Friday's Round 28 action will put a wrap on the penultimate double-round week of the season with a slate of games that features seven teams fighting for every possible win, whether in the race for all eight still-open playoff spots or in the upcoming battle for home-court advantage in the postseason.

Among these, the two-time defending champion [Anadolu Efes Istanbul (13-13) will host the ninth-place Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (14-13)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/anadolu-efes-istanbul-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2022/248/) to open the evening's action in what feels like a must-win game for the champs. Round 28 is set to end in northern Spain, where sixth-place [Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (15-12) welcomes fourth-place AS Monaco (17-10)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-as-monaco/E2022/252/).

Among the clubs in the first 11 places in the standings, Baskonia is the only one with a losing record (4-6) in its last 10 games. However, Baskonia is also coming off a pair of memorable victories and mesmerizing performances: a 39-point home blowout against Valencia Basket followed by a last-second 81-85 win on a four-point play at Real Madrid.

Baskonia's next three games are all against its direct rivals in the playoff race, and the first of those is on Friday against Monaco, a team that just last week seemed destined for a dramatic qualification battle, but has since improved its chances to qualify and now sits in the driver's seat for home-court advantage.

Baskonia would love to pick up another win at Buesa Arena, where it has won 11 of 13 games this season, matching the best teams in home wins this season. Another victory there would not only get Baskonia to a 16-12 record, but also keep it in great position in terms of tiebreakers against those direct playoff rivals.

Having lost their first game 79-74 in Monaco back in November, Baskonia will be aiming to win the rematch by more than 5 points. Should it do so Baskonia would have all but secured tiebreaker advantages against Monaco, Efes and Maccabi – barring a loss by 30 or more points against Maccabi next week in Round 29.

AS Monaco - Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | Round 8 | Highlights

On the other hand, Monaco already has a tiebreak advantage over Maccabi thanks to a 19-point home win last week, surpassing the 8 points by which it lost in Tel Aviv. Monaco also beat Efes in their previous game, although that came in overtime, so the winner of their second game in Round 34 will likely take any head-to-head tiebreak between them, assuming that game isn't won by Efes in overtime, since OT points don't count in breaking ties.

A win and a therefore a sweep of Baskonia would also give Monaco a massive boost for its already-solid playoff chances, turning what would be a three-win advantage into essentially a four-game cushion over Baskonia and as much as five over Maccabi, should it lose in Istanbul.

While Baskonia and Monaco fare well in tiebreakers among these teams, it's the opposite with Efes, which will be chasing its first win against any of these opponents this season on Friday. Efes already got swept by Baskonia and lost its first-leg games against both Monaco and Maccabi.

Not only does this game scream must-win for Efes, but it should beat Maccabi by more than 8 points to cover the margin it lost by in Tel Aviv, 80-72, back in Round 16.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv - Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Round 16 | Highlights

Maccabi is just 3-11 away from home, tied for the second-worst road win total in the league. After visiting Efes, however, Maccabi will have four of its last six games at home. A win in Istanbul would likely be a huge boost to Maccabi's chances of reaching the playoffs.

Despite all the drama and 18 games in four days, no teams will mathematically secure a playoff spot at the end of this week. It will take at least until next round to see the first team punch a playoff ticket, which guarantees plenty of drama with one month to go in the regular season.

Playoff picture: A pair of pivotal Friday showdowns

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v AS Monaco (2023-03-10T19:30:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-03-10T17:30:00.000Z)

A true avant-garde celebration of basketball culture where hoops collide with urban art, streetwear fashion and music – Euroleague Off Court: In the Air – is coming on a cascade of clouds to Paris on Friday, March 24.

Celebrate basketball culture in Paris with EuroLeague Off Court: In the Air, presented by Turkish Airlines!

***[Amara Sy](https://www.instagram.com/amarouxx/), [SuperboumJ](https://www.tiktok.com/@superboumj?lang=en), [Etiene](https://www.tiktok.com/@daetienne?lang=en) and [Ludovico Aldasio](https://www.instagram.com/ludovicoaldasio/?hl=it) among the influencers, legends and basketball culture lovers to join the March 24 celebration.***

***Sign up [HERE](https://euroleague.tbits.me/tb_app/483442) to participate in the 50 exclusive invitations raffle***

A true avant-garde celebration of basketball culture where hoops collide with urban art, streetwear fashion and music – Euroleague Off Court: In the Air – is coming on a cascade of clouds to Paris on Friday, March 24.

