Sylvain Francisco and Arnas Butkevicius both enjoyed huge roles as Zalgiris Kaunas ended its losing streak with a 77-68 win over Virtus Bologna in Round 21.

The Francisco and Butkevicius show brought joy back to Zalgirio Arena

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) is renowned for having some of the best fans in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, yet they arrived at Zalgirio Arena on Wednesday night having seen three straight defeats on their home floor and four successive losses overall. [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) and [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/), however, ensured that this time the supporters could go happy after [a 77-68 triumph over Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sylvain-francisco-scores-20-as-zalgiris-topples-virtus-77-68/).

Butkevicius certainly left his mark in the first quarter, recording 2 early steals, the second of which stopped an almost guaranteed bucket by Achille Polonara, who was alone under Zalgiris’s rim. When his deep three-pointer dropped, the hosts held a 16-4 advantage and the wind was in their sails, thanks in large part to the Lithuanian forward.

Needing a leader after a tough run that had seen Zalgiris lose to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (72-78), Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (95-78), Olympiacos Piraeus (85-92) and Real Madrid (64-83), Butkevicius was determined to be that man. His hustle on both ends was leading to loud roars from the crowd, no more so than when he chased back to block Alessandro Pajola before then hitting a three-pointer down the other end just eight seconds later. At the break, he had 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, emphasizing his do-it-all nature.

Francisco, meanwhile, had 6 first-quarter points but didn’t add to his tally again until the third, when he started the second half with a bomb from downtown – his third from 4 attempts. He added another triple in the third frame, but – as EuroLeague and Zalgiris fans have become accustomed to – he really showed his quality in the final stages.  

With his fifth three-pointer on the night early in the fourth, Francisco was finding get out of jail free cards for a Zalgiris offense that was starting to look stagnant. He also displayed his playmaking ability, driving to the rim but showing the patience needed to find teammate [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) for a dunk. Inside the final 2:11 minutes, that is when Francisco really stood up for Zalgiris.

Virtus was looking confident at 70-66 and Zalgiris found itself in the penalty, but Francisco showed great determination to lock in on Matt Morgan and block the guard’s shot, with the ball rebounding off the Virtus player and giving possession back to the hosts. At the other end, Francisco danced with Morgan before draining a mid-range jumper to put Zalgiris 72-66 ahead. But he wasn’t stopping there.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He delivered when it was needed the most. 🫡 <a href="https://t.co/7j7hZ5R97W">pic.twitter.com/7j7hZ5R97W</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1879635615253504057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Butkevicius almost put the win on ice with another deep three-point shot, but the ball bounced in and out, leaving the score 72-68 entering the final minute. Even if nerves could have set in, Francisco stayed ice-cold by driving past Andrejs Grazulis and scoring a layup with 40 seconds remaining to give Zalgiris a 74-68 edge, with Butkevicius and Francisco then converting free throws to secure the 77-68 victory – Zalgiris’s first of 2025 and first since December 17.

“I know we lost a couple of games, especially here. I think we fixed what we’re supposed to do. I think we were more locked in and made right decisions \[compared\] to other games,” Francisco told EuroLeague TV afterward.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A moment to remember! 💭💚 <a href="https://t.co/HUDWLkQaR1">pic.twitter.com/HUDWLkQaR1</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1879623632982540768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Certainly, with Butkevicius and Francisco stepping up at different points, Zalgiris got a taste of the winning feeling once more – something the fans more than deserved for their passionate, continuous support.

Game News

Both players were at their best in Round 21

Zalgiris Kaunas v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko beat KK Crvena zvezda 91-96 on the road to record its third successive victory in the EuroLeague, improving to 13-7, while the Serbian team dropped to 12-9 after suffering its first defeat in five games.

Rampant Fenerbahce earns big road win at Crvena Zvezda, 91-96

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 91-96 on the road to record its third successive victory in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, improving to 13-7, while the Serbian team dropped to 12-9 after suffering its first defeat in five games.

The lethal Nigel Hayes-Davis paced the visitors with a game-high 27 points, with Tarik Biberovic and veteran Nicolo Melli adding 16 apiece, the latter sinking his opening four shots from downtown as Fenerbahce went on to nail 17 of 35 behind the arc.

Marko Guduric produced an effervescent performance against his former club as he pulled all the strings on offense for Fenerbahce, posting 11 points and 8 assists while committing a single turnover.

Game Videos

At the other end, Codi Miller-McIntyre shined for Zvezda with a team-high 23 points and Isaiah Canaan chipped in with 17, of which 10 came in a third-quarter blitz when he bedazzled his markers with a pair of audacious floaters coupled with two long-range shots.

Filip Petrusev scored 12 points for Zvezda and Ognjen Dobric added 10, but the hosts were undone by poor defense which allowed the Turkish side a barrage of open looks as well as some easy points in the paint.

In addition, Fenerbahce took better care of the ball as it dished out 22 assists and managed 8 steals against only 6 turnovers, too much for while Zvezda’s tally of 16 assists, 11 turnovers and just 2 steals.

The hosts made a bright start and carved out a 24-21 lead at the end of the first quarter as they sank four of their opening five efforts from long range, but Fenerbahce turned the tide in the second as Melli and Biberovic found their range and buried Zvezda’s basket with an avalanche of three-pointers.

The visiting team hit 10-of-20 triples in the first half and took a 43-49 lead into the locker room at the interval. Fenerbahce carried on early in the third quarter right where they left off in the second, as Melli drained another one to give Fenerbahce a 45-55 advantage. Canaan then turned up the decibel level in the gym as he netted 10 points in a row for Zvezda, but Fenerbahce held firm and was still in cruise control, 61-70, ahead of the final 10 minutes of an absorbing contest.

