Name: Odiase with a powerful dunk! Magic Moment
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Odiase with a powerful dunk! Magic Moment

Bahcesehir College Istanbul v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-04-02T17:00:00.000Z)

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas returns with 25th anniversary specials!

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas opens a special season that will focus on the EuroLeague's 25th anniversary. With a one-hour format of exclusive interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is an award-winning podcast that goes beyond what happened on the court and tells behind-the-scenes stories, some of them for the first time! In this first episode, Arlauckas hosts Coach David Blatt and Tyrese Rice, who led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown in 2014.

Coach Blatt and Rice join Arlauckas for an insightful, relaxed conversation about how Maccabi became a EuroLeague champion against all odds. The team struggled at first and Rice was close to parting ways with Maccabi. He was ready to join EA7 Emporio Armani Milan when he learned he had to replace lifelong friend MarQuez Haynes. Rice joked about his "irrational confidence".

Inevitably, talk rolled around to Rice's game-winning shot in the semifinals against CSKA Moscow. Coach Blatt laughed about the teams' previous matchup in Moscow, when he was awarded the Russian Federation’s Order of Friendship right before losing by 35 points.

Arlauckas, Rice and Coach Blatt also talked about Game 1 of the playoff series against Milan, in which Maccabi rallied from a 12-point deficit to force overtime and steal the home-court advantage, and, of course, the championship game, which Maccabi won in overtime. Real Madrid was the favorite but Maccabi found a way.

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on Youtube, iTunes, Audioboom, Spotify, Deezer, RadioPublic, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher, CastBox, iVoox and other platforms.

Joe Arlauckas hosts Maccabi legends David Blatt and Tyrese Rice in this season's first episode

One team has managed to stand out from the rest, thanks to the remarkable form they've shown in recent weeks. That team is none other than Anadolu Efes Istanbul.


Five reasons why Efes is the hottest EuroLeague team right now

We’ve now reached the most critical stretch of the regular season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. With just two games remaining, we are witnessing an exceptionally intense battle for the top four, the Playoffs, and the Play-In Showdown at an unprecedented level.

Naturally, at this point in the season, every team is fighting hard to reach their goals. However, one team specifically has managed to stand out from the rest, thanks to the remarkable form they've shown in recent weeks.

As you might have guessed, that team is none other than Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1806087/five-reasons-why-anadolu-efes-is-the-hottest-euroleague-team-right-now/).

No team in the EuroLeague is hotter than Efes. Eurohoops takes a closer look at the key reasons behind the Turkish side’s recent surge

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was full of vicious stops so far this season! Check out the best blocks of March!

Top 10 Blocks | March | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

 The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was full of vicious stops so far this season! Check out the best blocks of March!

Virtus Segafredo Bologna announced on Wednesday it has extended the contract with head coach Dusko Ivanovic for the next season. 

Virtus renews head coach Dusko Ivanovic

Virtus Segafredo Bologna announced on Wednesday it has extended the contract with head coach [Dusko Ivanovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/ivanovic-dusko?season=E2024) for the next season. Ivanovic replaced Luca Banchi in early December, signing the contract until the end of this season, and now is set to lead the club in the 2025-26 campaign, too.

Ivanovic's first game on Virtus bench was in Round 15, having taken over a team with a 2-12 record. Ivanovic won in his debut at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on a [miracle four-point play](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/videos/mm-bas-vir-tae2425-rs15/) from [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/).

Virtus won three of the first four games with Ivanovic on the bench, and five of the first eight, before going on a nine-game losing streak, which ended last week with [a record-breaking win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-set-all-time-marks-in-44-point-win-at-alba/) at ALBA Berlin. In the Italian League, Virtus is in a share of the first place with a 17-7 record.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐊𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐈 🧢<br>Coach Dusko Ivanovic rinnova e sarà ancora il nostro allenatore anche per la prossima stagione 🤍🖤 <a href="https://t.co/WaG9lAFDgo">pic.twitter.com/WaG9lAFDgo</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1907359721939435523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Prior to Virtus, Ivanoviccoached Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, a team he led in four different stints. Over the years, Ivanovic helped Baskonia win the Spanish championship in 2002, 2010 and 2020, Spanish Cups in 2002, 2004 and 2009 and reach the EuroLeague Finals in 2001 and the EuroLeague Championship Game in 2005, losing against Virtus and Maccabi Tel Aviv, respectively.