Through an eclectic mélange of 2x2 games, dunk contests, urban art installations, Euroleague Off Court: In the Air will bring basketball's unique energy, style and enthusiasm to the very heart of a cultural capital like few in the world.

Amara Sy, French basketball legend and current Sports Director of Paris Basketball, will attend the event accompanied by EuroLeague and EuroCup players to welcome guests at a secret location to witness a street court par excellence that will make participants feel like they are literally walking on air.

The closing party will take off with spectacular urban dance acts as well as a showcase by emerging rap talent [Georgio](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Xc0KDqzw5u6EQLgdfeoKO). Foot Locker and adidas  will deliver a top-notch music experience during the closing party while dressing up the athletes and referees. Unagi will spice up the 2x2 games by launching special player cards which pop up during the game and apply special rules such as special shots that count double or suddenly taking out one player from each team.

Euroleague Basketball and Turkish Airlines will team up with We Are Young and Trajectorie Studios to create a one-of-a-kind venue with a clouds-in-the-round motif and smoke shows designed to take street hoops to a whole new level - the sky!

"We are delighted to bring the Euroleague experience to such an important market as Paris, the eternal City of Light. With the collaboration of our longtime naming partner, Turkish Airlines, we want to celebrate a true basketball party in a city that is synonymous with creativity, lifestyle and authenticity, which are some of the EuroLeague's inherent values," Marshall Glickman, Euroleague Basketball CEO, stated. "Fashion, art, new technologies, music, street culture – and, of course, basketball – will be at the epicenter of this celebration, offering a lifetime experience to our Parisian fans."

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, stated: "As an airline that maintains its strong support for various sports all around the globe, we are happy to be the naming sponsor of Turkish Airlines Euroleague since 2010. One of the biggest sports organizations in the world, this special event now comes to Paris along with the EuroLeague Off Court. The attendees will experience the joy of basketball as well as having fun at various events with music, art, street culture and technology at the center. As the airline that flies to more countries than any other, Turkish Airlines is delighted to collaborate with Euroleague on such an event."

Euroleague Off Court: In the Air will run from midafternoon to late night at a secret location in Paris on Friday, March 24.

Access will be limited, but all those excited about the fusion of basketball, art, music and street culture can become eligible for 50 exclusive invitations to join the spectacle. Have you got what it takes to challenge Paris's best street ballers one-on-one and try to win a Final Four ticket?

Sign up through [this link](https://euroleague.tbits.me/tb_app/483442) and we will let you know if you are selected as a lucky guest to come and celebrate with us!

Real Madrid entered Round 28 of the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season on the back of a shock 81-85 defeat to Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Tuesday evening. In need of a bounce-back win against a well-known opponent, Gabriel Deck rescued his team in crunch time, leading Real to a 95-91 win against Valencia Basket at WiZink Center on Thursday night.

In *Los Blancos*' defeat to Baskonia, Deck did very little in the first 30 minutes. Curiously, the first three quarters saw Deck fail to attempt a shot or grab any rebound. He finished the game with 4 points, no rebounds and a PIR of 0. He did, however, score a critical basket to give Real its last lead, 81-79, but Matt Costello scored the last 4 points of the game to ensure that Baskonia escaped with the win.

Gabriel Deck led Real Madrid to a 95-91 home win against Valencia with 18 points, 7 rebounds and a PIR of 26.

Decks steps up against Valencia

Deck had a very different type of performance against Valencia, as he actively looked for the ball and attacked the rim from the very beginning of the game. The 28-year-old led Real in scoring with 18 points on 5-of-8 two-pointers and 8-of-8 free throws, while he also tied teammate Petr Cornelie for a game-high 7 rebounds and drew 5 fouls for a PIR of 26. Deck stepped up big in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points and going 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the final 70 seconds, before finding Walter Tavares for a critical slam to make sure Real kept hold of the lead in crunch time. *Los Blancos* went on to record their 18th win of the season to remain second in the standings, and Deck's overall activity made the difference.

