AS Monaco marched back from 21 points down to defeat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 80-86 on the road in Round 23 to snap a three-game losing streak in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Monaco rallies from 21 points down, defeats Virtus 80-86 

AS Monaco marched back from 21 points down to defeat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 80-86 on the road to snap a three-game losing streak. Virtus went up by 21 points early in the second quarter and Monaco finally claimed the lead midway through the final frame to grab the victory. Monaco bounced back from the two losses in last week’s double rounder to improve to 14-9. 

Mike James scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, Matthew Strazel had 14 points and Donatas Motiejunas and Georgios Papagiannis both chipped in 11 points in the win. Virtus dropped to 7-16 overall and 5-4 overall since Dusko Ivanovic took over as head coach. Toko Shengelia scored 15 points, Alessandro Pajola had 14 and Marco Belinelli 11. Virtus made 8 of its first 12 three-pointers before ending 13 of 34 from long range for the game.

Game Videos

Jaron Blossomgame scored 4 quick points to help Monaco jump ahead 3-8. The hosts meanwhile relied on long jumpers and got three triples - one of them a four-point play from Belinelli to go up 13-10. Rayjon Tucker knocked down a second three-pointer and Matthew Morgan converted 3 free throws as Virtus led 26-18 after 10 minutes. 

Virtus continued the strong play to start the second quarter with Pajola sandwiching triples around a Morgan three-point play in a 13-0 run for a 39-18 advantage. It was a 21-1 surge over the two quarters. Monaco needed nearly 3 minutes before finally scoring on a James three-point play to start a 0-7 spurt to trim the deficit to 14 points. Monaco kept chipping away at the lead thanks to Papagiannis with 7 points in a 2-14 run to make it 47-41. Virtus led 49-41 at the break. 

Game News

Another Tucker triple early in the second half pushed the lead back to 12 points. Petr Cornelie countered with a three-pointer and dunk and Monaco was within 53-48. Alpha Diallo added three scores and Monaco closed the gap to 60-56. The score was 62-56 after 30 minutes.

Virtus still had a 66-58 lead early in the final frame, but James drained back-to-back triples and the game was deadlocked 66-66. Monaco finally came all the way back to lead 67-68 on 2 Blossomgame free throws. Belinelli’s triple was answered from long range by James before Belinelli drained another three-pointer and it was 74-73. Papagiannis scored inside at the other end and Strazel converted a three-point play to give Monaco the lead 74-78 with 111 seconds to go. Blossomgame added a putback dunk and James iced the game with 4 free throws in the final 53 seconds.

Monaco snaps three-game losing streak as Mike James shines in fourth quarter 

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v AS Monaco (2025-01-23T19:30:00.000Z)

Kendrick Nunn’s momentum-changer sparked historic comeback for Panathinaikos

Heading towards the halftime interval of Thursday’s all-greens showdown between [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) and [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/?season=2024-25), it seemed certain that the reigning champs were heading towards a third straight victory while their Lithuanian counterparts were preparing to reignite their playoff challenge with a statement road win.

Zalgiris had dominated the first half at both ends of the floor, leaning on an unstoppable interior offense and a smothering defense. The lead grew to 20 points, 29-49, when [Deividas Sirvydis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/deividas-sirvydis/007029/) scored 7 points in a row to cap a 0-11 run.

Even when the second half started with an inevitable initial Panathinaikos comeback, Zalgiris was still able to reassert its advantage. [Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/) and Sirvydis scored in a 0-6 run that grew the lead to 55-69 with just 12 minutes left, just after home team coach Ergin Ataman underlined his team’s frustration by being hit with a second technical foul for dissent, consigned to the locker room for the rest of the game.

Then the madness ensued.

Nunn beats the buzzer! Magic Moment

The third quarter’s final play was seemingly under Zalgiris’s control, trying to extend a 57-70 lead. But then [Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/) denied the driving [Dovydas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dovydas-giedraitis/007513/) with a powerhouse block, the loose ball was picked up by [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/), who immediately raced down the floor before pulling up to drain a buzzer-beating three-pointer.

That momentum-changer was followed by an electric start to the final quarter, as Nunn scored another trio of baskets and [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) scored at the rim. [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) joined the fun, Gabriel continued his stellar second half with the go-ahead score, [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) added free throws, Hernangomez hit a triple and Gabriel scored again. In the space of just over 4 minutes, a 21-0 run had turned the game on its head, and shellshocked Zalgiris had no answer as the home team continued to dominate until the final buzzer.

