Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz used a 0-10 run to close the first quarter and never looked back en route to an 85-95 victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on Tuesday night at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade. 

Howard propels Baskonia to road victory, 85-95, over Maccabi 

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz used a 0-10 run to close the first quarter and never looked back en route to an 85-95 victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on Tuesday night at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade. The winners outrebounded Maccabi 25-40 and shot 12 for 26 from downtown (46.2%) in two of the keys to the victory that lifted Baskonia’s record to 7-9, while dropping Maccabi to 4-12. 

Markus Howard led the way with 28 points on 6-of-9 three-point shooting and Chima Moneke tallied 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists to lead Baskonia. Tadas Sedekerskis posted 12 points and 9 rebounds, Nikos Rogkavopoulos added 11 and 7 and Donta Hall scored 10 for the winners. Rokas Jokubaitis paced Maccabi with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, Roman Sorkin also scored 22, Tamir Blatt amassed 14 points and 7 assists and Jaylen Hoard scored 14, too.

Game Videos

Little separated the teams in the early going with Hoard and Moneke leading their respective sides. Blatt stepped up with back-to-back three-pointers to give Maccabi a 15-10 lead. Wenyen Gabriel had to leave the game early to receive stitches on a cut on his hand and would not return. Hall came alive with 5 quick points for Baskonia to even things. Sorkin made an impact off the bench for Maccabi though Howard’s hot shooting kept the teams square, 21-21. A triple by Kamar Baldwin nudged Baskonia in front and then Rogkavopoulos heated up. Howard drained a triple to cap a 0-10 Baskonia run to lead 23-34 after 10 minutes.

More threes by Rogkavopoulos and Howard extended the margin to 15 points just 90 seconds into the second quarter. Sedekerskis joined the three-point shootout to make it 27-43. Baskonia had made 8 of 10 three-pointers to this point, while Maccabi was 2 of 8 from behind the arc. Led by Jokubaitis and Sorkin, Maccabi chipped away at the deficit, but Sedekerskis and co. remained comfortably ahead. Blatt narrowed the gap to 10, but Baskonia pulled away again as Sander Raiste connected from deep. A free throw by Sorkin made it 43-57 at the break.

Game News

Jokubaitis shined early in the second half with a layup and an assist to Hoard for a slam, but Baskonia seemed to have an answer for nearly every basket. After Sedekerskis made an uncontested fastbreak dunk for a 50-65 lead, Sorkin helped Maccabi to a 6-0 spurt, which resulted in a Baskonia timeout. The visitors quickly regrouped behind Moneke and Howard and stretched the lead to 17 on a Sedekerskis free throw. Marial Shayok made it 60-75 at the end of the quarter.

A triple by Blatt to start the fourth quarter was not a sign of things to come for Maccabi. Howard and Moneke kept Baskonia cruising. Khalifa Diop threw down a monster fastbreak slam and Howard’s sixth three-pointer took the lead to a game-high 19 points. A late flurry of points from Jokubaitis got Maccabi within 10 in the penultimate minute of the game, but that was as close as it would get as Baskonia preserved the victory.

Baskonia dominated the glass and shot well from deep to win in Belgrade 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-12-17T19:05:00.000Z)

Anthony Randolph recently announced his retirement, and he sat down with Cesare Milanti to reflect on his time at Real Madrid and Lokomotiv Kuban in the EuroLeague, as well as his experiences with the Slovenian national team.

Anthony Randolph: Dealing winning pressure with Real Madrid, Slovenia as ‘second home’

Everything changed for [Anthony Randolph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/anthony-randolph/005757/) when the 2021-22 season was coming towards its conclusion. Since coming to [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/), the Spanish League Finals against [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) had become a tradition, having played them twice already, in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 editions.

Game 1 was a good occasion to put the head in front against the Catalans and at the same time face a significant challenge against a superstar-caliber player like [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/). While confronting Barcelona's go-to guy, he twisted his knee. The Palau Blaugrana crowd showed lots of class by giving him an ovation as he hobbled off the court.

