Moses Wright has signed for Olympiacos B.C. on a deal until the end of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Olympiacos B.C. adds Moses Wright to its frontcourt

Olympiacos Piraeus has fortified its frontline with the addition of center Moses Wright, who has signed a contract until the end of the 2024-25 season. Wright (2.06 meters, 25 years old) has spent the first part of this season playing in China and Turkiye, suiting up for Shanxi and Merkezefendi, respectively. He will make his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut with Olympiacos.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">✍️🏾 Η ΚΑΕ Ολυμπιακός ανακοινώνει την απόκτηση του Μόουζες Ράιτ. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a><a href="https://t.co/3pOtRBwvQi">https://t.co/3pOtRBwvQi</a></p>&mdash; OLYMPIACOS BC (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1750890456727093527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Wright started the season with Shanxi, where in five Chinese League games he posted 15.4 points and 7.8 rebounds. He then spent the last month with Merkezefendi of the Turkish League, posting 26.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in five appearances.

This last month was Wright's on the European continent. He started his professional career in 2021, having starred during his four years at Georgia Tech. He spent the 2021-22 campaign bouncing between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, where he combined for four appearances. That season, he spent most of his time with their respective G League affiliates, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario and the Texas Legends. Wright spent all of last season with Zhejiang in China.

### An important addition at a key time

He now joins last year's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague runner-up, who is currently without both of its centers. [Nikola Milutinov will be sidelined for two months](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/nikola-milutinov-suffers-ankle-injury/) with a broken bone in his foot that has required surgery. Meanwhile, [Moustapha Fall is out with a knee injury](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/olympiacoss-fall-to-miss-three-weeks-with-knee-injury/).

Wright will have a chance to make his EuroLeague debut in Round 24 against ALBA Berlin.

More Olympiacos News

New Olympiacos Piraeus signing Moses Wright in action for Georgia Tech in the 2019-20 NCAA season.

His addition comes at a time when the Reds have Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall both out injured.

Olympiacos adds Moses Wright to its frontcourt

Anadolu Efes Istanbul seeks a third consecutive victory tonight against AS Monaco, which is on a three-game road losing streak.

Efes and Monaco meet in big scorers' battle

In its almost three seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Anadolu Efes Istanbul has been an uncomfortable opponent for AS Monaco, especially in Istanbul. Monaco is still looking for its first-ever victory at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. Last season, Efes did not find much trouble beating Monaco 87-72 in the teams' regular-season finale. Tibor Pleiss led Efes with season-highs of 21 points, 12 rebounds and a PIR of 25. 

More than a year earlier, on November 19, 2021, Efes and Monaco faced each other for the first time. Efes thrashed Monaco 98-77, as Rodrigue Beaubois led five scorers players in double digits with 17 points in addition to 7 assists for a PIR of 24.

Red-hot Monaco aims for a sixth straight win against an Efes team, hoping a victory over Zalgiris proves to be the start of a renaissance. There are stars galore in the backcourt as Mike James and Elie Okobo go up against Shane Larkin and Darius Thompson, but whose talents will come to the fore here?

AS Monaco vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Round 8 | Highlights

Efes and Monaco already faced each other in Round 8 earlier this season. Efes beat Monaco 82-89 at Salle Gaston Medecin and led for the final 26 minutes of the game. Mike James and Alpha Diallo rallied Monaco to 82-85 with over a minute left but Shane Larkin buried a contested rainbow jumper over Diallo that sealed the outcome down the stretch. Larkin led the winners with 25 points while Beaubois added 21. Jordan Loyd had 19 points for Monaco. It was one of just two Efes road wins so far this season: the other one was against ALBA Berlin in early December.

### Larkin vs. James: What's not to like?

The game brings a stellar matchup by two of the best combo guards in recent EuroLeague history. James is the competition's leading scorer (19.3 ppg.) and PIR leader (21.5) this season. He is also seventh in assists (5.5 apg.). Larkin ranks third in scoring (18.0 ppg.), ninth in assists (5.5 apg.) and second in PIR (21.0). Larkin is a two-time champion with Efes, as the cornerstone of one of the best teams European basketball has ever seen. James is on track to become the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer very soon. He is 108 points away from first place and it looks like it is only a matter of time until he passes Vassilis Spanoulis and Nando De Colo.