Game Videos

Game News

Gabriel Deck bounced back to lead Real Madrid to win

Real Madrid v Valencia Basket (2023-03-09T19:45:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and its head coach, Ettore Messina, gave Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade tactician Zeljko Obradovic a red-carpet birthday reception and then pulled it from right under his feet, as the home team romped to a 76-62 win – its sixth in a row – at Mediolanum Forum on Thursday to keep alive its hopes of reaching the playoffs.

Messina embraced Obradovic before the tipoff, and the Serbian revealed during the post-game press conference that he had received royal treatment from his hosts. “I got a present from Milan as a club and a separate one from Coach Messina," Obradovic told reporters in Italian on the day he turned 63. "For that, I thank them and I also want to highlight it was an incredible atmosphere. Congratulations to Milan, they deserved to win."

Having made a good start, Partizan fell apart in the last 10 minutes, and it was Milan’s steely defense throughout the contest which eventually paved the way for a smooth fourth quarter on offense. The home team racked up 18 assists against 12 turnovers, while Partizan only had 8 assists, having committed 18 turnovers to put wind into Milan’s sails.

The biggest plays of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan as it pulled away from Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in the last 15 minutes of their game in Round 28 of the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Milan's biggest second-half plays vs. Partizan

Long-range shooting was a factor, too, as Milan sank 9-of-25 three-pointers, whereas Partizan went 4-of-16 from deep. The depth of Milan’s roster was everywhere to be seen as fit-again Kevin Pangos and sharpshooter Billy Baron delivered in crunch time alongside Shabazz Napier, who buried a clutch three-pointer at the end of the third quarter.

The home stretch belonged to Brandon Davies, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter against a tired-looking Partizan defense. It was the second time in a row that Milan has held the opposition to 62 points at home, having blown away Olympiacos Piraeus 83-62 prior to a gritty 84-88 road win over Valencia Basket.

Coach Messina lauded his players for a workmanlike performance and victory: “We are all extremely happy, because we beat a tough team that plays defense with great discipline. After a slow start, when we missed shots because we weren’t competing, the team reacted extremely well. We stepped up the defense and we were very disciplined in looking for Baron’s shots. Brandon \[Davies\] had a very good game, together with Kyle \[Hines\] and Nicolo \[Melli\]. The two point guards \[Napier and Pangos\] controlled the tempo, and that was of big help to us.”

Both teams are looking at tough road trips in Round 29, with Milan taking on Real Madrid and Partizan heading to Turkiye to face back-to-back defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

No birthday joy for Zeljko Obradovic as Milan rolls on

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-03-09T19:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid had to battle until the final seconds to beat Valencia Basket 95-91 at WiZink Center in Round 28 on Thursday night. Great accuracy and outstanding hustle allowed *Los Blancos* to grab their 18th regular-season win.

Real dominated all of the hustle stats, and that was one of the keys to its triumph. It had more offensive rebounds (8) than Valencia (7), while it also finished the game with 4 blocked shots: Vincent Poirier had 2 and Walter Tavares and Rudy Fernandez had 1 apiece. The guests only had 1 block in the entire game. Additionally, Real collected 7 steals, with Poirier and Tavares recording 2 apiece. Valencia, again, had fewer steals than its opponents (5).

Los Blancos were really effective in the paint, which also had a big impact on the final score. Real hit 25-of-35 of its two-pointers, which is its third-best percentage (71.4% 2FG) this season. Once more, Tavares and Poirier were really effective, combining for 10-of-11 two-point shots (90.9% 2FG). Valencia was only able to hit 16-of-33 two-pointers (48.5%). Its two centers, Jasiel Rivero and Bojan Dubljevic, went a combined 7-of-15 inside the arc (46.7% 2FG).