Ivanovic started his coaching career with Benetton Fribourg of Switzerland, and also coached Limoges CSP of France, FC Barcelona of Spain, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens of Greece, Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul of Turkiye and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade of Serbia.

In his first three years as a full-time head coach, Ivanovic led Fribourg to back-to-back Swiss League titles in 1998 and 1999 and lifted the French League and the Korac Cup trophies with Limoges in 2000. Ivanovic won another Spanish Cup with Barca in 2007, a Greek Cup with Panathinaikos in 2015, and the Serbian League and Cup double with Zvezda in 2023.

As a player, Ivanovic helped Split win back-to-back EuroLeague championships in 1989 and 1990.

Ivanovic ranks fourth in all-time games coached in the EuroLeague with 398, only trailing Zeljko Obraovic (540), Ettore Messina (483) and Ergin Ataman (440). His coaching record is 220-178 (55.3%).

More Virtus News

Ivanovic will lead Virtus next season, too

It's Valencia Basket. It's the BKT EuroCup. It's a decisive game at La Fonteta. Valencia clicks all the boxes to reach its eighth EuroCup Finals.

Why Valencia can win Game 3

It's Valencia Basket. It's the BKT EuroCup. It's a decisive game at La Fonteta. Valencia clicks all the boxes to reach its eighth EuroCup Finals.

There is some good news for Valencia, as [Semi Ojeleye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/semi-ojeleye/011982/) has bounced back from illness- He scored 18 points over 25 minutes in a Spanish League game over the weekend. [Sergio De Larrea](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sergio-de-larrea/010750/) is also back in action, giving Valencia an even deeper backcourt rotation. So Valencia now has a deeper team and one of its top scorers is back in full force.

Until now, Ojeleye has played less than 10 minutes in the series. He has not scored and has a PIR of -2. By comparison, Ojeleye averaged 12.8 points on 42.9% three-point shooting for a PIR of 10.6 in regular season action. Valencia missed his physicality, versatility and leadership and now that he is fully recovered, Coach [Pedro Martinez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/martinez-pedro?season=U2024) has new ways to look for mismatches, as well as counting on a player who is always ready to take (and make) big shots down the stretch.

Semi Ojeleye averaged 12.8 points on 42.9% three-pointers and a PIR of 10.6 in regular season action.

2024-25 EuroCup Regular Season highlights: Semi Ojeleye, Valencia

It won't be easy, of course. Hapoel evened the series with a 96-91 victory in Game 2 behind an outstanding [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), who managed to stay out of foul trouble and play almost 35 minutes. He had 26 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists for a PIR of 32. Valencia succeeded in getting Motley into foul trouble in Game 1, limiting him to just 12 points and 2 rebounds in less than 27 minutes. In that sense, [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/matthew-costello/010444/), [Nate Reuvers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nathan-reuvers/012738/) and [Amida Brimah](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/amida-brimah/012075/) should be ready to be physical against him.

It only looks like a matter of time before Valencia is more consistent from beyond the arc. Valencia led the EuroCup by shooting 39.0% on three-pointers in the regular season and downed 40.5% from beyond the arc in the quarterfinals against U-BT Cluj-Napoca. It is struggling from beyond the arc against Hapoel at just 26.4% while Coach [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris?season=U2024)'s team is soaring (40.4% 3FG in the series, 34.6% in regular season action). This weekend, Valencia downed 15 of 34 three-pointers (44.1% 3FG) in a Spanish League win. Playing at home, Valencia should feel more comfortable from downtown.

That leads us to Valencia's biggest advantage in this game: playing at La Fonteta. If Valencia loses, it will be the last EuroCup game ever played in one of the competition's most iconic arenas. La Fonteta and the Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium have been home to four EuroCup Finals apiece. With a win, la Fonteta would host its fifth and last EuroCup Finals after previously doing so in 2003, 2014, 2017 and 2019.

In short, Valencia has the home-court advantage, Ojeleye is back at his usual level and there are clear guidelines on how to win the game: secure the defensive boards to run the floor as much as possible, limit Motley and [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/), putting them in foul trouble if possible and above all, feeling confident because a sea of people wearing orange will be there to support them and help them reach the Finals. It should be a great game to close one of the best series in competition history. Don't miss it!