Mike James and Shane Larkin lead the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in PIR.

James, Larkin against each other

It is unlikely that James and Larkin will see a lot of playing time against each other, as Efes and Monaco will use their best defensive weapons against the opponent's superstar. James should see a lot of playing time against Darius Thompson and Beaubouis, while Larkin is set to face Loyd and Yak Ouattara. James has kind of struggled against Efes since he joined Monaco, averaging 12.5 points on 3-of-13 three-point shooting in four games. Larkin has been up and down, getting 25 points and a PIR of 25 in this season's road victory, but also was held scoreless and had a PIR of -6 in a 102-80 road loss against Monaco on March 11, 2022. Larkin only had one other scoreless game in 206 appearances in the competition. This time, both Larkin and James arrive in great shape, and a monster performance is not out of the question.

 

### Efes's resurgence

Efes snapped a seven-game losing streak recently, getting a couple of no-doubt-about-it road wins in which everything clicked. First, Efes brought back some injured players. Tibor Pleiss returned to action in great shape. He averaged 5.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and a PIR of 4.4 before the injury and has boosted his numbers to 12.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and a PIR of 12.2 in the last five games. Rodrigue Beaubois, Tyrique Jones and Will Clyburn also came back and that has allowed Efes to be more competitive. Efes signed Mike Daum and Dan Oturu, gaining much-needed frontcourt depth.

In the last two games, Efes averages 98.5 points on solid shooting percentages (61.1% 2FG, 43.5% 3FG), 21.0 assists, 8.0 steals, 8.5 turnovers and a PIR of 124.5, much better number that its season averages (84.9 ppg., 56.4% 2FG, 34.7% 3FG, 6.8 spg., 11.0 TO, 94.9 PIR).

Efes bounces back against Virtus, Barcelona

Pleiss is not the only player to step up lately. Thompson had 26 points and a PIR of 31 in his team's Round 21 victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Elijah Bryant has been worth 13.0 points, 5.8 points, 3.8 assists and a PIR of 18.8 in the last five games. In the last two games, Efes has averaged 98.5 points on solid shooting percentages (61.1% 2FG, 43.5% 3FG), 21.0 assists, 8.0 steals, 8.5 turnovers and a PIR of 124.5, much better numbers than its season averages (84.9 ppg., 56.4% 2FG, 34.7% 3FG, 6.8 spg., 11.0 TO, 94.9 PIR). More depth, a healthy roster and stars stepping up have made Efes more competitive and this game against Monaco is another strong test for Coach Erdem Can's team.

All eyes will be on Larkin and James, but there is a lot more to this outstanding game. Tune in at 18:30 CET on Friday and grab some snacks!

Game News

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v AS Monaco (2024-01-26T17:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid Baloncesto looked like it was going to blow out Olympiacos B.C., only for the Greek side to mount an impressive comeback attempt that came up just short in Round 23 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Real Madrid Baloncesto and Olympiacos B.C. demonstrated why their matchup is a EuroLeague classic

Thursday night offered Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans [a thrilling clash between Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-real-madrid-baloncesto-vs-olympiacos-bc/) that unexpectedly went down to the wire.

Despite the Spanish side taking a 52-30 cushion into the second half, its Greek opponent fought back after the break and outscored *Los Blancos* 38-55. However, it wasn’t enough to grab what would have been a miracle win at WiZink Center.

Having offered basketball enthusiasts some fantastic contests over the years, the matchup between Real Madrid and Olympiacos delivered yet again, although many may have thought that it was over when [Gaby Deck](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/gabriel-deck/009005/) nailed a bucket to make it 62-38 midway through the third quarter.

“At this point it's just about pride, having some type of heart and ego,” Olympiacos’s [Shaquielle McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) said at halftime. “I don't really care what's going on or what people think. Sometimes you have to roll them up and fight.”

