EA7 Emporio Armani Milan continued with its winning ways, picking up its third straight win, a no-doubt-about-it decision against last-place ALBA Berlin on Tuesday. Milan improved to 12-9, while ALBA dropped to 3-18 record with its eighth straight loss.

Milan easies past ALBA, 100-68

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan continued with its winning ways, picking up its third straight win, a no-doubt-about-it decision against last-place ALBA Berlin on Tuesday. 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, Shavon Shields scored 16, Armoni Brooks netted 12 while Leandro Bolmaro had 11 points and 8 assists. For ALBA, Yanni Wetzell collected 13 points and 7 rebounds and David McCormack had 11 points.

Game Videos

McCormack scored ALBA’s first two baskets and Matt Thomas had a corner triple to help open a 6-9 lead. But a triple from Niccolo Mannion put the hosts in front, only for Thomas to hit another three and tie it at 13-13. Freddie Gillespie had a three-point play and LeDay made a three-pointer for the hosts, but ALBA stayed close with a pair of baskets from Ziga Samar, making it 23-19 after 10 minutes.

Will McDowell-White had a layup and a triple to get within 29-26, but layups from Brooks and Giampaolo Ricci and a three from Mirotic opened a 36-28 advantage. Gabriele Procida made an alley-oop dunk and a coast-to-coast layup, but Mirotic’s three-point play helped extend it to 41-32. However, Wetzell and Tim Schneider scored from close range and Procida had a steal and a runaway dunk to get within 47-43 at halftime.

Game News

Shields scored a pair of buckets before Mirotic nailed a tough corner jumper and Stefano Tonut made a layup for a 57-45 lead. McCormack converted a three-point play, but Shields strung together 8 points, including back-to-back triples, before a three-pointer from LeDay set a 68-50 margin. Thomas made a layup that snapped an 11-2 run, but a triple apiece from LeDay and Brooks helped the hosts to a 78-53 margin going into the fourth quarter.

Procida, Samar and Wetzel opened the fourth quarter with a 0-6 run, but Mirotic hit 3 three-pointers, including two from way downtown that made it to 90-63 as Milan cruised to a victory.

A big third-quarter run made all the difference 

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

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade issued a statement of intent with an overwhelming 62-93 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, which improved the Serbian team’s regular season record to 10-11 while the hosts dropped to 9-12. 

Vintage Partizan crushes ASVEL, 62-93

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade issued a statement of intent with an overwhelming 62-93 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, which improved the Serbian team’s regular season record 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, as Sterling Brown chipped in with 16 and Brandon Davies added 11. At the other end, Melvin Ajinca was the only home player in double digits with 14 points.

Partizan hit top gear from the start as the visiting team sank 6 of 7 shots from deep in the first quarter, with Brown nailing 11 points to propel the Serbian side into a 20-31 lead at the end of the opening period. Partizan also took much better care of the ball as it dished out 9 assists and committed just 1 turnover, while the home team had a mere 3 assists while committing 4 turnovers.

ASVEL was unable to take advantage of Partizan’s offensive woes in the second quarter as the visitors ramped up their defense and eventually held on to their advantage, although the French team at one point slashed the deficit to 31-35.

Lundberg was instrumental in keeping Partizan in the driving seat as he sank a pair of clutch threes late in the first half, enabling his team to take a 34-45 advantage into the locker room at the interval to delight a large and vociferous bad of traveling Serbian fans.

Any hopes of a comeback ASVEL might have had were vanquished in the third quarter as Partizan fired on all cylinders at both ends and won the period 9-29, with Davies catching fire to sink all his 11 points down the stretch. Defensively, Partizan’s EuroLeague debutant Arijan Lakic totally stifled ASVEL’s top performer Theo Maledon, who was confined to just 7 points on 0-of-6 shooting from the floor.

Partizan romped away to 45-80 early in the fourth and kept its foot on the gas all the way, with Tyrique Jones putting the icing on the cake with some spectacular dunks while many of the home supporters left the gym in a hurry well before the final buzzer.

