Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul scored 16 second-chance points, but most importantly every offensive rebound was a blow to Real Madrid’s morale 

Rebounding dominance carried Fenerbahce to Real Madrid sweep

Coming into Thursday’s clash between Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Real Madrid, head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius emphasized the importance of controlling the boards against a team that boasts two of the most talented bigs in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

“A lot will be decided by rebounding, trying to keep \[Edy\] Tavares and \[Vincent\] Poirier off the offensive glass,” Jasikevicius said in his pregame remarks.

Before the duel at the WiZink Center, Real Madrid ranked top in defensive rebounds with 26.9 per game and second-top in total boards with 36.4. Meanwhile, only four players boasted better averages in rebounding than Tavares (6.7 rpg.). Yet, Real Madrid finished the duel with 21 defensive and 30 total rebounds, with Tavares and Poirier combining for 11. Fenerbahce managed to dominate in the paint and collected 45 rebounds, including 17 offensive boards that hurt Los Blancos.

The Turkish side scored 16 second-chance points, but most importantly every offensive rebound was a blow to Real Madrid’s low morale following back-to-back defeats to Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

“We did many things to win this road game,” Jasikevicius said in the post-game press conference. “First of all, the rebounding numbers are incredible for us.”

Game Videos

Fenerbahce was solid on defense and circulated the ball smoothly to find open looks on the other end. In fact, the Turkish side’s outing in the Spanish capital was epitomized by the numbers and performance of Nigel Hayes-Davis, who made the difference and inspired Fener to a 79-89 victory. The 29-year-old forward recorded a double-double by pairing his 17 points with 12 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive.

“They collected 45% of the rebounds on our end,” Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo told the post-game press conference. “That’s a lot. We can’t afford that. They got easy second chances with the offensive rebounds. They shot many more times than us because they had more possessions than us. They also dominated the rebounds on their end, as we took only 25% of the rebounds on that end.”

As Panathinaikos already demonstrated last week, it takes a very solid performance both on defense and offense to overcome the EuroLeague defending champion. Beating Real Madrid once this season is breaking news, but doing so twice sends a clear message to all aspirants: Fenerbahce is a legitimate title contender and it showed it at the home of the league leader.

Game News

Real Madrid v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-03-07T19:45:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket came into its Spanish derby with FC Barcelona as the team with the more acclaimed defense, but it was Barcelona that came up with a stronger defense in the second half to earn an important win. 

Barcelona's defense changed tide in the second half 

Valencia Basket came into its Spanish derby with FC Barcelona as the team with the more acclaimed defense, but it was Barcelona that came up with a stronger defense in the second half to earn an important win.

With three teams just one victory behind in the standings, Barcelona used a strong defensive second half and good work after offensive rebounds to knock off Valencia 78-88.

“I am happy that we managed to get ourselves focused, especially in the second half. We didn’t turn the ball over a lot and we got the win. We matched their intensity and it got us a win,” said Jan Vesely, who led the way with 21 points.

Jan Vesely scored 21 points versus Valencia Basket, 03/07/2024

Jan Vesely scored 21 points versus Valencia Basket

Valencia came into the game allowing just 76.4 points per game - the second-fewest in the league. And the hosts ranked first in the league in defensive three-point shooting at 32.1%. Barcelona scored 88 points and made 10 of 24 three-pointers (41.7%).

“They are an incredible defensive team. We managed to find solutions in the second half and played tougher and that gave us the result,” added Nikola Kalinic, who had 13 points in the win.

Barcelona struggled to handle the ball in the first half with 10 turnovers. But just as importantly, Coach Roger Grimau’s men forced just 1 Valencia turnover, and the home side had an advantage of 13-0 in points off turnovers and 12-2 in fast break points in the first half.

Barcelona ended up with 19 turnovers - though it dished out 26 assists. But the winning team forced 11 Valencia turnovers in the second half, coming up with 14 points off those miscues.

Barcelona also controlled the boards 37-25 including 11-8 on offensive rebounds. That led to a 17-10 advantage on second-chance points.

