Barça Basket came out on top in El Clásico against Real Madrid Baloncesto, winning 83-78 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Barça Basket beats Real Madrid Baloncesto to secure El Clásico bragging rights, 83-78

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Jabari Parker of FC Barcelona is defended by Facu Campazzo of Real Madrid in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The series between Spain's two behemoths is now tied 18-18 this century.

Barcelona beats Real Madrid to secure El Clásico bragging rights, 83-78

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2024-01-03T20:00:00.000Z)

Saski Baskonia rallied to beat Panathinaikos B.C. 75-73 on Codi Miller-McIntyre's last second shot in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Baskonia stuns Panathinaikos, 75-73, on Miller-McIntyre game-winner

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

The playmaker's last-second jumper capped a marvelous comeback for the home side. 

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-01-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna (13-5) rallied to bead FC Bayern Basketball (8-10) 85-83 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Virtus rallies past Bayern late, 85-83 

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. FC Bayern Munich.

The hosts used a late 7-0 run inspired by Isaia Cordinier to win after trailing by as many as 8 in the fourth quarter.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v FC Bayern Munich (2024-01-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket defeated Anadolu Efes S.K. 93-88 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Valencia holds off Efes for 93-88 victory

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EuroLeague Live Blog: Valencia Basket vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Damien Inglis posted his first double-double of the season to spark the winners. 

Valencia Basket v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-01-03T18:30:00.000Z)

In this exclusive interview, Mario Hezonja talks about Real Madrid's historic run, how he has matured with Los Blancos, his relationship with head coach Chus Mateo, and much more.

Hezonja recorded Real's highest PIR in three of the five games he played in December while registering two of the five double-doubles in his 126-game EuroLeague career. Above all, he helped Real reach the regular season's halfway mark with a 16-1 record, which is unprecedented since the round-robin format was started in the 2016-17 campaign.

Mario Hezonja, Real, December MVP: 'We can go to even another level'

In this exclusive interview, Mario Hezonja talks about Real Madrid's historic run, how he has matured with Los Blancos, his relationship with head coach Chus Mateo, and much more.

Hezonja recorded Real's highest PIR in three of the five games he played in December while registering two of the five double-doubles in his 126-game EuroLeague career. Above all, he helped Real reach the regular season's halfway mark with a 16-1 record, which is unprecedented since the round-robin format was started in the 2016-17 campaign.

"It feels great individually and especially as a team, because we had a perfect month," Hezonja said about the award. "We won every game, and I think it was important for us not only to close the year like this, but also stay on our path and continue into the new year with the win."

At age 28, Hezonja is a young veteran who already played the competition with FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, UNICS Kazan and Real. He won't forget 2023 easily, the year in which he became a EuroLeague champion and which he finished with a bang, [earning December MVP honors](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mvp-for-december-mario-hezonja-real-madrid/). He credits Real coach Chus Mateo for making him mature, growing together as player and coach.

"I didn't know that he's going to be a coach. We met, and then I think we started to grow at the same time, him as a coach and me as a player here," Hezonja said. "So he had a plan the entire way for me. Of course, sometimes you don't like it, sometimes you like it, sometimes good, sometimes it's bad, but this is all part of the process so you go with it. You shut up and you focus on basketball."

Asked about his team's great run, Hezonja believes Real is taking things naturally, as they come, knowing they have everything needed to go all the way again: experience, talent, physicality and a good number of previous EuroLeague champions. Being able to stay focused and wanting more should be the biggest key until the end of the season.

"We want to approach all of them with the maximum respect and then see where we are for the playoffs, and then see where we are for the Final Four. And ultimately we want to win it," he siad. "Also, I believe the team, how it is going for us with the records and everything, it's not getting to our heads, definitely, because there is always more. There is always hunger. There is always this mentality here."

Hezonja also believes this may be only the start, that Real has merely scratched the surface of what it can do in the near future.

"If we manage to keep the main players here, I think this we can start speaking in \[the\] future about the best team in \[the\] history of EuroLeague," Hezonja said. "And I hope that this can be achieved, and that we can go to even another level into something much more than just things that we are focused on now."

In this exclusive interview, Mario Hezonja talks about Real Madrid's historic run, how he has matured with Los Blancos, his relationship with head coach Chus Mateo, and much more.

Get the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for December's take on his team's soaring season so far.