Hayes-Davis, who gave his markers a roasting all night as he kept hitting shots from all over, hit top gear in the fourth to keep Fenerbahce in the driving seat as the Turkish team engineered an 80-92 lead in the home stretch. A late rally gave Zvezda a glimmer of hope as the hosts closed the gap to 91-94 in the final minute, but Guduric was ice cool from the foul line to make sure there was no last-gasp drama.  

The visitors shot the lights out from downtown to silence a raucous home crowd inside Belgrade Arena 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-01-15T19:00:00.000Z)

Jabari Parker had 19 of his 25 points in the second half as FC Barcelona beat Panathinaikos BC 82-73 in Round 21.

Jabari Parker leads Barcelona past Panathinaikos, 82-73

FC Barcelona grabbed its third consecutive victory by downing Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 82-73 at Palau Blaugrana in Round 21 on Wednesday. Barca improved to 12-9 in the standings while Panathinaikos dropped to 13-8 and saw its five-game winning streak come to an end. 

Jabari Parker paced the winners with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Dario Brizuela added 15 points while Alex Abrines had 12 for Barca, which also gained the potential head-to-head tie-break advantage against the Greens. Jerian Grant led Panathinaikos with 15 points, Cedi Osman added 14, Juancho Hernangomez tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds and Omer Yurtseven netted 11 points for the visitors.

Grant got Panathinaikos going with a four-meter jumper, igniting a 0-6 run in which Osman had 4 points. Parker scored in penetration and fed Youssoupha Fall for an alley-oop layup. After Grant struck from downtown, Fall responded by scoring twice in the paint. Kendrick Nunn's floater restored a slim Panathinaikos lead. Parker followed a baseline jumper with a driving layup that tied it at 12-12. Nunn beat the buzzer with a step-back triple and Wenyen Gabriel added a driving basket for a 12-17 Panathinaikos lead. Chimezie Metu dunked and Abrines erased Konstantinos Mitoglou's jumper with a tip-in. Kostas Sloukas and Metu exchanged baskets to fix the score at 18-21 after 10 minutes.

Abrines buried a floater early in the second quarter and Metu's turnaround jumper put Barca ahead, 22-21. Brizuela erased Gabriel's layup with a floater and soon gave his team a 26-23 edge. Jan Vesely hit a jump hook before Hernangomez got his team within 28-26. Sloukas struck from beyond the arc and Grant bettered Metu's jumper with a three-pointer that prompted Barca to call a timeout at 30-32. Osman scored off a wild spin move and Yurtseven finished a three-chance Panathinaikos offense with a dunk for a 30-36 lead. Hernangomez took over with a tip-in that made it 30-38 at halftime.

Parker and Hernangomez traded three-pointers right after the break. Abrines joined the three-point shootout and Parker dunked to bring Barca within 38-41. Tomas Satoransky added a fastbreak layup and Punter buried a triple that completed the hosts' comeback, 43-41, after a 10-0 run. Hernangomez scored around the basket and Osman erased Parker's jumper with a driving layup that tied it at 45-45. Parker buried another turnaround jumper and bettered Grant's backdoor layup with a bomb from downtown. Grant scored again, but a red-hot Parker and Brizuela each scored from beyond the arc, which caused Panathinaikos to stop the game at 56-49. Brizuela sank a floater and got help from Juan Nunez to boost Barca's lead to 59-50 after 30 minutes.

Brizuela insisted from downtown to make it a double-digit game, 62-52, early in the fourth quarter. Yurtseven dunked and fed Nunn for a baseline jumper that made Barca call timeout at 62-56. After Nunez buried a jumper, Yurtseven answered with a close basket. Parker gave Barca a 66-58 lead. Brizuela improved on Yurtseven's dunk with a wild off-balance triple. Yurtseven kept pushing the Greens with a reverse layup which Parker matched with another jumper. Osman took over with a wild fastbreak basket and Grant erased Kevin Punter's baseline jumper with an acrobatic layup. Vesely scored around the basket but Hernangomez answered from downtown to give Panathinaikos hope, 75-70, with 46.3 seconds left. Abrines made free throws and added a corner triple to seal the outcome in style.

The Barcelona forward scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half


FC Barcelona v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-01-15T19:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas recorded its seventh straight win over Virtus Bologna, ending its four-game EuroLeague losing streak in the process, by winning 77-68 on the back of 20 points by Sylvain Francisco.

Sylvain Francisco scores 20 as Zalgiris topples Virtus, 77-68

Sylvain Francisco’s fourth 20-point game this season proved key for Zalgiris Kaunas as it brought its four-game losing skid to an end against Virtus Segafredo Bologna, winning 77-68. Zalgiris has now won seven straight games against Virtus, with this victory improving Andrea Trinchieri’s men to an 11-10 record, while Dusko Ivanovic’s charges fell to 6-15.

Another key man in the victory was Arnas Butkevicius, who did a bit of everything with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Edgaras Ulanovas had his best scoring night of the season with 16 points, while Dovydas Giedraitis added 10 points. Virtus’s Isaia Cordinier netted 18 points and Toko Shengelia posted 12 points.