Valencia also made just 6 of 28 three-pointers (21.4%) in an area of the game where Barcelona’s defense actually excels. The Catalan team ranked fourth in opposing three-point percentage at just 34.4%. Barcelona proved once again that it too can play some good defense - even matching one of the best defenses in the league.

Valencia Basket v FC Barcelona (2024-03-07T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus overcame injuries and rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 74-69 at home in Round 28 on Thursday. Both teams now have a 17-11 record but Olympiacos secured the tie-break advantage between both squads.

Olympiacos leapfrogs Virtus after 74-69 win

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Thanks to claiming the tiebreaker, the Reds improved to 17-11 and moved ahead of Virtus in the standings. 

Olympiacos Piraeus v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-03-07T20:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus had its back against the wall in its Round 28 game against Virtus Segafredo Bologna. It found the way to rally from a 12-point deficit and register a 74-69 victory. 


Everything clicked for Olympiacos after the break

There was an unusual cold atmosphere in the Peace and Friendship Stadium at the start of the game. Olympiacos's football team had just lost 1-4 against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League eighthfinals. Virtus took advantage of it, playing an outstanding first half to get a 34-46 margin 30 seconds before the break.

Virtus made 10 of 17 two-pointers (58.8% 2FG) and 6 of 12 three-pointers (50% 3FG) in the first half, dishing 13 assists and committing just 4 turnovers. On the other hand, Olympiacos had more turnovers (9) than assists (7) in the opening 20 minutes, missing starting point guard Thomas Walkup way too much. Both teams' PIR said it all: Virtus had amassed a PIR of 56, limiting the Reds to just 19.

Everything changed in the second half, as team captain Kostas Papanikolaou sparked his team's comeback with back-to-back three-pointers, one in each half. It was the start of a 16-0 run in which the hosts held Virtus scoreless for 5 minutes. Moustapha Fall and Alec Peters contributed in a run that Nigel Williams-Goss capped with a floater. By then, Olympiacos fans were fully into the game and pushing their way as they usually do.

Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus had 16 points and 8 rebounds in his team's 74-69 Round 28 home victory against Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Papanikolaou leads Olympiacos's comeback

"When a team like us that wants to be a good defensive team receives 46 points in the first half, something is quite wrong," Papanikolaou said after the game. "So everybody stepped up, came out in the second half and received a total of 23 points, 5 points in the third quarter. That is who we want to be, that is what gave us the win, what gave us the energy and the opportunities on offense to shoot with good confidence and make shots."

Indeed, Virtus's second-half numbers were very different. The visitors made just 8 of 22 two-pointers (36.4% 2FG) and 1 of 12 three-pointers (8.3% 3FG), were outrebounded by 24-20 and only had 3 assists against 7 turnovers. In other words, it was a completely different game.

Papanikolaou led the way with 16 points and 8 rebounds. Olympiacos also managed to get the tie-break advantage against Virtus. The Reds play their next game at home, and Olympiacos fans will need no wake-up call, as archrival Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens will be at Peace and Friendship Stadium for a very important Greek derby.

Everything clicked for Olympiacos after the break 

Telling numbers: Efes improved defense to beat Bayern

Anadolu Efes Istanbul grabbed its 12th win in this Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, downing FC Bayern Munich 109-86 at home in Round 28 on Thursday. Its defensive improvement after the break was critical.

It was a back-and-forth first half in which both teams exchanged leads and had good runs. Bayern shot the ball really well before the break, downing 7 of 13 three-pointers (53.8% 3FG) and dishing 9 assists against 5 turnovers. The fifth one came almost at the halftime buzzer, allowing Elijah Bryant to get an easy layup that fixed the score at 53-49 at the teams headed back to the locker rooms.

Bayern opened the second half with three consecutive turnovers. Efes took advantage of those, as Shane Larkin and Ercan Osmani each hit a three-pointer to quickly make it a double-digit game. Efes showed its best defensive version after the break, forcing Bayern to pick up as many as 12 second-half turnovers. Bayern only buried 4 of 15 three-pointers in the second half (26.7% 3FG).

Anadolu Efes Istanbul grabbed its 12th win in this Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, downing FC Bayern Munich 109-86 at home in Round 28. Efes hit 17 of 35 three-pointers.

