Double derbies headline Round 21 drama

Round 21 of the regular season features a pair of European basketball classics, with FC Barcelona visiting Real Madrid in a clasico between two of the four teams tied for first place before Crvena Zvezda and Partizan clash in the Belgrade derby. Here's your guide to those and seven more showdowns this week.

### [ALBA Berlin vs. Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/alba-berlin-valencia-basket/E2022/181/)

Valencia (10-10) will look to make it four wins in a row as it visits ALBA Berlin (6-14) for a rematch of the 2010 and 2019 EuroCup Finals. Valencia has been battling against injury problems recently but now has key creator Chris Jones available again and could give a debut to new signing Shannon Evans, who leads the Spanish League in scoring this season. ALBA, needing to bounce back from consecutive losses to reignite its faint playoffs hopes, will look to former Valencia forward Luka Sikma for inspiration.

### [Panathinaikos Athens vs. Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/panathinaikos-athens-zalgiris-kaunas/E2022/183/)

Red-hot Zalgiris (12-8) goes in search of a fifth straight victory as it visits struggling Panathinaikos (7-13), which has won only one of the last eight. Edgaras Ulanovas clinched last week's comeback win over Zvezda and can always be relied upon to act as Zalgiris's emotional leader. But perhaps more than any other team, the Lithuanians rely on collective work rather than individual brilliance – especially through a defense that has allowed just 76.2 points per game, second-best in the league.

Round 21 at a glance: Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona

### [Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/real-madrid-fc-barcelona/E2022/184/)

The latest instalment of *El Clásico* is a must-watch affair between co-leaders. Barca (13-7) has won three straight on the road and claimed a thrilling victory when the teams met at Palau Blaugrana in Round 2 as Sergio Llull missed an attempted game-winner on the final buzzer. Real (13-7) has the added incentive of bouncing back from a poor performance at Olympiacos last week, and will look for another dominant performance from Walter Tavares to control the paint in what will surely be a physical encounter.

### [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2022/182/)

Revived Fenerbahce (13-7) is looking to maintain a share of first place with victory over ASVEL (7-13), which is hoping to claim its first home win in four games. The Turkish titan's run of three straight wins has been powered by big man Johnathan Motley, who averages 17.7 points and 11.3 rebounds during that trio of games. Motley's battle for inside supremacy with ASVEL giant Youssoupha Fall – who has scored in double digits in four straight games – will be a key factor. 

### [AS Monaco vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/as-monaco-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2022/185/)

Playoffs-chasing but recently inconsistent Monaco (12-8) will aim to deepen the gloom for Milan (6-14), which has sunk to the foot of the standings with a run of four straight losses. The last seven games involving Monaco have all been won by the home team, including a Round 15 loss to Milan in Italy. That game saw Ettore Messina's men overturn a 17-point deficit by launching a 19-0 run in the final period, so Monaco coach Sasa Obradovic will not need to remind his players to compete for the full 40 minutes on this occasion.

Round 21 at a glance: Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

### [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/186/)

All the devotion of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will be on full display at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall as Zvezda (10-10) and Partizan (9-11) meet for a crucial Belgrade derby. Zvezda triumphed in December's meeting with a dramatic game-winner from Nemanja Nedovic. Both teams have been on mixed form recently, but none of that will matter as they go head-to-head for a showdown where anything could happen and maximum intensity is guaranteed. Another win for Zvezda would seal a potentially lucrative tie-break advantage and effectively provide a three-game lead over its city rivals.

### [Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2022/187/)

After delivering arguably its best performance of the season to down Real Madrid last week, Olympiacos (13-7) will look to stay top of the pile by overcoming a Maccabi (11-9) team that needs a rare road victory to stay in the playoffs places. The Reds are the most accurate two-point shooting team in the competition with a 59.0% conversion rate, but could struggle to get to the basket so easily against a Maccabi team which ranks second in blocked shots at 3.7 per game.

Round 21 at a glance: Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

### [Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2022/188/)

Two direct rivals on the fringes of the playoffs places aim to recover that winning feeling as Baskonia (11-9) seeks to end a four-game losing streak with a visit from reigning champ Efes (10-10) which is wounded by last week's home loss to Bayern. Long-range shooting accuracy will be crucial: Baskonia leads the league in three-pointers per game, 10.8, just ahead of Efes with 10.6. Specifically, the shooting duel between Markus Howard and former Baskonia star Shane Larkin could provide the key to the outcome.

