Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz announced on Monday that it has signed Luka Samanic 

Luka Samanic arrives to bolster Baskonia frontline

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz announced on Monday that it has signed [Luka Samanic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/players/luka-samanic/007579/) (2.08 meters, 24 years old). The big man arrives from Cibona Zagreb, where he returned to action and averaged 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 block in three games in the ABA League.

Samanic spent parts of four seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe this summer. He originally penned a two-year deal with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, but the sides agreed to void the deal in September due to personal reasons.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">✍️ OFICIAL | Luka Samanic, nueva pieza de valor para el juego interior de Baskonia<br><br>🗞️ <a href="https://t.co/X2zXdoE42L">https://t.co/X2zXdoE42L</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OngiEtorriLuka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OngiEtorriLuka</a> <a href="https://t.co/AMgkxat42k">pic.twitter.com/AMgkxat42k</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1873679072477528085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Samanic spent last season with the Utah Jazz, where he averaged 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per night across 43 appearances in the NBA. That was his second campaign with the Jazz.

The Croatian power forward began his professional career with FC Barcelona B in the 2017-18 season and went on to play for Petrol Olimpija in 2018-19 before heading stateside. Samanic’s first two years in the NBA were with the San Antonio Spurs, having been selected by the five-time NBA champion with the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Across those two seasons in San Antonio, he also played for the team’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. The 24-year-old went on to feature in the G League for the Westchester Knicks in 2021-22 and the Maine Celtics in 2022-23.

Samanic had his best NBA statistics in the 2022-23 campaign, which was his first with the Jazz. He posted 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in seven games. Then, he had one more season with Utah before opting to return to Europe.

The latest Baskonia news

Luka Samanic in action with Cibona Zagreb earlier this season

The big man joins the club after a spell with Cibona Zagreb in his native Croatia

Luka Samanic arrives to bolster Baskonia frontline 

Increased aggression in transition, regardless of how subtle, has played a role in the rise in efficiency EuroLeague-wide this season

Stats review: Pace and efficiency are up this season 

Pace and efficiency are up in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season and one of the reasons why played a not-so-subtle role in one of Round 18’s most significant outcomes. Paris Basketball and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz combined to score 38 points in transition as the latter managed a crucial home win at Buesa Arena to stay attached to the 15-team cluster jockeying for position entering the second half of the regular season. 

While 38 may not seem like a big number, it is worth noting that the average game featured only 21 points in transition per game a year ago. Historically, it is extremely hard to get in the open floor in the EuroLeague as the level of organization simply doesn’t allow for it; teams take care of the ball, which makes it hard to turn defense into offense and they change ends quickly to take away runouts after missed shots. As a result, seven teams generated less than 10% of their total opportunities in the open floor last season.  That is true for only one unit this season as, across the league, teams have been more decisive when looking to push in the early going.

That increased aggression, regardless of how subtle, has played a role in the rise in efficiency league-wide this season. Transition efficiency has been largely flat in recent seasons even as pace has ebbed and flowed and turnovers are not up on the year. With the average transition possession being roughly 20% more efficient than the average half-court possession, teams looking to be more opportunistic has been one of the small changes propelling the EuroLeague back up to its gaudy pre-pandemic offensive efficiency.

The table above lists the seven teams pushing the pace more often than anyone else this season.  Even as ALBA Berlin has had a hard time securing victories early on, their production in the open floor has been a bright spot and given them a puncher's chance against several playoff teams. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have both found success pushing to score as they begin to get back on track in the half-court with Barcelona shooting the three opportunistically and Madrid finishing layups at a tremendous rate when they run.

Paris Basketball and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens are the enigmas on this list. No team has been more aggressive shooting transition three-pointers than Paris, who attempts nearly half of their shots from beyond the arc when they run. Panathinaikos, in contrast, has attempted a EuroLeague-low 15% of their shots in the open floor from beyond the arc as they are very aggressive putting pressure on the rim.  While Paris makes a concerted effort to look for shooters, they have shot 31% from beyond the arc in the open floor compared to 35% in the half-court.  The team missed their last 4 transition threes against Baskonia as their tempo and shooting did not provide much relief during a 23-point swing on the scoreboard in the second half.