As the raucous celebrations of the fans attested, it was a big win for a Panathinaikos team that was desperate to avoid falling to a third straight defeat.

It was also historic, with the recovery from a 20-point deficit tying the biggest-ever comeback achieved by the Greens – alongside a 22-42 to 86-83 swing against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in April 2021.

Top scorer Nunn, who poured in 25 points, didn’t even seem surprised when he spoke to [EuroLeague.TV](http://EuroLeague.TV) after the game, explaining: “There’s a lot of character in our locker room, from top to bottom. Guys step up when everything is going wrong, just finding a way, every possession, not quitting.

“We could have easily given in, but there’s a lot of character in the dressing room and credit to all my teammates.”

The Greens erased a 20-point deficit to end a two-game losing streak

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-01-23T19:15:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens launched a comeback for the ages to overcome Zalgiris Kaunas with a thrilling 89-76 home win in Round 23 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Panathinaikos stuns Zalgiris with huge comeback win, 89-76

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens launched a comeback for the ages to overcome Zalgiris Kaunas with a thrilling 89-76 home win. The reigning champs were down by 20 before halftime, but a 21-0 run sealed a thrilling recovery which improved the Greek team to 14-9, while Zalgiris dropped to 11-12.

Zalgiris controlled from the opening tipoff and pulled into a 34-51 lead by halftime. But the second half was a totally different story as the home team dominated for an ultimately comfortable win. Kendrick Nunn led the scoring with 26 points, while Wenyen Gabriel excelled with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Kostas Sloukas added 16 points, and Juancho Hernangomez scored 14. Lonnie Walker 19 for Zalgiris, with Deividas Sirvydis adding 15.

Arnas Butkevicius opened the scoring from deep, before Hernangomez responded from close range. Brady Manek, Jerian Grant and Walker kept the scoreboard moving, and Laurynas Birutis netted two in a row to push Zalgiris ahead, 6-11. Walker’s three-point play was answered by Ioannis Papapetrou and Grant as the scoring slowed, and Papapetrou struck again for his team’s first lead, 15-14. But Dovydas Giedraitis, two scores from Sirvydis and Matt Mitchell’s layup-and-one pushed Zalgiris back in front, 17-25, at the end of the first.

Nunn’s layup was answered by Bryant Dunston’s putback slam to start the second, before Cedi Osman and Nunn gradually pulled the host closer, 26-32. Birutis, Giedraitis and Walker gave Zalgiris a quickfire 0-6 run for a 26-38 lead. Nunn finally made the home team’s first triple, but Walker hit back with a driving bucket before Dunston dunked and Sirvydis blasted 7 points in a row to make it 29-49 after a 0-11 run. Sloukas scored 5 fast points to stop the bleeding, and it was 34-51 at the interval.

Gabriel and Grant gave Panathinaikos a fast start to the second half, but Francisco’s triple reasserted Zalgiris. Hernangomez, Butkevicius and Nunn all struck from deep to make it 44-57. Gabriel and Nunn pulled the host within single digits, 50-58, but Walker’s threeball relieved the pressure. Gabriel netted another inside bucket, before home team coach Ergin Ataman was ejected for his second technical foul. Walker again struck from deep and Sirvydis added a layup, making it 60-70 after three quarters despite Nunn’s buzzer-beating triple.

Osman’s triple and Nunn’s consecutive baskets narrowed the gap to 67-70 to start the final period. Hernangomez made it a 1-point game, and Gabriel’s layup forced a lead change. Hernangomez’s triple and Gabriel’s layup completed a 21-0 run, making it 78-70. Ulanovas scored Zalgiris’s first points for 6 minutes from the line, but Sloukas netted consecutive baskets for a double-digit lead, 83-72. The unstoppable Gabriel’s layup underlined the host’s dominance, sealing the outcome long before the final buzzer as Zalgiris failed to score a single field goal in the final quarter.

The reigning champ recovered from 20 points down with a stunning fourth quarter

"Super Mario" buried the game-winning shot with 0.2 seconds left


Hezonja's three leads Real past Baskonia, 90-89! 

In a thriller that came down to the wire, Real Madrid edged Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 90-89 on a game-winning three-pointer by Mario Hezonja with 0.2 seconds left. Real improved to 13-10 in the standings while Baskonia dropped to 9-14. 

