contributions of specific players, Trinchieri did not take the bait.

"We will commit sin if we just say \[[Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/) or [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/)\]. I believe this is really a team win. We won't forget \[[Laurynas Birutis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/laurynas-birutis/005504/)\]. We won't forget the present that [Bryant \[Dunston\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) gave us. Isaiah \[Wong\] for all his defense on Shorts. I can go for hours now, so I would not reduce the game to names."

But one player who he did speak more about was Francisco, of whom he said, "the first half, he was a tragedy."

Sylvain Francisco took over against Paris in the second half

Two days after the French guard pledged his future to the club by signing a contract extension through 2027, he came out flat. Francisco missed all 5 of his shots in the first half before coming alive for 15 points and 5 assists in the third and fourth quarters, during which he accumulated a PIR of 25.

Not only were Francisco's skills on full display in the second half, but his confidence as well. 

"I'm a confident guy, so if I just shoot the ball, I know I'm gonna make it. So for me, it doesn't matter if I'm gonna miss five shots in a row, but I know the last five shots, the most important ones, I'm gonna make it," he said and then went through the game-winning shot. 

"The coach told me to get the ball and go. Bryant was supposed to set me a screen, but I knew I had [\[Tyson\] Ward](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyson-ward/012610/) \[defending me\] and just give him and in-and-out and shot the ball for two. For me, I knew I was gonna make it."

And after the way he and Zalgiris played throughout the second half, the fans at Zalgirio Arena were pretty confident that Francisco was going to make it too. And now they can look forward to seeing such shots sail through the nets for a few more seasons. 

The confidence of Sylvain Francisco played a big role for the Lithuanian champs, too

Real Madrid notched just its fourth road win of the EuroLeague season by beating Virtus Bologna in Round 29, a result that keeps Los Blancos' postseason hopes alive.

Real Madrid did what it needed to do in Bologna

Few teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague have been as Jekyll and Hyde as [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) this season.

At WiZink Center, the 11-time champion has gone 10-4, which is the joint third-best record in the competition. It has been a different story away from the Spanish capital, however.

Entering Round 29, Real Madrid was 3-10 on its travels; only Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and ALBA Berlin had won fewer games on the road, each with two apiece.

The result? *Los Blancos* languishing down in 12th place, with coach [Chus Mateo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/mateo-chus/?season=E2024) knowing that his team needed to get some more wins on the board, and fast.

On Thursday night they did just that by [beating Virtus Segafredo Bologna 67-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-holds-off-virtus-to-grab-important-win-67-80/) on the road, a result that moved them up to 11th, one place outside the play-in spots. Real Madrid was up by as many as 22 points in the third quarter and despite a late rally by the hosts, Virtus could never trim the gap to single digits.

“We knew that it’s not going to be easy \[to beat Virtus\], but at the end of the day we’re Real Madrid and we’ll try to win every game possible,” [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) told EuroLeague TV in his postgame comments. “Now we’ll try to fight first to get to the play-in and why not the playoffs directly.”

The standings are so tight that lots could change between now and the end of the regular season, with one win separating Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in sixth spot – the last place that guarantees direct access to the playoffs – and Real Madrid in 11th, so there is plenty of reason for *Los Blancos* to remain optimistic.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🤜 <a href="https://twitter.com/DzMusa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DzMusa</a> 🤍 <a href="https://twitter.com/waltertavares22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WalterTavares22</a> 🤛 <a href="https://t.co/M49efUxM5T">pic.twitter.com/M49efUxM5T</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1900304092787831146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Real Madrid’s next game is against struggling LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, but then it finishes the season with four games against teams fighting to reach the playoffs: EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Crvena Zvezda, Paris Basketball, and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Notably, the two fixtures against the Belgrade clubs take place in Serbia, which given the team’s road record could be cause for concern.

“We have five finals ahead, so we’ve got to be quiet, keep working and think about the next game,” [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) stated after the Virtus win.

But as Musa said best, Real Madrid is Real Madrid, so write them off at your peril. One thing is for certain: it is going to be a fascinating finish to the regular season for Coach Mateo’s squad.

