EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Round 31 and 32 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 31 and 32

Round 32 MVP: TJ Shorts, Paris Basketball

A fantastic all-round performance in a key road game in the playoff race, against the defending champion no less, has earned [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) of Paris Basketball another MVP of the Round honor.

In a [98-101 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-paris-basketball/E2024/288/) over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Shorts flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 20 points and personal bests of 14 assists and 9 rebounds. He made 6-of-12 two-point shots, 1-of-4 triples and 5-of-6 free throws, while also collecting 1 steal and drawing 9 fouls. This is the fourth MVP of the Round award – and second in a span of seven days – for the first-year guard.

The next-best PIR, 32, belonged to [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. In an [88-98 loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-fc-barcelona/E2024/282/) against FC Barcelona, Mirotic scored 28 points and collected 9 rebounds. Panathinaikos guard [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) had a 31 PIR after collecting 22 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds in a loss against Paris. Rounding out the list of Round 32's best performers are [Tornike Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/) of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, each with a PIR of 28. Shengelia had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 rebounds and a block in a [64-108](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/alba-berlin-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2024/286/) win over ALBA Berlin, while Bryant had 25 points, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds in a [90-88](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/anadolu-efes-istanbul-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2024/284/) win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

### Individual highs: TJ Shorts, Paris, 14 assists

Mirotic led all scorers with 28 points in Round 32. Kendrick Nunn remains the league's scoring leader, improving his average to 20.3 points.

[Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid had 10 rebounds, the most of any player in this round. [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, who is currently out injured, is the rebounding leader with 8.3 boards per game.

Shorts had 14 assists, more than any player in Round 32. Shorts increased his overall lead in this category, averaging 7.4 assists per night.

[Andre Roberson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andre-roberson/013405/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne registered 5 steals in this round. [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) of FC Bayern Munich leads the EuroLeague with 1.6 steals per game.

[Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) of Zalgiris Kaunas had a round-high 4 blocks. Tavares is the league's top shot blocker with 1.4 per game.

There were five double-doubles in Round 32: [Carlik Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carlik-jones/013369/) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (19 points, 10 assists), [Trent Forrest](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trent-forrest/013367/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (12 points, 12 assists), Shorts (20 points, 14 assists), [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) of AS Monaco (11 points, 12 assists), and Tavares (14 points, 10 rebounds).

The EuroLeague rookie has secured his fourth MVP of the Round award of the season

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 32md winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Stelios Zikopoulos beat everyone else in Round 32 with his team 'Z1ste', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 229.90.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 32 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 32md winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Stelios Zikopoulos beat everyone else in Round 32 with his team 'Z1ste', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 229.90.

Stelios had the following starting lineup: Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's Kendrick Nunn as team captain, then Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's Nigel Hayes Davies, TJ Shorts of Paris Basketball, Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Walter Tavares of Real Madrid. His sixth man was Elijah Bryant of Anadolu Efes Istanbul. The rest of the bench consisted of Milan's Guglielmo Caruso, Mitar Bosnjakovic of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Danko Brankovic of FC Bayern Munich and Malte Delow of ALBA Berlin. His team's head coach was Virtus Segafredo Bologna play-caller Dusko Ivanovic.

The prize for finishing first in Round 32 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Stelios!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 5,468.44 points.

Trades are now open for Round 33. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 33 tips off on April 2, as Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul hosts FC Barcelona at 19:45 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

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

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

Real Madrid boosted its hopes of booking a spot in the EuroLeague postseason with a hard-fought 72-78 win at KK Crvena zvezda, after the home side’s valiant late fightback fell short in a dramatic finish.

Real Madrid held on for a valuable road win at Crvena Zvezda 

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) boosted its hopes of booking a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague postseason with [a hard-fought 72-78 win at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-edges-closer-to-postseason-with-win-at-crvena-zvezda-72-78/), after the home side’s valiant late fightback fell short in a dramatic finish.