Javier Gancedo analyzes Game 3 of the semifinals and why he believes Valencia should reach the EuroCup Finals

Valencia Basket v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-04-02T18:30:00.000Z)

The Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals will once again bring together the world's top U18 basketball talents as part of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four celebration, which will be held in Abu Dhabi this May

2024-25 NextGen Finals Teams and Calendar Announced

- Overtime Elite representing the USA and Dubai Basketball representing the Middle East to participate
- NextGen Finals to take place from May 22 to 25 in Abu Dhabi, alongside the EuroLeague Final Four

The Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals will once again bring together the world's top U18 basketball talents as part of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four celebration, which will be held in Abu Dhabi this May. This marks the second time a NextGen Tournament is hosted in the Middle East, following the successful 2023-24 Qualifier in Dubai. The NextGen Finals will be played at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, a premier sports complex known for hosting a wide range of sports events and activities.

The NextGen Finals, the world's premier club-based junior basketball event, will feature eight elite teams:

- Dubai Basketball
- EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
- FC Barcelona (Winner of NextGen Ulm)
- Mega SuperBet Belgrade (Winner of NextGen Istanbul)
- Overtime Elite
- Pole France INSEP Paris (Winner of NextGen Belgrade)
- Real Madrid
- Zalgiris Kaunas

This marks the second consecutive year an Overtime Elite representative will compete in the NextGen Finals. Overtime Elite, an elite U16 to U20 league, features many of the top young talents from the United States and beyond. The league, consisting of eight teams, recently completed its fourth season.

Dubai Basketball, a newly established project founded in 2024, has rapidly made its mark by securing participation in the ABA League. Their U18 team will represent the Middle East in its second consecutive NextGen Tournament appearance, following their role as hosts of a qualifier last season.

The eight teams will be divided into two groups:

- Group A: Mega SuperBet Belgrade, FC Barcelona, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Dubai Basketball
- Group B: Pole France INSEP Paris, Real Madrid, Zalgiris Kaunas and Overtime Elite

See the full game schedule below.

A combined total of nine U18 continental trophies have been won by the clubs participating in the NextGen Finals. Real Madrid enters as the reigning champion, having edged out INSEP by a single point (85-84) in last year’s final in Berlin. Real Madrid has claimed the title in 2023, 2015, 2019, and 2021, while INSEP was crowned champion in 2010 and 2017. Barcelona secured the European championship in 2016, and Mega won its first title in 2022.

Fans attending the NextGen Finals in Abu Dhabi or watching via the EuroLeague’s official YouTube channel will enjoy 12 group-stage games over the first three days (Thursday, May 22, to Saturday, May 24) at the Mubadala Arena. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, May 25, with the championship game between the two group winners.

Tickets for the NextGen Finals will be available for purchase during the following weeks.

This season marks the 23rd edition of the NextGen. Some of the biggest names in basketball have passed through the competition, including future stars such as Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Kristaps Porzingis, Domantas Sabonis, Milos Teodosic, Vasilije Micic, Nikola Mirotic, Donatas Motiejunas, Dario Saric, Jonas Valanciunas, Omri Casspi, Luigi Datome and Goga Bitadze, among others.

2024-25 NextGen Finals teams and calendar announced

With all due respect to the two semifinalists on the other side of the bracket, there is a feeling among many that the favorite to win the BKT EuroCup this season will be the team that wins on Wednesday night at La Fonteta. And more than anything else, what Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv needs to knock out Valencia Basket is a full, healthy roster.

Why Hapoel can win Game 3

With all due respect to the two semifinalists on the other side of the bracket, there is a feeling among many that the favorite to win the BKT EuroCup this season will be the team that wins on Wednesday night at La Fonteta. And more than anything else, what [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/?season=2024-25) needs to knock out Valencia Basket is a full, healthy roster.

Thus far, Hapoel has managed to match up with Valencia nicely despite being depleted. Hapoel led at halftime in Game 1 before faltering in the third quarter and never trailed in Game 2. In the eight quarters played thus far, Hapoel has won four, Valencia two and two finished in ties.

Coach [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris?season=U2024)'s side has done all of that despite being without the injured [Joe Ragland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joe-ragland/005181/) and with [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/) missing Game 1 and playing less than 5 minutes in Game 2. And now there are questions surrounding several other players for Game 3, including star guard [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/).