The visitors produced a flawless performance for their biggest win of the season 

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

Sasha Vezenkov went third on the EuroLeague's all-time single-game scoring charts with 45 points in Olympiacos BC's win over FC Bayern Basketball last week, but how does that performance rank among the top scoring games in modern EuroLeague history?

Ranking the top EuroLeague scoring performances of the last 20 years

By scoring 45 points in [Olympiacos Piraeus’s 112-69 win over FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sasha-vezenkov-makes-history-as-olympiacos-thrashes-bayern-112-69/) last week, [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) registered the third-highest scoring output in the modern Turkish Airlines EuroLeague annals.

Only two players have scored more than Vezenkov in a game: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) with the all-time record of 50 points and Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) with 49.

When it comes to the last 20 years there are just two more players who have reached the 41-point mark: [Tyrese Rice](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyrese-rice/003367/) with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and [Bobby Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bobby-brown/000129/) of Montepaschi Siena.

The rareness of 40-point games is a testament to how difficult it is to put up such numbers in the EuroLeague. It requires a lot of talent, skill, effort and – when it comes to breaking records – a fair amount of team coordination as well.

It’s no coincidence that all players who appear on the list have some notable individual distinctions, ranging from multiple All-EuroLeague selections to the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer award and Final Four MVPs.

While all these feats are impressive in their own right, some carry more significance than the rest for reasons outside of sheer numbers. Eurohoops ranked the highest-scoring performances of the last 20 years based not only on how stunning they were but also on their importance, difficulty, how much they mattered in the game they took place in, how each player made buckets, and how organically they reached their record.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1770615/ranking-the-top-euroleague-scoring-performances-of-the-last-20-years/).

The group of 41-point (or more) scorers in the EuroLeague now includes a fifth player

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Bayern Munich (2025-01-10T19:15:00.000Z)

Javier Gancedo of Euroleague.net and Vasiliki Karamouza of Sport 24 discussed a number of topics in Episode 16 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast, including Vasiliki and absent co-host Frankie Sachs of Euroleague.net breaking the 200-point mark. 

Episode No. 16 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is out now!

[Javier Gancedo](https://x.com/ganchetto) of [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) and [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://x.com/karamouza_vas) of Sport 24 discussed a number of topics in Episode 16 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast, including Vasiliki and absent co-host [Frankie Sachs](https://x.com/MrEuroleague) of [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) breaking the 200-point mark. 

They also touched on [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) star forward [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/)'s [monster performance against FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sasha-vezenkov-took-center-stage-on-historic-night-for-olympiacos/): 45 points, 52 PIR and 85.8 fantasy points if he was your team's captain! #VezforPrez

Other topics included [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/)'s coaching change, [Achille Polonara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/) and [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) as possible additions to afford Vezenkov in the short run, as well as discussed their trades and captain choices.

Check out the teams Javi and Vasiliki plan to use in Round 21, which begins at 20:00 CET on Tuesday when [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) hosts [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/). Good luck, fantasy managers!

Here comes the first double-round week of 2025, and it is a pivotal moment for EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge managers.

Fantasy tips, Rounds 21-22: Lots of good options!

Here comes the first double-round week of 2025, and it is a pivotal moment for [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) managers. 

After these two rounds, unlimited trades will be available before Round 23. A lot of players are doing really well lately and as always, I am here to recommend you players who can give you the extra boost in both private league and the overall standings. Here are my recommendations for Rounds 21 and 22.

Matthew Strazel, Vincent Poirier, Chimezie Metu, Omer Turtseven and Sterling Brown are featured in  this week's article.

EuroLeague Fantasy tips: Rounds 20-21

### Omer Yurtseven, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (10.7 credits)

It was a pretty obvious choice when Mathias Lessort got injured, but some managers needed further confirmation. Well, here it is. [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) earned Round 19 MVP honors with a PIR of 34 against Virtus, and went on to get 17 points, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 20 in Round 20 against Partizan. At 10.7 credits, he is a big opportunity in the game.

