AS Monaco's young guard Matthew Strazel had another big performance - and earned the praise of head coach Vassilis Spanoulis – after defeating Virtus Segafredo Bologna 80-86 in Round 23 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Coach Spanoulis pleased with Matthew Strazel's improvements 

[AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25) was missing two of its top scorers for its important showdown with [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/roster/vir/?season=2024-25). Luckily, the club’s young guard [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) had another big performance - and earned the praise of head coach Vassilis Spanoulis.

Monaco came up with a strong game in taking [an 80-86 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-rallies-from-21-points-down-defeats-virtus-80-86/) over in-form Virtus to snap a three-game losing streak despite not having the services of [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) and [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/).

While [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) scored a season-high 24 points, Strazel chipped in 14 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in more than 32 minutes on the court. The 22-year-old biggest’s score was a clutch three-point play to give Monaco a 74-78 lead with 1:51 minutes left in the game.

Matt Strazel came up big against Virtus

“Matthew is playing really, really high level basketball. I talk with him a lot and the most important thing is to have great mentality, attitude and work hard every day and listen. Young generations have to listen. Matthew is listening, he’s competing hard, he’s practicing. And I am very happy about him and how he is helping the team get wins,” Spanoulis said of Strazel, who is spending his third season with Monaco after coming over from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in 2022.

“He has to keep going. He is very young. He has a lot of room for improvement. But I am very very proud of him and the way he takes information and the way he is improving and getting more mature in his game.”

Strazel’s performance was needed against Virtus as Monaco was playing without Okobo and Loyd. Okoko is averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 assists and Loyd has tallied 10.2 points and 2.2 assists this season.

Game Videos

“We had two people out tonight - Jordan and Elie - and that was big, stepping up and winning on the road without two of our bigger players. I am just really happy we could get a road win, especially after last week,” said James, referring to Monaco losing both games from the double-rounder.

Strazel has stepped up in the last two months. In his last five EuroLeague games, the Frenchman is averaging 14.2 points for a season average of 8.5 points. This was the first game since Round 15 that he didn’t make at least 1 three-pointer and he is shooting 44.9% percent from long range on the season.

Strazel came into the season after a great 2024 summer in which he helped the French national team win silver at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Despite being only 22 years old, Strazel already has appeared in 131 EuroLeague games, playing in 16 games in his rookie season in 2019-20 for ASVEL.

So, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that Strazel is there to step up when Monaco is missing something.

Game News

Monaco’s young guard has stepped up over the last two months

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

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 23 game between Real Madrid and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz had a little bit of everything and then some as Los Blancos won 90-89 on Mario Hezonja's last-second three-pointer


Mario Hezonja decided an instant classic 

It was one of the games of the season. [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) and [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/roster/bas/?season=2024-25) offered Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans a wild back-and-forth battle that literally came down to the final seconds. The game saw 17 lead changes and [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) had the final word, making one of those shots that will be forever remembered by Real fans.

The game had been very close for almost 35 minutes. Real used a 7-0 run that [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) capped with a layup to get a 71-67 lead. Baskonia bounced back in style, as [Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) took over with a huge alley-oop slam and [Luka Samanic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luka-samanic/007579/) did what only the chosen ones do in this competition: posterize [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/). [Trent Forrest](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trent-forrest/013367/) soon gave the visitors a 74-75 edge but it didn't last long. Hezonja, Campazzo and [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) combined for all the points a 10-0 run that put Real on the right track to win the game, 84-75.

Chima Moneke, Donta Hall and Luka Samanic of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz all dunked in traffic against Real Madrid.

Baskonia's outstanding dunks

Baskonia had other ideas, as Forrest and [Nikos Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/) ignited a 0-13 run highlighted by [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/)'s four-point play. When Samanic made free throws with 1:09 left, Baskonia led 84-88 and Real needed answers on offense. Hezonja buried a big three-pointer and Real fouled [Kamar Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kamar-baldwin/012597/) with 18.7 seconds remaining. Baldwin, an 87.0% free throw shooter before this game, missed both attempts. Samanic grabbed the rebounds and split his attempts for a 87-89 score with 17.1 seconds left.