Efes buries 17 three pointers against Bayern

Both teams had the same exact numbers at the boards, each getting 20 defensive and 7 offensive rebounds. Efes managed to share the ball more effectively, dishing 20 assists and picking up just 9 turnovers. Efes shot the ball really well throughout the entire game, burying 20 of 28 two-pointers (71.4% 2FG) and 17 of 35 three-pointers (48.6% 3FG).

It was Efes's second-best two-point shooting percentage this season: it buried 73.3% of its shots inside the arc in an 89-84 home win against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Only Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (19) hit more three-pointers in a game than Efes did against Bayern.

Efes has been able to turn its home court into a fortress since Tomislav Mijatovic stepped in as head coach, averaging 97.7 points in three wins but an average margin of 14.3 points. Efes now has to confirm its improvement by winning on the road, and goes against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in France next week.

Here's a look at some of the numbers that helped Efes triumph on Thursday. 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v FC Bayern Munich (2024-03-07T17:30:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul was dominant through the 40 minutes and clinched a well-earned 79-89 win away at leaders Real Madrid. The guests improved to a 17-11 record, while Los Blancos dropped to 22-6 and missed out on the opportunity to become the first EuroLeague team to clinch playoff qualification on Thursday night.

Fenerbahce triumphs 89-79 over Real in Madrid

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Real Madrid vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Nigel Hayes-Davis's double-double helped his team complete a season-sweep of 'Los Blancos'. 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (15-13) stayed firmly on course to reach the post-season with a gutsy 83-76 home win over Zalgiris Kaunas, having bounced back from a 52-60 deficit late in the third quarter thanks to ironclad defense in the fourth.

Sheer grit saw muscular Maccabi overpower Zalgiris

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (15-13) stayed firmly on course to reach the post-season with a gutsy 83-76 home win over Zalgiris Kaunas, having bounced back from a 52-60 deficit late in the third quarter thanks to ironclad defense in the fourth.

Wade Baldwin, who paced Maccabi with 16 points, credited the team’s second-string lineup that was on the court when the home team conjured a 20-7 run down the stretch to grab a 72-67 lead heading into the home straight.

“The group that was out there in the fourth quarter played extremely tough, we played through a lot of physicality on their side and then closed the game out,” Baldwin said after Maccabi prevailed in a nail-biting rollercoaster.

His teammate Bonzie Colson added: “We knew it was going to be a tough game because they’re an aggressive team. We got some stops and steals, so it was good work from us for sure.

“The mentality is that we play with grit and confidence and toughness too. When we do that we’re a dangerous team. We’ve got to stick to our principles and do what we do.”

Bonzie Colson's best plays against Zalgiris in Round 28, 03/07/2024

Bonzie Colson's best plays against Zalgiris in Round 28

Having struggled for long spells to match the brilliance that produced a 71-106 road blowout of ALBA Berlin in the previous round, Maccabi played to their strengths against a battling Zalgiris and racked up 39 boards, 14 of them on the offensive end.

The visitors managed only 4 offensive rebounds and 27 in total, which prompted head coach Andrea Trinchieri to acknowledge that being outmuscled in the paint ultimately made the difference.

“We were where we wanted to be in the last 2 minutes but then we made some bad decisions, turned over the ball and lost momentum,” said the Italian tactician. “One thing was missing though, the rebounding. In the EuroLeague, if you don’t rebound, you’re not going to win games.”

Handling the ball was also a key factor as Maccabi dished out 21 assists against 12 turnovers, while Zalgiris had 16 in each department.

Aggressive defending down the stretch on the visiting team’s top scorers Keenan Evans (18 points) and particularly Edmond Sumner (14) stifled out Zalgiris when the chips were down, allowing Maccabi to force the final twist with an 11-2 run.

Maccabi head coach Oded Kattash heaped praise on Zalgiris and ultimately lauded his team for showing trademark mettle to snatch victory when defeat looked the more likely outcome.

“We have to give Zalgiris credit, they played really well,” Kattash commented. “They are a well-coached team, it was an intense and aggressive game where nothing came easy for us. We stuck in there as a team and showed a lot of character, so it’s a big win for us. Obviously, reaching the playoffs remains our goal and we will keep fighting as every game from here on is important.”