### Vincent Poirier, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (12.0 credits)  

Luca Banchi became Efes's head coach and according to his first two games, [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) is set to play a bigger role than before. In Round 20, Poirier had 14 points and a PIR of 19 against ASVEL. That's his highest PIR since getting 25 in Round 8 against Monaco. He also got a double-digit PIR in Turkish League action. Time to sign Poirier? I say 'yes'.

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDu5eFqizp5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDu5eFqizp5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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### Chimezie Metu, FC Barcelona (11.6 credits)  

Listed as forward in the game, [Chimezie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chimezie-metu/013379/) is now seeing playing time at center due to injuries and coach Joan Penarroya's latest roster adjustments. He was really effective against Monaco, getting 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a PIR of 14. In the last three games since he came back from injury, Metu averages a PIR of 18.0. Everything is clicking for him right now.

### Sterling Brown, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10.5 credits)

Another solid player in great shape lately. [Sterling Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sterling-brown/012720/) has been outstanding in the last two games, averaging 22.0 points on 13-of-19 two-pointers, 3.0 steals and a PIR of 23.5. Brown has played 30 minutes or more in five of Partizan's last seven games – coach Zeljko Obradovic trusts him and Brown is doing whatever it takes to help Partizan get more wins.

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### Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco (7.1 credits)

He should be in every team right now. [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) has been nothing but extraordinary lately, averaging 12.6 points on 16-of-24 three-pointers and a PIR of 14.2 in the last five games. In Rounds 19 and 20, he boosted those numbers to 16.5 points on 9-of-11 three-pointers and a PIR of 20.5. All for just 7.1 credits. What's not to like about Strazel? 

Take advantage of this latest double-round week

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

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

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

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

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-01-16T19:30:00.000Z)

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

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

The first two-round week of 2025 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague takes flight on Tuesday, with Round 21 delivering a series of crucial clashes in the race for the playoffs. This is what we can look forward to.

Round 21 at a glance: January's two-round week is here

The first two-round week of 2025 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague takes flight on Tuesday, with Round 21 delivering a series of crucial clashes in the race for the playoffs. This is what we can look forward to.

## Tuesday, January 14

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

A pair of direct rivals just outside the top 10 will attempt to boost their playoff hopes as ASVEL (9-11) hosts Partizan (9-11). The French team again showed its quality by winning at Efes last time out and the brilliance of [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) (18.6 points and 4.4 assists per night) is continuing to give freedom to veteran [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/), who has double-digit PIRs in six straight games. Partizan has blown hot and cold in recent games but has been boosted by the return of [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/), with the Danish guard combining 16 points with 7 boards in last week’s loss at Panathinaikos. [ASVEL triumphed 79-82](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-stuns-partizan-for-first-road-win-79-82/) when the teams met in Belgrade in December behind 21 points from Maledon, so it will look to wrap up a head-to-head advantage on Tuesday.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: De Colo vs. Lundberg

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

High-flying Olympiacos (14-6) will attempt to protect its position as league leader with a trip to inconsistent Baskonia (8-12). The hosts need to flip the script after losing three of its last four, while the Reds are aiming for a sixth straight win. Somehow stopping [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) will be a priority for Baskonia after the 2022-23 MVP recorded a remarkable 45 points in last week’s rout of Bayern, but that game also showed that Olympiacos is much more than a one-man team with seven different players registering double-digit PIRs. Pablo Laso’s injury-hit team will hope to receive more inspiration from forward [Nikos Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/), who has hit his best form of the season and recorded a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) in last week’s loss at Virtus.

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

Surging Milan (11-9) will attempt to strengthen its position in the top 10 with a visit from an ALBA (3-17), which is looking for its first win of 2025. The German team gained a rare victory when the teams last met, triumphing [105-101 in an overtime thriller](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/undermanned-alba-showed-incredible-fight-to-beat-milan-in-ot-105-101/) behind 28 points from [Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/) in Round 9. So Ettore Messina’s men will look to regain the defensive strength that has been evident in its last two games, holding Maccabi and ASVEL to just 74 and 66 points respectively. The impressive Round 20 win over Maccabi was also an offensive masterclass, delivering a season-high 107 points behind [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) making a highly promising full return to form with 18 points.