Hezonja and Facu Campazzo led the winners with 22 points apiece. Dzanan Musa added 16 while Walter Tavares had 10 for Real. Nikos Rogkavopoulos paced Baskonia with 22 points. Trent Forrest added 19, Chima Moneke had 14 while Luka Samanic got 10 for the visitors.

Musa got Real going with a driving layup. Sander Raieste erased it with a fastbreak dunk and Moneke soon gave Baskonia its first lead, 3-4. Tavares followed a three-point play with a tip-in in a 7-0 run that Campazzo matched with a driving layup. Raieste answered from downtown and Forrest dunked. After Musa stepped up with a layup, Markus Howard and Eli Ndiaye traded triples. Khalifa Diop's jump hook brought the visitors within 15-14. Campazzo bettered Moneke's put-back dunk with a three-pointer and added an acrobatic layup for a 20-16 Real lead. Forrest hit one from beyond the arc and added a stop-and-pop jumper. Alberto Abalde gave Real a 22-21 edge after 10 minutes.

 

Samanic took over with a three-point play early in the second quarter. Andres Feliz beat the shot clock with a running hook, which Hezonja followed with consecutive layups for a 28-26 Real lead. After Hezonja buried a three-pointer, Rogkavopoulos and Usman Garuba traded baskets. Moneke brought Baskonia within 33-31. Garuba kept pushing Los Blancos with a layup. but Forrest followed a jumper with a wild driving layup that put Baskonia ahead 35-37. Kamar Baldwin matched Hugo Gonzalez's alley-oop layup with a step-back jumper and Rogkavopoulos's corner triple boosted the visitors' lead to 37-42. Serge Ibaka answered from downtown and Campazzo's floater brought his team within 42-45 at halftime.

Hezonja downed a jumper right after the break. Moneke answered with a put-back layup, which Baldwin followed with a mid-range jumper for a 44-49 score. Hezonja followed a three-pointer with a layup. Forrest hit another jumper before Campazzo's basket-plus-foul gave Real a 52-51 edge. Xavier Rathan-Mayes found his first points and Moneke dunked in transition before Musa boosted his team's lead to 56-53. Rogkavopoulos and Howard each buried a triple in a 0-8 run that Forrest capped with a fadeaway jumper. After Tavares and Musa made free throws, Rogkavopoulos answered with a layup. Campazzo kept Real close. Ognjan Jaramaz and Tavares traded layups before Rogkavopoulos's tip-in fixed the score at 64-67 after three-quarters.

Garuba scored down low at the start of the fourth quarter and Musa's three-pointer prompted Baskonia to call timeout at 69-67. Campazzo capped a 7-0 Real run with a layup, as Hall stopped the show with a huge alley-oop slam in traffic. After Campazzo and Rogkavopoulos exchanged layups, Samanic dunked on Tavares. Forrest's layup put Baskonia ahead 74-75 with less than 6 minutes left. Hezonja scored in penetration and got help from Musa and Campazzo in a 10-0 run that seemed to seal the outcome, 84-75. Forrest stepped up with a driving layup, however, and Rogkavopoulos added a floater and a three-pointer. Moneke silenced the crowd with a wild four-point play that put Baskonia up 84-86. Samanic capped a 0-13 run from the foul line. Hezonja's three-pointer got Real within 87-88 with 27.4 seconds left. Baldwin and Samanic combined to shoot 1 for 4 from the free-throw line before Hezonja won the game at the buzzer with an incredible three-pointer.

Hezonja's three leads Real past Baskonia, 90-89

Real Madrid v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-01-23T19:45:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv celebrated a rare win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as the Israeli champions blew away Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 85-73

Sharpshooting Maccabi rolls over Crvena Zvezda, 85-73

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv celebrated a rare win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as the Israeli champions blew away Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 85-73, improving to 6-17 after sinking 12 of 23 shots from downtown.

The outcome may turn out to be a damaging loss for Zvezda, which slipped to 13-10 and took a dent in its bid to reach the playoffs after looking flat and devoid of energy on a court the Serbian side is all too familiar with.

Maccabi, playing its home games in Belgrade’s Aleksandar Nikolic Hall for a second successive season, was paced by John DiBartolomeo who netted a team-high 15 points and Tamir Blatt, who scored 14 as the duo made 9 of 12 three-pointers between them.

Jaylen Hoard added 13 points for Maccabi and Roman Sorkin chipped in with 12, giving Maccabi a fully deserved victory as the hosts led from start to finish in a lop-sided matchup. Filip Petrusev paced Zvezda on 15 points and veteran guard Milos Teodosic added 14, but none of their misfiring teammates managed double figures.

