EA7 Emporio Armani Milan knew it was going to need to play tough defense to beat Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, but in the end, it was strong rebounding and a breakthrough game from Johannes Voigtmann that carried the Italian side to the 89-83 victory.

Milan’s defense held the EuroLeague’s top offense to just 25.0% shooting on three-pointers while also outrebounding Baskonia 39-26. Included in that rebound number were 12 offensive rebounds which resulted in a 14-8 advantage in second-chance points.

The other key was Voigtmann finally shining through with 16 points including hitting 4-of-6 three-point shooting as well as 8 rebounds.

"We are all happy for Johannes who probably had his best game since he came. He showed the real Johannes Voigtmann that we have seen in Europe with CSKA for many, many years," Milan's head coach Ettore Messina said about Voigtmann.

The off-season addition doubled his best scoring output thus far this season - 8 points in Round 1 - and the 16 points were 1 point more than his combined scoring from his last nine games.

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Rebounding plus 'the real Voigtmann' got Milan back in win column 

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2023-01-31T18:00:00.000Z)

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo:

"For sure, one of our best games this season. We had a great start both times we came out of the locker room, first and third quarter, with great clearance in our ideas, about the game plan, and especially about our attitude, the impact, the approach, the physicality. And also, we played a very good game on the offensive end, sharing the ball and knowing their strong points, their weak points, and putting the ball where we had to. Honestly, we may say that we didn't finish most of the good shots and opportunities we created, but I am delighted with how the team created those opportunities. Then sometimes shots go in, sometimes they don't, but the intensity, the aggresiveness, the energy is there... I think we fought and had solid paint protection, good perimeter defense, good pick-and-roll defense and at the end of the day, the most important things were those 28 assists, it is huge."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach Dusko Ivanovic:

"I have little to say because we didn't play well. We started to play very bad, with no aggressivity on defense, many problems in the low post and many turnovers. A bad game, a really bad game. I am so sorry for our fans that came here to support us. They don't deserve how we played, but we will see in the next game. Especially, we started very soft: against Virtus and in the EuroLeague, we cannot start to play as soft as we did. And after that, we were always behind."

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward Toko Shengelia:

"We have been in this situation many times, in which we had a great first half and then somehow in the third quarter, our energy goes down. But today, we held it down for all 40 minutes. We just had a couple of minutes stretch \[which were\] not so good but I think, in the end, with fighting spirit defensively, being aggressive offensively and sharing the ball, we got this win. We have to enjoy this one and have another tough one coming up."

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna center Mam Jaiteh:

"It was a key game. First of all, I am very happy for the win but more important than the win was our attitude, our fighting spirit, the control we had. This game has to be a key game until the end of the season. I think that the game plan was to be aggressive in both sides of the flow, to show good attitude, good energy, especially if we still want to have hopes for the playoffs. We need to take every game like the way we played right now."

Coach Scariolo, Virtus: '28 assists is huge'

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2023-01-31T20:00:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna cruised to an 84-72 home win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbt Belgrade on Tuesday night. Virtus led from start to finish and when Zvezda rallied, fan-favorite Kyle Weems was there to answer.

Virtus had a strong start, going on a 9-0 opening run and extending it to 27-9 late in the first quarter. Zvezda found a go-to guy in Luca Vildoza and started to trim its deficit, getting within 48-35 at halftime and a little bit closer, 48-38, at the start of the second half. Virtus had started the third quarter with a couple of missed shots and a turnover, but quickly found the right go-to guy.

Kyle Weems of Virtus Segafredo Bologna had 9 of his 13 points in a three-minute spam in the third quarter, stopping Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade's comeback.

Weems steps up after the break

Weems found his rhythm with a three-pointer from the right wing. On Virtus's next offense, he played a two-man situation with Toko Shengelia and fed him for an outstanding dunk. Shengelia quickly returned the favor, finding Weems for a corner three-pointer.

Weems added his third triple in as many minutes, again from the right wing. All of a sudden, the hosts led 59-44 and their offense was really fluent again. Virtus soon improved the margin to 70-51 and never looked back. Things could have gotten ugly in the third quarter, but Weems scored 9 of his 13 points to make sure everything was under control.

