Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares his recommendations ahead of Round 30.

Fantasy tips, Round 30: Riding the wave

It is arguably the closest race for the EuroLeague Playoffs and Play-In Showdown ever. If you look at the standings, AS Monaco ranks fourth with a 17-12 record, and Real Madrid is 12th at 15-14. That's right, there is a two-win gap between having the home-court advantage in the playoffs or being eliminated. 

There are a lot of good options for you, [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) managers, but one player stands out right now.

Roman Sorkin, Shavon Shields, Kevin Punter, Shane Larkin and Johannes Voigtmann are featured in this week's article.

EuroLeague Fantasy tips: Round 30

### Shavon Shields, EA7 Emporio Armani (12.5 credits)

There is an early game in this round as Paris hosts Milan on Tuesday. Having a star player in all three turns should help you get a good score. My T1 choice is [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/), who had a PIR of 29 against Paris earlier this season. Shields comes off a good game against Zvezda: 14 points, 5 rebounds and a PIR of 22. A safe choice early in the week!

### Kevin Punter, FC Barcelona (14.9 credits)

After missing two games due to injury, [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) returned to action against Partizan, his former team, and had a great performance. He finished the game with 25 points, missing only four shots, and adding 4 assists, 1 steal and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 29. Barca is now sixth in the standings and has two more home games coming up.

### Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (14.6 credits)

"We are basically in playoff mode right now," [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) said after this team's win against Bayern. He proved that with a huge performance: Larkin had 25 points on 4-of-6 two-pointers, 4-of-8 three-pointers and 5-of-5 free throws, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 5 fouls drawn and a PIR of 33. Expect him to keep leading Efes, as he always has.

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHOLWPftyNw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHOLWPftyNw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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### Johannes Voigtmann, FC Bayern Munich (10.1 credits)

It took Bayern some time to figure it out but without injured big man Devin Booker, [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) is his team's new go-to man in the frontcourt. He has had a double-digit PIR in the last six games and stood out against Efes last week, getting 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a PIR of 25. At just 10.1 credits, Voigtmann is a bargain.

### Roman Sorkin, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (10.9 credits)

[Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/) is seeing extended playing time at center as Jasiel Rivero is set to miss some time. He has posted a PIR of 12 or higher in each of his team's last six games. In Maccabi's last three showdowns, Sorkin averaged 18.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 fouls drawn and a PIR of 18.7. Maccabi is on a three-game winning streak, too. 

More Fantasy Challenge News

Fantasy Challenge guru Javier Gancedo shares his recommendations ahead of Round 30

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-03-21T19:45:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-03-21T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v ALBA Berlin (2025-03-21T19:15:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-03-20T19:45:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v FC Bayern Munich (2025-03-20T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-03-20T18:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-03-20T19:15:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-03-20T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-03-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Moustapha Fall pulled off a complete performance, inspiring Olympiacos Piraeus to a 76-74 win over Panathinaikos B.C. at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday night in Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Moustapha Fall showed in derby why his impact on Olympiacos is so profound

[Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/)’s first play of the night against [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) was not drawn for [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) nor [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/), the team's two leading scorers. [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) won the tipoff, [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) received the ball and Olympiacos’s motion offense was triggered, with [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/) finding Fall in the paint.

What could have been a signature slam for the Olympiacos big turned into a statement block by his Panathinaikos counterpart, [Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/), with possession shifting to the visitors. Yet, what could have been a blow in morale for many bigs, served as a motivation boost for Fall, who pulled off a complete performance, inspiring his Reds to [a 76-74 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-holds-off-panathinaikos-to-claim-the-greek-derby-76-74/) at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday night.

Gabriel denies Fall on opening possession of derby

There are not many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague centers who can reach that level of impact Fall has on Olympiacos’s game. [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) might be one of them, but the Panathinaikos star missed out on the derby due to long-term injury.

And Fall made the most of his compatriot’s absence by dominating the paint no matter whom he was called to face inside. The Frenchman was crucial in Olympiacos’s efforts to pack the paint, helping to seal all lanes that could have been used for Panathinaikos’s guards to penetrate.

The visitors had a backcourt advantage due to the absence of [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), but Fall made sure to cover for his teammate on defense. Fall was one of the main reasons why [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) didn’t score a single point in the first half, blocking the MVP candidate’s way to the basket and forcing him off the paint.

