 Tyler Dorsey, Fenerbahce: 'We brought energy today' 

### Dimitris Itoudis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach

"Indeed, it was an important win, and congratulations to the players. I think it was obvious, and the fans actually applauded that, the effort. It was there. We were going for 'nobody balls', hustled and tried to be composed. Most of the game, we were just trying to get hot at whatever we could attack, the mismatches. The fact that we were shooting the ball pretty well, it helped us. Defensively, we were not at that level, let's say, in the second half but I think we were the better team on the floor and we deserved to win, so congratulations to the guys. We were coming from a loss and had to bounce back. The team bounced back, so that's important. The desire is there. As soon as you see that the desire is there as a team, as a group of people that understand that we have qualities that we need to use on the court, then I am happy with that."

### Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach 

"Congratulations to Fenerbahce for the win. I think a bad first half, especially the second quarter, cost us the win. We were minus-11 and tried to go back, but it was not enough to win the game. And of course, our defense. Fenerbahce scored 87; it is too much for a defensive team like we are. Of course, we are just one victory away from the playoffs zone and have three games at home, and one game away. We still have a chance and will try to get it."

### Tyler Dorsey, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul guard

"It is just a good win overall. We needed this win, and every win. We need to put some wins together because every game is important for the standings. And we brought energy today. It is always going to be ups and downs and runs, but as long as we close the game out, every game is going to be a playoffs atmosphere and we are fighting for home-court advantage and fighting to stay in the playoffs. We have to continue this and got another double round next week, so on to the next one. I feel comfortable now. It took a little bit of time, obviously, but I feel comfortable. The guys are understanding me and I am understanding them every day. We will continue this and that is why I am here. I am here to help win and do whatever I can on the court to get that done."

### Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward 

"The game plan was to match Zalgiris's effort. They play extremely hard. They go for offensive rebounds and all loose balls, so the only way we had a chance was to match their intensity and in Kaunas, we didn't do that. It got ugly pretty quickly for us, so that was our main goal, to match that and try to play Fenerbahce basketball. I am always gazing on shots I should have taken, and my mother hates it when I miss free throws, so I missed too many of those. Other than that, the team did a good job. We just have to continue to improve. It is the end of the season right now, so we need to turn in the right direction and like I said, play Fenerbahce basketball. When we do that, we always have a good chance."

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Tyler Dorsey, Fenerbahce: 'We brought energy today'

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-03-24T17:45:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul got closer to clinching a playoffs spot by downing Zalgiris Kaunas 87-79 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall in Round 30 on Friday. Fenerbahce improved to 18-12 in the standings while Zalgiris dropped to 15-15. Nigel Hayes-Davis led the winners with 19 points. Tyler Dorsey added 15, Marko Guduric 14, and Tonye Jekiri and Johnathan Motley 13. Rolands Smits led Zalgiris with 18 points while Kevarrius Hayes added 12, Isaiah Taylor 11 and Ignas Brazdeikis 10.

 Hayes-Davis leads Fenerbahce past Zalgirs, 87-79 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul got close to clinching a playoff spot by downing Zalgiris Kaunas 87-79 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall in Round 30 on Friday. Fenerbahce improved to 18-12 in the standings to get its 11th home victory of the season. Zalgiris dropped to 15-15 but is still in the race to reach the playoffs.

Nigel Hayes-Davis led the winners with 19 points. Tyler Dorsey added 15, Marko Guduric 14, and Tonye Jekiri and Johnathan Motley 13 each for Fenerbahce. Rolands Smits led Zalgiris with 18 points while Kevarrius Hayes added 12, Isaiah Taylor 11 and Ignas Brazdeikis 10. Zalgiris retained a tiebreak advantage in its matchup against Fenerbahce due to its 20-point victory in Round 17 in Kaunas.

