Sportradar's Matt Kamalsky examines the defensive improvements that have vaulted FC Barcelona and Valencia Basket to top-three spots in the standings

Stats review: Explaining Barcelona and Valencia's rise in the standings

There was significant movement at the top of the EuroLeague standings following Round 15 as Valencia Basket and FC Barcelona jumped into the top three, joining [Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/hapoel-ibi-tel-aviv/roster/hta/) to form the trio of teams with at least 10 wins thus far.  That is no small feat for a pair of teams that started the season 2-3 and 3-3, respectively, before rattling off impressive strings of performances that now put them in striking distance of first-place heading into the final two-round week of 2025. 

For [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/), the change that has sparked its recent success is pretty specific.  With its offense performing at a top-10 level even as it had a couple players in and out of the lineup in the early going, much of its growth has come defensively, hinging almost entirely on a change in approach at guarding pick-and-rolls. 

On the surface, Barcelona has gone from allowing 1.07 points per possession over its first six games to only 0.97 per possession over its last nine. That is roughly the equivalent of jumping from 20th to fourth in defensive efficiency. Digging a little deeper, the choices that have supported that improvement are pretty clear. After giving opposing ball handlers quite a bit of latitude in the early going, Barcelona is facing 5 fewer possessions from opposing guards in the pick-and-roll per game — getting over screens more consistently and often just doing a better job of forcing opposing guards to give up the ball, whether hedging or switching.  Similarly, rotating early to limit scoring opportunities for opposing screeners — especially on pops to the perimeter, Barcelona has loaded up to stop two-man actions.  Even if it is facing more jumpers when the ball is sprayed out to the wings, it has contested looks within pick-and-rolls and deflected enough passes with its rotations to more than compensate.

While [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/) has made its gains on the defensive end as well, its path there has been less conventional; it is taking away opportunities inside and challenging teams to beat it from beyond the arc. After facing 27.6 three-point attempts per game with its defense set through the first five games, it has faced only 20.4 per game in the 10 games since. That’s the difference between rankings 20th and second in three-point attempts allowed in the half-court. With many of those attempts coming off the catch, Valencia has contested a higher percentage of the attempts it has faced on the perimeter than it did in the early going, while allowing a league-best 58% shooting around the rim. While the success in that latter regard aligns with its adjustments, Valencia's opponent’s three-point percentage dropping from 42% to 32% has been a pleasant surprise and key to their rise in the standings.

The challenge for Barcelona and, perhaps even more so, Valencia moving forward is the same as it has been for every team climbing the standings in the EuroLeague over the last several seasons in particular: sustainability. While Fenerbahce was 10-5 through 15 games last season, Panathinaikos had only just fought its way above .500 during its championship run, while Anadolu Efes was just 7-8 during its 2021-22 championship campaign. The level of parity in the EuroLeague does not make it easy for teams to show their championship form, especially in the early part of the year. 

While their ultimate placement remains to be seen, Valencia and Barcelona deserve credit for finding their footing and changing their fortunes so quickly. The question remains: is there another team prepared to rise even higher than this year’s current leaders or can the current trio of leaders hold serve over the next several months?

Sportradar's Matt Kamalsky examines the defensive improvements that have vaulted Barcelona and Valencia to top-three spots in the standings

Olympiacos Piraeus extended its perfect start in the Greek League to 10-0 after a commanding 62-105 victory over Peristeri Athens at Andreas Papandreou Arena

Olympiacos dominates Peristeri to stay perfect in Greek League

Olympiacos Piraeus extended its perfect start in the Greek League to 10-0 after a commanding 62-105 victory over Peristeri Athens at Andreas Papandreou Arena. The Reds turned a close contest into a rout with a spectacular third quarter that featured a 0-24 run.