Moustapha Fall did it all in the derby

Numbers sometimes speak by themselves, but in Fall’s case, they are rarely enough to demonstrate why he is so crucial for Olympiacos. This time, though, they tell the whole truth. Fall shot 5-for-7 from inside, including a big basket to make it 76-69 with 1:17 left on the clock. He finished the game with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. More importantly, he recorded a season-high 4 blocks, 2 of which came in the first quarter, sending a clear message to whoever tried to attack the basket on Friday night.

“I’m happy when I can help my team get the win, especially against Panathinaikos,” Fall told EuroLeague TV after the game.

An injury that sidelined Fall for several months saw him miss last season’s Greek finals, as well as the first game of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Rediscovering his form after recovering from a serious injury is anything but an easy task for a 33-year-old 7-footer. Yet, Fall is gradually finding his footing and Friday’s display may well be a sign that he’s doing so at the best possible moment – just before the playoffs.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kalimera! ☕️🌫️🤓<a href="https://twitter.com/moustaphafall15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@moustaphafall15</a> made an entrance with style into the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> Playoffs! 👓🩴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYPAO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYPAO</a> <a href="https://t.co/9KA5txJMGF">pic.twitter.com/9KA5txJMGF</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1900817509147672663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With five games to go, Olympiacos has mathematically sealed a top-six spot and it’s pushing to clinch home-court advantage. “We’ve secured our spot in the EuroLeague \[Playoffs\], so we’re happy about this,” Fall added.

Boasting a 22-7 record, the league leader will look to clinch the top spot in the standings for the second time over the last three seasons. And should Fall find consistency ahead of the postseason, Olympiacos will be a clear favorite to seal Final Four qualification for a team-record fourth time in a row.

Fall’s impact on this Olympiacos team is undeniable. And Friday’s display against the reigning champion came to prove why.

Game News

The veteran center dominated on both ends with a complete outing against Panathinaikos 

Olympiacos Piraeus v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-03-14T19:15:00.000Z)

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Rayjon Tucker of Virtus shoots over Real Madrid's Walter Tavares

David McCormack of ALBA is surrounded by Baskonia's Khalifa Diop, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Tadas Sedekerskis

Isiaha Mike of Partizan dunks against FC Barcelona

Shane Larkin of Efes drives past Bayern's Shabazz Napier

Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce tries to evade the defense of ASVEL's Andre Roberson

Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos emotes after dunking against Panathinaikos

Ignas Brazdeikis of Zalgiris splits the defense of Paris's Nadir Hifi and Leopold Cavaliere

Nikola Kalinic of Zvezda fights for the ball in between Milan's Nikola Mirotic and Zach LeDay

Vincent Poirier of Efes dunks against Bayern

Evan Fournier of Olympiacos makes his way to basket against Panathinaikos

Look back at all the action from Round 29 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 29

Round 29 MVP: Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

A stunning individual performance in a winning effort allowed [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) of Anadolu Efes Istanbul to claim Round 29 MVP honors with a round-high PIR of 33.

 

Larkin led Efes to a 92-97 road victory over FC Bayern Munich with a season-high 25 points on 4-of-6 two-pointers, 4-of-8 three-pointers and 5-of-5 free throws. He added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 33, the best index rating this season. Larkin earned MVP of the Round honors for the first time this season and the 18th time in his career, an all-time record.

 

[Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) of FC Barcelona amassed a PIR of 29 on his return from injury as his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 87-80. Punter finished the game with 25 points on 2-of-2 two-pointers, 5-of-9 three-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws, as well as 4 assists, 1 steal and 7 fouls drawn. [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne reached a PIR of 27 against one of his former teams, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. He had 13 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal and 4 fouls drawn. [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) of AS Monaco and [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) of Bayern, each with a PIR of 25, complete the top individual performances in Round 29. Theis amassed 16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks in Monaco’s 91-88 loss at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, while Voigtmann posted 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in Bayern’s defeat to Efes.

 

### Individual highs: Nando De Colo, ASVEL, 11 assists

 

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) of Monaco was this week's top scorer with 26 points. [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is the competition's top scorer with 20.1 points per game.

 

[Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/) of Monaco and [Trevion Williams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trevion-williams/012604/) of ALBA Berlin led all rebounders by pulling down 11 apiece in Round 29. [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ranks first overall with 8.3 rebounds per night.

 

Nando De Colo of ASVEL was the only player to reach double digits in assists this week, dishing 11. [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball and [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) of Maccabi tie for first place overall with an average of 7.0 assists per night.

