Paris Basketball picked up its first victory of the 2025–26 EuroLeague season by defeating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 94–101 on Friday night at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. Paris improved to 1–1, while Maccabi dropped to 0–2.

Nadir Hifi leads Paris past Maccabi for first win, 94-101

Paris Basketball picked up its first victory of the 2025–26 EuroLeague season by defeating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 94–101 on Friday night at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade, Serbia. Paris improved to 1–1, while Maccabi dropped to 0–2.

Nadir Hifi paced the visitors with 21 points and 5 steals in a standout performance. Justin Robinson added 15 points, while Yakuba Ouattara scored 12. For Maccabi, Lonnie Walker and Jeffrey Dowtin led the way with 16 points apiece. Jaylen Hoard contributed 15, TJ Leaf had 14, and Jimmy Clark chipped in 11.

Game Videos

Maccabi started strong behind Dowtin’s three-pointer and Hoard’s back-to-back layups in a 9–2 run, capped by Leaf’s running hook. Joel Ayayi got Paris on the board with a fast-break layup before Derek Willis tied the game with a triple and a fast-break dunk. Leaf kept Maccabi’s offense rolling, but Hifi shifted the momentum with consecutive three-pointers to give Paris an 11–15 lead. Sebastian Herrera scored on a drive, and Robinson capped a 2–17 run with a tip-in off his own miss. Tamir Blatt responded with a triple, but Ouattara’s transition basket and Ismael Bako’s put-back dunk extended the lead to 14–23. Late baskets by Sorkin and Walker helped Maccabi close the gap to 19–25, before Robinson closed the first quarter with a layup for a 20–27 Paris lead.

Walker continued to pace Maccabi in the second quarter, but Robinson responded with a crafty inbound play, bouncing the ball off Marcio Santos’s back for an easy layup. Momo Faye added a put-back dunk to give Paris some breathing room at 25–31. Hoard and Clark trimmed the deficit to 29–32, but Jeremy Morgan and Alain Dokossi helped Paris pull away again. A dunk by Bako made it 32–42, and both teams traded three-pointers in a frantic final stretch of the half. Walker, Morgan, Santos, Dowtin, and Hifi all connected from deep, setting up a 41–48 Paris advantage at the break.

Game News

After halftime, Hoard opened the scoring with a backdoor layup, but Robinson answered with a three-pointer. Hifi followed with a fadeaway jumper off a slick Euro step, and Dokossi scored in transition for a 46–55 lead. Hoard and Walker continued to battle inside for Maccabi, but Hifi remained the key difference-maker, pushing Paris ahead 50–59. Hoard converted an alley-oop layup and Blatt kept Maccabi in touch, but a trademark corner triple from Ouattara and a fast-break layup from Robinson made it 57–67. Blatt, Santos, and Leaf helped close the gap again, but Paris finished the third quarter strong – Ayayi knocked down a triple and Hifi beat the buzzer with a deep three to restore a double-digit lead, 63–74.

Morgan opened the fourth with a coast-to-coast layup before Hifi hit another jumper to stretch the lead to 63–80. Paris stayed in control as Maccabi struggled to get stops – Ouattara buried another wide-open three and Morgan added a jump hook. Despite late threes from Hoard and Clark, Maccabi couldn't generate a run. Amath M'Baye and Herrera added insurance buckets before Leaf and Walker brought Maccabi within single digits, 81–90, with under 3 minutes to play. Ouattara calmly hit free throws and Dokossi’s put-back layup sealed the win at 83–94, before the final buzzer set the score at 94–101.

The French side bounced back after a road loss in Round 1 

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv v Paris Basketball (2025-10-03T19:30:00.000Z)

Last season's EuroLeague runners-up looked every bit the contender on Friday night. After a disappointing opening-round loss at home to Zalgiris Kaunas, AS Monaco responded in emphatic fashion, rolling past Dubai Basketball 103–81 at Salle Gaston Medecin to pick up its first win of the season.