Sasha Vezenkov led the winners with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Alec Peters contributed 15 and 6, Kostas Papanikolaou added 11 points and Tyler Dorsey 10, while Thomas Walkup dished 16 assists. Ty Nichols was Peristeri’s top scorer with 13 points and Alvo Cardenas and Riley Abercrombie betted 10 each.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">ΤΕΛΙΚΟ 🏀 Περιστέρι - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> 62-105 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PEROLY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PEROLY</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Mp6qcrAY2">pic.twitter.com/1Mp6qcrAY2</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/2000231862632116670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Head coach Giorgos Bartzokas opened the game with Walkup, Evan Fournier, Peters, Vezenkov, and Nikola Milutinov. Vezenkov set the tone early, scoring Olympiacos’s first 6 points and finishing the opening period with 10. Despite his strong start, Peristeri stayed competitive thanks to Nichols, who had 8 points and 2 steals to give the hosts a slim 22-21 lead after 10 minutes.

Olympiacos tightened its defense in the second quarter and began to pull away. Vezenkov continued his scoring spree, reaching 17 points by the 15th minute as the visitors built a double-digit advantage. By halftime, Olympiacos led 35-50, with Dorsey adding key baskets to complement Vezenkov’s early dominance.

The third quarter was when Olympiacos broke the game open. Bartzokas’s men locked down defensively, holding Peristeri to just 3 points over 9 minutes while unleashing a 0-24 run. Peters spearheaded the offensive explosion as Olympiacos executed flawlessly on both ends, winning the quarter 9-32 and stretching the margin to 44-82. The final period was purely academic, but Olympiacos continued to entertain, surpassing the 100-point mark and sealing its tenth straight league win in style.

More Olympiacos news

The Reds improved to 10-0 on the Greek League season

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Rounds 15 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 15

Anadolu Efes Istanbul announced on Saturday morning that Pablo Laso has been appointed as its new head coach until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Efes appoints Pablo Laso as head coach

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) announced on Saturday morning that Pablo Laso has been appointed as its new head coach until the end of the 2026-27 season. Laso arrives to Istanbul to [replace Igor Kokoskov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/efes-parts-ways-with-head-coach-igor-kokoskov/), who parted ways with the club in late November after a 5-8 start in the EuroLeague season.

Since then, Rade Trifunovic served as interim head coach, with Efes losing two more games and dropping to 18th place in the standings with a 5-10 record. Efes is also on a four-game losing streak in the Turkish League, where it has a 6-4 record.

Laso coached his hometown Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz last season and finished with a 14-20 record in the EuroLeague, before losing in the quarterfinals of the Spanish League Playoffs against eventual champion Real Madrid.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Antrenörlük kariyeri boyunca iki EuroLeague şampiyonluğunun yanı sıra pek çok lig ve yerel kupa şampiyonluğu da yaşayan Pablo Laso ile 2026 - 2027 sezonu sonuna kadar sözleşme imzaladık. <br><br>Welcome Coach! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/fqHFypYZiq">pic.twitter.com/fqHFypYZiq</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1999793533830775285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Real Madrid is the place where Laso has had enormous success, most notably guiding *Los Blancos* to EuroLeague titles in 2015 and 2018. The 58-year-old spent 10 seasons in charge of Real Madrid, leading the team to a 213-97 record in 310 EuroLeague games.

Under his stewardship, Real Madrid reached seven out of a possible 10 Final Fours, while the club from the Spanish capital won 22 trophies with Laso at the helm: two EuroLeague titles, six Spanish League crowns, six Spanish Cups, seven Spanish Super Cups, and one FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

In the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons, when Real Madrid became EuroLeague champions, Laso was named as the EuroLeague Coach of the Year in each of those campaigns.

EuroLeague Masterminds | Pablo Laso

In the summer of 2023, Laso joined FC Bayern Munich and posted a 13-21 record in the EuroLeague, but he enjoyed a much better time domestically, lifting the German League and German Cup titles. A year later, Laso returned to his hometown by penning a deal with Baskonia, and now he is joining Efes, which has been heavily depleted by injuries.

