Dario Brizuela was on fire as Barça Basket beat KK Crvena zvezda 76-85 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Barça Basket thrived in Belgrade as brilliant Dario Brizuela shot the lights out

FC Barcelona stayed on course for a top-four finish in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, as it improved to 17-8 and tightened its grip on the runner-up spot with [a clinical 76-85 win at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-crvena-zvezda-vs-barca-basket/).

It was an 11th successive win for Barca against Zvezda, which dropped to 10-15 and dented its hopes of making the playoffs after visiting guard [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) stole the show with 20 points, shooting a career-best 6-of-7 from downtown to silence a raucous home crowd.

Nemanja Nedovic's exhibition of long-range shooting saw Zvezda brush aside Valencia and sustain their aspirations to advance in the competition. Next are a dangerous, yet unpredictable, Barça group longing to rectify its declining away form having fallen in three successive outings on their travels.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-FC Barcelona | Round 25 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The 29-year-old’s lethal shooting went hand in hand with Barca’s ironclad defense, which stifled out the home team as it forced a barrage of tough shots while the visitors sank 6-of-11 efforts from long range in the first half.

Four of them came from the effervescent Brizuela, who racked up 14 points in the opening two quarters after coming off the bench and drew heaps of praise from his head coach Roger Grimau for a stellar all-round performance.

“Brizuela had a great game, not just offensively which is easier to see, but also on the defensive end,” Grimau told the post-game press conference. “He has the talent to score but he also used his verticality to very good effect all over the court.

“We had an excellent game at both ends, we controlled it from start to finish and I am really happy with the win and the performance. We have nine games left and we’re only thinking of the next one, it’s such a competitive league and a very tough schedule.”

### Barcelona impressed on defense in Belgrade

Brizuela echoed Grimau’s views that defense was the key to Barca’s win, keeping the Blaugrana in second place behind traditional Spanish rival and reigning EuroLeague champ Real Madrid (22-3).

“A good win. We did a good job on the defensive end and we know that as long as we do that, things will work out on offense,” he commented. “We have to stay focused and move on to the next one.”

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Gran victòria, BARÇA! 🚀 <br><br>17-8 i seguim refermant-nos a la segona posició 💪 <a href="https://t.co/ybS1lhvF7t">pic.twitter.com/ybS1lhvF7t</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1753524041233711373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Zvezda racked up 16 offensive rebounds, 6 of which came in the first quarter when the Serbian team was able to stay in touch as Barca only led 17-18 at the end of the opening 10 minutes. However, awful three-point shooting (6-of-27) cost the hosts and their head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos acknowledged his team lacked intensity.

Sfairopoulos chopped and changed throughout the contest in an effort to conjure a fast-flowing unit capable of turning the tide, but he kept hitting a wall as Barca stood its ground throughout the second half after engineering a 32-45 halftime lead.

 “We didn’t have fast and aggressive options on offense, we missed some open shots while Barcelona controlled the game throughout and they deserved to win,” the Greek tactician said.

“We weren’t tough enough to break Barcelona’s rhythm. We tried to change the momentum with lots of different lineups but they scored some tough shots, especially in the first half.”

More Barcelona News

Dario Brizuela of FC Barcelona in action during the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The 29-year-old guard produced one of the best performances of his career to help the visitors sink Crvena Zvezda.

Barcelona thrived in Belgrade as brilliant Dario Brizuela shot the lights out

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v FC Barcelona (2024-02-02T19:00:00.000Z)

Isaia Cordinier, Iffe Lundberg and Awudu Abass stepped up late as Virtus Bologna beat KK Partizan 88-84 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Virtus Bologna trio delivered clutch plays in key win over KK Partizan

Basketball is a highly tactical sport which allows coaches to make a big impact on the outcome with their schemes, personnel decisions and play calling.

Sometimes, though, games are decided by something much simpler: players making plays.

That was definitely the case on Friday night as Virtus Segafredo Bologna returned to third place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by [overcoming Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 88-84](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-virtus-bologna-vs-kk-partizan/) after a game that exploded into life in a crazy final quarter.