Monaco superstar duo led way against Dubai in ‘terrific’ display

Last season's EuroLeague runners-up looked every bit the contender on Friday night. After a disappointing opening-round loss at home to Zalgiris Kaunas, [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) responded in emphatic fashion, [rolling past Dubai Basketball 103–81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-dismisses-dubai-for-first-win-103-81/) at Salle Gaston Medecin to pick up its first win of the season.

“I think we played much, much better – especially defensively,” said [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), comparing the opening loss to Monaco’s bounce-back performance.

AS Monaco-Dubai Basketball | Round 1 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Leading the charge were Monaco’s superstar duo of Mirotic and [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/).

Mirotic delivered a dominant all-around effort with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in just 20 minutes and 18 seconds. James ran the offense smoothly, dishing out 8 assists to go along with 14 points and 5 rebounds.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">🔝 OG performance from Nikola Mirotic 🦾⭐️<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/xFUpJtZ1qw">pic.twitter.com/xFUpJtZ1qw</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1974199603043156207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While the game was still close early in the second half – Monaco led 50–46 just seconds into the third quarter – the hosts completely took over from there. A pair of dominant runs, first 9–0, then 17–0, blew the game open, and Monaco ended the quarter up 79–54.

“The second half was terrific,” Mirotic said. “The way we played defense, the way we played offense, the way we were committed – this is how we want to play: from defense to offense.”

It was the first time Monaco hit triple digits in a EuroLeague game at home since last December, and head coach Vassilis Spanoulis had no shortage of reasons for why everything clicked.

“We were much better: our mindset, our approach, our defense, our offense,” Spanoulis said. “We shared the ball. We had 27 assists and just 8 turnovers. And we forced Dubai into 16 turnovers and only 12 assists. We played smart and unselfish basketball. We were locked in on both ends.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🌟 Paul Pogba in the house ⛏️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/uKaB5xcRDs">pic.twitter.com/uKaB5xcRDs</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1974216198351937983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Monaco also locked down Dubai’s perimeter attack, holding the visitors to just 5-of-24 shooting from three-point range. That came just two nights after Dubai had lit up Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade with 11-of-20 shooting from deep.

All in all, it was a strong response and a comfortable first win of the season, one that Mike James believes is only the beginning.

“Getting Niko settled helped a lot,” James said. “I think we’re gonna be OK.”

Mike James and Nikola Mirotic shined bright in Round 2

AS Monaco v Dubai Basketball (2025-10-03T17:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket made it two wins out of two in the EuroLeague with a superb 103-94 victory over the visiting Virtus Bologna, marking a perfect start in the Spanish side’s glittering new Roig Arena.

Rampant Valencia throws house-warming party to beat Virtus, 103-94

Valencia Basket made it two wins out of two in the EuroLeague with a superb 103-94 victory over the visiting Virtus Bologna, marking a perfect start in the Spanish side’s glittering new Roig Arena.

Having ground out a 77-80 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in the opening round, Valencia fired on all cylinders and gave its fans plenty to cheer about after returning to Europe’s premier club competition after a one-year sabbatical in the BKT EuroCup.

Sergio De Larrea paced Valencia on 23 points, shooting 5 of 7 from downtown to cap an excellent individual performance as the hosts put the pedal to the metal in the second half.

Kameron Taylor chipped in with 15 points for Valencia, Nate Reuvers scored 14 while Omari Moore and Darius Thompson added 13 apiece, the latter sinking a flurry of three long-range shots early in the third quarter which put Valencia firmly in the driving seat.

At the other end, Matt Morgan led Virtus and all scorers on a game-high 24 points, while Carsen Edwards and Derrick Alston amassed 15 each for Virtus, which dropped to 1-1 after the opening 74-68 home upset of more fancied Real Madrid.

Virtus made a bright start as a couple of three-pointers by Edwards propelled the visitors into an 11-15 lead, but a 13-4 run by the hosts turned the tide and Valencia never looked back after engineering a 26-23 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Delightful layups by Moore and relentless offensive rebounding allowed the home team to romp ahead 42-30 before Virtus produced a brief comeback which slashed the halftime deficit to 49-46, as Valencia stayed ahead despite shooting only 3 of 15 from downtown.