[Shane Larkin will be out until early February](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/shane-larkin-undergoes-groin-surgery-out-for-two-months/) after undergoing groin surgery, [Georgios Papagiannis is out for the season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/efes-ercan-osmani-out-three-weeks-georgios-papagiannis-to-miss-eight-months/) following an ACL injury in mid-October, while PJ Dozier has been out since [mid-November](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/pj-dozier-to-miss-4-6-weeks-with-thigh-tear/). The bright spot has been a return of Vincent Poirier, who made his first appearance on Thursday in a road loss against Valencia Basket.

More Efes News

The two-time EuroLeague championship-winning coach is the new man in charge of Efes

Zalgiris Kaunas v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

A career night for Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv guard Lonnie Walker and a season-best performance by FC Barcelona forward Will Clyburn saw them share Round 15 MVP honors. For Walker it is the first time he has been the MVP of the Round in 33 career EuroLeague appearances, while it is the seventh such award for Clyburn in his 258-game career.

Round 15 co-MVPs: Lonnie Walker, Will Clyburn

A career night for [Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-rapyd-tel-aviv/tel/) guard [Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/) and a season-best performance by [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) forward [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) saw them share Round 15 MVP honors. For Walker it is the first time he has been the MVP of the Round in 33 career EuroLeague appearances, while it is the seventh such award for Clyburn in his 258-game career.

Walker posted a career-high 33 PIR, the joint highest of any player in this round, in Maccabi’s 92-84 win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne after netting a career-best 29 points – the best of any player in Round 15 – on 10-of-11 two-pointers, 2-of-8 three-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws. What’s more, the guard pulled down a personal-high 9 rebounds, in addition to recording 1 assist and 2 fouls drawn. Walker’s accolade comes after [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/) achieved the same feat in Round 6 of this current campaign.

Clyburn enjoyed a season-best night as Barcelona grabbed a 98-85 victory against Olympiacos Piraeus, setting new season highs with a 33 PIR and 28 points, which came in large part thanks to a career-high 7 three-pointers made on 10 attempts. He also shot 3 for 5 inside the arc 1 for 1 from the line, in addition to grabbing 3 rebounds, dishing 2 assists, making 3 steals, blocking 1 shot and drawing 2 fouls. Clyburn follows Toko Shengelia in earning MVP of the Round honors this season, as the Georgian did so in Round 8.

Two players shared the next-best index rating in Round 15, with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade’s [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) and Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv’s [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) each recording a 30 PIR – a season high for Jones, a career-best effort in the case of Oturu.

In Partizan’s 79-76 Rivalry Series triumph over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Jones finished with 15 points on 6-of-7 two-point attempts and 3-of-4 free throws, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals and 7 fouls drawn. Oturu, however, led his team to a 74-79 win at Virtus Bologna, posting 21 points on 9-of-10 two-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws, 10 boards, 1 steal, 1 block and 5 fouls drawn. This is the first double-double of Oturu’s 75-game career.

Sorkin rounds out the list of best performers in Round 15 with a PIR of 29. The Maccabi forward poured in a career-high 26 points on 8-of-13 two-point attempts, 1-of-3 triples and 7-of-10 free throws, as well as 7 rebounds, 1 assist, a joint career-best 4 blocks – the second round in succession he has had 4 blocks – and 6 fouls drawn.

### Individual highs: Roman Sorkin, Maccabi, 4 blocks 

Lonnie Walker was the top scorer in Round 15 with 29 points. Paris Basketball’s Nadir Hifi is this season’s leading scorer with 20.9 points per game.

Zalgiris Kaunas big man Azuolas Tubelis and Partizan forward Isaac Bonga pulled down 11 rebounds apiece, more than anyone else in this round. Olympiacos Piraeus center Nikola Milutinov tops the rebounding charts with 7.6 boards per night.

Three players – Zalgiris’s Nigel Williams-Goss, Virtus’s Luca Vildoza and Olympiacos’s Thomas Walkup – each had a round-high 10 assists. Zalgiris playmaker Sylvain Francisco is the top assists provider this season with 7.1 dimes per contest.

There were also three players who led the way in steals in Round 15 with 4 apiece: Tyrique Jones, AS Monaco’s Alpha Diallo and Hapoel’s Ish Wainright. Diallo is also the season leader in this category with 1.8 steals per game.