Hayes scored twice in the paint and fed Edgaras Ulanovas for a layup that gave Zalgiris an early 4-6 lead. Laurynas Birutis appeared with dunk-and-free throw combo, getting help from Lukas Lekavicius and Ulanovas to keep the guests ahead, 14-16. Guduric and Dorsey soon struck from downtown, though, to give Fenerbahce a 22-16 edge after 10 minutes. Dorsey capped an 11-0 run with his second triple before Brazdeikis and Taylor stepped up for the guests. Achille Polonara then launched twice from beyond the arc and Lekavicius sank a triple that tied the game, 35-35. Tarik Biberovic sank back-to-back three-pointers and Devin Booker joined the shootout in an 11-0 run that gave Fenerbahce a 46-35 lead at halftime.

Hayes stepped up for Zalgiris after the break, getting help from Smits to give the guests hope at 51-44. Fenerbahce found a go-to guy in Motley, who allowed his team to trade baskets for a while. Once Motley went to the bench, Guduric excelled on both ends, scoring and stopping Ulanovas down low. Biberovic hit a jumper that boosted Fenerbahce's lead to 65-55 after 30 minutes. An unstoppable Dorsey boosted his team's lead to 77-62 midway through the fourth quarter. Smits and Birutis tried to change things for Zalgiris, then Taylor hit a three-pointer and Hayes's layup-plus-free throw gave the guests hope at 83-79 in the last minute, but Hayes-Davis sealed the outcome from the foul line.

Hayes-Davis leads Fenerbahce past Zalgiris, 87-79

Mam Jaiteh, Virtus: ‘This was a dream for me’

Virtus Segafredo Bologna big man Mam Jaiteh has come a long way before becoming a key piece for a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team, as he is today.

 

He grew up at INSEP,  the French sports training center near Paris, with whom he took part in 14  games of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament from 2009 to 2012. After that, he played with Nanterre of France as a pro, getting his first taste of the EuroLeague in 2013-14.

 

Since then, Jaiteh has travelled around the continent, honing on his skills as a big man ready in order to return to the biggest competition of the continent.

 

"This was a dream for me, to be a EuroLeague player," Jaiteh explains. "Now that I am in, the responsibility for me is to be good enough for my team, for my teammates, for the coaches."

 

Jaiteh has been performing solidly in this new EuroLeague run, now in a more powerful team and with a more meaningful role on the court. He is averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in his 29 appearances this season, all of them as a starter for Virtus.

 

"He's very professional at practice every day," Virtus head coach Sergio Scariolo says. "Actually, he is a good fit into the lockerroom and into the team group from a human point of view, as well."

 

Jaiteh's sweet stint with Virtus started last season in the 7DAYS EuroCup. In that competition, he led the team to the title and he earned the EuroCup MVP honor for the season. He capped that success with double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Frutti Extra Bursaspor. It was a season he will never forget.

 

"I was actually happier for the people that supported me than I was for myself," Jaiteh concludes.

 Mam Jaiteh, Virtus: 'I came from a long way'

The only downside to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague tagline Every Game Matters is that it makes more sense early in the season. It's a great reminder that games in October and November could – and often do – have significant impacts on the final standings come April. 

Partizan vs. Olympiacos is a can't-miss contest 

The only downside to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague tagline Every Game Matters is that it makes more sense early in the season. It's a great reminder that games in October and November could – and often do – have significant impacts on the final standings come April. 

When Round 30 comes around and the top-ranked squad in the league visits the Serbian capital to face a team seeking its first playoff appearance since 2010, no one needs to be reminded how much that game matters. And that is the situation when [Olympiacos Piraeus heads into Stark Arena tonight to face Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade-olympiacos-piraeus/E2022/269/). 

First the facts. Olympiacos, with its 21-8 record, has already clinched a playoff spot. A win in Belgrade would secure its home-court advantage in the playoffs. Partizan is tied for the sixth-best record at 16-13, but is also only one win ahead of the ninth-placed team.