A win was required and that is what Chus Mateo’s men got

AS Monaco has become the second top-four contender to be dealt a major blow on the road by a relentless Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, which won 91-88 in Round 29 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Proud Maccabi showed the right mindset to down another top-four contender

After [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/short-handed-maccabi-surprises-fenerbahce-94-76/), [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25) has become the second top-four contender to be dealt a major blow on the road by a relentless [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2024-25) after the international break. Despite having missed out on their main objective of making the postseason, the Israeli champs have been taking to the court with the mindset of competing until the final whistle.

This mentality, instilled into the team by head coach Oded Kattash, has seen Maccabi record three wins in a row for the first time this season. Two of those victories came against Final Four aspirants Fenerbahce and Monaco, each of which saw its defense concede over 90 points at Belgrade's Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.

Following Maccabi’s [91-88 victory over Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-stuns-monaco-91-88-for-third-straight-win/) on Thursday, [Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trevion-williams/012604/) explained in simple words that the key to the win did lie in Maccabi’s attitude on the floor.

“Keeping our foot on the gas. Whether we’re up or down, trying not to pay much attention to the score and just playing hard,” he told EuroLeague TV. “The coach has been stressing that a lot lately. Just play hard regardless of the outcome, regardless of what happens. Just play hard and the best will happen for you.”

Game Videos

Maccabi came into Round 29 without two of its most important frontcourt players in [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) and [Jasiel Rivero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jasiel-rivero/011214/). Yet, Williams and [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/) stepped up big time in the frontcourt, inspiring their team to victory. The former registered a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, with the latter pairing his 18 points with 7 boards.

“With the circumstances, other guys stepped up and got the job done,” Williams added. “It’s unbelievable. Our mindset going into the game didn’t change. We’ve now won three in a row and we want to keep that going.”

Sometimes, when objectives have not been accomplished as planned, pride steps in to provide you with a boost in motivation.

“Good feeling - three wins in a row,” [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/) told EuroLeague TV. “Doesn’t happen often for Maccabi this season. It’s sad that we started playing like this at the end of the season, but it’s \[a matter of\] pride to finish the season as best as possible and we show it.”

A confident Jokubaitis (18 points, 5 assists) netted a layup in traffic with 0:31 remaining to complete a comeback by putting Maccabi ahead, 89-88. Levi Randolph, who chipped in with 17 points, sealed the victory from the free-throw line, sending a clear message across the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague: Maccabi is not to be underestimated.

The Israeli champs have now recorded three wins in a row for the first time this season

In his fourth game back from injury, Wade Baldwin led Fenerbahce Beko's offense as they beat LDLC ASVEL 92-82 in Round 29, a result that guaranteed their place in the postseason.

Wade Baldwin adds another dimension to this Fenerbahce team

It has been a stop-start beginning to life at [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) for [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/), but the 28-year-old is starting to really find his groove once again.

The two-time All-EuroLeague Second Team guard returned from his second hamstring injury in Round 27, but it was in Round 29 that he was able to remind the Fenerbahce fans of what he can offer.

In [a 92-82 win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-seals-postseason-spot-by-downing-asvel-92-82/) that guaranteed Fenerbahce a top-10 finish in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings, and therefore a spot in the postseason, Baldwin finished with 15 points, 6 assists and a 20 PIR – all team highs. He also had 2 steals, the joint most with [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/), and 4 rebounds. All in all, a solid night.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ht" dir="ltr">MVP MVP MVP! 🔥 <br><br>👉 Wade Baldwin IV! 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/The_Fourth_Wade?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_Fourth_Wade</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bug%C3%BCndenYar%C4%B1naHaz%C4%B1r?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BugündenYarınaHazır</a> <a href="https://t.co/2honorMkQR">pic.twitter.com/2honorMkQR</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1900282484119482709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Curiously, since he got back on the court, all three of the EuroLeague games Baldwin had played had come away from Istanbul. There was the surprise loss at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ([94-76](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/short-handed-maccabi-surprises-fenerbahce-94-76/)), then back-to-back road wins at Paris Basketball ([83-87](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-overcomes-paris-83-87-to-strengthen-grip-on-second-place/)) and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ([76-100](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-crushes-milan-76-100/)), so this was the American’s first time to play in front of Fenerbahce’s fans at Ulker Sport and Event Hall in the EuroLeague since Round 15, back on December 12.

