Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade came back from a 17-point deficit for huge 84-97 win over the two-time defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Thursday  Partizan improved to a 16-13 record, while Efes dropped to 14-15 with five games to play in the regular season. Kevin Punter scoring 17 of his team-high 19 in the second half for Partizan. Mathias Lessort added 17 points and James Nunnally 16. Will Clyburn led all scorers with 22 points for Efes. 

 Partizan rallies to stun Efes 84-97 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade came back from a 17-point deficit, using big runs in second and fourth quarters en route to a huge 84-97 win over the two-time defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Thursday night. Efes opened the game with a 23-6 lead, but Partizan erased it by the midway point of the second quarter, then scored 34 points in the fourth, including a 0-16 run, to register a win and a 2-0 season sweep against Efes. Partizan improved to a 16-13 record, while Efes dropped to 14-15 with five games to play in the regular season..

Partizan had five players score at least 14 points, with Kevin Punter scoring 17 of his team-high 19 in the second half. Mathias Lessort scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, while James Nunnally scored 10 of his 16 after halftime. Zach LeDay also scored 16 and Aleksa Avramovic finished with 14. Will Clyburn led all scorers with 22 points for Efes. Elijah Bryant added 16 points, Vasilije Micic 15 and Bryant Dunston 10.

Game Videos

Efes had a hot start, with Bryant sinking a pair of triple and blocking a pair of shots on the defensive end. A three-pointer from Clyburn opened a 13-4 lead. Yam Madar had a fastbreak layup for Partizan, but Efes scored the next 10 points, with Shane Larkin and Micic pushing the lead to 23-6. Dante Exum and Avramovic scored the final 5 points of the first quarter for Partizan, and LeDay led a 0-6 run to open the second and cut the gap to 23-17. Dunston snapped a 0-11 Partizan run with a dunk, but a three-point play from Lessort and a triple from Nunnally helped put the visitors in front, 30-31. Partizan did not stop there, and fastbreak baskets from Avramovic and Punter had the visitors up 35-39 before Efes cut it to 37-39 at halftime.

Nunnally's triple helped Partizan open a 37-44 after the break, but Clyburn and Bryant replied with back-to-back triples. The two teams kept trading blows, with neither taking a lead bigger than 3 points, as Efes did after a steal from Micic and a fastbreak dunk from Clyburn. Avramovic and Punter each hit a triple, however, and Punter had a three-point play to make it 60-61 before Efes took a 64-63 edge into the fourth quarter. A three-point play from Micic and a triple from Clyburn made it 70-67 for the hosts, but Lessort scored 4 points to restore the visitors' lead before Punter made a tough triple to spark a 0-16 run. Nunnally followed with a three of his own, before Punter scored 8 more points, including another three-pointer, opening a sudden 72-87 margin. Larkin ended Efes's drought of almost 4 minutes without a point, but with under 3 minutes to go, Partizan comfortably closed out the game.

Game News

Partizan rallies to stun Efes, 84-97

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-03-16T17:30:00.000Z)

 Kevin Punter, Partizan: 'We've got a lot of character' 

### Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan head coach

"Coming over here to play against a team that in the last years was European champion, of course you need to come with big respect. And knowing that you need to play almost a perfect game if you want to win. We started the game, let's say, very lazy. They scored everything very easily. It was 23-6. And after that somehow we woke up and started to play. I believed we played, after this, a very good game, and I'm really very proud of my players because this victory is very important for us. Again, against a team that is European champion that I'm sure will continue to fight to be in the best eight. And this team, if they go to the best eight, I don't think that any team will want to go against them in the playoffs. So congratulations to Efes for everything they've been doing these last years, Coach Ataman, his players and all the members of the club. And finally, one more time, congratulations to my players on the great game they played tonight.

### Ergin Ataman, Efes head coach

"After the good start of the game, we started to make ridiculous turnovers from our hands, from the first ball, from the first pass. And after that, we started to give them easy baskets. They found 16 points after the turnovers that we made from our hands. And then, in the last quarter, we lost the balance. Again, we continued to make turnovers. And defensively, Partizan really played great. They found very difficult shots on the last second \[of the possessions\]. We missed the shots that they made in the last quarter, and with this difference, they won the game, so congratulations to them."