### An impressive comeback attempt

Despite taking to the court without their two bigs, [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) and [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/), and their second-choice point guard, [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/), all of whom were out injured, the Reds managed to bounce back. Inspired by its captain, [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/), an undermanned Olympiacos responded and made it a one-possession game, 86-83, with 42 seconds to go.

Yet, [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) demonstrated his ability when it mattered most and went all the way to the basket before finishing with a layup in front of [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), one of the finest defenders in the league. A basket by [Naz Mitrou-Long](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/naz-mitrou-long/011965/) was followed by a couple of free throws from Campazzo and Real Madrid clinched the victory to remain unbeaten at home this season.

“The second half was very different from the first,” Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo acknowledged after the game. “We knew that they would come back. But it’s another big victory against a very good team that has the heart of a champion.”

A rematch of 22/23's championship game sees Real aiming to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Monaco as it hosts dangerous Olympiacos, which got back into the groove by easily downing Maccabi. Can the reigning-champs reaffirm their prowess or will the guests be able to strike revenge.

Real Madrid-Olympiacos Piraeus | Round 23 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### A game with lots of history

Thursday’s duel was not only a repeat of last year’s championship game, which Real Madrid won 78-79 in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was just one of the numerous exciting games this EuroLeague classic has offered fans over the years.

Last year, Olympiacos won both regular-season games but couldn’t go all the way to the trophy. Yet, last season was not the first time that these two teams had met in the championship game.

Back in 1995, before the modern era of the EuroLeague, *Los Blancos* beat Olympiacos in the championship game, 73-61. Eighteen years later, the Greek side took its revenge by winning 100-89 against Real and lifting the 2013 EuroLeague title in London, England. The third time the two teams faced each in a championship game was in 2015, when Real Madrid secured a 78-59 victory in the Spanish capital.

### An important win for Real Madrid

“We all know what kind of team Olympiacos is, what kind of great fan base they have,” [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) commented after Thursday’s battle. “I’ve always respected them. It’s never easy to play against them, and that’s why we cherish this moment and this victory so much.”

Musa delivered a player-of-the-game outing, scoring a team-high 20 points in just over 23 minutes to lead Real Madrid to the win. “Against this team, a big rival, we are always happy to win these types of games,” he added. “It’s never easy against this team, but we are in good form and we’ll continue like this. This win is key for this season, but we know that our objective is to go to the Final Four and win the EuroLeague.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">👍 ¡Victoria frente al <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympiacos_BC</a> para sumar la 20ª en la <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>! 👍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/HEnKWaG8Y2">pic.twitter.com/HEnKWaG8Y2</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1750633667691446567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Boasting an incredible 20-3 record so far, Real Madrid has demonstrated on several occasions why it is considered to be the most complete team in the competition. *Los Blancos* took to the WiZink Center floor without the MVP of the 2023 EuroLeague Final Four, [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/), the man who nailed the game-winning basket against Olympiacos in last year’s championship game, [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/), as well as key forward [Guerschon Yabusele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/guerschon-yabusele/010357/), all of whom missed out due to injury.

However, *Los Blancos* demonstrated once more that overcoming those absentees is anything but an easy task. This might have been the last game between the two teams in the regular season, but we shouldn’t be surprised if Real Madrid and Olympiacos offer fans another great contest this term.

Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos Piraeus looks to get past Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid in Round 23 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Reds almost completed a famous comeback, but the reigning champion managed to hold on for the win.

Real Madrid and Olympiacos demonstrated why their matchup is a EuroLeague classic

Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-01-25T19:45:00.000Z)

Ahead of Keith Langford being entered into the Hall of Fame at Olimpia Milano, he sat down with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo.

Keith Langford: 'People hate when you shoot but they love when you score'

Round 23 brings a special celebration to the Forum in Milan. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has decided to honor Keith Langford as the new member of the club's Hall of Fame.

Even when Langford played in Milan for only two seasons, he led the team to win the 2013-14 Italian League title and to home-court advantage in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs the seam season. Milan lost against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and missed the chance to play the Final Four in its own arena but Langford was the competition's top scorer and was chosen to the 2013-14 All-EuroLeague First Team. Throughout his career, Langford set a high standard when it came to efficiency, scoring and stepping up every single night, becoming a mentor for some of the EuroLeague stars today, most notably AS Monaco guard Mike James.

