AS Monaco Basket put on a show for its fans in its final EuroLeague home game of the year, as it romped to a 91-71 win over Barça Basket in Round 17.

Monaco Basket outgunned Barça Basket to finish 2023 on a high note

There will be loud New Year’s Eve celebrations in the principality after [AS Monaco blew away FC Barcelona 91-71](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-as-monaco-basket-vs-barca-basket/) in the final Round 17 game of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign, which drew to a close the first half of the regular season.

Monaco saved the best for last in 2023, having served up a rip-roaring performance to notch its first home win over Barcelona at the fifth attempt thanks to a seamless team effort which saw Mike James and Alpha Diallo stand out.

### The threeball was one of the game’s key factors

James netted a game-high 20 points and Diallo added 19 on 4-of-6 shooting from downtown, where Monaco excelled while Barcelona faltered.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔐 𝑨𝒍𝒑𝒉𝒂 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐 𝑒𝑛 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍 🗡<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/aL1baL4PAD">pic.twitter.com/aL1baL4PAD</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1740866181278634431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The home team sank 15-of-30 shots from beyond the three-point arc while Barcelona only made 8-of-27, courtesy of Monaco’s quick transition of the ball which created a barrage of open looks.

Light on their feet, the hosts overran Barca throughout the lop-sided contest, as the visitors looked trampled by Monaco’s pace and intensity which saw them chasing shadows all evening.

“We just wanted to bring out our aggressiveness and protect our home court because we’ve lost too many home games already,” James said in a flash post-game interview as he walked off the court. “It’s good to get a win at the halfway mark and help yourself reload heading into the second half of the regular season. To get a win against Barca at any stage is great.”

Propelled by the constant perimeter danger of Nico Laprovittola, Barça halted a troublesome chapter on their travels with a battling gain at Zalgiris. They travel to a Monaco roster relieved to end a two-game losing run at Bayern, with many thanks to a season-high 28 points from the lethal Mike James.

AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | Round 17 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

James gave the home fans a scare late in the third quarter as he had to receive some treatment in the locker room after taking a knock on the head, but he sprung back into action quickly to devastating effect.

“Just had to go stitch it over quickly and we’re good,” Monaco’s No. 55 confirmed.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MR. CONSISTENT 🫡<br><br>Mike James recorded double figures in scoring in all of the first 1️⃣7️⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> games so far 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/tWNWyosQnF">pic.twitter.com/tWNWyosQnF</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket EN (@asmonaco_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/asmonaco_en/status/1740856870733238749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Winning as a team in front of its ‘sixth man’

Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic was pleased with his team’s effort. “I am happy with the win and with the way we won. I am looking forward to the next games and challenges,” commented the Serbian tactician, who is known for always demanding more from his players.

“Everybody performed and contributed in different ways. We found a way to score through individual quality and we are now headed for a very important period, with lots of challenges ahead,” he added.

Diallo heaped praise on the passionate home fans afterward: “We had an amazing crowd tonight. They are our sixth man and we appreciate them for that. We let our defense dictate our offense tonight and we’ve got to keep that going.”

Barca head coach Roger Grimau, meanwhile, conceded his team was second best throughout. “We played a very bad game, they made crazy threes and scored on too many one-on-one situations,” he lamented.

More Monaco News

Mike James of AS Monaco is defended by Oscar Da Silva of FC Barcelona in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The French side produced its best performance at the halfway mark of the regular season.

Monaco outgunned Barcelona to finish 2023 on a high note

AS Monaco v FC Barcelona (2023-12-29T20:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco Basket closed 2023 in style by securing a 91-71 win against Barça Basket in Round 17 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, led by two great performances by Mike James and Alpha Diallo.

Monaco Basket routs Barça Basket, 91-71, powered by Mike James and Alpha Diallo

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Donta Hall of AS Monaco is defended by Jabari Parker of FC Barcelona in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The principality side dominated from start to finish en route to a convincing win in Round 17.

Monaco routs Barcelona, 91-71, powered by Mike James and Alpha Diallo

Olympiacos B.C. outscored ALBA Berlin 22-54 in the second half en route to a 67-94 win in Round 17 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague season, with the Reds leaning on their defense to secure the victory.

Improved defense led to Olympiacos B.C.’s offensive explosion at ALBA Berlin

Looking at the stats from [Olympiacos Piraeus’s 67-94 victory at ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-alba-berlin-vs-olympiacos-bc/) on Friday night, you might think that a stellar offensive showing was the key to the Reds’ comfortable triumph.

