Mathias Lessort, Partizan: 'We have a lot of weapons'

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic

"If talking about points, it was a similar game like the one in Madrid. They are a very talented team, they can score in very different ways, but I believe we deserved to win tonight. Congratulations to my players, and of course, these incredible people."

"Real is one of the favorites to win the EuroLeague, a team that already has home-court advantage in the playoffs. It is a team with a lot of quality, and they demonstrated it tonight in some moments. It was important to play with big motivation, be more motivated than Real, and I believe we did that. It is the nicest thing for a coach when he looks at the stats and how balanced the scoring is. That is the proof that we wanted to play as a team, and we did that tonight in most of the situations. We had some trouble to defend their transition, and they shot a lot of free throws. We have two more games left, both very important. Tavares is the most dominant player in his position, and we had trouble with him early. He is a very smart player. He was finding teammates, too, and all Real Madrid players are capable to score from outside. But we never wanted to help too much against him. That is not easy, but what the game of basketball comes to is that sometimes you are in disadvantage on one end, but in advantage on the other. And Smailagic used his advantage offensively, too."

### Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo

"It is not easy to win here in Belgrade. Partizan is playing great at this moment. And this chemistry made them play with energy. An they played very good. Congratulations to them. They deserve to go to the playoffs."

"We tried to play from the beginning with good discipline, and for moments we lost that discipline because Partizan played good defense. For two or three minutes in the second quarter, we did not understand their toughness, and we retreated a little bit. Partizan got advantage at halftime, but we were able to come back and we were very close to come back into the game and to fight until the end. But in some crucial moments Partizan made good plays, had good success on its shots, and they deserved to win today. "

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade center Mathias Lessort

"Playoffs is one of the main goals of the season. It is just one step away. We have two more games to play, one tough one on the road, and one at home to finish the season on a good note. We've got to stay focused. We will celebrate tonight as usual after a win, and then we focus on the next one. We did a great job like a team. If we play like this, as a team, we have a lot of weapons. Where everybody is dangerous and they don't know where the danger is coming from. We had six in double digits. And if we play like this, we can beat anybody in Europe. We've got to keep playing like that."

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard Kevin Punter

"It was a much-needed win. Obviously we had to win this game; it was a convincing win for us. We are just trying to get ready for the playoffs at this point. We still want to finish the season strong, we've got two games left, and keep it going. We all gave effort on both ends. That was going to be needed against this Madrid team and we handled our business. Our goal is to go 2-0 the last two games."

### Real Madrid forward Mario Hezonja

"We know how things were going to be. We tried, but I think we stopped \[playing\] our game too much and we weren't fast enough. Against this team, you have to attack them and be fast. It is a difficult court and they have the best coach of all-time. It is very difficult to play tactical against him, but we have to pull out these wins no matter what. We have locked the home-court advantage but we have to give more to our team, for our team chemistry, so that we can win all games until the end."

Game Videos

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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2023-03-31T18:30:00.000Z)

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Live Blog: Zalgiris, Baskonia, Partizan nail key wins; Monaco clinches home-court advantage

FC Bayern Munich v AS Monaco (2023-03-31T17:00:00.000Z)

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-03-31T18:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-03-31T18:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-03-31T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Valencia Basket (2023-03-31T17:00:00.000Z)

Arnas Butkevicius, Zalgiris: 'A game to remember'

### Zalgiris Kaunas head coach Kazys Maksvytis

"Of course, we won the game, I am happy for the effort, the wish, the focus. We are still in the \[playoffs\] race and I think we are in a good situation. We will try to reach this. It is a double-week and we needed to find the energy, find the fresh players. And before the game, we thought that Karolis Lukosiunas could be that player. We gave him a chance and he used his chance: bravo! I am happy for this week: good energy, good team work and a good effort. If we play like this, it is hard to stop us. We just need to be like this."

### Valencia Basket head coach Alex Mumbru:

"We arrived to our limit physically and they broke the game in the second quarter, with a 16-3 run. And finally, we fought until the end and when we tried, they scored 3 threes in the last second and broke the game until the end."