Roman Sorkin topped all players in blocks in this round with 4. Real Madrid’s Walter Tavares is atop the leaderboard in blocks with 2.0 rejections per night.

Tubelis (17 points, 11 rebounds), Williams-Goss (18 points, 10 assists), Oturu (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Bonga (16 points, 11 rebounds) were the only players to finish with a double-double in Round 15.

FC Barcelona v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-12-12T19:30:00.000Z)

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-12-11T19:05:00.000Z)

Not in his wildest dream could Mirko Ocokoljic imagine until just a few weeks ago that he would rocket into the spotlight as a top contender to take charge of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on a full-time basis.

Mirko Ocokoljic 'the right man for the job' after Partizan’s Serbian Derby comeback

Not in his wildest dream could Mirko Ocokoljic imagine until just a few weeks ago that he would rocket into the spotlight as a top contender to take charge of [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) on a full-time basis.

Rewind the tape to the early stages of the current EuroLeague season and you’ll see a confident and beaming Zeljko Obradovic thinking big after Partizan made a 3-2 start, looking forward to another tilt at reaching the postseason.

Then came a dramatic slump in form and with it disarray at the club, the likes of which was almost unfathomable. Partizan dropped to 4-9 after a dismal 1-7 run, prompting Obradovic, the winner of a record nine EuroLeague titles with five different clubs, to do the unthinkable.

He stepped down. Shocked and infuriated by their icon’s resignation, the die-hard fans reacted emotionally and then brutally. [They gave Obradovic a hero’s welcome at Belgrade airport](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zelko-obradovic-receives-heros-welcome-as-partizans-fans-and-board-rally-behind-him/) when he returned from Greece a day after the team landed, following a 91-69 drubbing at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Not just a handful of fans but thousands. They begged him to reconsider and so did the board, but Obradovic stayed true to his word and honored his promise not to return.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | Round 15 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Ocokoljic was cold-shouldered by fans, much like the team when they stepped inside a packed Belgrade Arena, with the 20,000-strong crowd rooting for Bayern out of spite and holding giant placards with Obradovic’s image. Having absolved their “patriarch” – as one of the fans at the airport described Obradovic – of any wrongdoing for Partizan’s plight, they ripped into the players, jeering every time they scored and cheered every single time Bayern did at the other end.

Having [ground out a 92-85 win over the German side](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/duane-washington-tyrique-jones-power-partizan-to-first-win-of-post-zeljko-obradovic-era/) despite feeling like the road team at home, Partizan went on to win at U-BT Cluj-Napoca by the same score in the regional ABA League before locking horns with an in-form Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, which had hit top gear under head coach Sasa Obradovic.

Ocokoljic rebuffed suggestions that being Obradovic’s understudy at AS Monaco was his trump card in a memorable 79-76 win on Friday night, as Partizan wiped out a 16-point third-quarter deficit and roared back in the fourth to overpower Zvezda.

“I know Sasa well but you never know what he might pull out of the hat, and that’s why we struggled so much against their switch defense,” Ocokoljic told the post-game press conference. “He is methodical and structured but also full of surprises. I want to thank the fans for their frenetic support. This really is the most emotional victory of my career, for sure.” 

Partizan fans did show up this time, for their own team. The atmosphere reached fever pitch as the hosts turned the contest on its head in the home straight, drawing wild cheers from hordes on the terraces which only a few days ago interrupted their practice session as thousands gathered in front of Belgrade Arena and demanded to be addressed by captain [Vanja Marinkovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vanja-marinkovic/004761/).

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The moment, 16 down to Derby Day winners 🤯 <br><br>Absolute scenes 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/0amTwi27c4">pic.twitter.com/0amTwi27c4</a></p>&mdash; EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1999606612420636912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For Ocokoljic, who enjoyed a trophy-laden spell as an assistant at Monaco under Zvezdan Mitrovic and then Sasa Obradovic, it seemed just like another day in the office as he deflected questions whether he was about to be promoted.

