Nando De Colo is just the second-ever player in the EuroLeague to reach 4,500 points – joining Mike James.

Nando De Colo and his journey to 4,500 points

The 4,500-point club contained just one man, [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), until Thursday night. During [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s 87-85 triumph over Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/neal-sakos-block-at-buzzer-gives-asvel-first-victory/) at the Astroballe, [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) joined James after scoring 16 points and moving to 4,502 points in his 297-game Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career.

Midway through the third quarter, De Colo stepped back from mid-range – forcing ex-CSKA Moscow teammate [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) to touch the floor in the process – before seeing his shot drop and moving to 12 points, which took him one score shy of 4,500 points. In the end, he reached the 4,500-point mark by driving to the rim for a layup with 2:45 minutes to go in the fourth.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">And still counting… 🐐 <a href="https://twitter.com/NandoDeColo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NandoDeColo</a> a atteint la barre des 4500 points inscrits en Euroleague en carrière hier soir dans notre victoire face à Bologne ! 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Only25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Only25</a> <a href="https://t.co/BOS9tfga3X">pic.twitter.com/BOS9tfga3X</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1844683802179698803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Frenchman has wowed EuroLeague fans for 12 seasons now and even at 37, it still seems he has something left in the tank. There is no denying De Colo’s legendary status in the league, with just a faint glance at his roll of honors being enough to underline his greatness: two EuroLeague championships (2016, 2019), one EuroLeague MVP (2015-16), one Final Four MVP (2016), one Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy (2015-16), and six All-EuroLeague selections – three in the First Team (2016-18) and three in the Second Team (2014-15, 2018-19, 2020-21).

But, how did De Colo make his way to 4,502 points and join James, the EuroLeague’s all-time leading scorer on 4,649 points?

### Bursting onto the scene with Valencia

His rookie EuroLeague season came back in 2010-11 after leading Valencia Basket to the 2010 BKT EuroCup title. Aged 23, De Colo looked right at home in Europe’s premier club competition, helping Valencia reach the Top 16 and later the playoffs. He scored in double figures in nine of his 19 appearances that year, netting a season-high 17 points at Zalgiris Kaunas in the fifth game of the Top 16. Valencia ended up falling in Game 5 of the playoffs to Real Madrid, but De Colo’s average of 10.1 points per night had caught the attention of many – particularly in the United States.

De Colo, who was selected with the 53rd overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2009 NBA Draft, ended up staying with Valencia as it dropped down to the EuroCup for the 2011-12 campaign, but the summer of 2012 saw him make his long-awaited move stateside. Between 2012 and 2014, he made 98 appearances for the Spurs and played 21 games for the Toronto Raptors before deciding to return to Europe with CSKA.

### Becoming a star at CSKA

A powerhouse on the old continent, De Colo’s arrival at CSKA saw the team become the outright favorite to win the EuroLeague, having reached three straight Final Fours but failed to get over the line in any of them. What CSKA got in De Colo was a new animal compared to the one EuroLeague fans had seen in 2010-11, with the Frenchman averaging 14.4 points per game (403 points overall) and scoring 10 or more points in 21 of his 28 appearances in 2014-15, including in eight games straight to start the Top 16. While CSKA made a fourth successive trip to the Final Four, it could not get past the semifinals.

The following season was arguably De Colo’s best-ever campaign in the EuroLeague. Impressively, he upped his scoring average by five points per game in 2015-16 (19.4 ppg.) and had a double-digit number of points in all but one of his 27 games as CSKA won its seventh EuroLeague title and its third of the modern ea. What’s more, De Colo scored 20 or more points 11 times, including 30 in the semifinal and 22 in the championship game. His total of 525 points was the first time he had broken the 500-point barrier. In the space of one year, De Colo had done enough to establish himself as the league’s best player.

There was no slowing down by De Colo to start the 2016-17 season, neither, as he averaged 19.4 ppg. and guided CSKA to a fifth straight Final Four. Again, he had just one single-digit game across 28 appearances, while he hit at least 20 points in 15 games, all of which were in the regular season. To date, the 2016-17 campaign remains the season in which De Colo has scored the most points: 534.