<center><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Memories. Number 23. <br>EuroLeague 2013/14 Top Scorer 🔥<br>EuroLeague 2013/14 First Team 🔝<br>Italian league champions 2013/14 🏆<br><br>Tickets 🎫<a href="https://t.co/jai4BJ6Icv">https://t.co/jai4BJ6Icv</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LangfordWeek?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LangfordWeek</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/VK4Nloe69S">pic.twitter.com/VK4Nloe69S</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1750111204637331921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>


Langford will attend Milan's Round 23 home game against FC Barcelona on Friday night, and the club is honoring him on social media all week long, posting pictures and videos using the hashtag #LangfordWeek. Of course, he will be joining illustrious company. The historic club's Hall of Fame includes Dino Meneghin, Mike D'Antoni, Bob McAdoo, Cesare Rubini, Sandro Gamba, Bill Bradley and, most recently, Gigi Datome, who was inducted soon after his retirement last summer. In a exclusive interview with [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net), Langford discussed the honor and what it meant to be a EuroLeague scoring king.

Former EuroLeague Top Scorer

Milan and that season kind of turned me from being like just a talented player to scratching the surface of being a great player."

"It's exciting, because one thing about being an American and playing in Europe a lot of times, when American guys leave, they're pretty much gone. And you just make room for the next, the next American, the next foreigner to come into that space," Langford said. "So to be honored and to go into a Hall of Fame, I don't take that lightly. Which is why, as soon as I got the letter and Milan reached out to me, I made it a point to make sure that I could come back and be in the arena for that."

### Two important seasons in Milan

Langford looks back on his two seasons in Milan as having helped him become a better professional and a next-level player.

"I had already made my name as a player, but playing in Milan and that season kind of turned me from being like just a talented player to scratching the surface of being a great player," he recalled. "So I learned a lot, accomplished a lot and, unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay in Milan and see it through and have more opportunities to go to the Final Four. But man, I made some lifelong friends memories. And I really cherish that year because I learned so much and I had so much growth as a player and a person during that season. So it was special on and off the court."

Keith Langford interview as he enters Milan's hall of fame

Milan was Langford's second big shot to reach the Final Four. In 2012, Langford helped Maccabi reach the EuroLeague playoffs and its series went down to Game 5, a classic in which Panathinaikos prevailed 86-85. In 2014, Langford led Milan to a 10-4 Top 16 record and his team had the home-court advantage against his old team, Maccabi. In Game 1, Maccabi rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 2 minutes of regulation to force overtime and steal the home-court advantage, winning the series 3-1. Looking back, Langford wishes he had more chances to make it to the Final Four.

"One thing I know about Europe is that great players, a lot of times, when guys go to the Final Four multiple times, multiple years, they get multiple opportunities with the same club," he said. "And so I don't necessarily regret not making the Final Four that season, but my biggest regret is probably that I didn't have four or five years playing with the same team to be able to give that team another chance. Because I think that before a team breaks through and wins a championship, they have a couple of big failures, and it's normal."

### Mentor to a fraternity of Americans overseas

During that process, Langford was leading by example without noticing it himself. He was an unique type of player, a scoring machine with outstanding one-on-one moves highlighted by his deadly, left-handed step-back jumper. Langford was the first player in EuroLeague history to score 600 points in a season, which he did in the 2016-17 campaign with UNICS Kazan, needing just 28 games to reach that achievement and earn his second Top Scoring Trophy. At some point, Langford started to receive texts and messages from fellow Americans in the EuroLeague asking for tips and advice, with two future All-EuroLeague guard on top of the list.

"There was a point in time where I didn't even realize that guys looked at me in that way, and then all of a sudden there's a message comes to my phone and it's Mike James, a message comes to my phone, and it's Malcolm Delaney, really just asking questions about certain teams or different ways to operate business. And once that started happening, it made me open up more," Langford said. 

The first time I saw Mike and he was playing in Baskonia, I was just like, Wow!"