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

In a vital showdown, faltering Paris (11-8) will be desperate to end its five-game losing streak with a visit from an Efes team (10-10) also looking to recover winning ways. Last week’s loss at Zvezda, 85-69, was another sign that opponents have worked out how to defend against Paris, which converted only 34.7% of field goals and dished just 10 assists. The inside power of [Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/), who had 13 points and 7 rebounds, could help to establish a physical edge against an Efes team that has lost three in a row. The Turkish team is struggling offensively with an average of just 75.7 points over those defeats and will ask [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) (9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game) to meet the threat of Hayes.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Hayes vs. Poirier

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

Red-hot Real (11-9) will look to keep on climbing the standings with a visit from struggling Maccabi (5-15). The Spanish team fell against Maccabi earlier this season, with the now-departed Saben Lee providing 19 points in [a 79-78 thriller in October](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/lee-lifts-maccabi-past-real-79-78/). But Real has significantly improved since then and is chasing a sixth straight win, with last week’s 64-83 triumph at Zalgiris showing that Chus Mateo’s men are finding their best at both ends of the floor. [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) is an early MVP of the month candidate with an average of 15.2 points during his team’s winning run, and Maccabi needs [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/) to stay hot after netting at least 16 points in four of the last five games.

## Wednesday, January 15

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

After losing four in a row, Zalgiris (10-10) will target a return to winning ways against fast-improving Virtus (6-14). The Lithuanian team’s offensive struggles were highly evident in last week’s loss to Real Madrid, when only [Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/) (17 points) scored in double digits, and Coach Andrea Trinchieri needs to instill more fluidity in a team that could only net 19 field goals in that game. The possible absence of [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) through injury is another challenge against a Virtus team that has claimed half of its wins for the season in the last four games. The Italian team will attempt to exploit Zalgiris’s frailties through the scoring power of [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/), who's averaged 12.3 points across those three victories.

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

A major showdown is guaranteed as fifth meets fourth with in-form Zvezda (12-8) receiving a visit from Fenerbahce (12-7). Both teams are in good form, with Zvezda looking for a fifth straight win while the Turkish team has taken two in a row. Ioannis Sfairopoulos has already overcome Saras Jasikevicius this season, rolling to a 57-76 road victory in October behind a double-double from the outstanding [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) (18 points, 11 boards). He will be a major factor in this game after grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds in last week’s win over Paris, so Fenerbahce needs another big game from [Sertac Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/) after he netted 18 points against ALBA last time out. Fener has won just one of its last four on the road, so it will need nerves of steel in an electric atmosphere.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Giedraitis vs. Hayes-Davis

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

Two teams targeting a return to winning ways go head to head with Bayern (11-9) welcoming Monaco (13-7). Bayern coach Gordie Herbert labeled last week’s performance in the pummeling at Olympiacos as “embarrassing” and will be looking for a major reaction as his team looks to end a three-game losing streak. The long-range shooting of [Andreas Obst](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andreas-obst/004508/) (2.7 triples per night) will be answered by Monaco’s [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/), who has hit multiple three-pointers in five consecutive games. But visiting Coach Vassilis Spanoulis will focus his attention on the defensive end after being frustrated by a below-par defense in last week’s 84-98 home loss to Barcelona, and this could be a physical grind between two teams determined to show more fight than in last week’s losses.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Napier vs. Strazel

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

Expect a big-time battle between historic rivals as fast-rising Barcelona (11-9) welcomes a red-hot Panathinaikos team (13-7) aiming for a sixth straight win. The reigning champs brushed aside injury problems to down Partizan last week, with excellence from the backcourt pairing of [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) (14 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists) and league-leading scorer [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) (25 points). Barca also delivered a strong performance to win on the road at Monaco behind a career-high 27 points from [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/), and Blaugrana coach Joan Penarroya will be confident that his players can find the defensive answers to slow down a Green machine that has blasted at least 96 points in four of the last five games. The Round 13 meeting between the teams was a 90-89 thriller taken by Panathinaikos; expect a similarly close finale on Wednesday.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Brizuela vs. Nunn

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

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

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

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

Being able to score when the shot clock is winding down can make a world of difference in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Stats review: Finding success late in the shot clock

Round 20 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague saw [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) climb back above the playoff cut line with a road victory over an [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) team that was on top of the standings coming into the week. Building, losing, and regaining a 14-point lead that proved to be the final margin, it was likely the most impressive single-game effort of the season for coach [Joan Penarroya](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/penarroya-joan/?season=E2024)’s team as they look to bounce back from a 2-7 stretch to close 2024 and return to the Final Four after their streak of consecutive appearances was broken a year ago.