Georgios Bartzokas’s team converted 23 of its 31 two-point attempts, an impressive 74.2%, in addition to adding a solid 10-of-23 (43.5%) from beyond the arc. And that was achieved by no less than 30 assists, a season high, with just 11 turnovers committed. That all adds up to an outstanding collective PIR of 143.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Final 🏀 ALBA Berlin - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> 67-94 (40&#39;) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</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://twitter.com/hashtag/BEROLY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BEROLY</a> <a href="https://t.co/HDlnrr7lkV">pic.twitter.com/HDlnrr7lkV</a></p>&mdash; OLYMPIACOS BC (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1740835320080593176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Olympiacos struggled early on

However, the victory was not just a simple case of free-flowing offense from Olympiacos, which in fact struggled to find both rhythm and accuracy in the opening 15 minutes, which saw ALBA race into a 34-23 lead.

Then came the turnaround, and it was sparked by defense. ALBA had committed no turnovers during the first quarter and a half, using its smooth ball rotation to create excellent looks especially from long range. But then things changed, as the Reds forced turnovers in consecutive possessions – one by Nikola Milutinov and the other from Thomas Walkup – and both resulted in Nigel Williams-Goss scoring layups in transition. 

### A ‘fiery’ discussion at the break

That 20-second burst of action set the tone, and Olympiacos proceeded to really step up its defensive efforts after a feisty locker room confrontation with Coach Bartzokas, as revealed by scoring star Alec Peters.

“Without going into any details, the locker room was pretty fiery at halftime and that’s probably something we needed,” revealed Peters, who again led his team in scoring with 23 points. “We needed to let that anger out about what happened in the first half. We let it out, we got back on the court and we really showed what we can look like in the second half.”

Former ALBA star Luke Sikma, making his first appearance against his former team, agreed. “Our defense really stepped up at the start of the second half," said the veteran forward. “We got some physicality going, got some stops in a row and converted at the other end. That gave us the confidence to go from there.”

The Reds cast aside their recent issues to gain a win at ASVEL, powered by a near-record 8 blocks by Moustapha Fall and the impressive Shaquielle McKissic. They journey to ALBA, who want another strong Matt Thomas performance, who made 3 of 5 three-point attempts during a defeat to Fenerbahce.

ALBA Berlin-Olympiacos Piraeus | Round 17 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

There was certainly no lack of confidence about the Reds’ second half performance, which started with a 2-16 run as ALBA was held to just 2 free throws in more than 5 minutes. The same pattern continued throughout the second half, ending with just 24 points after the break for the home team. And perhaps the clearest statistic to encapsulate the game: ALBA finished with 14 turnovers, having committed zero in the first 15 minutes.

Coach Bartzokas was pleased with his team’s reaction, commenting: "We were losing by 3 at halftime and won by 30, so there was probably something we needed to change in our approach. At halftime they had 14 assists, 9 threes, and the pace of the game. We just spent 5 fouls in the first half. \[But\] our defense was solid in the second half, we ended with 30 assists, scored 90 points, and won by 30 points against a team that last week beat Barcelona, so it’s a win that we really appreciate.”

And it could also be a win to set up Olympiacos for a surge up the standings in the second half of the regular season.

More Olympiacos News

Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos Piraeus is defended by Malte Delow of ALBA Berlin in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

After a disappointing first 20 minutes, Georgios Bartzokas's squad went up several gears in the second half to secure the win.

Improved defense led to Olympiacos’s offensive explosion at ALBA

ALBA Berlin v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-12-29T19:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos B.C. took its game to another level in the second half to defeat ALBA Berlin 67-94 in Round 17 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season.

Olympiacos B.C. steps up after the break to down ALBA Berlin, 67-94

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Olympiacos Piraeus forward Kostas Papanikolaou has possession against ALBA Berlin in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

The Reds trailed by 3 at the break before outscoring the hosts 22-54 in the second half.

Olympiacos steps up after the break to down ALBA, 67-94

AS Monaco Basket and Olympiacos B.C. grabbed wins in the final EuroLeague games of 2023. 

Game Center: 2023 comes to a close in style

### Friday, December 29

[ALBA Berlin 67-94 Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-alba-berlin-vs-olympiacos-bc/)

Olympiacos Piraeus overcame early struggles to cruise to a comfortable road win, 67-94, over ALBA Berlin in Round 17 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. The Reds improved to 9-8 while ALBA dropped to 3-14 at the midway point of the regular season. The hosts had the better of the opening exchanges to lead by 11 points midway through the second quarter, but Olympiacos soon improved its defense and started to take over. The visitor surged into a double-digit lead early in the third quarter and was never troubled again.