Weems found answers for Virtus

Valencia Basket breezed to an 82-73 home win over FC Bayern Munich after a sweeping second-half performance lifted the Spanish side to a 12-10 record and boosted its hopes of reaching the playoffs.

Jonah Radebaugh paced Valencia with a personal EuroLeague high of 14 points and 5 rebounds, Chris Jones added 11 points, while Klemen Prepelic and Xabi Lopez-Arostegui chipped in with 10 each for the hosts.

Bayern, which dropped to 9-13, was too reliant on Cassius Winston who led the team with a game-high 22 points, 5 rebounds and as many assists, while Niels Giffey was the visitors’ only other player in double figures with 14 points. Augustine Rubit, the competition’s January player of the month, endured a tough night as he only posted 3 points, shooting 1 of 6 against an ironclad Valencia defense.

The game seemed to be heading for a low-scoring contest as both sides missed a barrage of shots in the first quarter, with Valencia coming out on top 16-14 before Bayern turned the table early in the second and took a 24-19 lead.

The game ebbed and flowed in the first half and the home team nosed ahead 33-32 at the interval thanks to a balanced workload in offense, with four of its players posting 5 points each while Winston had 6 for Bayern at the other end.

The clash gathered momentum early in the third quarter as both sides started nailing their perimeter shots, with Valencia turning a 35-39 deficit into a 47-46 lead before Bayern hit back with 5 unanswered points. The hosts replied with a more aggressive defense to finish 61-56 ahead at the end of the third quarter thanks to an audacious, buzzer-beating three-pointer off the glass from Evans, which turned out to be a killer blow as Bayern succumbed early in the fourth.

Valencia never looked back after some inspired play by Prepelic coupled with spurts from Evans, Jones and Kyle Alexander allowed the home team to romp into a 75-58 lead, its biggest of the night. Winston launched a valiant solo effort in the second half to keep Bayern in the game but with Rubit having an off-night and the rest of the supporting cast also offering preciously little, there was no way back for the visitors. Roared on by its vocal fans, Valencia closed the game out to post a club-record fifth successive win in Europe’s premier club competition.

Second-half onslaught gives Valencia 82-73 win over Bayern 

Valencia Basket v FC Bayern Munich (2023-01-31T19:30:00.000Z)

### Valencia Basket head coach Alex Mumbru:

“It was a game of two very different halves. In the first half, they defended pretty well but we were also able to stay in the game thanks to defense. We knew our moments would arrive and having had to wait for them, we turned the game in the last quarter. A three-pointer, a steal and a fast break sparked us into a big lead and we are happy with the victory.”

"\[Shannon Evans\] played great but I think this is a team win. It’s true that he had 3 or 4 minutes when he played really well, but everyone was in the rhythm."

### FC Bayern Munich head coach Andrea Trinchieri:

"Congratulations to Valencia, they deserved to win. We had a solid first half, we were controlling the defense pretty much but we were very poor in offense. In the second half, we were very mediocre at both ends of the court. Offense and defense we couldn’t stay in front of the ball, we couldn’t secure rebounds and it’s very difficult when you concede layups and three-point shots. We turned over the ball in those 5 minutes too many times and we didn’t do enough to win the game.

“It happens, especially in Valencia. That last shot by Evans \[at the end of the third quarter\] like took the lid off the rim and everything started falling in. In 3 minutes we were down by 15 and then it’s a different game."

### Valencia Basket guard Klemen Prepelic:

"I’ve struggled all season but finally I’ve found some rhythm lately. We have a lot of problems with the injuries and we knew that each and every one of us had to step up. I think we did, especially on the defensive end. I always wanted to play here, it’s my third season and I love the crowd, it really gets me going.

"This season is very tight and hopefully we can make \[the playoffs\], but it’s very long. We have 12 rounds left and for sure we are going to do our best. We’ll celebrate tonight and on Thursday we have to be ready for Maccabi."

 

### Valencia Basket forward Jonah Radebaugh:

"I am confident right now, the coach has confidence in me. I try to play my game, I shoot the ball, sometimes it goes in and sometimes it doesn’t – but that’s just the game. It’s falling my way right now. We are starting to figure each other out a little bit more and we’re playing more as a team, not so much as individual basketball. It shows out there, that’s why we are winning games."

Klemen Prepelic, Valencia: 'The crowd really gets me going.'