“I can’t speak to that,” he told reporters. “I came into this job as an interim knowing that it might only be for a few games, and I have had no talks to such effect with anyone at the club. We’ll see what happens and my priority right now is to make sure we keep working hard and keep our feet on the ground.”

Ocokoljic, who joined Partizan as Zeljko Obradovic’s assistant during the close season, could not be a more contrasting figure to his former boss, who made it a habit of screaming at players and getting into their faces during games when things didn’t go according to plan.

Cutting a calm and composed coach never looking likely to lose his temper, Ocokoljic appears to have a soothing effect as desirable as aftershave to sensitive skin, having calmed his players’ nerves after jittery starts in all three games under his tenure.

“The club really should do the right thing and give him a long-term contract,” pundit and former coach Vlade Djurovic told Serbia’s Arenasport television after the derby. “There’s been a plethora of top names circulating around since Zeljko stepped down and I don’t know what Partizan’s board is going to do, but they ought to look closer to home. Ocokoljic is the right man for the job.”

Game News

The derby win has catapulted the club’s interim head coach as the prime candidate to take over full time

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-12-12T19:30:00.000Z)

A week after pulling off a dominant display on the road at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Will Clyburn looked unwilling to take his foot off the gas as FC Barcelona hosted Olympiacos Piraeus on Friday night.

Will Clyburn keeps turning back the clock as Barcelona outhustles Olympiacos

A week after pulling off a dominant display on the road at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) looked unwilling to take his foot off the gas as [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) hosted [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) on Friday night.

The veteran forward found his shooting rhythm early and never cooled off. Clyburn hit the ground running and made 2-of-2 triples in the opening stages to give Barcelona an 8-2 lead. He went on to drain a career-best 7 triples, ending the game on a season-high 28 points.

And it wasn’t just his shooting, as Clyburn's performance on both ends of the floor personified Barcelona’s relentless effort throughout the game. The hosts outrebounded Olympiacos 38-28 and netted 18 second-chance points after bringing down as many as 19 offensive boards.

They also bagged 9 steals, scored 21 points off Olympiacos’s 12 turnovers, and got out in transition with 12 points on the break. 

FC Barcelona-Olympiacos Piraeus | Round 15 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

In fact, Barcelona outhustled the Reds from the off, but what occurred in the third quarter will certainly have given Xavi Pascual plenty to like.

Barcelona outscored the Reds 30-17, with Clyburn drilling three triples and [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) joining the party with 11 points of his own. On the other end, they registered 4 steals by constantly getting in the passing lanes, leading Olympiacos into a collapse that saw Barcelona secure a 72-56 lead after 30 minutes.

Pascual’s side never looked back, netting as many as 98 points against an Olympiacos side that boasted the EuroLeague’s second-stingiest defense with an average of 81.8 points allowed heading into the game. 

Afterward, Georgios Bartzokas summed up in just a few sentences the reason why Barcelona secured a well-earned 98-85 victory on Friday night.

“We had 19 defensive rebounds and they had 19 offensive,” Bartzokas said during the post-game press conference. “This is a part of the fighting spirit, a part of concentration, a part of staying in the game plan, what we think is important to compete in an away game against a team in shape. If you want to win it, first of all, you have to grab all the 50-50 balls, or at least half of them. Barcelona got all of them and finally won the game.”

Pascual’s return has brought a breath of fresh air to everyone at Palau Blaugrana, as Barcelona pulled off a second straight statement outing against a team aspiring to reach the Final Four. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">M V P ⭐️ <a href="https://t.co/Pui1gXvhbR">pic.twitter.com/Pui1gXvhbR</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1999601473437532346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As Clyburn stressed in his post-game flash interview, the players were locked in throughout, following Pascual’s plan to the letter on both ends of the floor.

“Good win,” he noted. “We came out and executed the game plan. Everybody did their part today. Everybody played together. Defensively we were great. We followed the plan, we executed it, and that’s what got us the win.”

Hence, Pascual couldn’t be anything but content by the way his players treated the contest, admitting that what his staff details in practice was translated into Friday’s clash.