Subsequent to a concerning 27-point loss at Barcelona, Virtus endeavour to respond with their habitual strong home form at the expense of a Partizan roster that may rely on Kevin Punter to arrest their problems away from the homecourt having dropped five games in succession on the road.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | Round 25 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Virtus looked comfortable with a series of double-digit leads in the third quarter, but the visiting team came roaring back and the final period delivered four lead changes, five ties and several spectacular plays at both ends.

### Virtus trio made key plays late on

The first player to step up when it really mattered for the Italian team was [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/), who scored 6 points in just 42 seconds as the game headed into the final 2 minutes, including a remarkable steal from an inbound pass which allowed him to drive the baseline for a tough layup.

Next it was [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/), who had produced a series of big plays all night to eventually co-lead the team with 20 points. The last of those came with just 35 seconds remaining, as he calmly sank a three-pointer to give his team a lead, 82-81, which would never be lost.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Again. Again. Again.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/fP0XpQY2TI">pic.twitter.com/fP0XpQY2TI</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1753538588241744215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Partizan were staying in the game by conjuring up plenty of magic moments of their own, including [James Nunnally](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-nunnally/007400/) scoring 6 points in a row, [P.J. Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/) rescuing a broken play and beating the shot-clock buzzer by 0.2 seconds, and [Balsa Koprivica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/balsa-koprivica/011050/) rising high to throw down an alley-oop.

But the last and most decisive crucial moments came from [Awudu Abass](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/awudu-abass/003527/), who firstly stayed cool to sink a pair of free throws for a 3-point lead with 9 seconds remaining. Then Abass authored one of the highlights of Virtus’s season, stealing the resulting inbound pass after a timeout and accelerating clear to detonate a game-clinching dunk.

There was still time for [Marco Belinelli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marco-belinelli/bcn/) to make extra sure of the victory from the foul line after [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/)’s improbable three-pointer gave Partizan some hope, before a breathless contest concluded with Virtus sealing a tenth straight home win.

Victorious coach Luca Banchi summarized perfectly as he said: “We’re talking about two talented teams with a lot of weapons in their arsenal,” he said.

"When you arrive in the clutch, individuals can make the difference. They have many clutch players...\[cue pause for dramatic effect and a cheeky grin\]...we have, too.”

And you can’t argue with that.

More Virtus News

Awudu Abass of Virtus Segafredo Bologna shoots a three-pointer against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Isaia Cordinier, Iffe Lundberg and Awudu Abass became the heroes late on.

Virtus trio delivered clutch plays in key win over Partizan

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

John Brown had a really impressive defensive performance as AS Monaco Basket beat Fenerbahçe Beko 76-69 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

John Brown led Monaco Basket's comeback victory against Fenerbahçe Beko

AS Monaco grabbed its 15th victory of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season on Friday night, having [rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 76-69](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-as-monaco-basket-vs-fenerbahce-beko/). It did a great defensive job after the break, led by power forward [John Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/john-brown/010588/), and came away with a good-as-gold win. 

Fenerbahce led 36-44 at halftime, doing plenty of things really well. Johnathan Motley and Scottie Wilbekin each had scored in double digits for the visitors and combined for 21 first-half points. The guests hit 11-of-18 two-point shots (61.1% 2FG) before the break and outrebounded Monaco 13-22, in addition to having 8 assists and 7 turnovers.

Monaco search for a fourth consecutive win and are equipped with the clockwork consistency of Mike James, Round 24's MVP after powering his team over Partizan. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce enhanced its fragile road form with an impressive evening at ASVEL and have center Johnathan Motley thriving.

AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Round 25 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### Brown inspired Monaco on defense

Monaco came back to the floor with an entirely different mentality after the break as an inspired Brown seemed to be everywhere on both ends. The 32-year-old had drawn 2 offensive fouls before the interval, but went on to get 4 more in the second half. He drew 7 fouls in the game and 6of them were charges on the defensive end.

Brown did much more than that, getting critical rebounds, hitting mid-range jumpers and put-back layups, and providing intangibles like character, intensity and a fighting spirit. In the end, he finished the contest with 15 points on 7-of-9 two-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a PIR of 26.

AS Monaco power forward John Brown finished the game against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul with 15 points on 7 of 9 two-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a PIR of 26, drawing six offensive fouls!

