Having a strong defense can take you a long way in the EuroLeague, so who are the best-ranked teams on that end of the floor?

Stats review: Defensive impact

With six rounds remaining in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, there's still a lot to be settled as half a dozen teams currently outside of the [Play-In Showdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-introduces-play-in-showdown/) window are still within striking distance of three of the four teams currently holding those spots. The lone team out of reach for that group is just two victories away from second place, as the pressure is building on both cut-lines of the EuroLeague's new postseason concept.

There are a lot of different ways for teams to win games down the stretch. Whether it's a hot shooting game from the field, a few extra rebounds to tip the scales on the basis of volume, or a few defensive stops, the parity in the EuroLeague gives teams endless routes to victory on a given night. Several teams this season have done their work on a wider scale, consistently taking away high-percentage shots from opponents with solid execution on defense.

When listening to coaches or analysts talk about defensive strategy, one subject that often comes up is what a team is able to take away from an opposing offense. At the professional level, it is very difficult to dictate the action consistently from the defensive end, but several teams have managed to do just that for stretches this season.

The graphic above ranks the top nine teams in half-court defensive Synergy Shot Quality. SSQ is a metric that calculates the expected value of any given shot based on a data-driven model that considers all the advanced tracking data Synergy Sports has collected on every field goal attempted in EuroLeague games over the last decade. It also includes the percentage of shots these teams have faced in the two spots where teams are most frequently able to move the needle: attempts at the rim and in catch-and-shoot situations on the perimeter with half-court situations. The latter qualifier there is important. Because defenses often have much less control over the shots they face in transition, the calculations in the table look only at situations where these teams were able to set their defenses.

A lot of the finer details of a team's game plan tend to manifest in the numbers above. Little things like how well a team denies interior passes, tags rollers, prevents putbacks, avoids over-helping, and communicates switches all factor into just how much a team can alter their opponents' shot selection.

FC Bayern Munich is this season's best example of a team that limits quality shots to its opponents. While they do not rank as prominently forcing turnovers or avoiding fouls, Bayern's defenders are consistently in the right places off the ball, which allows them to chase shooters off the three-point line, and they limit both cut and put-back opportunities with their efforts inside.

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is the team that provides the sharpest contrast to Bayern as they have done a phenomenal job taking away spot-up jumpers but face more shots at the rim than any team on this list as a result.

As the adage goes, defenses cannot take everything away, and at this level, there is also very much a give and take that teams consider when building a defensive game plan. Taking one thing away often presents new challenges in other areas or shines a light on weaker personnel. On a possession-by-possession basis, the subtle adjustments offenses can utilize only make it more difficult for defenses to control the action and manage that give and take.

That's what makes the defensive accomplishments of the teams listed above so impressive. It takes a huge effort to shift shot quality in the EuroLeague from a defensive perspective – and sometimes not even that is enough to come away with wins.

Taking away easy looks from your opponents is often just as important to success as making your own shots.

This past week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was highlighted by Mike James and his climb to the top of the all-time scoring list. James became the EuroLeague all-time leading scorer when he reached 12 points this week in a game against Crvena Zvezda, passing Vassilis Spanoulis and his 4,455 points. It was a special moment, and a special night in EuroLeague history, and many EuroLeague stars of past and present congratulated the new scoring king. Check out those, and other social media posts from around the EuroLeague. 

