Olimpia Milano has announced the renewal of Ettore Messina's contract until June 30, 2026.

Ettore Messina renews as Olimpia Milano head coach until 2026

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has put an end to any speculation over the future of head coach [Ettore Messina](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/messina-ettore/) by extending his contract until June 30, 2026. Milan has had another tough start to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, finding itself 4-7 after 11 games, but the position of Coach Messina has never been in doubt by the club's leadership.

“Mr. Ettore Messina's contract is extended until June 30, 2026," read a statement by Milan president Leo Dell'Orco, published on the club's social media channels.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Dichiarazione di Leo Dell&#39;Orco su Ettore Messina.<br><br>“Il contratto del signor Ettore Messina è esteso fino al 30 giugno 2026”<br>Leo Dell’Orco - Presidente dell’Olimpia Milano<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/2D5pQrsGJZ">pic.twitter.com/2D5pQrsGJZ</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1731647922876424423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Messina at Milan

Coach Messina is currently in his fifth season in charge of Milan, during which time the team has gone 77-72 in the EuroLeague. Under his guidance, Milan has won two Italian League titles, two Italian Cups and one Italian Super Cup, while the Italian side also reached the 2021 EuroLeague Final Four after a 29-year wait. 

Milan has reached the EuroLeague Playoffs in two seasons with Messina at the helm. The first came in 2020-21, when it went all the way to the Final Four before losing to FC Barcelona in the semifinals and downing CSKA Moscow in the third-place game. Then, in the 2021-22 season, it came up short against eventual champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul, losing the series 3-1.

Speaking in the midst of the 22-23 EuroLeague season, the veteran coach discusses the prospect of moulding EA7 Emporio Armani Milan into championship-contenders.

Ettore Messina: Leading Milan, 2022-23

### Messina’s EuroLeague history

The 64-year-old has lifted the EuroLeague on four occasions in the past, doing so in the 1997-98 and 2000-01 seasons with Virtus Segafredo Bologna and then in the 2005-06 and 2007-08 campaigns with CSKA.

Across his 449-game career since the EuroLeague was created 23 years ago, in October 200, Messina’s coaching record stands at 303-146. He is just the second coach to have reached 300 wins, only behind his long-time friend Zeljko Obradovic.

Since the EuroLeague was formed, Messina has coached Virtus (2000-02), Benetton Treviso (2002-05), CSKA (2005-09), Real Madrid (2009-2011), CSKA again (2012-14) and then Milan (2019-present). Messina spent five years working as an assistant to legendary coach Gregg Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, too, between 2014 and 2019.

Messina has made it to the Final Four 11 times: twice with Virtus (2001, 2002), once with Treviso (2003), four times with CSKA (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), once with Real (2011), another two times with CSKA (2013, 2014) and once with Milan (2021).

More Milan News

Ettore Messina smiles after an EA7 Emporio Armani Milan game this season.

The club has shown its faith in the 64-year-old by extending his deal.

Ettore Messina renews as Milan head coach until 2026

One of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague shortest players, Facundo Campazzo, had an outsized impact on Real Madrid's surge to the top of the standings, making him a slam-dunk choice for MVP of the Month.

EuroLeague November MVP: Facundo Campazzo, Real Madrid

[Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) dominated in November as Real went 5-1 and saw its season-opening streak of victories reach 10 games before his turnover on the final play in overtime on Thursday. Until that moment, Campazzo had been close to perfect.

He led all EuroLeague players in November with averages of 23.5 in performance index rating and 8.3 assists, while his seventh-best 16.0 points for the month came with top-ranked shooting of 82.1% on two-point shots and 100% at the free throw line. 

With numbers like those, no mistake could obscure the fact that Campazzo and Real stood heads above all in November.

The winner of the MVP of the Month award, now in its 19th season, is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performances. Last month's award was based on the six games played by all EuroLeague teams between Thursday, November 2 and Friday, December 1. This marks the second time that Campazzo has been so honored, following his first such award in April of 2019, giving Real 13 such honorees all-time, second only to CSKA Moscow's 18.

Facundo Campazzo | November MVP | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

### Campazzo took control in November

Campazzo, a 32-year-old, 1.81-meter point guard, was the sole roster addition this season for the reigning champions, but having lifted two EuroLeague trophies previously with Real, in 2015 and 2018, he has proven to be the perfect fit, never more so than in November.