Brown drew 6 offensive fouls against Fenerbahce

Of course, after the final buzzer, Brown was highly praised by Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic and teammate [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/), who finished the game with 16 points. As usual, [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) led the way with 23 points and 6 steals. 

Fenerbahce ended up scoring 25 second-half points, hitting 4-of-9 two-pointers (44.4% 2FG), being outrebounded 15-14 and recording just 6 assists and as many as 13 turnovers; its 20 turnovers were a season high. Before tonight, Fenerbahce had not committed more than 16 turnovers in a EuroLeague game this season. In Round 25, 6 of those 20 were from Brown's offensive fouls drawn.

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">⛔️ Iɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟᴇ ᴅᴇғᴇɴsᴇ , 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 ‼️<br><br>🦾 John Brown III était 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁 ce soir 🆚️ <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> 💯<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/GXM3e82son">pic.twitter.com/GXM3e82son</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1753544272572301436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"I would say that we won this with full emotion and a great heart, especially John Brown, who gave us an unbelievable kick defensively," Coach Obradovic said. "I am very happy, we knew it was going to be this kind of game until the end. We continue dreaming big! We improve from game to game and find someone else to help the team, and this is the full strength of the team."

"We knew it was going to be a tough matchup and we saw what John Brown did defensively. He did an amazing job. I don't know how many charges he got us but it was amazing!" Okobo said. "And we followed his lead defensively. That gave us confidence on offense and we made tough shots, and Mike \[James\] did amazing as well. All the team, overall, did really good."

More Monaco News

John Brown in action for AS Monaco in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Monegasque side secured a statement win in Round 25.

John Brown led Monaco's comeback victory against Fenerbahce

AS Monaco v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-02-02T19:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas defied the statistics to beat Panathinaikos B.C. 80-68 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Zalgiris Kaunas flipped the script against Panathinaikos B.C. in double-round sweep

Zalgiris Kaunas managed to complete a perfect double-round week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by [defeating Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 80-68](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-zalgiris-kaunas-vs-panathinaikos-bc/) in Round 25.

After an offensive explosion from both teams in the first quarter, which ended 25-25, Zalgiris increased the defensive pressure and ended up recording 11 steals while forcing 15 Panathinaikos turnovers. That was just the opposite of what most people would have expected beforehand.

“The end of the second quarter and the second half were completely different. It was a slower game, fewer points, more defense, more 50-50 balls, deflections. And that is in our favor, so that’s why we won the game,” said Zalgiris team captain [Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/).

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Going to sleep knowing that Zalgiris won 2 EuroLeague games this week. 😴 <a href="https://t.co/I6Chc7nc0O">pic.twitter.com/I6Chc7nc0O</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1753525748315377683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Zalgiris defied the pre-game stats

Zalgiris’s defense had ranked just 13th in both steals (6.2 per game) and forced turnovers (12.3 per game). And it was Panathinaikos which was known for its pressure defense. After all, the Greek side was first in steals at 7.5 per game and forced the second-most turnovers at 13.9. Yet, on Friday night, Zalgiris committed just 9 turnovers with Panathinaikos swiping 5 steals.

“This was not a tactical game. It was a game with a lot of one-on-one situations. We just raised the level of pressure on the ball. So, we slowed down the passes,” added Zalgiris coach Andrea Trinchieri.

### Evans was on fire from deep

Even though it exuded so much effort on the defensive end, Zalgiris was still able to stay true to its main offensive strength. That was thanks mainly to [Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/), as the Zalgiris leader made 4-of-5 three-pointers with the team managing 8-of-21 from long range for 38.1%, not far off its EuroLeague-leading average of 40.7%.

And that came against a Panathinaikos defense which allowed opposing teams to hit just 33.2% on three-pointers, the third-best clip in the competition.

More Zalgiris News

Tomas Dimsa of Zalgiris Kaunas looks to score against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Andrea Trinchieri’s group turned up the heat on defense to grab the win.

Zalgiris flipped the script to beat Panathinaikos

Zalgiris Kaunas v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-02-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna defeated KK Partizan 88-84 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Virtus Bologna comes out on top against KK Partizan, 88-84

<incrowd-live-blog id="65bbed1e81a0012de75c1c5a" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Iffe Lundberg of Virtus Segafredo Bologna looks to get past Mateusz Ponitka of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Italian side got back to winning ways, while the visitors suffered back-to-back defeats on the road this week.