Virtus Segafredo Bologna grabbed its second consecutive home win by downing Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 84-72 in Round 22 on Tuesday. Virtus also managed to get the tie-break advantage against Zvezda, which registered an 83-74 win in Round 11. Virtus improved to 10-12 in the standings, while Zvezda recorded its third consecutive loss and went down to 10-12. Virtus led from start to finish for a well-deserved victory.

Toko Shengelia led the winners with 15 points. Kyle Weems added 13 and Isaia Cordinier and Mam Jaiteh each scored 11 for Virtus, which had terrific ball circulation in this game. The hosts finished the game with 28 assists and just 11 turnovers. Luca Vildoza led Zvezda with 20 points and Dalibor Ilic added 10 for the visitors.

Jaiteh got Virtus going with a jump hook and a layup, igniting a 9-0 opening run which Milos Teodosic capped with a bomb from beyond the arc. Daniel Hackett and Shengelia each scored around the basket to make it a double-digit game, 15-4. Alessandro Pajola followed a layup-plus-foul with a triple in a 12-0 run that Cordinier finished with a jump hook, good for a 27-9 Virtus lead. Vildoza stepped up for Zvezda and got help from Ilic to make it 33-19 early in the second quarter. Shengelia and Jaiteh kept Virtus way ahead, 48-35, at halftime.

Weems buried a couple of three-pointers and a six-meter jumper soon after the break to keep Virtus fully in charge, 59-47. Virtus improved its defense and found a new go-to guy in Shengelia, who caused Zvezda to call timeout at 64-49. Bako's dunk highlighted a 6-0 run that broke the game open, 70-51, after 30 minutes. Filip Petrusev and Ilic tried to ignite Zvezda's comeback early in the fourth quarter. Cordinier and Marco Belinelli quickly restored a 76-57 Virtus margin with 7 minutes remaining. Little changed after that, as the hosts kept a safe margin until the final buzzer.

Virtus stops Zvezda, 84-72

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan came up with an inspired performance in registering an 89-83 home victory over Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to snap a five-game losing streak. Milan shut down the EuroLeague’s number-one offense just enough for its first victory of 2023, which improved its record to 7-15.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot paced five Milan players in double figures with 17 points, Johannes Voigtmann had 16 points, Billy Baron scored 11 points and new addition Shabazz Napier chipped in 10 points and 3 assists in his EuroLeague debut. Baskonia dropped to 12-10 including losing its last four games on the road. Darius Thompson led the way with 19 points and Markus Howard and Rokas Giedraitis both had 18 points in the losing effort.

Milan took an early 8-2 lead but Thompson poured in 10 points to help Baskonia go ahead 12-14. Milan held Baskonia to just 1 three-pointer over the final 4 minutes and Stefano Tonut had 4 points for an 18-17 lead after 10 minutes. Milan’s defense held strong and allowed Luwawu-Cabarrot to score 4 points for a 28-21 lead. Matthew Costello sparked the comeback and the game was even 30-30. Voigtmann hit 2 three-pointers and the hosts were up 40-34 at the break.

Six points from Voigtmann helped Milan increase the lead to 46-37. Steven Enoch came up big at the other end in a 2-11 run to tie the game again 48-48. The later stages of the third quarter saw six lead changes and Milan led 62-60 after 30 minutes. The game remained tight until Voigtmann added 2 three-pointers in the fourth quarter and the lead grew to 81-74 with under 3 minutes left. Baskonia was held to 2 points in 2 minutes and could not make up the rest of the deficit.

Milan slows down Baskonia to snap 5-game skid

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

"It’s a nice win and the players really deserve it. The team overall played a good game except for some defensive lapses in the second half. They competed and played a good offensive game with calm and poise. That was the most important thing and the contributions from everybody. We are all happy about for Johannes who probably had his best game since he came. He showed the real Johannes Voigtmann that we have seen in Europe with CSKA for many, many years. For whatever reason, he was not able to do it until now so we are very happy for him now. He’s an excellent person and a great professional player. Of course, we are happy because we beat an excellent team. They are at the top of the standings, they have the top offense in the EuroLeague. They had all their roster, including Markus Howard, who looked to be out because of a sprained ankle. These are the kinds of games that can give you confidence and hope for the future."