To open the month, Real ended visiting Virtus Segafredo Bologna's five-game win streak with [a resounding 100-74 decision](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/real-madrid-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2023/59/) in which Campazzo had 18 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals for a career-high PIR of 39. He followed that with 15 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and a 23 PIR as [Real won 76-73 at Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/valencia-basket-real-madrid/E2023/67/) thanks to his 4 points in the final 33 seconds. Next, Campazzo had 12 points and a 14 PIR as [Real clobbered visiting AS Monaco, 91-73](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/real-madrid-as-monaco/E2023/76/). He followed that with 7 points and 13 assists, a EuroLeague season high,  for a PIR of 19 [to beat ALBA Berlin 99-75](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/real-madrid-alba-berlin/E2023/85/). In a postponed Round 6 game in Belgrade earlier last week, he had 11 points and 9 assists for another 14 PIR in [a 70-99 blowout against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-real-madrid/E2023/48/). Two days later, Real led by a point in overtime before Campazzo's turnover [allowed host Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to win 100-99](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-real-madrid/E2023/93/) on the game's final play. Until then, Campazzo had been brilliant, giving Real game-long leads with a career-high 33 points and tying a EuroLeague record by making 11 of 11 two-point shots.

### Campazzo's eye-popping November stats

Considering he is almost always the smallest player on court, Campazzo's most remarkable statistic in November may be his 23-for-28 two-point shooting. He also made a perfect 20 of 20 free throws for the month. Besides leading the league in four stats categories in November – PIR, assists, two-point and free-throw accuracy – he currently stands as Real's leader in PIR, scoring (13.5 ppg.), assists (8.3), steals (1.2) and PIR (20.2). In another telling stat, Campazzo's plus-minus for the month – the total by which Real outscored opponents when he was on the floor – was +112, or 13 points higher than the team's final score difference of +99 against its opponents.

Real Madrid's little big man will hear the appreciation for his efforts from fans in the Spanish capital when he receives his MVP of the Month trophy at an upcoming home game.

November MVP: Facundo Campazzo, Real Madrid

With another competitive Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season bringing tons of excitement and drama to basketball fans each week, tickets for the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin, Germany, are sure to be in high demand as they go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, December 19 at 9:00 CET!

EuroLeague Final Four tickets go on sale on December 19!

#### • Ticket sales to start on Tuesday, December 19, at 9:00 CET

#### • Presale window to start on Monday, December 18, at 9:00 CET

#### • Berlin hosts the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four from May 24 to 26

With another competitive Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season bringing tons of excitement and drama to basketball fans each week, tickets for the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin, Germany, are sure to be in high demand as they go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, December 19 at 9:00 CET!

Just like in recent seasons, tickets will be available – only online – at [www.f4tickets.com](http://www.f4tickets.com).

The 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four marks the third time that the most exciting weekend in world basketball will land in the German capital. Berlin first hosted the Final Four in 2009, when Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens lifted the trophy. Berlin was also home to the 2016 Final Four, which saw CSKA Moscow secure the continental crown. Germany is a strategic market in which the EuroLeague fan base has grown 46% over the last five seasons, according to Nielsen data.

As in 2009 and 2016, the Final Four will be played at the magnificent Mercedes-Benz Arena, where the seating capacity for basketball is 14,500 spectators. The home of ALBA Berlin, the arena was opened in 2008 and has hosted all sorts of world-class concerts, as well as multiple international sports events.

The Final Four will start on Friday, May 24, with semifinal showdowns taking place at 18:00 and 21:00 local time. At the end of a weekend full of off-the-court fun and side activities around the city, the EuroLeague Third-Place Game will tip off on Sunday at 17:00 local time, before the EuroLeague Championship Game takes center stage at 20:00 local time, with one team set to become the 2023-24 EuroLeague champion.

The presale window is open to season ticket holders of EuroLeague clubs who participate in the pre-sale program, EuroLeague TV subscribers and those who have purchased Final Four tickets in the past. These individuals will be able to purchase tickets prior to the public sale from December 18 at 9:00 CET, 24 hours before the general public sale tickets are released.