Giedraitis and Francisco knocked down three-pointers either side of a Laurynas Birutis bucket as Zalgiris raced out to an 8-0 start. Andrejs Grazulis’s tip-in got Virtus off the mark 2:06 minutes into the quarter, but the visitors looked lost at sea and found themselves 16-4 down when Butkevicius drained a three-pointer from the Zalgiris logo. Nicola Akele and Momo Diouf did offer a boost to Virtus, but Ulanovas went to the line a couple of times and later hit a triple on the turn to give Zalgiris a 25-11 lead, with the score 25-13 after 10 minutes.

When Lonnie Walker hit back-to-back three-pointers to open the second frame – his first and second shots of the game – it looked like there was going to be no way back for Virtus, with Zalgiris up 31-13. With those two makes, Zalgiris was 8 for 10 from downtown. Matt Morgan converted Virtus’s first triple to make it 31-16, and slowly but surely the impact of Alessandro Pajola and Cordinier started to be felt, with the hosts’ lead trimmed to 11 points at 35-24 after a Pajola three. A stunning sequence by Butkevicius saw him race back to block Pajola before converting a three on the other end, 38-24, but Shengelia came to the fore in the closing stages as Virtus reduced the deficit to nine points, 41-32, at halftime.

Despite Francisco’s three to start the second half, Virtus’s momentum continued and Pajola’s triple saw the visitors get within seven at 44-37. Ulanovas, Francisco and Butkevicius stepped up to give Zalgiris breathing room at 52-40. Even though Virtus fought back again to get within eight at 55-47, Ulanovas restored a double-digit lead at 58-47. Alen Smailagic’s corner three gave Zalgiris a 12-point lead, 61-49, but Matt Morgan made a couple of free throws to set a 61-51 score after 30 minutes.

The more the game went on, the more it seemed that things were falling in Virtus’s favor. A 9-3 Virtus run to open the fourth, capped by an off-balanced basket by Cordinier, got the visitors almost within touching distance at 64-60. Francisco’s patience allowed Smailagic to dunk, 66-60, but Zalgiris soon found itself in the penalty with 4 minutes to play. Virtus again got within four points on a couple of occasions, with Grazulis and Cordinier converting (68-64, 70-66), then Francisco took center stage. His block on Morgan was followed by a stop-and-pop mid-range jumper down the other end, 72-66, before driving and scoring a layup with 40 seconds remaining to give Zalgiris a 74-68 edge. Butkevicius and Francisco added the cherry on top from the line, as Zalgiris won 77-68.

Since returning to the EuroLeague in 2022, the Italian side has gone 0-6 in this fixture

The man who flipped the script for Olympiacos BC to beat Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 21 of the EuroLeague was Evan Fournier.

 Evan Fournier led with words and actions to keep Olympiacos top of the standings

Studies have shown that there are several kinds of leadership and different types of leaders. In basketball, you may encounter two certain types: those who lead by example through their actions and those who earn the respect of their teammates by being vocal on the floor. Well, [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) might well be one of the unicorns who fall into both categories.

Taking into account his illustrious career, Fournier may have nothing to prove on the court at the age of 32. Yet, on [Tuesday night at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-wins-overtime-thriller-at-baskonia-101-102/), the Frenchman showed that [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) may have discovered a rare species that particularly enjoys dealing with pressure.

On a night where Olympiacos struggled on defense due to the absence of key guard [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) and [Shaquielle McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) stepped up big time when their team needed them most. The former recorded a season-high 19 points to go with career highs of 8 assists and 28 PIR. The latter shot 8 for 11 from the field and scored 22 points.

Evan Fournier poured in 22 points against Baskonia

But the man who flipped the script for the visitors was none other than Fournier. A 0-8 surge to close the third quarter brought Olympiacos within 69-67 heading into the fourth. Yet, [Luka Samanic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luka-samanic/007579/) hit the ground running in the closing period, scoring 9 of his team’s first 11 points to restore an 81-75 cushion despite Olympiacos’s attempts to bounce back.

Enter Fournier, who led his team both vocally and by example. “It was about around the six-minute mark \[when\] Evan came up to us and said ‘it’s time to be leaders’ and for some reason that really resonated with us,” McKissic told EuroLeague TV after the game. “It was down 6 and at that point, I think the tides turned, we really started to believe and he came out and hit some incredible shots. Man, that was a good win.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WEMOVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WEMOVE</a> <a href="https://t.co/t0CzkfjoxJ">pic.twitter.com/t0CzkfjoxJ</a></p>&mdash; Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanFourmizz/status/1879306489678217653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Following a timeout, Olympiacos struggled to circulate the ball on offense before Fournier asked for it with just 5 seconds left on the clock. The experienced forward created some space for himself and unleashed one from way deep to bring Olympiacos within 81-78. 

Baskonia wouldn’t give up, with back-to-back baskets from Samanic and [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/) giving them an 85-78 cushion. But [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) scored inside before Fournier nailed his sixth triple of the night, cutting the deficit to 85-83. The switch had been flipped. 

Olympiacos may have needed overtime to down Baskonia, but the shift in morale had been achieved and a clear message had already been sent to and received by the hosts.

Despite this not being a dominant performance for the Reds, winning on nights like this is what builds the character of a title-contending team. And head coach [Georgios Bartzokas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/bartzokas-georgios/?season=E2024) is well aware of that.

“We consider this as one of the most important wins in the season,” he said in the post-game press conference. “We are still first in the rankings, we won the last four out of five games on the road and especially tonight where we didn’t have our best night.”

Having improved its record to 15-6, Olympiacos heads to the Spanish capital to take on [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) as leader of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. The upcoming battle between the two powerhouses will see either Olympiacos or Real get their six-game winning streak snapped. A potential victory at Movistar Arena would send a strong message to the rest of the top-four spot contenders. And in Fournier, Olympiacos has the player who can convey that message through words and actions.