Tearing his ACL at almost 32 years of age meant cutting off a vast part of the journey toward his sunset basketball boulevard. Especially considering he was coming off a long-awaited recovery after injuring his Achilles heel in December 2020 against [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/). Back-to-back cruel setbacks.

"It knocked me off of my pedestal,” he told Eurohoops' Cesare Milanti after officially announcing his retirement from basketball. "I felt like I still had a lot left in the tank.

"I went from being a guy who could go out there and do whatever popped into his head without any problem, for the most part, all the way to seeing the plays happening but my body not reacting the way I wanted to react.” But basketball rewarded his resilience.

Only a few months after returning from his second consecutive tragic injury, he won the second EuroLeague title of his career, putting the cherry on top of his sixth-ever EuroLeague Final Four – only [Kyle Hines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-hines/002812/), [J.R. Holden](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jr-holden/aqo/), and [Derrick Sharp](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/derrick-sharp/aou/) have more Final Four appearances as Americans.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1757320/anthony-randolph-real-madrid-lokomotiv-kuban-slovenia-euroleague-eurobasket-2017-retirement-career-interview/).

Tormented by injuries, the 35-year-old forward announced his retirement following a successful career

Euroleague Basketball has modified the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague awards structure to give more value to the regular season, as well as introducing a specific MVP for the Playoffs and Play-in Showdown.

Euroleague Basketball adjusts its EuroLeague awards structure

Euroleague Basketball has modified the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague awards structure to give more value to the regular season, as well as introducing a specific MVP for the Playoffs and Play-in Showdown.

Starting in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season, most of the awards will be handed out after the end of the Regular Season, which differs to previous seasons when the Playoffs and Play-in Showdown were also counted for most awards. As such, the trophies for the EuroLeague Best Defender, Alphonso Ford Top Scorer, Alexander Gomelskiy EuroLeague Coach of the Year and EuroLeague Rising Star will be awarded at the end of the Regular Season. The Alphonso Ford Trophy is solely based on statistics, awarding the player with the best scoring average in the competition with a minimum of 60% games played (21 games). Head coaches choose the Coach of the Year, Rising Star and Best Defender awards.

The 2024-25 All-EuroLeague First Team, 2024-25 All-EuroLeague Second Team and 2024-25 EuroLeague MVP will also be chosen at the end of the Regular Season for the first time in 20 years. Just like before, fans, media, head coaches and team captains will choose these awards. The votes from the head coaches and team captains each amount to 35% of the total, while media votes count for 20% and the fans’ total is 10%.

A new award has been introduced: the EuroLeague Play-in Showdown and Playoffs MVP. The winner is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performance during the play-in and playoffs.

From now on, only regular season games will be considered for the MVP of the Month award. In the 2024-25 season, since there will only be two games in April, a joint March and April MVP award will be awarded.

All the other awards remain unchanged. The MVP of the Round is awarded to the player with the highest PIR (performance index rating) among those players whose teams were victorious in that round. As always, the media covering the Final Four at the arena will choose the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four MVP.

Ziga Samar is the latest EuroLeague player to join the EuroLeague Fantasy Podcast alongside co-hosts Frankie Sachs and Vasiliki Karamouza.

Ziga Samar joins the EuroLeague Fantasy Podcast!

The latest Turkish Airlines EuroLeague star to join the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/ber/) guard [Ziga Samar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ziga-samar/007550/), who is a big fan of the game. With Javier Gancedo not available this week, [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)'s Frankie Sachs and Sport 24's Vasiliki Karamouza take on the co-hosting duties as they discuss a number of fantasy topics with Samar.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares some tips for the week ahead

EuroLeague Fantasy Tips for Rounds 16-17: A pivotal moment

Here comes another double-round week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. At the end of it, we will have reached the regular season's halfway mark. It is an important moment for the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, as everybody will have played every opponent. There are plenty of good opportunities for fantasy managers out there and as always, I have some ideas for Rounds 16 and 17. Here are my recommendations for this double-round week.