General public tickets – which provide seating for all four games, two on Friday and two on Sunday – are available in several different price categories, ranging from €57.25 per game (€229 total) to €177.25 per game (€709 total).

After buying tickets, customers who are unable to attend may sell their tickets via the official fan-to-fan marketplace, which is also accessible at [www.f4tickets.com](http://www.f4tickets.com). Tickets purchased via unauthorized sales channels will not be valid for admittance.

VIP hospitality tickets will also be made available, beginning on December 19. Interested fans and businesses can review all the exclusive benefits on [www.f4tickets.com](http://www.f4tickets.com). For any additional information, please contact [f4tickets@euroleague.net](mailto:f4tickets@euroleague.net).

Don't miss your chance to secure your place at one of the best sports events of the year in one of the most iconic cities in the world!

Final Four tickets go on sale on December 19!

No team has played as many minutes in clutch situations this season as Fenerbahce and perhaps that made the difference in its overtime win over previously undefeated Real Madrid. 

Stats review: How previous close games helped Fenerbahce thrive

It took several clutch plays and one overtime, but [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul managed to hand Real Madrid its first loss of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-real-madrid/E2023/93/). In a game that had 10 players score in double figures, a wild fourth-quarter comeback, an 11-for-11 two-point shooting effort from [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/), some timely marksmanship from [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/) off the bench, and a perfectly executed full-court trap that led to a heroic game-winning layup by [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/), the Round 11 thriller truly had a little bit of everything.

While Campazzo put together a magnificent performance creating, assisting, or scoring 49 of Madrid’s 99 points on top of his historic shooting against a defense that committed to making him a scorer in pick-and-rolls, it was ultimately a collective effort from Fenerbahce that sealed the game. The Turkish club fell behind early but got critical contributions from several players in the late stages of the fourth quarter and overtime and won on a miraculous play that would not have worked without all four of the players Fenerbahce coming into the frontcourt to contest the inbound pass. Their resilience under pressure was the difference.

Perhaps that was to be expected from Coach Dimitris Itoudis’s team. As the table above suggests, no group has spent more time in high-tension games than Fenerbahce; nearly two-thirds of their possessions in the last 5 minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime this season have been played with the margin on the scoreboard at 5 or fewer points. They have kept fans on the edge of their seats constantly in the early going and this certainly feels like the payoff.

### A look at Argentina's shooting stars

In defeat, Campazzo’s 11-of-11 effort from two-point range ties him for the most efficient single-game performance in EuroLeague history with a pair of centers. Converting only 2.7 two-point attempts per game this season, it took a confluence of strategy and talent for him to put his name in the record books. While Fenerbahce opted to down numerous ball screens and shade multiple defenders to [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) every time he rolled to the rim, thus pushing Campazzo into space in the midrange, he ultimately finished a multitude of contested layups with both hands, converted several floaters going full-speed towards defenders, and made the most of a series of scoring opportunities that were anything but easy. 

While Campazzo’s touch finishes were a key reason Real Madrid nearly avoided its first loss, [Nicolas Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/)’s club-record 8 three-pointers helped FC Barcelona get some separation from LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in their 9-point victory. Laprovittola has been a dangerous shooter since arriving in Europe almost a decade ago, but the 33-year-old is nonetheless having the most productive offensive season of his career.  

The six threes he made in the second half were a testament to why he’s scoring nearly 7 points per 40 minutes more than his previous career-high. As efficient of a decision-maker as he is, Laprovittola has been a little less reluctant to force the issue this season. Whether that means looking to shoot from deeper angles or forcing stepbacks over defenders more regularly like he did against ASVEL, he has not been shy this season and the results have been almost entirely positive.

**CONGRATS, FABIEN!** Real Madrid guard Fabien Causeur became a father! Welcome baby-boy Liam and congratulations to the Causeur family!

<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0R6qCdN3AO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0R6qCdN3AO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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**FAMILY TIME**: Kostas Papanikolaou loved spending time at the zoo with his daughter.