“We are working hard every day and the team is always ready to follow the strategies that we try to work in every practice,” he told EuroLeague TV. “I feel proud of them from the first day, the way they are working.”

In its bid to record a fourth straight win for the first time this season, Barcelona is set to open the upcoming double-round week with a game away at Paris Basketball. Hustle mode is in full force and with Clyburn turning back the clock week in, week out, the Catalans have no reason to fear anyone.

The veteran forward nailed a career-high 7 triples, with the Catalan outfit dominating on both ends of the floor

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ground out a memorable 79-76 Rivalry Series home win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and improved to 6-9 to get its season back on track after a tough few weeks amid a 1-7 run, the resignation of legendary coach Zeljko Obradovic and fan dissent.

Partizan roars back to win pulsating Serbian Derby over Zvezda

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) ground out a memorable 79-76 Rivalry Series home win over [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) and improved to 6-9 to get its season back on track after a tough few weeks amid a 1-7 run, the resignation of legendary coach Zeljko Obradovic and fan dissent.

All that became water under the bridge after Partizan wiped out a 16-point third-quarter deficit against Zvezda as [Duane Washington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/duane-washington/013370/) produced a monster home straight, carrying Partizan over the finish line almost single-handedly as he ripped into the old enemy down the stretch.

Partizan looked out for the count after Zvezda, which had the upper hand in the first half, romped its way into a 44-60 lead and subdued a noisy home crowd. Partizan’s comeback started with 5 unanswered points to close out the third quarter, but Zvezda still looked safe and sound early in the fourth and as it maintained a 51-65 advantage.

Enter Washington. The livewire guard, hitherto largely a peripheral figure, took over and mixed audacious layups with laser-beam three-pointers as Partizan turned the matchup on its head. The black-and-white half of Belgrade was in a state of frenzy as Partizan nosed ahead 73-72, and although the pendulum briefly swung back Zvezda’s way after [Jared Butler](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jared-butler/014163/)’s three-pointer, Partizan had the last laugh in a frantic finish as Washington sank a pair of clutch free throws.

The outcome was a third straight win in all competitions for Partizan’s interim head coach Mirko Ocokoljic, who took over from nine-time EuroLeague winner Obradovic under the most intense pressure, facing jeers from the crowd in [his debut 92-85 win over FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/duane-washington-tyrique-jones-power-partizan-to-first-win-of-post-zeljko-obradovic-era/) when the Partizan players were made to feel like the away time by their own faithful.

Having beaten U-BT Cluj-Napoca by the same score in the regional ABA League, Ocokoljic stepped up boldly for the biggest game of career as head coach and got one over Zvezda counterpart Sasa Obradovic, his former mentor at AS Monaco, where the pair enjoyed a trophy-laden spell in the French League and took the franchise to the 2023 EuroLeague Final Four.

“I always believed we could come back and win,” Ocokoljic said with a shy smile on his face in the post-game comments. “We found the right five in the fourth quarter to tighten up the defense and we were also able to make some tough shots on offense.

“We managed the minutes well and although we struggled for 25 minutes or so, we had enough left in the tank down the stretch to grind out the victory. This is a morale-boosting win to carry on in the same direction and we showed tonight that we’ve got the potential.

“All credit goes to the players as they put their hearts on the sleeve and left it all out there on the court. They stood tall and defiant in the face of adversity and engineered a fantastic win.”

<center>
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Zvezda looked the more likely winner for the lion’s share of the matchup as [Jordan Nwora](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-nwora/013363/) scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Butler netted as many, but both were eclipsed by Washington, who sank a game-high 25. [Isaac Bonga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaac-bonga/006760/) was also instrumental with 16 points and 11 boards, while [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) posted 15 points to go with 8 rebounds, inflicting a third defeat in the last four games on Zvezda, which dropped to 9-6.

Sasa Obradovic was in a sour mood after the bruising battle, which still produced several spectacular plays while the drama kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout.