The first quarter was tight with several lead changes before Maccabi nosed ahead 21-20 at the end of the opening 10 minutes. The Israeli side then engineered a 10-0 run at the start of the second, pulling away for good as DiBartolomeo and Blatt shot the lights out while Sorkin kept getting the better of his markers in the paint. Looking hungrier and more agile all over, Maccabi built a 44-32 lead at the end of the first half and held firm in the third quarter, when Zvezda enjoyed its best spell on the back of 12 quickfire points from Teodosic.

Heading into the fourth quarter with a 68-59 advantage. Maccabi forced Zvezda into submission with a 10-4 run as its players hit one clutch shot after another with big Trevion Williams contributing with some tough efforts. Blatt put the icing on the cake with a deep off-balance three to make the score 84-69 in the dying minutes and seal the contest before the final buzzer. 

The Israeli champs thrived on long-range shooting as Tamir Blatt and John DiBartolomeo shined 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-01-23T19:05:00.000Z)

Coach Banchi saw his Anadolu Efes Istanbul pull off a statement victory by cruising past an injury-hit EA7 Emporio Armani Milan with a 110-66 win on Thursday evening in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Efes showed off its offensive arsenal against helpless Milan

A five-game losing streak dealt a major blow in morale to an [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/?season=2024-25) side that hadn’t managed to make the most of the so-called new head-coach bounce following Luca Banchi’s arrival.

Having suffered consecutive defeats in his first three games in charge, Banchi saw his team pull off a statement victory by cruising past an injury-hit [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25) with [a 110-66 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/coach-banchi-celebrates-first-win-as-efes-thrashes-milan-110-66/) on Thursday evening.

“We lost our last five games. It was time for us to respond and send a message,” Banchi admitted after the game.

Showing off its elite offensive firepower, Efes responded in style. Seven players reached double digits in scoring; [Rodrigue Beaubois](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rodrigue-beaubois/006590/) led the way with 18 points, while [Jordan Nwora](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-nwora/013363/) (15), [Rolands Smits](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rolands-smits/007109/) (13), [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) (12), [Ercan Osmani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ercan-osmani/012710/) (12), [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) (11) and [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) (10) followed suit.

“A solid performance, approaching the game with the proper energy and having from everybody a collective effort to respond to this difficult momentum. I really liked the spirit,” Banchi said in the post-game press conference.

Efes became the fifth team ever with nine double-digit PIR players in one game, as [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) and [P.J. Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/) joined the aforementioned seven teammates on that list.

A special mention for the new Efes signing, as Dozier shined on both ends, recording 8 points and a career-high 9 assists in just his second game for the Turkish side.

“Shoutout to the coach,” Dozier told EuroLeague TV. “He came in and embarked on a tough situation in the middle of the season. He’s with a new team, got a new player \[in me\]. There’s a lot of moving parts right now and we’re all trying to figure it out. But we have a great group and the team chemistry is good, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Efes shared the ball in an exemplary manner and fired on all cylinders. The hosts recorded 26 assists and shot 17-for-27 (63.0%) from behind the arc. They matched their scoring record in a non-overtime game (110 points) by dealing Milan its largest-ever defeat.

“Efes played the game that they can play,” Milan head coach Ettore Messina stressed in the press conference. “They are a very, very good team. Very deep. They played and scored and just… destroyed us.”

Having put the five-game losing slide behind them, Efes will look to gain confidence ahead of a tough clash in Greece against [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2024-25) next week.

“We needed that \[win\] because lately we didn’t play the basketball that we wanted to play,” Beaubois told EuroLeague TV. “We need to use that momentum and keep playing like this. Because when we’re playing like this, we are hard to beat.”

Having dealt Olympiacos [a 91-89 defeat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-overcomes-early-deficit-to-overcome-olympiacos-91-89/) back in Round 4, Efes has now set sights on building a winning streak after sending a fresh message with an offensive masterclass against Milan on Thursday evening.

It marked the fifth time a team ever had nine players with double-digit PIRs 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-01-23T17:30:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul snapped its five-game losing streak by crushing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 110-66 in Round 23 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on Wednesday evening at the Basketball Development Center

Coach Banchi celebrates first win as Efes thrashes Milan, 110-66

Anadolu Efes Istanbul snapped its five-game losing streak by crushing EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 110-66 on Wednesday evening at the Basketball Development Center. Head coach Luca Banchi celebrated his first victory as Efes boss in style, with the hosts cruising past an undermanned Milan missing Nikola Mirotic, Josh Nebo, Ousmane Diop and Fabien Causeur. Having matched its scoring record in a non-overtime game, Efes improved its record to 11-12. Meanwhile, Milan suffered its largest defeat in competition history in dropping to 12-11.