The Reds' forward demonstrated again that he thrives under pressure

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-01-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Round 21 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, with five games on Tuesday and four on Wednesday.

Game Center: Round 21

## Wednesday, January 15

### [Zalgiris Kaunas 77-68 Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/zalgiris-kaunas-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2024/186/)

Sylvain Francisco’s fourth 20-point game this season proved key for Zalgiris as it brought its four-game losing skid to an end against Virtus, winning 77-68. Another key man in the victory was Arnas Butkevicius, who did a bit of everything with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Edgaras Ulanovas had his best scoring night of the season with 16 points, while Dovydas Giedraitis added 10 points. Virtus’s Isaia Cordinier netted 18 points and Toko Shengelia posted 12 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Zalgiris starts the EuroLeague double-round week with a W! 💚<br><br>(Presented by: Go3) <a href="https://t.co/78eLnJTTB5">pic.twitter.com/78eLnJTTB5</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1879619388275610009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 91-96 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2024/187/)

Fenerbahce beat Crvena Zvezda 91-96 on the road to record its third successive victory, improving to 13-7, while the Serbian team dropped to 12-9 after suffering its first defeat in five games. The lethal Nigel Hayes-Davis paced the visitors with a game-high 27 points, with Tarik Biberovic and veteran Nicolo Melli adding 16 apiece. Marko Guduric pulled all the strings on offense for Fenerbahce, posting 11 points and 8 assists while committing a single turnover. At the other end, Codi Miller-McIntyre shined for Zvezda with a team-high 23 points and Isaiah Canaan chipped in with 17. Filip Petrusev scored 12 points for Zvezda and Ognjen Dobric added 10.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Belgrad&#39;dan galibiyetle dönüyoruz! 💪<br><br>Tebrikler Fenerbahçe Beko! 👏<br><br>Maç Sonucu | Kızılyıldız 🆚 Fenerbahçe Beko: 91-96<br><br>Skor dağılımımız: Hayes-Davis 27, Melli 16, Biberovic 16, Guduric 11, Birch 8, McCollum 7, Zagars 4, Hall 4, Colson 3. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dx0b2fR4bX">pic.twitter.com/Dx0b2fR4bX</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1879636817148088666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [FC Bayern Munich 95-94 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fc-bayern-munich-as-monaco/E2024/189/)

Bayern returned to winning ways by edging Monaco 95-94 on Wednesday night at SAP Garden. The hosts led by the majority of the game, with Monaco trailing by as many as 23 points (46-23) midway through the second quarter. The visitors pulled off an epic comeback to take their first lead (88-90) with 1:25 left on the clock, but Shabazz Napier drilled a huge triple to win it for Bayern. The German side improved its record to 12-9, with Monaco dropping to 13-8. Carsen Edwards led all scorers with 25 points, while Nick Weiler-Babb netted a season-high 18 points. Napier and Booker nailed four triples each to finish the game on 17 points apiece. Mike James paced Monaco with 20 points, Jordan Loyd had 16, Matthew Strazel scored 14, Elie Okobo bagged 12 and Mam Jaiteh added 10.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 victory against Monaco 🥹 and such an 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞! 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYASM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYASM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tw3ZgiJb7E">pic.twitter.com/Tw3ZgiJb7E</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1879646476613378146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [FC Barcelona 82-73 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fc-barcelona-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/E2024/188/)

Barcelona grabbed its third consecutive victory by downing Panathinaikos 82-73 at Palau Blaugrana in Round 21 on Wednesday. Barca improved to 12-9 in the standings while Panathinaikos dropped to 13-8 and saw its five-game winning streak come to an end. Jabari Parker paced the winners with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Dario Brizuela added 15 points while Alex Abrines had 12 for Barca, which also gained the potential head-to-head tie-break advantage against the Greens. Jerian Grant led Panathinaikos with 15 points, Cedi Osman added 14, Juancho Hernangomez tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds and Omer Yurtseven netted 11 points for the visitors.

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GhXUoF_XwAAeTr4?format=jpg&name=large)

## Tuesday, January 14

### [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 62-93 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2024/181/)

Partizan overwhelmed ASVEL to improve to 10-11, while the hosts dropped to 9-12. Big man Tyrique Jones led a ferocious Partizan pack with 22 points in as many minutes on the court, shooting 9 of 10 from the floor as his only miss came by way of fumbling an alley-oop. Iffe Lundberg produced his most impressive performance of the season to register 18 points. At the other end, Melvin Ajinca was the only home player in double digits with 14 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Pobeda crno-belih u Lionu!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/xCGGelyarE">pic.twitter.com/xCGGelyarE</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1879273517084225890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 101-102 Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-olympiacos-piraeus/E2024/182/)

Olympiacos extended its winning streak to six games by defeating Baskonia in overtime. The Reds improved their record to 15-7, with Baskonia dropping to 8-13. Shaquielle McKissic and Evan Fournier paced Olympiacos with 22 points each, with Nigel Williams-Goss and Sasha Vezenkov scoring 19 apiece. For Baskonia, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led all scorers with 25 points, 21 of which came in the second half and overtime. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BKNOLY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BKNOLY</a> Game stats 📊 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cosmote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cosmote</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</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://t.co/EUImpkVAdz">pic.twitter.com/EUImpkVAdz</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1879285189807108231?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 100-68 ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-alba-berlin/E2024/183/)

