Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 22nd winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Miroslav Svonja beat everyone else in Round 22 with his team '1992 copy paste', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 256.05.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 22 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 22nd winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Miroslav Svonja beat everyone else in Round 22 with his team '1992 copy paste', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 256.05.

Miroslav had the following starting lineup: Carlik Jones of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade as team captain, then his Partizan teammates Sterling Brown and Tyrique Jones, Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Neal Sako of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. His sixth man was Marko Guduric of Fenerbahce. On the bench, Miroslav had Fenerbahce's Tarik Biberovic, Niels Giffey of FC Bayern Munich, Tamir Blatt of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. His team's head coach was Partizan play-caller Zeljko Obradovic..

The prize for finishing first in Round 22 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Miroslav!

Marko Dukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 3,777.19 points.

Trades are now open for Round 23, and all fantasy players are allowed unlimited trades.

The first game in Round 23 tips off on Wednesday, January 22, as Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade welcomes Paris Basketball at 20:30 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

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

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

Toko Shengelia may be 33 years old, but he is still one of the top power forwards in Europe and he was pivotal in Virtus Bologna beating FC Bayern Basketball in Round 22.

Virtus keeps building momentum with Bayern win – and Toko Shengelia key to it all

When you think of [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) in recent years, [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) is one of the first players that comes to mind. On Friday night, he showed why with a stellar performance in a [72-82 win at FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/toko-shengelia-stars-as-virtus-stuns-bayern-at-sap-garden-72-82/) which keeps the Italian side’s faint play-in hopes alive.

Shengelia did a bit of everything for Virtus, posting 20 points, 6 rebounds, a season-high 6 assists and a joint season-best 2 blocks, which gave him 30 PIR, his best mark since Round 13 of last season. Despite his impressive individual display, he didn’t want any of the praise himself.

“I’m not the man of the match, I’m the player of the team of the match,” he told EuroLeague TV afterward.

Now 33 years old, the Georgian is one of the clear leaders at Virtus, yet he was appearing in just his third game since [Dusko Ivanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/ivanovic-dusko/?season=E2024) – his former coach at [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) – replaced [Luca Banchi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/banchi-luca/?season=E2024) in Bologna, having been out with an ulcer issue between Rounds 16 and 20.

“It was not easy \[to play against Bayern\], to be honest. I had just one full practice with the team,” Shengelia stated. “It’s not easy for me, it’s not easy for the coaches to give me the trust, but I want to thank them for this and thank my teammate for the trust as well. I’m out there, tired or not, and I’m trying to do my best. I’m really happy tonight that we got the win.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Have a good night 😏🧢 <a href="https://t.co/VXDKZewezs">pic.twitter.com/VXDKZewezs</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1880384452339331481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This victory, Virtus’s fifth in eight games under Coach Ivanovic, was also notable as the Italian outfit had suffered three straight road defeats after winning at Baskonia in the Montenegrin’s first game in charge back on December 12.

Virtus remains in 16th position in the standings with a 7-15 record, yet with Shengelia showing that he is still among the best power forwards in Europe, the Black V’s supporters can still dream. Bayern currently occupies 10th spot, the final place for the play-in, with a 12-10 mark, so Virtus will be looking to use this Round 22 as momentum and have a strong finish to the season.

Game News

The Georgian forward is thriving in his role as a leader

FC Bayern Munich v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-01-17T19:30:00.000Z)

Youssoupha Fall and Juan Nunez paved the win to a big victory as FC Barcelona beat Anadolu Efes in Round 22.

Barcelona found new go-to guys in Round 22 win over Efes

[FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) overcame a slow start to [beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 90-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-stops-efes-for-fourth-straight-win-90-80/) at home in Round 22. A balanced offense, good hustle and great efficiency inside the rim allowed Barca to grab its 13th win and remain in playoff territory.

Barca had 6 players in double figures. [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) led the way with 15 points. Its three centers made the difference in the paint, as [Chimezie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chimezie-metu/013379/), [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) and [Youssoupha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/youssoupha-fall/006568/) all scored in double digits, with the three big men combining for 34 points on 16-of.18 two-pointers (87.5% 2FG). Fall was the first player in the game to reach double digits, and all three made sure Barca always had a reliable scoring reference in the paint.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">PARTIDÀS, YOUSS!!! 💪 <a href="https://t.co/QZLtVhuqWz">pic.twitter.com/QZLtVhuqWz</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1880371931792433559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

All of them allowed Barcelona to finish the game with a 72.5% two-point shooting percentage, hitting 29-of-40 attempts inside the arc. It is Barca's best two-point shooting percentage this season: its highest until now was 66.7% in Round 11 against FC Bayern Munich. The club's all-time record came in a 90-66 home win against Rytas Vilnius on November 22, 2012, hitting 27-of-33 two-pointers (81.8% 2FG).