From the archive: Nando De Colo highlights

That said, the 2017-18 season was almost identical points-wise as De Colo poured in 533 points, albeit in four more games (32). CSKA made it to yet another Final Four – its sixth straight – and while the Frenchman remained one of the top players in the EuroLeague, there was an ever-so-slight comedown in relation to the previous two years. He still hit double figures for points in 27 of his 32 appearances, numbers any player in the league would be delighted with, but his scoring average dropped to 16.7 ppg., still a remarkable figure.

De Colo’s final year in Moscow came in 2018-19, and he went out with a bang. While he had his lowest scoring average since arriving in Russia, 14.7 ppg., he still had 10 points or more in 26 of his 34 appearances. In the postseason, De Colo notably increased his averages, averaging 18.0 points – and scoring 28 and 27 points, respectively in Games 3 and 4 – as CSKA swept Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz before posting 19.0 points at the Final Four. He had 23 points against Real Madrid in the semifinal and 15 in the championship game against Anadolu Efes Istanbul as he secured his second EuroLeague title. That year was the fourth straight season in which he had scored 500 or more points, finishing 2018-19 with 501.

The Insider EuroLeague Documentary: "Nando: Tour de Force"

### A new adventure

In the summer of 2019, De Colo signed for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, but it was a season to forget in 2019-20. Although De Colo did well on an individual basis, averaging 15.9 ppg. in 24 games (382 total points), Fenerbahce failed to make the playoffs – the first time that had happened to the Frenchman in the EuroLeague.

The following season, 2020-21, De Colo had the fifth 500-point season of his career as he finished with 507 points and averaged 15.8 ppg. in 32 games. Fenerbahce returned to the playoffs and had to face CSKA, with De Colo scoring 27 points in Game 1 and 22 points in Game 3, but it wasn’t enough as the Russian side swept the series.

Fenerbahce again missed the playoffs in 2021-22 in what proved to be De Colo’s last season at the club, with the veteran guard averaging 11.9 ppg. across 21 games in an injury-affected campaign. His 249 points that year was his lowest tally since his rookie season, when he had 191 points in 19 games with Valencia.

### Heading home

De Colo decided to come home to France in the summer of 2022 and managed to turn the clock back in 2022-23, scoring a total of 400 points (13.8 ppg.) in 29 games. In fact, he looked on course to break [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vassilis-spanoulis/juo/)’s all-time scoring record of 4,455 points heading into the 2023-24 season.

However, an injury suffered in Round 15 meant De Colo had to watch on as Mike James surpassed both himself and Spanoulis en route to taking the all-time scoring mantle. De Colo finished last season with an average of 12.2 ppg. (256 total points) in 21 games and did ultimately go above Spanoulis in the all-time scoring charts, although James had created a sizeable gap at the top.

Entering the 2024-25 campaign, he knew he needed just 19 points to reach 4,500 points and managed to reach that total in Round 2. De Colo is still one of the premier players to watch in the EuroLeague, despite his age, and ASVEL fans will be hoping he can move as close to 5,000 points as possible this season. Just 498 points to go…

Game News

Only one other player has previously reached this milestone in the EuroLeague

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-10-10T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahçe Beko had a successful night from three-point territory against Anadolu Efes in the Istanbul derby, which ultimately proved to be the difference on Thursday night.

Three-point gulf lifted Fenerbahce and condemned Efes

If you want to see a brief summary of [Thursday night’s Istanbul derby between Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce Beko](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-outlasts-efes-to-take-istanbul-derby-78-83/), just watch the opening two possessions of the second half and the story of the night will be revealed.

Holding a nine-point lead after a dominant second quarter, Fenerbahce was up first. And the visiting team started smoothly, moving the ball with purpose and confidence to create an open look on the perimeter for [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/), who perfectly executed a smooth shot for a three-point strike.