[AS Monaco 91-71 FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-as-monaco-basket-vs-barca-basket/)

AS Monaco Basket (10-7) romped to an impressive 91-71 home win over FC Barcelona (11-6) in Round 17 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague campaign, drawing a close to the first half of the regular season with a brilliant performance to boost its hopes of finishing in the top six. The result epitomized Barca's patchy form, as the Spanish side slipped to its third defeat in the last six games after a bloodless performance against a galvanized home side.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">✅️ QUELLE VICTOIRE ! 🥵<br><br>📣 Dans une ambiance de feu, la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> s&#39;impose face au <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBbasket</a> 🔥<br><br>🥂 L&#39;ASM conclue l&#39;année 2023 dans le top 5️⃣ de l&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>, au bout d&#39;une magnifique soirée à Gaston-Médecin 🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/XWU2hpWxBc">pic.twitter.com/XWU2hpWxBc</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1740855024606138857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul 84-89 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-live-blog-anadolu-efes-sk-vs-fenerbahce-beko/)

Fenerbahce earned bragging rights in the Istanbul Derby by beating host Efes 84-89 to raise its record to 10-7 and a perfect 4-0 under Sarunas Jasikevicius while Efes dropped to 7-10. Nigel Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahce with 24 points while Nick Calathes added 17, including a late dagger three-pointer, and Georgios Papagiannis chipped in 12. Efes guard Shane Larkin was the game's top scorer with 28 points. Dan Oturu netted 19 and Rodrigue Beaubois 10 in a losing effort.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A win in the Turkish Derby 🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBBasketbol</a> get the Dub and the team surrounds <a href="https://twitter.com/Nick_Calathes15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nick_Calathes15</a> 👏🏼 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/7dXXDM5NiR">pic.twitter.com/7dXXDM5NiR</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1740454000141508770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 75-77 Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleauge-live-blog-kk-partizan-vs-virtus-bologna/)

In a thriller that came down to the final shot, Virtus edged Partizan 75-77 in the Serbian capital to hold on to at least a share of second place at 12-5. Partizan dropped to 9-8. Iffe Lundberg paced the winners with 16 points. Marco Belinelli added 14 while Toko Shengelia, Awudu Abass and Daniel Hackett each had 10 for Virtus. James Nunnally led Partizan with 19 points. Kevin Punter and Ognjen Jaramaz each scored 12 while Frank Kaminsky and Bruno Caboclo had 10 apiece for the hosts.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HANG IT IN THE LOUVRE 🖼️🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/KaySXd3Odn">pic.twitter.com/KaySXd3Odn</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1740463272003039462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Zalgiris Kaunas 70-78 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/zalgiris-kaunas-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2023/149/)

Maccabi bounced back from last week's defeat to beat host Zalgiris 70-78 and improved to a 10-7 record Zalgiris dropped to 5-12. Josh Nebo led all scorers with a career-high 22 points. Tamir Blatt scored 14, with Lorenzo Brown, Roman Sorkin and Bonzie Colson adding 11 each. As for Zalgiris, Keenan Evans scored a team-high 18 points and Edmond Sumner added 14. Zalgiris led 33-32 at halftime but Maccabi dominated the third quarter, 16-29, and cruised after that to the win.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Away from 🏠 win for <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaccabiTLVBC</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xlbt5O4QIb">pic.twitter.com/Xlbt5O4QIb</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1740460992340054417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 76-77 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-real-madrid/E2023/148/)

Standings leader Real used a 0-16 start to the fourth quarter to eke out a 76-77 win at last-place ASVEL. Real watched ASVEL cut the game to one point in the closing minute but improved to 16-1. Vincent Poirier had 17 points and Edy Tavares scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the winning side. ASVEL dropped its ninth straight game for a 2-15 record despite Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot’s 20 points with Paris Lee chipping in 17 points and 7 assists in the loss.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🙌 ¡Los nuestros cierran con 16 victorias en 17 partidos este 2023 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/wxaSpVqFcf">pic.twitter.com/wxaSpVqFcf</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1740478547733500389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[Panathinaikos Aktor Athens 82-65 Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2023/150/)