 

Bolomboy collected 4 steals, more than anyone else in this round. [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) of FC Bayern Munich is first overall in steals with 1.6 per game.

 

[Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) of Olympiacos Piraeus had 4 blocks the Greek derby. [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid (1.38 bpg.) is the competition's top shot blocker with a small lead over [Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) of Monaco (1.36 bpg.).

 

Three players registered a double-double in Round 29: Williams (15 points, 11 rebounds), Jaiteh (12 points, 11 rebounds) and De Colo (13 points, 11 assists).

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 29 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 29th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Konstantinos Maroulis beat everyone else in Round 29 with his team 'Bartzokas Falcons', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 197.00.

Konstantinos had the following starting lineup: Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus as team captain, then Roman Sorkin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Daniel Theis of AS Monaco, Sylvain Francisco of Zalgiris Kaunas and Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. His sixth man was Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. The rest of the bench consisted of Paris Basketball's TJ Shorts, FC Bayern Munich's Johannes Voigtmann, Ousmane Diop of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Nicola Akele of Virtus Segafredo Bologna. His team's head coach was Chus Mateo of Real Madrid.

The prize for finishing first in Round 29 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Konstantinos!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 4,922.79 points.

Trades are now open for Round 30. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 30 tips off already on Tuesday, March 18, as Paris Basketball hosts EA7 Emporio Armani Milan at 20:30 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

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Rodrigue Beaubois was outstanding in the first half, then Shane Larkin sealed the win down the stretch. 


Beaubois, then Larkin lead Efes's road win 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul confirmed its good form with a 92-97 road win over FC Bayern Munich. Efes became just the third team to win at SAP Garden in the current Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, after Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Efes's backcourt stars stepped up to lead their team to its third consecutive victory.

Rodrigue Beaubois arguably had one of the most perfect first quarters in competition history, getting 16 points on no missed shots, fouls committed or turnovers. He just needed six shots, hitting his two attempts inside the arc and going 4 of 4 from downtown. Beaubois added a big block on Carsen Edwards and found Vincent Poirier for an alley-oop dunk. He was close to beat Efes's scoring record in a first quarter, with Will Clyburn having had 17 first-quarter points against Virtus in last season's play-in.

Beaubois eventually started to miss shots but still reached 21 points with over 3 minutes left before halftime. He went on to score two more points in the next 23 minutes. Until Beaubois cooled off, Larkin had been limited to just two points. Of course, Larkin is no ordinary player for Bayern fans. Back in 2019, he set the EuroLeague's all-time scoring mark against Bayern, scoring 49 points. In his previous game against Bayern, Larkin had 28 points and a PIR of 33, leading Efes to a 109-86 victory.

Rodrigue Beaubois and Shane Larkin led Anadolu Efes Istanbul to a 92-97 road win over FC Bayern Munich.

Larkin, Beaubois combine for 48 points against Bayern

Larkin scored 23 points in as many minutes, stepping up in crunch time to make the difference by netting 12 points in the final 6 minutes. With the game tied at 80-80, Larkin used his footwork to generate space and bank in a shot. He added a pair of free throws and a wild three-point play for an 88-90 lead. In the final minute, Larkin still had time to hit a crucial three-pointer and a pair of free throws. After the final buzzer, Larkin had 25 points on 4 of 6 two-pointers, 4-of-8 three-pointers and 5-of-5 free throws, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 5 fouls drawn and a PIR of 33.

After the game, Larkin and Beaubois talked about the importance of this week, and how locked in Efes is right now.

"It was exciting. At the end of the day, this is a game, and you love to compete and to be in these moments, so to be able to be out there in one of these most competitive games down the stretch, with two teams that are fighting for the playoffs... it was an incredible atmosphere, Larkin said. “I am just really happy that my team was able to stick together, fight all the runs and come out on top. 

"We are basically in playoff mode right now. We know that we have to pretty much win every single game to consider ourselves a team that can get into the playoffs. So we are approaching every single game with the same mentality, and we know it's win or lose. And at the end of the day, we got to win more than we lose. And today we went out there and completed the job."

"This is a big one,” Beaubois added. “Obviously, winning here is very difficult, we know that, but we were able to win this game and also show that we are a real team. Everybody contributed, so this one feels extremely good. 

"We gave everything on the floor, everybody that stepped on the floor. That's the way we need to play if we want to achieve what we are trying to achieve, for sure."