Then it was Efes’s turn, but the home team couldn’t find any space to penetrate Fenerbahce’s zone defense, eventually forcing [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) to send up a hopeful prayer under pressure from the shot clock from way beyond the arc, and not getting close to sinking the basket.

Two three-point attempts – one success, one fail – and the game in a nutshell.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Bizimkiler! 💛💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/NgxwLKLUV4">pic.twitter.com/NgxwLKLUV4</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1844484589756219576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

By that stage Efes had made just 2 of its 13 three-point attempts, while Fenerbahce had fired itself into a commanding lead by making 10-of-17 shots from beyond the arc. And the same pattern continued for the rest of the game.

Another illustration of the trend came with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Efes was threatening to build serious momentum after tough inside baskets from [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) and [Derek Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/derek-willis/009664/) were accompanied by a couple of defensive stops, reducing the deficit to single digits and raising the volume from the home fans in the all-new Basketball Development Center.

It could have been a turning point, but Bryant and then Thompson – after an offensive rebound – both missed open three-pointers, the air was sucked out of the arena and the Efes comeback attempt had self-destructed in its tracks.

Even so, the home team did eventually manage to rally and pulled back to tie the game, 74-74, with two minutes remaining… only for the most important gulf between the teams to reappear. First [Jordan Nwora](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-nwora/013363/) missed a long strike which would have given Efes the lead, then [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) went down the other end and converted Fener’s 14th triple of the night. [Arturs Zagars](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/arturs-zagars/008104/) promptly added the 15th on his team’s next possession, giving this three-point story its final sentence.

It was just as well that Fenerbahce was so accurate with its long-range shooting, because Saras Jasikevicius’s men had a terrible night closer to the basket, making only 12 of its 40 two-point attempts, with [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/), Hayes-Davis and [Khem Birch](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/khem-birch/007182/) combining to miss 20 shots inside the arc.

But a three-point shooting conversion rate of 55.6% (15 of 27) can disguise a plethora of ills, especially when the opposition is only making 20% of its own long-range attempts (6 of 30).

And the Fenerbahce defense deserves a lot of credit for those low Efes numbers, with the zone D employed by Coach Jasikevicius succeeding in significantly slowing down the home team’s passing rhythm to force bad looks and tough shots. When [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) (1 of 6) and Bryant (1 of 4) are held to just two three-point conversions at a success rate of 20%, you know you’ve done a pretty good job.

And although Fenerbahce’s overall performance left plenty of room for improvement, there can be no complaints about the team’s shooting from deep – and the 45 points gained from three-point territory were ultimately enough to claim a crucial road win.

Thursday night's winner struck 15 times from behind the arc to come away with the victory

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-10-10T17:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid has won six games in a row against Partizan, including both regular season matchups last season and Thursday night’s contest, 93-86. 

Revamped Real continued to haunt Partizan as new arrivals stood out 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade was on the verge of sealing a sweep over Real Madrid in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, before the Spanish giant turned the quarterfinal series on its head and went on to win the continent’s premier club competition.

Since trailing 2-0 in that epic battle, Real has won six games in a row against Partizan, including both regular season matchups last term and [Thursday night’s contest, 93-86](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-sinks-partizan-93-86-as-ibaka-excels-on-home-court-debut/).

The victory was a stark contrast to the [shock 97-89 defeat at FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-munich-takes-opening-night-thriller-over-real-madrid-97-89/) in Round 1, when a fourth-quarter collapse dashed Real’s hopes of making a winning start to the season. For three quarters of the titanic tussle with Partizan, Real looked in danger of slipping up again before a 15-0 run in the fourth propelled the home team.

With some of Real’s key players moving on to pastures new during the off-season while others retired, it was up to the new arrivals to step up and they did that in no uncertain terms. Big man [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/), a former NBA stalwart who joined Real from Bayern, stood out with 15 points and 7 boards, making light of the departures of [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) and [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/).