[Will Clyburn, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (14.9 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/)

Clyburn is clearly on the rise and has quickly adjusted to Coach Ivanovic's demands, winning the game in Vitoria-Gasteiz with a wild four-point play. Over the last four games, Clyburn has been at his best level, averaging 22.5 points and 6.5 rebounds for a PIR of 26.5. Simply unstoppable!

[Tyrique Jones, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (12.7 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/)

Partizan fans love Tyrique Jones due to his high intensity, outstanding numbers and great connection with Carlik Jones. Over the last three games, Jones has averaged 15.7 points on 16-of-20 two-point shooting and 8.7 rebounds for a PIR of 24.0. Partizan plays at home and Jones feeds off the crowd's energy!

Mbaye Ndiaye, Tyrique Jones, Tamir Blatt, TJ Shorts and Will Clyburn are featured in this week's article.

EuroLeague Fantasy tips: Rounds 16-17

[Mbaye Ndiaye, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (7.7 credits) ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mbaye-ndiaye/012731/)

ASVEL needed a X-factor to beat Paris and Ndiaye had an incredible performance, getting 19 points and 6 rebounds for a PIR of 25. He has been playing well all season but has had a PIR of 15 or higher in three of his last five games. At just 7.7 credits, Ndiaye could be the surprise player you need in your fantasy team.

[Tamir Blatt, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (9.2 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/)

Blatt has left his injury behind and is playing at a high level, passing the ball like never before. In Round 15, Blatt had 10 assists and 2 turnovers. He leads the EuroLeague in assists (8.8 apg.) and has averaged a PIR of 18.5 in the last two games. Blatt is a great option for less than 10 credits. 

[TJ Shorts, Paris Basketball (18.2 credits)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/)

Shorts has been unstoppable all season and plays two games at home this week. He is the ultimate competitor and surely wants to play well against Real and Fenerbahce, two of the biggest names in the competition. Shorts rarely has bad games, which gives him a great fantasy value. My superstar of choice!

The final double round week of 2024 tips off on Tuesday, with Round 16 delivering another thrilling set of games, including an iconic coach returning to face his former club. Here’s your full guide to the action.

At a glance: Saras returns to Barcelona and a red-hot Milan takes on the champ

The final double round week of 2024 tips off on Tuesday, with Round 16 delivering another thrilling set of games, including an iconic coach returning to face his former club. Here’s your full guide to the action.

## Tuesday, December 17

### AS Monaco vs. FC Bayern Munich (19:00 CET)

A pair of high-fliers full of confidence and currently tied for second place go head to head as Monaco (10-5) hosts Bayern (10-5). An exciting duel between two of the competition’s hottest guards will see [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) (13.8 points and 5.8 assists per game) take on [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) (20.7 points per night, first in the league), both of whom played vital roles in their teams’ respective wins last week over Fenerbahce and Maccabi. Another key figure in the backcourt is Bayern’s [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/), who leads the league in steals (1.6 per game, including 4 last week against Maccabi) and will try to disrupt the home team’s rhythm. In the paint, [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/) will power Bayern (16.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game), but Monaco is bolstered by the return of [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/) from injury.