Rodrigue Beaubois led all scorers with 18 points, Jordan Nwora netted 15 and Rolands Smits had 13, with Elijah Bryant and Ercan Osmani scoring 12 apiece. Shane Larkin chipped in with 11 points and Dan Oturu added 10. For Milan, Armoni Brooks bagged 13 points and Zach LeDay scored 10 in a losing effort.

Osmani and Vincent Poirier got the hosts going from inside before 5 points from Larkin and another bucket by the Efes center gave them an 11-3 lead. Leandro Bolmaro and Elijah Bryant traded baskets, but Beaubois netted 5 points off the bench, stretching Efes’s lead to 18-7.  Nwora and Beaubois drained back-to-back triples for a 24-9 cushion after 10 minutes.

Efes pulled away in the opening stages of the second quarter thanks to a 7-2 run inspired by P.J. Dozier. Brooks responded from downtown before a layup from Niccolo Mannion slightly cut the difference, 34-16. But Beaubois and Shavon Shields exchanged threes, with 4 points from Oturu maintaining a 41-21 cushion for the hosts. Larkin, Darius Thompson and Osmani nailed three straight triples before a bucket from Dozier made it 56-31 at halftime.

Poirier and Osmani opened the third with powerful slams before triples from the latter and Larkin opened a 68-37 lead. Milan looked helpless, with Efes firing on all cylinders from beyond the arc to go on a 16-2 run. Brooks and Giampaolo Ricci responded with back-to-back triples on the other end, but Efes took an 87-48 cushion into the closing quarter.

Efes looked unwilling to take its foot off the gas, as 4 points from Nwora and an Oturu slam gave them a 95-53 lead. Bolmaro drilled one from deep before a floater from Neno Dimitrijevic cut the deficit to 95-60. But Smits and Beaubois hit a triple each to end Milan’s momentum, making sure that Efes would hold off any potential comeback attempt by the visitors.

The Turkish side managed to snap a five-game losing streak with a dominant home victory

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 22 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: 'Paris is a unique team'

## Friday, January 24

### [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. FC Barcelona (20:00 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-fc-barcelona/E2024/205/)

**Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach**

"The team is feeling well. After a month in which we barely couldn't have a day off, we were able to stop and I think that it was good for the players. But the competition doesn't stop: it looks like it is a week to rest but we have two road games, and we have to focus on the most recent one, which is the one tomorrow against ASVEL. It is a team that already showed at Palau \[Blaugrana\] that they are really talented, with important players able to play one-on-one, with very good athletes. It is a team that if it plays like it should, it can put anybody in trouble. Theo Maledon is a player that months ago, all good teams in Europe asked about him. But they have other players, someone as experienced as Nando De Colo, who gives them a lot of balance, Paris Lee, Roberson... It is talented team and like other French squads, they like to play on the open court, with quick transitions and a lot of players going one-on-one. It is something we have to stop as a team, not individually."

**Youssoupha Fall, FC Barcelona center**

"We prepared well for the game. We are all positive, we're in good shape, and we're ready to go. We turned our bad form around and are now in a good moment. I think my role is to be ready every time, to be available for my team, even if I don't play: to help my team win, no matter watch. I think it will be a tough game. ASVEL played good last time. We have to stay concentrated and be ready for a new battle."

### [ALBA Berlin vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:00 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/alba-berlin-fc-bayern-munich/E2024/204/)

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

"I'm looking less at the big win we had against them here in the EuroLeague (115:88) and more at the last game we lost there (81:88 in the BBL). ALBA is coming, they're healthy again and have new players. They're a good basketball team, you can't let the standings fool you. But this is an answer game for us. Okay, we're playing against ALBA, this duel has become a great tradition. But what's more important to me is that we play good basketball again, more stable. Even if we have a bad offensive game, like against Virtus, we should be able to win. We can't win every time and score 90 points. We also have to toil sometimes and still be successful."