[Xavier Rathan-Mayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/xavier-rathan-mayes/013378/) added 12 points, including a pair of clutch three-pointers, as he filled in the void left by the retirement of club legends [Rudy Fernandez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rudy-fernandez/bmt/) and [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/). Just as crucially, pack leader [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) used his passing skills to devastating effect as he dished out 11 assists, some of them in spectacular fashion when the chips were down. Ibaka pointed out that a new-look Real was under pressure to deliver after the Bayern fiasco.

“The key was hard defense and it made offense easy,” the big man said in a courtside interview. “Sometimes in can be a bit stressful when you’re still trying to find your confidence but tonight we did a good job as a team. We stuck together to come up with a W and it’s a blessing to wear this jersey.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">🤍 ¡HALA MADRID! 🤍 <a href="https://t.co/r1kSWlj3Nq">pic.twitter.com/r1kSWlj3Nq</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1844483102862868805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Head coach Chus Mateo, who faces a challenging task to keep winning trophies with a reconstructed outfit which is still very much a work in progress, acknowledged he would need all his resources to keep going. That objective took a hit against Partizan when starting guard [Andres Feliz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andres-feliz/011247/) was carried off the court into the locker room after appearing to twist his ankle in the first half.

“We played more as a team and with more intensity in the second half,” said Mateo. “They scored a lot of threes in the first half and we were able to contest more shots in the second. We are in two very tough competitions, the (Spanish) Liga Endesa and the EuroLeague, hence we need to use all the players in order to be alive in both competitions at the end of the season,” he added.

Campazzo was pleased with the outcome, having highlighted that the task of molding a new-look Real into a force to be reckoned with was always going to be tough. “It’s a very different team to last season and we are in the process of adapting. Today was a good step forward.”

Real earned its sixth successive win against the Serbian team, with Serge Ibaka and Xavier Rathan-Mayes among the top performers 

Real Madrid v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-10-10T18:45:00.000Z)

New season, same protagonists for Panathinaikos BC, which saw 2023-24 All-EuroLeague First Team stars Mathias Lessort and Kendrick Nunn steal the spotlight once again, this time at the new-look OAKA.

Lessort and Nunn shined again at new-look OAKA 

New season, same protagonists for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. On Thursday night, 2023-24 All-EuroLeague First Team stars [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) stole the spotlight once again, this time at the new-look OAKA. 

Playing for the first time this season on the impressive new floor of the renovated arena, the reigning champions [defeated FC Bayern Munich 94-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-crashes-bayern-94-79-for-first-home-win/), improving to 2-0 in the process.

After netting 14 points [on the road at ALBA Berlin last week](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-bc-beats-alba-in-berlin-77-87/), Lessort looked dominant in the paint back on Panathinaikos’s home court. The 29-year-old center recorded a game-high 22 points, going 9 for 11 from inside the arc and 4 for 6 from the charity stripe. He also collected 6 rebounds and drew 4 fouls for a PIR of 27.

“The arena was amazing,” Lessort told EuroLeague TV after the game. “It’s the first time we’re playing in this gym. We practiced yesterday for the first time and it was a great thing.”

The man who got Panathinaikos going in the first quarter was Nunn, who scored 10 of his team’s 25 points to set the tone. Nunn finished the game with 17 points, but more importantly, he recorded a game-high 7 assists to tie his career-high mark.

Panathinaikos may have scored 94 points on Thursday night, but it was its defense that closed things out in the final quarter. Bayern responded with a late run in the third and brought itself within 66-60 in the opening stages of the fourth. Yet, Panathinaikos’s hustle on defense forced 5 Bayern turnovers, allowing the hosts to get valuable extra possessions on the other end.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BACK HOME. BACK TO THIS. BACK TO OUR RITUAL ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiveTheGreenMagic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiveTheGreenMagic</a> <a href="https://t.co/sv9LH2JqbS">pic.twitter.com/sv9LH2JqbS</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1844473501404758046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“That’s the way basketball should be played,” Lessort added. “You got to give your heart, you got to put effort on the court. We’ve got a really talented team, but talent is not enough. You don’t win all the games with talent. Sometimes the game is going to be ugly, but if you put effort all the time, the talent will be there and the result will come.”