After its last three wins, Efes is 15-14 and two wins away from fourth-placed AS Monaco, which has a 17-12 record. It has three more home games against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Zalgiris Kaunas, and two visits to Serbia to go against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Rodrigue Beaubois was outstanding in the first half, then Shane Larkin sealed the win down the stretch


Beaubois, then Larkin led Efes's road win at Bayern

FC Bayern Munich v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-03-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Kevin Punter marked his return from injury with an MVP performance as FC Barcelona downed KK Partizan in Round 29.

Kevin Punter shot the lights out to lift Barcelona past Partizan

[FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) ground out a big [87-80 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-roars-back-to-sink-partizan-87-80/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague largely thanks to a vintage performance from [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/), who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to lead his team’s monster comeback.

The hosts looked in trouble throughout the first quarter as Partizan engineered a 10-point lead on three occasions, with the visitors dominating proceedings early on. That, however, was as good as it got for Partizan.

Punter, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury in mid-February, sank 17 first-half points as Barca stormed back to lead 54-41 at the interval. The livewire guard toyed with his markers and hit nothing but net from downtown, allowing the Spanish outfit to turn the tide for good.

In his postgame comments, Punter was totally down to earth as he praised his former club and stressed that he needed to keep up the good work in a bid to maintain the form he displayed in a vintage performance against the Serbian team.

“Credit to Partizan, they played hard, it was two teams battling for a playoff spot. I am glad we were able to come out on top and I am just trying to take it game by game now, I can’t afford to get overexcited,” the 31-year-old said.

Partizan was unable to profit from 18 offensive boards, having racked up 36 in total, as the visiting team missed a barrage of opportunities to score second chance points, allowing Barcelona to hold on to its lead in a rugged and physical fourth quarter.  

[Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/) acknowledged that Barcelona produced a rollercoaster performance and not for the first time this term, adding that taking anything for granted in the home stretch of the regular season would be completely counterproductive.

 “It was up and down and it’s happened to us a lot this season but we expected a physical game from them,” the Czech guard said. “It would be a mistake to look at the standings now as we’ve seen throughout the season. Every win or loss changes the standings so much, that’s how the EuroLeague is right now and we just have to focus on the next game.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">VICTÒRIA IMPORTANTÍSSIMA, BARÇA 💙❤ <a href="https://t.co/qrzEPZabKU">pic.twitter.com/qrzEPZabKU</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1900667995606700226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Barcelona head coach Joan Penarroya praised his team’s valiant effort.  “I am very happy for this important win, we showed character to turn the game around after trailing in the first quarter. The team showed great mentality to grind out a big win,” he said.

Penarroya’s grim faced counterpart Zeljko Obradovic could only concede that Partizan paid the price for an awful second quarter which Barcelona won 29-9, leaving the Serbian team a mountain to climb after the break.

“We reacted in the second half but it was too late,” Obradovic stated.  “We had some opportunities but we missed too many open shots. This is basketball, we had a very bad second quarter and we have to learn from our mistakes.”

In Round 30, Barcelona is at home to Zalgiris Kaunas while Partizan entertains Anadolu Efes Istanbul in a pair of dogfights for berths in the business end of Europe’s premier club competition. 

The livewire guard came off the bench in his first appearance in a month to sink his former club

FC Barcelona v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-03-14T19:45:00.000Z)

Sasha Vezenkov finished with team highs in points (18), rebounds (9) and assists (5) as Olympiacos BC beat Panathinaikos BC, and his performance may have just wrapped up the EuroLeague MVP trophy for him.

Sasha Vezenkov responded to MVP debate with complete display in Greek derby

[Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) did a bit of everything on the court [against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-holds-off-panathinaikos-to-claim-the-greek-derby-76-74/) on Friday night. 

Having finished with team highs in points (18), rebounds (9) and assists (5), the [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) forward's fingerprints were all over the Reds' 76-74 derby victory at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

The performances of Vezenkov and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) so far this season have sparked a debate about which player should clinch the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP award. Yet, Vezenkov’s statement outing against Nunn’s Panathinaikos may have just put an end to the discussion.

With five games to go in the regular season, Vezenkov has helped the league leader [become the first team to clinch a top-six spot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-is-the-first-team-to-reach-the-playoffs/). The 29-year-old forward averages 20.0 points, second only to Nunn's 20.1 PPG, as well as 6.3 rebounds and a league-best 24.5 PIR. In his previous MVP campaign in 2022-23, he was the top scorer of the competition with 17.2 points per game while ranking second in rebounds (6.8) and recording a league-high PIR of 21.2.