 EuroLeague week on social media 

**NEW SCORING KING**: Mike James became the EuroLeague all-time leading scorer when he reached 12 points this week in a game against Crvena Zvezda, passing Vassilis Spanoulis and his 4,455 points. It was a special moment and a special night in EuroLeague history and many EuroLeague stars of past and present congratulated the new scoring king.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">one of the most memorable moments in my coaching life, Thank You Mike ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/9pDMZX2jec">pic.twitter.com/9pDMZX2jec</a></p>&mdash; Saša Obradovic (@sasaobradovic69) <a href="https://twitter.com/sasaobradovic69/status/1765980000874856580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">😭😂😂 Y’all heard what I said 🐐 <a href="https://t.co/zrdBgNGSRj">https://t.co/zrdBgNGSRj</a></p>&mdash; Jordan Loyd (@mrjloyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrjloyd/status/1765858185024307415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Locker room celebration for <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheNatural_05</a> 🎉 <a href="https://t.co/n1a7goVtBA">pic.twitter.com/n1a7goVtBA</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1765835703248716201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congrats future GOAT 💐 <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheNatural_05</a> <a href="https://t.co/59prPYETJc">https://t.co/59prPYETJc</a></p>&mdash; Chima Moneke (@Chimdogg_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chimdogg_/status/1765811623669711327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yesssirrrrr congrats brother… wish I could’ve been there but they can’t take this one away 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 <a href="https://t.co/vSMEmU1uVu">https://t.co/vSMEmU1uVu</a></p>&mdash; malcolm delaney (@foe23) <a href="https://twitter.com/foe23/status/1765829363759546376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheNatural_05</a> congratulations my guy that’s big time. Keep going to work.</p>&mdash; Othello hunter (@O_hunter5) <a href="https://twitter.com/O_hunter5/status/1765901323977761198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">One of one! Unbelievable achievement! 👑 <a href="https://t.co/XIEdk2GiAK">https://t.co/XIEdk2GiAK</a></p>&mdash; Danilo Andjusic (@Djusa33) <a href="https://twitter.com/Djusa33/status/1765815978712092822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">💫 𝒮𝓅𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝑒𝓈, 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇 /// 📊 <a href="https://t.co/hgyW13G3LE">pic.twitter.com/hgyW13G3LE</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1766007144791314570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The world celebrates Mike James becoming the All-Time Scoring Leader 👏 <br><br>Congrats <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheNatural_05</a> ! <a href="https://t.co/wgbzoYD0Zp">pic.twitter.com/wgbzoYD0Zp</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1766071794547491002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Last night, we witnessed history 👑 <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheNatural_05</a> buckets on repeat after his record breaking performance🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/iM3m2zF5Ve">pic.twitter.com/iM3m2zF5Ve</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1766174990120919263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4QycFltUn9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Mike James (@mrnatural_05)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cake’s looking good 💯 <a href="https://t.co/hhZR8IKfdz">https://t.co/hhZR8IKfdz</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1766503909034520583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


**MASCLETA**: Everyone should check out a Mascleta in Valencia at least once in their lifetime. It made quite an impression on Justin Anderson.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THIS WAS CRAZY EXPERIENCE TO BE APART OF ! <a href="https://t.co/pYpo89yFRa">https://t.co/pYpo89yFRa</a></p>&mdash; Jus (@JusAnderson1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JusAnderson1/status/1765060031156797683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**TRICK SHOT**: Justin Bean knew the camera was rolling.

<center> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Never let ‘em know your next move 😈 <a href="https://t.co/cSBLEMJ2Qb">https://t.co/cSBLEMJ2Qb</a></p>&mdash; Justin Bean (@justinbean34) <a href="https://twitter.com/justinbean34/status/1765017337118212595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

**BASKETBALL IN THEIR BLOOD**: Martin Hermannsson's son shows his talent at ALBA's practice.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let him cook <a href="https://t.co/ew4F7s0imr">https://t.co/ew4F7s0imr</a></p>&mdash; Martin Hermannsson (@hermannsson15) <a href="https://twitter.com/hermannsson15/status/1765355124409479451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**CODI'S MILESTONE**: Baskonia's Codi Miller-McIntyre has enjoyed a fantastic EuroLeague rookie season. He is the fastest man to 200 assists.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crazy.. 🐺🩶 <a href="https://t.co/10bZuZ71MX">https://t.co/10bZuZ71MX</a></p>&mdash; Codi Miller-McIntyre (@CMMPatience) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMMPatience/status/1766410354697834505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**WINNERS' CORNER**: Fenerbahce got a huge road win in Madrid, Baskonia, Olympiacos and Efes protected their home floors, and so did Milan thanks to a game-winner by Shabazz Napier.