### [FC Bayern Munich vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-bayern-munich-virtus-segafredo-bologna/E2022/189/)

There's a lot of work to do if Bayern (8-12) or Virtus (9-11) want to climb into the playoffs picture, but both made a good start with battling wins last week. One of them will build further momentum by winning this week's final tipoff in Munich. The first-ever EuroLeague meeting between the teams, in Round 2, was a hard-fought contest edged 66-63 by Virtus, but this could be a more offensive contest with Milos Teodosic in fine form for the visitors, while veteran big man Othello Hunter has suddenly become a three-point marksman for Bayern.

FC Bayern Munich v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2023-01-27T19:45:00.000Z)

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2023-01-27T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2023-01-27T19:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-01-27T18:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2023-01-26T20:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (2023-01-26T19:45:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos Athens v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-01-26T19:00:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-01-26T20:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Valencia Basket (2023-01-26T19:00:00.000Z)

Anyone keeping up with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague knows that the standings look insane – and the action of the floor has the intensity to match. With so many close games and so much parity, having players who can deliver in key moments is not just valuable at this point, it's the norm across the league.

Some teams lean more heavily on certain players late in close games than others. The list above ranks the top 10 players in clutch points this season. The typical definition of clutch is being used here, so it covers possessions in the last 5 minutes of the fourth quarter and all overtimes when the score is within 5 points. Most teams have played around 200 possessions of clutch basketball to this point. Valencia leads the way with 301 possessions and FC Bayern Munich at the back of the pack with just 135 through last week's action. The modern record for clutch scoring of 87 points was set by Scottie Wilbekin during the 2020-21 season.

Clutch possessions tend to be a way less efficient than those in the first 35 minutes of EuroLeague games as free throws may be more plentiful but open shots are hard to come by. They're converted for around 0.95 points per possession which is good jumping off point into the list above. Dwayne Bacon's scoring prowess has been a bright spot for Panathinaikos Athens this season, but his clutch efficiency has been critical in several of their wins.

Bacon currently leads the EuroLeague in isolation scoring, and in that aspect, he is joined by every player in the top four on the list. While having a player who can go and create his own shot gives a team a pressure release late in games, hero ball has a complicated relationship with clutch play in the EuroLeague. 

Nando De Colo is a good example of that as he's scored only 19 points in isolation situations all season, but 10 of them have been in the clutch. In contrast, Bacon has scored more than 5 points per game in isolation situations alone this year, but just 12 of his clutch points have resulted from isolations. The rest come from a blend of designed actions, pick-and-rolls, or quick reactions off the ball. There's a high level of gamesmanship in the way coaches approach late game situations. Do they sometimes opt to ride the hot hand? Sure, but they have a lot more cards to play and they are rarely so predictable.

Will Clyburn manning the third spot reflects the value of unpredictability. When thinking of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is recent seasons, one might assume Vasilije Micic would occupy this spot, and he did finish second in clutch scoring last season. But this season, Clyburn has scored twice as many clutch points as any of his Efes teammates so far. He joins Edgaras Ulanovas and Alpha Diallo as the lone forwards on this list.

EuroLeague veterans Chris Jones, Mike James, Luca Vildoza, Nemanja Nedovic, and Elie Okobo have made no shortage of big shots over the years, and there's value in that as coaches parse through their options. James is perhaps the best example of that. He's been in every spot on these leaderboards over the years, so even when he's not making shots, his reputation proceeds him, making him valuable as either an initiator or a decoy. 

The current circumstances of the EuroLeague are pretty straightforward: the games are going to be close and the stakes are going to be high. With so many teams quickly acclimating to the pressure, how a team keeps up is irrelevant. It's only important that they do.

The season's clutch scorers – so far

Zalgiris's Isaiah Taylor suffers hamstring injury

Zalgiris Kaunas will be without [Isaiah Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaiah-taylor/012068/) for the next few weeks after the guard suffered a hamstring injury during a Lithuanian League game over the weekend. Taylor (1.91 meters, 28 years old) [joined the team only a few weeks ago](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-adds-isaiah-taylor-following-keenan-evans-injury/) from Anadolu Efes Istanbul to fill in for the injured Keenan Evans, who [will miss the rest of the season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-evans-suffers-torn-achilles/) with a torn Achilles tendon. In his three appearances with Zalgiris, all of them off the bench, Taylor averaged 4.7 points and 1.3 assists in almost 14 minutes on the court. Zalgiris has not lost since Taylor joined the team.