Enter Thompson. Subdued in the first half, the former Anadolu Efes guard unleashed his venom from distance early in the second as Valencia pulled away to 60-48 on the back of an 11-0 run.

Led by the brilliant Morgan, however, Virtus refused to roll over and the Italian side was back in contention after closing the gap to 75-71 at the end of the third quarter, setting the scene for a grandstand finale.

That did not happen as Valencia, leading 77-73 early in the fourth, found an extra gear and effectively sealed the contest with a decisive 17-6 run which forced Virtus into submission.

The visiting team fought hard to stay in touch but there was no way back as on-song Valencia made sure of a memorable night for the jubilant Spanish fans in their new home.  

The Spanish team celebrated moving into its new home with a sublime performance 

Valencia Basket v Virtus Bologna (2025-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

All the ingredients were in place for a classic EuroLeague night in Kaunas. Zalgirio Arena was rocking as Zalgiris Kaunas hosted defending EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, with emotions running high both on and off the court.

Zalgiris vets stepped up against Fenerbahce to cap off perfect double week

All the ingredients were in place for a classic EuroLeague night in Kaunas. Zalgirio Arena was rocking as [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) hosted [defending EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-improves-to-2-0-after-knocking-off-fenerbahce-84-81/), with emotions running high both on and off the court.

Fenerbahce head coach – and Zalgiris legend – Sarunas Jasikevicius returned to his hometown for the first time as a EuroLeague-winning coach. Having lifted the trophy four times as a player, he’s now added one as a coach with Fenerbahce. On the opposite bench stood Tomas Masiulis, his former assistant and longtime friend, now leading Zalgiris after leaving Jasikevicius’s staff. Unlike Jasikevicius, Masiulis won the EuroLeague title as a player with Zalgiris back in 1999.

“He is my mentor and my friend. Without him, I wouldn’t be here,” Masiulis said after the game. “I am very happy and will always be thankful to him. In these two hours we were enemies, but we are very good friends.”

Zalgiris Kaunas-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Round 1 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

With all the emotion, history, and a world-class atmosphere, the game lived up to expectations. Zalgiris came out firing, led by an electric start from [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) to grab a 29–20 lead after the first quarter. The hosts maintained their momentum, extending the gap to 67–53 early in the fourth quarter on a wild layup by [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/).

But as champions do, Fenerbahce punched back. Wade Baldwin took over the game, hitting big shot after big shot to drag the visitors back into contention. The explosive guard finished with 36 points – just two short of his career high – and by the time he buried his fifth three-pointer, Fenerbahce had completed the comeback, edging ahead 74–75.

Down 75–76 in the closing minutes and seemingly on the ropes, Zalgiris turned to its veterans. Team captain [Edgaras Ulanovas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/edgaras-ulanovas/002329/) calmly knocked down a three-pointer to reclaim the lead. Baldwin responded with another tough jumper, but [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) answered with an even bigger shot: a corner three that put Zalgiris up 82–79 inside the final minute. Mikael Jantunen followed with a basket, and Williams-Goss iced the game at the free throw line. Nicolo Melli missed the final shot, sealing a dramatic win for the home side.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The perfect EuroLeague double week ✅ <a href="https://t.co/uciPJHnayI">pic.twitter.com/uciPJHnayI</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1974216511058334165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ulanovas scored all 7 of his points in the fourth quarter, while Butkevicius’s only basket of the game was the decisive one.

“It is a great team victory,” Masiulis said. “It’s important for our new coaching staff and for the players to believe in what we’re doing. I think it gives us a little confidence, but we still have to walk on the ground and focus on the next game. We’ll celebrate tonight and get back to work tomorrow.”

He also gave credit to Baldwin’s brilliant performance: “In the beginning, our strategy was to give him some shots, but he got hot and was very difficult to stop. Maybe we should have adjusted earlier, but in the end, we won this game as a team.”