This past week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was highlighted by Mike James and his climb to the top of the all-time scoring list. Check out those, and other social media posts from around the EuroLeague.

EuroLeague week on social media

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Jaron Blossomgame of AS Monaco dunks against Crvena Zvezda

Ercan Osmani of Efes keeps the ball away from Bayern's Serge Ibaka

John DiBartolomeo of Maccabi and Edgaras Ulanovas of Zalgiris fight for the ball

Tadas Sedekerskis of Baskonia dunks against ALBA

Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid drives past Fenerbahce's Nick Calathes

Moustapha Fall of Olympiacos dunks against Virtus

Dinos MItoglou of Panathinaikos skies for a rebound in front of ASVEL's DeShaun Thomas

Tyrique Jones of Efes and Isaac Bonga of Bayern vie for a rebound

Shabazz Napier of Milan sinks the game-winner against Partizan

Maik Kotsar of Baskonia rises to dunk over ALBA's Louis Olinde

Look back at all the action from Round 28 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Rounds 28

In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague roll call, we take a look at five players that had a big impact on their respective games in Round 28.

Roll call, Round 28: The stars came out to play

### Clyburn scored his season high

[Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) struggled for parts of this season, but the trust new head coach Tomislav Mijatovic has shown in his star forward has been paying off lately. Clyburn played one of his best games of the season in Round 28 and finished with 21 points in [a 109-86 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-fc-bayern-munich/E2023/244/) against FC Bayern Munich, the first time this season he has scored more than 20 in a game. He made 5-of-10 shots from the field and after his shots were not dropping early on, he found a way to get to the foul line and get himself into a rhythm. He also had 3 assists and was one of the key offensive catalysts for Efes, which turned a 40-46 deficit with 3 minutes left in the second quarter into a 101-73 lead with 4 minutes to go in the game.

Will Clyburn struggled for parts of this season, but the trust new head coach Tomislav Mijatovic has shown in his star forward has been paying off lately. Clyburn played one of his best games of the season in Round 28 and finished with 21 points in a 109-86 win against FC Bayern Munich, the first time this season he has scored more than 20 in a game.

Clyburn scored his season high

### Vesely impressed with a perfect night in Valencia

FC Barcelona bounced back in style by going on the road and downing Valencia Basket [78-88](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/valencia-basket-fc-barcelona/E2023/249/) on Thursday night. Barcelona center [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) scored 21 points on perfect shooting, making 10-of-10 two-point shots, the best mark of his career. He netted his only free throw, too. Vesely was one made two-pointer shy of a EuroLeague single-game record, as well as a Barcelona club record. He became the 10th different player in the EuroLeague this century to make a double-digit number of two-point shots without a miss. This is the fourth straight game Vesely has scored more than 10 points, and over that span he is an incredible 29-of-34 (85.3%).

Barcelona center Jan Vesely scored 21 points on perfect shooting, making 10-of-10 two-point shots, the best mark of his career.

Vesely impressed with a perfect night in Valencia

### Okobo pulled the right strings

The spotlight on Thursday night was on Mike James, [who became the EuroLeague's all-time leading scoring](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/mike-james-and-a-historic-night-how-it-unfolded-and-whats-next/), but in AS Monaco's [98-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/as-monaco-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2023/245/) win over the visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, it was [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) who also stood out. Okobo finished with 14 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 block. Many of his dishes served his teammates for easy – and often spectacular – baskets. In 22 minutes of work, Okobo also had a +24 in the plus/minus column as Monaco notched its seventh straight win.

In AS Monaco's 98-80 win over the visiting Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Elie Okobo finished with 14 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 block.