One of the key contributors in that swing was Chima Moneke who scored 13 points in transition alone to help Baskonia secure victory.  The veteran forward currently ranks second among all players in transition points per game after leading the league last season.

The only player scoring more prolifically in transition is FC Bayern Munich guard Carsen Edwards.  Averaging 1.42 points per possession in transition, Edwards has been hugely effective this season and the main reason Bayern leads all teams in transition efficiency. 

EuroLeague offenses tend to be well-oiled machines, but there’s a chance that this season winds up being the most efficient season on record when the regular season comes to a close.  It will be interesting to see what subtle things, like transition play, push the league to new heights and what kind of staying power those things have in the coming seasons.

Increased aggression in transition, regardless of how subtle, has played a role in the rise in efficiency league-wide this season

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Round 18 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 18

After Paris Basketball shined bright in the first half, Baskonia went up a couple of gears in the second en route to a 94-81 win that marked Tiago Splitter's return to Buesa Arena.

Baskonia flipped the script against Paris on a topsy-turvy night at Buesa Arena

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) fans were ready to honor one of its all-time greats last Friday night, as [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) play-caller [Tiago Splitter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/splitter-tiago/) returned to Buesa Arena – where his jersey hangs in the rafters – for the first time as a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague head coach.

Splitter spent all seven of his EuroLeague seasons with Baskonia as a player, between 2003 and 2010, and saw his role grow and grow as the Spanish side made it to four consecutive Final Fours from 2005 to 2008. The Baskonia fans saw the Brazilian develop from a very special prospect into a world-class center, who later went on to win the NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. In other words, Splitter has always been a fan favorite in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Once again, Buesa gives <a href="https://twitter.com/tiagosplitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tiagosplitter</a> a big cheer 👏👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/c4EsKJ4ckM">pic.twitter.com/c4EsKJ4ckM</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1872723117283647720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Splitter joined Baskonia at age 15 and make his Spanish League debut with the team in 2000. After spending three seasons elsewhere on loan, he returned to Baskonia, where he played for the next seven seasons. During his time with the club, he won two Spanish League titles in 2008 and 2010, three Spanish Cups in 2004, 2005 and 2009, and reached the EuroLeague Championship Game in 2005, the first of those four consecutive Final Fours. He also had individual success, being chosen to the 2007-08 All-EuroLeague First Team and earning All-EuroLeague Second Team honors in the next two seasons.

More recently, on May 5, 2024, Baskonia retired his No 21 jersey. Few expected to see him as an opponent before the end of the year, but that is exactly what was on the cards after he joined Paris Basketball this past summer. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">En lo más alto del Buesa Arena hay una nueva LEYENDA de BASKONIA ❤️<br><br>2️⃣1️⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/tiagosplitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tiagosplitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/2uuI4DkHV6">pic.twitter.com/2uuI4DkHV6</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1787137894865400105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On Friday night, Splitter made sure that his team was noticed in a fantastic second quarter in which Paris did everything right, rebounding the ball, running the floor and getting a lot of points in transition.

Baskonia led 28-26 after 10 minutes with solid shooting percentages (72.7% 2FG, 50% 3FG) and outrebounding Paris 10-4. It all changed in the second quarter: Paris outrebounded Baskonia 5-18 in the second frame, pulling down 14 defensive rebounds and allowing Baskonia’s players to grab just one offensive board. Baskonia hit just 3-of-13 two-pointers and 2-of-7 three-pointers.

All that allowed Paris to lead 41-57 at halftime. Those 57 first-half points are a new club record for Paris in the competition, with its previous record being the 47 first-half points it scored in a 109-117 overtime victory over [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/). It also ties for the 2024-25 EuroLeague season high for most points at halftime, as [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) also scored 57 points in the first half of an 87-85 home win over [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/).