<center><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0E8BTYs7EE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0E8BTYs7EE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0E8BTYs7EE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Kostas Papanikolaou (@k_pap16)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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**TEAM BUILDING**: FC Bayern Munich had a team building event in which players hung out with team employees.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> - team on the court and team in the office. That&#39;s why we had a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a>-wide lunch today, where players and office members got a chance to just hang out together! <a href="https://t.co/MW3pyL4efG">pic.twitter.com/MW3pyL4efG</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1729541495957373205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**CHALLENGES**: Elijah Bryant got good laughs out of the Draw Your Teammate Challenge he did with Tibor Pleiss. Meanwhile, their teammates had their long-range aims set ahead of the trip to Belgrade. They went on to make 11 triples against Crvena Zvezda on Friday, but still suffered a defeat.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="art" dir="ltr">😂 <a href="https://t.co/8wdfIgLGfC">https://t.co/8wdfIgLGfC</a></p>&mdash; Elijah Bryant OC©️ (@Elijah_Bryant3) <a href="https://twitter.com/Elijah_Bryant3/status/1729750728212627737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🎯 Half Court Challenge<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Together?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Together</a> <a href="https://t.co/NXUTiX7iDB">pic.twitter.com/NXUTiX7iDB</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1730195447569170657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


**SUPER NEWS**: The basketball community received great news out of Bologna where Achille Polonara returned to training.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">PolonAIR is back ❤️⏳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmarsiAncora?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmarsiAncora</a> <a href="https://t.co/oFoxas3voe">pic.twitter.com/oFoxas3voe</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1729461682055843916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


**BEFORE THE BATTLES BEGIN**: Former teammates love to see each other and catch up ahead of their games. Mathias Lessort was greeted with a hero's welcome in Belgrade.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Hallo aus Belgrad! 👋<br><br>Zu elft gegen <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaccabiTLVBC</a>: Heute fehlt uns neben Sterling Brown, Louis Olinde und Matt Thomas auch Žiga Samar mit einer Sehnenscheidenentzündung am Fuß. ❌<br><br>Dafür ist Justin Bean wieder am Start! 🤩<br><br>📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MagentaSport?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MagentaSport</a> <a href="https://t.co/J6JhJNsXKy">pic.twitter.com/J6JhJNsXKy</a></p>&mdash; ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin/status/1730297711759360502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Bienvenue, <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LDLCASVEL</a> 👋 <a href="https://t.co/940mxbILsH">pic.twitter.com/940mxbILsH</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1730659277050941638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MATHIAS LESSORT.🖤🤍<br><br>Welcome home! <a href="https://twitter.com/ThiasLsf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiasLsf</a> <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/zuQjI0iOi2">pic.twitter.com/zuQjI0iOi2</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1730326703233282113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Uhx2UrX9S/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Uhx2UrX9S/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Uhx2UrX9S/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Mathias Lessort (@thiaslsf)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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**WINNERS' CORNER**: Head coaches were particularly active on social media after Round 11 wins.

EuroLeague week on social media

Zalgiris Kaunas forward [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) will miss the next 2-3 months of action due to a foot injury, the club announced on Sunday. The veteran suffered the injury during Thursday’s road win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. After returning to Lithuania and undergoing further examinations by the club's medical staff, it was determined that Butkevicius would not need surgery, but the injury will take some time to heal.

Butkevicius has averaged 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 10 EuroLeague appearances this season, including four as a starter. He joins forward [Brady Manek](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-loses-manek-to-knee-injury/) on the injured list; the latter could miss up to a month with a knee injury. In the meantime, new signing Edmond Sumner could make his Zalgiris debut later Sunday in the Lithuanian League against BKT EuroCup side 7bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Unfortunate news. Get well soon, Arnas! 💚 <a href="https://t.co/GS9xKDUQ0O">pic.twitter.com/GS9xKDUQ0O</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1731311658046226604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 31-year-old will be sidelined for 2-3 months with a foot injury. 

Zalgiris forward Arnas Butkevicius to miss several months

Zalgiris Kaunas v AS Monaco (2023-12-08T18:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-12-05T19:00:00.000Z)

In the overtime thriller on Thursday night, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade fought for a come-from-behind 92-87 win over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. The game marked a return of Partizan's All-EuroLeague guard Kevin Punter who missed five games due to a leg injury and was scoreless with 5 minutes to go in regulation only to lead a rally with clutch shots and big plays late in regulation and overtime-.