Barca, Madrid ring in 2024 with 'El Clásico'!

The second leg of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season opens with another edition of *El Clásico* as FC Barcelona (11-6) hosts Real Madrid (16-1) on Wednesday.

### 2023-24: The story so far

Real arrives to the second edition of *El Clásico* on track for a record-breaking season. Its current 16-1 record is the best start by any team since the new round-robin format began in the 2016-17 season. It has also dominated this rivalry this season, beating Barca in three different official competitions. Barca's last win against Real was in Game 4 of the 2023 Spanish League finals.

In their first meeting this season, Real downed Barca 80-90 in the Spanish SuperCup semifinals and went on to win the title. Dzanan Musa led the winners with 24 points, while Nico Laprovittola had 27 for Barca. On October 1, Real edged Barca 86-79 in Spanish League action behind 22 points and 9 rebounds from Vincent Poirier. In the first *clásico* of the season on the EuroLeague stage, in Round 5 on October 26, Real prevailed again, 65-64, rallying from a 14-point deficit at home as Gabriel Deck, who has been sidelined lately, starred with 20 points.

The tension is teetering for an early-season el clásico, in which both club's 100% records are at stake.  Willy Hernangomez returns to his former team and his battle alongside Jan Vesely against giants Walter Tavares and Vincent Poirier could prove spectacular.

Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona | Round 5 | Highlights

### Barca: No place like home

Barca comes into this game having recorded just three wins in its last 10 games across all competitions and following a 20-point EuroLeague road loss against AS Monaco. Madrid may have won 33 out of 35 official games this season, but Barca's level rises at home, something to be taken into account. What a better way for Barca to right its ship than with a win at home against its archrivals? Barca is 7-1 at Palau Blaugrana this season in the EuroLeague, losing only to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, and has the numbers to back up that dominance.

Barca averages 88.1 points at Palau Blaugrana, leading the competition in two-point shooting at home (60.9% 2FG) and ranking fifth in three-point shooting (37.9% 3FG). All three are higher than its road averages: 82.5 points, 56.1% 2FG and 36.9% 3FG, respectively. The most outstanding difference may be this: Barca forward Jabari Parker has made 56.3% of his three-pointers at home and just 22.2% on the road.

What's more, Real has not won a EuroLeague Regular Season game at Palau Blaugrana since February 23, 2018, when it overwhelmed Barca 74-101. After that, however, Los Blancos lost four consecutive regular-season showdowns in Barcelona. Of course, a strong basketball atmosphere is expected to help Barca in this tough game.

Jabari Parker hit 56.3% of his shots from downtown at home and 22.2% on the road.

Parker: more effective at home

### Real: On record-breaking pace

It is not just the number of victories, but how Real is getting them, playing fun-to-watch basketball and threatening all-time records. Its average of 21.7 assists is higher than the EuroLeague single-season record of 21.5, which Real holds since the 2014-15 season. As for the accumulated record, Real's 369 assists puts it on track to beat the 861 with which Olympiacos Piraeus set an all-time best last season. On an individual level, Nick Calathes holds the record for most assists in any EuroLeague season, 286 with Panathinaikos Athens in the 2018-19 campaign. Facundo Campazzo of Real has 119 assists and counting.

Real players can boast 23 EuroLeague titles between them, with Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull won three apiece. All the players on the 17 other EuroLeague teams combine for 36 EuroLeague titles. That speaks volumes about Los Blancos' experience. Earlier this week, Mario Hezonja became the seventh Real player to earn the MVP of the Month award, joining Fernandez, Rodriguez, Llull, Campazzo, Walter Tavares and Guerschon Yabusele, something unprecedented in competition history. If Real finishes this season as strongly as it has started and defense the EuroLeague the trophy, it will mark the club's first back-to-back continental titles since 1967.

Real Madrid's Mario Hezonja previews Round 18 clash against archrival FC Barcelona

Mario Hezonja on 'El Clásico': 'It's always special'

### Every Clásico matters

One key to succeeding against an archrival in the competition for titles is to prove you can beat them first in mid-season showdowns. Establishing that precedent helps should you meet again with trophies on the line. This is true for every European basketball derby, as all archrivals face each other multiple times.