**A STAR VISIT**: One of world's best tennis players, Matteo Berrettini, cheered for Milan against ASVEL, and got a little behind-the-scenes tour, chatting with Coach Messina.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">SPECIAL GUEST⭐<br>Un ospite davvero unico: Matteo Berrettini!🎾<br>Finalista a <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wimbledon</a>, semifinalista in Australia e a Flushing Meadows, vincitore di 7 titoli dell’<a href="https://twitter.com/atptour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@atptour</a>!<br>Nel dopo partita l’incontro e la stretta di mano con Coach Ettore Messina!🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Berrettini?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Berrettini</a> <a href="https://t.co/IDyz5vVO1K">pic.twitter.com/IDyz5vVO1K</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1616770837826228228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**FRIENDS & RE-UNIONS**: It is always fun to see former teammates catching up before going against one another. And Coach Itoudis shared a moment with Mike James.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="lv" dir="ltr">🇱🇹 𝘙𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘴 &amp; 𝘛𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘴 <a href="https://t.co/ZdNCReawpd">pic.twitter.com/ZdNCReawpd</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1616151128164507649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just catching up with old friends in Vitoria🤝 <a href="https://t.co/WPjUmRFG7o">pic.twitter.com/WPjUmRFG7o</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1616147426833727501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnmhEF3IoMh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by AS Monaco Basket 🏀🇲🇨 (@asmonaco_basket)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former teammates, former coaches – just an all-around ⭐️ reunion in Istanbul 🧠 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/xhdY5ECLXC">pic.twitter.com/xhdY5ECLXC</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket EN 🏀 (@ASMBasket_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMBasket_EN/status/1616335123053514754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


**MILESTONE MAN**: James became only the 10th player to reach 1,000 assists for his career. Only one player – Vassilis Spanoulis – has scored more points than James among players with at least 1,000 assists.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Not only a prolific scorer, but an exceptional playmaker ⭐️ <br><br>It’s 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ assists in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> for Mike James ✊ <a href="https://t.co/Q8hKT0ZtnH">pic.twitter.com/Q8hKT0ZtnH</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket EN 🏀 (@ASMBasket_EN) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMBasket_EN/status/1616147050222985216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇺🇸 Mike James of 🇲🇨 Monaco, reached 1,000 career assists dished in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a>.<br><br>It took him 225 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> games for to reach 1,000 career assists dished. He is 7th youngest player to do so and 6th in number of games taken. He is ranked 10th in assists made all-time.</p>&mdash; Darius Garuolis (@DariusGaruolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/DariusGaruolis/status/1616176168406859776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


**CHEERLEADING**: Iftah Ziv led Maccabi fans cheering after the win over ALBA.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Yiftach 🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/TheGateMTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheGateMTA</a> <a href="https://t.co/FFON3rLv2u">pic.twitter.com/FFON3rLv2u</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabitlvBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabitlvBC/status/1616200515410436097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

**WINNERS' CORNER**: There is a four-team tie for the best record in the standings after 20 rounds. And only teams with a winning record are currently in the playoff zone. 

EuroLeague week on social media 

Kostas Antetokounmpo of Fenerbahce dunks against Monaco

Wade Baldwin of Maccabi keeps the ball away from ALBA's Jaleen Smith 

Nikola Mirotic of Barcelona collides with Baskonia's Markus Howard

Bayern's Othello Hunter and Bryant Dunston of Efes vie for the ball

Georgios Papagiannis of Panathinaikos dunks in front of Virtus's Semi Ojeleye

Kyle Alexander of Valencia goes in the air to defend against Partizan's Danilo Andjusic

Nemanja Nedovic of Zvezda passes the ball against Zalgiris

Real Madrid's Walter Tavares dunks against Olympiacos Piraeus 

Milan's Brandon Davies emotes after dunking against ASVEL

Tibor Pleiss of Efes and Bayer's Freddie Gillespie battle for the rebound 

Look back at all the action from Round 20 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

The Top 10 photos of the week, Round 20

### Fener starters did the heavy lifting

In a thrilling come-from-behind [98-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-as-monaco/E2022/172/) overtime win against AS Monaco, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul's starters did most of the damage. Each of them played more than 30 minutes, and all but one scored in double figures. The 74 points from Fenerbahce's starting five is tied for the second-most in any EuroLeague game this season. [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/scottie-wilbekin/006661/) led the way with 21 points and 5 assists, the most of each since his return from injury. He also had a plus/minus of +17, while [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) was even better with +19. Quite impressive in just a four-point victory.

Scottie Wilbekin and Johnathan Motley highlights vs. AS Monaco

Wilbekin and Motley did the heavy lifting

### Ouattara captained Monaco's comebacks

Monaco was behind 27-22 to host Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Thursday when [Yakuba Ouattara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/yakuba-ouattara/004197/) caught fire with 3 perfect three-pointers within 4 minutes in the middle of a 3-21 run that saw his team suddenly lead 30-43. He would proceed to finish with a career-high 19 points, including 5 triples made, as Monaco lost in overtime [98-94](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-as-monaco/E2022/172/). Outtara will be counting the days 'til he returns to Ulker Sports and Event Hall. His previous EuroLeague scoring high of 16 points had come there, too, last season.