Round 16 Head-to-Head: James vs. Edwards

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:05 CET)

Two struggling teams looking to get back on track will collide, with Maccabi (4-11) welcoming Baskonia (6-9). The hosts, on a three-game losing streak, have EuroLeague rookie [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) in great form with an average of 19.2 points over the last six games, but they need to fix a leaky defense which has allowed 88.1 points per game – second-most in the competition. Baskonia has dropped two straight and needs to recover mentally from the blow of last week’s last-second home loss to Virtus. A bright spot from that game was 19 points from Greek sharpshooter [Niko Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/), who is shooting at 45.1% from three-point range this season and has multiple triples in the last four games.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:15 CET)

Reigning champ Panathinaikos (8-7) needs to bounce back from last week’s 26-point thrashing at Efes with a visit from the hottest team in the competition, Milan (9-6). The Greens have lost four of the last five, but will be pleased to welcome back leading scorer [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) after a one-game ban. Milan has won six games in a row, most recently underlining its title credentials by cruising past Barcelona on the road behind 33 points from last week’s MVP, [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/). Panathinaikos needs a big improvement defensively after allowing at least 89 points in the last four games, while the Italian team is firing on all cylinders offensively with 90+ points in five consecutive games. The question of whether Ergin Ataman’s defense can slow down Ettore Messina’s smoothly functioning machine could well decide the outcome.

Round 16 Head-to-Head: Grant vs. Causeur

### FC Barcelona vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:30 CET)

Two powerhouses who are struggling for form go head to head as Barcelona (8-7) welcome former coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and his Fenerbahce (10-5) side. Barca has lost five of the last six due to a dodgy defense which has allowed at least 90 points in each of those losses, while the Turkish team has dropped three of the last four with an injury-plagued backcourt failing to fuel offensive efficiency. Fener can at least rely upon former Barca star [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/), who scored 28 points in last week’s embarrassing mauling by Monaco but only converted 1-of-9 three-point attempts. The home team will try to answer his threat through [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/), who is also looking for a return to form from deep after only making 4 of his last 24 attempts from three-point range.

Round 16 Head-to-Head: Satoransky-Baldwin

### Paris Basketball vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CET)

After seeing its 10-game winning run ended by the French derby loss at ASVEL, league leader Paris (11-4) will aim to start another run against a Real (6-9) way below its best form. The Spanish giant has lost three straight with an uncharacteristically inconsistent offense, partly due to a league-low 9.1 offensive rebounds per night. Two undersized but explosive guards will deliver a spectacle, with [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) (19.3 points and 7.9 assists per game, both second in the league) confronting [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) (12.9 points and 7.7 assists, third in the league). Real will look to league-leading rebounder (8.1 rpg) and shot-blocker [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) (1.5 bpg) to control the paint, but [Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/) (7.1 points and 4.7 boards per night) is among a group of Paris big men fighting hard for another home win.

Round 16 Head-to-Head: Shorts-Campazzo

### ALBA Berlin vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:45 CET)

Playoff-chasing Zalgiris (9-6) will look to make it three wins straight with a trip to lowly ALBA (3-12). It’s a meeting between the league worst and best defense, with ALBA allowing 91.9 points per game while the visitor has restricted opponents to just 75.4 points. Zalgiris will attempt to exploit that home weakness by delivering the same kind of offensive fluidity seen in last week’s big win in Madrid, and the red-hot [Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/) (16.9 points per game) will look to remain the competition’s most prolific three-point shooter (2.8 per night). Last week saw ALBA’s recent signing [David McCormack](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/david-mccormack/013386/) continue a strong start to his EuroLeague career with 16 points in the narrow defeat against Partizan. This week he needs to contain [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/), who has grabbed 7 offensive boards in the last two games.

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (20:45 CET)

Two ambitious teams high in confidence meet in Belgrade with Partizan (7-8) welcoming ASVEL (6-9). The Serbian team is looking for a sixth straight win, and has [Sterling Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sterling-brown/012720/) in strong form with 15.3 points over the last three games. ASVEL has won three of the last four, but all of those successes came at home so now Pierric Poupet’s men need to build on last week’s thrilling victory over Paris by gaining its first road win of the season. To achieve that, big man [Neal Sako](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/neal-sako/010545/) (6.1 rebounds per game) will look to win his personal battle with [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) (6.2 rpg), while the explosive [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) (18.7 points per night) faces a mouthwatering matchup with another red-hot guard, [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) (14.5 points and 4.9 assists per game).

