Fenerbache Beko Istanbul improved to 4-2 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after an 84-82 win in Round 6, having turned the game around in the fourth quarter.

Fenerbahce edges Maccabi, 84-82, after fourth-quarter comeback

Fenerbache Beko Istanbul improved to 4-2 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after an 84-82 win in Round 6, having turned the game around in the fourth quarter.

Nigel Hayes-Davis paced Fenerbahce with 20 points, Devon Hall scored 16 and Tarik Biberovic added 15 after stepping up in the final 10 minutes of an absorbing contest. Skylar Mays netted 13 points for the home team, whose former Maccabi players Wade Baldwin and Bonzie Colson managed a mere 5 points between them.

At the other end, Jaylen Hoard led the way for Maccabi with 20 points, Levi Randolph scored 14 while Saben Lee and Jasiel Rivero chipped in with 13 each. Roman Sorkin racked up 7 points and 9 boards for the visitors, who slipped to 2-4 after losing their third in a row.

Game Videos

Maccabi carved out a 16-21 advantage at the end of an even first quarter and led 38-40 at halftime, with Hoard, Rivero and Sorkin setting the pace for the visiting team which stifled out Fenerbahce’s key players thanks to aggressive defense.

Maccabi looked the more likely winner after engineering an 11-point lead in the third quarter, with Fenerbahce looking out of sorts at both ends of the floor. Hoard was unstoppable in the third, hitting shots from all over while the hosts struggled on offense as the misfiring Baldwin was glued to the bench.

Game News

The visitors headed into the fourth with a 58-67 advantage but they were unable to hold on to it as Fenerbahce’s small-ball unit swarmed Maccabi and erased the deficit. Biberovic found his range from downtown and turned the match on its head with a pair of deep threes, one of them off the glass, giving Fenerbahce an 80-76 lead heading into the home straight. Maccabi managed to hit back and force a dramatic finish, which nonetheless panned out in Fenerbahce’s favor after Rokas Jokubaitis lost his footing and threw away Maccabi’s final possession with a turnover.

The Turkish club fought back after trailing for the lion’s share of a tough contest to grind out an important win 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-10-29T18:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball attempted a EuroLeague record 52 three-point attempts, making a club-record 20, as it beat ALBA Berlin 83-92 in Round 6 of the 2024-25 season.

Paris uses three-point barrage to beat ALBA, 83-92

Paris Basketball collected its second straight road victory of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season as it used a record-setting three-point attack to beat ALBA Berlin 83-92. The club from the French capital set a new EuroLeague record with 52 three-point attempts and converted a club record 20 of them, improving to 3-3 and reaching the .500 mark for the first time this season. 

Nadir Hifi hit 7 triples in scoring a career-high 25 points, Tyson Ward had 6 threes for a career-best 23 points, Mikael Jantunen had 4 triples and a career-high 14 points while TJ Shorts was limited to 11 points to go with his 9 assists. ALBA wasted a 15-point second-quarter lead and dropped to 1-5 with its third consecutive defeat. Tim Schneider scored a career-high 18 points, Louis Olinde added 15 points and Justin Bean set new personal bests of 16 points and 14 rebounds. 

ALBA started on fire from long range with four triples and Bean scoring 7 points, which helped the hosts build a 13-point lead, 22-9, with Paris going scoreless for more than two minutes in one stretch. The hosts increased the gap to 14 points at 26-12 and led 26-16 after 10 minutes. 

Schneider scored the first four points of the second quarter as the gap grew to 14 again, with Paris needing nearly two minutes to score. Bean continued his career night with a three-point play for 10 points and a 33-18 ALBA lead. The home side was up 40-26 when Paris had a strong finish as Jantunen hit two three-pointers in a 2-11 run to make it 42-37. ALBA led 44-37 at the break.

Paris started the second half stronger with triples from Jantunen and Hifi, while Shorts scored just his third basket in a 0-10 run as the guests surged ahead, 44-47. An Olinde three-pointer tied the game as ALBA finally scored after three minutes to start an 8-3 answer to reclaim the lead, 52-50. It was a back-and-forth affair in the quarter, with six lead changes as Hifi hit two three-pointers to put Paris up 55-60. Hifi added another triple and Paris led 63-65 after 30 minutes. 