### Zalgiris Kaunas guard Lukas Lekavicius:

"First of all, we were very motivated before the game. We knew this was like a final for us, a very important game. We stuck to our game plan and hit some lucky shots. Karolis \[Lukosiunas\] stepped up, so that was the key. We need to take a rest; it was a difficult week for us. For sure, we know Maccabi \[Round 33 opponent\] and how they are playing, they are the hottest team right now. We need to take a rest and start to prepare for the game."

### Zalgiris Kaunas forward Arnas Butkevicius:

"I think it was team effort, first of all. Everybody put their hearts in it; we were full of energy today. Everybody sacrificed their body, starting from defense, and I think defense was the key. We know that we need those wins and we have nothing to lose. That is the only way for us, to keep fighting and put all the energy we have, and that's it. There is no question about that. We need to start every game from defense and set the tone from there. Then we have easier points on offense, then we can run and share the ball but yes, everything starts from defense for us. I felt pretty good and enjoyed to play today a lot. This energy from the crowd gave me some confidence. It was really a game to remember."

AS Monaco put itself in position to clinch home-court advantage in the playoffs but turning back host FC Bayern with an 81-84 victory on Friday. Monaco reaised its record to 21-11 while Bayern fell to 11-21. Mike James led the winners with 28 points, tying his season high. Jordan Loyd added 14 points. Bayern got 20 points from Vladimir Lucic, including 2 three-pointers in the final minute to keep it close, while Corey Walden added 18 and Zylan Cheatham 10. 

 Monaco outlasts Bayern to almost guarantee top-four finish 

AS Monaco put itself in position to clinch home-court advantage in the playoffs but turning back host FC Bayern with an 81-84 victory on Friday. Monaco took the last of 13 lead changes midway through the final quarter and withstood another comeback try by Bayern to raise its record to 21-11. Already-eliminated Bayern fell to 11-21. 

Mike James led the winners with 28 points, tying his season high in his second game back after a team suspension. Jordan Loyd added 14 points, with his 9-for-9 free-free throw shooting proving key late in the game. Bayern got 20 points from Vladimir Lucic, including 2 three-pointers in the final minute to keep it close, while Corey Walden added 18 and Zylan Cheatham 10. 

James shot Monaco to an early 2-7 lead until Andreas Obst and Niels Giffey drilled triples to get Bayern going. Elie Okobo came on to help Monaco stay in front but it took a second three-pointer from James to keep the guests ahead by the minimum, 22-23, after 10 minutes. Bayern followed D.J. Seeley and Freddie Gillespie on a 10-0 run to go ahead 30-23 early in the second quarter. Monaco answered with a 2-10 takeover run as James hit again from deep. Donta Hall and Alpha Diallo detonated dunks to take Monaco to a 40-45 halftime advantage.

Walden kept Bayern close after the break and Lucic joined him to cut the difference to 52-53. Nick Weiler-Babb blocked James, sending Isaac Bonga for a go-ahead dunk, but Loyd and Hall flipped the scoreboard again for Monaco before Lucic and Cheatham combined to send Bayern up 60-57 after 30 minutes and 12 lead changes. James tied it on the first shot of the fourth quarter and John Brown did the dirty work in a 10-0 Monaco run to take a 68-75 advantage with 3 minutes left. Bonga's three-point play the hard way and 2 triples in in 14 seconds by Lucic suddenly made it 81-84 with 28 seconds left. Bayern chose not to foul and Monaco missed, leaving 3.9 seconds for a game-tying attempt, but Walden's triple was short and Monaco avoided overtime as it waited to find out later on Friday if it had clinched home-court advantage yet.

James leads Monaco past Bayern, 81-84

Zalgiris Kaunas recorded an important win in its race to make it to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs by downing Valencia Basket 95-74 in front of a sellout crowd at Zalgirio Arena in Round 32 on Friday. Zalgiris improved to 17-15 in the standings. Meanwhile, Valencia dropped to 14-18 and ran out of mathematical chances to reach the playoffs. Lukas Lekavicius paced the winners with 16 points. Ignas Brazdeikis got 15, Karolis Lukosiunas and Isaiah Taylor each added 12 while Rolands Smits and Arnas Butkevicius had 11 apiece for Zalgiris. James Webb led Valencia with 18 points.