According to reports from Israel, Madar aggravated a knee injury in Game 2 and – instead of remaining with his teammates in Bulgaria over the weekend – flew home for treatment. It may not be clear if he can play in the series decider until shortly before the game. Meanwhile, key reserves [Bar Timor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bar-timor/004846/) and [Marcus Bingham](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-bingham/013506/) have missed practices due to illness.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’re ready 👹 <a href="https://t.co/EoQ6MKeJt2">pic.twitter.com/EoQ6MKeJt2</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1907154040141787210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

None of these absences are a small matter. And combined they can be crippling. Madar has been the standout of the series thus far, averaging 20.5 points on outstanding shooting plus 6.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

To hope to survive with a chance to win if Madar is limited or cannot play, Hapoel will need Ragland and Timor. Ragland ranks third in the EuroCup this season in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.6) and Timor is one of the most experienced players on the roster. Without them, the only natural playmaker on the Hapoel roster is 20-year-old Noam Yaacov.

[Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) was a big reason Hapoel won Game 2 with 26 points and 8 rebounds and perhaps even more will be needed if he does not have Caboclo and Bingham behind him. It's important to remember that Caboclo was a EuroLeague starter just last season and an All-EuroCup selection two seasons ago.

The fact that injuries have hit Hapoel at specifically two of the spots where Valencia is deepest and strongest is even more of a concern.

On the court, Hapoel has done much of what it needed to win the series. It has slowed the pace and held Valencia to subpar three-point shooting (26.4%). But if it is without the key players mentioned above, Hapoel would need Herculean efforts from the likes of Motley, [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-foster/010386/), [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/), [Ish Wainright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/ishmail-carzell-wainright/013284/) and [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) to prevail in Game 3.

Could the absences of key players derail Hapoel’s season?

Trent Forrest, the first-year guard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, opens up about the life in Europe, and talks about his upbringing, his family, adjustments he needed to make in Europe, on and off the court, the quality of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, and a lot more.

Trent Forrest: 'EuroLeague fans are very into the game'

Trent Forrest, the first-year guard of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, talks about his upbringing, family, adjustments he needed to make in Europe, on and off the court, the quality of the EuroLeague and its fans, and a lot more.

Baskonia playmaker opens up about the life in Europe and his experiences in the EuroLeague so far

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Game 3 of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals.

Semifinals, Game 3: Pregame quotes

## Wednesday, April 2: Game 3

### Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (18:00 CET)

**John Shurna, Dreamland Gran Canaria forward**

"It's a final, right? So it's an exciting game. We're gonna try our best to get some rest, but we're expecting the best version of their team and we have to bring our best too. We've had two physical battles, so now each team has defended home court and now it all comes down to Game 3. I think rebounding, matching their physicality, they're a very physical team. Trying to limit their second opportunities and making sure we limit our turnovers as well and try to run in transition a bit too. It's a lot of games in a few days. We have to leave it all on the line and I'm sure it'll be great game with both teams bringing their best. When we're focused, we've shown that we can compete with anyone. It's a great opportunity for us and hopefully we can bring our best energy."

John Shurna: "When we're focused, we've shown that we can compete with anyone"

### Valencia Basket vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)

**Pedro Martinez, Valencia Basket head coach**

"We are not nervous as we approach the game. We know we earned the right to be here. It has been a long season, we went through all sorts of moments and earned the right to play Game 3 at home, the tie-breaker. We want to play the best game possible and play good basketball, with very good defense, rebounding really well and taking care of all small details taking place in the series, since it is our third game against them in a week. We have to adjust to what they propose because they will make their own adjustments. For me, it is a 50-50 game. I ask Valencia Basket fans to help their team and give us the energy that we need to win a very important game against a great opponent with great players, a team that plays really good basketball. All of our energy has to be focused on that. We have physical issues but all of my players and everyone else thinks of this game as a final, so my players will give everything they have. We don't want to make loud statements or complain. All 13 professional players are available and tomorrow, we will decide who to leave out."

**Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach**

"We're coming over here in Valencia knowing that it's a tied series, so that's the final game. We know the difficulties we have to face, but we're determined, decisive to compete. \[Madar and Ragland\] will try to practice and we will evaluate their situation on the court \[before the game\]. Details are important for sure, a lot of details I think from both sides. Both teams have a lot of strategy to put on. We add some things, they add some things defensively, offensively. We pretty much add things also during the game. They add things during the game as well. They make certain adjustments, we certain adjustments. So I hope it's gonna be a very attractive for the fans as well. Not only the fans that they're gonna fill the gym, but also but also the audience that they're gonna watch it through the internet or TV."