**Nick Weiler-Babb, FC Bayern Munich guard**

"We played great, nothing went wrong in the first half. But then the game slowly slipped away from us \[in the German League game against ALBA two weeks ago\]. We need to take this seriously and not mess it up. If we are ahead, we have to hold on to that lead, and if we are behind, we need to fight. Despite their many problems, they always had good moments during the season and even won unexpectedly at times. It's always tricky against them because they always play better against us. We cannot take this game lightly. This is different from a \[German League\] game, it's a very important game. Because we want to remain in a position to make the play-in or playoffs in the EuroLeague."

### [Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:15 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/olympiacos-piraeus-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2024/206/)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"We will not approach the game thinking that it is a game for the first place. That’s against our philosophy. It’s just the upcoming game for us, nothing more. Of course, we want the first place and the home-court advantage; there is no doubt about it. But, it’s too soon to talk about it. As we all know, every game in the EuroLeague matters, and the game against Fenerbahçe is not the one that will decide first place. We are coming from a winning streak in the EuroLeague. Generally, we played well the last two months, but this game is going to be different and tough. They defend well on the ball; they have a set game on defense and offense because of their coach philosophy. For us, it is important to control the pace, run a lot, and move the ball well. Since our game in the first \[part of the regular season\], many things have changed on both teams. There are many differences on the rosters as well. Both teams have improved their game, and the proof for that is where they are in the standings."

**Moustapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus center**

"We expect a tough game, as every game in the Euroleague. They will play tough, but we will do the same because we want to keep the first position in the standings. All we have to do in order to get one more win is to stay focused and follow our game plan."

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

"We are playing against a team that is the best in Europe and the team that always finds a way to win in a very difficult arena. We must worry first of all about their team concepts, and a team game specially, the ball movement, and then have to deal with some great players who are in very good shape like Vezenkov and Fournier."

**Errick McCollum, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul guard**

"We are preparing for Olympiacos. We know that they are a strong team. They have been in first place. Majority of the year they’ve had a lot of success, a lot of continuity, a lot of the same guys, same coach so our hands will be full. So, we have to prepare for them, the coach will put the game plan in and we have to follow. We must play strong, tough and smart especially on an away game atmosphere like Olympiacos."

## Thursday, January 23

### [Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (18:30 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/anadolu-efes-istanbul-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2024/199/)

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

"It's another opportunity in the EuroLeague schedule to show our desire to win a game and we can change the inertia of our actual moment. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is a playoff team which will come to Istanbul with a strong motivation. I know them as a very proud team and they know how important this game is for both teams. So from our side, I really hope that we use experience from the last games and we approach this game with proper focus, determination and play basketball that can make us compete. Because this is a league where every single possession matters. And we really want to show a different attitude and a different level of performance."

**Ercan Osmani, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward**

"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get the results we wanted recently. We want to start a new winning streak and climb up in the standings. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is a team that has been on the rise recently. We need to show our team play, concentrate very well in 40 minutes and never give up the fight."

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

"\[Thursday\] morning we'll make a decision about \[Leandro\] Bolmaro and \[Zach\] LeDay, who came out hurt from the last \[Italian League\] game. However, we intend to play with cohesion and keep improving at every possible turn. Efes has the talent level of a Final Four team, so we know how hard this game is going to be."

### [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:05 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2024/203/)

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

"For us it is our defensive intensity, to keep our focus and finish the job controlling the board. That is something when you play Crvena Zvezda. Also, to attack the right way. They really put a lot of pressure, we need to reduce turnovers. These are the two main keys."

**Levi Randolph, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward**

"We understand what’s ahead of us, we have a difficult schedule, but there are no excuses. I really feel that it just takes one win to get the ball rolling, get some momentum, gain some confidence we show in spurts. We got to continue to get better."

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

"If we think that the opponent is easy just because the opponent has only five wins - we will be very naive. Maccabi is a very good team and I believe that their position in the table is not realistic. It is very important for us to play good defense.  They are great on offense, they have a quality flow of the ball. They know how to play together, defenders and tall players. They have a great cooperation with each other and we have to stop that cooperation with good defense."

**Luka Mitrovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward**

"It is rarely easy in the EuroLeague. We don't expect anything else against Maccabi either. Maybe the position says otherwise, but we enter the match very cautiously. We are ready, above all mentally, to play a good game and, God willing, achieve an important victory. At the end of the day, it all depends on us and our release. It proved that even 20,000 fans in the Arena are not enough if we are not good enough. On the other hand, we proved that when we are at a high level, there is no away field where we cannot win."