In the last EuroLeague game between these super-rivals, Barca lost by a point on the road after missing key free throws down the stretch. They were not so far apart then, on Real's floor, as it would seem now. This is why Wednesday's game is extra special for both teams: a win could either take Real closer to a historical season or allow Barca to switch momentum and get a fresh start to 2024 in the best possible way, beating its eternal rival before its home fans.

The stakes are high and the tradition is unmatched. That's why its *El Clásico*.

Game News

What better way to start the new year than with one of the great rivalries in sports between two of the EuroLeague's top three teams?

Barca, Madrid ring in 2024 with El Clásico!

KK Partizan prepared for Thursday's Belgrade derby against KK Crvena zvezda in the best way possible: by beating LDLC ASVEL in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

KK Partizan dismissed LDLC ASVEL with one eye on Belgrade derby

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade breezed to [a 90-77 home win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-ldlc-asvel/) on Tuesday night, improving to 10-8 after a pair of successive defeats, while the French team dropped to 2-16 and remained rooted to the bottom of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings.

It was one-way traffic for 25 minutes as Partizan carved out a 31-point lead midway through the third quarter and then slowed down, allowing ASVEL to slash the deficit.

Thinking of the derby

The home team’s coach Zeljko Obradovic opted to rest most of his starters in the last 15 minutes, with one eye on Thursday’s city derby at Crvena Zvezda Meridian Bet Belgrade, which pulled off a shock 76-85 win at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul earlier on Tuesday.

Jaleen Smith is set to emerge for Partizan as they hope he can remove some of the scoring burden from Kevin Punter and James Nunnally. Meanwhile, ASVEL long to build on the positives in a narrow loss to Real Madrid, which saw Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot register his 12th consecutive double-digit game.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | Round 18 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Following several nondescript performances, Partizan team captain Kevin Punter produced a vintage display garnished by 22 points, shooting 4-of-5 from downtown and 5-of-9 from two-point territory. The 30-year-old guard pulled all the strings on offense, leading a balanced effort which saw all 12 players on Partizan’s roster chalk up some points.

### Frustrating ASVEL with defense

It was Partizan’s ironclad defense which paved the way for a whopping 69-38 lead midway through the third quarter, with the home team giving ASVEL few open looks and protecting its paint impressively.

Once the hosts took their feet off the gas to save some energy for what should be an emotional and rip-roaring clash with Zvezda, ASVEL took advantage to slash the deficit but it was scant consolation for its under-pressure coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.

“The guys never gave up and fought until the end, but it wasn’t enough,” a dejected-looking Pozzecco said in a flash courtside interview after the game. “The game was almost over late in the third quarter and I can only congratulate Partizan and its coaching staff,” he added at the post-game press conference.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">BRAVO CRNO-BELI!✊🏽🖤🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/3DeIT8pOdl">pic.twitter.com/3DeIT8pOdl</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1742300277301031363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Punter and Obradovic readily admitted that having secured an unassailable lead against ASVEL, it was all about managing the minutes on the court as Partizan’s players drifted towards the upcoming showcase matchup with Zvezda.

“The intensity dropped in the fourth quarter because the minds were probably on what’s coming in two days,” said Obradovic.  “Once again I want to thank the fans for an incredible atmosphere they created tonight. They keep surprising us. Our aggressive defense and the individual quality of our players was the key to victory.”

Punter added: “A good way to start the new year and we want to keep going. We were focused coming in. We’ve got the derby in two days; it’s going to be a tough game and we have to be locked in.”

More Partizan News

Ognjen Jaramaz of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade is defended by Paris Lee of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The home team fired on all cylinders for 25 minutes before taking its foot off the gas.

Partizan dismissed ASVEL with one eye on Belgrade derby

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-01-02T19:45:00.000Z)

The trio of Alec Peters, Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall made the difference for the Reds in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 18 victory over Olimpia Milano. 

Olympiacos's bigs dominated the paint against Milan

Olympiacos Piraeus and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan engaged in a highly physical battle at the Peace And Friendship Stadium, with the hosts grabbing a 79-74 victory in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. One of the keys to Olympiacos’s third straight win was their dominance in the paint, with Alec Peters, Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall being its top scorers – all three ending the game in double digits.

Peters shot 4-for-4 from beyond the arc to record a game-high 16 points. Having made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 of his last 14 games, on Tuesday night the Olympiacos forward reached the milestone of 200 three-pointers made for his EuroLeague career. He had great support from both Olympiacos centers who were dominant inside. Fall recorded 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, having gone a perfect 5-for-5 on two-pointers and 2-for-2 from the line for a PIR of 28.