[Juan Nunez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juan-nunez/010106/) did not set any career high but had arguably his best game of the season with a truly all-around performance. He finished the game with 11 points on 5-of-6 two-pointers, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, no turnovers and a PIR of 17. 

Juan Nunez of FC Barcelona did not set any career-high but arguably had his best game of the season with a truly all-around performance against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. He finished the game with 11 points on 5 of 6 two-pointers, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, no turnovers and a PIR of 17.

Nunez does it all against Efes

The Spanish guard helped Barca finish the game with 29 assists, a new season high- It previously had 27 assists in Round 2 against ALBA Berlin. Efes had 18 assists and as many as 14 turnovers. Barca also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Efes 30-21.

After the game, Nunez highlighted Barca's defense as the biggest key to this victory, and pointed to the club's next immediate goal.

"Efes is a great team. They have great talents but we played great defense. I think they scored 80 points which for us is really important. We have to keep that mentality in defense," Nunez said. "My performance is not the important thing. It's about winning on Sunday and qualifying for the Spanish Cup."

Youssoupha Fall and Juan Nunez paved the win to a big victory 


FC Barcelona v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-01-17T19:45:00.000Z)

Baskonia's starters accounted for 67 points, but also 19 rebounds and 19 assists, in a confidence-boosting win over reigning EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos BC. 

Baskonia starters shined against the defending champions

On Friday night, [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) proved once again just how dangerous it can be. Despite missing team captain [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/), and despite [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) still out of his groove on his first game back after missing the last two weeks of action, Baskonia controlled things for all but 40 minutes in [a 91-77 win over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-holds-off-panathinaikos-91-77/).

Baskonia had multiple double-digit leads in the first half and throughout the second, before the Greens got within 82-77. But Baskonia kept the visitors scoreless for the final 3 minutes and 18 seconds to claim a big win.

“We have great talent in this team and a great potential,” said [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/), who paced the team with 20 points and 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. “If we play like this, we can play eye-to-eye against anybody, we can win against anybody.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="eu" dir="ltr">🔵🔴 GURE MUTILAAAK 🔵🔴<br><br>💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/263cranjn8">pic.twitter.com/263cranjn8</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1880365587010138534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Satisfaction with the performance also came from head coach [Pablo Laso](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/laso-pablo/), who confirmed he was very happy with not only this game but also the performance on Tuesday in an overtime loss against Olympiacos Piraeus.

“We were able to play concentrated for 40 minutes,” Laso said. “Basketball was not fair the other day \[against Olympiacos\], we played well but lost at the end. Today, we stayed the same way and got the victory.”

In addition to Luwawu-Cabarrot, Baskonia got big nights from [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/), who finished with 18 points, [Kamar Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kamar-baldwin/012597/) with 15 points and 7 assists, [Trent Forrest](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trent-forrest/013367/) with 12 points and 5 assists, and [Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) with 11 points.

All but Hall were Baskonia’s starters. [Khalifa Diop](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/khalifa-diop/008072/), who started the game, had 2 points, which means Baskonia starters accounted for 67 points, but also 19 rebounds and 19 assists. Moneke and Luwawu-Cabarrot each had a +23 when on the floor.

Chima Moneke and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot combined for 38 points in a 91-77 ein over Panathinaikos.

Chima Moneke and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot combined for 38 points vs. Panathinaikos

It all led to a much-needed win, which came after three consecutive losses, but each of those were by just 2 points or fewer.

“Winning is always important. When you win, it looks like everything is good. But as a coach, you probably have to be critical with your team even if you win. But at the end, winning always gives you that push that any team in any sport needs,” Laso claimed.

Baskonia now holds a 9-13 record, still in 15th place in the standings, but with an eye on moving up.

“Every game matters,” Moneke reminded us in his EuroLeague TV interview after the game. “We know our position is not the best, but we believe in ourselves, we will keep fighting. There are 12 games left and this year is super close, so we are not gonna give up.”