All of Yakuba Ouattara's 19 points in AS Monaco's 98-94 overtime defeat at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Yakuba Ouattara's 19 points vs. Fenerbahce

### Nebo skies for rebounding career-high

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv protected its home court against ALBA Berlin with an [87-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-alba-berlin/E2022/173/) win over ALBA Berlin thanks in part to a big contribution on the glass from big man [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/). Maccabi's center attempted just 2 field goals, making one put-back dunk for the night, but pulled down a career-best 13 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive glass. In a game it won by 13 points, Maccabi was outrebounded by ALBA by a single rebound, and Nebo was the one who kept the balance on the boards and allowed the hosts to never lose control of the game.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="et" dir="ltr">🇺🇸 Josh Nebo of 🇮🇱 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the 2022-23 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a>:<br><br>🔹First 13 games: 4.2 REB<br>🔹Last 7 games: 9.1 REB 🔥</p>&mdash; Darius Garuolis (@DariusGaruolis) <a href="https://twitter.com/DariusGaruolis/status/1616186236862865408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

### Sedekerskis stepped up for Baskonia

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz may have lost [78-85](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-fc-barcelona/E2022/174/) to FC Barcelona, but [Tadas Sedekerskis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tadas-sedekerskis/007230/) had a night to remember. In addition to posting a career-high PIR of 23, the 25-year-old scored a career-high 16 points. Sedekerskis helped Baskonia remain calm in the first quarter after a fast start by Barca, as he scored 8 of his team's first 14 points to keep his team afloat, 14-17. That was followed up with 2 points in the second quarter, before he added 6 in the third to ensure Baskonia went into the final period down by just one point, 63-64. While Sedekerskis failed to add to his tally in the game's final 10 minutes, his performance ensured that Baskonia had a chance to go and win on an off night for star scorer Markus Howard.

All of Tadas Sedekerskis's field goals in Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's 78-85 loss against FC Barcelona.

Tadas Sedekerskis's field goals vs. Barcelona

### Valencia's Webb wowed from long range

Valencia Basket protected its home floor on Thursday night by knocking down 12 triples on 25 attempts in an [89-81](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/valencia-basket-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2022/176/) win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. No player was a bigger downtown threat than [James Webb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-webb-iii/011971/). Valencia's starting forward finished with 17 points on a personal-best 4-for-5 shooting from long range. Webb was also ready when his team needed him most. When Partizan closed with just 3 points in the fourth quarter, he replied with a three-point play, then followed it up with his fourth triple, paving the way for a Valencia win.

James Webb went 4-of-5 from three-point range in Valencia Basket's 89-81 win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

James Webb's three-point joy vs. Partizan

### Shengelia tied his career assists mark

[Tornike Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) was very much back to his old self in Virtus Segafredo Bologna's [74-64](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/virtus-segafredo-bologna-panathinaikos-athens/E2022/175/) home win over Panathinaikos Athens. A longtime EuroLeague star, the power forward played in just two of the first 11 rounds due to injuries. But on Thursday, he had his best EuroLeague performance in more than a year, scoring a season-high 16 points and tying his personal best with 7 assists. Shengelia also had 3 steals, 2 rebounds and a block, adding to his all-round performance.

The best plays of Tornike Shengelia during Virtus Segafredo Bologna's 74-64 win against Panathinaikos Athens.

Tornike Shengelia's best plays vs. Panathinaikos

Round 20 roll call

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v AS Monaco (2023-01-19T17:45:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v ALBA Berlin (2023-01-19T19:05:00.000Z)

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v FC Barcelona (2023-01-19T19:30:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Panathinaikos Athens (2023-01-19T19:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-01-19T19:45:00.000Z)

So far this season, Olympiacos Piraeus has largely launched its challenge for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title through the league’s most potent offense, surpassing 80 points on 15 occasions and topping the league in points, assists, two-point shooting accuracy and Performance Index Rating.

But in Friday’s Round 20 showdown against Real Madrid at a sold-out Peace and Friendship Stadium, Georgios Bartzokas’s players thrilled their fans by winning 73-60 to create a four-way tie at the top of the standings. Perhaps one of the things that will have pleased Coach Bartzokas most is the way that his team earned the win the old-school way: through hard-fought defense.