Nunn and Lessort have combined for 69 points in the first two rounds of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season. Panathinaikos may boast an extremely talented roster, full of resources and versatility, but the aforementioned duo is expected to steal the limelight again this season. The reigning champions play away at Paris Basketball on Tuesday, with Nunn and Lessort preparing themselves for more showtime action next week.

Two of the Greens' star players came to the fore in Round 2

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v FC Bayern Munich (2024-10-10T18:15:00.000Z)

Real Madrid ground out a 93-86 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 2 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after new signing Serge Ibaka came off the bench to lead his team with 15 points and 7 rebounds. 

Real sinks Partizan, 93-86, as Ibaka excels on home court debut 

Real Madrid ground out a 93-86 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 2 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after new signing Serge Ibaka came off the bench to lead his team with 15 points and 7 rebounds.

In a smooth team performance, Dzanan Musa and Xavier Rathan-Mayes added 12 points each for Real while Mario Hezonja and Eli Ndiaye chipped in with 10 each. Facu Campazzo racked up 8 points and 11 assists for the hosts, who won the battle of the boards 34-25 and hurt Partizan with a barrage of second-chance points.

Playmaker Carlik Jones paced the visitors with 15 points, Vanja Marinkovic and Sterling Brown netted 12 each while Tyrique Jones and Frank Ntilikina added 11 apiece.

Game Videos

Following its shock defeat at FC Bayern Munich in the opening round, Real made a jittery start against Partizan as the Spanish team’s former prospect Mario Nakic fired the Serbian team into a 0-5 lead. The visitors were red hot from deep as they nailed 6 of 10 in the first quarter, but Real dominated the paint and was able to end the period on level terms with its opponent, 24-24.

The home team gained the upper hand in the second quarter and enjoyed a slender lead as Ibaka finished the first half on 11 points and 4 boards, while Campazzo dished out 8 assists to counter Partizan’s long-range artillery, with the visiting team making 8 of 15 shots from downtown in the first half. However, Real dominated the boards 20-10 through and was able to take a 50-47 advantage into the locker room at halftime, setting the tone for a physical third quarter.

With both teams missing shots in a fast-paced start to the second half, Real led 68-66 early in the fourth quarter before a 15-0 run, instigated by Campazzo dishing out assists like confetti, put the Spanish giant out of sight.

Carlik Jones replied with his own run at the other end, mixing some delicious layups with long-range shooting to haul Partiazn back into the contest, as the Serbian side slashed its deficit to 90-83. Campazzo then hit a clutch three-pointer to seal Real’s win in front of a jubilant home crowd.

The Spanish giant celebrated its first EuroLeague win of the season in another thrilling contest with its Serbian rival 

Theo Maledon and Nando De Colo shined in LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s first victory of the season, but it was Neal Sako who stole the spotlight in just his second EuroLeague game. 

Neal Sako steals spotlight in ASVEL’s first win 

[Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) and [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) shined in LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s first victory of the season, but it was [Neal Sako](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/neal-sako/010545/) who stole the spotlight in just his second Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game.

Sako saved the game for ASVEL as he blocked [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/)’s potential game-tying shot at the buzzer to secure [an 87-85 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/neal-sakos-block-at-buzzer-gives-asvel-first-victory/).

“That last play is just Neal. It’s Neal all the way. He’s a hard worker. He works so hard every morning, after practice, before practice, that he deserves this,” said ASVEL head coach Pierric Poupet after the Round 2 win.

Sako rose to the challenge when it mattered most, stating afterward: “I expected us to win, but I didn’t expect to make the last play of the game. I know that I have to be ready at any moment, whenever the team needs me. I had the chance to be there when it counts.”

Maledon collected 17 points and 5 assists and De Colo tallied 16 points and 8 assists - the latter joining [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) as the only other player in EuroLeague history with 4,500 points.