**Ish Wainright, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv forward**

"We feel like we are extremely prepared. I'm pretty sure they're gonna come out swinging hard. And I mean, we're excited, our fans are excited, this is the time where we can make history and this is probably the biggest game of our season so far, so. Much respect to them. And I know they're gonna be prepared also. So we're excited and ready to go to war. It's gonna be a dogfight from the beginning."

Ish Wainright: "It's gonna be a dogfight from the beginning"

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Game 3 of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals

This week's EuroLeague & Friends episode, featuring Deniz Aksoy, Milena Martin, Asta Zukaite and Aleksandra Radivojevic, sees the girls reflect on Nigel Hayes-Davis’s heroics, the excellence of TJ Shorts and Kendrick Nunn, the Top Scorer race, and much more.

EuroLeague & Friends: Hayes-Davis's role as a star player, TJ Shorts vs. Kendrick Nunn...

This week's EuroLeague & Friends episode, featuring [Deniz Aksoy](https://www.instagram.com/denizzaksoy/), [Milena Martin](https://www.instagram.com/milenagramm/), [Asta Zukaite](https://www.instagram.com/asta_zukaite/) and [Aleksandra Radivojevic](https://www.instagram.com/amazing__alex/), sees the girls reflect on Nigel Hayes-Davis’s heroics, the excellence of TJ Shorts and Kendrick Nunn, the Top Scorer race, and much more.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-04-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-04-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-04-04T18:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-04-04T18:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Paris Basketball (2025-04-03T19:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v FC Bayern Munich (2025-04-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-04-03T17:00:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-04-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v FC Barcelona (2025-04-02T17:45:00.000Z)

Euroleague Basketball has announced the following disciplinary decision pertaining to incidents that occurred in Round 31 and 32 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Latest disciplinary sanctions

- Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has been sanctioned with a fine of €7,000, for insufficient preventive measures during the game Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul – Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, under Article 29.2.i) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code
- Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has been sanctioned with a fine of €5,000, for the throwing of objects onto the playing court during the game Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens – Paris Basketball, under Article 29.2.g) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code
- Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade has been sanctioned with fines amounting to €16,000, and its next game to be played at a limited 80% of its capacity, including the closing of specific sectors, for multiple incidents generated by its fans during the game Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet – Real Madrid, under Articles 29.2.f), and 29.2.g) of the Euroleague Basketball Disciplinary Code

FC Barcelona has reached an agreement with [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) to remain together through the end of the 2027-28 season, the club announced Tuesday afternoon. Punter (1.93 meters, 31 years old) joined Barca this season and is ranked sixth in the league with 17.1 points in 30 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague appearances. He has made 40.9% of his three-point shots and 93.6% of his free throw attempts. Punter has also averaged 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 16.7.

Kevin Punter's best plays of the 2024-25 campaign, his first season in Barcelona jersey

Kevin Punter's best plays in his first season in Barcelona jersey

Barca is the fifth team in Punter's EuroLeague career after previous stops with Olympiacos Piraeus, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Punter is one of four EuroLeague players to play more than 150 games and average at least 15.0 points, along with Mike James, Alexey Shved and Marcus Brown. He has averages 15.0 points in 154 career games.

"One of the main factors, I would say, is the fact that we are building something, just the stability of the team, of us, is building something for the future," Punter said. "Obviously it is an up and down season but it still doesn't take away the fact that we have the chance to do some good things. I am enjoying myself on and off the court. My connection with my teammates and coaches and everyone around is going really, really well. I am happy and want to continue to be happy moving forward."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">✅ El Club s’assegura la continuïtat de l’escorta nord-americà per a les properes tres temporades<br><br>Tots els detalls de la renovació, aquí 👇<a href="https://t.co/32nuAOwDxF">https://t.co/32nuAOwDxF</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1907055448915636422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

During his career, Punter has also played for GS Lavrio and AEK Athens of Greece, Port of Antwerp Giants of Belgium, Rosa Radom of Poland and Virtus Segafredo Bologna of Italy. He helped AEK to win the Greek Cup and BCL titles in 2018 and lifted another BCL trophy with Virtus in 2019. Punter also added to his trophy case the Italian Cup with Milan in 2021 and the Adriatic League title with Partizan in 2023.