“For me being out for a while, it’s nice to finally play a home-court game in the EuroLeague,” Baldwin told EuroLeague TV after the ASVEL win. “It was good to come out with the win tonight against a tough team.”

The mid-season addition of [Errick McCollum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/errick-mccollum/005216/) has provided another scoring punch to Fenerbahce’s offense, but it is Baldwin who conducts the offensive flow and rhythm. Now that he is back healthy again, he has the ability to make the difference for Saras Jasikevicius’s side.

“I feel like I’m at 100%. I did a good job of taking the time I needed to get back to who I normally am,” Baldwin explained. “It was a struggle obviously in the beginning for me, body just not feeling healthy, but our staff did a tremendous job of getting me back acclimated and the team is doing so well, it was easy for me to fit in.”

Now that Fenerbahce has locked up a postseason berth, the next objective is to lock up one of the top-four seeds for the playoffs.

“We’re striving to be a top-four team for the home court, and that inspires us each week.”

He had an impressive night against ASVEL in Round 29

ALBA Berlin’s reserves scored 62 points in a 97-90 victory over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in which the starting five tallied 35 points in Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Production from bench helped ALBA play hard for 40 minutes 

The old basketball adage goes: a team has to play a full 40 minutes to win the game. One of the big reasons [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/roster/ber/?season=2024-25) was able to beat [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/roster/bas/?season=2024-25) and snap a four-month home losing streak was because the bench provided a massive spark.

ALBA’s reserves scored 62 points in [a 97-90 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/alba-snaps-4-month-home-losing-streak-in-first-game-under-coach-calles/) over Baskonia in which the starting five tallied 35 points.

“Most important was playing a complete 40 minutes. We really haven’t done that much this season. To win in the EuroLeague, you have to play a complete 40 minutes and I think for the most part we did that tonight,” said [Matt Thomas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matt-thomas/008967/), who came off the ALBA bench to score a game-high 21 points. “We competed really well on the defensive end. Ninety points is still too much but Baskonia is a great offensive team. Things were clicking for us offensively, scoring 97 points.”

[Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/) added 13 points as a reserve while [Yanni Wetzell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yanni-wetzell/011934/) chipped in 11 points as back-up big man.

“The difference was how we were playing defense. On offense we were a little bit freer in our heads because we knew we did the job on defense,” said Procida.

ALBA was playing its first game under new head coach Pedro Calles, who took over the team just one day earlier.

“The guys were focused on the point of emphasis that we made in one practice. We couldn’t do a lot. This is what I asked of them: just execute the game plan on a consistent basis. The game plan maybe was not the best but the most important thing was the level of execution. And they did a great job,” said Calles, who replaced Israel Gonzalez as ALBA’s playcaller on the sidelines.

ALBA picked up its first win at home since November 12 - a stretch of eight consecutive losses.

“It feels good. We needed this win for the ambience and all the fans. I think we can start a great culture from this one. We need to keep building with this mentality, with this talking,” added Procida.

ALBA's reserves outscored the team's starters 62-35 in snapping a losing skid

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan leaned on several usual suspects to edge  Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 80-82 in Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season thanks to a strong effort from Shavon Shields

Milan showed nerves of steel in a tight finish against Zvezda 

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) leaned on several usual suspects as it captured [an 80-82 victory at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-claws-out-huge-win-over-crvena-zvezda-80-82/) in Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season thanks to a strong effort from [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/).

With the game tied 78-78 in a nail-biting finish, Shields broke a 3-and-a-half minute deadlock and netted a tough layup to give Milan the lead for good, ultimately playing a key role in his team’s victory.

With both teams struggling offensively late in the game, Milan’s defense was airtight as the visitors prevailed on the back of 14 points from Shields and 19 by [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), who also racked up 7 rebounds.

“It was a super tough road game, but it’s a tough environment,” Shields said in his postgame comments. “A good team with lots of talented players, but guys came off our bench to contribute, so hats off to everybody in the locker room.

“We’ve now got five tough games left and hopefully we can put together a good run to finish the season. In the end, we took it one possession at a time and ultimately we made enough plays to win the game.”