Okobo pulled the right strings

### Sloukas played a leading role 

[Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) was an integral reason why Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens could come away with an [85-67](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/E2023/251/) home win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Sloukas played a perfect first half when his team was struggling most, finishing the first 20 minutes with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 fouls drawn. No fouls committed, no turnovers, no missed shots and a PIR of 17. Sloukas kept pacing the Greens after the break and buried a three-pointer that sealed the outcome, 74-59, with over 3 minutes remaining. He finished the game with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, just 1 turnover, 3 fouls drawn and a PIR of 22. Above all, he showed the leadership required to take Panathinaikos to the next level – from being a great team to a title contender.

Kostas Sloukas finished the game with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, just one turnover, 3 fouls drawn and a PIR of 22.

Sloukas does it all against ASVEL

### Mirotic was effective in his minutes

[Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) finished as EA7 Emporio Armani Milan’s joint leading scorer in its [85-83](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/250/) triumph over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on Friday night, yet the forward needed just 20:52 minutes to reach 19 points – not far off a point a minute. Shavon Shields also had 19 but was on the court for 33:10, while Devon Hall had 18 in 29:27 and Shabazz Napier had 15 in 28:34. Curiously, Mirotic didn’t attempt a single two-pointer on the night, instead shooting 4-of-7 from three-point land and also making all 7 of his free throws. It was a solid night’s work for Mirotic, who is starting to find his rhythm once again post-injury.

Nikola Mirotic had 19 points in EA7 Emporio Armani Milan's 85-83 win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Nikola Mirotic's highlights vs. Partizan

Olimpia Milano was led by Shavon Shields and Shabazz Napier in its win against KK Partizan, which it hopes will propel it towards the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Shavon Shields, Olimpia Milano ready for thrilling end to the season: ‘Every game is a playoff game now’

With just over a month of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season remaining and chances to advance up the standings starting to run out, the competition’s slogan of ‘Every Game Matters’ is more true than ever.

On Friday night, [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan faced a must-win matchup against direct rival in Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-olimpia-milano-vs-kk-partizan/), which gave the Serbian team the chance to move three wins clear and secure the head-to-head advantage with only six games remaining.

### Shields, Napier came to the fore

So it’s not at all surprising that Milan star [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/), who played a major role in his team’s 85-83 victory by scoring 19 points, was in no mood to talk down the significance of the victory after a thrilling game concluded at a noisy Forum.

“Every game is a playoff game now,” said Shields. “And we’ve got to get it done down the stretch. 

“I’m proud of everybody, everybody contributed. They're all team wins. We've got five players out there helping each other. We gutted it out and made plays down the stretch.”

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward Shavon Shields spoke to the media after the Italian team's win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Shavon Shields speaks post-Partizan win

The biggest of those plays was made by [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/), who netted the game-winning basket with a long two-pointer – originally given as a three before being downgraded on review – with just 5 seconds remaining.

And Napier, having amassed 15 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in a great all-round performance, admitted that the winning play didn’t pan out exactly as it was intended.

“It was a dribble play and we couldn’t get it into the guys,” he recalled. “I got it to the left side – it was kind of stagnant, kind of chaotic. I had to shoot a shot and it went in.”

Former Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade player Napier will have been extra delighted to seal a win over Partizan, but like Shields he was happy to pile the praise on his teammates, adding: “For me to be a part of this team, I’ve got to create for other guys. I was able to make some shots in the second half but that was set up because guys were scoring the ball so well and left things open for me.”

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan duo Shavon Shields and Shabazz Napier combined for 34 points in their team's 85-83 win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Shields, Napier shined vs. Partizan

### A tough stretch to finish the season

Milan still has plenty of work to do before it can advance into postseason action, probably needing to win four of its last six games to have a good chance of finishing in the top ten. And it’s a very tough schedule, with only two more games at home and five of the remaining opponents currently ranked in the top nine – including red-hot AS Monaco, in-form Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, an Italian derby against Virtus Segafredo Bologna and next week’s trip to another direct rival, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

But Ettore Messina’s men have shown themselves to be more than capable of matching up against the best, overcoming leader Real Madrid in its last home game and downing second-placed FC Barcelona twice.