The veteran guard has averaged 15.0 points over 154 career EuroLeague games

Barca extends sharpshooter Kevin Punter through 2028

The final two rounds of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, the Play-In Showdown, the EuroLeague Playoffs and the EuroLeague Final Four are set to be packed with drama, so make sure you secure a front-row seat with EuroLeague TV's Crunch Time Pass.

Catch the business end of the season with the Crunch Time Pass

The final two rounds of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, the Play-In Showdown, the EuroLeague Playoffs and the EuroLeague Final Four are set to be packed with drama, so make sure you secure a front-row seat with [EuroLeague TV's Crunch Time Pass](https://euroleague.tv/signup?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mar2025_crunchtime).

This pass, which is only available for a limited time, also covers Game 3 of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals, the EuroCup Finals and the NextGen Finals, plus you will have access to the top-notch documentaries and much more that are found on [EuroLeague TV](https://euroleague.tv/signup?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mar2025_crunchtime).

The 'Every Game Matters' mantra is completely true during the regular season, but it takes on a new meaning in the postseason. Witness it for yourself and [purchase the Crunch Time Pass now](https://euroleague.tv/signup?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mar2025_crunchtime).

This includes the final two rounds of the regular season, as well as the entire postseason

FC Barcelona v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-04-11T18:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-04-11T18:15:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v AS Monaco (2025-04-10T18:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-04-11T17:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v ALBA Berlin (2025-04-10T18:45:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Real Madrid (2025-04-10T18:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-04-10T18:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2025-04-10T18:15:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-04-10T18:00:00.000Z)

Javier Gancedo explains what Gran Canaria needs to do well in order to return to the EuroCup Finals

Why Gran Canaria will win Game 3

Experience matters in do-or-die games. When it comes to [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/?season=2024-25), it has more EuroCup experience than the other three other semifinalists combined.

Gran Canaria features seven EuroCup champions on its roster, not counting head coach Jaka Lakovic. [Miquel Salvo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/miquel-salvo/005005/), [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/), [John Shurna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/john-shurna/006588/), [Nico Brussino](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nicolas-brussino/008121/) and [Jovan Kljajic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jovan-kljajic/007560/) lifted the trophy with Gran Canaria barely two years ago. [Mike Tobey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mike-tobey/008966/) helped Valencia Basket win the EuroCup in 2019 and [Mendy Ngouama](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mehdy-ngouama/009556/) did so with Paris Basketball last season.

After watching both games, you get the feeling that Gran Canaria is only getting better and better. [In Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/gran-canaria-still-alive-after-69-68-win-over-bahcesehir-thanks-to-homesley-heroics/), Gran Canaria had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.5 and made 20 of 32 two-pointers (62.5% 2FG). [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/?season=2024-25) struggled to score inside the arc, making just 13 of 30 two-pointers (43.3% 2FG) and committing just as many assists as turnovers, 12 each.

It could be argued that Bahcesehir had a [dominant Game 1](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bahcesehir-overpowers-gran-canaria-74-66-in-game-1-of-semifinals/) in which it held a double-digit lead for a long time. Gran Canaria had a major blackout after getting an early 10-15 lead. Bahcesehir outscored Gran Canaria 24-6 over the next 9 minutes. In that span, Coach Lakovic's team made just 3 of 13 field goals (23.1%) and committed 5 turnovers. It is very unlikely that an experienced team like Gran Canaria will underperform that way again.

Dreamland Gran Canaria edged Bahcesehir College Istanbul 69-68 to tie the best-of-three semifinal playoff series.

Gran Canaria highlights: Semifinals, Game 2

On the other hand, Bahcesehir has no EuroCup champions and some of its best players have not had great experiences in the higher stages of the competition. [Axel Bouteille](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/axel-bouteille/003840/) was with Turk Telekom Ankara when it lost the EuroCup Finals in Gran Canaria. [Marko Simonovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marko-simonovic/012711/) lost Game 3 of the semifinals with Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul against Cosea JL Bourg en Bresse last season. [Mateusz Ponitka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mateusz-ponitka/004172/) lost Game 3 of the 2019 quarterfinals with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar against UNICS Kazan.

[Caleb Homesley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/caleb-homesley/011251/) kept Gran Canaria in the series with a wild, game-winning three-point play in the final seconds of Game 2. Being so close to losing it all should be positive for Gran Canaria, which returned home and gained even more momentum with another close win in Spanish League action. Albicy's buzzer-beating layup lifted his team to a 91-89 home victory over Unicaja Malaga.