Mirotic hit several deep three-pointers at various stages of the game, one of them in the fourth quarter when the game hung in the balance, while he also provided the necessary presence in the paint.  

“It’s always a big pleasure to play here and tonight it was a very important game for both teams,” said Mitrovic. “We stepped up, especially defensively as it was a game with lots of ups and downs. We just wanted to be in a position to win the game in the closing stages and with a bit of luck, we did.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BIG WIN!!! LET’S GO GUYS🤍❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/3ozQHQOZo4">pic.twitter.com/3ozQHQOZo4</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1900280851994132647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Coach Ettore Messina acknowledged it was a huge win for Milan ahead of the home straight of the regular season, with the Italian side needing to keep up the good work in order to reach the postseason.

“The win is obviously extremely important for our confidence and the position in the standings,” Messina said. “Both teams missed shots in the fourth quarter, but we were able to get two or three stops in a row and that was the key. We rebounded well and we have to continue to do well on the road as we have a tough schedule.”

In Round 30, Milan visits Paris Basketball while Zvezda is away to runaway EuroLeague leader Olympiacos Piraeus.

The visiting team closed shop when the chips were down and eked out a precious road win

Real Madrid won on the road for the first time in over a month as it defeated Virtus Bologna 67-80 in Round 29, with Los Blancos’ postseason hopes boosted as they improved to a 15-14 record.

Real Madrid holds off Virtus to grab important win, 67-80

Real Madrid won on the road for the first time in over a month as it defeated Virtus Segafredo Bologna 67-80 in Round 29. With this result, *Los Blancos*’ postseason hopes were boosted as they improved to a 15-14 record, while the hosts fell to 7-22.

Dzanan Musa and Walter Tavares led the way with 13 points apiece for Real Madrid, with Mario Hezonja and Usman Garuba both scoring 10 points each, too. Virtus’s leading scorer was Matt Morgan with 11 points, followed by Rayjon Tucker with 10.

After a back-and-forth start to the contest, with the score 8-8 four and a half minutes in, a 9-0 Real Madrid run capped by back-to-back scores by Usman Garuba allowed the visitors to take an 8-17 lead. Garuba had 7 of his team’s 17 points, and Dzanan Musa joined him on 7 points as the lead extended to 10-19. Real Madrid took its first double-digit lead following a score inside by Bruno Fernando and a triple by Facundo Campazzo, 12-14. That double-digit advantage was maintained in the remainder of the period, with Sergio Llull scoring his first points of the game to put Real Madrid 17-30 ahead with 15 seconds to go in the quarter.

Andres Feliz kept Real Madrid charging with two consecutive scores to start the second quarter, 17-34. Despite Virtus getting contributions from Toko Shengelia, Isaia Cordinier and Justin Holiday, a triple by Hezonja and another score by Feliz opened an 18-point lead at 23-41. Serge Ibaka entered the period scoreless, but he moved to 7 points with 1:42 remaining before halftime, then Hezonja netted inside to set a lead of 19 points, 29-48. After a pair of Cordinier free throws, it was 33-50 at the break.

It looked like things were only going to get worse for Virtus in the third quarter as a pair of free throws by Campazzo followed by a score inside by Tavares and a three by Garuba swelled the lead to 22 points, 35-57. Tavares responded to Shengelia’s free throws to maintain that 22-point advantage, 37-59, but Virtus punched back thanks to back-to-back threes by Morgan and Andrejs Grazulis, 43-59. Morgan, who was scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, really came to the fore and made it a 13-point gap at 49-62. He then replied to Hezonja’s reverse layup with a coast-to-coast layup and the free throw that followed, 52-66, before Grazulis’s layup set a 54-68 score after 30 minutes.

Hezonja netted Real Madrid’s first 3 points of the final frame, but Morgan and Shengelia combined to make things interesting at 59-71. Grazulis’s jump hook got the deficit down to 11 points, 61-72, but Virtus could not trim the gap any further. Tavares’s layup and Musa’s two free throws gave the visitors breathing room at 61-76, and Tavares added 4 more points to his tally as Real Madrid ended up securing a 67-80 victory.

Chus Mateo's side is now on the edge of the play-in places