### Kevin Punter, Partizan player

"It feels good. We started off slow. We were able to overcome adversity and get the dub, plus 10, so that feels good. On the road, too. We've got a lot of character. It starts from the top, starts with our coach and goes down to the players. We just wanted to keep fighting. We knew it wasn't going to be easy coming in, so we just wanted to keep fighting and keep chipping away at it, and that's what we did. \[The key to the fourth quarter was\] staying poised, going with what you know, relaxing, calming down and taking it a possession at a time." 

#### Mathias Lessort, Partizan player

"It's a big team win... It showed that we have character and we're a team that doesn't give up. I think that we had five or six players over 10 points. That means it's a team win. We didn't depend on only one player. A lot of players came up big. Congratulations to the whole team and my teammates. It's a big win for the playoff race, but we've got to stay focused. We've got a lot of games ahead of us. We've got to do the job, make sure we stay solid. We have a lot of home games, so we've got to make sure we protect the home court and we will see. At the end, we have our destiny in our hands so it's up to us to do the job."

Kevin Punter, Partizan: 'We've got a lot of character'

Who's hot: Marko Guduric, Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (17-10) is currently sitting in fifth place in the standings with seven games left to play in the regular season. Things are looking up for the 2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs as they are on an upward path that was only interrupted by Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Round 27 last week. Aside from that, the Turkish team has won four of its last five games, and one of the major factors in all those wins was guard [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/).

Since Round 22, a loss to league leader Olympiacos Piraeus, Guduric has taken his game to another level, averaging 16.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and a PIR of 16.8. In the first 22 games of the season, Guduric was less of a scorer, averaging 11.2 points. While his two-point and free-throw shooting have been steady, his three-point accuracy has jumped from 32.9% in those first 21 games to 56.3% since.

In Round 25 he had his best individual performance of the season yet, scoring 25 points – including 4 of 5 threes and 7 free throws without miss – while dishing 7 assists for a PIR of 35 against at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade to earn the weekly MVP honor.

His second-best performance was in Round 22 against Olympiacos, the game that sparked his push these last weeks. In that one, he scored 24 points by making 5 of 11 threes in defeat. Guduric was also instrumental in big wins against Virtus Segafredo Bologna and FC Barcelona in Rounds 26 and 28, respectively. He had a rough time at Maccabi in Round 27, with just 8 points and a PIR of 2, but he rebounded 48 hours later to score 15 points and post a PIR of 13 in beating Barcelona.

Marko Guduric Top Plays from 01/30/2023 to 03/16/2023

Guduric is the second-best scorer for Fenerbahce this season at 12.5 points per game, just behind big man Johnathan Motley's 14.5. He is also second in PIR (13.1) and third in minutes played (23:52). This week Fenerbahce travels to Valencia Basket in a pivotal game. The Spanish team is playing for survival, so it will be a tough challenge for Fenerbahce. In Round 4, Guduric scored 10 points, including his team's last 6 in the final 30 seconds, as Fenerbahce hung onto a 79-77 home win against Valencia. 

This time around, expect Guduric to stay as hot as these past weeks as he tries to lead his Fenerbahce in a game that could prove a decisive step towards playoff qualification.

If you ever wondered why Turkish Airlines EuroLeague teams who are about to win or lose a game in the waning seconds decide to call timeouts or foul the other team or similar, there's a logical explanation: Playoff places and positions in the standings can be decided by the very slimmest of margins, as illustrated by an example from the recent past that involves two opponents playing the first game on Thursday this week, Zalgiris Kaunas and Olympiacos Piraeus.

When they also played in the penultimate round of the 2018-19 regular season, a player whose EuroLeague career spanned all of eight games missed a seemingly innocuous three-point shot before the final buzzer that changed the fates of those two teams.

A few weeks earlier that season, which featured 16 teams and therefore 30 regular season games, Zalgiris was sitting on a 9-15 record with six games to play. By the time Zalgiris visited Olympiacos in Round 29, it had four consecutive victories for a 13-15 record to sit in 10th place, just behind the Reds and three more teams with 14-14 records

Zalgiris, having rallied from 12 points behind in the third quarter, had the game won when Marius Grigonis hit 2 free throws to make it 72-68 with 3.8 seconds left, too little time for the Reds to score twice. Without a timeout, Olympiacos inbounded the ball to Briante Weber, who had time to race the length of the floor and took a lightly-guarded three-pointer on the wing. It missed.