Panathinaikos improved to 10-7 with a comfortable home win over Zvezda, staying on course to reach the post-season after the Greek giant stifled out the visitors with ironclad defense from start to finish. Dinos Mitoglou paced Panathinaikos with 15 points, Jerian Grant scored 14 and Mathias Lessort chopped in with 13 as the Greens racked up their fourth straight win to remain firmly in the upper half of the table. At the other end, Nemanja Nedovic and Joel Bolomboy posted 15 points each for Zvezda.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WE.THE.GREENS ☘️💚<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://t.co/EMHQnI9j0V">pic.twitter.com/EMHQnI9j0V</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/paobcgr/status/1740485959626731721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 76-67 Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2023/146/)

Milan returned to winning ways by topping Baskonia at home on Thursday. Milan improved to 7-10 in the standings while Baskonia dropped to 9-8. Nicolo Melli led the winners with 21 points and 3 blocks. Johannes Voigtmann posted a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds while Diego Flaccadori had 14 points for Milan. Chima Moneke led Baskonia with 14 points. Tadas Sedekerskis added 12 while Vanja Marinkovic had 10 for the guests.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">L&#39;Olimpia chiude il 2023 davanti ai 12mila spettatori del Forum con una vittoria!🔥Grazie ad uno straordinario Nicolò Melli da 21 punti.<br><br>76 - 67 il punteggio finale.<br>(Melli 21 pts, Voigtmann 19, Flaccadori 14)<br><br>⚪️🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/olimpiamilano?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#olimpiamilano</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/gsQOShKaCo">pic.twitter.com/gsQOShKaCo</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1740486625346597137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

[FC Bayern Munich 85-84 Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fc-bayern-munich-valencia-basket/E2023/147/)

Bayern continued its impressive record at BMW Park by beating Valencia. Bayern improved to 6-2 on its home floor and 8-9 overall, while Valencia fell to 9-8. Leandro Bolmaro and Devin Booker paced Bayern with 13 points apiece. Vladimir Lucic and Andreas Obst each had 12, Danko Brankovic added 11 and Carsen Edwards contributed 10 in the win. For Valencia, Brandon Davies scored a game-high 21 points and Chris Jones finished with 19, but it proved to be in vain.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a thriller! What a victory in the last <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> home game of the year!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYVBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYVBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogehter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogehter</a> <a href="https://t.co/yaVQie5PW4">pic.twitter.com/yaVQie5PW4</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1740487353557209520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Another fascinating round of action in the 2023-24 EuroLeague season is officially in the books. See you in 2024 for more basketball from the most exciting league in the world!

Game Center: Olympiacos, Monaco close 2023 in style with 20-point wins

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-12-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-12-28T17:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-12-28T17:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v Valencia Basket (2023-12-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-12-28T19:15:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Real Madrid (2023-12-28T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-12-28T18:00:00.000Z)

Join the Fenerbahçe Beko and Anadolu Efes S.K. players on the court for the EuroLeague's latest installment of the Istanbul derby.

 MindFly's referee cams went inside the Istanbul Derby 

Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to really be part of the action of a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game?

Well, feast your eyes and ears on what a revolutionary MindFly AI ultralight-powered bodycam embedded in the referee's jersey sees and hears!

Game officials Sreten Radovic and Uros Nikolic wore the MindFly's POV Cam during the Istanbul Derby between Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce Beko as part of Round 17 of the regular season.

Now, you not only can watch the game action from closer than ever through the cameras in their jerseys, but also hear them talking with the players, coaches and each other throughout the game. It's a fascinating look at the professionalism that is at the very heart of the EuroLeague game experience.

Euroleague Basketball and MindFly started their collaboration during the last Final Four held in Kaunas, where all fans had the possibility to re-live some of the best moments of the EuroLeague's final phase as if they were inside the court. This season's debut of the same technology let fans experience [El Clásico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/experience-el-clasico-like-never-before/)like never before and later follow the [French Derby between AS Monaco and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/go-right-on-court-with-monaco-and-asvel/). as well as the [Italian one between Virtus Segafredo Bologna and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/join-virtus-bologna-olimpia-milano-on-the-floor-euroleague-derby-ditalia/).

The 2023-24 season will continue this collaboration even further as all fans will have more opportunities during the regular season to experience what happens inside the court.

Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to really be part of the action of a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game?

Well, feast your eyes and ears on what a revolutionary MindFly AI ultralight-powered bodycam embedded in the referee's jersey sees and hears!

Game officials Sreten Radovic and Uros Nikolic wore the MindFly's POV Cam during the Istanbul Derby between Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce Beko as part of Round 17 of the regular season.