Real Madrid used hustle, accuracy to beat Valencia

With Iffe Lundberg having missed Virtus Segafredo Bologna's last two games and Kyle Weems having only played 2:51 minutes against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 27, the two players could only have dreamt about how well they were going to play on the road at ALBA Berlin in Round 28.

In the case of Weems, he recorded a season-high 22 points, which also matches his career high in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Lundberg, meanwhile, was a key contributor in a 0-16 run that helped Virtus put ALBA away in the last quarter.

Weems was almost unstoppable on the court, going for 5-of-5 on two pointers and adding 4 three-pointers from only 7 attempts in just 22 minutes. “I played with confidence," he stated after the game. “I put a lot work in. My teammates trusted me today and they found me when I was open, so I’ve got to get credit for them."

Lundberg returned to EuroLeague action in style, getting red-hot in the last quarter to help Virtus make sure of the win after ALBA had got within 14 points. The Danish guard scored 7 points, grabbed 2 boards, dished 3 assists, drew 3 fouls and stole 1 ball in the final period, which allowed him to finish with a PIR of 19 for the game.

“It’s always tough to come back from 20 points down, especially after halftime, but they had nothing to lose at that point, so we had to go out and fight – and that’s what we did,” Lundberg explained when asked about ALBA's final comeback attempt. “We expected \[that they would come back\] and they did, but we kept fighting."

The best plays of Virtus Segafredo Bologna trio Iffe Lundberg, Kyle Weems and Milos Teodosic in their team's dominant 74-96 win at ALBA Berlin in Round 28 of the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Best plays of Lundberg, Weems and Teodosic vs. ALBA

The Virtus duo scored a combined 6 triples between them and they were also aided by the play of Milos Teodosic, who himself did some typical Teodosic things. The veteran point guard contributed 21 points, making 5-of-7 three-pointers, and 6 assists in just 18 minutes to complete Virtus's magic triangle.

“I’ve been playing with Milos for four seasons now. Nothing he does amazes me anymore," confessed Weems when talking about his teammate.

“His aggressiveness, his IQ, but more importantly the way he wants to share the ball and get his teammates going before he is able to make shots and play for himself. He is one of my favorite teammates of all time, and obviously he is one of the best players ever played in Europe. He showed it today."

Virtus inspired by Lundberg, Weems and Teodosic against ALBA

ALBA Berlin v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-03-09T17:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna had its best scoring game of the season when it defeated ALBA Berlin 74-96 at Mercedes-Benz Arena on Thursday evening. The visitors were averaging less than 80 points coming into this game, but they had a night to remember on the offensive end of the floor, running a smooth, unselfish offense and displaying incredible accuracy with their shooting.

Virtus recorded a season-high 96 points, 1 point more than its previous best mark, which came against Real Madrid in Round 5. Before Thursday evening's game in Berlin, Virtus had only surpassed the 80-point mark seven times during the first 27 rounds. Against ALBA, the Italians went 22-of-32 on two-pointers and nailed 14 threes on just 30 attempts (46.7% 3FG), while their circulation of the ball resulted in 27 assists.

“I think we shared the ball very well: 27 assists is a really good number,” acknowledged Virtus head coach Sergio Scariolo. “When you pass the ball and share the ball, shooting percentages get automatically higher. I think we had the right approach from the very beginning; we put the game on the right track and we kept our foot on the gas."

Virtus ran great offense to defeat ALBA

Olympiacos Piraeus had started slowly in its last three Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games, but the Reds stormed out of the gates against FC Bayern Munich and never slowed down in a 102-74 victory, setting a club record with 19 made three-pointers.

Olympiacos scored the first 15 points of the game, going 3-of-3 on triples, before taking the first quarter 26-12. In the first 10 minutes, Georgios Bartzokas’s team dished out 8 of its total number of 27 assists to set the tone for the rest of the game.

The first quarter against Bayern was a welcome change for the Reds' fans, who saw Olympiacos fall behind 25-15 after 10 minutes before winning 85-92 in Round 25 at Valencia Basket and then trailed 20-17 before losing 83-62 last week at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Earlier this week, FC Barcelona jumped ahead 11-20 on the road but could not hold onto its advantage as Olympiacos won 77-70.