Having raced into an early 0-14 lead, Real stayed well ahead until the last few minutes, when Zvezda closed the gap to 72-74 with 46 seconds left on the clock and threw their raucous 20,000 home crowd into a complete frenzy.

The hosts were unable to turn the contest on its head, however, as Real kept its nerve from the foul line and ground out a much-needed win in the battle to stay in contention for a potential top-six finish.

The result left both teams at 18-14 among a pack of five outfits with an identical record in what is shaping up to be a most dramatic climax to the regular season. With 11th-placed Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in 12th lurking at 16-16, both sides need one win from the remaining two games to make sure of keeping their respective campaigns alive.

Big man [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) was named player of the game in a rugged and physical contest as he racked up 14 points and 10 boards, having taken full advantage of the injured [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/)’s absence as Zvezda’s center is sidelined with a foot injury.

Tavares acknowledged that Real was ultimately given a stern test of its credentials in a fervent atmosphere, as Zvezda’s relentless fans helped the hosts launch the late onslaught. 

“They have great fans and it’s tough to play here but we did what we had to do to win the game,” Tavares said in his postgame comments. “We led by 15 or more but they came back, and it’s normal because they were at home.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔝 <a href="https://twitter.com/waltertavares22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@waltertavares22</a> <br>👏 ¡Nuestro MVP del partido vs <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kkcrvenazvezda</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/autoheroespana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@autoheroespana</a> <a href="https://t.co/cZlxy22vle">pic.twitter.com/cZlxy22vle</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1905733833942806665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Head coach Chus Mateo added: “This is why basketball is so beautiful. We were in control throughout the game but it’s not easy to last the course in this kind of environment and hence it’s a very good win on a very tough court.”

Zvezda was undone by awful shooting from all over, hitting 17 of 36 from inside and 8 of 38 from downtown, nullifying a staggering 44 boards, including 20 on offense. However, coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos had nothing but praise for his players, who never gave up and nearly completed what would have been a stunning comeback.

“We fought really hard and I can only say good things about my players for their effort,” the Greek tactician said. “We missed so many open shots and layups but it was the burning desire to win the game that made us lose our focus. The fightback was exceptional though and I want to congratulate my team.”

In the final two rounds, Zvezda is at home to Anadolu EFes Istanbul before visiting defending champs Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, while Real entertains Paris Basketball and then closes out the regular season at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

Game News

The visitors almost blew a big lead after being in control throughout a rugged contest 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2025-03-28T19:00:00.000Z)

In Riga, Anadolu Efes guard Elijah Bryant inspired his team to a victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv BC.

Elijah Bryant came to Efes's rescue against Maccabi

With three minutes left in the third quarter, things in Riga, Latvia, did not look good for [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/). Down 53-63 and having just allowed Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv to go on a 3-17 spurt in the opening seven minutes of the third quarter, Efes needed a major spark to get back in the game against an opponent that was clicking on all cylinders offensively.

Enter [Elijah Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/).

Having scored 9 points up to that point, Bryant hit a step-back three-pointer over [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/), then 60 seconds later added a mid-range jumper with the shot-clock expiring to cut the deficit to 58-65. After a pair of dunks by [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/), one assisted by Bryant, the third quarter finished with a last-second triple from Bryant to restore Efes’s lead, 66-65.

Elijah Bryant (25 points) vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Elijah Bryant's highlights vs. Maccabi

Bryant continued his run in the fourth. After 55 seconds of play, he hit another three-point shot over Sorkin, then followed it up with a mid-range jumper before adding another triple to give Efes a 74-71 lead.

“I was just trying to stay in the next-play mentality, regardless of the score,” Bryant said in a [EuroLeagueTV](https://tv.euroleague.net/) interview after the game. “To take every possession seriously because this was a big game for us. To take one possession at the time, and we got the win.”