Paris led 38-57 right before halftime, and that's when Baskonia showed its trademark character with a second half that its fans will not forget for a long, long time.

Baskonia limited Paris to just 24 second-half points. After getting its highest first-half tally in club history, Baskonia forced Paris to record its lowest-scoring second half in the competition. Its previous lowest second-half scoring output were the 35 points it had in a 79-74 road loss against [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) in Round 2.

Paris hit just 5-of-22 two-pointers (22.7% 2FG) and 3-of-19 three-pointers (15.8% 3FG). After getting 14 assists before the break, Paris was only able to dish 4 in the second half. Stopping [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) was crucial, too – he had just 5 points and 2 assists in the second half. Even with that, Paris led 59-72 with 11 minutes remaining. Then, [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) decided that enough was enough.

Howard buried 3 three-pointers in less than 3 minutes – exactly 2 minutes and 37 seconds – and he also buried a crazy jumper and the free throw that came with it, giving him 12 points in 157 seconds. That scoring explosion allowed Baskonia to get within 73-74, giving it a much-needed boost in momentum for the remainder of the game.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">💪 Markus Howard, el segundo máximo anotador en la victoria de ayer<br><br>🔥 𝟐𝟖 𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐒 <br><br>¡Revive sus mejores canastones! 📹 <a href="https://t.co/QNzvqXL8pk">pic.twitter.com/QNzvqXL8pk</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1872930496210157744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 25-year-old finished the contest with 28 points and [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) recorded a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double, which is the highest-scoring double-double of this EuroLeague season, as [Baskonia won 94-81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-comes-from-behind-to-beat-paris-94-81/). After showing what it is capable of when everything clicks, Paris had a first-hand experience of what Baskonia Character is all about, something that Coach Splitter experienced in his favor dozens of times.

"I feel excellent. When you can win against a team like Paris, which has been playing unbelievable basketball from the start of the season to now, to be able to win on our home court and the way we won, where we battled in the second half, I am extremely proud of our team," Howard said after the game. "So we are just going to look to build off of a win like this. When we fight, we can compete with anybody."

Game News

It was a special night for Coach Splitter, but he saw his men fall to defeat

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Paris Basketball (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)

A stunning performance by Jaylen Hoard of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a 95-78 win over Zalgiris Kaunas has seen him earn Round 18 MVP honors with a career-high PIR of 34.

Round 18 MVP: Jaylen Hoard, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

A stunning performance by [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a 95-78 win over Zalgiris Kaunas has seen him earn Round 18 MVP honors with a career-high PIR of 34.

Hoard’s 34 PIR, which was the highest in this round, came after he scored 23 points on 6-of-10 two-pointers, 1-of-1 three-pointers and 8-of-8 free throws, as well as 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 5 drawn fouls. He did not commit a single turnover, either. This is the first time that Hoard has been MVP of the Round in his 18th game in the competition, with this being his first season in the EuroLeague.

[Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and [Achille Polonara ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/)of Virtus Segafredo Bologna each amassed a PIR of 28 in Round 18. Moneke led Baskonia to a come-from-behind 94-81 home victory over Paris Basketball with 29 points on 6-of-9 two-pointers and 4-of-8 three-pointers, 10 rebounds, 1 block and 5 fouls drawn. Polonara had 17 points on 2-of-4 two-pointers, 2-of-3 three-pointers and 7-of-8 free throws, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and 5 fouls drawn to lead Virtus to an 83-69 home win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade’s [Duane Washington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/duane-washington/013370/), with a PIR of 27, and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul’s [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/), who had a PIR of 26, complete the top individual performances in Round 18. Washington posted 27 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in Partizan’s 90-81 triumph over Fenerbahce, while Hayes-Davis amassed 19 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal in that same game.