Partizan looks ahead with return of leader, captain, hero Punter

In an overtime thriller on Thursday night, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade fought for a come-from-behind 92-87 win over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. The game, among many other things, marked the return of Partizan's All-EuroLeague guard Kevin Punter who missed the last five games due to a leg injury.

Partizan rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 4 minutes of regulation, mounting a comeback behind Punter, its team captain who made several clutch shots and big plays late in regulation and overtime, before icing the game with a pair of free throws.

### From zero to hero

At the end of the game, Punter was the hero, but he could have easily been the goat.

Coming off the bench, Punter missed his first 5 shots, and was still scoreless when Panathinaikos went up 61-71 with under 5 minutes to go in regulation.

But then Punter turned it on, he finished with 13 points, on 5-for-12 field goal shooting and 3 assists.

"It is good to be back", Punter said after the win, acknowledging and explaining his early struggles.

"I had to get in a little bit of a rhythm throughout the game. They were hedging me in half court, that was a little bit difficult", Punter admitted. "Being first game back and getting hedged in half court was a little crazy. I just tried to find my spots. I don't think I was too rusty, I think I was patient enough to make good reads to make the momentum going."

Kevin Punter missed his first five shots, and was still scoreless when Panathinaikos went up 61-71 with under 5 minutes to go in regulation. But then Punter turned it on, he finished with 13 points, on 5-for-12 field goal shooting and 3 assists.

Punter was clutch late vs. Panathinaikos

### Team captain for a reason

For three and a half quarters, it looked as though Partizan was better off with Punter on the bench. However, the most successful EuroLeague head coach of all-time, Zeljko Obradovic, had some totally different ideas.

"He is a team leader," Obradovic explained after the win. "And when the leader is out there, everybody looks at the leader. He is the one who lines them up, so to say. And then things look different."

That was especially visible during the second half, as Punter was repeatedly gathering players for quick talks, and shouting advice to his teammates.

"When I chose him for team captain last season, the reason was clear to everyone on the team and on our staff. He is an example for everyone for everything. Always the first one in, the last one out, always works individually, he fights. And example at everything."

Obradovic also added: "I don’t know if another player is as important for his club like Punter is for us. Maybe Tavares for Real Madrid."

Game Videos

### Offense 'nobody can guard'

It took Punter a while to get going, but he put all that Obradovic spoke about on display on Thursday night. And his teammates felt no different.

"It is good to have captain Kev \[Punter\] back," said forward Zach LeDay, who himself had a big game, leading all scorers with 23 points. "That was major for him to give us some perimeter explosion on both ends. It was good he was able to seal it the right way, and finish it."

LeDay, who has been a teammate of Punter's for four straight seasons, one with Milan and three now at Partizan, added another thought: "The main thing \[against Panathinaikos\] was getting stops and rebounds. Offensively, nobody in Europe can guard us. That's how we feel."

Even with Punter missing half of the last 10 games, Partizan ranked second in the EuroLeague with 87.0 points per game, and first in two-point shooting (62.0%) before Round 11.

Now, with Punter back, as well as masked-man Aleksa Avramovic returning after a broken nose, and with big man Bruno Caboclo quickly catching up to EuroLeague speed, Partizan looks poised for a climb up the standings.

Game News

There were half dozen big story-lines to chose from in Partizan's overtime win over Panathinaikos, but the late-game performance from No. 7 trumped them all. Kevin Punter is back.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2023-11-30T19:45:00.000Z)

Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes and Milos Teodosic of Crvena Zvezda face off in Belgrade. 

Eli Ndiaye of Real Madrid dunks in Istanbul against Fenerbahce.

Sylvain Francisco of Bayern floats to the hoop in front of Virtus's Bryant Dunston.

Joffrey Lauvergne of ASVEL dunks in front of Barça's Jan Vesely and Jabari Parker. 

Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce and Alberto Abalde of Real Madrid tussle for the ball. 

John Brown of Monaco emotes after dunking against Olympiacos. 

Gabriele Procida of ALBA Berlin and Wade Baldwin of Maccabi in action in Round 11. 

Mathias Lessort of Panathinaikos dunks against in Belgrade against his former team, Partizan. 

Nikola Mirotic of Milan shoots over Zalgiris's Danielius Lavrinovicius.