The game was far from over and it continued to be a back-and-forth battle until the final seconds, but Bryant single-handedly brought Efes back into the game. He scored 16 points in a 21-8 run for his team to restore control.

“Elijah did a great job to lift the teammates in such a specific moment, then [Shane \[Larkin\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), and [Darius \[Thompson\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) and D.O. \[[Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/)\] did excellent”, Efes head coach Luca Banchi said.

Bryant did not score another basket until the very end but he did come up with a clutch play, this time on the defensive end.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🔥 MODE ON <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhereIStand?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhereIStand</a> <a href="https://t.co/K0boO6cKoE">pic.twitter.com/K0boO6cKoE</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1905708397863096803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After [Rodrigue Beaubois](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rodrigue-beaubois/006590/) split free throws with 10.7 seconds to go to make it 89-88, the ball went to inspired Maccabi guard [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/), who had scored 19 points on the night. Jokubaitis started to penetrate to the rim, but Bryant was there to punch the ball out of Jokubaitis’s hands. Larkin grabbed the loose ball, securing Efes a sixth straight win and a place in the postseason.

In addition to scoring 25 points, Bryant also had team highs with 6 assists and 3 steals.

“Maccabi gave some choices to him and Shane, gave them possibility to distribute, not only to finish. And they were excellent,” Banchi said as he praised Bryant and Larkin, the latter of whom finished with 11 points and 4 steals.

“We know we have a great roster, that we have many resources in our arsenal. Even in the worst moment, we continue to play. The last 15 minutes are our reward for our sacrifice on the court."

Efes will, at the very least, participate in the EuroLeague Play-In Showdown, but its chances to finish the regular season as one of the top six teams are alive and kicking.

The veteran guard scored 16 points in a five-minute span to rally Efes

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2025-03-28T17:30:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko's bench players stepped up in Round 32 as the Turkish team went top of the EuroLeague standings with a win over Baskonia.

Roster depth helped Fenerbahce rise to first the standings

Double-round weeks are often energy-draining, especially taking into account that every game matters in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. And when the first of the two duels is a rollercoaster of a game like [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/)’s [clash against Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-the-hero-as-fenerbahce-beats-paris-101-100-to-make-playoffs/) on Tuesday night, coaches need to get help from the bench players in order to clinch back-to-back wins.

The Turkish side needed a [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) buzzer-beating triple to down Paris at home, with their starters scoring 65 of the team’s 101 points on the night. The Fenerbahce forward may have not slowed down [on Friday against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-downs-baskonia-to-move-top-of-the-standings-82-77/), but this time it was his team’s depth that made the difference.

Fenerbahce’s bench both outscored (47-35) and out-assisted the starters (10-3), providing the team with much-needed energy on the floor. Seven players netted at least 4 points each off the bench, while [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/) and [Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) protected the boards with 9 and 8 rebounds, respectively, with [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) recording a team-high 5 assists.

More importantly, they covered for Hayes-Davis and [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/), both of whom were in foul trouble in the closing quarter.

Meanwhile, with [Jilson Bango](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jilson-bango/013696/) and [Khem Birch](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/khem-birch/007182/) both missing out, Melli and [Sertac Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/) were the only two available bigs for Saras Jasikevicius. When they picked up 2 and 3 fouls, respectively, it was time for [Metecan Birsen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/metecan-birsen/003091/) to step up off the bench. Birsen had played just over one and a half minutes all season heading into Friday’s clash, but his contribution was significant on Friday evening, pairing 4 points with 3 rebounds in 5:19 on the floor.

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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/ba65Kdvll7">pic.twitter.com/ba65Kdvll7</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1905719552300011774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fenerbahce completed the double-round week with two straight home wins, moving atop the standings by overtaking Olympiacos Piraeus due to its superior head-to-head record. With two games remaining, the Turkish side need another two wins to clinch the top seed in the playoffs.