Zalgiris now sits at 2–0, having opened the season with a road win over last year’s finalists AS Monaco before knocking off the defending champs. The Lithuanian side will look to carry that momentum into back-to-back road games against FC Bayern Munich on October 10 and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on October 14.

Edgaras Ulanovas and Arnas Butkevicius hit clutch shots late as the Lithuanian side moves to 2–0, having downed both of last year's EuroLeague finalists

Zalgiris Kaunas v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona grabbed its first victory of the 2025–26 campaign by defeating Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 96–103 on the road at Telekom Center Athens on Friday night. The visitors led for most of the game and absorbed several comeback attempts by Panathinaikos in the fourth quarter to close out a strong road win, capping off the double-round week in style.

Barcelona dominates at Panathinaikos, 96-103

FC Barcelona grabbed its first victory of the 2025–26 campaign by defeating Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 96–103 on the road at Telekom Center Athens on Friday night. The visitors led for most of the game and absorbed several comeback attempts by Panathinaikos in the fourth quarter to close out a strong road win, capping off the double-round week in style.

Will Clyburn paced Barcelona with 23 points, while Toko Shengelia added 17 and Nico Laprovittola contributed 15. Willy Hernangomez and Kevin Punter chipped in 13 points each. For Panathinaikos, Juancho Hernangomez led all scorers with 27 points, and Kostas Sloukas recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 assists. Konstantinos Mitoglou added 11 points, while Kendrick Nunn and Jerian Grant scored 10 apiece.

Barcelona started strong, with Clyburn and Shengelia knocking down early triples to build an 0–8 lead. Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman made four changes to his starting lineup just two minutes into the game, sparking a 10–0 run led by Cedi Osman and Omer Yurtseven that gave the hosts a 13–11 lead. Barcelona answered with a 2–10 run, capped by Miles Norris’s three-pointer to make it 15–21. Bench contributions from Myles Cale and Joel Parra extended the lead to 17–26 after the first quarter.

TJ Shorts opened the second quarter with a three-point play, and Jerian Grant’s jumper brought Panathinaikos within 24–26. Juancho Hernangomez and Mitoglou each hit triples, with Grant adding a three-point play to give Panathinaikos a 35–33 lead. However, Punter responded with a three-point play, and Clyburn’s layup sparked an 0–8 run that put Barcelona up 40–49. Juancho finished the half with a team-high 13 points, and Panathinaikos trailed 45–51 at halftime.

Barcelona began the third quarter with a 3–8 run, as Clyburn’s open three-pointer pushed their lead to 11 points. Panathinaikos forced back-to-back turnovers, but Shengelia’s three-point play restored Barcelona’s 58–69 advantage. Fueled by the home crowd, Panathinaikos fought back, with Juancho dunking in transition to cut the deficit to 69–75 going into the final quarter.

Punter and Clyburn hit consecutive triples early in the fourth, extending Barcelona’s lead to 69–84. Panathinaikos responded with a 9–1 run sparked by Juancho, who trimmed the gap to 80–88 with four straight points. Laprovittola then nailed two more triples and assisted Jan Vesely for an 85–96 lead with 2:23 remaining. Despite one last push from the hosts, five straight points from Clyburn helped Barcelona surpass the 100-point mark and seal the win.

The visitors led from start to finish and celebrated their first win this season

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v FC Barcelona (2025-10-03T18:15:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne earned its first EuroLeague victory of the season, overcoming a red-hot opening quarter from Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to secure a hard-fought 87–79 win at LDLC Arena. The French club improved to 1–1 while the visitors dropped to 0–2.

ASVEL overcomes early deficit to defeat Baskonia, 102-95

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne earned its first EuroLeague victory of the season, overcoming a red-hot opening quarter from Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to secure a hard-fought 87–79 win at LDLC Arena. The French club improved to 1–1 while the visitors dropped to 0–2.