### Individual highs: Wenyen Gabriel, Panathinaikos, 5 blocks

Moneke was this round's top scorer with 29 points. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) is the league’s new top scorer with 20.6 points per game.

[Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) of FC Bayern Munich led all rebounders by pulling down 13 in Round 18. [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid leads the way in rebounds with 8.1 boards per night.

[Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) of Real Madrid and [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) of Zalgiris Kaunas each had 9 assists in this round. Maccabi’s [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) is this season’s top assist provider with 8.4 dimes per contest.

[Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) of Olympiacos Piraeus collected 5 steals to lead the way in Round 18. Bayern’s [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) is atop the steals charts with 1.6 per game.

[Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/) of Panathinaikos had 5 blocks, more than anyone else. Gabriel is the new leader, averaging a league-best 1.5 blocks per night.

Moneke (29 points, 10 rebounds) and Voigtmann (14 points, 13 rebounds) were the only two players to record a double-double in Round 18.

EuroLeague rookie earns his first MVP of the Round award.

Following the suspension of the Round 17 game between Paris Basketball and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, the game has been rescheduled to be played on the following date: Monday, March 3, 2025 at Adidas Arena.

Euroleague Basketball announces rescheduled game

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 18th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Radivoje Ristic beat everyone else in Round 18 with his team 'puleni007', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 208.30.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 18 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 18th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Radivoje Ristic beat everyone else in Round 18 with his team 'puleni007', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 208.30.

Radivoje had the following starting lineup: Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul as team captain, then Olympiacos Piraeus's Sasha Vezenkov, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade's Duane Washington, ALBA Berlin's David McCormack, as well as Theo Maledon of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. His sixth man was Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. On the bench, Radivoje had Anadolu Efes Istanbul's Ercan Osmani, Markus Howard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Achille Polonara of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Tamir Blatt of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. His team's head coach was Virtus play-caller Dusko Ivanovic.

The prize for finishing first in Round 18 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Radivoje!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 3,084.89 points.

Trades are now open for Round 19. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 19 tips off on Thursday, January 2, as Zalgiris Kaunas hosts Olympiacos Piraeus at 19:00 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

It’s fair to say that Achille Polonara knows better than most what it is like to play under Dusko Ivanovic. Friday night saw the Italian play his 50th EuroLeague game under the Montenegrin’s orders, and he was central to Virtus Bologna's 83-69 win over LDLC ASVEL.

The Achille Polonara-Dusko Ivanovic connection remains as strong as ever

It’s fair to say that [Achille Polonara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/) knows better than most what it is like to play under [Dusko Ivanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/ivanovic-dusko/?season=E2024). Friday night saw the Italian play his 50th Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game under the Montenegrin’s orders, and he was central to [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/)'s [83-69 win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-flexes-its-muscles-in-dominant-win-over-asvel-83-69/).

Polonara finished the night with a 28 PIR – his best PIR in the last four seasons – and 17 points, the most he has scored since Round 17 of the 2020-21 campaign, which came against… ASVEL. The 33-year-old also had 9 rebounds, his best mark since Round 22 last season against… ASVEL. He seems to have a knack of showing up against the French side, then.

Virtus has been without [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/), another player who – like Polonara – played under Ivanovic at [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) in the past, for the last three games, yet the Italian team has managed to improve to 3-1 in Dusko’s brief time in charge.

Having got off to a great start in Round 18 against ASVEL, Virtus led by 19 points at halftime (46-29) and Polonara had 7 points and 6 boards. Virtus went up by as many as 25 points (56-31) in the third period, with Polonara adding 6 points and 3 rebounds before netting a further 4 points in the final frame. All in all, it was a solid day’s work for Virtus’s No 33.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward Achille Polonara spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 18 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Achille Polonara: 'Coach Dusko gave me a lot of confidence'

“We would like to start the first game of the second round \[on the right foot\] and the new year also, so we played a great game and we are happy about that,” Polonara told EuroLeague TV after the triumph. “I’m happy about \[playing well\] because Coach Dusko gave me a lot of confidence and I could help my team to win the game. We want to start the new year better than this year. I hope that the second round will be the opposite \[to the first half of the season\] and we can win more games \[in 2025\].”