 

### Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz head coach Joan Penarroya: 

"Congratulations to Milan. In the last quarter, we didn’t have the same energy as Milan. Milan scored 27 points in the fourth quarter and it’s very difficult to win away if your opponent scores 27 points in the last quarter. They led in second-chance points, we didn’t control our defensive rebounds, and we didn’t play solid defense in one-on-one situations."

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan center Johannes Voigtmann:

"We’ve had a tough season so far. We’re just trying to get some life and get some people involved. I think we did a great job today. We suffered a little on defense from time to time but overall especially in the right moments I think we did the right plays defensively and got the rebounds and offensively we made some big plays down the stretch. We played a great team. It’s tough to beat them. They’ve played a hell of a season so we are happy that we could compete today and that we got the win."

###  

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot:

"We’ve been playing well. I saw there was a smaller crowd than usual and I want them to come back and enjoy watching us play basketball. Joe \[Voigtmann\] came in and played really well - shooting that ball with confidence. We followed the game plan and got the victory. All we need is one win to get our confidence back, our flow, our swag. That’s all we needed. Winning in the Italian League is fine but we need to win in the EuroLeague and this one feels good for everybody."

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Milan: 'We needed a win to get our swag back'

FC Barcelona got back to winning ways on Tuesday night after downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 83-78 at Palau Blaugrana. Having been the only team to beat Maccabi on its home floor this season, Barca has now secured the regular-season sweep against the Israeli team. With this victory, Barca improved to 14-8 while Maccabi dropped to 11-11.

 

Cory Higgins scored a team-high 15 points for Barca, who also had Rokas Jokubaitis, Nikola Mirotic and Jan Vesely finish in double figures with 14, 11 and 10 points, respectively. For Maccabi, who was still missing Lorenzo Brown due to injury, Jalen Adams had a game-high 20 points. Wade Baldwin recorded 15 points, of which 11 game in the third quarter. Darrun Hilliard and Jarell Martin finished with 11 points apiece.

Barca was the team that had the better start to the game, opening an early 7-2 lead, but Maccabi quickly hit back with 5 straight points to tie it up at 7-7. There was a nice flow to the contest in the first quarter, with the momentum swinging from one side to the other, but Barca closed the first 10 minutes with a triple by Jokubaitis, 20-15.

 

Adams saw a three-pointer fall in the opening stages of the second quarter, but Jokubaitis responded with a triple of his own to ensure that the Barca fans inside Palau Blaugrana stayed calm. Maccabi did have Roman Sorkin rise up for a big block on Jokubaitis before scoring down the other end, 23-21, yet by the midway point of the quarter, Barca had its biggest lead of the game, 32-25, after Mike Tobey's score around the rim. That advantage extended to 9 points and then 11 thanks to scores by Higgins and Tomas Satoransky, respectively, as the score read 39-28. The gap reduced to 5 points, 39-34, and Maccabi went into halftime 4 points down thanks to a buzzer-beating triple by Hilliard.

After the break, Maccabi came out with a 5-0 run to take the lead for the first time since the first quarter, 41-42. Barca got back level soon after, 44-44, as Mirotic scored his first points of the night with a three-pointer, but then Baldwin came to the fore. He went 3-for-3 from the line to make it a 6-point game, 46-52, and then he scored a couple of triples to move to 11 points in the quarter and extend the lead to 7, 51-58. Maccabi also had Hilliard, Suleiman Braimoh and Adams step up to make it a 10-point game, 55-65, but Tobey's triple and a couple of made free throws by Jokubaitis cut the gap to 5 at the end of the third, 62-67.

 

Maccabi found a way to keep Barca at arm's length in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, but when Mirotic converted a three-point play as part of a 7-2 run, the hosts found themselves 1 point down, 73-74. Soon after, Higgins hit a shot from deep to give Barca the lead, its first since early in the third quarter, and blow the roof off Palau Blaugrana, 76-74. Baldwin seemed to lose his groove in the fourth after shining so brightly in the third, while Barca kept its cool in the final minutes to see the win over the line. In the end, 4 made free throws by Higgins proved crucial, 82-74, as Barca went on to win 83-78.

Barcelona steps up in the fourth to beat Maccabi, 83-78

FC Barcelona v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-01-31T19:30:00.000Z)