Milan continued with its winning ways, picking up its third straight win, a no-doubt-about-it decision against last-place ALBA. Milan improved to 12-9, while ALBA dropped to 3-18 record with its eighth straight loss. Milan pulled away with a 21-3 run to end the third quarter, establishing a 25-point lead and never looking back. Nikola Mirotic led five Milan scorers in double digits with 21 points. Zach LeDay posted 18 points and 6 rebounds. For ALBA, Yanni Wetzell collected 13 points and 7 rebounds.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Once again over 1️⃣ 0️⃣ 0️⃣ points ✅🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/X8sC3lDgHb">pic.twitter.com/X8sC3lDgHb</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1879279801829412919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Paris Basketball 88-84 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/paris-basketball-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2024/184/)

Paris is victorious for the first time in more than a month, having beaten Efes 85-81 on the back of a solid team display. Five players got into double figures in scoring – TJ Shorts (17 points), Nadir Hifi (14), Collin Malcolm (12), Yakuba Ouattara (10), and Mickael Jantunen (10) – as Paris moved to a 12-8 record and remained in the top six of the standings. This win ended Paris’s five-game losing streak. Efes, meanwhile, had Elijah Bryant net a game-high 21 points, Vincent Poirier get a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, Shane Larkin net 13 points, and Darius Thompson add 12 points, but it was not enough. Luca Banchi is now 0-2 as Efes head coach, with the team now 10-11 and in the midst of a four-game losing skid.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WE ARE BACK. <br><br>Big team win tonight to end the negative streak. Let’s keep it going on Thursday fellas 🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/UHpnn1TyBm">pic.twitter.com/UHpnn1TyBm</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1879281000771162616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Real Madrid 116-113 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/real-madrid-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2024/185/)

Real Madrid edged Maccabi at Movistar Arena to extend its winning streak to six games in improving to 12-9, while Maccabi dropped to 5-16. Real and Maccabi set all-time records for most combined points in a non-overtime game (227), at halftime (120) and after three quarters (181). Facu Campazzo paced the winners with 31 points and Mario Hezonja added 25. Jaylen Hoard scored 19 and Roman Sorkin 17 for the visitors.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">🏁 FP: <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> 116 - 113 <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaccabiTLVBC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/N5qbq5jQxJ">pic.twitter.com/N5qbq5jQxJ</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1879285634885673277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Game Center: Bayern, Barca, Fener and Zalgiris all victorious tonight

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-01-14T19:00:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v ALBA Berlin (2025-01-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-01-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2025-01-14T19:45:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v AS Monaco (2025-01-15T19:30:00.000Z)

Here, you can find all the latest injury news surrounding all registered players in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

EuroLeague injury report: Round 21

Follow all the latest injury information for registered players in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, as reported by the clubs, and get your [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home?_ga=2.101462721.1199459303.1696273873-903329349.1669636775) teams up to date!

### ALBA Berlin

Matteo Spagnolo and Justin Bean are ruled out for ALBA's game at Milan on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.

- Louis Olinde missed Rounds 19 and 20.
- [Justin Bean](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/justin-bean-out-three-months-with-broken-wrist/) is out until early February after breaking his wrist.

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Stanley Johnson is questionable for Efes's game at Paris on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.

- [New signing PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-adds-pj-dozier-to-its-backcourt-mix/) has been registered and is expected to be available to play, according to the club.

### AS Monaco

Alpha Diallo is available for Monaco's game at Bayern on Wednesday, the club has confirmed. The rest of the roster are able to play.

- [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-basket-loses-alpha-diallo-to-knee-injury/), who last played in Round 14, is able to play in Round 21 after recovering from a knee injury.

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Baskonia has not yet sent an injury report for its game against Olympiacos on Tuesday.

- Markus Howard did not play in Round 20 due to a knock.
- [Tadas Sedekerskis is out with an injury](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-tadas-sedekerskis-suffers-thigh-injury/) in his thigh muscle, but no timetable has been set for his return.

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

Nemanja Nedovic and Mike Daum are ruled out of Crvena Zvezda's game against Fenerbahce on Wednesday, the club has confirmed.

- Milos Teodosic did not play in Round 20, but he is available in Round 21.
- Ognjen Dobric last played in Round 16 due to an ankle injury, but he did feature in the ABA League this past weekend and is available in Round 21.
- Branko Lazic has missed the last five rounds with a back injury, but he is available in Round 21.
- Mike Daum, who last played in Round 18, has undergone knee surgery, the club confirmed on January 9.

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

Ousmane Diop, Neno Dimitrijevic, Fabien Causeur and Josh Nebo are all ruled out for Milan's game against ALBA on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.

- Neno Dimitrijevic missed Round 20 due to an injury.
- Fabien Causeur missed Rounds 19 and 20 due to muscle discomfort.
- [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/josh-nebo-to-be-reevaluated-in-3-4-weeks/) suffered another injury in Round 17 and is expected to miss extended time, according to coach Ettore Messina.

### FC Barcelona

Alex Abrines is questionable while Nico Laprovittola is ruled out for Barcelona's game against Panathinaikos on Wednesday, the club has confirmed.

- Jan Vesely missed Rounds 19 and 20 due to a knee problem.
- [Nico Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nico-laprovittola-to-undergo-knee-surgery/) was ruled out for the season due to an ACL and meniscus injury.

### FC Bayern Munich

Bayern has not yet sent an injury report for its game against Monaco on Wednesday.

- Nick Weiler-Babb missed Round 20.
- Oscar da Silva missed Round 20.
- Bayern has been without Vladimir Lucic (muscle bruise) since Round 2.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Wade Baldwin and Scottie Wilbekin are ruled out for Fenerbahce's game at Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday, the club has confirmed.