Zalgiris Kaunas recorded an important win in its race to make it to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs by downing Valencia Basket 95-74 in front of a sellout crowd at Zalgirio Arena in Round 32 on Friday. Zalgiris improved to 17-15 in the standings. Meanwhile, Valencia dropped to 14-18 and ran out of mathematical chances to reach the playoffs.

Lukas Lekavicius paced the winners with 16 points. Ignas Brazdeikis got 15, Karolis Lukosiunas and Isaiah Taylor each added 12 while Rolands Smits and Arnas Butkevicius had 11 apiece for Zalgiris. James Webb led Valencia with 18 points. Jasiel Rivero added 17 while Shannon Evans had 15 for the guests.

Smits followed a layup with a three-pointer, Taylor struck from downtown and Edgaras Ulanovas buried a jumper for a 14-8 Zalgiris lead. Webb stepped up with a triple and a put-back basket to keep Valencia within 16-13. Laurynas Birutis and Lekavicius boosted the hosts' lead to 21-16 after 10 minutes. Xabi Lopez-Arostegui struck from beyond the arc in a 0-7 run that Evans capped with a fastbreak basket for a 23-25 Valencia lead. A red-hot Evans took over with a three-point play and back-to-back triples for a 36-37 Valencia edge. Lukosiunas and Butkevicius fueled an 8-0 run that restored a 44-37 Zalgiris lead. Butkevicius and Brazdeikis each dunked, then Lekavicius's jumper fixed the halftime score at 52-40.

Smits beat the shot clock with a three-pointer and Lekavicius's off-balance basket boosted the hosts' lead to 59-45. Rivero tried to change things with consecutive layups, bringing Valencia within 63-52. Brazdeikis took over with a wild put-back layup and fed Lekavicius for a bomb from downtown that broke the game open, 68-52. Butkevicius, Taylor and Lukosiunas each struck from beyond the arc to open up a 77-55 breach early in the fourth quarter. Evans and Kyle Alexander fueled a 0-6 Valencia run, but Birutis followed a jump hook with a dunk that sealed the outcome.

Zalgiris thrashes Valencia, 95-74

 Sasa Obradovic, Monaco: 'A great demonstration of team spirit' 

### Sasa Obradovic, Monaco head coach

"It was a final game for me, with a lot of stress. Anyway, luckily, with our great team spirit we won this game. I'm really happy for this one. Let's see now the other games and see what we've done with this win. Like I said before, this was a great demonstration of team spirit, collective basketball. We shared the basketball and I'm really happy the way we won. We want the home-court advantage. At our home, it's a little bit easier to play. No matter who we play, the chances are always high for both teams. There are not too many favorites in the playoffs."

### Jordan Loyd, Monaco player

"It was a tough game. Hats off the them. They always play hard, especially here, so I'm really proud of our team. We stuck with it, kind of an ugly game on our side, but we pulled out the win, that's all that matters. We couldn't make our usual shots today, but we rebounded the ball well in the second half, and defensively, I think we did a solid job. They hit some tough shots down the stretch. Lucic hit some crazy ones. So, games like this you can pull out on the road are always good."

### James, Monaco player

"I'm just tyring to get back on track. The playoffs are coming soon, so I wanted to be able to find some type of rhythm offensively. You know, it worked out today. We're resilient. They made some tough shots, but we didn't get down. Everybody was just like, 'C'mon, we're going to finish the game.' And we ended up winning."

Sasa Obradovic, Monaco: 'A great demonstration of team spirit'

A classic matchup in European club competitions has returned to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season, and in Round 32 on Friday, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade hosts Real Madrid in a critical showdown for both teams. 

Partizan vs. Real Madrid: Two giants clash on Friday

A classic matchup in European club competitions has returned to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season, and in Round 32 on Friday, [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade hosts Real Madrid in a critical showdown for both teams](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-real-madrid/E2022/288/). 

Partizan can qualify for the playoffs with a victory on Friday if either Zalgiris Kaunas or Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz lose. Real Madrid already qualified to the playoffs and clinched the home-court advantage, but is aiming best position possible to make the most out of that advantage against a lower-ranked squad. 