Alec Peters led Olympiacos in scoring vs. Milan

“I’m just trying to be as least selfish as possible,” noted Fall, who managed more assists than any player who stepped on the court. “We always try to move the ball and find the open men and that’s what I’m trying to do. I know that for the coach, defense is the priority and obviously I can move and I’m big, so I try my best to help everybody.”

In the 18 minutes that Fall was not on the floor, Milutinov stepped up and helped his team dominate in the paint. He scored 13 points and also bagged 5 boards, including 3 offensive rebounds. In fact, Olympiacos outrebounded the visitors 37-16 and scored 21 second-chance points.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a>, Moustapha Fall! 🥇💪🏽<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://t.co/RkSG4jgwbq">pic.twitter.com/RkSG4jgwbq</a></p>&mdash; OLYMPIACOS BC (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1742296921346105502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“\[Milutinov\] is coming back in shape,” Fall added after the game. “It’s always tough when you come back from injury, but I know that he’s going to be important for us in the long run.” 

Milutinov hit the ground running this season and recorded double digits in scoring in five of the first six rounds. Yet, an injury put an end to his momentum and the Olympiacos center is looking to rediscover his form in the second half of the campaign. His 13 points for a PIR of 18 demonstrate that he is back on track, which is great news for Olympiacos as it’s heading to the second game of this double-round week. After beating Milan in Piraeus, the Greek side will host AS Monaco on Thursday in its bid to clinch its second home win in a row.

More Olympiacos News

The trio of Alec Peters, Nikola Milutinov and Moustapha Fall made the difference for the Reds. 

Olympiacos Piraeus v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-01-02T19:15:00.000Z)

Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. grabbed a 93-83 win over AS Monaco Basket in Round 18 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season, with Bonzie Colson exploding for a season-high 27 points.

Bonzie Colson’s consistency allowed Maccabi to control Monaco

One of the most interesting games of Round 18 in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season saw Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv come up against the side it lost to in last year’s playoffs, AS Monaco. Both squads had an identical winning record (10-7) and were tied for fourth position in the standings, so a balanced game was all that many could have expected.

[Maccabi ended up grabbing a double-digit victory, 93-83](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-maccabi-tel-aviv-bc-vs-as-monaco-basket/), and controlled the game for more than 35 minutes, building a 22-12 lead at the end of the first period and increasing it to 18 points (46-28) a few moments before the halftime break.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Happy new year 💪 <a href="https://t.co/UCmEIHNDZ3">pic.twitter.com/UCmEIHNDZ3</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​🇮🇱​🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1742289449461977139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Bonzie Colson led the way for Maccabi

At that moment, [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) was leading the game in scoring with 16 points on an almost-perfect stat sheet; he had gone 5-of-6 on two-pointers and 2-of 3 from behind the arc.

Later, Monaco made a couple of serious comeback attempts in the fourth quarter, reducing the margin to just 5 points twice (68-63, 78-73). And, both times, Colson was the one to come to the rescue as he prevented his team from feeling any kind of anxiety. He didn’t miss a field goal in the second half, when he added more 11 points, all of them in the last quarter.

“You know, I just want to play solid,” Colson stated after the game. “I thought we played tremendously as a group on the defensive end. And I think that's what the game is about. And offensively, we just moved the ball and we came ready to play from the jump. So, when we do that, we're a special group.”

### A season-best performance

By the final buzzer, Colson had a season-best 27 points, 2 shy of his career high, on 11-of-13 shooting from the field, plus 5 boards, 2 steals and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 34, also his best so far this season.

Bonzie Colson had a season-high 27 points as Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv beat AS Monaco 93-83 in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Colson's highlights vs. Monaco

He was one of the best bits of news for Maccabi in the first game of a double-round week, when it will face another tough contender, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, in just two days’ time.

“Yeah, \[I think we can keep this up\],” Colson commented. “You know, to get these wins in the double week, we believe we are one of the special teams. So, we've got to lock in and get the win on Thursday against Fenerbahce.”

More Maccabi News

Bonzie Colson of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv is defended by Mike James and Donatas Motiejunas of AS Monaco in Round 18 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The 27-year-old scored a season-high 27 points in the Round 18 win.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2024-01-02T19:05:00.000Z)