Polonara was a vital piece of a second straight win for Virtus, with the team [having beaten FC Barcelona 86-81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-battles-past-barcelona-86-81-in-first-home-game-under-ivanovic/) in Round 17, and he was needed in the absence of Shengelia. It seems that the Polonara-Dusko connection is still as strong as ever, which can only spell good news for Virtus entering the new year.

The Italian was Virtus's star performer in an important win over ASVEL

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)

It's been a season of ups and downs for KK Crvena zvezda, but when it comes to those ups, the team from the Serbian capital has been stacking up big road wins.

Crvena Zvezda's 'joker' came through in historic win in Barcelona

It's been a season of ups and downs for [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/), but when it comes to those ups, the team from the Serbian capital has been stacking up big road wins.

After downing Paris Basketball, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, AS Monaco and Virtus Segafredo Bologna so far this season, Zvezda victoriously check-marked another big road trip by [edging FC Barcelona 74-78](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-pulls-out-a-dramatic-win-in-barcelona-74-78/) on Friday night.

It was Zvezda's first-ever road win over Barcelona, and its first triumph against the *Azulgrana* after 12 consecutive losses, having waited since October 2017 to beat Barcelona.

This one came in a tight contest, one in which Zvezda made 8 triples on just 27.6% shooting, while it had one more turnover and one fewer assist than Barcelona.

But Zvezda had 5 more offensive rebounds and a determination to never back down. Not when Barcelona opened the game with a 10-0 run, not when Barcelona repeatedly went in front in the third quarter, which Dario Brizuela ended with a half-court shot.

Zvezda did not falter when it committed a pair of turnovers in the final two minutes; the first one allowed Kevin Punter to hit a triple on the other end and tie the game at 74-74, then the second one gave the hosts a possession to go in front.

But Zvezda withstood it all, pulling down all the important rebounds before showing its depth when it trusted [Dejan Davidovac](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dejan-davidovac/007960/) to fire the game-winning shot. The swingman, considered his team's X-factor or joker, who coach Ioannis Sfairropoulos did not use in the previous round after leaving him at the end of the bench, explaining: "I did not need a joker in this game."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">DEJAN DAVIDOVAC! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CrvenoBelaPorodica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CrvenoBelaPorodica</a> <a href="https://t.co/zWPe9lEJrB">pic.twitter.com/zWPe9lEJrB</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1872761956874240260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Well, with 21 seconds to go at Palau Blaugrana, there was Davidovac, finding himself all alone in the corner with the ball in his hands. He had missed all 3 of his two-point shots and both of his three-point attempts to that point, but he nailed this shot: the game-winner. He gave Zvezda a 74-77 lead, and the team found a way to preserve its advantage thereafter.

Davidovac played nearly 27 minutes, second most on the team against Barcelona, after sitting out the last two games. But what he did at the end encapsulated exactly what this Zvezda team is capable of doing.

Without its leader [Milos Teodosic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/milos-teodosic/jdr/), with energizer [Ognjen Dobric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ognjen-dobric/004007/) sidelined, [John Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/john-brown/010588/) still not ready to play, and with [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/), [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/) and [Nikola Kalinic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-kalinic/004866/) shooting 1 for 11 from long range, Zvezda still pulled out a big road win.

In the past, Zvezda would need big performances from its main players to pull out resounding wins like these. But not this year's Zvezda, which once again showcased the depth of its roster and its experience in tight contests.

With a 10-8 record, and still nine home games left to play entering the new year, Crvena Zvezda is looking ready to keep climbing up the standings in 2025.

Ioannis Sfairopoulos's men added another resounding road win to their resume

FC Barcelona v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-12-27T19:30:00.000Z)