With this victory, Olympiacos claimed the head-to-head advantage over Panathinaikos by beating its fierce rival for the eighth game in a row. Some would argue that this victory was the perfect way to avenge Olympiacos’s loss the last time these two teams met, which came in the Greek Cup final in February. But Vezenkov is locked in on the Reds' main objective and has his eyes set on the EuroLeague championship.

“No, no, no,” Vezenkov stressed to EuroLeague TV when asked if this victory serves as revenge for the Greek Cup final defeat. “Because we want titles. We don’t want wins. It’s very important that we won against Panathinaikos, but our goal in this team is to go until the end. We have to be focused, be hungry, be together and go get it.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big W and big celebration for <a href="https://twitter.com/olympiacosbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@olympiacosbc</a> 🔴⚪️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RivalrySeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RivalrySeries</a> <a href="https://t.co/8ddIMRyGHU">pic.twitter.com/8ddIMRyGHU</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1900659342543585667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Having scored in double digits in all 27 of his appearances this season, Vezenkov has demonstrated time and time again that he is one of the best all-around scorers on the continent. But on Friday, he also showed that he can be decisive in other aspects of the game by protecting the boards on defense and distributing the ball on the offensive end when needed.

His last MVP season was followed by a one-year spell in the NBA. On his return, Vezenkov is proving that his performance in the 2022-23 term was no one-off. And he’s doing so in style – by putting together another MVP-caliber campaign.

The Olympiacos forward recorded 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the win over Panathinaikos

FC Barcelona took a big step towards securing a postseason berth in the EuroLeague after rallying from a 10-point deficit to beat KK Partizan 87-80, as Kevin Punter returned from injury to haunt his former club.

Barcelona roars back to sink Partizan, 87-80

FC Barcelona took a big step towards securing a postseason berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after rallying from a 10-point deficit to beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 87-80, as Kevin Punter returned from injury to haunt his former club.

The result means Barcelona improved its record to 16-13 and moved up to sixth while Partizan dropped to 15-14 and slid down to 10tth place after a second successive defeat, with the Serbian outfit now facing a do-or-die battle in the last five rounds of the regular season to clinch a spot in the business end of the competition.  

Punter, who joined Barcelona from Partizan during the off-season, sank a game-high 25 points, including 17 in a rip-roaring first half when Barcelona fought back to lead 54-41 at the interval having won a monster second quarter 29-9.

Chimezie Metu came up big with 16 points and 6 boards while Tomas Satoransky added 11 points, 3 assists and as many steals for Barca, which turned the matchup on its head after Partizan had raced into an early 0-8 lead and then extended the advantage to 13-23 and 22-32 in a flawless first quarter for the visitors.  

At the other end, Sterling Brown and Isiaha Mike netted 16 points apiece for Partizan, but both men were stifled out in a rugged and physical second half when baskets were hard to come by. Carlik Jones scored 14 while Vanja Marinkovic and Brandon Davies amassed 11 points each for the visiting team, which committed 10 turnovers and some of them turned out to be very costly.

Game Videos

Brown and Mike fired on all cylinders as Partizan appeared to be in complete control in the first quarter, with shots raining in from all angles for the visitors. However, the tide turned in the second as the Serbian team clearly missed Iffe Lundberg in the backcourt, with the Danish guard pulling out due to illness several hours before the contest.

In contrast, Punter made his first appearance in a month for Barcelona after recovering from a shoulder injury and led the home team’s onslaught in the second quarter, hitting three-pointers almost at will with Metu following in his footsteps.

Barca kept firing on all cylinders early in the third and maintained its 13-point advantage, 65-52, before Partizan conjured a 0-9 run and threw the game wide open. The hosts regained their composure and led 73-67 ahead of the final 10 minutes, with Partizan missing a pair of open these in a single possession.

It was a titanic tussle in the fourth as Partizan closed the gap to two points, 77-75, on the back of aggressive half-court pressure and five unanswered points by Mike at the other end, but the visitors fizzed out when the chips were down and Barca effectively sealed the contest with a 6-0 run.

An easy steal followed by an easier dunk from Satoransky, courtesy of a comical Partizan turnover, drew a wry smile from visiting head coach Zeljko Obradovic, who could only watch helplessly as Barcelona ultimately coasted to a much-needed win. 

The Spanish giant stormed back from a first-quarter deficit to snatch a precious home win 