Zac Seljaas led the way with a standout performance, scoring 23 points on 5-of-6 shooting from deep and finishing with a game-high PIR of 25. He was one of six ASVEL players to score in double digits, with Nando De Colo netting 12, Melvin Ajinca and David Lighty pouring in 11 apiece, and Bodian Massa and Mbaye Ndiaye notching 10 each. For Baskonia, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 18 points, Markus Howard had 16, Hamidou Diallo added 13, and Trent Forrest and Tadas Sedekerskis finished with 10 apiece.

The teams traded blows early, exchanging three-pointers and pushing the pace in transition. Baskonia began to pull away midway through the first quarter, going up 11-23 with Luwawu-Cabarrot attacking aggressively to spark the offense. ASVEL kept pace through long-range shooting from Seljaas and De Colo, but it couldn’t stop the visitors from pouring in the highest-scoring quarter in the EuroLeague so far this season. Baskonia led by 7, 26-33, at the first break.

Momentum shifted in the second quarter, as both teams struggled offensively and turnovers began to mount. The physical intensity remained high, and ASVEL focused on scoring in the paint to claw back. Just as Baskonia seemed ready to build on their lead, Seljaas stepped up again, scoring both inside and out to cut into the deficit, 37-43. The hosts continued to hustle on both ends, eventually tying the game with another Seljaas triple at 45-45. In the final play of the half, Shaquille Harrison ran down the clock and drilled a tough three-pointer on the move, sending ASVEL into the locker room with a 48-45 lead.

ASVEL came out strong in the third, extending its advantage with hard-nosed play inside from David Lighty and Bastien Vautier, 53-46. A technical foul on Lighty midway through the quarter added tension, but Baskonia couldn’t take full advantage. Tadas Sedekerskis battled to keep the visitors close with aggressive drives, but ASVEL maintained control behind composed shooting from De Colo. The veteran guard soon exited with an apparent injury, yet ASVEL didn’t waver, pushing its lead to 11 points, 77-66, heading into the final period.

Baskonia showed fight in the fourth, led by back-to-back contested threes from Markus Howard that reignited hope at 77-72. The game turned scrappy, with unsportsmanlike fouls adding to the tension, but Pierric Poupet’s side remained composed. Luwawu-Cabarrot couldn't find his rhythm late, and despite Baskonia’s effort, its comeback fell short. ASVEL held firm on defense and executed well in the closing minutes to seal a confidence-boosting first win of the season.

Pierric Poupet's men fought back from 13 points behind to defeat the visitors in a thrilling back-and-forth contest

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-10-03T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv completed a perfect double round to open its debut EuroLeague campaign, rallying from a 13-point deficit to defeat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 81-87 on the road. A key 11–0 run in the fourth quarter turned the tide as Hapoel improved to 2–0. 

Hapoel finishes perfect double round with 81-87 road win at Efes

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv completed a perfect double round to open its debut EuroLeague campaign, rallying from a 13-point deficit to defeat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 81-87 on the road. A key 11–0 run in the fourth quarter turned the tide as Hapoel improved to 2–0. 

Antonio Blakeney led the team with 17 points, going 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. Elijah Bryant added 15 points, and Vasilije Micic contributed 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists – both putting in strong performances against their former club. Efes dropped to 1–1 despite a big night from Jordan Loyd, who scored 25 points. Ercan Osmani added 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Shane Larkin chipped in 13 points.

Hapoel started strong, with Ish Wainright knocking down a three-pointer to help build a 6–11 lead. But Osmani quickly shifted momentum, scoring his first basket to cut it to 10–11, then adding a triple and two more buckets to reach 10 points and tie the game at 18–18. Efes edged ahead 22–21 after the first quarter.

The hosts extended their lead in the second, with Isaia Cordinier and Loyd hitting back-to-back three-pointers as part of a 10–2 run to make it 34–25. Larkin added a three-point play, stretching the advantage to 41–29. Hapoel tightened up defensively, getting a few stops and narrowing the gap to 44–35, but still trailed 46–35 at halftime.

