Round 27-28 roll call: Heroics and repeat performances

Costello's heroics in Madrid

Matthew Costello and Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz had a night to remember on Tuesday in Madrid. Costello hit a last-second triple while drawing a foul by Rudy Fernandez to lift Baskonia to a dramatic 81-85 win over Real. The last-season heroics were just icing on the cake for Costello, who spent first half of the fourth quarter on the bench with 3 fouls, then got his fourth with 4:06 to go in and Real up 78-71. In the remaining time, however, Costello scored 12 of his 20 points to lift Baskonia to victory. Costello played just 15 minutes and 29 seconds, but that did not stop him of tying his career high with 5 triples on 8 attempts. In a four-point win, Costello had a plus/minus of +15, a testament to the difference he made while on the floor in a huge Baskonia win.

The Reds' fourth-quarter king

Olympiacos Piraeus picked up a pair of victories to become the first team to 20 wins and all but mathematically qualify for the playoffs. Giannoulis Larentzakis shined in both games – in the fourth quarter. Larentzakis entered the last 10 minutes of both games this week with 5 points, having shot 1-for-1 from three-point range. In each of the games – first in a 77-70 win over FC Barcelona, then a 102-74 drubbing of FC Bayern Munich – he finished the game with 14 points on 4-for-5 three-point efficiency. Against Bayern, he helped the Reds set a new club record with 19 three-pointers while tying his career high in index rating with 17. Quite a week of fourth-quarter performances for the veteran guard.

Pangos returned in fine form

Kevin Pangos returned to floor this week after missing 15 games and immediately made an impact for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Pangos first posted 13 points and 6 rebounds in an 84-88 road triumph over Valencia Basket, his first game since November. He then shined with 10 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in 76-62 victor over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Pangos hit some clutch shots and magical passes in both games, too, helping Milan extend its winning streak to six games to stay in the chase for the playoffs.

Nunnally sparked Partizan offense in Italy

Partizan split wins on its Giro di Italia. Before losing in Milan, Partizan registered a big 79-88 win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna in which veteran swingman James Nunnally played a key part. Nunnally made a career high 7 two-point shots on 8 attempts en route to scoring 18 points. Two days later, Nunnally had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in a loss against Milan, but showed up on a crucial road trip after combining for a total of 2 points in Partizan's previous two games.

All-around Polonara boosted Zalgiris

In his first nine games for Zalgiris Kaunas since arriving in early January from Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Achille Polonara reached 10 points just once and scored a total of 20 over the last six. In this double-round week, Polonara was everywhere for Zalgiris in two massive wins that improved the team’s record to 15-13. First, in a 63-66 road win against ALBA Berlin, Polonara had 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Next, he collected 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in an 85-67 drubbing of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in front of a sellout crowd at the Zalgirio Arena, site of this year’s Final Four.

Thompson kept hot streak going

Although Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz lost at home to AS Monaco in Round 28, 93-102, Darius Thompson was able to keep his impressive personal run going. The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague rookie scored a season-high 20 points against Monaco and dished 12 assists, as he recorded a double-double for the third game in a row. His double-double streak started with a 16-point, 11-assist performance against Valencia Basket in Round 26, Thompson then paired 18 points with 14 assists in Baskonia's Round 27 win at Real, before Friday's showing of 20 points and 12 assists. As such, he ended the double-round week with 38 points and 26 assists, which has helped him become the EuroLeague's assists leader with an average of 6.5 per game, just ahead of the 6.4 averaged by Olympiacos Pireaus's Kostas Sloukas.

Papagiannis demonstrated his leadership

Panathinaikos Athens trailed Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 29-42 at halftime of their Round 28 at OAKA Altion on Friday night, with team captain Georgios Papagiannis sitting on 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. Yet, while Papagiannis did not exactly explode in the second half, scoring 8 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, dishing 1 assist and making 1 block, he lit the fuse for what was to come. With the Greens down by 16 points, 37-53, in the third quarter, the 25-year-old scored a two-pointer before adding an alley-oop dunk not long after, getting the fans off their seats. Panathinaikos carried those 4 straight points into a 22-2 run that changed the complexion of the game for good, 59-55, as it continued that momentum into the final buzzer, winning 75-66.