- [Arturs Zagars](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/arturs-zagars-fenerbahce-beko-foot-injury/) has not played since Round 14 with a foot injury, but he is able to play in Round 21.
- [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/wade-baldwin-out-with-hamstring-injury/) has not played since suffering a hamstring injury in Round 16.
- [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-confirms-the-worst-scottie-wilbekin-has-torn-his-acl/) tore his ACL in Round 1 and is out.

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

ASVEL has not yet sent an injury report for its game against Partizan on Tuesday.

- Joffrey Lauvergne last played in Round 16.
- [Mbaye Ndiaye ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/mbaye-ndiaye-ldlc-asvel-out-for-several-months-with-knee-injury/)has ruptured the cruciate ligaments in his right knee and is likely out for the season.
- [Charles Kahudi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/charles-kahudi-out-for-four-weeks-with-groin-injury/) is out until mid-January with a groin injury.

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Maccabi has not yet sent an injury report for its game at Real Madrid on Tuesday.

- Jasiel Rivero returned to action in Round 20.

### Olympiacos Piraeus

Thomas Walkup (back), Tyler Dorsey (illness), Keenan Evans (knee), and Moses Wright (long-term illness) are ruled out for Olympiacos's game at Baskonia on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.

- Evan Fournier and Kostas Papanikolaou missed Round 20 due to a virus, but both played in the Greek League this past weekend.
- [Moses Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/moses-wright-out-for-the-season-with-health-issue/) is out for the season with a health issue.
- [Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-star-keenan-evans-out-long-term-after-knee-surgery/) remains sidelined after undergoing knee surgery. He has not yet been registered for the competition.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

Kostas Antetokounmpo, Marius Grigonis and Mathias Lessort are ruled out for Panathinaikos's game at Barcelona on Wednesday, the club has confirmed.

- Lorenzo Brown missed Round 20, but he is available in Round 21.
- Kostas Sloukas, who missed Round 20, returned to action in the Greek League this past Sunday and is available in Round 21.
- [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/all-euroleague-center-mathias-lessort-leaves-game-with-leg-injury/) suffered a broken fibula in Round 17 and will miss several months.
- Marius Grigonis (lower back surgery) has not played since Round 4.

### Paris Basketball

Paris has not yet sent an injury report for its game against Efes on Tuesday.

- Daulton Hommes has not yet played this season.

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Duane Washington (illness), Vanja Marinkovic and Mitar Bosnjakovic are all ruled out of Partizan's game at ASVEL on Tuesday, while Frank Ntilikina is not expected to play and Isaac Bonga and Aleksej Pokusevski could return, the club has confirmed.

- Vanja Marinkovic has not played since Round 16 due to an Achilles injury.
- Mitar Bosnjakovic (ankle) last played in Round 16.

### Real Madrid

Real Madrid has not yet sent an injury report for its game against Maccabi on Tuesday.

- [Gaby Deck](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-loses-gabriel-deck-to-torn-hamstring/) is sidelined with a torn hamstring.

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna

Will Clyburn is ruled out while Toko Shengelia and Ante Zizic are questionable for Virtus's game at Zalgiris on Wednesday, the club has confirmed.

- Ante Zizic missed Round 20.
- [Will Clyburn is out until mid-March](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/will-clyburn-virtus-bologna-out-at-least-10-weeks-with-foot-injury/) due to a foot injury.
- Toko Shengelia has not played since Round 15.

### Zalgiris Kaunas

Sylvain Francisco, Lonnie Walker and Deividas Sirvydis are all questionable for Zalgiris's game against Virtus on Wednesday, the club has confirmed.

- Matt Mitchell did not play in Round 20.
- Tomas Dimsa, who has not been registered, remains out with a shoulder injury.

Stay up to date with the latest information provided by the EuroLeague clubs

Injury report, Round 21: Diallo returns; Abrines, Walker, Shengelia questionable

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 21 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: Round 21

## Wednesday, January 15

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (19:00 CET)

**Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach**

"Another team that is very hot. Virtus is playing very well with a lot of energy, winning games at home and on the road, and of course we are not in the best moment. We need to think one game at a time, we need to focus on our performance, improving our game offensively and defensively. We just need to regroup, to man up, and to try to find new chemistry with all of these players \[who have been dealing with\] injuries. To be honest, it's a complicated moment for the team, for the coaches, and having this kind of schedule doesn't help because we are playing all the best teams, or the hottest teams at the moment. I believe that if we are able to match Virtus's energy, it will help us a lot. It will give us a very good opportunity to have a good performance."

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

"Zalgiris is a really good team, especially when they play at home: they play hard, with very good defense. They need a win, so do we, so we will have to fight until the end."

**Matt Morgan, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard**

"Zalgiris is a really good team and plays in a great atmosphere at home. We will have to play together for 40 minutes, with no down moments, being careful to manage the pace of the game to bring home a win."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:00 CET)

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

"Fenerbahce is a team that has quality and is built to go to the Final Four. We have to be very concentrated, to play according to the plan. We want to play with a lot of energy, but be smart at both ends of the court. I expect all the players to be ready to fight, I expect the stands to be full and the fans to support us for the entire 40 minutes."

**Ognjen Dobric, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward**

"They play well, although it varies with ups and downs, but when you look at the table, they are always at the top. We know what Fener is and what quality they have. We cannot underestimate them. The win in Istanbul can be a rep for this one, but we can't go into the match lightly because we beat them there. It will be far from an easy game. It doesn't matter that we play in front of our fans. It will be a big fight, for sure."