"It made me open up more and be more willing to help guys, because for so long I just had blinders on and I was an assassin; I wanted to kill everything and everybody. And I had always told myself, I don't have time to be anybody's mentor or friend. But those guys of that caliber reaching out – and being humble enough to reach out to me – I had to. It was only right for me to return the favor. So I'm only using those two guys because they pop up in my mind first, but there were plenty of guys that I was able to help."

### Parallels with Mike James

Langford sees James as an improved version of himself, a scoring guard able to do anything on the court.

"There was a time when being a scorer and being that aggressive and playing in that style in the EuroLeague was not that widely accepted. So I took a lot of risks early on in my career because it was a very negative connotation. Obviously, we know that the EuroLeague is very much team-oriented, and so when you see a guy who shoots a majority of the time, for people who don't understand basketball from the American side, it can be a difficult style to accept," Langford said. "So saying all that, the first time I saw Mike and he was playing in Baskonia, I was just like, 'Wow, here's the first player that I've seen that I think is just as or more talented than I am'."

With James being on the brink of becoming the EuroLeague's all-time top scorer, Langford praises the competition's change of format for allowing players to showcase their talent for an entire season. 

Focus on: Keith Langford, Milan


"He's a fascinating scorer, unstoppable in my eyes. But the thing that's so interesting about Mike and to watch him is that he's able to now take advantage of having a full EuroLeague season regardless of the record. Because when I start first starting in EuroLeague, sometimes you would only get 10 games in that first round. And if you don't make it out of the first round, that's it for the year. So I really think with Mike's ability and the way the EuroLeague is formatted now, he has a chance to \[take\] this scoring record and be the scoring king like for many, many, many years to come."

### 'There really is a lot of love'

Langford has been through the same stuff James goes through on social media, too, hearing that fans don't agree with his playing style. Langford knows that if the ball goes in often enough, the critics will disappear.

"I know that guys that play in the style that we play is not always easy because there's a lot of criticism that comes along with it and there's a lot of discomfort from people at times. Me and Mike fall in the category of people hate when you shoot but they love when you score, you know what I mean? So it's kind of like you have to deal with that. You have to deal with that energy from the public at times. And so I think we both mastered that at different times in our career."

Langford is enjoying retirement now, having stepped away from the game on May 4, 2023, but thankful for the appreication  and this is a great opportunity to be appreciated. Langford has stepped away from EuroLeague action a bit, realizing that people miss him and respect what he did on the court.

"Now that my career is over and sometimes, I get random messages or I get random tweets or something, and man, it makes you realize that, 'Wow, not everybody was negative the whole time'," he laughts. "I think the negative stuff gets the most attention. But there really is a lot of love. And there really is a lot more adoration out there for all of us, for all players, all journalists, all teams, all coaches."

A lethal lefty who entertained a generation of EuroLeague fans is back for a much-deserved honor.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v FC Barcelona (2024-01-26T19:30:00.000Z)

Amine Noua made his Fenerbahçe Beko debut just three days after signing for the team, yet he made an instant impact in a EuroLeague win over Virtus Bologna.

Amine Noua enjoyed a perfect debut in Fenerbahçe Beko’s win over Virtus Bologna

[Amine Noua](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/amine-noua/006068/) has had quite the week.

On Monday, he left Italian side Derthona Basket and [signed for a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague powerhouse in Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-bolsters-lineup-by-signing-amine-noua/). On Tuesday, he had his first practice with his new teammates. And on Thursday, having taken part in just two practices, he made a key impact as [Fenerbahce beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 88-75 in Round 23](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fenerbahce-beko-vs-virtus-bologna/).