Kai Jones opened the second half with a basket to give Efes a 48–35 lead, but then the hosts went cold. Hapoel responded with a 12–0 run over three minutes, sparked by a Wainright triple and a three-point play by Dan Oturu, pulling within 48–47. Loyd briefly halted the surge, but Micic took over, hitting a three, adding two free throws, and assisting on another score for a 50–57 Hapoel lead. Loyd answered with 11 straight points to close the quarter, cutting the deficit to 59–61 after 30 minutes.

Blakeney took command in the fourth, opening the period with a three-pointer to make it 63–67. He followed with a driving score and four free throws – after being fouled on a three-point attempt and a technical on Loyd – to push the lead to 67–75. Moments later, Blakeney added three more from the line after Efes head coach Igor Kokoskov and two assistants were ejected, extending the gap to 67–78. Oturu’s dunk pushed the lead to 67–80, capping an 11–0 run. Efes responded with the next four points but never got closer than six the rest of the way, as Hapoel closed out a statement win on the road.

The Israeli club grabbed back-to-back victories to start its first EuroLeague season

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (2025-10-03T17:30:00.000Z)

AS Monaco bounced back from a disappointing season opener in emphatic fashion, cruising past EuroLeague newcomer Dubai Basketball 103–81 to secure its first win of the season. Both teams now sit at 1–1 after Week 1.

Monaco dismisses Dubai for first win, 103-81

AS Monaco bounced back from a disappointing season opener in emphatic fashion, cruising past EuroLeague newcomer Dubai Basketball 103–81 to secure its first win of the season. Both teams now sit at 1–1 after Week 1.

The game turned decisively in the third quarter, when Monaco unleashed a 17–0 run to open a 20-point lead and never looked back. Nikola Mirotic led the charge with 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Mike James orchestrated the offense with 14 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. Daniel Theis added 15 points, Alpha Diallo had 12 points, Kevarrius Hayes 11, and Jaron Blossomgame chipped in 10.

For Dubai, Mfiondu Kabengele led the way with 16 points and 6 rebounds. McKinley Wright and Filip Petrusev scored 14 apiece, as Petrusev also grabbed 8 rebounds, and Dzanan Musa scored 11 in defeat.

Monaco came out strong, with Daniel Theis converting a three-point play before three-pointers from Matthew Strazel and Mirotic gave the hosts an early lead. Kabengele kept Dubai close with 10 early points, cutting the deficit to 15–13. Diallo then hit back-to-back triples to stretch the margin to seven, Monaco’s largest lead of the opening quarter. Wright responded with two close-range buckets to make it 26–23 after 10 minutes.

In the second quarter, Hayes scored twice for Monaco, but Dubai rallied with a three-pointer and fast-break layup from Kosta Kondic, narrowing the gap to 34–32. Mirotic assisted Terry Tarpey on a corner triple, then scored 6 straight points to rebuild a 43–36 lead. Klemen Prepelic knocked down a three for Dubai, but James and Mirotic combined for 9 more points to keep the hosts in control. Still, Wright’s three-point play just before the buzzer made it 50–46 at halftime.

The second half was all Monaco. Mirotic and Theis each converted three-point plays, with James sinking a triple in between to spark a 9–2 run. After Petrusev and Theis traded threes and Musa completed a three-point play, Monaco responded with a dominant 17–0 stretch. Theis, Mirotic, and James led the charge, and Strazel capped the run with a three-pointer to make it 79–54. Davis Bertans finally ended Dubai’s six-minute scoring drought with a triple, but Monaco led 79–59 entering the final quarter.

Monaco opened the fourth with 6 quick points from Nemanja Nedovic and Elie Okobo, extending the lead to 87–61. Musa and Petrusev combined for 7 points in response, but it was too little, too late as Monaco maintained full control and cruised to a convincing victory.

Mike James and Nikola Mirotic led the charge in dominant home victory

In a thriller that went down to the final shot, Zalgiris Kaunas improved to 2-0 in the standings by downing defending champion Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 84-81 in front of a sellout crowd at Zalgirio Arena on Friday.