While there were several bright spots for Barca, the team's execution late in the shot clock was key to its ability to get separation from one of this season’s most dangerous offensive teams. The team scored 20 points over only 12 possessions with the clock winding down. Synergy defines short clock opportunities as any possession occurring with 4 seconds or less on the shot or game clock. Those possessions make up around 20% of all EuroLeague plays with teams typically falling with 15% and 25% depending on how consistently they grind the clock with a few outliers on both ends of the spectrum.

There is not as much variance in the frequency with which teams operate late in the clock as there is in the efficiency they score with when they do. On average teams score 0.84 points per short-clock possession — well behind the 0.98 average for half-court possessions that has contributed to this season’s near-record overall offensive efficiency numbers. With six teams scoring less than 0.80 points per late-clock possession, the challenges of making something out of nothing under time pressure is very real, and, at this level, tends to play out as more dribbling, fewer fouls, and an elevated percentage of rushed perimeter shots or contested attempts inside the arc.

As the table above shows, Barca has done a better job than anyone scoring late in the clock this season, edging Monaco by a fraction of a point.  While it might seem cliché, Barca does a good job staying cool under pressure. On the floor, that shows most often in the way it routinely makes the extra pass along the perimeter with only a few seconds on the clock — Barca rarely overthinks those swing passes.  The players also do not show much panic with the ball, picking matchups in some late-clock situations and rarely looking sped up doing so. The presence of [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) has helped with that; his efficiency hasn’t budged under pressure as he ranks among the league’s top-10 short-clock scorers, but Barca has gotten contributions from all over en route to the top spot here.

The same can be said for Monaco, which not only ranks near the top of the EuroLeague offensively with time running down, but defensively as well. Though that is somewhat unsurprising given its rise to the top of the standings this season, the route there might be. One would assume [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), who has routinely ranked among the most productive late-clock scorers in recent history, is lifting the club in those spots, but he ranks only fourth on the team in short-clock points this year as [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/), [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/), and [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) have all thrived to make Monaco so tough to stop under duress.

This season’s individual late clock scoring leader is [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) who not only has been prolific, but scored a tremendous 1.20 points per possession to help guide [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) to its lofty placement.  His ability to get downhill in a pinch to draw fouls stands out even more under time pressure.

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) has operated late in the clock more than any team in the EuroLeague with 25% of their possessions coming under such circumstances while [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/) ranks on the other end of the spectrum at just 16%.  [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) has been the most efficient defensive unit with the shot clock under 4 seconds, but [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) has been perhaps the most impactful unit forcing teams to operate deep into the shot clock a top-ranked 27.5% of the time.

While it represents just a small slice of the game, poise under time pressure is one of a number of little things teams rely on to win on the margins in the EuroLeague.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul strengthened its backcourt for the final part of the 2024-25 season with the addition of guard PJ Dozier who returns to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after making his debut last season playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

Efes adds PJ Dozier to its backcourt mix

Anadolu Efes Istanbul strengthened its backcourt with the addition of guard [PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/), the club announced on Sunday. Dozier (1.98 meters, 28 years old) returns to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after making his debut last season playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. He now and joins a team that made a coaching change last week when it [appointed Luca Banchi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-appoints-luca-banchi-as-head-coach/) as its head coach.