Only three games out of the play-in places, and only four games behind the teams tied for fourth place, Baskonia indeed still has plenty of time to catch up. If the team plays like it did on Friday night, there could be many more celebrations for Baskonia and its fans in the final three months of the regular season.

Pablo Laso's men remained in the race for postseason places with an emphatic win over Panathinaikos

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-01-17T19:30:00.000Z)

KK Crvena zvezda got back to winning ways with a huge 88-82 overtime home defeat of AS Monaco, as Filip Petrusev and Isaiah Canaan combined for 49 points to put behind them Wednesday’s tough 91-96 loss against the visiting Fenerbahce Beko.

Crvena Zvezda leaned on Petrusev, Canaan to bounce back against Monaco

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) got back to winning ways with a huge [88-82 overtime home defeat of AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-forces-monaco-into-submission-in-overtime-88-82/), as [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) and [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/) combined for 49 points to put behind them Wednesday’s tough 91-96 loss against the visiting Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

A fired-up Petrusev racked up a career-high 29 points to go with 6 boards, replicating a vintage performance from the reverse fixture in the principality, when Zvezda also came out on top, 90-98, with the versatile big man posting 25 points and 7 rebounds.

Livewire guard Canaan added 20 points on Friday, including a clutch layup which forced overtime before draining a three-pointer on Zvezda's opening play in the extra session which gave the galvanized Serbian team the lead for good, 79-76.

The rollercoaster swung one way and then the other, but Zvezda found an extra gear in the home stretch to keep its postseason ambitions alive, as [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) also stood out with 15 points and 5 boards.

Petrusev heaped praise on Zvezda’s fervent 20,000 home crowd which carried the home side from start to finish, having also highlighted the team’s mettle and fighting spirit to prevail in the face of adversity.    

“A great team victory as it was really a dogfight,” Petrusev said in his postgame comments. “We showed character as the crowd pushed us, all 20,000 of them showed their love for us. Monaco are offensively really talented and we did a great job stopping their main players, especially the three guards. Much better defense than the last game \[against Fenerbahce\] and that was the key to victory.”

Canaan added: “The mindset was to play tougher defense and we showed at times that we can be a really good team.”

Monaco’s pack leader [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) had put the visitors in the driving seat in the final minute when he sank a trademark layup to give them a 74-76 lead but missed on the buzzer after Canaan had tied the score. James, who scored 14 points, was 0 of 7 from downtown and [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) also struggled all night as he was held to a mere 6 points on 1-of-8 shooting from the floor.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GAME. SET. MATCH. 💪🏻😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/L8VIv62HWb">pic.twitter.com/L8VIv62HWb</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1880371223500361868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Zvezda’s aggressive hustle and half-court pressure generated 11 steals and the visitors simply ran out of steam in overtime, as their firepower dried up in the wake of the Serbian side’s ironclad defense.

The outcome was a gratifying for Zvezda’s head coach [Ioannis Sfairopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/sfairopoulos-ioannis/?season=E2024) as it gave him some bragging rights over Greek compatriot [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/spanoulis-vassilis/?season=E2024), who bemoaned his team’s momentary defensive lapses which allowed the hosts to force the final twist.

Sfairopoulos could not stress enough the magnitude of the result, which kept Zvezda in a cluster of five teams on a 13 wins heading into the final third of the regular season.   

“It was a very important game for both teams, especially for us after losing our last home game,” a delighted Sfairopoulos said courtside. “Congratulations to the players as it’s one of the most important wins of the season for us.”

The duo excelled in a fervent atmosphere to put the home team back on track 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v AS Monaco (2025-01-17T19:00:00.000Z)

Alen Smailagic scored 19 second-quarter points to tie a EuroLeague record, but it wasn't enough for Zalgiris Kaunas to win as they lost 98-86 at Fenerbahce Beko.

Fenerbahce flipped the script to spoil Alen Smailagic's record game

Things did not look good for [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) in Round 22. At halftime, [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) led 34-47 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall and [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) seemed to be everywhere.

[Ignas Brazdeikis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ignas-brazdeikis/011983/) was Zalgiris's X-factor in the first quarter, getting a backdoor layup and a pair of three-pointers in the opening minutes. Brazdeikis averaged 3.6 points in the previous five games but had reached double digits midway through the first quarter, allowing Zalgiris to get a 17-20 lead after 10 minutes. Once Brazdeikis cooled off, Zalgiris found new answers on offense through an unstoppable Smailagic.