The remaining schedule for Coach Obradovic's men is in the eye of the beholder. An optimistic fan might point out that it plays three of its remaining games after tonight at home. The pessimist might note that it has three games remaining against the teams ranked second through fourth in the standings. 

Thus, Partizan should take the floor with fire pumping through its veins, knowing that a strong finish to the season could have it ready to make some noise in the playoffs. Moreover, Partizan has three players particularly motivated to do some damage against the Reds: Zach LeDay, Ioannis Papapetrou and Kevin Punter all made their EuroLeague debuts with Olympiacos. 

What's more, the previous meeting between these teams ended in an [87-58](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/56/) rout for Olympiacos, which was both the worst offensive output and most lopsided loss Partizan has suffered all season. You think these guys will be ready for the Olympiacos challenge? You betcha! 

Olympiacos Piraeus - Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | Round 7 | Highlights

On the other hand, Olympiacos is an older, wiser team that should not be rattled by the environment in Belgrade. Players like [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/), [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) have seen and played through similar atmospheres before and can even thrive in them. However, one obstacle that could play a role in a close game will be the absence of head coach Georgios Bartzokas, who will miss the game due to illness. 

There is little reason to go into deeper analysis. By the numbers, Olympiacos is stronger, but that matters little because when Stark Arena is rocking, the numbers change. 

Keep an eye on the X-factors, too. Aside from the aforementioned players as well as Partizan stars [Dante Exum](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dante-exum/011302/) and [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) and their Olympiacos counterparts [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) and [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), here is a potential difference maker for each side. 

Israeli youngster [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/) has had a rocky debut season in the EuroLeague and comes off a quiet game against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in which he played just 5:21, but the Partizan guard has a flair for the dramatic and could be needed against the Reds’ guards. For Olympiacos, [Shaq McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/) is exactly the type of player born for the crowd in Belgrade. Plus, he’s averaged 16.3 points on 7-of-11 three-point shooting and 3.0 assists for a PIR of 18.3 in his last three games. 

In a game of such importance at the end of March, a strong showing from either of those players could make them the hero of the night in a game that is certain to be explosive.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-03-24T19:00:00.000Z)

Rarely does a regular season defeat knock the stuffing out of a championship-winning coach, but ALBA Berlin’s 95-93 home win over Turkish Airlines Euroleague holder Anadolu Efes Istanbul left Ergin Ataman looking broken, as the outcome dealt a devastating blow to the visiting team’s chances of defending its crown.

Last-gasp ALBA triumph left Ataman looking broken

Rarely does a regular season defeat knock the stuffing out of a championship-winning coach, but [ALBA Berlin’s 95-93 home win over Turkish Airlines Euroleague holder Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/alba-berlin-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/263/) left Ergin Ataman looking broken, as the outcome dealt a devastating blow to the visiting team’s chances of defending its crown.

"That’s our season, it’s the summary of the whole season. We will not be in the playoffs, good luck to the other teams," Ataman said in the courtside interview seconds after Luke Sikma nailed ALBA’s winner with a put-back dunk with 1.3 seconds left on the clock.

Efes, which is mathematically still in the hunt for a playoff spot and a chance to win a third successive title in Europe’s premier club competition, dropped to 14-16 and could be two wins behind eighth place by the end of the round.

ALBA, in contrast, had only pride to play for as the German side is still rooted to the bottom few spots of the standings with a 9-21 record and no chance of getting anywhere near the post-season contention. However, the hosts showed plenty of pride in what was surely their best performance of the season, lifting Jaleen Smith to a career-high 25 points after he almost missed the game’s dramatic finale.

Smith banged his head on the floor following an awkward landing after a collision with Ante Zizic with Efes leading 73-75 in the fourth quarter as the visitors had wiped out a 19-point deficit to generate their biggest comeback in a EuroLeague game. Not a winning comeback, though.