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

"Zvezda is in great shape. One of the best teams in the EuroLeague. A veteran team that knows how to play. We have to talk about their team play, their guards, a lot of scoring options by \[Nemanja\] Nedovic and \[Isaiah\] Canaan. And most importantly, we need to handle the pressure of Belgrade Arena."

**Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward**

"It’s a tough game. Very tough environment. I think we have one game less but only one win divides us. A week in the EuroLeague this year can make a huge difference. So we need to try to win there and make the difference with the point difference. This double week is gonna be tough, like every double week. So we need to focus on one game at a time and we will try to do our best like usual."

### FC Bayern Munich vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)

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

"It’s great to be back in our arena and playing in front of our amazing fans. However, Monaco has an incredible amount of individual quality. In the first game at their place, we struggled against their physical defense and athleticism. We’ll only be able to hold our own against them if we focus on our defense and approach the matchups with determination."

**Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach**

"We're ready for the double week. We've got two road games and we're going to play them trying to play at our true level. The last game wasn't very good against Barcelona, so we're going to show a better image and all our good things on the court during this week, starting in Munich. We're concentrating solely on that game."

**Jordan Loyd, AS Monaco guard**

"We've got a big week ahead of us. We've got a bitter taste in our mouths after the Barcelona game. Everyone at the club was disappointed. But at the same time, we know that it's only one game and that we can do much better. We've prepared well this week, and I think we're looking forward to bouncing back after a tough defeat. Against two good teams. First Bayern, then Red Star, away from home. And I think the guys are excited. The EuroLeague is a marathon. We know we can't win it all in one game, but we want to take steps in the right direction. So we're very motivated to get back on the floor on the European stage and do everything we can to erase that bad game against Barcelona."

### FC Barcelona vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CET)

**Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach**

"If we have Sunday's game in mind \[a Spanish League game that may determine Barcelona's future in the Spanish Cup\], we won't do well tomorrow or Friday, because Sunday's game is far away. We have a good chance to win at Palau, in a competition that is very close. There is no Sunday, there is Wednesday. We are focused on Panathinaikos. It is very difficult to say who is the best \[player in the EuroLeague\], but it is clear that \[Kendrick Nunn\] has a tremendous impact. He is one of those who has impacted me the most live. We are talking about a super player in a superb level of form. But Panathinaikos is much more than just him."

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

"We are well aware of the team’s history. My focus is solely on this game; what happened in the past is irrelevant. It will undoubtedly be a tough match. So far, Barcelona had a lot of ups and downs, but last week they secured a significant victory in Monaco. Additionally, playing at home boosts their confidence, and they are likely to play aggressively. We know them as a team. We are in good shape ourselves. We'll aim to play good basketball, maintain an aggressive defense, and secure the win because we understand how important this game is."

**Wenyen Gabriel, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center**

"I know we have a very strong team. It may have been twelve years since our last victory there, but I feel we can win anywhere. That’s the goal. We have tremendous talent. This team won the EuroLeague title last year and kept its core intact. Personally, I’m doing whatever it takes to help the team win—whether that means scoring or playing defense. It will be a tough battle."

## Tuesday, January 14

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:00 CET)

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

"We played against them here almost a month ago. For most of that game, we performed well, but unfortunately, we lost in a close finish. After yesterday's game in Čačak, we had a training session that was more focused on analysis, though we also worked on some adjustments based on our approach in that first game. We’re aware of who their key players are and what needs to be done. The key will be to respond much better than we did in Athens, and I expect the team to show a far better approach compared to the game against Panathinaikos."

**Iffe Lundberg, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard**

"I expect a very intense game, first and foremost. Obviously, both teams are in a situation where every game matters, and from our perspective, this double week is extremely important. We need to be 110% focused on both games, but it’s going to be fun. They are a very physical team, and we have to match their intensity."

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CET)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"They try to control the pace, and that defines the game development. That’s why we must know when is the right time to attack and how we must defend. It is going to be a tough game. They have big motivation despite the fact that they are not under pressure, since, in my opinion, it’s difficult to make it to the playoffs. They have talented players, they play fast, they shoot well, and they can hurt anyone, especially if you make the mistake of underestimating them."

**Evan Fournier, Olympiacos Piraeus forward**

"When playing away, your goal is always to play with physicality, and you want to control the pace. That’s how we will approach the game against Baskonia. We have to make a good first period, and then we just have to stay faithful to ourselves. We must play Olympiacos basketball."

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. ALBA Berlin (20:30 CET)

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

"Our record against ALBA Berlin in recent seasons speaks for itself (5-6). ALBA is a team that always puts us in trouble with its energetic play, made up of movement without the ball, cuts, defensive readings, pace and fast-break opportunities. We know that the game requires great attention on both ends of the floor and that to win we cannot limit ourselves to expressing ourselves on just one part of the game."

### Paris Basketball vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)

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

"One more double week and as we know it is a very difficult schedule. We will have tough games on the road, starting from Paris, which will be one of our contender for the best position in the rankings. After the experience from the previous game, we really wish our team to be more conscious of the level of concentration and effort that we need to beat such a talented team. Let's go game by game and try to take advantage of our quality and our roster to take the maximum possible from this long trip."