Olympiacos Piraeus - Real Madrid | Round 20 | Highlights

Right from the opening tipoff, the Reds swarmed all over *Los Blancos*, as the visiting team were never able to find their offensive rhythm and failed to score 20 points in any of the four quarters. The more the game progressed, the more Real struggled to find gaps in the Olympiacos defense. Chus Mateo’s team consequently found itself increasingly left in an uncomfortable position of having to force possessions and take on unpromising shots at the basket.

The Spanish side particularly suffered from long range, converting only 3 of its 25 three-point attempts, with Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull missing 5 and 6 apiece. And very few of those three-point misses were open looks. Rather, many of them were desperation attempts when no other options were available. Only Walter Tavares was able to register decent shooting percentages, scoring 12 points on 6-of-8 two-point shooting, but 8 of those points came in the first quarter. After that, even Tavares was left powerless in the face of determined defense from first Moustapha Fall and then Tarik Black.

The outcome was an end to Real’s three-game winning streak, and by far the lowest points tally of the season for a team which came into the game ranking second in scoring, only behind Olympiacos itself. Its previous low was a 68-point night in a 64-68 win over FC Bayern Munich.

The best plays of Olympiacos Piraeus in its 73-60 win against Real Madrid.

Olympiacos's best plays vs. Real Madrid

At the end of the action, a triumphant Bartzokas was very clear about exactly why his team had prevailed, explaining: “The key of the game was that we allowed only 60 points to such a talented offensive team; not even 20 points in any quarter. We were really solid defensively. Everybody did his job, we didn’t give anything easy to them, and we managed to win the game against a team that is a very strong competitor for the league.

“Everyone understands that it was a crucial game. I have to say that the team, the players, in this challenge they had in front of them, were ready to play. Through our defense, we controlled the pace of the game.”

This approach is true to the long-held traditions of Olympiacos, which has always prided itself on hard-nosed defense and gained back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 – the latter of those coming under the leadership of Bartzokas – by doing exactly that. And although the new era of Olympiacos – following the retirement of club greats Vassilis Spanoulis and Georgios Printezis – has shown a rather different, offensive-minded face, Friday’s win over Real showed that when it really matters, the Reds can still get back to basics and grind it out with the best of them.

Olympiacos went old school to down Real Madrid

Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2023-01-20T19:00:00.000Z)

Round 20 MVP, Wade Baldwin of Maccabi Playtika Tel led all scorers in Round 20 with 33 points. Panathinaikos Athens guard Dwayne Bacon is the EuroLeague's top scorer at 20.3 points per game.

Maccabi center Josh Nebo grabbed the most rebounds in Round 20 with 13 against ALBA, tying his season-high effort, which also came against ALBA in Round 15. Mathias Lessort of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade is the competition's best rebounder at 7.4 per night.

Nick Calathes of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Cassius Winston of FC Bayern Munich each dished 8 assists. Kostas Sloukas of Olympiacos Piraeus ranks first overall at 6.7 assists per game.

Luca Vildoza of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade had the most steals in Round 20 with 5 against Zalgiris Kaunas, which matches his career high. Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos leads the steals standings at 2.1 per game.

Achille Polonara of Zalgiris recorded 3 blocks in Round 20. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid is the runaway leader for blocks with 2.8 per game. 

There were no players who recorded a double-double in Round 20.

Round 20 individual highs: Luca Vildoza, Crvena Zvezda, 5 steals

After having a career-best performance in a winning effort during Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's 87-74 victory against ALBA Berlin, Wade Baldwin has earned MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time in his 108-game Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career. Baldwin finished with a career-high PIR of 35 after scoring a personal-best 33 points, while he also grabbed 3 rebounds, dished 6 assists, recorded 1 steal, blocked 1 shot and drew 6 fouls. On his way to 33 points, he went 8-of-13 from two-point range, 4-of-8 from behind the arc and 5-of-6 on free throws. This is Baldwin's first MVP accolade of the season.

The second-best performance in Round 20 came from EA7 Emporio Armani center Brandon Davies, who had a 31 PIR in his team's 73-79 loss at home to LCLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. He recorded 26 points, going 9-of-15 on two-pointers and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line, in addition to 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 11 drawn fouls. Alpha Diallo of AS Monaco finished with the third-highest PIR in this round with 26, following a display against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul that saw him collect 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Two players in Round 20 had a PIR of 25: Valencia Basket center Bojan Dubljevic and Fenerbahce big man Johnathan Motley. Dubljevic had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in Valencia's 89-81 victory over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, while Motley finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists as Fenerbahce lost in overtime to Monaco.

After having a career-best performance in a winning effort during Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's 87-74 victory against ALBA Berlin, Wade Baldwin has earned MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time in his 108-game Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career.