They led 75-82 moments later but having received treatment, Smith returned to action with a vengeance with ALBA trailing 78-84 and nailed a pair of successive three-pointers before he also sank 4 free throws down the stretcth, tracing the path to Sikma's game-winner.

The thrill of victory and agony of defeat was everywhere to be seen after the buzzer, as jubilant home players rejoiced with their fans while Efes trudged off the court into the locker room, having severely dented their hopes of winning a three-peat.

Ergin Ataman post-game interview

Ataman, who made the trip despite being hospitalized with pneumonia in Istanbul over the weekend, did correct himself at the post-game press conference about Efes still being in the hunt, but could not hide the despair.

"ALBA scored 12 three-point shots but we had the chance to change the game after we had trailed by 19 points," he said. "We took control of the game but in the last few minutes of the game, much like throughout the season, the opponents made all their three-point shots while we missed everything. This is the summary of our season and now 99 percent we will be out of the playoffs."

Clearly, on a high after its equally dramatic 75-76 win at fellow German rivals FC Bayern Munich in the previous round, ALBA went the extra mile in the last few minutes when the hosts looked like they were running on empty. They snatched a morale-boosting victory from the jaws of defeat and delighted their coach Israel Gonzalez, who pointed out that such camaraderie should make his unit a better team in the future.

"Congratulations to the players. Very well done, we played a great team and the key was that we were mentally very strong tonight," he said. "We stayed strong and we were the luckier team at the end of the game. I am also very happy because we are improving our defense every game and this is the key to becoming a better team by the end of the season."

Whether or not Efes makes the playoffs, its performances and results this season suggest the team needs something of a rebuild to stay in the EuroLeague’s top echelons. Its key players have blown hot and cold, vindicating Ataman’s assessment that inconsistency has summarized Efes’s campaign, leaving the club’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

ALBA Berlin v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-03-23T19:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv relied on a dominant interior presence to wrap up a fourth consecutive victory on Thursday night, downing host LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 67-85 and continuing marching towards the playoffs.

Bigs gave Maccabi inside dominance

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv relied on a dominant interior presence to wrap up a fourth consecutive victory on Thursday night, downing host LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 67-85 and continuing marching towards the playoffs.

The Israeli team enjoyed outstanding two-point shooting statistics, converting 24 of its 36 attempts from inside the arc. And the numbers were particularly impressive for Maccabi’s selection of big men. Bonzie Colson made 6-of-8, Jarell Martin hit 3-of-4, Josh Nebo scored both his attempts and Roman Sorkin converted his only field goal – a total of 12 successful attempts on 15 shots for the quartet.

At the other end, the same players made sure that ASVEL was nowhere near as successful. The home team made just 14 of its 39 attempts from two-point range, including a tough night for former Maccabi EuroLeague champion Alex Tyus, who scored just 2 of his 6 shots from the field. 

ASVEL’s poor shooting stats were partly due to the fact that Maccabi blocked 5 shots, with Sorkin and Nebo getting 2 apiece while Colson added another to complete a physically dominant team performance.

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-03-23T19:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin edged reigning champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul 95-93 at home in Thursday’s most entertaining fixture on the back of impressive shooting and flowing team basketball that produced a staggering 26 assists, twice as many as the visitors managed.

ALBA’s shots and assists got Efes undone in thriller

ALBA Berlin edged reigning champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul 95-93 at home in Thursday’s most entertaining fixture on the back of impressive shooting and flowing team basketball that produced a staggering 26 assists, twice as many as the visitors managed.

The hosts also enjoyed an excellent shooting night, netting 23 of 36 shots from two-point range and 12 of 25 from beyond the arc. They dominated Efes in both departments, as the Turkish team sank 8 of 22 shots from three-point range and 26 of 46 from inside the arc, which would have been enough for a win on most other nights.