Weber, a mid-season pickup for Olympiacos, had already scored 26 points in the game. But at that moment, as you can see in the video below, the Zalgiris defenders were making sure to stay away from Weber so as not to endanger their already-sure victory with a four-point play. Little did they know that if Weber had made that shot, even though they were completing a 2-0 sweep of Olympiacos, Zalgiris would have missed the playoffs.

Two rounds before the 2018-19 playoff qualifiers were decided, a player named Briante Weber missed a seemingly innocuous three-point shot in the waning seconds of Olympiacos Piraeus's 68-72 loss at the hands of Zalgiris Kaunas. If he had made it, however, Olympiacos would have reached the playoffs instead of Zalgiris.

How close can it get? A missed three-pointer in 2019 tells the story

After that Round 29 game, Zalgiris and Olympiacos were tied at 14-15 with Maccabi and Milan in the eighth through 11th places. Only one team could survive, it seemed. Both Zalgiris and Olympiacos and Zalgiris won in Round 30, but defeats suffered by Maccabi and Milan did not resolve the issue. Instead, a team situated above them before Round 30 started, Baskonia, also lost, creating an three-way tie with Olympiacos and Zalgiris at 15-15 for the last two playoff spots. What's more, each of the three had swept one of the other two, so they were still tied, 2-2 each, when the first tiebreaker was applied. 

The next tiebreaker was the point difference across the six games that they had played against each other. Zalgiris had beaten Olympiacos twice, by 8 in Kaunas and by 4 on the road in that fateful Round 29 game. Baskonia had defeated Zalgiris twice, by 7 points at home and by 8 on the road. And Olympiacos had edged Baskonia twice, by 5 on the road and by 4 at home – the latter, crucially, came in overtime. 

When their head-to-head scores were added up, Baskonia had a +6 point difference in the four games between them, and so claimed seventh place. Zalgiris came in at -3. However, since overtime points are not counted toward tiebreakers, Olympiacos got 0 points for that home win over Baskonia, so its total point difference against both teams was -7. 

And that's where Weber's missed shot a week earlier became decisive. Had he been successful, the point differences would have been -6 for Zalgiris and -4 for Olympiacos. The Reds would have reached the playoffs in eighth place while Zalgiris would have finished ninth. Alas, Weber missed and Olympiacos had to wait three years – with the pandemic in between – to return to the playoffs.

So when we see teams playing out end-of-game possessions despite victory or defeat having long been assured, always remember that in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, every basket matters.

How close can it get? A single missed shot in 2019 tells the story

Here you can find all the latest injury news surrounding all rostered players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. 

EuroLeague injury report

Check out all injuries and absences expected in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague before Round 29:

**ALBA Berlin**

Marcus Eriksson is out indefinitely due to a leg injury.

Yoval Zoosman has not played since Round 24 due to a shoulder injury.

Johannes Thiemann will not play in Round 29 due to knee problems.

**Anadolu Efes Istanbul**

Dogus Balbay is out long-term after undergoing surgery on his left hip.

Rodrigue Beaubois missed the re-scheduled game against Real Madrid last Tuesday and is questionable against Partizan.

**AS Monaco**

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/monaco-temporarily-suspends-mike-james/) has been suspended by the club until further notice.

**Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz**

Tadas Sedekerskis (muscle discomfort) is questionable to play in Round 29.

[Pierria Henry](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/baskonia-henry-suspend-their-agreement/) is unavailable until further notice.

**Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade**

Branko Lazic, Nemanja Nedovic and Ognjen Dobric are unavailable for Round 29.

**EA7 Emporio Armani Milan**

[Shavon Shields ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/milan-loses-shields-at-least-6-8-weeks/), returned to action last week, but he suffered another injury in the Italian league and will not be available for Round 29.

[Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/milan-devon-hall-out-at-least-four-weeks-with-injury/) and Paul Biligha have been deactivated from Milan's roster.

Luigi Datome sprained his ankle in Round 25 and has not played since.

Tommaso Baldasso is back to action but did not play last week in the EuroLeague.

**FC Barcelona**

Barca reported no injuries before its Round 29 game against Zvezda.

**FC Bayern Munich**

Vladimir Lucic missed both games last week and is questionable for Round 29.