## Wednesday, December 18

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (18:30 CET)

Two of last week’s most impressive winners go head-to-head, with Efes (8-7) welcoming Zvezda (8-7) to break their tie for eighth place. The return of [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) helped propel Efes to a remarkable 26-point triumph over Panathinaikos, as [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) delivered a backcourt clinic with 7 points, 9 assists and 3 steals. He faces a good battle with [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/), who helped Zvezda – which has won three out of four – deliver an equally strong Round 15 performance with 12 points and 9 assists in the win over Olympiacos. Efes converted a remarkable 70.7% of its two-point shots in the win over Panathinaikos, including [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) making all 6 of his shots, so Zvezda will need strong interior defense from the likes of [Nikola Kalinic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-kalinic/004866/), who made 7 of his 8 field-goal attempts last week.

Round 16 Head-to-Head: Poirier vs. Petrusev

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:15 CET)

Olympiacos (9-6) will attempt to emerge from a surprising two-game losing slump by overcoming a Virtus team (3-12) hoping to get on a roll after last week’s improbable win at Baskonia. The author of that triumph was [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/), whose four-point game winner at the final buzzer continued a hot streak which has seen him record a PIR of 20+ in four consecutive games. A key battle will be Clyburn’s matchup with former EuroLeague MVP [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), whose 19 points and 10 rebounds were a rare bright spot in last week’s loss at Zvezda. That game saw Olympiacos convert just 6 three-pointers, so the Greek team will need the likes of [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) to find his usual range after missing all 7 deep strikes last time out.

This is the final double-round week before the holidays 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-12-17T19:45:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-12-18T19:15:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-12-18T17:30:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Zalgiris Kaunas (2024-12-17T19:45:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Real Madrid (2024-12-17T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-12-17T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-12-17T19:15:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v FC Bayern Munich (2024-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

A trend to keep an eye on moving forward is the value of home-court advantage

Stats review: Road teams winning like never before

Round 15 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague saw several big shifts in the standings, five teams securing coveted road wins and the end of Paris Basketball’s winning streak at 10 games.  With another double-round week around the corner, the season is barreling towards its mid-point while second and 11th place are still separated by only two games. 

One trend to keep an eye on moving forward is the value of home-court advantage.  While it remains very difficult to win on the road in the EuroLeague, which features some of the best home atmospheres in the sport, like so many other things this season, the current level of parity across the league has trimmed the margins. 

The table above lists the wins, losses, and winning percentages for road teams since the EuroLeague moved to its modern regular season format for the 2016-17 season.  As the table suggests, outside of the 2020-21 season when nine teams essentially played in empty arenas and the capacity of all teams was limited by COVID regulations, away teams have never fared better than they have this year.  In most recent years, the team slotted fourth in the standings has been the last team to break even on the road.  While there have been several exceptions, most of the teams in the middle of the standings have won as much as they have lost away from home this season.

With efficiency creeping up around all-time highs due to the culmination of little things across the league as a whole, offense has been traveling better than it has in recent seasons and that has brought a level of unpredictability to away games that the league has never seen before under normal circumstances. As AS Monaco, Zalgiris Kaunas, and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan showed in Round 15 in comfortable wins playing at quality opponents, the margin for error continues to shrink across the league as the parity is truly palpable. 

Only one team remains unbeaten at home to this point: FC Bayern Munich, which sits only 3 wins shy of matching their total from last season with 19 games to play.  The reason for their success is not hard to figure out on paper—they have been devastatingly effective from the field at SAP Garden.  The 1.14 points per possession they have scored in their new arena ranks among the top home marks in recent history as, at the moment, it is taking that level of excellence for a team to avoid a misstep on their home floor.

Home-court advantage is still a very real thing, but the exceptionally high caliber of play offensively and the competitiveness across the league are going to keep fans on the edge of their seats more than ever.