“For the first time, I didn’t know what to do to win the game,” a grim-looking Obradovic told the post-game news conference. ”We played well and I congratulated the players after the game as I thought we deserved to win. We lost the handle on it in the fourth quarter, but it’s not a disaster and we’ll move on.”  

The home team bounced back from a 16-point deficit to prevail in a titanic tussle

Not many would have bet on this at the start of the season, but it's a fact: Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv is the sole leader atop the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season standings after 15 games. One of the main reasons why is Elijah Bryant.

Elijah Bryant shows his MVP credentials in Bologna 

Not many would have bet on this at the start of the season, but it's a fact: [Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/hapoel-ibi-tel-aviv/hta/) is the sole leader atop the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season standings after 15 games. 

Hapoel each of the first three quarters against [Virtus Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) before rallying in the fourth period to get an impressive 74-79 road victory, good for a league-best 11-4 record.

Virtus led for the large part of the game, despite having troubles. Top scorer [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) finished the game with two points on 1-of-11 shooting. [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/) came off the bench to score 11 points in six minutes, but he then had to come out of the game with an injury. He was able to return and ended up leading Virtus with 21 points in as many minutes. 

Down 55-46 late in the third quarter, Hapoel needed a go-to guy and [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) stepped up big for coach Dimitris Itoudis's team once again, scoring 14 of his 22 points in the final 12 minutes to lead the guests' rally.

Bryant rescued Hapoel in arguably its most fragile moment of the game with a step-back jumper off the dribble and a coast-to-coast layup, bringing his team within 55-50. [Chris Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chris-jones/010568/) and [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/), who had combined for just 3 points in the opening three quarters, joined Bryant's effort. Jones and Blakeney combined for 11 points in the next six minutes to put Hapoel in charge, 65-67, with over 4 minutes left.

Virtus Bologna-Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv | Round 15 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Edwards found his only basket of the game, a driving layup which tied it at 67-67. That's when Hapoel regrouped on defense and Bryant delivered at both ends. He picked up a steal which allowed him to hit a close jumper at the other end, and soon swished a highly-contested jumper that capped an 0-8 run which effectively sealed the outcome, 67-75, in the penultimate minute of the contest.

"In the first half, we gave up 10 offense rebounds, which led to 18 points," Bryant said after the game. "And then we changed our mindset in the second half and trying to get a defensive effort. They have a bunch of off-screen shooters. I'm pretty sure they lead the league in off-screen shooting. So we had to lock in and we were able to get a win.

"At the end, we were able to get some momentum and find some stuff that was working for us and get some defensive stops and get the win."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">זה הכל בראש 🗣️<br>בשלישי ממשיכים:<a href="https://t.co/55sriH8JTY">https://t.co/55sriH8JTY</a> <a href="https://t.co/eFaPpn8KWs">pic.twitter.com/eFaPpn8KWs</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1999598877096206736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bryant made the different in crunch time, but [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) was a solid force all game long, especially in the first quarter, getting 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Oturu ended up getting his first double-double of his EuroLeague career with season highs of 21 points, 10 rebounds and a PIR of 30. 

His effort under the boards allowed Hapoel to turn things around. After being outrebounded 23-15 in the first half, Hapoel won the battle of the boards after the break (12-16). Oturu, however, was eager to give credit to the entire team for fighting.

"It's a collective effort from everybody, not just the bigs fighting for the boards, but everybody," Oturu said. "When the shots go up, finding our man, hitting them, and then going to get the track and the ball. And everybody helping, coming in. The guards coming in to help the bigs get the ball. It's a huge part.

"That was, I think, in the first half, a really important thing that we needed to focus on coming into the second half. So honing in on that side and just grabbing the ball and making sure we get one shot and one stop is super important. I think that's what helped us win today."

Hapoel is now set to look for its 12th win at home when it hosts Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade at Pais Arena Jerusalem on Tuesday, December 16. Virtus will look to bounce back in the first of two games in Serbia next week as it faces Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on Wednesday, December 17.

The 30-year-old swingman stepped up big when his team needed him most 

Virtus Bologna v Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (2025-12-12T19:30:00.000Z)