Their rivalry goes back to the 1970s. They first met on December 20, 1979, Real downed Partizan 110-83 behind 30 points from Walter Szczerbiak. When they met next in Belgrade, Real prevailed again, 87-100, with 28 points from Wayne Brabender. 

Indeed, over almost three decades after that, Real won its first 12 games against Partizan, which had to wait until October 29, 2008 to claim its first victory in the series. Partizan beat Los Blancos 81-77 as Aleksandar Rasic led the way with 18 points. Real will be making its first visit to Belgrade to play Partizan since 2014 and holds an 8-2 record against the hosts in the Serbian capital.

Of course, Real Madrid has fond memories of Stark Arena, the building where its 10th EuroLeague trophy was lifted back in 2018. In that championship game, Real topped Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul 85-80 behind 17 points from Fabien Causeur. Luka Doncic was voted the 2018 Final Four MVP. Current Real players Causeur, Anthony Randolph, Rudy Fernandez, Walter Tavares and Sergio Llull won the 2018 EuroLeague title in Belgrade. Randolph and Llull won't play Friday due to injury, however. Last season, Real played the EuroLeague Championship Game in Belgrade again, but lost by the minimum this time, 59-60 against Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

In the team's first return to Stark Arena since last season's title game, Real will challenge an old friend, Partizan coach Zeljko Obradovic, arguably the biggest legend linked to both clubs. Coach Obradovic led Partizan to the EuroLeague title in 1992 and did the same with Real in 1995, among other highlights. When Real won the title at Stark Arena in 2018, Obradovic was on the other bench, coaching then-defending champion Fenerbahce Istanbul.

As for players, two European basketball legends, Drazen Dalipagic and Sasa Djordjevic, played for Partizan and Real in the past. Since the turn of the millenium, just three players have worn both teams' jerseys in the EuroLeague: Blagota Sekulic, Novica Velickovic and Tristan Vukcevic, who is currently with Partizan. Velickovic was chosen as the 2008-09 EuroLeague Rising Star playing for Partizan and helped Real reach the 2011 Final Four.

Earlier this season, Real had to battle hard to beat Partizan 105-97 in Round 10. Both teams combined for 72 points in the first quarter, 32-40, and Real took off after that. Llull led the winners with 20 points, Tavares added 17 while Mario Hezonja and Gabriel Deck each had 15. Zach LeDay led Partizan with 20 points. 

Tonight offers an opportunity to see arguably the two most dominant big men in the competition, Tavares and Mathias Lessort of Partizan, go head-to-head. Of course, there are many other high-profile matchups, along with another sellout crowd at Stark Arena ready to create another second-to-none basketball atmosphere. Expect yet another great game in the Serbian capital from two giants of the global game.

During a recent trip to Istanbul, Turkey, Euroleague Basketball CEO Marshall Glickman sat down with SSport journalist Deniz Aksoy to talk about topics such as Final Four cities, the organization's current conversations with FIBA, and the central importance of the players to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Marshall Glickman, Euroleague Basketball CEO, interview: 'Embrace is what makes us different'

[WATCH FULL INTERVIEW HERE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJQ-XHgLAhk)

During a recent trip to Istanbul, Turkey, [Euroleague Basketball CEO Marshall Glickman sat down with SSport journalist Deniz Aksoy to talk about topics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJQ-XHgLAhk) such as Final Four cities, the organization's current conversations with FIBA, and the central importance of the players to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Glickman, who took over the CEO role at the beginning of the current season after two decades as a consultant to Euroleague Basketball, has spent a lot of time lately traveling to meet stakeholders around the continent.

"I spent a lot of time on this side of the Atlantic and I have learned to appreciate the multiculturalism," he told Ms. Aksoy. "So what I try to embrace is what makes us different, which is every game matters, which is the cultural diversity that we have."

Another thing that Glickman has come to recognize is the intracacies of the European game and how that makes the shot-making in the EuroLeague as exciting as anywhere.

"It's a beautiful thing to watch when players are able to execute offense and get an easy shot by being smart about their movement and how they do their cuts," he said.