Zalgiris improves to 2-0 after knocking off Fenerbahce, 84-81

In a thriller that went down to the final shot, Zalgiris Kaunas improved to 2-0 in the standings by downing defending champion Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 84-81 in front of a sellout crowd at Zalgirio Arena on Friday. 

Nigel Williams-Goss led the winners with 20 points. Sylvain Francisco added 18 while Moses Wright had 11. Wade Baldwin paced Fenerbahce with 36 points, a new EuroLeague season high. Devon Hall added 12 while Talen Horton-Tucket had 10 for the guests, who dropped to 1-1.

Williams-Goss got Zalgiris off to a strong start, and Laurynas Birutis responded to Hall’s layup with a three-point play to make it 5–2. Williams-Goss continued to lead the hosts, knocking down back-to-back jumpers, but Khem Birch and Baldwin helped Fenerbahce close the gap to 9–7. Birutis then added a jump hook followed by an alley-oop slam, extending Zalgiris’s lead to 13–7. Nicolo Melli connected from beyond the arc, then Tarik Biberovic matched Williams-Goss’s floater with a driving layup. Williams-Goss, seemingly unstoppable, scored again, while Armando Bacot answered with a layup. Wright’s jumper pushed the hosts ahead at 19–14. Bacot scored inside, but Maodo Lo along with Azoulas Tubelis each got on the scoreboard before Baldwin brought Fenerbahce within striking distance at 23–20. Francisco and Wright each hit a triple to give Zalgiris a 29–20 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Melli and Wright exchanged layups early in the second quarter. Onuralp Bitim drove to the basket for a score, and Baldwin answered Wright’s dunk with a rainbow jumper. Horton-Tucker knocked down a fadeaway shot, which was immediately matched by Williams-Goss with a driving layup. Dustin Selva capped a three-chance Zalgiris possession with a layup, followed by driving finishes from Hall and Francisco. Colson then trimmed the deficit to 39–36. Francisco found an open lane for an uncontested layup, forcing the visitors to call a timeout at 41–36. Baldwin split free throws, and Wright powered through traffic for a thunderous dunk, setting the score at 43–37 after 20 minutes.

 

Francisco set up Birutis for an alley-oop slam, found Sleva for a strong finish, and added free throws to give Zalgiris a 12-point lead at 49–37. Hall tried to shift momentum with a jump hook, followed by a wild driving basket from Horton-Tucker. Williams-Goss floated in a one-handed shot in the lane, and Baldwin responded with a jump hook and a close-range jumper to cut the deficit to 51–45. Horton-Tucker struck again, Francisco answered with a three-pointer, and Baldwin’s jumper kept Fenerbahce within reach at 54–49. Lo added a floater, then Francisco topped it with another triple. Tubelis improved Hall’s layup with a three-pointer of his own before striking again from deep to blow the game open at 65–51. Baldwin powered through for a dunk in traffic, closing the quarter at 65–53.

Francisco ignited the crowd with an acrobatic layup early in the fourth. Horton-Tucker answered, and Baldwin’s dunk cut the deficit to 67-57. Ulanovas kept Zalgiris afloat, but Baldwin hit free throws and fed Hall for a fast-break slam. Hall then found Baldwin for a transition triple, forcing a Zalgiris timeout at 69-64. Williams-Goss added free throws before Baldwin hit two more threes, making it 71-70 with under six minutes left. Hall drove to score, but Ulanovas and Francisco kept Zalgiris ahead, 74-72. Baldwin buried another three to give Fenerbahce its first lead, 74-75. Williams-Goss hit a floater, but Horton-Tucker tied it with free throws. Ulanovas nailed a triple, and Butkevicius bettered Baldwin’s jumper with his own three to make it 82-79 with 46 seconds left. Jantunen scored on a put-back before Williams-Goss hit free throws with 12.8 seconds remaining. He hit both attempts and Melli missed from beyond the arc second before the final buzzer.

Coach Tomas Masiulis's team has started the EuroLeague season with two wins against last season's finalist and champion 