Paris’s three-point barrage continued in the final frame as Jantunen hit his fourth triple and Ward drained three three-pointers within 97 seconds before also throwing down a dunk and the guests were up 71-79 with under seven minutes to play. ALBA was unimpressed and scored the next 10 points to move back ahead, 81-79. Hifi countered with two more triples and Ward connected on his sixth three-pointer as Paris led 83-89 with 1:50 to go. ALBA did not score in the final 3:34 minutes as Paris took the win. 

Tiago Splitter's squad have now won two straight and three of their last four games

ALBA Berlin v Paris Basketball (2024-10-29T18:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona was able to rely on its first-half three-pointers and second-half defense as it defeated Anadolu Efes 88-97, grabbing its fifth consecutive win in the EuroLeague in the process.

Barcelona showed impressive versatility in its win over Efes

FC Barcelona was able to rely on its first-half three-pointers and second-half defense as it [defeated Anadolu Efes Istanbul 88-97](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-beats-efes-to-stay-top-of-the-standings-88-97/), grabbing its fifth consecutive win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in the process.

Indeed, Barca was unstoppable from beyond the arc before the break, right from the word go. [Juan Nunez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juan-nunez/010106/) was at the center of it all, dishing three assists in the opening two minutes. [Alex Abrines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alex-abrines/003478/) opened fire from beyond the arc, then [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) hit two more. When [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) joined the three-point shootout, the guests already had a double-digit lead, 4-14.

Barca ended up hitting 7-of-10 three-pointers in the first quarter to get a 26-29 margin. Punter buried a huge three-pointer off the dribble to beat the halftime buzzer, good for a 51-55 Barca lead at the game. 

With that triple, Punter allowed Barca to match a club record for most three-pointers made in the first or second half of a EuroLeague game, with 11. 

The *Azulgrana* had only hit 11 three-pointers in a first half once before in the EuroLeague, doing so at home against Khimki Moscow Region on April 5, 2018. It also hit 11 shots from downtown three times in a second half, with one of those occasions coming this season against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Its defense, however, was far from perfect. Efes shot the ball well, hitting 15-of-22 two-pointers (68.2%) and 4-of-9 three-pointers (44.4%). Barca was also outrebounded 16-11 and only forced Efes to pick up 4 first-half turnovers. At halftime, Efes had a higher PIR (60) than Barca (57), but once coach Joan Penarroya made some adjustments, Barca took off right after the break.

FC Barcelona hit 11 first-half three-pointer against Anadolu Efes Istanbul

FC Barcelona ties three-point club record against Efes

"It was important to play better on offense. I think we played well on offense in the first half and the second half, but improved our defense in the second half; Efes only scored 15 points in the third quarter," Barca head coach Joan Penarroya told EuroLeague TV. "Until now, we played more or less well on offense but we needed our defensive situations, especially in one-on-one situations."

Barca limited Efes to just 37 points in the second half, with the hosts hitting 11-of-19 two-pointers (57.9%) and 3-of-12 three-pointers (25.0%). The visitors tied the battle of the boards after the break, 17-17. Above all, Efes picked up as many as 9 second-half turnovers, while Barca finished the game with 21 assists and 10 turnovers. On the other hand, Efes had fewer assists (16) and more turnovers (13), and won the PIR battle 33-51 in the second half.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">💚💚💚💚💚 <a href="https://t.co/nBs9bjfvUe">pic.twitter.com/nBs9bjfvUe</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1851353058955116694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Chimezie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chimezie-metu/013379/) led the winners with 21 points. Punter added 20 and was there every time his team needed him. Above all, we saw two different versions of the same team during the game, both of which were really effective. 

Despite having room for improvement, Barca is currently on a five-game winning streak and is looking like the team to beat in the EuroLeague.

The Spanish side used three-pointers and defense to notch its fifth straight victory

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v FC Barcelona (2024-10-29T17:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona registered its fifth consecutive win in the EuroLeague by downing Anadolu Efes 88-97 on the road in Round 6 on Tuesday. 

Barcelona beats Efes to stay top of the standings, 88-97

FC Barcelona registered its fifth consecutive win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul 88-97 on the road in Round 6 on Tuesday. 

The *Azulgrana* improved to 5-1 and became the first team to win five consecutive EuroLeague games this season, while Efes dropped to 3-3. Chimezie Metu led the winners with 21 points. Kevin Punter added 20, Jabari Parker had 13 while Justin Anderson got 12 for Barca. Darius Thompson paced Efes with 16 points. Jordan Nwora added 13 while Vincent Poirier and Dan Oturu each had 10 for the hosts.

Alex Abrines hit a triple and Parker added two more to give Barca an early 2-9 lead. Punter followed a jumper with a three-pointer to make it a double-digit game, 4-14. Poirier took over with an alley-oop slam and Bryant added a floater in a 7-0 run that Nwora capped with a driving basket. Abrines and Ercan Osmani each struck from beyond the arc and Bryant's coast-to-coast layup made Barca stop the game at 16-17. Bryant completed Efes' comeback with a three-pointer. Anderson and Nwora traded triples, Jan Vesely hit a jumper and Tomas Satoransky's three-point play restored a 22-26 Barca lead. Rolands Smits hit a jump hook, Thompson scored again and Metu's three-pointer fixed the score at 26-29 after 10 minutes.

Anderson scored off a steal early in the second quarter and Metu erased Smits's close basket with a jump hook. A red-hot Metu dunked and matched Bryant's three-point play with a bomb from downtown, good for a 32-38 Barca lead. Oturu dunked but Anderson and an unstoppable Metu kept the guests way ahead, 36-43. Rodrigue Beaubois buried a floater, Oturu dunked again and Stanley Johnson brought Efes within 42-43. Smits ignited the crowd with a dunk and Thompson added a triple but Parker single-handedly kept Barca in charge, 47-48. Smits sank another jump hook, Willy Hernangomez scored in the paint and Punter followed that with a huge buzzer-beating three-pointer that gave Barca a 51-55 edge at the break.

Juan Nunez struck from beyond the arc and found Hernangomez for a jumper that gave Barca a 51-60 lead. Parker scored in the low post, Poirier answered with a huge dunk and Hernangomez gave the guests a 53-65 edge. Poirier dunked again, Parker erased that with a jumper off the dribble, then Beaubois's driving layup gave Efes hope at 58-67. Punter and Beaubois each struck from beyond the arc and Metu's big basket off the dribble restored a 62-73 Barca lead. Bryant tried to change things for Efes, Metu shocked the crowd with an acrobatic three-point play and Nwora's floater kept the hosts within 66-76 after 30 minutes.

Anderson finished a three-chance Barca offense with a baseline jumper and Vesely added a put-back slam for a 66-80 margin with over 7 minutes left. Nwora buried a jumper that an unstoppable Anderson improved with a bomb from downtown. Oturu scored in penetration, Nwora added consecutive driving layups, and Dogus Ozdemiroglou hit a corner triple to give Efes hope at 77-86. Nunez somehow found Punter for a layup, getting help from Matu to stop Efes' comeback, 79-91. Thompson buried a three-pointer, Parker scored around the basket and Abrines sealed the outcome from the foul line, as Efes had ran out of chances in the final 2 minutes.

Joan Penarroya's men now have a 5-1 record, while the hosts dropped to 3-3

Euroleague.net's team of experts – Javier Gancedo, Geoff Gillingham, Frankie Sachs and Igor Petrinovic – have made their bold predictions for Rounds 6 and 7 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Bold predictions, Rounds 6-7: Teams going in different directions

The second double-round week of the season is here, which should spell plenty of drama for all 18 teams in Rounds 6 and 7 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

In the lead-up to Round 6, the [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) experts have each come up with one bold prediction.

### Paris to keep on charging this week

### *by Geoff Gillingham*

What a time to be a [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/?season=2024-25) fan. In the club’s first-ever season in the EuroLeague, Tiago Splitter has guided his team to two notable wins – at home against reigning champ Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in Round 3 and on the road at AS Monaco in Round 5 – to give the Parisian club a 2-3 record after five games. In fact, Paris could easily have found itself with two, if not three, more wins under its belt, but its inexperience was its undoing. This week, I think Paris – led by superstar point guard [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) – will beat ALBA Berlin on the road on Tuesday before downing Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz at home on Friday. That Baskonia game will be a special occasion for Coach Splitter, who had his No. 21 jersey retired by the Spanish club last season, but I think Paris will be looking at an impressive 4-3 record come the end of this week.

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### Olympiacos bounces back at home

### *by Javier Gancedo*

[Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/?season=2024-25) has had a rough start to the season and currently ranks 11th with a 2-3 record. It also lost against archrival Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the Greek League derby last Sunday, so it is time for the Reds to regroup at home against Real Madrid and FC Barcelona – that's my bold prediction. Olympiacos should beat Real, as it is [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/)'s first game against *Los Blancos* since losing the 2023 EuroLeague Championship Game at the buzzer. No one will be more motivated in this game, and Vezenkov already had 29 points and a PIR of 34 in that fatal night back in 2023. [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) should have a key role, guarding [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) in Round 6 and [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) in Round 7. Olympiacos beat Barca in last season's playoffs, winning Game 5 at Palau Blaugrana, so the atmosphere should be wild at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. Despite its slow start, Olympiacos is basically the same team as last season, plus Vezenkov, [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) and [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/). Expect the Reds to have a winning record by the end of this week. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">🙏🏽 Τα εισιτήρια για την αποψινή (29/10, 21:15) αναμέτρηση με την <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> εξαντλήθηκαν !<br><br>✊🏽 Πάμε να παλέψουμε ΟΛΟΙ μαζί για τη νίκη! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/UFEbP7jKMN">pic.twitter.com/UFEbP7jKMN</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1851275766547324965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Zalgiris’s magic act comes to an end

### *Frankie Sachs*

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) is tied for the league’s top record alongside FC Barcelona at 4-1. And now it hosts back-to-back home games. Is now the time coach Andrea Trinchieri’s team establishes itself among the contenders. In my humble opinion, it will not. Since beating Barcelona on opening night, Zalgiris’s wins thus far have come against teams at the bottom rungs of the standings and its clashes against teams with winning records – Crvena Zvezda Meridienbet Belgrade on Wednesday and AS Monaco on Friday – present much stiffer challenges. Zalgiris has won so far with a collective effort as only two players ([Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) and [Dovydas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dovydas-giedraitis/007513/)) are averaging double digits in scoring or PIR. Zalgiris has not yet replaced Tyrone Wallace and offseason additions [Deividas Sirvydis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/deividas-sirvydis/007029/) and [Matt Mitchell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-mitchell/012622/) have not provided offensive fireworks. To beat the stars on Zvezda and Monaco, they will need those fireworks. I am not sure they are up Trinchieri’s sleeve.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EuroLeague Round 5 🎬 <a href="https://t.co/3R0OCeB3wG">pic.twitter.com/3R0OCeB3wG</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1849859311763337480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Monaco shows character on the road

### *by Igor Petrinovic*

Monaco has had an up-and-down start to the season, just like almost every other EuroLeague team. Heading into the second double-round week of the season with a 3-2 record isn't that bad, especially considering the team has been missing key backcourt pieces in [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nick-calathes-out-3-4-weeks-with-knee-injury/) and [Furkan Korkmaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-furkan-korkmaz-to-miss-3-4-weeks/), while [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) is still not at 100% after his back surgery this past summer. However, Monaco played four of its five games at home and lost its only away clash, which came at FC Barcelona. This week, Monaco will first visit Partizan, then travel to Kaunas to face Zalgiris. A challenging week with two tough road games in front of packed houses. But I think Monaco shows character and steals two road wins in three days, putting the rest of the league on notice of what this team is capable of.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🎬 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 🔮<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/LegTwlyI2M">pic.twitter.com/LegTwlyI2M</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1851192274165649897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Euroleague.net's team of experts have each made one bold prediction ahead of Rounds 6 and 7 of the 2024-25 season

Paris Basketball v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-11-01T19:45:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v AS Monaco (2024-11-01T18:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-10-30T18:00:00.000Z)

TJ Shorts is blazing the trail for undersized guards in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season, but some other sub-1.80m players also shined in the EuroLeague in the past.

Three sub-1.80m EuroLeague stars who paved the way before TJ Shorts

Round 5 MVP [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) has been one of the standout players of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season so far, despite standing at just 1.75 meters. The [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) guard is putting on a clinic when it comes to dominating the game with his speed by actually using his height to his advantage. The funny, and rather impressive, thing is that we are talking about a player who isn’t really a reliable threat from the perimeter but still manages to be pretty much unstoppable.

The sample isn’t large, of course, but his averages of 19.8 points, 7.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds are telling. As are Paris’ wins over defending champion Panathinaikos, which came at Adidas Arena, and Final Four contender AS Monaco on the road.

Very few EuroLeague players before Shorts managed to have such an impact on their teams’ game and make this kind of noise while being under 1.80m. Here’s a Holy Trinity (plus one special mention) of past EuroLeague stars who perfectly exemplified the “heart over height” motto.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1734817/three-sub-1-80m-euroleague-stars-who-paved-the-way-before-tj-shorts/).

More Paris Basketball News

He is following in the footsteps of some memorable guards

Fantasy experts Frankie Sachs, Javier Gancedo and Vasiliki Karamouza offer their advice ahead of Rounds 6 and 7 in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge.

EuroLeague Fantasy Podcast: Tips for another double-round week

The fifth episode from season two of the EuroLeague Fantasy Podcast has landed, with [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) duo [Frankie Sachs](https://x.com/MrEuroleague) and [Javier Gancedo](https://x.com/ganchetto) and Sport 24’s [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://x.com/karamouza_vas) offering their advice for fantasy managers ahead of Rounds 6 and 7 in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Which players should you specifically target this week? Which players should you drop? Find out more by checking out the video above.

The Reds look to snap a four-game slide in games against Los Blancos when they meet on Tuesday.

The heat is on for Olympiacos-Real Madrid showdown

What do you get for the rivalry that has it all?

After all, [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/?season=2024-25) and [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/?season=2024-25) have met in back-to-back Final Fours, including the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game, which was only decided in the final seconds. One player ([Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/)) switched sides from the Spanish capital to the Greek port city in the summer of 2023.

Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas and forwards [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) and [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/) all spent time with Real Madrid’s archrival, FC Barcelona. Real forward [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) is a self-avowed fan of Olympiacos’s archrival, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

<center><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/rvaQRHCzisFeo" width="480" height="298" style="" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/russell-crowe-rvaQRHCzisFeo">via GIPHY</a></p>

Okay, not entertained. I get it. Been there, done that.

How about the fact that Real has won four in a row against Olympiacos? Now we are getting somewhere. And add the fact that – to put it mildly – neither team has gotten off to a blistering start to the season. Real is 3-2 and Olympiacos is 2-3.

Now just imagine how important this Round 6 fixture is to both teams… And thus we have captured the essence of the Rivalry Series. This win will mean a lot to the victors. And it will truly smart the losers.

### The heat is on the coaches

We can start with the coaches. If Real wins, Bartzokas will be off to the worst start of a season among his eight on the Olympiacos bench. That would add even more pressure after the Reds lost their Greek League derby against Panathinaikos on Sunday. And with Vezenkov, the 2022-23 EuroLeague MVP, back with the team after a year away.

If Olympiacos wins, coach Chus Mateo of Real will be off to his worst start as head coach of the team. For contrast, *Los Blancos* did not lose their third game last season until Round 22. So the heat is on.

### Two of the league’s biggest stars

Despite the team’s quiet starts, their main stars have been rocking. Real playmaker [Facundo Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) leads the league in PIR (25.2 per game) with excellent shooting (50% 2FG, 56.2% 3FG, 100% FT). Vezenkov is fifth in PIR (22.6) and averaging 16.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Between [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), the reigning EuroLeague Best Defender, and [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/), who is Campazzo’s friend and former teammate at both the club and national team level, Olympiacos has reasons to believe it can slow down Real’s star. Last season, Campazzo only totaled 24 points in three games against Olympiacos. He also had 27 assists as well as 11 turnovers.

The last time Vezenkov played Real, he went off for 29 points, 9 boards and 4 assists in the 2023 title decider. But he will see a much different defense this time; [Gabriel Deck](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/gabriel-deck/009005/) was injured and [Eli Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/eli-ndiaye/009213/) was but a teenager with a bit role. Can they contain the former MVP this time?

The list of what may make this Rivalry Series game great is infinite. Both teams are rich in talent and history. But if we just focus on the rivalry between them, the dread of another early-season loss and the great form of their stars, we have enough of an understanding why this is must-see basketball!

The Reds look to snap a four-game slide in games against Los Blancos when they meet on Tuesday

Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2024-10-29T19:15:00.000Z)

The Paris Basketball playmaker is on a record pace so far this Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season entering Round 6.

Stats review: TJ Shorts and this season's pick-and-roll masters

Paris Basketball notched its first-ever road victory in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague – over AS Monaco in the Rivalry Series, no less – by following a familiar formula.  

Last season, Paris emerged as a powerhouse in the BKT EuroCup to earn a spot in the EuroLeague as it lost only a single game before lifting the trophy.  While it did some truly innovative things with full-court pressure, substitution patterns, and play calling, the cornerstone of its high-powered offense, its biggest differentiator in key moments, and the thing that gives the team real upside in its maiden voyage in the EuroLeague was the ability to score at a high-level playing out of pick-and-rolls.

Even after a coaching change as they ascended to the gauntlet that is the EuroLeague, Paris has been able to hang its hat on pick-and-roll play. Generating 44 points over only 39 possessions created out of pick-and-rolls against AS Monaco in Round 5, Paris enters the week ranked fourth in efficiency and second in points scored per game in pick-and-roll situations.  While new head coach Tiago Splitter certainly deserves some credit for fostering some continuity from last season, the return of playmaking ball handler TJ Shorts has ensured that this offense has the same pathway to success.

The table above lists the EuroLeague leaders in points created out of pick-and-rolls combining those the players scored themselves and created with passes. As the table suggests, Shorts has been the league’s most prolific ball screen weapon by a wide margin so far this season as Paris has leaned into his ability to make things happen off the dribble.  The 38 points he created against Monaco in Round 5 were a reflection of that.  He is currently on pace to exceed the EuroLeague record of 24.2 points created out of pick-and-rolls per game set during the 2020-21 season by Alexey Shved – the only player to ever eclipse the 20-point threshold for a full season.  

Scoring in bunches even as he is not particularly aggressive from beyond the arc, Shorts has a combination of quickness, craftiness, and creativity that is unforgiving to opposing defenses and positions Paris to exceed expectations.  Currently scoring more points per game in the midrange than any player in modern EuroLeague history as well, Shorts puts huge pressure on opposing help defenders and scores and passes off that at an exceptional level.  As prolific as he is, his 1.05 points per possession created out of the pick-and-roll sits well above average as well.

Facundo Campazzo has flirted with that level of production but fits a different mold owning the lowest score-to-pass ratio among the most productive guards this season and throughout his prime.  While he may not look for his own shot aggressively, he’s a big reason Real Madrid ranks second in overall pick and roll efficiency.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv has been bitten by the injury bug and that is one reason it has two players featured here.  However, the performance of those players in oversized roles has been a boon for the club as their efficiency has not suffered through their reshuffling.  

Paris Lee and Theo Maledon are arguably this list’s most intriguing duo as they bring a contrast of styles to the floor—sometimes in the same lineup.  Maledon’s aggressiveness in looking for his own shot and Lee’s more conventional approach allow LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne to give opposing defenses different looks.

Pick-and-roll play is at an all-time high in the EuroLeague this season thanks in some part to the addition of Shorts and Paris.  While he has a chance to rewrite the history books, there are plenty of new faces on this list relative to previous seasons as there are rising stars taking the reins for their teams throughout the league. 

The Paris Basketball playmaker is on a record pace so far this season.