Not against a fired-up ALBA, however, who did get outrebounded 28-33 as Efes racked up 12 offensive boards, twice as many as the home side. The crucial offensive rebound went ALBA’s way, though, as Luke Sikma picked up Maodo Lo’s layup which clanked off the rim and dunked it with 1.3 seconds left to give the German side a memorable win.

Last but not least, player of the game Jaleen Smith nailed 7 of his 10 three-point shots to make up for missing all four efforts from inside the arc. He was also 4 of 4 from the foul line and dished out 4 assists, personifying ALBA’s free-flowing performance in a cracking atmosphere at Mercedes Benz Arena.

Another big scoring night from the red-hot backcourt duo of Wade Baldwin (23 points) and Lorenzo Brown (18 points) might get the headlines, but Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will tell you that Thursday’s 65-85 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne was mainly achieved through another route: outstanding second-half defense.

Second half D was the key for Maccabi

Another big scoring night from the red-hot backcourt duo of Wade Baldwin (23 points) and Lorenzo Brown (18 points) might get the headlines, but Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will tell you that Thursday’s 65-85 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne was mainly achieved through another route: outstanding second-half defense.

The opening two quarters were closely contested, with the lead changing hands several times as both teams traded blows. Maccabi just about held the advantage after a high-scoring first half, 43-46, but ASVEL was very much staying in the game.

ASVEL’s all-action Amine Noua started the second half in a similar manner, tying the game with a three-pointer to suggest another two periods of back and forth were on the way. But then everything changed, as Maccabi started switching more on defense and succeeded in knocking the home team off its rhythm. ASVEL did not score any field goals in the next 4 minutes, allowing Maccabi to gradually move into its biggest lead of the night, 9 points, at the end of the third.

The stranglehold continued in the final period, with Maccabi’s strong interior defense continuing to make life difficult for an ASVEL which only managed one basket – a three-pointer from Nando De Colo – in the opening 7 minutes of the final frame. The hosts finished with just 8 points in the fourth, and a total of 24 points in the second half.

And that, according to players and coach alike, was the key to the outcome. “At halftime, I said our defense was important and we picked it up, I really liked the way we played the second half defensively,” said head coach Oded Kattash. “ASVEL has quality and made some tough shots in the first half, but our defense wasn’t close to the level we want. In the second half, we showed what we’re capable of."

Star guard Brown added some more detail, explaining: “I think it came down to our defense in the second half. We held them to 8 points in the fourth quarter and that doesn’t speak for how good that ASVEL team is, so I think that’s a big accomplishment for us. The difference in defense between the first and second half was communication. We weren’t speaking enough in the first half of the game, but the second half we stepped it up and that helped us a lot."

FC Barcelona clinched a playoff spot in Round 30 by downing Panathinaikos Athens 74-88 at OAKA Altion in the Greek capital. Powering the boards allowed Barca to get control of the game and cruise to an important victory.

Barca dominated the boards in Round 30

FC Barcelona clinched a playoff spot in Round 30 by downing Panathinaikos Athens 74-88 at OAKA Altion in the Greek capital. Powering the boards allowed Barca to get control of the game and cruise to an important victory.

Barca outrebounded Panathinaikos 18-42 in what undeniably was the key to this game. Those 42 boards were a new season high for Barca, whose best previous high mark in the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was 40 rebounds in respective victories over Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Nikola Kalinic and Tomas Satoransky helped on the boards more than anyone else with 9 rebounds apiece.

Barca had one of the best performances of the season in terms of boxing out, finishing the game with 32 defensive rebounds and allowing Panathinaikos to pull down just 5 offensive boards. It means that Barca grabbed 86.5% of all rebounds under its own rim. Things were different at the other end of the floor: Panathinaikos had 13 defensive rebounds and Barca finished the game with 10 offensive boards. The Greens pulled down just 56.5% of all rebounds under their basket and the winners scored 17 second-chance points while Panathinaikos had just 5.

Panathinaikos Athens v FC Barcelona (2023-03-23T18:30:00.000Z)