Real had the stroke of luck it needed with those 3 missed free throws and had a chance to win the game after a timeout. Campazzo almost turned the ball over but Tavares grabbed the loose ball and found Hezonja. He had time to dribble once, see Moneke fly past him and take an open shot. Nothing but net. Hezonja had won the game with 0.2 seconds left. His celebration, raising both hands to the crowd, pointing to the court and bumping Real's logo on his jersey, is already one of the most iconic moments of the season.

Real Madrid edged Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 90-89 on a game-winning three-pointer by Mario Hezonja with 0.2 seconds left.

Hezonja's game-winning shot

After the game, Hezonja said that he felt his game-winner allowed him to bounce back from what he thought it was a slow game despite his good numbers: 22 points, 5 rebounds and a chase-down block.

"The ball was bouncing over my head. I never had a good position for a single rebound, they had some multiple possessions," Hezonja said. "That's how it felt for the entire game. So terrible game for me, terrible game for the team. Okay, we won, this is always nice, to give the show for our fans. This is what they pay to come to see, but if we want to get as far as we want to this year, we really have to clean these errors now because everything started to be so, so important and we need to go up in in the standings."

So far, Hezonja saved this one at the buzzer and Real is now one win away from third-place AS Monaco, its Round 24 opponent next week.

The game between Real Madrid and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz had a little bit of everthing, and then some 


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

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv earned a morale-boosting 85-73 win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade after an inspired performance in the Serbian capital’s Aleksandar Nikolic Hall

Maccabi trampled Crvena Zvezda behind an aggressive approach.

[Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2024-25) earned a morale-boosting [85-73 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sharpshooting-maccabi-rolls-over-crvena-zvezda-85-73/) over [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/?season=2024-25) after an inspired performance in the Serbian capital’s Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, giving its fans something to cheer about in an otherwise difficult season.

Having been forced to move its home fixtures from Israel for a second successive season, Maccabi silenced a predominantly Zvezda crowd in the gym and improved to 6-17, while the Serbian side slipped to 13-10 and now faces a tight battle to reach the playoffs.

Maccabi was buzzing from both inside and outside, shooting 12 of 23 from deep and 19 of 29 inside the three-point arc while forcing Zvezda to take a barrage of tough shots from all over.

The visiting team made a mere 19 of 41 from inside and 7 of 23 from downtown, a testament to Maccabi’s ironclad defense that knocked the Serbian side off its stride from the start.

Zvezda’s clutch player [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/), in devastating form recently, was limited to just 2 points – both of them from the foul line as he shot 0 of 6 from the floor with his markers hustling him all over the perimeter.

At the other end, player of the game [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) scored 14 as he sank 4 of 5 from deep and managed 6 boards too, while [John DiBartolomeo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/john-dibartolomeo/007990/) netted a team-high 15 on 5 of 7 shooting from deep.

Finally, [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) racked up 13 points to go with 2 assists and 4 steals as Maccabi dictated the pace throughout, with Blatt and head coach Oded Kattash underscoring just how much the win meant to the Israeli champs.

“We really needed it and we played great on both ends, most of all defensively,” Blatt said in his postgame comments. “Every game matters so we just have to keep fighting and build on this, trying to get as many wins as we can,” the playmaker added.

Kattash acknowledged that his team was hungry to snap its poor run in Europe’s premier club competition. “We headed into the game with the right energy and the right attitude, having won the battle of the boards and most of the 50-50 balls,” he said.

"We had a good week of practice and we played the right way at both ends of the court. We needed this one for our confidence, our fans and our people, as it hasn’t been easy for us this season. We came out aggressive and ready to play, so I think we deserved to win.”

The loss comes at a bad time for Zvezda ahead of what is certain to be rip-roaring Serbian derby at archrival Partizan Mozzartbet Belgrade next week, with head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos conceding that his men lacked focus and energy.

“In the third quarter we closed the gap from 15 points to 8 but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to knock Maccabi off their rhythm,” the Greek tactician told reporters at the postgame press conference.

“Tonight we weren’t aggressive and we need to change that. We were nervous and we didn’t take the right decisions because we were always one step behind and lacked concentration.”

The home team dominated at both ends of the court as it mixed impressive shooting with strong defense

Maccabi trampled Crvena Zvezda behind an aggressive approach

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

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.

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. 

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 

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

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 

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)