And the veteran coach made it clear he was very proud of his players’ efforts on Friday night, again underlining the collective ethic as he concluded: “It’s been a team victory, I’m very happy and we go on. We passed the ball well and our two bigs, \[although\] their numbers don’t show it, they kept screening and created mismatches.”

Yet, it still needs players to take the opportunities that are created, and Messina also acknowledged the contribution of his star players as he noted: “It’s not easy to score 85 points against such a defense. You need to have players who can make a play, and we did it with Shields, with Shabazz, and \[Nikola\] Mirotic.”

And if those big names keep on making those big plays, Milan might yet end up in the top ten.

More Milan News

Shavon Shields of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan looks to score against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Italian side grabbed a vital victory over Partizan in Round 28

Shavon Shields, Milan ready for thrilling end to the season: ‘Every game is a playoff game now’

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-03-08T19:30:00.000Z)

Round 28 saw many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars deliver great individual performances. These are the players who led all the main statistical categories.

Round 28 individual highs: Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce, 12 rebounds

[Points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score)

[Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) of Efes led all scorers in Round 28 with 28 points. [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) of AS Monaco, the EuroLeague's all-time top scorer, leads the way in scoring this season with 19.3 points per game.

[Rebounds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=totalRebounds)

[Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) of Fenerbahce pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds, more than any other player in this round. [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ranks first overall with 6.9 boards per night.

[Assists](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=assistances)

Maccabi’s [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) and Baskonia's [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) dished a round-high 10 assists each. Miller-McIntyre is also this season's leader in assists with 7.4 per contest.

[Steals](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=steals)

[Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) of Virtus Segafredo Bologna led all players this round with 4 steals apiece. [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/) of ASVEL ranks first in steals with 1.8 per game.

[Blocks](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=blocksFavour)

[Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/) of Baskonia had 4 blocks to lead this round's standings. [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) of Real Madrid is the EuroLeague's leader in blocks with 1.7 per night.

[Double-doubles](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=miscellaneous&seasonCode=E2023&statisticMode=accumulated&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=doubleDoubles)

Hayes-Davis (17 points, 12 rebounds), Miller-McIntyre (14 points, 10 assists) and [Luka Mitrovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luka-mitrovic/002553/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (18 points, 10 rebounds) each registered a double-double in Round 28.

Shane Larkin turned in one of his most efficient offensive performances of the season in leading Anadolu Efes Istanbul to a big 109-86 win over FC Bayern Munich in Round 28. In the process, he made Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history by earning a record-setting 17th MVP of the Round award in his seventh year in the competition.

Round 28 MVP: Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

[Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) turned in one of his most efficient offensive performances of the season in leading Anadolu Efes Istanbul to a big 109-86 win over FC Bayern Munich in Round 28. In the process, he made Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history by earning a record-setting 17th MVP of the Round award in his seventh year in the competition.

This is Larkin's third such honor this season, Against Bayern, Larkin netted a game-high 28 points in just over 26 minutes on the floor, making all 3 of his two-point attempts and shooting a season-best 6-of-9 from three-point range, while also making 4-of-5 free throws. He had 3 rebounds, 4 assists and just 1 turnover, accumulating a PIR of 33, the highest of any players in Round 28.

Shane Larkin | RS Round 28 MVP | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

This round's next best PIR, 28, belongs to [Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/) of Zalgiris Kaunas. In an 83-76 loss at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Evans had 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and drew 6 fouls. [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan amassed a PIR of 27 in his team's 85-83 home victory over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Shields posted 19 points on 6-of-6 two-pointers, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 5 fouls drawn. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) had a PIR of 26 in a resounding 79-89 road win at Real Madrid. He collected 17 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists. . Rounding out the list of Round 28's top performers are six players with a PIR of 25: FC Barcelona's [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/), [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) of Efes, [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, as well as [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) and [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/), both of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Shane Larkin now has 17 MVP of the Round honors.