“Before the game we talked about the last couple of games and how we haven’t started as good as we have to. We started really well from the beginning,” said Sasha Vezenkov, who scored 10 of his team-high 18 points in the first quarter.

Thomas Walkup added 8 of his 13 points in the first 10 minutes, and the playmaker was happy about Olympiacos's response after a strong start to the double-round week.

“We were a little worried about the big win against Barcelona on Tuesday, but we came out here and played a really, really good game. We shot the ball super well,” said Walkup.

Olympiacos starts in style after recent slow first quarters

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Bayern Munich (2023-03-09T19:00:00.000Z)

### Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach

"It was a similar game \[to our Round 27 game against Baskonia\] because they scored again 15 threes, and it is not easy to play against this success from the line. But anyway, we were consistent. We played with confidence in the end and it was the difference, probably, compared to Tuesday. It was much more difficult \[to play against Valencia\], for sure, because they know us much better. We know them, too, but they know us. It is the fourth time that we have played against Valencia this year. It is not easy to play against them once again.

"It was the game we expected: tough and difficult. It is the fourth game we've played against Valencia this season and we know them well. Valencia has very good players, it is a very deep team. You cannot count them out, because they always get back into the game. When we started to play defense with more continuity, we managed to open a gap at halftime, which vanished soon after that, right after we came back from the locker rooms, because we once again forgot to play defense. We did it again, got back into the game by playing the right way and I think we did very well on offense, attacking their switching defenses, reading their defense well. We shot over 70% from two-point range, which says a lot about our offense. They stayed in the game thanks to their outside shots. They are a team that hit a lot of three-pointers, with good percentages. They have very good three-point shooters. They scored 15 three-pointers; once again, we gave up a lot of threes, just like on Tuesday. Exactly the game, but the PIR difference is very big. Obviously, you don't play to get a high PIR, but for the final score. We added one more win, were able to pull off an important game, and get another win in such a difficult competition as the EuroLeague. That allow us to be in the upper spots in the standings. Like I said, I know it would be a very difficult game because Valencia is fighting to get to the playoffs and made things hard for us, but I am very happy for being able to get this win tonight."

### Alex Mumbru, Valencia Basket head coach

"We tried, and we need to continue working hard. We know we've had four losses in a row, but we are fighting \[to win\] the next one.

"It was a game in which the first half was clearly \[going the way of\] Real Madrid. They had a better start and hit many three-point shots, sometimes due to our mistakes. We outscored by 5 points them in the second half, but it was not enough. We fought until the end and made it a close game. Congratulations to Real for the win. We tried to fight until the end, even when we allowed some important \[offensive\] rebounds after playing good defense, which would have get us closer in the game. The next EuroLeague game is against Fenerbahce at home, and we will be ready for it. Jaime \[Pradilla\] will be out long term, we don't know how long for. Without Kyle \[Alexander\] and Jaime, our frontcourt struggles. It is a second game in which we have allowed a high two-point shooting percentage, both in the first and second half. We lack Kyle's intimidation \[factor\]. We did well at times, but we're allowing too many points and, above all, not getting some rebounds, which tells us that our big men are important. I think 'Dubi' \[Bojan Dubljevic\] and 'Papi' \[Jasiel Rivero\] did well, but we missed some power in the paint."

### Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid forward

"I think we did a great job. We were focused in the second half and dominated the rebounds, playing really well. So, we are very happy about this victory."

### Vincent Poirier, Real Madrid center

"You know, it was time to play tough. It is a good team, they play hard, so we had to execute our game plan and play hard, too, in our home."

### Walter Tavares, Real Madrid center

"We knew it was going to be difficult against a really tough team that can beat you anywhere. I think we were out of focus in the third quarter, but we managed to recover and were able to get the win. Every win counts, and we have to keep adding them and win as many games as possible. We reacted after the loss against Baskonia, which was not easy. Double-round weeks are always a bit hard in terms of physicality and freshness to take decisions, and we missed that. Valencia is great team and they make you pay for every mistake you make. They are an unpredictable team that always makes things hard for us. In the EuroLeague, it is very important to win as many home games as possible."