As CEO, Glickman made it clear that one of his main goals is to improve the Euroleague Basketball economy to benefit teams, players and other stakeholders while investing in the product for the good of the fans.

"The reason I'm trying to grow the economy of the league is so we have more resources to work with so we can improve," he said. "It's about improving conditions for people and making this a more fulfilling, experience for everybody."

Essential to that effort are the players, he said, who besides being the protagonists of the game are also partners in the business.

"The players are our core," he emphasized. "The players are, everything to me. I care that they are partners and I want the players to understand this is a partnership."

Marshall Glickman, Euroleague Basketball CEO, interview: 'Embrace what makes us different'

Barely a month ago, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv looked unlikely to challenge for a postseason berth in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague but a run of six successive wins propelled the Israeli powerhouse to a 19-13 record with two regular season games remaining. 

Maccabi rolled again with Sorkin at center stage

Barely a month ago, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv looked unlikely to challenge for a postseason berth in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague but a run of six successive wins propelled the Israeli powerhouse to a 19-13 record with two regular season games remaining. 

Maccabi is almost assured of a playoff spot after a pair of resounding victories against Italian rivals this week, having thumped Virtus Segafredo Bologna 111-80 on Tuesday before [Thursday’s 85-66 rout of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2022/281/).

With Wade Baldwin shining against Virtus and Lorenzo Brown playing the main role versus Milan, forward Roman Sorkin emerged as the unsung hero of both victories after a pair of majestic performances.

Well, not entirely unsung, as he drew heaps of praise from his teammates, none more so than from fellow forward Jake Cohen. 

"[Maccabi fans] are the best fans in the EuroLeague and probably the world."

"He had a 3-minute stretch in the second quarter when he was just carrying us," Cohen told reporters as Maccabi’s players rejoiced in the locker room, having been given a standing ovation by their passionate fans after seeing off Milan. 

"He’s been terrific and he deserves all the accolades he got tonight. 

Those were really good big guys he played against tonight – Kyle Hines, Brandon Davies, that’s a really tough front line, among the best in Europe. He’s really improved and it’s great being his teammate, it’s a lot of fun seeing him succeed," Cohen added.

Sorkin, who averages 7.3 points per game, scored 13 against Virtus on

5-of-7 shooting from the floor and then elevated his game to sink 18 points against Milan, 16 of them in a rampant first half when Maccabi raced into a 53-36 lead.

Sorkin shot 8 of 9 from the floor and ran Milan’s defense ragged with intelligent movement all around the opposition half, which made it easy for his teammates to create open shots for the big man.

One of the unlikeliest men to steal the show from the likes of Brown and Baldwin, Sorkin was as humble as ever after the game and his assessment personified his selfless approach on the court.

"Our defense was a big part of this game," he said. "They got close to us in the third quarter, but we had a game plan. My teammates found me in the right spots so I didn’t have to do too much by myself. All the credit goes to them."

Roman Sorkin (18 points) Highlights vs. AX Armani Exchange Milan, 03/30/2023

Roman Sorkin shined with 18 points against Milan

Sorkin personifies an unbreakable team spirit and unselfish mindset which Maccabi is famous for, meaning that the team’s deep roster has a variety of players who can step up to the plate on any given night. That trait will be so important if Maccabi reaches the playoffs and it could happen as early as Friday if just one of three results plays into the Israeli side’s hands.

Last but not least, the fervent support Maccabi gets in every home game could also be a telling factor in the club’s bid to go beyond the quarterfinals and reach the May 19-21 Final Four in Kaunas.

"What makes this place so special is the fans," Sorkin said. "They are part of us and give us the energy, they are the best fans in the EuroLeague and probably the world."

As for Milan, their challenge fell short as a late revival could not salvage a season plagued by injuries, a factor its head coach Ettore Messina reflected on at the post-game press conference.

"Our two starting guards played five games together," Messina said. "Shavon Shields has played seven games all season, Gigi Datome four or five. Kevin Pangos was out for a long time, Billy Baron too. Devon Hall out for two and a half months. Things kind of piled up. Then again, we lost four games out of six against the bottom three teams in the standings. But that’s life, that’s competition, sometimes you just don’t have the tools."

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2023-03-30T18:05:00.000Z)