January MVP [Augustine Rubit](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/bayerns-rubit-out-indefinitely/) is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for an Achilles injury.

Elias Harris suffered a foot injury in Round 21 that has kept him out since then.

**Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul**

[Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbahces-pierre-out-up-to-a-month/) will not be available until late April approximately.

[Metecan Birsen](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbahces-metecan-birsen-out-six-weeks/) will be sidelined six weeks with injury.

Sehmus Hazer will not be among the 15 players in the bench due to a coach decision.

Samet Geyik and Ismet Akpinar are deactivated due to coach's decision.

**LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne**

[Joffrey Lauvergne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/asvels-lauvergne-suffers-torn-acl/) is out indefinitely due to a torn ACL, but the club announced that all other players are available.

**Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv**

Austin Hollins has not played since Round 21 due to a knee injury.

[Alex Poythress ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/maccabi-loses-poythress-for-at-least-four-months/?pageTitle=Maccabi%20Playtika%20Tel%20Aviv&historyUrl=/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/)remains sidelined since Round 11 with a broken hand.

**Olympiacos Piraeus**

Kostas Sloukas will not be available for Round 29 according to coach Georgios Bartzokas.

**Panathinaikos Athens**

Nate Wolters (knee), Arturas Gudaitis (Achilles tendon), Dimitris Agravanis (abdominal discomfort) did not travel for Round 29.

**Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade**

[Balsa Koprivica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/partizan-announces-injuries-to-exum-koprivica/) has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and is expected to be out indefinitely.

**Real Madrid**

[Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/real-madrid-sergio-llull-out-indefinitely-with-knee-injury/?pageTitle=Real%20Madrid&historyUrl=/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

Geurschon Yabusele missed Round 28 but he already was back to play the Round 24 postponed game against Efes.

Carlos Alocen (knee) is out indefinitely.

Anthony Randolph (knee) has not played this season and is out indefinitely.

Nigel Williams-Goss left the court early in the postponed Round 24 game against Efes on Tuesday. His status is uncertain.

**Valencia Basket**

[Sam Van Rossom](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/valencias-van-rossom-to-undergo-knee-surgery/) is out indefinitely due to a knee injury.

[Martin Hermannsson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/valencia-re-signs-guard-hermannsson/) is ready to play again after a long-term injury.

Millan Jimenez is sidelined due to an ankle problem.

[Kyle Alexander](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/valencias-kyle-alexander-out-one-month/?pageTitle=Homepage&historyUrl=/euroleague/) is expected to be back in late March due to an ankle sprain.

**Virtus Segafredo Bologna**

Isaia Cordinier has not played since Round 23 due to a foot injury. His status is uncertain.

Iffe Lundberg was back to action in Round 28.

**Zalgiris Kaunas**

[Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-evans-suffers-torn-achilles/) will miss the rest of the season after suffering an Achilles injury.

[Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiriss-tyler-cavanaugh-out-more-three-months/) (back) has been sidelined since Round 14, and will remain out until late April after undergoing back surgery.

Liutauras Lelevicius is sidelined with a leg injury.

Isaiah Taylor is questionable with hamstring injury.

EuroLeague injury report, Round 29

All eyes on Tel Aviv as Baskonia visits for pivotal clash

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings heading into Round 29 have nine teams within three victories of each other in a battle for the final three playoff spots. In the best position among those is a group of four teams, each with 15-13 records, two of whom square off on Thursday [when Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv hosts Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2022/256/). 

The excitement about this game is not only about two teams' records and position in the standing, but also about their recent play. Maccabi is coming off an inspired performance in which it ran past Anadolu Efes Istanbul [64-86](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/anadolu-efes-istanbul-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2022/248/) at Sinan Erdem Dome last week. Baskonia and its top ranked scoring offense (86.6 ppg.) lost its last game at home against AS Monaco, but not before it pulled out a memorable [81-85](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/real-madrid-cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/E2022/240/) road stunner over Real Madrid on Matthew Costello's last-second four-point play.

Those performances went a long way towards each having chances to secure a postseason presence, something that has become rare for these two clubs in recent years. 

Maccabi ended its six-year playoff drought last season, although it has not won a single playoff game since 2014, the year of its last EuroLeague crown. Baskonia has been missing in the playoffs since 2019. It was been a sharp turn of events considering that one club or the other had been in the playoffs every single season between 2005 and 2019, and six times both were.

