Four games take place on January 2 and five on January 3
At a glance: Round 19 opens 2025 in style!
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8 Mins read
The first action of 2025 will see the race for the playoffs intensifying with Round 19 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Here’s your guide to the action, including a high-octane Istanbul derby.
Thursday, January 2
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (19:00 CET)
The New Year tips off in style as faltering Zalgiris (10-8) looks to snap a two-game losing slide against in-form Olympiacos (12-6) searching for a fourth straight win. Olympiacos, which has won the last seven games between the teams, could bolster its frontcourt by giving a debut to recent signing Nathan Mensah. One key will be whether the home team can slow down the Reds' ball movement: Olympiacos leads the league in assists with 20.6 per game, while Zalgiris has held opponents to a league low 16 helpers per night. The Greens’ offense has faltered in recent weeks despite strong performances from Sylvain Francisco, who has averaged 3.3 triples over the last four games, and needs more inside presence after attempting only 22 two-pointers in last week’s loss at Maccabi.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (19:00 CET)
A big battle between direct rivals on the fringes of the playoff places will see ASVEL (8-10) and Milan (9-9) desperate to get back into winning ways. Milan, which has lost three in a row, is attempting to complete a season sweep over the French team after winning 92-84 at home less than a month ago, when experienced guard Fabien Causeur set the tone by snaring 6 steals. That game did not feature another veteran, Nando De Colo, who will look to make the difference and maintain his strong form by guiding ASVEL to the 9-point win it needs for head-to-head advantage. The game features the league’s top two players in PIR, as Theo Maledon (23.5) and Nikola Mirotic (23.2) attempt to dominate their respective areas of the court.
ALBA Berlin vs. AS Monaco (20:00 CET)
Confident co-leader Monaco (12-6) will look to strengthen its position in the all-important top four by downing rock bottom ALBA (3-15). Monaco has won the last six meetings between the teams, most recently handing out a 100-80 thrashing a month ago behind 17 points from Vitto Brown. ALBA’s porous defense – which has allowed a league-high 90.8 points per game – must somehow slow down a multi-faceted Monaco offense led by backcourt stars Mike James (14.1 points and 5.6 assists per game) and Jordan Loyd, who is looking for a fifth straight game of double-digit scoring. To limit their effectiveness, the German team will need Icelandic point guard Martin Hermannsson to continue his strong season (11.5 points, 5.2 assists) and control the tempo in the quest for an upset win.
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:30 CET)
Baskonia (8-10) will look to take the confidence of last week's remarkable comeback against Paris to stop the run of a Zvezda (10-8) team which has won four of its last five games. The Serbian team, which has claimed five road wins already, will be led in the frontcourt by Joel Bolomboy, who has recorded double digit PIRs in six consecutive games and could receive energetic support from newcomer John Brown if the former Monaco forward makes his debut. Baskonia will counter that through the tireless Chima Moneke, who combined with backcourt star Markus Howard for 57 points in the confidence-building Round 18 triumph. Baskonia needs an 8-point winning margin to claim the head-to-head advantage, after losing 78-71 in Belgrade in October.
Friday, December 27
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (18:45 CET)
In Friday’s opening tip-off, a crucial Istanbul derby will see Fenerbahce (10-7) attempt to emerge from a worrying slump by overcoming Efes (10-8). Saras Jasikevicius's team has lost three in a row and needs to fix a defense which has allowed an average of 93.3 points in that run. Efes also needs to bounce back after losing by 19 at Monaco last week despite another strong performance from big man Dan Oturu (10 points, 4.6 boards per game). The visitor has added motivation after being beaten by Fenerbahce, 78-83, at home in Round 2 behind 16 points from Bonzie Colson. Strangely, eight of the last ten meetings between these local rivals have been won by the away team, so Efes will aim to maintain that sequence by making Fenerbahce’s homecourt advantage count for nothing again.
Paris Basketball vs. FC Barcelona (20:15 CET)
Two former league leaders struggling for form will look to start 2025 in the right way as Paris (11-6) hosts Barcelona (9-9) in a must-win game for both teams. Barca big man Chimizie Metu made a strong return from injury in last week's loss to Zvezda, netting 16 points on 6-of-7 field goal shooting, and he will enjoy a good matchup with Collin Malcom, who averages 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds over the last two games. Paris, which is on a three-game losing streak, needs to show mental strength to recover from last week’s collapse at Baskonia, while Barca have a major score to settle with the host after TJ Shorts (24 points, 9 assists) inspired a stunning 87-103 victory at Palau Blaugrana earlier in the season.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:15 CET)
Much-improved Virtus (5-15) will look for a third straight win with the tough mission of triumphing at reigning champ Panathinaikos (11-7). Veteran visiting coach Dusko Ivanovic will look to damage one of his former clubs through the power of rejuvenated forward Achille Polonara, whose 17 points and 9 rebounds played a major role in last week’s convincing win over ASVEL. But the reigning champ is on a three-game winning roll after closing out 2024 with a strong road win at Bayern, featuring a solid debut from new big man Wenyen Gabriel. The Greens will also again lean on league-leading scorer Kendrick Nunn, who netted 27 points in Munich and will resist the Italian visitor’s attempts to claim a shock road victory.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)
Two of last week's winners will look to build momentum as Partizan (8-10) hosts Maccabi (5-13). Round 18 MVP Jaylen Hoard will look to maintain the form which has seen him score at least 12 points in ten consecutive games, but the Maccabi forward faces stuff competition from Isiaha Mike, who produced his best performance of the season with 9 points and 7 rebounds to power last week’s win over Fenerbahce. That game also saw another strong performance from guard Duane Washington, who is now looking truly comfortable in the EuroLeague after averaging 18 points in the last four games. Elsewhere in the backcourt, league-leading assister Tamir Blatt (8.4 per game) faces an intriguing matchup with Partizan leader Carlik Jones, who bounced back to form with 14 points and 5 assists last week.
Real Madrid vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:30 CET)
Fast-rising Real (9-9) aims for a fourth straight win with a visit from high-flying Bayern (11-7). The Spanish side will be looking for revenge – and a 9-point victory for head-to-head advantage – after losing a thriller, 97-89, in Round 1 in Munich. That game saw Bayern show its finishing power by netting 33 points in the final quarter, powered by Johannes Voigtmann grabbing a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. The German big man’s ability to take Walter Tavares out of his comfort zone in the paint could again be crucial. Sergio Llull will take center stage as he breaks the all-time EuroLeague appearance record, and he will look to continue the long-range shooting form which saw him score a season-high 20 points in last week's win at ALBA.