“The mentality \[for the last two games\] will be the same,” Jasikevicius told EuroLeague TV after the game. “We go out, trying to win the game. It’s not only going to the playoffs. It’s going to the EuroLeague Playoffs playing good basketball. And we need to go play EuroLeague playoff basketball, which is one level higher from what we’re doing right now.”

For the time being, Fenerbahce can celebrate that it has mathematically secured home-court advantage heading into the playoffs. Meanwhile, its roster depth will allow it to dream big this season.

The team's bench outscored and out-assisted the starters

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-03-28T17:45:00.000Z)

Only 48 hours after being held to a club-record low 52 points in a 36-point defeat against KK Crvena zvezda, Virtus Bologna bounced back in historic fashion by beating ALBA Berlin 64-108 on Friday night.

Virtus set all-time marks in 44-point win at ALBA

Only 48 hours after being held to a club-record low 52 points in a 36-point defeat against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) bounced back in historic fashion by [beating ALBA Berlin 64-108](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-thrashes-alba-64-108/) on Friday night.

It was a dominant performance that saw Virtus set a club record with 35 assists and 31 two-point shots made. But that was only one part of the story on a record-breaking night.

The 44-point margin is Virtus's biggest victory in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game this century and the fourth-largest win by a road team. A couple of times in the fourth quarter, Virtus held a 51-point margin, which would have tied the largest road win in competition history, but ALBA scored six points in the final minute to prevent Virtus from setting a new record.

What was remarkable was the first half, with Virtus having scored 62 points, 10 more than it managed in Belgrade. Dusko Ivanovic’s team needed 17 minutes and six seconds to score 52 points, after scoring that many in 40 minutes just 48 hours earlier.

Moreover, a 29-point lead (33-62) was the biggest halftime lead by Virtus in a road game and the second-largest halftime lead by a road team in a EuroLeague game this century. And Virtus holding a 44-87 lead after 30 minutes marked the largest margin a road team had held after three quarters in competition history.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">La Virtus vince a Berlino 👊🏼 <a href="https://t.co/eNMWUtypmJ">pic.twitter.com/eNMWUtypmJ</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1905723375038894188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Among other records, this was the first time Virtus scored more than 100 points in a road game and it was the second-most points the team scored in a game, only behind the 113 it poured in against Estudiantes in the inaugural EuroLeague season 25 years ago.

Virtus might have been eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago, and was embarrassed in Belgrade earlier this week, but it certainly found a way to bounce back in memorable fashion.

Dusko Ivanovic's side snapped a nine-game losing streak in memorable fashion

ALBA Berlin v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-03-28T19:00:00.000Z)

Two of the leading contenders to become the EuroLeague MVP, Kendrick Nunn and TJ Shorts, served up a memorable duel on Friday night.

TJ Shorts outshined Kendrick Nunn in MVP-flavored battle

It’s not long before we find out which star of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will be named this season’s Most Valuable Player, and two of the leading contenders served up a memorable duel on Friday night.

For [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/), [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/). For [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/), [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/).

Both have delivered magnificent seasons, and both performed even beyond their usual standards to take center stage in a thrilling encounter in the Greek capital, coming agonizingly close to recording only the fifth triple-double in EuroLeague history.

Nunn and Shorts might have narrowly missed out on that accolade, but they still led their respective teams in scoring, assists, rebounds and PIR to thoroughly enhance their MVP credentials – and perhaps leave [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) forward [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), the other main contender, wondering whether the prize might not come his way after all.

Nunn paced Panathinaikos with 22 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, while Shorts was even more impressive as he powered [Paris’s thrilling 98-101 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/paris-stuns-panathinaikos-in-thriller-98-101/) with 20 points, 14 assists and 9 boards.

Of course, individual numbers matter less to elite performers than victories, but Shorts had to admit he would have liked to claim the elusive triple-double. “That hurts a little bit!” he laughed, when informed live on EuroLeague TV that he had fallen just short of the milestone.