Gran Canaria should see this game as a golden chance to reach the EuroCup Finals for the third time in club history. This group of players knows what it takes to win together and has been victorious in a lot of close games: it won all of its last five EuroCup games decided by 5 points or loss. Expect Gran Canaria to be highly competitive in this exciting, decisive showdown.

Why Gran Canaria can win Game 3

With Javier Gancedo out partying, co-hosts Vasiliki Karamouza and Frankie Sachs teamed up for Episode No. 25 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast. The show starts with a bang as Vassiliki breaks some news and Frankie reveals the details of their private WhatsApp messages last week!

The Fantasy Challenge Podcast presents: The Barcelona dilemma

With [Javier Gancedo](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fganchetto&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7Cd5538e3885f74e148dae08dd6ad32641%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638784177282492773%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cqHvS%2Fo%2BuTedtCFtxT8V7ee%2FvopzX1kyjXZD0oLgatI%3D&reserved=0) out partying, co-hosts [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://x.com/karamouza_vas) and [Frankie Sachs](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FMrEuroleague&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7Cd5538e3885f74e148dae08dd6ad32641%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638784177282517913%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jYTqaHWOmXpdpUJew4Ihsp615bj%2Fc8Hyn4kpubedxxM%3D&reserved=0) teamed up for Episode No. 25 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast. The show starts with a bang as Vassiliki breaks some news and Frankie reveals the details of their private WhatsApp messages last week!

Then it's on to the Fantasy Challenge and detailed discussions about the merits of [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/?season=2024-25) players (Frankie has three on his team!) and [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2024-25) players ahead of their Wednesday night game. Vassiliki is stuck in a dilemma between [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) and [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and Frankie has mixed feelings about [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/).

Vasiliki and Frankie go through their choices for Round 33 as well as their captains, including how many points their Wednesday and Thursday captains needs to score to before deciding whether to name [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) (in a matchup against [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/roster/ber/?season=2024-25)) as captain on Friday. Don’t get caught off-guard by the Wednesday showdown in Istanbul between Fenerbahce and Barcelona, so make sure to set your lineups before they tip off at 19:45 CET. And, as always, good luck, fantasy fans.

 

How many players from Barcelona are too many? Vasiliki Karamouza and Frankie Sachs chat about that and more in episode No. 25.  

FC Bayern Munich and Niels Giffey put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension that will keep them together through 2027

Bayern signs Niels Giffey to extension through 2027

FC Bayern Munich and [Niels Giffey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/niels-giffey/001557/) put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension on Tuesday. Giffey (2.00 meters, 33 years old) has already been with the Bavarian club for three years. He has averaged 6.0 points on a league best 60.5% three-point shooting in 21 games this season. In three seasons with Bayern, Giffey has been worth 5.1 points on 52.0% two-point shooting and 45.25 on threes, which is the fifth-best in the league over that time. In Giffey's first season with Bayern, he joined the prestigious 50-40-90 club by making 51.5% of his twos, 48.2% of his threes and 92.9% of his free throws.

Niels Giffey Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season, 2023 Regular Season and 1 other Season Part

Niels Giffey's top plays with Bayern Munich (2022-2025)

A native of Berlin, Giffey played college basketball at the University of Connecticut and helped it win NCAA Tournament titles in 2011 and 2014. He began his professional career with ALBA Berlin and spent seven seasons there. After a season in Lithuania with Zalgiris Kaunas and a spell in Spain with UCAM Murcia, Giffey first joined Bayern in November 2022.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝, 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 - 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟕 ✍🏻<br> <br>🇩🇪 Niels Giffey hat seinen Vertrag beim FC Bayern Basketball vorzeitig um zwei weitere Jahre bis Sommer 2027 verlängert.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Giffey2027?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Giffey2027</a> || <a href="https://twitter.com/freelanceDE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@freelancede</a> wünscht weiterhin viel Spaß im Job</p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1906983622487445940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As a member of the German national team, Giffey won the Basketball World Cup in 2022 and a bronze medal at EuroBasket 2023. He helped ALBA win the German championship in 2020 and German Cups in 2016 and 2020, won 2022 Lithuanian Cup with Zalgiris and captured the 2023 German Cup as well as the German League and Cup double last season.

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