### [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:15 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-zalgiris-kaunas/E2024/200/)

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

"Now we'll forget about the Greek League derby \[which we won\] against Olympiacos. In the EuroLeague, we lost two games last week in Spain, so now we will have more games on our home court. The first is against Zalgiris, a very important game because we lost in Kaunas with a huge points difference. They have very experienced players, especially perimeter players: \[Sylvain\] Francisco, \[Lonnie\] Walker, \[Ignas\] Brazdeikis, \[Dovydas\] Giedraitis. On their bigs, Smailagic played a great game against Fenerbahce in Istanbul. Okay, we are missing some important players, but we have a very good roster and we can manage the game with this roster, maybe with some short rotations at the '5' and the '4'. It will be important to play aggressive defense, like we played two days ago in the derby game."

**Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard**

"When we play with good energy, it raises our chances of winning. We had a good day of practice, had a good week. The guys will be ready \[against Zalgiris\]. Everybody needs to step up and bring a little more than they have \[given the injury situation\], including me. We're in the back end of the season now and it's important to give ourselves the best seed possible for the playoffs. We will do that, we know that, we're conscious of that, and I'm still confident of that and our chances to win."

**Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach**

"What to say when you go to play in OAKA against the reigning champion of the EuroLeague? That they are good, we all know. That they are super good, we all know that. They have a lot of talent and they are playing for the repeat, and we should prepare very well physically and mentally. We need to be very aware that we have to play our best game in order to compete. I prevent you from asking me how to stop this player, how to stop that player, because they really have tons of talent: \[Kendrick\] Nunn, \[Kostas\] Sloukas, Lorenzo Brown, Cedi Osman, \[Jerian\] Grant is playing an amazing season. They are a team that I believe will go small ball, and that's something we have to expect. But I don't believe you can have a recipe to stop players with such amounts of talent, so you need to play a really compete game offensively, defensively, and really try to put all the energy you have on both ends of the court."

### [Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/virtus-segafredo-bologna-as-monaco/E2024/201/)

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

"We are facing Monaco, a team that I believe has been built to play at the Final Four. They can count on excellent players and a lot of solutions both in 1vs1 against one with Mike James, \[Elie\] Okobo and \[Jordan\] Loyd, and around the basket with \[Donatas\] Motiejunas, they are a really complete team."

**Marco Belinelli, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard**

"For sure, we have another tough game ahead of us from a physical and mental standpoint. We face a team that comes from three consecutive losses and will want to approach this game from the start aggressively, both on offense and defense, trying to steal balls and find easy baskets. They have great individuality and on our part we will have to take the court in the right way, as we are doing in this last period. It will be necessary to find solutions on offense by playing as a team, without conceding balls in the opponent’s half of the court."

**Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach**

"It's a very, very important game for us. In previous seasons, you had to win around 21 games to get into the playoffs, this year it may be 19 given how close it is, but all these games are ones we have to go out and win. We've got our destiny in our hands, and we've got to be perfectly ready to face this Virtus team in front of their home crowd."

**Mam Jaiteh, AS Monaco center**

"We certainly have to react. It's part of a EuroLeague season to have moments that are very high and others that are a little lower. We have to make sure that this period is as short as possible. To do that, we need to get back to our standards. Get back to what's worked so far, and if we fight for that, we've got a good chance of winning again. Bologna? They're a team I know most of the players in. They've had a difficult start to the season, but you can tell that under the new coach, they're playing better and fighting harder. Their ranking is not representative of what they're doing at the moment. It's going to be very difficult, but we're going to do everything we can to come away with the success we're hoping for."

### [Real Madrid vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:45 CET)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/real-madrid-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2024/202/)

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"Baskonia is in very good rhythm and is clearly on the rise. That is why I hope that we pay all our attention and do not think that just because we won in Vitoria on January 6, we are going to win \[this\] game without putting in all our effort. Baskonia has players who are clearly improving: Moneke, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Samanic. The two point guards are playing together on many occasions at a good level and, of course, there is Howard, apart from the rest. I am not going to discover anything by saying that Baskonia is capable of scoring a lot and that has many weapons, especially offensive, which makes it dangerous. I think it can beat anyone and that requires all of our attention."

**Usman Garuba, Real Madrid center**

"Every game is important. We have to continue fighting for our objective, which is to continue moving forward in a competition like the Euroleague in which everything is very even. We have played against Baskonia several times this season, we know them well and we know what they are capable of, so we have to be ready and prepared to face a tough and difficult match. Now we are running well and doing damage on the fast break. We have to continue down that path and play with great intensity. We are happy to play at home and we will try to become stronger at the Movistar Arena."