Now, you not only can watch the game action from closer than ever through the cameras in their jerseys, but also hear them talking with the players, coaches and each other throughout the game. It's a fascinating look at the professionalism that is at the very heart of the EuroLeague game experience.

MindFly's referee cams went inside the Istanbul Derby

Experience the thrilling Istanbul Derby between Efes and Fenerbahce like never before thanks to MindFly's bodycams on the game's referees!

MindFly's referee cams went inside the Istanbul Derby 

The duel between two of last season's Final Four teams will also complete the first half of the regular season.  

AS Monaco hosts Barça Basket in 2023's last EuroLeague game

Salle Gaston Medecin is already sold out to see [this highly-anticipated showdown between AS Monaco and FC Barcelona on Friday](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/as-monaco-fc-barcelona/E2023/152/). It is the first game between these teams since last season's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

### Barca is undefeated in Monaco

Monaco and Barca lost in the EuroLeague semifinals last season against Olympiacos Piraeus and Real Madrid, respectively. It was Monaco's first-ever Final Four appearance. For Barca, it was the third consecutive Final Four after having not qualified since 2014. In the Third Place Game, [Monaco topped Barca 78-66](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-fc-barcelona/E2022/329/) behind 15 points from Matthew Strazel.

After rising to second via a triumphant evening at Real Madrid, Monaco pursue further ascendancy when they challenge a Barça outfit in seek of reprieve since a shock loss to LDLC ASVEL, one which triggered public criticism from head coach Šaras Jasikevičius.

AS Monaco vs FC Barcelona - Round 13 - Highlights

Before that game, Barca had dominated Monaco the last couple of seasons, winning all four regular season games. They met for the first time on October 15, 2021. Barca edged Monaco 81-85 on the road behind 27 points from Brandon Davies, who was playing against his former team. Last season, Barca beat Monaco at Salle Gaston Medecin, 63-69, to remain undefeated in this building. Nikola Mirotic led the way with 15 points and 9 rebounds.

### Mike James's struggles against Barca

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) has a 5-10 career record against Barcelona, including losing 10 of his last 13 games. Barca recorded five consecutive road victories against James's teams over the last six years. Added to its two wins in Monaco, Barca beat CSKA Moscow twice in the Russian capital and defeated EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 85-90 on January 9, 2019. James's last home win against Barca was with Panathinaikos Athens, 71-65, on January 24, 2017. He had 10 points and a PIR of 9 in over 28 minutes that night.

Catch up on AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan vs FC Barcelona Lassa from Round 17 of the 2018/19 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 9th January 2019

AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan vs FC Barcelona Lassa - Round 17 - 9th January 2019

Statistically speaking, James is one of the best players in competition history, with averages of 16.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and a PIR of 16.6 in 259 EuroLeague career games. He has struggled a bit against Barca, though. His career-best effort against Barca is 20 points with Milan in an 85-90 home loss at Mediolanum Forum. In 15 games against Barca, James has averaged 12.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a PIR of 13.6, making just 17 of 65 three-point shots (26.2% 3FG). All those numbers are below his career averages.

### Telling numbers

Both teams have different basketball brands and whoever excels in what it usually does well should have a better chance to win the game. Monaco leads the 2023-24 EuroLeague fewest turnovers committed with just 9.9 per game and no team has registered double-digits in steals against it. Entering Round 17, It ranked fourth in offensive rebounds with 11.6 per night, second in fouls drawn (21.1 per game) and fourth in free throws made (241). As such, keeping its trademark aggressiveness should be critical in this difficult game.

Barca is more of an offensive-minded team, ranking fourth in scoring (83.2 ppg.), assists (19.3 apg.) and defensive rebounds (24.9 drpg.). Barca is also fourth in two-point shooting (56.4%) and fifth in three-pointers (37.4%), generally shooting the ball better than Monaco (51.1% 2FG, 35.8% 3FG). Barca, however, is last in free throw percentage (73.5%), which could be an issue in a close game. Surprisingly, James is Monaco's leading rebounder (4.4 rpg.) and [Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/) (4.5 rpg.) is right behind [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/) (4.6 rpg.) and [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) (4.6 rpg.). Controlling the boards should be the biggest key to this exciting showdown.

Two of the best four teams from last season meet for the first time in the 2023-24 campaign, trying to finish the year with a prestigious win. What's not to like? Tune in on Friday at 21:00 for the final EuroLeague game of 2023!