Andrej Skoric beat everyone else in Round 28 with his team jokaki, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 239.55.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 28 winner

Andrej Skoric beat everyone else in Round 28 of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) with his team jokaki, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 239.55.

Jim had the following lineup: team captain Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona, Nigel Hayes-Davis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Luka Mitrovic of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Shavon Shields of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan as starters.

His sixth man was Codi Miller-McIntyre of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. On the bench, he had Vanja Marinkovic also of Baskonia, Tibor Pleiss of Efes, Jaron Blossomgame of AS Monaco and Nikola Topic of Zvezda. His head coach was Dusko Ivanovic of Baskonia.

The prize for finishing first in Round 28 is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2024-25 season, so congratulations, Andrej!

Ilias Preveza stays as the leader of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge overall standings with 5,096.1 points.

Trades are now open for Round 29. Remember, it's back to three trades per round.

The first games in Round 29 — Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Fenerbahce vs. Valencia Basket — tip off on Thursday, March 14, at 18:45 CET. These fixtures mark the deadline to get trades done, so don’t leave it too late!

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge!

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 28th winner in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! 

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz notched its third win in the last four EuroLeague games by beating ALBA Berlin 88-71, with defense playing a key role in the triumph.

Unrelenting defense powered Baskonia to smooth win over ALBA

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz stayed firmly on course to clinch a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after a sound all-round performance gave the Basque club [a comfortable 88-71 home win over ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-vs-alba-berlin/) on Friday.

Baskonia thrived from ironclad defense from start to finish, limiting the visitors to just 19-of-40 from two-point territory and 7-of-26 from downtown, with [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) producing a mature performance to lead the way with 14 points, 10 assists and 4 rebounds.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">➕ Volvemos a sumar en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> 🔝🔝<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/h9uKGC5vZA">pic.twitter.com/h9uKGC5vZA</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1766215779576324107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The playmaker pulled all the strings on the offensive end while he also played a major part on defense, complementing [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/)’s effort as the big man racked up 8 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Still, Miller-McIntyre stressed there was something left to be desired in Baskonia’s performance.

 “I am very happy that we won, that’s the most important thing,” he said in a flash post-game interview. “We made a lot of mistakes on defense. We had a lot of turnovers, too, and we’ve got to clean that up if we are going to make a run for the playoffs.”

### Making up for an off night from deep

Baskonia shot 7-of-27 from three-point range, with its top scorer [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) going 2-of-8 for just 8 points, all of which came in the second half.

However, the hosts sank 27-of-35 from inside the arc and dished out 23 assists, compensating for 11 turnovers while also forced 12 from misfiring ALBA.

Playoff-chasing Baskonia long for home comforts against an ALBA outfit that has only won once on the road all season. Both wish to improve defensively, after the visitors allowed 106 against Maccabi, while the hosts fared even worse, conceding 111 at Fenerbahce, but who can make the step up?

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-ALBA Berlin | Round 28 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Costello resembled a wall in Baskonia’s paint and he acknowledged that the hosts needed to step up in the second half after allowing ALBA to trim an 18-point deficit early in the second quarter to just 42-34 at halftime.

“They’ve got some really physical bigs and we tried to take them on as best we could,” the 30-year-old Costello commented. “We lost our intensity a little bit in the second quarter, but overall we played a good game. We locked down on defense in the second half and we are grateful for the huge support we got from our fans.”

It was a welcome win for Baskonia after a 111-96 setback at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the previous round, while the result piled more misery on ALBA after last week’s comprehensive 71-106 home rout by Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv.

Nonetheless, ALBA boss Israel Gonzalez put on a brace face after his team was brushed aside by Baskonia: “We made a good effort and were able to get back into the game several times. We just have to keep fighting whenever we step out on the court.”

More Baskonia News

Chima Moneke in action for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against ALBA Berlin in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Despite struggling from long range, the hosts made light of their home win against the German side

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v ALBA Berlin (2024-03-08T19:30:00.000Z)