It was a second-quarter performance for the ages. Smailagic buried a couple of jumpers and went on to strike three times from beyond the arc to make it a double-digit game, 26-37. Smailagic also added four free throws and after a brief time on the bench, he returned to get a driving layup.

He scored 19 points, matching the best scoring mark in a second quarter since play-by-play started to be tracked in the 2007-08 season. Only one other player scored 19 points in the second quarter since 2007, as [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) of [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) did so against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade last season. It is also a Zalgiris record for most points in any quarter, previously shared by [Lukas Lekavicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lukas-lekavicius/003210/), [Marcus Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marcus-brown/aht/) and [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) with 16 each. Smailagic's career high was 16 points, and he got 19 alone in an electric second quarter.

What happened, then? Fenerbahce found its own go-to guy in [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) and also got the defensive answers it needed in the fourth quarter, using a small lineup featuring [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) and [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) around the baskets. 

Hayes-Davis had eight points in the fourth quarter, while Biberovic scored all of his 15 points in the second half. Added to his great defensive effort, Colson had several key plays down the stretch: a block, a buzzer-beating three-pointer and a wild put-back dunk that sealed the outcome in the penultimate minute.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Marko 10’dan geri sayıyor ve Ülker Spor ve Etkinlik Salonu inliyor! 💛💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/lwba9anH7u">pic.twitter.com/lwba9anH7u</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1880349527653380262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Zalgiris led 62-68 after 30 minutes, hitting 13-of-22 two-point shots (59.1% 2FG) and 11-of-20 three-pointers (55.0% 3FG), as well as getting 15 assists and just 6 turnovers. In those opening three quarters, Fenerbahce had 11 assists and 10 turnovers. 

The visitors were limited to 2-of-8 three-pointers (25%), 4 assists and 5 turnovers in the fourth quarter, while Fenerbahce hit 5-of-7 shots from beyond the arc (71.4%), adding 5 assists and 3 turnovers. Taking better care of the ball when it mattered also made the difference down the stretch. Smailagic finished the with 24 points, 6 rebounds and a PIR of 25.

In a postgame interview, Hayes-Davis revealed part of coach Sarunas Jasikevicius's speech at halftime.

"A tale of two halves. In the first half we got down, they were beating us in all the loose balls. We made at least 30 plus mistakes against our rules and against our scouting report," Hayes-Davis said.

"And Coach let us hear one of the strongest words: soft. You never want to be called soft as a player and as a man, and Coach was saying we were all soft. And we responded. We did a great job of responding to that statement. 

"We went out there, the crowd was behind us and we were able to fight. We were fighting a lot harder. We got to loose balls, rebounded the ball and guys made some really, really big shots. And we got the win."

Zalgiris struck first but the hosts rallied to win the game


Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-01-17T17:45:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna caused quite the surprise on Friday night by downing FC Bayern Munich 72-82 at SAP Garden, which is just the second time the German team has lost at home in 11 games this season. 

Toko Shengelia stars as Virtus stuns Bayern at SAP Garden, 72-82

Virtus Segafredo Bologna caused quite the surprise on Friday night by downing FC Bayern Munich 72-82 at SAP Garden, which is just the second time the German team has lost at home in 11 games this season. Dusko Ivanovic’s charges have now won four of their last six games to improve to a 7-15 record, while Gordie Herbert’s troops have lost four of their last five games and dropped to a 12-10 mark.

Toko Shengelia was at his usual best, posting a team-high 20 points to go with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks, while he got help from Matt Morgan with 13 points and Isaia Cordinier with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Andrejs Grazulis was Virtus’s other double-digit scorer, netting 10 points. Bayern’s Devin Booker was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points, while Shabazz Napier, who suffered an injury in the fourth quarter and eventually had to go back to the locker room, had 14 points and Niels Giffey chipped in with 11 points.

Game Videos

Booker started the game red hot, scoring 8 points as Bayern raced out to a 10-2 lead. Things worsened for Virtus when Booker’s three swelled the lead to 15-4, but Shengelia, Momo Diouf and Cordinier all helped trim the gap to 16-10 before Shengelia reappeared to make it a four-point ballgame at 16-12. Cordinier’s wing three and a couple of free throws pulled Virtus within one point, 18-17, then Morgan ended the first quarter with a three to make it 18-20.