Dozier averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals last season in the EuroLeague with Partizan, starting in 22 of the 33 games he played. One of his best games came [against Efes in Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/87/#boxscore), when he posted 21 points on 4-for-7 three-point shooting, 5 assists and 3 steals.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">✍️ Başarılı oyuncu P.J. Dozier ile sezon sonuna kadar sözleşme imzaladık! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/ayqgdWib08">pic.twitter.com/ayqgdWib08</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1878480931192742308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Dozier last played with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA and made nine appearances in limited minutes this season. He totaled 7 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes with Minnesota. 

After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Dozier started his professional career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. He later played for the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings. Over seven seasons, Dozier racked up 145 NBA appearances despite injury problems, including an ACL injury suffered in December 2021. Well-know as a defensive specialist, Dozier has career averages of 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the NBA. During his career, he also played for Oklahoma City Blue, Maine Red Claws, Windy City Bulls and Iowa Wolves in the G-League.

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Walter Tavares had an off night but that didn't slow Real's defense 


Real shows full defensive strength in Kaunas

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) arrived to Kaunas in good momentum and faced the last opponent that beat *Los Blancos* in the competition, [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/?season=2024-25), which registered [an 83-92 victory at Movistar Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-overpowers-real-in-madrid-83-92/) in Round 15. Zalgiris was able to do something very important to hamper Real's defense: put [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) into foul trouble.

Tavares was limited to less than 11 minutes on the floor, finishing with 2 points, 3 rebounds, no blocks and 4 fouls. Real turned this problem into an opportunity, as [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/), [Eli Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/eli-ndiaye/009213/) and [Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/) all stepped up, seeing minutes at center and making sure Real lived up to the same defensive standards as when Tavares dominates the paint to get a good-as-gold [64-83 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-defense-pounds-zalgiris-into-submission-64-83/) at Zalgirio Arena.

Ibaka and Garuba each had a bigger impact on the game that what stats show, fighting for every loose ball, getting deflections and making life impossible for Zalgiris's big men [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/), [Laurynas Birutis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/laurynas-birutis/005504/) and [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/). Ibaka finished the game with 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 fouls. He scored 9 of those points in a second quarter in which Real entered trailing 26-15 and finished leading 34-35. 

Serge Ibaka, Eli Ndiaye and Usman Garuba lead Real Madrid's defense at Zalgirio Arena and contributed on offense, too.

Ibaka, Ndiaye, Garuba make things happen in Kaunas

Garuba added 4 points and 2 rebounds. Even though Garuba, Tavares and Ibaka combined for 13 fouls committed, Real still went to the foul line more times (26) than Zalgiris (22), which says plenty about its overall intensity and rhythm. Ndiaye excelled in many aspects of the game, finishing the game with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals for a PIR of 16, which matched his career-high, in less than 14 minutes. 

Smailagic scored 7 of his 9 points for Zalgiris in the final 7 minutes, when his team trailed 46-68. Dunston and Birutis combined for 6 points and 1 rebounds as Real ended up outrebounding Zalgiris by 31-40. 

"Congratulations to Real. We were not able to play anything on offense. When at this level, you are not able to get open, it is very difficult to play," Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trincheri said. "We were very slow, and then we lost confidence, and they were better. They deserved to win."

After a good first quarter in which Zalgiris made 6 of 11 three-pointers and led 10-7 in rebounds, Real improved its defense and went on to dominate the game. In the last three quarters, Zalgiris was limited to 34 points on 9-of-21 two-point shooting (42.9% 2FG), 2-of-17 three-point shooting (11.8% 3FG) and 11 turnovers. The hosts missed [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/), who played less than 3 minutes due to a sprained ankle. All that allowed Real to seal the outcome and the potential tie-break advantage long before the final buzzer.

"We played very good defense after the first half, and we knew how to control the game. If we are defending their three-pointers and control the rebounds, these are key points against this team," Real head coach Chus Mateo said. "Once we start to play defense, we could run. Once we got the advantage we were able to read the game really well and control it until the end."

It is bad news for the rest of the competition; even without Tavares, Real shined on defense thanks to Garuba, Ibaka and Ndiaye. That is a frontline that could pay dividends in crunch time this season.

Real Madrid showed full defensive strength in Kaunas

Zalgiris Kaunas v Real Madrid (2025-01-10T18:00:00.000Z)