Neal Sako, what a game!

Sako, however, led ASVEL with 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds - including 5 offensive rebounds - to go with 2 steals and 2 blocks for a performance index rating of 30.

“I feel great. That is the first win of the season in the EuroLeague. We had been looking for it. I’m really happy for the team, my teammates and the fans that we got the job done tonight,” said Sako, who played the last two seasons with Cholet Basket.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BEST SCORER, BEST REBOUNDER, BEST EVALUATION, BLOCK OF THE NIGHT = MVPPPPPPP <a href="https://t.co/USZfJ5pUis">pic.twitter.com/USZfJ5pUis</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1844488418648285602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 26-year-old made a huge jump forward after going for 6 points, 4 rebounds - all of them offensive boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in the season-opening loss to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. 

Sako also has helped ASVEL to three wins in three games in the French League with 6.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. 

The French talent is just beginning his EuroLeague career, but if his second game is any indicator, this won’t be the last time he steals the spotlight. 

The big man dominated in his second-ever EuroLeague appearance 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens inaugurated the new-look Oaka Altion with a 94-79 victory over FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night. 

Panathinaikos crashes Bayern, 94-79, for first home win

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens inaugurated the new-look Oaka Altion with a 94-79 victory over FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night. The hosts established a double-digit lead in the first half and despite a Bayern comeback to trim the deficit to 66-60 early in the fourth, the defending champions netted 28 points in the closing quarter to clinch the win. Panathinaikos improved its record to 2-0 win, while Bayern dropped to 1-1.

Mathias Lessort led all scorers with 22 points and Kendrick Nunn scored 17. Jerian Grant netted 11 points, with Juancho Hernangomez completing a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Devin Booker paced Bayern with 15 points, Carsen Edwards scored 14 and Yam Madar added 11.

It was Lessort who scored the first basket on the renovated Oaka Altion floor with a put-back before a Nunn triple, a layup from Konstantinos Mitoglou and a Cedi Osman three-pointer saw Panathinaikos go on a 10-0 run. Bayern responded with a 0-5 surge, but Mitoglou netted his second bucket of the game to restore a 14-5 lead. Nunn took his tally to 10 points with a step-back triple after breaking Edwards’s ankles and although the latter responded with a three-point play, the hosts took a 25-16 lead into the second quarter.

Booker opened the second with a ferocious dunk, but the hosts replied with a 6-0 run, as Omer Yurtseven and Hernangomez opened their accounts off the bench, 31-18. A couple of Bayern turnovers allowed Panathinaikos to hit on the break and Hernangomez made it 37-20 with an open slam. Lessort added 8 points to his tally, but triples from Johannes Voigtmann and Andreas Obst gave Bayern the opportunity to cut the difference to 47-34 at the break.

Solid defense, exemplary transition basketball and offensive rebounds allowed the hosts to pull away in the opening stages of the second half, extending their lead to 57-38. Bayern responded with a 2-7 run, with Edwards nailing another three-point play. Then, a Lessort bucket was followed by 3 free throws from Napier before a Nick Weiler-Babb triple brought Bayern within 61-51. Yurtseven took his tally to 6 points from inside, but a triple from Oscar da Silva saw Bayern trim the deficit to single digits for the first time since early in the second quarter and made it 66-58 heading into the fourth.

An Obst triple was followed by an easy bucket from Booker, but Panathinaikos bounced back and extended its lead to 78-65 courtesy of three-pointers from Grant and Juancho, as well as a Brown dunk in transition. Bayern tried to fight back, but a corner triple from Brown and an impressive one-handed slam from Lessort boosted Panathinaikos’s lead to 85-72, with the reigning champion practically finishing it off in crunch time.

Mathias Lessort led 4 Greens scorers in double figures with 22 points

Unselfish Fenerbahce learning its lessons

With only two games of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season played, it’s inevitable that players across the continent are still finding their feet and teams are very much works in progress.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is no exception and – despite advancing to 2-0 with a pair of morale-boosting victories over major rivals Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul – head coach Saras Jasikevicius was happy to admit his team still has plenty to work on.