Protecting home court could be the difference between the contenders and the pretenders this season

LDLC ASVEL won on its home floor for the fourth consecutive game in Round 15 by beating Paris Basketball in the latest Rivalry Series game, and it is a result that can allow Pierric Poupet's men to dream.

ASVEL established its playoff credentials by overcoming league leader Paris

It’s fair to suggest that, when the season began, very few people would have predicted that Friday’s French derby between [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) and [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) would exert a significant impact at both ends of the race for the playoffs.

After all, Paris is a newcomer to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. And however impressive last season’s triumph in the BKT EuroCup might have been, the prospects of first-year head coach [Tiago Splitter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/splitter-tiago/) guiding his inexperienced team to the summit of the world’s most competitive basketball league seemed remote to say the least.

ASVEL, on the other hand, has struggled to establish itself among the elite during its previous EuroLeague campaigns, finishing at least six wins short of the playoff positions in the last four seasons.

Yet the Round 15 meeting came around with Paris aiming to take its 11th consecutive victory and move into an improbable two-game lead at the top of the standings. And after shrugging off a slow start to the season, ASVEL had the ambition of winning its fourth straight at home to stay in touch with the all-important top ten, level with the mighty [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) and just two wins behind reigning champ [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/).

So there was plenty at stake as the latest installment of the Rivalry Series was staged at the highly atmospheric Astroballe, and an opening 15 minutes which contained 13 lead changes and saw neither team lead by more than 6 points offered few clues about which team would end up celebrating.

But then ASVEL started to take control, with the scoring of [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) at one end matched by intense defense at the other, forcing the visiting team into 4 consecutive turnovers and allowing just one field goal in nearly five minutes. That allowed the home team to take a 47-36 into the halftime interval, giving Paris one of its biggest tests of the season so far.

And although the league leader fought hard to maintain its long unbeaten run, ASVEL played with enough quality, consistency and control throughout the second half to [eke out a 98-93 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-ends-paris-unbeaten-run-in-all-french-rivalry-series-thriller-98-93/) which was celebrated like a title win inside the Astroballe.

The importance of the victory was not lost on the MVP of the game, young star [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/). The guard continued his stellar season by contributing 22 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, and he admitted it was a highly significant success as he told [EuroLeague.TV](http://EuroLeague.TV): “It means a lot. A great win, everybody stepped up, and I couldn’t be any prouder of the team.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. <br><br>22 PTS | 5 REB | 7 AST | 30 PIR <a href="https://t.co/yr0IXJOWr9">pic.twitter.com/yr0IXJOWr9</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1867711082875478363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Demonstrating the belief that is starting to spread throughout the ASVEL roster after a home winning streak which has conquered heavyweights [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-rallies-to-blow-past-efes-97-82/), [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-stuns-real-in-breathtaking-rollercoaster-80-78/) and now the league leader Paris, Maledon said the key for his team was “not being scared of them. We trust ourselves; we’re not going to back down from anyone, and we’re going to fight.”

Coach Pierric Poupet also regards Friday’s triumph as a statement-making success, noting: “The goal was to stay solid for 40 minutes and I thought we did it. We have to stay humble. It’s good to know that we can do good things. It’s a good way to prove ourselves that we can compete in this EuroLeague.”

However, there’s certainly lots of room for improvement with ASVEL needing plenty more wins before it can climb into the top ten, and one obvious need is to improve on the road. ASVEL boasts a 6-2 record in Villeurbanne but has lost every game on its travels, so the upcoming double-round week trips to in-form [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) and [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) represent a major challenge.

“Now we have to get wins on the road,” admitted Poupet. “That’s going to be the next step for us to improve.”

If ASVEL can back up its French derby triumph by taking at least one more win from next week’s double header, belief in this team will start to spread far beyond France and across the continent.

Friday’s French derby saw the home team confirm it is capable of competing with anyone

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Paris Basketball (2024-12-13T20:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague top photos of the week

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