Longtime rivals, Maccabi and Baskonia have met 34 times this century and stand tied at 17 wins apiece. These two sides have played some historic games, including the 2005 championship game, the 2006 Final Four semifinals and a four-game 2011 playoff series. Each side hopes that Thursday's game can help pave the path to restoring its glory days. 

The stakes on the line on Thursday are certainly high.

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz - Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | Round 6 | Highlights

With two teams tied in the standings, the winner will get a one-win edge over the opponent with five games to go. There is a more pressure on Maccabi. Not only because it plays at home, but Baskonia won their first game this season in near-historic fashion. Another win for the visitors over Maccabi would mean a 2-0 season sweep. 

In their first meeting this season, way back on November 3, Baskonia set a club new scoring record in a resounding 116-87 victory, its most dominant performance ever against Maccabi. Baskonia also had 30 assists, one shy of its club record, and dominated inside that night making 28 of 36 two-point shots, the second-best success rate (77.8%) in club history. The 63 points Baskonia scored in the first half was tied for seventh-most before halftime in the EuroLeague this century, and the most since the 2019-20 season.

The truth is, however, that Baskonia plays a lot better at home than on the road – and so does Maccabi. Both teams have 11 home wins this season, tied for the EuroLeague's best, and each team has just four road wins, fewest among the top 14 teams in the standings.

Maccabi has lost only one home game since November. Even without being the most dominant of all home teams – five of its last six wins at Menorah Mivtachim Arena were by single digits – Maccabi has found ways to get the job done, and that's what counts.

Maccabi will rely heavily on its lethal backcourt duo of Wade Baldwin (16.8 ppg.) and Lorenzo Brown (16.5), who rank fourth and sixth in scoring this season, respectively. Bonzie Colson (10.9) is the team's other double-digit scorer. Baskonia's offense is a lot more balanced, with Markus Howard netting a team-high 15.1 points while Darius Thompson orchestrates the offense to the tune of a league-high 6.5 assists per game.

With high stakes, playoff implications and two potent offenses in a packed arena, it will be a treat to watch Maccabi and Baskonia square off on Thursday night.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-03-16T19:05:00.000Z)

There are just six games left in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season and all playoffs spots are up for grabs, so expect close games, big battles and extraordinary individual performances all the way until a champion is crowned in Kaunas, Lithuania. Of course, that is good news for the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime. The players' market is closed and all EuroLeague rosters are definitive until the end of the season. There is a bit of a problem in Round 29, though: seven games are played on Thursday, and just two on Friday. There will be limited options to substitute players in the middle of the round. 

Fantasy Challenge, Round 29: A busy Thursday! 

There are just six games left in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season and all playoffs spots are up for grabs, so expect close games, big battles and extraordinary individual performances all the way until a champion is crowned in Kaunas, Lithuania. Of course, that is good news for the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/home?_ga=2.84117658.286757300.1678693873-884385655.1669721726). The players' market is closed and all EuroLeague rosters are definitive until the end of the season. There is a bit of a problem in Round 29, though: seven games are played on Thursday, and just two on Friday. There will be limited options to substitute players in the middle of the round. 

As for my team Gancedato, two of the players I brought in, Darius Thompson of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Achille Polonara of Zalgiris Kaunas, pretty much save this round. Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus was a solid choice of captain, and Coach Kazys Maksvytis led Zalgiris to a big home win. It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough to score 151.3 points, earn 0.3 credits and make it into the top 2,000, ranking 1,958th overall. I have to be very careful with trades, as there are just two Friday games, FC Barcelona vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and FC Bayern Munich vs. ALBA Berlin. Not many second chances in Round 29. 

Unless another game is postponed, three trades will be allowed before each round until the end of the regular season. I am selling Coach Makvytis because Zalgiris plays against Olympiacos, which has been fantastic all season long. Instead, I am getting back head coach Andrea Trinchieri of Bayern. He is a bit cheaper and his team plays at home against already-eliminated ALBA. It's a German derby and motivation will be through the roof for both teams. I am selling Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid and Matt Costello of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz because they underperformed in Round 28 and I felt kind of disappointed. Finally, I am selling Elijah Bryant of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, looking for a different player to use on Friday. 