After seeing his team [grind out a 78-83 victory at local rivals Efes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-outlasts-efes-to-take-istanbul-derby-78-83/) on Thursday night, the hard-nosed Lithuanian boss emphasized that his team’s process of development is only just beginning.

“It’s the best way to learn right now,” he said. “Maybe some of these runs by Efes could be avoided, and it will be a great feeling tomorrow to watch the video and learn from this as a team. Learning with wins is always a little more pleasant.

“We need to learn a lot how we can play so good and then Efes can take us out of the game, but it’s early in the season and it’s nice to take a win like this.”

Jasikevicius certainly had no complaints about the attitude of his players, saying: “We came out with a great mentality and the fighting spirit was there.

“Our second unit basically carried us. They played very simple basketball, they played for one another, they shared the ball, helped each other defensively, made good fouls and really got us the big lead.”

One player who epitomized the effort of that second unit was big man [Khem Birch](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/khem-birch/007182/), who came off the bench to show great hustle as he recorded 10 points – going 7 of 7 from the foul line – and grab 8 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive glass, in nearly 27 minutes on the floor.

Khem Birch: 'I bring energy, rebounding and defense'

And the Canadian center expressed the selfless attitude that had been praised by his coach, modestly saying: “I’m not the most gifted offensively but what I bring is energy, rebounding and defense.

“That’s what I did tonight. I give credit to my teammates and also the second unit because we played unselfish.”

Being unselfish, playing with hustle, and learning: it’s Fenerbahce’s early-season recipe for success.

Saras Jasikevicius's men came out on top in the Istanbul derby on Thursday night

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne collected its first victory of the season in thrilling fashion as Neal Sako’s block at the buzzer secured an 87-85 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna at home. 

Neal Sako’s block at buzzer gives ASVEL first victory 

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne collected its first victory of the season in thrilling fashion as Neal Sako’s block at the buzzer secured an 87-85 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna at home. ASVEL lost a 13-point third-quarter lead but never allowed Virtus to pull ahead and now has a 1-1 record.

Sako finished the game with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks while Theo Maledon scored 17 points with 5 assists and Nando De Colo added 16 points and 8 assists. Virtus fell to 0-2 despite Isaia Cordinier scoring 23 points to go with 5 rebounds and 6 assists and Mouhamet Diouf scored 15 points. 

Admiral Schofield knocked down 2 three-pointers as ASVEL opened a 13-8 lead. Cordinier scored 7 points at the other end and Virtus was down just 14-13. De Colo started taking over with 7 points in an 18-6 run for a 32-19 advantage. Virtus made 2 three-pointers on its end but Mbaye Ndiaye and De Colo were on target from deep for the hosts, who were up 38-27 after 10 minutes.

Joffrey Lauvergne’s score to open the second quarter pushed the lead to 40-27. Virtus got a triple from Matthew Morgan to trim the deficit to 42-34 only to have back-to-back layups from Maledon push the margin to 13 again. Cordinier and Toko Shengelia combined for 10 points and the visitors were down just 57-49 at the break.

Virtus needed nearly 3 minutes to score in the third quarter and ASVEL once again established a 13-point lead, 62-49. Virtus’s defense started getting stops and at the other end reeled off 13 straight points to tie the game at 68-68. Shaquille Harrison answered with a three-pointer and ASVEL was up 73-70 after 30 minutes.

The score was tied at 74-74, 79-79, 81-81 and 83-83 with less than 3 minutes left but the French side did not break. In making the score 83-81, De Colo scored his 4,500th point - becoming just the second player in EuroLeague history after Mike James to achieve that mark. De Colo and Cordinier scored 2 points and it was tied 85-85 with 100 seconds to play. Sako and Maledon both split two free throws in the final 63 seconds, setting up the final play in which Cordinier drove to the basket but was met at the top of his jump by Sako for the game-saving block.

The home team's center finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks 