The addition of Shabazz Napier proved to be one of the few good news for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in a season that did not go to plan, as the Italian giants saw its playoff hopes come to an end a few rounds before the end of the regular season. Nevertheless, since joining the team ahead of Round 22, the American point guard's contribution – particularly his 14.7 points per night – helped Milan achieve an 8-3 record heading into Friday night's contest against FC Barcelona.

Shabazz Napier led Milan to second-half rout of Barcelona

The addition of Shabazz Napier proved to be one of the few good news for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in a season that did not go to plan, as the Italian giants saw its playoff hopes come to an end a few rounds before the end of the regular season. Nevertheless, since joining the team ahead of Round 22, the American point guard's contribution – particularly his 14.7 points per night – helped Milan achieve an 8-3 record heading into Friday night's contest against FC Barcelona.

In Milan's Round 33 clash at home to the Spanish powerhouse, Napier had yet another great performance, leading his team in scoring with a game-high 18 points, going for 3-of-4 from behind the arc and drawing 6 fouls, which turned into 7 points from the line. He had 2 assists and 2 steals, too. It took Napier almost 20 minutes to hit his first field goal, but when he got himself going, Milan went to another level and came out with the win.

Shabazz Napier finished with a game-high 18 points, in addition to dishing 2 assists and recording 2 steals in EA7 Emporio Armani Milan's 84-76 win against FC Barcelona in Round 33 of the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Shabazz Napier's best plays vs. Barcelona

Napier's first field goal was a three-pointer that came with just four seconds remaining in the second quarter, which allowed Milan to head into the halftime break with a 39-36 lead. After the interval, Napier took over with 14 points in the second half, as he set the right tone on offense. A short scoring spark helped Milan take a 49-41 edge in the third period, and another productive run midway through the final period boosted the home team to a 73-58 advantage that all but wrapped up the victory.

“We wanted to give the fans a great game," Napier admitted afterward. “We played great together; a lot of guys played a great game. I think today was a great team effort. We didn’t want to come out here and not compete – we are professional athletes – so I think we did a great job \[of just\] coming out and competing as a great team, getting a great win for our home. That’s a must for us: to compete.”

Game Videos

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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v FC Barcelona (2023-04-07T18:30:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade marched into the playoffs with a game to spare after an 84-88 win at AS Monaco in Round 33, thanks in large part to sound three-point shooting. On Friday night at Salle Gaston Medecin, the visitors outgunned the home side from long range.

Partizan outgunned Monaco with long-range firepower

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade marched into the playoffs with a game to spare after an 84-88 win at AS Monaco in Round 33, thanks in large part to sound three-point shooting. On Friday night at Salle Gaston Medecin, the visitors outgunned the home side from long range.

Partizan hit 11 of its 24 three-point attempts (45.8% 3FG), and many of those shots came in crunch time. The visitors rallied from an early 12-2 deficit, before later holding off a Monaco fightback in the third quarter and finally prevailing in the closing stages of a rip-roaring contest after the home side had turned the tide.

The visiting team was able to rely on a variety of shooters, with Aleksa Avramovic nailing 3-of-8 shots from beyond the arc. Alen Smailagic was 2-of-3, Kevin Punter 2-of-4 and Ioannis Papapetrou netted both his attempts. Zach LeDay and James Nunnally hit 1 three-pointer each for Partizan, which kept its composure when the chips were down after committing 14 turnovers.

Monaco made only 5 of its 16 shots from beyond the arc (31.3% 3FG), and its inability to convert from long range cancelled out a solid performance from two-point territory (28-of-45, 62.2% 2FG). The three-point shooting composure aside, Partizan also held its nerve from the foul line as the visitors sank 23-of-27 free throws (85.2%), with LeDay making 13 of 14 (92.9%).

AS Monaco v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-04-07T19:00:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan grabbed its seventh home win in a row on Friday night after defeating FC Barcelona 84-76 at Mediolanum Forum. What's more, it managed to come out with the victory despite being outrebounded 25-41, with the visitors grabbing 18 offensive rebounds, only 4 less than the total Milan secured under its own rim (22).

Barcelona turned that into 18 second-chance points, compared to just 2 for Milan. That advantage was not enough for the visitors to stay into the game in the second half, however, as Barca had a below-par shooting performance throughout the whole game, going for 24-of-66 from the field (36.6%).

“It was a difficult evening for us. We could not find the way to hit many shots,” said a downbeat Saras Jasikevicius, Barca's head coach, after the game. “I think we created some good shots, but they didn’t go in. I think the guys tried to fight in some situations, and 18 offensive rebounds shows that, but I think in some situations also we lacked the necessary tension to win here in Milan.”

On the other hand, the winners displayed far better efficiency with its shooting, hitting 17 two-pointers on 30 attempts (56.6% 2FG) and going 11-of-22 from behind the arc (50% 3FG), which proved decisive in the victory.

Milan overcame rebounding deficit to beat Barcelona

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (19-14) secured a postseason berth with a game to spare after huge performances from point guard Aleksa Avramovic and power forward Zach LeDay helped the Serbian team to 84-88 win at AS Monaco (22-11), which had punched its own playoff ticket three rounds earlier.
Avramovic finished with 22 points, of which 14 came in the second quarter, while LeDay netted just as many, including 7 in a row late in the third quarter. Alen Smailagic and James Nunnally chipped in with 12 each for Partizan, which made the postseason in its first Turkish Airlines Euroleague appearance in eight years.
At the other end, Elie Okobo paced Monaco with a game-high 23 points. Alpha Diallo scored 11, and four other home players contributed with 10 points apiece: Mike James, Donta Hall, Donatas Moteijunas and Jordan Loyd.

Partizan seals playoff spot with road win at Monaco, 84-88

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (19-14) secured a postseason berth with a game to spare after huge performances from point guard Aleksa Avramovic and power forward Zach LeDay helped the Serbian team to 84-88 win at AS Monaco (21-12), which had punched its own playoff ticket three rounds earlier.

Avramovic finished with 22 points, of which 14 came in the second quarter, while LeDay netted just as many, including 7 in a row late in the third quarter. Alen Smailagic and James Nunnally chipped in with 12 each for Partizan, which made the postseason in its first Turkish Airlines Euroleague appearance in eight years.

At the other end, Elie Okobo paced Monaco with a game-high 23 points. Alpha Diallo scored 11, and four other home players contributed with 10 points apiece: Mike James, Donta Hall, Donatas Moteijunas and Jordan Loyd.

Monaco romped into an early 12-2 lead as Partizan’s players were slow to get out of the blocks, but the visitors clawed their way back into the contest thanks to three-pointers from Smailagic and Ioannis Papapetrou. By the end of the first quarter, Partizan had slashed the deficit to 22-18.

The second period saw Partizan turn the tables on the home team as Avramovic lit up the contest after coming off the bench. The livewire point guard hurt Monaco from all angles, having drained some tough shots from behind the arc while also bedazzled his markers with incisive drives to the basket. Monaco started to struggle at the other end, as Partizan opened up a double-digit lead and then took a 35-42 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

The game seemed to have slipped away from Monaco after the visitors surged ahead 38-51 early in the third quarter, but the hosts then showed all the resilience that molded them into a team capable of mixing it with Europe’s best this season. Monaco engineered a 13-0 run which got it right back into the contest, before the versatile LeDay took over in the closing stages of the third period. LeDay sank a three-pointer, followed by a pair of free throws and a tough one-handed jumper, to keep Partizan in the driving seat heading into the fourth quarter.

With the visitors 67-75 ahead as the game entered the home straight, Monaco ramped up its defense and produced a 9-0 run to nose ahead. A tit-for-tat battle ensued before Kevin Punter, who’d had a quiet game, drained an audacious triple with an opponent in his face to put Partizan 80-84 ahead with 16 seconds left on the clock. Monaco did all it could in a catch-up effort, but LeDay and then Avramovic made no mistake from the foul line down the stretch, sending a loud and sizeable contingent of travelling Partizan fans into raptures.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan tasted victory in its final home game of the season at Mediolanum Forum on Friday night, defeating FC Barcelona 84-76 and ending the visitors' hopes of clinching the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The game was back and forth in the first half, finishing with a 39-36 score, but Milan excelled after the break and built a 17-point advantage early in the fourth that destroyed Barca's spirit. Milan notched its seventh straight win at home to improve to 15-18, while Barca saw its four-game winning streak come to an end as it slipped to 22-11.

Milan downs Barcelona, 84-76

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan tasted victory in its final home game of the season at Mediolanum Forum on Friday night, defeating FC Barcelona 84-76 and ending the visitors' hopes of clinching the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The game was back and forth in the first half, finishing with a 39-36 score, but Milan excelled after the break and built a 17-point advantage early in the fourth that destroyed Barca's spirit. Milan notched its seventh straight win at home to improve to 15-18, while Barca saw its four-game winning streak come to an end as it slipped to 22-11.

Shabazz Napier led five Milan players in double digits with 18 points in 21 minutes. Billy Baron scored 12, Nicolo Melli tallied 11 points and 6 rebounds, while Giampaolo Ricci and Kyle Hines contributed 10 points apiece. Kyle Kuric set the tone for Barcelona with 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from behind the arc. Mike Tobey and Nicolas Laprovittola poured in 12 points each, and Nikola Mirotic provided 11 in the losing effort.

Melli got Milan going right after the tipoff with a couple of triples that helped the hosts earn an early 7-6 lead. Barca struck back by using the same weapon, as a three-pointer apiece from Mirotic and Kuric helped the visiting team build a 0-8 run that boosted it to a 12-19 score late in the first quarter. Milan found a way to prevent the visitors from pulling away, as it fed Hines and Voigtmann inside. After the end of the first 10 minutes, Barca had a narrow 3-point lead, 18-21.

The two teams' defenses improved in the second, but Hines made it all square, 25-25, four minutes into the quarter. Barca kept struggling to make shots, and even though it dominated the offensive glass, Milan didn’t allow any field goal for the next three minutes. Baron and Melli kept Milan rolling on the offensive end, and Napier came up big with a three to close the first half. Thanks to that triple, Milan had flipped the script to take a 39-36 advantage into the break.

The hosts improved their defensive performance even more after the break, suffocating Barcelona’s shooters, while Napier continued to shine on offense as Milan began to take control, 49-41. Things got worse for the guests when Laprovittola had to leave the court with 4 fouls, although Cory Higgins took over with 5 points in a row to keep Barca into the game, 49-46, midway through the third period. Higgins’s buckets prove to be the last ones for Barca from then on, though, as Milan only allowed 2 free throws until the end of the quarter. That allowed the Italian side to take a double-digit lead, 58-48, into the final quarter.

Barca tried to swing the momentum in its favor by playing with no true playmaker at the beginning of the last period, but Pangos punished the visitors with a three to make it 61-50. With Jan Vesely as the only effective weapon on offense, Barca faded away step by step, while Milan finally found some steady scoring through Napier and Baron. A three by the latter and a couple of free throws by Brandon Davies extended the margin to 75-58 with still four minutes to play, effectively sealing the outcome and allowing Milan to coast to a 84-76 triumph.

Zach LeDay, Partizan: 'It’s great to be a part of history'

### Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach

“I am very happy for my players, they’ve worked hard all season and finally we’re in the top eight \[and qualified for the playoffs\]. I also want to congratulate Monaco for an excellent season. They will have home-court advantage in the playoffs, they are an excellent team and, for us, it was such an important game. I also want to congratulate all of our \[fans\] who came across Europe to support us here; they are a very important part of this success. It was tough until the end because we led for many minutes, but they are a team that never gives up.”

### Sasa Obradovic, AS Monaco head coach

“We had to be much more focused, especially in the first half. Defensively \[we were\] solid, especially in the third quarter, but we have to be more consistent. It’s great to have home-court advantage in the playoffs, but we have to play in a different way. We have to understand that it’s all about keeping it together for 40 minutes.”

### Zach LeDay, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade center

“It’s great to be a part of history. We’re just trying to be together and do whatever it takes for the team. We’ve sacrificed a lot this year, so we deserved it. We just need to keep working and get better. I never lose faith in my team and I am just appreciative \[that\] the guys found a way to give me the ball. When we share the ball like that, we feel \[like\] we are unbeatable as a team.”

### Aleksa Avramovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard

“We’ve secured a playoff berth and, depending on how the results pan out in the last round, it seems we could even finish the regular season in fifth place and face Monaco again in the playoffs. It was a great team effort. We were focused, even though we didn’t play so well in the opening five minutes. We made some shots and played good defense against a very good and talented team. We knew that we’d have to be at our best to beat a team with so much potential.”

### Novak Djokovic, world tennis No. 1

"Amazing. Amazing atmosphere, amazing game all the way to the end. Partizan was playing really good – most of the match they were leading – and then Monaco showed why they are one of the strongest teams in the EuroLeague this season. It was so close. A crucial three-pointer by Kevin Punter there towards the end. Amazing fans, great atmosphere. I'm really glad for a Serbian team to go through in the top eight. It's been many years that none of the Serbian teams were able to get to the top eight, so congrats to them."

(About potentially playing Monaco in the playoffs): "Exactly, yeah. If that happens, hopefully I'll get a chance to see it live once again."

Shabazz Napier, Milan: 'Today was a great team effort'

### Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach

“It was a very important night, especially for our fans. We feel bad for them, even if we know why we could not have a better season. I think it’s been a very good game; everybody helped, everybody competed. We had moments of very good defense and very good offense. I think this can help us gain confidence before heading the Italian League playoffs. When you play against Barcelona, you need to play a good game and hope they play a little below their level. That happened tonight, but the line is thin. The good thing is that we left the competition at home with a good taste \[in our mouths\].

“We are happy because we could win for the seventh time in a row in front of our fans and have them enjoy another good performance in the EuroLeague. It’s been a day when we showed one more time that the team played together \[as a team\] after suffering a lot in the first part of the EuroLeague season. So, I want to congratulate the players and the fans again. They created a nice atmosphere, even today. We hope to find the self-coinfidence from this performance in preparing the playoffs in Italy."

### Saras Jasikevicius, FC Barcelona head coach

“We suffered \[due to\] our bad mental preparation, that’s why we suffered. I think Milan is very good team, but we suffered \[due to\] our bad mental preparation.

“Congratulations to Ettore \[Messina\] and Milan, they were the better team. It was a difficult evening for us. We could not find the way to hit many shots. I think we created some good shots, but they didn’t go in. I think the guys tried to fight in some situations, and 18 offensive rebounds shows that, but I think in some situations also we lacked the necessary tension to win here in Milan”.

### Nicolo Melli, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward

“We wished for a better season overall, but we wanted this win and we got it. For us, but mostly for the fans that supported us throughout the season, even in tough moments. We want to say thank you to them for all the support, and we will be back next season better and stronger. It’s a big win for us, of course, even though it didn’t give us any chance for the playoffs or any particular value, but we proved one more time that we could have been in a better position. For sure it’s on us \[that we didn’t make the playoffs\], but it’s a good win to end our season at home.”

### Shabazz Napier, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan guard

“We wanted to give the fans a great game. We played great together; a lot of guys played a great game. I think today was a great team effort. We didn’t want to come out here and not compete – we are professional athletes – so I think we did a great job \[of just\] coming out and competing as a great team, getting a great win for our home. That’s a must for us: to compete.”

EuroLeague Live Blog, Round 33: Will Partizan make the playoffs tonight?

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Live Blog: Partizan advances to playoffs; Milan, ALBA grab wins

Panathinaikos Athens v ALBA Berlin (2023-04-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade has become the sixth team to clinch its spot in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, following a thrilling 84-88 win at AS Monaco on Friday. In its first year back in the EuroLeague since the 2013-14, Partizan has gone 19-14 through the 33 rounds to this point and earned a chance to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2010.

 Partizan joins the playoff party! 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade has become the sixth team to clinch its spot in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, following a thrilling 84-88 win at AS Monaco on Friday. In its first year back in the EuroLeague since the 2013-14, Partizan has gone 19-14 through the 33 rounds to this point and earned a chance to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2010.

Led by nine-time EuroLeague champion head coach Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan will now jostle for playoff seeding in the final round of the regular season. However, the Serbian team will not be able to lean on home-court advantage in a possible Game 5, as Olympiacos Piraeus, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Monaco have already wrapped up the top four spots in the standings.

### Road to playoffs

Partizan bounced back from a disappointing start to the season by overwhelming Virtus Segafredo Bologna, 90-62, in Round 4. That was the start of a three-game winning streak that Partizan capped with its first road victory, downing Panathinaikos Athens 89-91. The team's toughest moment came in late November and early December, as Partizan went on a five-game losing streak. Partizan had a 4-9 start and reaching the playoffs seemed to be out of the question, but the team bounced back.

Partizan went on to win its next four games between Rounds 14 and 17, beating defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul 82-79 and registering a 72-73 road win against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, before defeating FC Bayern Munich and AS Monaco at home. Partizan took the next Serbian derby in Round 21, too, edging Zvezda 78-79. From there, Partizan won its next three games up to Round 24, meaning that it had gone 9-2 over its last 11 games. Coach Obradovic's side remained strong on the road, downing Virtus 79-88 in Round 27 and beating Efes 84-97 in Round 29. Some statement home wins were needed and Partizan delivered, securing emphatic victories against the top two teams in the standings – 90-75 against Olympiacos and 104-90 against Real Madrid – before stamping its place in the playoffs with a an 84-88 triumph on the road at Monaco.

### Playoff experience

This season, Coach Obradovic is hoping to notch his 19th Final Four appearance and his 10th EuroLeague title. His coaching journey started by taking Partizan to the 1992 Final Four and lifting the trophy, so Coach Obradovic may come full circle.

In terms of playoff experience among the players, a large majority of the Partizan squad have been here before. Kevin Punter and Zach LeDay helped EA7 Emporio Armani Milan reach the 2021 Final Four after downing Bayern 3-2 in a thrilling series. Elsewhere on the roster, Ioannis Papapetrou played four playoff series with Olympiacos, reaching the Final Four in 2015 and 2017; Dante Exum was part of the Barca side that beat Bayern 3-2 last season; and James Nunnally won the EuroLeague title with the Coach Obradovic-led Fenerbahce in 2017 before reaching another Final Four in 2018. Additionally, Danilo Andjusic played a role in Monaco's playoff journey last season, and Tristan Vukcevic made his EuroLeague debut with Real Madrid in the 2021 playoffs, becoming the first player to do so since Nikos Zisis with AEK Athens in 2001.

### Playoff history

Since 2005, Partizan has only won one playoff series, downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 13 years ago, 1-13 after starting that series on the road, to secure its place in the 2010 Final Four, where it went on to lose to Olympiacos in the semifinals. In 2008, Partizan took its best-of-three series against Baskonia to a do-or-die Game 3. But, Baskonia prevailed, downing Partizan 85-68. In 2009, CSKA swept Partizan in a best-of-five series.

Coach Obradovic has won 10 out of 11 playoff series: with Panathinaikos in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012, and with Fenerbahce in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. His only playoff elimination came with Panathinaikos against Baskonia in 2006. Partizan has a 4-6 record in playoffs, but Obradovic is 29-9 at this stage (76.3%), having gone 14-7 with Panathinaikos and 15-2 with Fenerbahce.