The Israeli champs prevailed in the face of adversity after winning the battle in the paint against the plucky visitors.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Zalgiris Kaunas (2024-03-07T19:05:00.000Z)

AS Monaco Basket had five players, including Mike James, hit double digits in points during its 98-80 win over KK Crvena zvezda.

Monaco Basket shared the love on Mike James's big night

All the talk on Thursday night was about [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) – and rightfully so. But, ever so quietly, AS Monaco notched its seventh consecutive victory in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by [defeating Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 98-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-as-monaco-basket-vs-kk-crvena-zvezda/).

James ended up [breaking the EuroLeague’s all-time scoring record](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/mike-james-becomes-the-euroleague-all-time-leading-scorer/) with under 4 minutes left before halftime as he reached 13 points on the night, giving him 4,457 in total – one point more than EuroLeague great Vassilis Spanoulis. The celebrations that followed seem to halt James’s momentum a little, but he nevertheless finished the contest with a game-high 20 points by netting seven in the fourth quarter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📚 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒚.<br>👑 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬. <a href="https://t.co/PutDCkQ788">pic.twitter.com/PutDCkQ788</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1765818137805504513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### It was a team effort from Monaco

The man who was perhaps the reason behind Monaco beginning to pull away late in the third and early in the fourth was [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/), who ended with 14 points. Okobo had 7 assists, too, as he took over the playmaking duties. There were a couple of assists for [Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) dunks that got everyone out of their seats inside Salle Gaston Medecin.

Speaking of Hall, he finished with 10 points after causing all sorts of problems around Zvezda’s rim. The energy that Hall brings whenever he’s on the floor is such a valuable asset for Monaco, and that was proved again in Round 28.

The top scoring plays of Elie Okobo, Donta Hall, Donatas Motiejunas and Jaron Blossomgame in AS Monaco's win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Best scoring plays of Monaco's 'other' stars

Another big man who reached double digits was [Donatas Motiejunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/donatas-motiejunas/lcz/), who had 14 points. After getting the party started with the game’s opening bucket, it was a steady flow of offense by Motiejunas, particularly after the break as he had 5 in the third period and 4 in the fourth.

Last but not least, [Jaron Blossomgame](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jaron-blossomgame/011231/). Another player whose energy is so key to this team, he had 12 points but also did a lot of the things that don’t show up in the stats sheet. That is actually something that could be labelled about a few Monaco players, as Alpha Diallo and John Brown make such an impact on every game they play in. They both scored 7 points apiece against Zvezda.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🎊 𝑈𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑟𝑒́𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑎̀ 𝐺𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛-𝑀𝑒́𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑛 ✨️<br><br>7️⃣ victoires à la suite pour la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> en <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>, dans le sillage d&#39;un Mike James au sommet ⏫️🌟<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/gDcbODertb">pic.twitter.com/gDcbODertb</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1765843856489078786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Monaco’s leader, James, deservedly earned all of the plaudits having made history on Thursday night, but it’s fair to say that he’s got a pretty good cast around him, too. That can only spell good news as Monaco looks to secure home-court advantage in the postseason.

More Monaco News

Mike James accepts the applause from his teammates and everyone inside Salle Gaston Medecin during AS Monaco's win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The star guard was one of five players to hit double digits in scoring

Monaco shared the love on Mike James's big night

AS Monaco v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-03-07T18:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona beat Valencia Basket 78-88 at La Fonteta in Round 28 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

FC Barcelona overpowers Valencia Basket at La Fonteta, 78-88

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Ricky Rubio of FC Barcelona is guarded by Jared Harper of Valencia Basket in Round 28 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Jan Vesely the way with 21 points after enjoying a perfect shooting night

Rebounding dominance carried Fenerbahce to Real Madrid sweep

Barcelona's defense changed tide in the second half

Olympiacos leapfrogs Virtus after 74-69 win

Everything clicked for Olympiacos after the break

Telling numbers: Efes improved defense to beat Bayern

Fenerbahce triumphs 89-79 over Real in Madrid

Sheer grit saw muscular Maccabi overpower Zalgiris

Monaco shared the love on Mike James's big night

Barcelona overpowers Valencia at La Fonteta, 78-88