“I guess I couldn’t find more rebounds, but I’m out there trying to do whatever I can for my team. Today it was scoring, assisting, playmaking, it doesn’t matter, I’m just trying to help win.”

Trying to help win? Shorts certainly did that, and his season has by no means finished yet. Paris is now locked in a five-way tie for sixth place, and will travel to face one of those other teams – [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/), no less – in Round 33.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">It’s a sweep against the champ 🧹<br><br>WHAT A TEAM PERFORMANCE TONIGHT ‼️<br><br>On se retrouve dimanche à la maison en famille pour bien finir la semaine <br><br>🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/zBp0K5sjLb">pic.twitter.com/zBp0K5sjLb</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1905732100000780432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Shorts is already looking ahead to that challenge and fully grasps the importance of his team’s win over Panathinaikos, stating: “We’re coming down to the end of the season where every game matters. Everybody knows what the standings look like, it’s posted everywhere, and to win like this against the champs in an environment like this, it’s a huge win to boost us to keep fighting.

“We will never quit. We lost the last one against Fenerbahce in a heartbreaking way, and for us to be able to respond like this two days later is huge. It just shows the fight within our team, our coaching staff, everybody within Paris Basketball to keep fighting and try to do something at the end of the season.”

That’s for sure. But the question is: exactly when and how will Paris’s season end?

The two guards put on a clinic at OAKA on Friday night

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Paris Basketball (2025-03-28T19:15:00.000Z)

## Friday, March 28

### [Anadolu Efes Istanbul 90-88 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/anadolu-efes-istanbul-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2024/284/)

Efes rallied from a double-digit third-quarter deficit to pull out a dramatic 90-88 win over Maccabi in Riga, Latvia. It’s the sixth straight win for Efes, which improved to 18-14 and is sure of playing postseason basketball once again this season. Maccabi, meanwhile, dropped to a 10-22 record. Bryant finished with 25 points, Dan Oturu had 15 points and Shane Larkin poured in 11, while Vincent Poirier scored all of his 10 points in the first quarter. Roman Sorkin paced Maccabi with 22 points, Jokubaitis had 19, and Jake Cohen and Levi Randolph scored 10 apiece in the loss.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">💪 Hedefe doğru adım adım!<br>Anadolu Efes 90 - 88 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | Maç Sonucu<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/Lc9A9yNydN">pic.twitter.com/Lc9A9yNydN</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1905705741107048947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 82-77 Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2024/285/)

Fenerbahce climbed to the top of the standings and clinched home-court advantage in the EuroLeague Playoffs by defeating Baskonia 82-77 at Ulker Sports And Event Hall on Friday evening. Fenerbahce improved its record to 22-10, overtaking Olympiacos Piraeus in the table due to its superior head-to-head advantage. Meanwhile, Baskonia suffered its second straight loss in Türkiye this week as it dropped to 13-19. Nigel Hayes-Davis led all scorers with 17 points and Wade Baldwin netted 11, while Devon Hall and Marko Guduric scored 10 each. Nikos Rogkavopoulos paced Baskonia with 14 points and Chima Moneke bagged 12, with Trent Forrest recording a double-double of 12 points and 12 assists.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">LİDER! 👑<br><br>Çift maç haftasını 2&#39;de 2 ile tamamlıyor, normal sezonun bitimine iki hafta kala ev sahibi avantajını garantiliyoruz! 💪<br><br>Tebrikler Fenerbahçe Beko! 👏<br><br>Maç Sonucu | Fenerbahçe Beko 🆚 Baskonia: 82-77<br><br>Skor dağılımımız: Hayes-Davis 17, Baldwin 11, Hall 10, Guduric 10,… <a href="https://t.co/xJNfI8T8Vx">pic.twitter.com/xJNfI8T8Vx</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1905708690667352511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 72-78 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-real-madrid/E2024/287/)