On the night, Noua had 9 points on perfect shooting, going 3-for-3 on two-pointers and 1-for-1 from deep, in addition to recording 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks and 0 turnovers in 21:14 minutes on the floor. It was a very solid contribution – and it was very much needed.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Bizimkilerin sürpriz sonlu galibiyet sevinci! 💛💙😅<br><br>Marko 🤗 <a href="https://twitter.com/YellowTheCanary?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YellowTheCanary</a> <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/tUjetDe5sS">pic.twitter.com/tUjetDe5sS</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1750608982056546556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After all, Fenerbahce had star forwards [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) and [Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) both watching on from the bleachers against Virtus as they were absent due to injury, while that was the same story [Nate Sestina](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nathan-sestina/profile/011980/), [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/), [Metecan Birsen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/metecan-birsen/003091/) and youngster [Hamza Mestoglu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/hamza-mestoglu/012724/). In short, Fenerbahce is dealing with an injury crisis at the forward positions and needed reinforcements.

### Noua’s big plays in the second half

But, Noua answered the call and came up big in Round 23, especially in the second half, with some plays that helped swing the momentum of the contest. He showed his hustle by almost diving into the first row to keep the ball inbounds early in the third quarter, before having a huge put-back dunk that almost took the roof off Ulker Sports and Events Hall.

Midway through the third, the 26-year-old blocked Achille Polonara under Fenerbahce’s rim with the score 60-49 in the hosts’ favor. Next up, Nick Calathes saw Noua on his way to the rim and picked him out for a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk, which put Fenerbahce 64-49 ahead.

He wasn’t done there, though. In the fourth, with Virtus having shown signs of a miraculous comeback, Noua drained a corner three-pointer to reestablish his team’s 15-point advantage with 3 minutes to go. Finally, Noua showed that he was still dialed in by blocking Iffe Lundberg’s layup against the backboard when there was 2:09 minutes on the clock and Fenerbahce was ahead by 16 points, 86-80.  

Amine Noua had 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks and 0 turnovers as Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 88-75 in Round 23 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Noua's highlights vs. Virtus

### A standing ovation from the crowd

When the French forward was called for his fifth and final foul with 1:50 left, he received a standing ovation from the fans as he made his way back to the bench. Noua had been parachuted in to provide an extra body for Saras Jasikevicius’s squad, but he ended up having a telling impact on a game that could have big consequences come the end of the regular season.

“I tried to play with energy, give my all and play in the right way, like Coach wants,” Noua admitted in the locker room after the game. “First of all on defense, try not to make mistakes. And on offense, take all the opportunities that I am given. It was great for me, it was great to win, and I really appreciate how the team got me involved. I just want to keep going, keep working as a team and keep winning games.”

Now in his fourth EuroLeague season, having previously played at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in the 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2022-23 campaigns, Noua finds himself on a one-month contract at Fenerbahce. Yet, if his performance against Virtus is anything to go by, the club’s management could well think longer term about a talent with experience on the edge of his prime.

“In practice, you already know that he understands everything,” an impressed Jasikevicius said in the post-game flash interview. He then elaborated on his comments in the post-game press conference:

"The first impression of him was excellent off the court. A big professional. He had just two good practices \[before playing against Virtus\]; it's not easy. He was totally thrown into the fire, but he didn't leave the team context, the team picture. Even in practices, he immediately looked good. \[He's\] very solid and understands the situations that we're asking from him, so he's exactly what we needed at this point of the season."

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach Saras Jasikevicius discusses Amine Noua's debut against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 23 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Saras Jasikevicius on Amine Noua

### A reunion in Round 24

Curiously, Fenerbahce’s next EuroLeague game is on the road at ASVEL next Tuesday, so Noua already has a chance to come up against his former employer. Two tough road games follow after that as Fenerbahce travel to take on AS Monaco next Friday and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens the Friday after that. So, it may be a little while before he gets to experience a EuroLeague atmosphere at Ulker Sports and Events Hall, but he was blown away by the passion the fans showed in Round 23.

“I played here when I was at ASVEL and you couldn’t hear anything on that court. It’s crazy,” he stressed. “To be here in front of all these fans, it’s one of the best feelings. When you play in front of these supporters, you’ve got all of their energy and you have to give everything for them because they deserve it.”

Well, on Thursday night, Noua deserved everything that he got: a standing ovation and, most importantly, a debut win.

More Fenerbahce News

New Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul signing Amine Noua applauds the fans after the Turkish side's win against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 23 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

He only signed for the club a few days ago and had trained with his new teammates just twice before playing in Round 23.