Andreas Obst restored Bayern’s advantage with a three, 21-20, but Morgan and Shengelia wrestled back the lead for Virtus at 23-25. When Booker scored a fast-break layup to tie the score at 25-25 almost seven minutes into the period, Bayern was winning the quarter 7-5. In the final two minutes before halftime, Marco Belinelli hit a couple of threes and made two free throws to give Virtus a 32-35 advantage at the interval.

It was then the turn of Virtus to start creating some separation, with Rayjon Tucker and Shengelia joining forces to set a 32-40 score. Bayern soon responded with a 5-0 run courtesy of Giffey and Booker, 37-40, but Grazulis and Cordinier were next to shine as Virtus went 39-48 ahead. Carsen Edwards, who was scoreless through the first 23 minutes of the contest, scored four points in an 8-2 run that made it interesting at 47-50, yet the visitors kept finding points inside. A couple of layups by Cordinier and Shengelia arrived before Achille Polonara ended the quarter with a reverse slam to give Virtus a five-point lead, 52-57, entering the final frame.

Napier started the fourth quarter in the best way possible from a Bayern perspective by hitting an off-balanced jump shot from mid-range, but he seemed to do himself some damage and went to the bench. A three-point play by Morgan gave Virtus breathing room at 54-61, then shortly after Edwards picked up his fourth foul and had to go to the bench, which meant Napier had to return. The Bayern guard hit a sidestep three to make it 57-61, but immediately clutched his side and grimaced in pain. Daniel Hackett, Morgan, Polonara and Alsessandro Pajola combined to give Virtus a 12-point lead at 59-71, but a 10-0 run capped by an Edwards three cut it to 69-71 with 2 minutes to play. In the end, though, Shengelia kept finding ways to get to the line as Virtus went on to win 72-82.

Matt Morgan and Isaia Cordinier also had impressive performances for the visitors

FC Barcelona grabbed its fourth consecutive victory in the EuroLeague by topping Anadolu Efes 90-80 at Palau Blaugrana in Round 22 on Friday. Joan Penarroya's men improved to 13-9 on the season while Efes dropped to 10-12 and is on a five-game losing streak. Luca Banchi has now lost all three games he has overseen as Efes head coach.

Barcelona stops Efes for fourth straight win, 90-80

FC Barcelona grabbed its fourth consecutive victory in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by topping Anadolu Efes Istanbul 90-80 at Palau Blaugrana in Round 22 on Friday. Joan Penarroya's men improved to 13-9 on the season while Efes dropped to 10-12 and is on a five-game losing streak. Luca Banchi has now lost all three games he has overseen as Efes head coach.

Kevin Punter paced the winners with 15 points. Youssoupha Fall added 13, Jan Vesely and Juan Nunez each had 11, while Dario Brizuela and Chimezie Metu contributed 10 apiece for Barca. Elijah Bryant led Efes with 16 points. Shane Larkin and Vincent Poirier each added 13, while Darius Thompson had 10 for the guests.

Thompson got Efes going with a three-pointer, which Bryant followed with a jumper for a 0-5 lead. Fall scored around the basket, then Thompson and Tomas Satoransky traded triples before Poirier's alley-oop dunk restored a 5-10 Efes edge. Poirier erased Fall's dunk with another alley-oop slam, before a red-hot Thompson and Larkin each struck from downtown to boost the guests' lead to 9-18. Fall hit a fadeaway jumper and Nunez added a layup, igniting a 9-0 run that Alex Abrines capped with a bomb from beyond the arc. Stanley Johnson stepped up for Efes and Larkin buried another triple before Metu's dunk fixed the score at 22-24 after 10 minutes.

Metu buried a turnaround jumper early in the second quarter and Justin Anderson's three-pointer made Efes call a timeout at 27-24. Dan Oturu and Nunez traded layups and Metu's alley-oop slam made it a five-point game, 31-26. Oturu stepped up with a put-back layup and matched Metu's turnaround jumper with a close basket. Oturu kept pacing Efes before Derek Willis tied the game with a bomb from downtown, 35-35. Fall scored down low, igniting a 7-0 Barca run in which Brizuela followed a three-pointer with a floater, good for a 42-35 lead. Abrines matched Poirier's jump hook with a dricing layup, then PJ Dozier's three-pointer got Efes within 44-40. Punter buried a corner triple which helped Barca restore a 48-41 lead at halftime.