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">🏁 FP: <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kkcrvenazvezda</a> 72 - 78 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a><a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/O3X8hVmSct">pic.twitter.com/O3X8hVmSct</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1905728772894335427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [ALBA Berlin 64-108 Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/alba-berlin-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2024/286/)

Virtus bounced back from its biggest loss of the season with a resounding performance on Friday night as it thrashed ALBA 64-108 in the German capital. Virtus, which never trailed in this game, improved to 8-24, while ALBA dropped to a 5-26 record. Virtus had six double-digit scorers, with Achille Polonara scoring 16 points, Toko Shengelia 15 and Will Clyburn 14. Ante Zizic had 13 points, Alessandro Pajola paired 11 points with 8 assists, and Marco Belinelli netted 10 points in the win. Matt Thomas was the only ALBA scorer in double digits with 11 points.

### [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 98-101 Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-paris-basketball/E2024/288/)

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## Thursday, March 27

### [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 88-79 Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-zalgiris-kaunas/E2024/280/)

ASVEL completed a perfect double-round week by fighting off Zalgiris at home. After beating Olympiacos at home on Tuesday, ASVEL shot 44.4 percent on three-pointers and forced 20 Zalgiris turnovers as it improved to 13-19 on the season. Theo Maledon led the way with 19 points and 6 assists while Nando De Colo had 16 points. Zalgiris came into the game having lost at Monaco earlier in the week in overtime and now has dropped three straight games and four of the last five for a 14-18 record. Sylvain Francisco collected 19 points and 8 assists in defeat. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Asvel with back to back home wins at home! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/u9QTHofBOt">pic.twitter.com/u9QTHofBOt</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1905364801234088329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Olympiacos Piraeus 77-80 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/olympiacos-piraeus-as-monaco/E2024/281/#boxscore)

Monaco secured a spot in the top 10 with a hard-fought road win at Olympiacos, condemning the Reds to a third straight loss. Monaco improved to 20-12 and will now target a top-six finish, while Olympiacos dropped to 22-10. Monaco controlled the opening stages but Olympiacos responded during a low-scoring second quarter to lead 37-35 at the halftime. The second half was tight until the visitors dominated the closing stages to seal a big win. Mike James guided Monaco with a double-double of 11 points and 12 assists, while Jaron Blossomgame top-scored with a career-high 18 points. Sasha Vezenkov paced Olympiacos with 21 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🔥 La <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> s&#39;impose au Pirée face au leader Olympiakos ! 😤<br><br>🧨 Très, très grosse victoire sur cette fin de saison 🦾<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/9b2k2oXBW8">pic.twitter.com/9b2k2oXBW8</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1905369619889631317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [FC Bayern Munich 89-74 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/fc-bayern-munich-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2024/283/)

Bayern punched its postseason ticket with two games to spare after improving to 19-13 with an impressive home win over Partizan on the back of a game-high 25 points from guard Carsen Edwards. Captain Vladimir Lucic and Andy Obst added 11 points apiece for Bayern, which rallied from a 42-44 halftime deficit to prevail thanks to an effervescent fourth quarter which the home team won 24-11. Carlik Jones paced Partizan with 19 points and 10 assists.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/cj8NnAQwS9">pic.twitter.com/cj8NnAQwS9</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1905371733458104505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 88-98 FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-fc-barcelona/E2024/282/#boxscore)

Barcelona took another step toward reaching the postseason by downing Milan at Unipol Forum in Round 32. Barca improved to 18-14 in the standings while Milan dropped to 16-16 to remain one win behind the Play-In Showdown spots. Dario Brizuela led the winners with 27 points, which matched his career-high, and Kevin Punter added 25. Nikola Mirotic paced Milan with 28 points and 9 rebounds. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">VICTÒRIA CLAU!!! SEGUIM!! <a href="https://t.co/yyxkxHVsb1">pic.twitter.com/yyxkxHVsb1</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1905374204494491931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bayern and Monaco both clinched postseason berths on Thursday