Chima Moneke of Baskonia and Damien Inglis of Valencia vie for the ball. 

Look back at all the action from Round 11 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Round 11

Whether setting team records, tying EuroLeague all-time marks or barely scoring at all, these players all made a sizeable impact in victories for their teams in Round 11.

Round 11 roll call: From all-time records to silent strength

### Campazzo's heroics came up short

[Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) turned from hero to villain in Round 11. The Argentine wizard kept Real Madrid alive and gave the reigning champion a shot at beating Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, only to then commit a late, late turnover that allowed Yam Madar to win an overtime thriller. Nevertheless, his personal-best 33 points are what gave Los Blancos a chance to secure the victory in the first place, with Campazzo having gone a perfect 11-of-11 from two-point territory. That efficiency from inside the arc is tied for the best-ever shooting performance on two-pointers, with Ante Tomic and Gustavo Ayon having previously achieved this feat in the 2015-16 and 2018-19 seasons, respectively.

Facundo Campazzo scored 33 points, including going 11-of-11 on two-pointers, as Real Madrid narrowly lost 100-99 in overtime to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 11 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Campazzo's top scoring plays vs. Fenerbahce

### Bonga did a bit of everything for Bayern

FC Bayern Munich secured an impressive 90-76 win at home to Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 11, with [Isaac Bonga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaac-bonga/006760/) playing an important role in the triumph. Now in his second season in the EuroLeague, the 24-year-old posted 10 points and 8 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end, as well as 3 assists and 2 blocks in Thursday night’s win. He racked up those numbers in just 22:21 minutes on the court, where he was +13 in the plus/minus column. Bonga is showing impressive growth in Year Two under new head coach Pablo Laso, and his all-round performance against Virtus is evidence of his crucial role for the German club.

Isaac Bonga had 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks as FC Bayern Munich beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 90-76 in Round 11 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Bonga's highlights vs. Virtus

### Andjusic's silent contribution for Partizan

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade rallied late before fighting off Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens for a 92-87 overtime win. At first glance, [Danilo Andjusic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/danilo-andjusic/000956/) was not among the main protagonists – that was saved for Kevin Punter, Zach LeDay, P.J. Dozier and Bruno Caboclo. Instead, Andjusic finished the game with just 2 points, making 1 of his 4 shots from the floor. However, he pulled down a team-high and a career-high 8 rebounds, including a key offensive board in overtime which led to his reverse layup for his only points of the game. And even though he did not have a single assist or steal in his 25 minutes on the floor, Andjusic had +25 in the plus/minus column, the second-highest by any Partizan player this season, earning unprompted praise from head coach Zeljko Obradovic: "Look at Andjusic, 2 points and we were +25 with him on the floor. He did not make the shots? So what? He grabbed a rebound when it was the most important."

### Laprovittola set a Barcelona club record

[Nicolas Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/) had a career night on Friday in FC Barcelona's 101-92 win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Laprovittola was unstoppable from long range, making a career-high 8 three-pointers on 10 attempts. What’s more, Laprovittola became the first Barcelona player this century to make 8 triples in a game, beating the previous club record of 7, which was shared between Kyle Kuric and Gianluca Basile. What made the night even more impressive was the second half, during which Laprovittola attempted 6 triples and made all 6. He finished the game tying a career-best 28 points and also dished 9 assists. Barcelona outscored ASVEL by 28 points when Laprovittola was on the floor in what was a very memorable night for the Argentine guard.

FC Barcelona guard Nicolas Laprovittola knocked down a club-record 8 triples as his side beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 101-92 in Round 11 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Laprovittola's 8 triples vs. ASVEL

### Zvezda's Yago took another big step forward

In his rookie EuroLeague season, [Yago Dos Santos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yago-dos-santos/012044/) continued to show what he is capable of with another impressive display in Round 11 as Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade defeated Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 97-83. The Brazilian point guard knocked down a couple of three-pointers in the first quarter in an offense-focused start to the game, before going on to finish with a career-best 15 points. He also matched his personal-best marks in rebounds (4) and assists (5). Yago is just eight games into his EuroLeague career, but he’s shown under new head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos that he has what it takes to make a big impact at this level,

Yago Dos Santos had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists as Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade beat Anadolu Efes Istanbul 97-83 in Round 11 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season