Jan Vesely dunked twice soon after the break and answered Larkin's three-pointer with a mid-range jumper to restore a double-digit Barca lead, 56-46. Bryant scored around the basket and Ercan Osmani added a driving layup to give Efes hope at 54-48. Larkin tried to change things for Efes, Punter and Bryant traded driving layups before Nunez gave his team a 59-52 margin. Bryant struck from beyond the arc and Larkin made it a two-point game, 59-57. Brizuela buried a three-pointer from the left wing and Metu's one-handed floater in the lane boosted Barca's lead to 65-57. Bryant hit an acrobatic layup to keep Efes within 65-59 after 30 minutes.

Nunez took over with a huge three-point play early in the fourth quarter. He found Vesely for a baseline jumper that made Efes call a timeout at 70-60. Poirier tried to ignite the guests' comeback with a floater, and Dozier improved Brizuela's jump hook with a three-point play. Nunez took over with a floater, but Poirier did better with a power layup and a fast-break slam, bringing Efes within 74-69. Punter sank a highly-contested triple and Fall's layup kept Barca out of trouble, 79-69, with over 3 minutes left. Satoransky buried a jumper that Osmani bettered with a bomb from downtown. Punter and Jabari Parker sealed the outcome from the foul line.

The hosts had six players score in double digits to go up to 13-9 in the standings


Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz got back to winning ways on Friday night, holding off the reigning EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos BC 91-77 at Buesa Arena. 

Baskonia holds off Panathinaikos, 91-77

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz got back to winning ways on Friday night, holding off the reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 91-77 at Buesa Arena. The win improved Baskonia to 9-13 on the season, while Panathinaikos lost its second straight to drop to a 13-9 record.

Baskonia took the lead for good in the second quarter, and controlled the game between Chima Moneke, Timother Luwawu-Cabarrot and the playmaking of Kamar Baldwin and Trent Forrest. Luwawu-Cabarrot paced the winners with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Moneke finished with 18 points, Baldwin had 15 points and 7 assists, while Forrest posted 12 points and 5 assists. Donta Hall netted 11 points for Baskonia, too. Meanwhile, Cedi Osman scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for Panathinaikos. Omer Yurtseven collected 14 points and 7 rebounds, Lorenzo Brown had 12 points and 6, while Kostas Sloukas dished 11 assists in the defeat.

Baldwin and Moneke got Baskonia going, before a euro step from Forrest capped an 8-0 run for a 13-6 lead. Brown ignited the Greens’ offense and Gabriel scored inside twice, but Baldwin nailed a three-pointer then connected with Donta Hall for an alley-oop slam. A layup from Luka Samanic made it a 10-point affair, and Baskonia held a 22-13 advantage after 10 minutes.

Panathinaikos started the second quarter strong with Lorenzo Brown running the offense, and Ioannis Papapetrou and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis sparking a 0-7 run to open the quarter. Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 6 points, including a transition triple, but Kalaitzakis hit one on the other end, with baskets also coming from Brown and Juancho Hernangomez as the visitors tied it at 32-32. But Moneke answered with a three-pointer and Hall had a three-point play, then in the final 90 seconds Baldwin and Luwawu-Cabarrot each hit a three-pointer to make it 48-38 at halftime.

Kendrick Nunn had a driving layup and a triple to open the second half, but Ilimane Diop and Moneke restored a double-digit lead. Brown’s triple started an 8-0 run, capped by 5 points from Yurtseven, as the Greens got within two points at 53-51. But Forrest nailed a jumper, Moneke converted twice from close range, then Forrest scored inside to open 62-51. Yurtseven stopped the bleeding with a pair of tip-ins, but Hall had another dunk and Samanic hit a corner triple to extend the margin to 70-57.

Osman got hot early in the fourth, with a layup and back-to-back triples, then Yurtseven’s alley-oop dunk got Panathinaikos within 73-67. Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Jerian Grant traded triples, before an 6-0 run that saw both Rogkavopoulos and Hall score again and open an 82-70 margin. Osman scored 6 more points, including another three-pointer, getting the visitors within 82-77 with 3:18 still on the clock. But the visitors did not score again, as Luwawu-Cabarrot and Moneke finished the job.

Baskonia ended its three-game losing streak.