**Vincent Poirier, Anadolu Efes Istanbul center**

"Paris is a team that we know they are really fast and dangerous when they get confidence. So we need to control the tempo of the game and compete at the maximum level. We have to control the rebounds, control the scorers and defend the pick and rolls with TJ Shorts, I think this will be the key of the game. We need to compete and try to win the game. We're getting in a better shape and I think that this week would be important for us to get back to winning mentality."

### Real Madrid vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:45 CET)

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

"We are being helped by the mentality we have adopted, a tough team mentality to overcome adversity in difficult moments when we have not started the games well, and that has allowed us to turn the situation around and everyone is contributing. We have to take care of ourselves physically, we must not load the team too much, because we must give 100% in every game. Regardless of whether we play well or badly, we have to be ready to win. We are doing a good job mentally and we must identify well the strengths of the teams we face. Tomorrow our opponent is Maccabi, a team that physically is extraordinary. One of their biggest threats is rebounding and they are also unpredictable. They do very good things at times and yet their ranking is not at the level of the game they play. We lost at their place by one point in the last second and we would like to make up for that defeat."

**Hugo Gonzalez, Real Madrid forward**

"We are coming from a week in which we have played four games and we face what is coming with a positive attitude. All EuroLeague games are key and even more so this doubleheader against two teams that defeated us in the first round like Maccabi and Olympiacos. Tomorrow we play against Maccabi and in Belgrade we already saw how difficult it is to play against them. They are an opponent that we respect a lot and that will demand our maximum concentration if we want to beat them. We are getting closer together and all the players are contributing something in one way or another. This is what is allowing us to grow and add victories, and that is the path we have to follow."

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

"We are heading into a very tough week with two strong and home-oriented teams. We need to prove to ourselves, and then everyone will feel that we understand the importance. Proper body language is key. We have objective reasons for how we are performing right now. This is the stage of the season when things usually come together, and teams start playing better. For us, that hasn't been the case this season. In fact, it's the opposite—we are playing worse than we did during the preseason, for various reasons."

**Jaylen Hoard, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward**

"We have to compete really hard \[this week\]. I feel like the last game, we were not really fighting. It's disappointing because in basketball, making shots and things like that, you can't really control that. But your effort and your energy, you can control those things. We just need to do a better job with that. We've shown it at times during the season, but we just have to put it together for longer stretches to avoid having so many losses. It's going to be more fun for me, for sure (returning to France to play Paris). My family's going to be at the game, so that's going to be fun. I'm going to be able to enjoy that, playing in front of them is always amazing. I feel like it's going to be a good week – Madrid, Paris, two good cities – so we're going to try to enjoy everything and get two wins."

Pregame quotes hub: 'The EuroLeague is a marathon'

Real Madrid and Maccabi Tel Aviv BC offered a scoring battle that will be forever remembered, combining for 229 points, a new all-time record for a game with no overtimes. 


Real Madrid, Maccabi made history in Round 21 

It is the most repeated game in European basketball history, and on Tuesday night it certainly didn't disappoint.

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) and [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/) faced each other for the 73rd time and made sure no one forgot this one, delivering one of the most intense showdowns in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history as both teams combined for 229 points, a new all-time record for a game with no overtimes. 

Fortitudo Bologna and Zalgiris Kaunas had the previous record for over 20 years, as both teams combined for 224 points when Fortitudo beat Zalgiris 117-107 on January 22, 2004. 

Tanoka Beard of Zalgiris Kaunas finished that game with a PIR of 63, still an all-time EuroLeague record. That same season, Fortitudo made it to the 2004 EuroLeague Championship Game and Zalgiris was one painful loss away from making it to the Final Four. Maccabi was on the winning side on both occasions.

There's more. Real and Maccabi combined for 120 points at halftime, and for 181 points after three quarters, shattering all previous records. The previous record for most points in a first half was shared by Ural Great Perm and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne with 116 points (59-57) on January 30, 2002. Fortitudo and Zalgiris combined for 175 points (90-85) in that game in Bologna back in 2004.

There were several club records, of course. Maccabi made all of its 26 free throws, a new club record and the fourth-best mark in EuroLeague history. Real holds the record with 34 free throws made, none missed, against Ural Great on March 27, 2002. The Israeli side's 63 first-half points tie a club record and is the highest scoring mark before the break in any road game.

Facu Campazzo of Real Madrid amassed a PIR of 43 in Round 21 against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv: a new career-high!

Campazzo has career night against Maccabi

[Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) finished the game with a career-high PIR of 43, getting 31 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. He was the only player to miss a free throw in this game; in addition to Maccabi not missing any, Real went 24 of 25 from the foul line. 

There were some unexpected facts in such a high-scoring game. [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) had 25 points but saw his 30-game streak of hitting at least one three-pointer come to an end, going 0 for 4 from downtown. [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) did not shoot in this game, too. During his 257-game career, Tavares had not attempted a single field goal just four times before this game, but he'd always gone to the foul line at least twice. Not this time.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">👊 ¡SEGUIMOS! 👊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/CL88JULJVu">pic.twitter.com/CL88JULJVu</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1879287259754840223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was kind of ironic that arguably the most important play of the game was a defensive stop. With 27.5 seconds left and Real leading 114-113, *Los Blancos*' defense forced Maccabi to pick up a 24-second violation. Campazzo drew a foul, made free throws and after a timeout, [Levi Randolph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/levi-randolph/013382/) missed a three-point shot by a long distance.

Next, Real takes on [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) on Thursday, with both teams coming into this showdown on six-game winning streaks. If you take my recommendation, cancel all of your plans and get ready to watch one of the best games that basketball can offer in the world right now. You won't regret it.

The two teams offered a scoring battle that will be forever remembered