Virtus comes out on top against Partizan, 88-84

AS Monaco Basket beat Fenerbahçe Beko 76-69 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Monaco Basket rallies past Fenerbahçe Beko, 76-69

<incrowd-live-blog id="65bbed8c3046fef96fe8bdc5" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Jordan Loyd of AS Monaco looks to get past Georgios Papagiannis of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The hosts trailed entering the fourth quarter, but they stepped up their play on defense to come away with the win.

Monaco rallies past Fenerbahce, 76-69

Barça Basket defeated KK Crvena zvezda 76-85 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Barça Basket overpowers KK Crvena zvezda, 76-85

<incrowd-live-blog id="65bbec5681a0012de75c1c56" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Nicolas Laprovittola of FC Barcelona is guarded by Nemanja Nedovic of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The visitors' defense caused problems for the hosts all night long.

Barcelona overpowers Crvena Zvezda, 76-85

The day after a coaching change and down by 13 after 15 minutes against dangerous Olimpia Milano, Anadolu Efes Istanbul found the inspiration it needed after halftime to sow the seeds of victory.

 An inspired third quarter lifted Efes 

Changing head coaches is never easy, but Anadolu Efes Istanbul did so this week in the span of just 48 hours. [Erdem Can was let go after a 96-70 road loss on Wednesday at Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/efes-releases-erdem-can-from-head-coaching-post/), the team's worst defeat in years. His former assistant, Tomislav Mijatovic, stepped up to the head of the bench for a home game on Friday against dangerous EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.

Efes found itself losing 25-38 after 15 minutes and only able to cut that deficit to 34-43 at halftime. But the next 10 minutes proved providential for a club that won back-to-back EuroLeague titles in 2021 and 2022. 

"In the third quarter, we made it a point to come out aggressive on the defensive end," team leader Shane Larkin would say after [Efes rallied to win 79-73 ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-anadolu-efes-sk-vs-olimpia-milano/)on what was a crucial night for its postseason hopes.

"Will Clyburn picked up their point guard and pressured him all game, especially in that third quarter and I think that got us all energized. It just let everyone else get their momentum, feeling good on the court and playing together, getting a big win at home."

Energized is putting it mildly. Efes torched Milan by 30-7 over the 10 minutes after halftime. In the first 20, the hosts make just 2 of 10 three-pointers and had fewer assists (5) than turnovers (6). In the third quarter, they went 6-for-9 from deep and dished 7 assists to lead 64-50 when it was over, a 27-point swing in 15 minutes since Milan had been in charge.. The difference in PIR for those 10 minutes of the third quarter was 34 to -2 in Efes's favor. 

Shane Larkin's highlights for Efes vs Milan

Milan would strike back and even tie the game 71-71 before Clyburn made back-to-back triples and rebounded everything in sight to assure the victory.

"The guys did a masterful job," Mijatovic gushed after. "They picked all of us up, me primarily. They did a masterful job, they didn't let anybody blow by any screens. They didn't let anybody get beaten one-on-one. They full-court pressed, they deflected the ball, they scored some easy points in transition, that's the key. Our guys did a wonderful job and I thank them from the bottom of my heart."

It was a whirlwind 48 hours, but for Larkin the lesson was clear.

"We just had to stick together all the way through and continue to play with pride," he said. "At the end of the day, that is what it comes down to for our team. We have to fight every moment that we are out there and play with pride, and if we do that consistently, we can have a good chance to win games."

Game Videos

Game News

Needing some inspiration in the wake of a sudden coaching change, Efes found it in the 10 minutes after halftime.

An inspired third quarter lifted Efes past Milan

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-02-02T17:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas beat Panathinaikos B.C. 80-68 in Round 25 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Zalgiris Kaunas keeps playoff dream alive with 80-68 win over Panathinaikos B.C.

<incrowd-live-blog id="65bbea3ac6f0ab7429b17ebd" client-id="EUROLEAGUE" server="standard"></incrowd-live-blog><script src="https://live-blog.incrowdsports.com/index.js"></script>

Brady Manek of Zalgiris Kaunas looks to score against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in Round 25 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

A defensive-minded fourth quarter saw the hosts pull away.