## Wednesday, January 22

### [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-paris-basketball/E2024/207/)

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

"Paris is one of the teams we lost to in a close finish, even though we had many positive moments in that game. Paris is a unique team that frequently rotates players, and it’s unusual to see players getting up from the bench on their own, knowing substitutions are coming. They play at a very high tempo, take an enormous number of three-point shots, and shoot with impressive accuracy while always crashing the offensive glass. After conceding a basket, they immediately transition into pick-and-roll action. If the first pick doesn’t work, they keep repeating it. We’ve prepared for that, and I expect us to deliver an even better performance than we did in Paris and to continue playing defense the way we did in our last game."

**Arijan Lakic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard**

"After two away games in a double round, we’re now looking forward to playing at home, and I believe we’re ready. Paris plays at a fast pace, and we know we need to slow them down. Even when they concede points, they quickly inbound the ball and transition into offense. We have to be prepared for that and stay focused on every possession."

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 23 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: 'Every game in the EuroLeague matters'

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Paris Basketball (2025-01-22T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-01-24T19:15:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v FC Barcelona (2025-01-24T19:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v FC Bayern Munich (2025-01-24T19:00:00.000Z)

KK Partizan has gone 10-3 since beating KK Crvena zvezda in the last Belgrade derby... and the two teams go head to head again next week.

Partizan warmed up for Belgrade derby by racking up another win

Ten rounds into the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, fans of [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) must have been in disbelief. Their team not only had a 2-8 record but was 1-4 at home, and up next was the derby against archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Even though there were many doubts surrounding [Zeljko Obradovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/obradovic-zeljko/)’s players, basically all of whom had only joined the club this past summer, they stood up to be counted in the derby and secured a 77-89 win – a victory as the road team, but on their home court at Belgrade Arena.

Since that derby win, Partizan has won six of its last seven home games, including [Wednesday night’s 92-86 triumph over Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/isaac-bonga-stars-as-partizan-outguns-paris-92-86/), and gone 10-3 overall. Were it not for two MVP-level performances by Theo Maledon and Joffrey Lauvergne for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 16, Partizan could quite easily be riding a seven-game winning streak at home.

Partizan has won its last three contests at Belgrade Arena and is on a three-game winning streak overall following a perfect double round last week that saw the Serbian side beat ASVEL and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on the road by a combined 51 points. Yes, 51 points.

The margin of victory against Paris was *just* six points, but it was equally as important as the side from the French capital had defeated Partizan by three points (74-71) back in Round 8. As such, Coach Obradovic’s troops hold the tiebreaker advantage, something that could be crucial in 11 rounds’ time.

“It was a tough start, we knew they were going to play really fast," forward Isaac Bonga told EuroLeague TV after the Paris win. "We just adapted to it. Coach basically told us: ‘Every game we have in the future, we should treat it like a final.’ We treated today like a final and we came out with the win in the end.”

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade forward Isaac Bonga spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Paris Basketball in Round 23 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Isaac Bonga: 'We treated today like a final'

Partizan remains outside the postseason spots despite its Round 23 win, sitting in 11th place with a 12-11 record, but the standings are so tight that it wouldn’t take much to surge upwards. Either way, the mood is good inside the camp.

“We went out there and did what we wanted to do, which was get a win,” star guard [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) said on EuroLeague TV on Wednesday night. “\[Paris is\] a good team, a fast-paced team, a hard-fought team, but we’re a tough team, too. We play fast, we defend. The fans were great tonight. Man, it was an incredible win for us.”

Importantly, several of the team’s players are now fully on the same page, with Carlik Jones and [Sterling Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sterling-brown/012720/) offering a thrilling 1-2 punch, and [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) bringing a level of energy not seen since [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) donned Partizan’s colors.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">AAAAAA🖤🤍🖤🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/oMjEI9lcUF">pic.twitter.com/oMjEI9lcUF</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1882178908105416920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Which game is up next for Partizan, I hear you ask? A contest against the opponent that helped kickstart Partizan’s season back in Round 11 – Crvena Zvezda.

Curiously, Ioannis Sfairopoulos’s men have posted an 8-3 record since tasting defeat to Partizan in the previous Belgrade derby, so both teams come into this game feeling very good about themselves. Everything is pointing towards a very memorable occasion, and one that could have a big impact on the postseason picture.

The black-and-white half of Belgrade celebrated an important victory over Paris in Round 23