Amine Noua enjoyed a perfect debut in Fenerbahce’s win over Virtus

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-01-25T17:45:00.000Z)

Days after making his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut, young Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward Yigit Hamza Mestoglu suffered an injury that will sideline him for an extended period of time. This past week, during practice ahead of Fenerbahce's game against Virtus Segafredo Bologna, the 19-year old ruptured his ACL, ending his first EuroLeague season. Mestoglu now awaits surgery, the club announced on Friday morning.

Fenerbahce loses youngster Mestoglu to ACL injury

Days after making his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut, young Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward Yigit Hamza Mestoglu suffered an injury that will sideline him for an extended period of time. This past week, during practice ahead of Fenerbahce's game against Virtus Segafredo Bologna, the 19-year old ruptured his ACL, ending his first EuroLeague season. Mestoglu now awaits surgery, the club announced on Friday morning.

Mestoglu made his EuroLeague debut in Round 22 against Zalgiris Kaunas, when he played 2 minutes and 25 seconds.

This is his first year with Fenerbahce, where he arrived last summer. He joins a long list of currently injured Fenerbahce forwards, which includes Nigel Hayes-Davis, Syshawn Pierre, Nate Sestina, Tarik Biberovic and Metecan Birsen.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Yiğit Hamza Mestoğlu’nun sağlık durumu hakkında bilgilendirme<br> <br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/fWnHjUwG3x">https://t.co/fWnHjUwG3x</a> <a href="https://t.co/luRWZHy1gO">pic.twitter.com/luRWZHy1gO</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1750794275988578420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Talented forward suffered a season-ending injury.

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 26 game between Anadolu Efes istanbul and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, scheduled for February 8, will be played at Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, instead of Istanbul as originally scheduled.

 Round 26 Efes vs. Maccabi game relocated 

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 26 game between Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, scheduled for February 8, will be played at Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, instead of Istanbul as originally scheduled.

 

This decision has been taken considering Turkish and Israel government recommendations.

Round 26 Efes vs. Maccabi game relocated

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-02-08T17:30:00.000Z)

Dzanan Musa netted a team-high 20 points to lead Real Madrid to a 90-85 victory over Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 23. 

Another outstanding Musa performance against Olympiacos inspired Real Madrid sweep

Dzanan Musa netted a team-high 20 points to lead Real Madrid to a 90-85 victory over Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 23. *Los Blancos'* forward demonstrated for the second time this season that he enjoys playing against this specific rival, having also led Real Madrid to a 71-77 win in Piraeus in early December. Back in Round 12, Musa scored 23 of his team’s 77 points, including 5 triples made, which is his career best.

On Thursday night, the 24-year-old pulled off another outstanding display, going 4-for-7 both from inside and outside the arc. He also collected 5 rebounds and dished 3 assists in just over 23 minutes on the floor.

Real Madrid started strong and outscored Olympiacos 30-13 in the first quarter, before taking a 52-30 cushion into the second half.

“For us the first 5-7 minutes are the most important of the game,” Musa said after the game. “We’re trying to set the pace and then control the game from that. We did the right thing today and we won the game.”

Dzanan Musa shined again against Olympiacos

*Los Blancos* may have expected a reaction from the Greek side, but they didn’t manage to finish the game off until crunch time. This is where Musa stepped up and nailed back-to-back buckets to make it 86-78 with 1:21 left on the clock. A die-hard Olympiacos cut the difference to 86-83, but Facundo Campazzo, who recorded 12 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 8 drawn fouls, netted a basket from inside and a couple of free throws to put the game to bed.

“We didn’t do a great job on defense in the second half,” Campazzo noted. “We allowed them to score in different ways until the last 2 or 3 minutes. But if we want to fight for big things this season, we have to improve these kinds of situations in the game.”

Having lost 98-74 at AS Monaco last week, Real Madrid managed to get back to winning ways by securing its 11th home victory of the season. Hence, *Los Blancos* remain the only team in the 2023-24 EuroLeague that has yet to record a home defeat. Having improved to a 20-3 record, the reigning champion hosts LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and then plays away at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the upcoming double-round week. Boasting a red-hot Musa, who averages a team-high 13.6 points in 21:27 minutes this season, Real Madrid will look to extend its winning streak to three games.