So, I need to bring in three players and, as always, I am going for the one I like the most in this round regardless of his price. That will be [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as he already played well against Valencia Basket earlier this season, and I like his chances at La Fonteta. I am also buying [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) of AS Monaco, who had a fantastic performance against Baskonia last week, which I believe should be the first of many great games for him. I have followed his career closely in the last couple of years and Moneke has star potential. Finally, in order to have a backup option on Friday, I am buying [Isaac Bonga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaac-bonga/006760/) of FC Bayern Munich, who is playing well lately. 

You can take a look at my team here:

As you can see, my team features eight players taking the court on Thursday, with Motley as provisional team captain, and two more, Bonga and Rokas Jokubaitis of FC Barcelona, on Friday. I am leaving both Zalgiris players on the bench, Polonara and Lukas Lekavicius, because I have a good feeling about Moneke and Johannes Voigtmann of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Above all, I am looking for players who are not owned by a lot of people. Only 0.4% of fantasy managers own Moneke, 1.4% have Voigtmann, and 0.8% signed Bonga. I like that. Something different. 

Remember, the 2022-23 EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime features better prizes than ever, so get your game on now!

And don't forget to use #fantasychallenge on social media all season long. Good luck!

Valencia Basket v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-03-16T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v ALBA Berlin (2023-03-17T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-03-17T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-03-16T20:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2023-03-16T19:45:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Olympiacos Piraeus (2023-03-16T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-03-16T18:00:00.000Z)

It is normal for American players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to be many thousands of kilometers away from their families. Kevarrius Hayes, however, went through that process at an early age, when his mother, Army Capt. Verrice Hayes, left for several deployments she made to the Middle East.

Kevarrius Hayes, Zalgiris: 'There's no room for quitting'

It is normal for American players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to be many thousands of kilometers away from their families. Kevarrius Hayes, however, went through that process at an early age, when his mother, Army Capt. Verrice Hayes, left for several deployments she made to the Middle East.

Verrice Hayes became a single mother as a high school senior, but got an undergraduate college degree at Edward Waters University, then a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix while serving in the Army. Her degrees helped her become the commanding officer of the 993rd Transportation Company, specialized in transporting cargo around the world. It is no surprise that Kevarrius inherited her perseverance and work ethic. 

"She's always been there, even used to drive me two or three hours to go practice growing up. So she's definitely been around to teach me \[that\] hard work and perseverance pays off. In many ways, she's the reason why I'm here today, Hayes said.

"The way you carry yourself, there is always professionalism as far as being a basketball player. You've got to uphold your integrity, your image. So then you do things to the fullest or that's supposed to be done," he added. "And as far as like being an Army captain, it's the same thing. You've got to be very professional. And when you come in, you've got to be on your game. She's definitely always had like the military mentality when it comes to discipline, like doing things the right way. So, she definitely applies that even with some of her soldiers getting things done on time and being very punctual and very structured."

Kevarrius Hayes Top Plays from 08/31/2022 to 03/15/2023

Kevarrius Hayes, Zalgiris: There's no room for quitting

Kevarrius's mother was deployed three times, and by her third deployment in Kuwait, technology had taken over, allowing them to be in touch more often and even see each other. 

"That's when Skype was around and then FaceTime became a thing. So it made it a little easier to kind of keep in touch," he said. "We had certain days of the week where she was actually on base and not in the field and we could talk, but it was definitely not the same as having her around, but you work with what you can."

Skype allowed Kevarrius to share a precious moment with his mom, like signing his scholarship to University of Florida, a dream come true for both. Hayes grew up in Live Oak, barely an hour away from Gainesville, where the University of Florida's headquarters are located.

"It was a very big signing for me. I was a huge fan of the Florida Gators, so to be able to go there was great. I knew that she couldn't be there but then when the idea presented itself, like we can just have her on Skype while we do the signing, I thought it was great," Hayes recalls. "We even had little moments where we actually could talk before and after the signing was done. She just told me how proud of me she was, and that was a very special moment to me."

"I started to admire her for the sacrifices she made."

Verrice eventually returned to the United States for good. Now, Hayes is the one working overseas, playing basketball in Italy, France, Turkey and now Lithuania. Kevarrius's mother is a big basketball fan and even played the game at a young age. Kevarrius is now in the EuroLeague, playing in a basketball-crazy country, which makes his games more accessible for her, too. 