Monaco hosts Barca in 2023's last EuroLeague game

Virtus Segafredo Bologna added depth and talent to its roster by inking guard Rihards Lomazs for the remainder of the season, the club announced 

Virtus signs guard Lomazs 

Lomazs (1.90 meters, 27 years old) arrives from Merkezefendi Belediyesi Denizli Basket, where he averaged 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 12 Turkish League games this season, in his second stint with that club. He brings in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague experience, as he took part in 33 games with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, averaging 4.6 points. He started his professional career in his native Latvia, playing for Talso, Ventspils Augstskola, Jurmalas Sports Fenikss and Ventspils before joining ASVEL in 2019. Lomazs also played for Spanish side Casademont Zaragoza. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔊 𝐑𝐈𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐒 𝐄&#39; 𝐁𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐎<br>Welcome to Bologna &quot;Lomi&quot; ⚪️⚫️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/OURfaEcvn7">pic.twitter.com/OURfaEcvn7</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1740719350246703593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
</center>

### Back with Coach Banchi

Lomazs has already worked for Virtus head coach Luca Banchi, who also runs the Latvian national team. He helped Latvia qualify to the 2023 World Cup, averaging 15.6 points and 4.0 assists in 10 games. He led his national team to a 9-1 record and a ticket to the World Cup, in which Latvia finished fifth overall without Lomazs, who was injured. He also helped Ventspils win the Latvian League title in 2018 and become the Latvian-Estonian League's original champion in 2023.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna added depth and talent to its roster by inking guard Rihards Lomazs for the remainder of the season, the club announced Friday. 


Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) looked certain to miss his team's Round 17 home game against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade after having suffered a heavy fall in the closing stages of a Round 16 win at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan last week.

With around 3 minutes left in that contest, Lessort landed awkwardly on his back and eventually had to be helped off the court after having scored 16 points [in that 68-76 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/E2023/141/).

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mathias Lessort couldn’t walk on his own and got carried to Panathinaikos’ bench after a rough landing in the final minutes against Milano. <a href="https://t.co/0tupBd9bD9">pic.twitter.com/0tupBd9bD9</a></p>&mdash; Cesare Milanti (@cesaremilanti) <a href="https://twitter.com/cesaremilanti/status/1738310332915802400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Six days later, Lessort came off the bench [in Thursday's 82-65 home rout of Zvezda](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/panathinaikos-aktor-athens-crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/E2023/150/) to post 13 points and 4 rebounds in 29 minutes despite playing through pain for a telling contribution to his team's emphatic victory.

"Believe me, I am in pain," Lessort said in a halftime interview when it was suggested he had already shaken off his back injury.

The big man's grimaces during and after the game said it all, but Lessort showed steel will to ignore the setback as Panathinaikos racked up its fourth successive win in Europe's premier club competition.

Mathias Lessort (13 points) Highlights vs. Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, 12/28/2023

Unyielding Mathias Lessort showed grit against Zvezda

The Greens also owed their win, in no small part, to ironclad defense on Zvezda's star player Milos Teodosic, who was stifled out and kept scoreless after winning last week's MVP award with a blistering performance against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Teodosic shined with 27 points and 14 assists in Zvezda's 92-98 win at the Israeli giant, giving him five-game averages of 15.4 points, 7.8 assists and 22.6 PIR.

But in the OAKA Altion Arena he was a non-factor, and Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman singled out one of the game's unsung heroes in containing the playmaker.

"The plan was to put full pressure on Teodosic," Ataman told the post-game press conference. "Last week, he was the MVP and tonight \[Panagiotis\] Kalaitzakis did a great job on him.

"We didn't play a great game on the offensive end, but the defense was excellent. I am very happy because we are \[ranked\] fourth halfway through the regular season and it's a great result for us."

The Greens now face a stern double-round test of their credentials in Spain next week, when they will visit Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on January 3 before taking on Valencia Basket two days later. Ataman will hope to have a fully fit roster after the New Year's Eve festivities in a bid to extend the Panathinaikos winning streak.

The Panathinaikos center played through severe pain while an unsung teammate helped shut down a legend.

Monaco outgunned Barcelona to finish 2023 on a high note

Monaco routs Barcelona, 91-71, powered by Mike James and Alpha Diallo

Improved defense led to Olympiacos’s offensive explosion at ALBA

Olympiacos steps up after the break to down ALBA, 67-94

Game Center: Olympiacos, Monaco close 2023 in style with 20-point wins

MindFly's referee cams went inside the Istanbul Derby

Monaco hosts Barca in 2023's last EuroLeague game

Virtus signs guard Lomazs

The Greens kept streaking behind the grit of Lessort