Game Videos

Los Blancos' forward has averaged 21.5 points against the Reds this season. 

LDLC ASVEL beat FC Bayern Basketball 64-76 in Round 23 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, with its consistent performance paying dividends on the night.

Consistency proved key for LDLC ASVEL in win at FC Bayern Basketball

“Consistent. We played consistent for almost 40 minutes. That was the word of the day,” explained LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne head coach Pierric Poupet in the post-game press conference after [his side beat FC Bayern Munich 64-76 at BMW Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-fc-bayern-basketball-vs-ldlc-asvel/) on Thursday night.

A single word and a simple concept that the visitors took to an upper level to grab their first win on the road since November 13, 2023, when they beat ALBA Berlin in what was also a very effective defensive effort (68-73). Thursday’s triumph at Bayern was the second time ASVEL gave up less than 70 points to its opponent, and it was a key factor in the win. 

### ASVEL frustrated Bayern

Despite taking a 17-12 lead after 8 minutes, Bayern struggled all game long both with its shooting and rebounding against Poupet’s squad. Come the final buzzer, the best-ranked team in rebounding lost the battle of the boards 40-26, while Bayern also recorded a below-par shooting night, having gone 24-of-59 from the field goal (40.6%).

“I’m so happy you cannot even imagine because they deserve it and stuck to the game plan,” stated Poupet right after the game. “Sometimes it happens like this. We had a great game. We’ve taken a huge step defensively of late. We showed it today. We started this a couple of weeks ago now and we stayed consistent for about 40 minutes. I hope that we can build on that.”

Bayern boosted their confidence with a German derby victory over ALBA, in which Danko Brankovic enjoyed a breakout game to further add to Pablo Laso’s options. Meanwhile, bottom-placed ASVEL hope Mike Scott can recover his scoring threat after reaching double-digits in only one of his last four.

FC Bayern Munich-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | Round 23 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In a game in which both teams had several players missing, ASVEL was the side which coped best. Bayern didn’t have [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/) inside, among some other players on its roster, while [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/) had to leave the game sooner than expected due to a sprained ankle.

### Dominating inside

That was exploited by [Youssoupha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/youssoupha-fall/006568/) and [Mbaye Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mbaye-ndiaye/012731/), who combined for 24 rebounds, 7 of them on the offensive end, to set the foundations for ASVEL’s dominance. Fall finished with a monster double-double of 16 points and 13 boards, which is his second double-double in a row and his fourth so far this season. He became an unstoppable force inside and an invaluable asset for his team when it needed to control the pace of the game.

“It's a good win for us,” Fall championed. “It's good for the mentality because this is being really tough for us, you know. We are all happy, we are happy to get this win, as Bayern is usually a really strong team, especially at home. Defensively, we were more focused and this made the difference.”

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TOGETHER 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/F1j79lSaOX">pic.twitter.com/F1j79lSaOX</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1750637610253361182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

ASVEL was also without some important players, too, such as [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/), [Charles Kahudi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/charles-kahudi/kir/) and [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/), which made for a tough situation with ASVEL’s backcourt rotation. But another player who stepped forward and contributed to ASVEL’s consistency was [Paris Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/paris-lee/011225/), who played 34:24 minutes and posted 21 points and 4 assists to lead his team in scoring.

“Mostly I'm happy for my coach,” he commented. “It's been a tough situation here and for him to step up and lead us the way he's leading us, I give a big congrats to him and a congrats to my team. We played really hard today. \[What we can take from this one is\] just play freely. We’ve got nothing to lose, to be honest. We're trying to build our chemistry. So just keep getting better and just try to get a winning mentality.”

More ASVEL News

Edwin Jackson of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne looks to score against Carsen Edwards of FC Bayern Munich in Round 23 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The French team got its third road win of the season behind a 16-point, 13-rebound effort from Youssoupha Fall.

Consistency proved key for ASVEL in win at Bayern 

FC Bayern Munich v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-01-25T19:30:00.000Z)