"She loves it. She played when she was in high school and she played in college. She still tells me stories about how when I was younger, I used to be a little disruptive because I'd be sitting in the stands with my grandmother, but then I'd end up throwing my toys on the court. She loves the game and she loves watching me play," Hayes said. 

Hayes talks to his mother on regular basis. Technology has taken over and her life has changed a lot since her days in the Middle East. Of course, they talk to each other whenever possible. 

"A couple of times a week. She's a little less busy because now she's on base at Fort Hood. She's doing good. And she actually got married, like a year ago now," Hayes said. "\[Her husband\] is actually closer to me than she is because he's stationed right now overseas, so he's actually planning to come around the same time she does. And it'd be good to have us all together again. And I can show her finally, like my part of the world, what I know."

Being a strong woman who made so many sacrifices for her son, it is only logical that Kevarrius is close to his mother and considers her a role model. She brought him up and made sure to do everything required for him to be successful in life. For that, Kevarrius will be forever grateful.  

"As I got older, I understand that it wasn't easy for her, especially being a single parent, let alone having to be halfway across the world from her only child. So I started to admire her for the sacrifices she made and everything she's done to help me," Hayes said. "I guess the one strong lesson that I remember that I still hold on to is that you don't quit. You come here to do a job, you do it and when it's done, then you can decide if you want to keep going or [not.So](http://not.So) for any time that I'm on that court, I know there's no room for quitting. You can't let up."

Playoff picture: Valencia, Efes near must-win territory

In what has become a down-to-the wire playoffs race, two teams on the outside looking in as Round 29 stars will play crucial home showdowns on Thursday in attempts to hop the postseason train before it leaves the station for good.

In one of those games, [Anadolu Efes Istanbul (14-14) hosts Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (15-13)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/anadolu-efes-istanbul-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/253/) in Round 29's opener. Two hours later, [Valencia Basket (13-15) welcomes Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (17-10)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/valencia-basket-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2022/261/). For Efes and Valencia, these games are as close as it gets to must-win.

The worst-ranked team of the four, Valencia, has a four-game losing streak, is the only top-12 team with a losing home record (7-8), and plays four of the last five games away. Valencia gave Fenerbahce quite a battle in Istanbul, losing 79-77 in late October, but this time must find a way to win or find its playoffs chances severely weakened.

HLs Game 1: Fener-Valencia

Valencia has a couple things going in its favor, however, starting with its 2-0 sweeps against both Efes and Partizan, the other two teams that will square off on Thursday. Valencia will know by the time it tips off on Thursday whether a win might put it either ahead of Efes in the standings or leave it just one victory behind both Efes and Partizan with both tiebreaks in its favor.

Fenerbahce, on the other hand, is closer to earning home-court advantage in the playoffs than any feared elimination. But things can change quickly, of course, and by week's end as many as three teams could start breathing down Fenerbahce's neck with 16 wins each. So another road win on Thursday would mean a lot, especially because Fenerbahce plays three EuroLeague games in eight days due to the make-up next Tuesday of its postponed home date with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan due to the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria. 

Meanwhile, after losing its previous two games by a combined 41 points, Efes clung for dear life to a 90-89 home win over Real Madrid on Tuesday in its own rescheduled game due to the earthquakes. 

Now, when it takes the floor against Partizan on Thursday, Efes has an opportunity to take an all-important tiebreaker against at least one of the teams that the two-time defending champs are chasing. In addition to being swept by Valencia, Efes has also lost 2-0 this season to a pair of 15-13 teams that face each other on Thursday, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. 

HIGHLIGHTS: Partizan-efes first game

Since Partizan already defeated Efes 82-79 in Belgrade on December 16, losing another tiebreakers would spell serious trouble for Efes if the race remains as tight as it is now, with seven teams separated by two victories all aiming for three playoff spots. An outright loss to Partizan will severely minimize Efes's chances of finishing in the top eight and trying for a third consecutive EuroLeague crown. 

At the first glance, Partizan seems to be in a comfortable situation with a 15-13 record and four of its last five games at home. However, in the first three of those, Partizan hosts standings leaders Olympiacos Piraeus, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid before playing for its lone remaining road game at fourth-placed AS Monaco. Playing what is at present the toughest possible string of opponents over that four-game span is something Partizan will need to overcome in its attempt to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2010.