Name: Nick Weiler-Babb: 'Big-time players make big plays'
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Walter Tavares is playing his best basketball of the season and helping Real Madrid in their push to make the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Walter Tavares is hitting top gear at just the right time

Right from the opening tip, [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) meant business for [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) as the 11-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion [beat EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 96-89](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-downs-milan-96-89-but-fails-to-secure-tiebreaker/) on Tuesday night.

The Milan big men simply had no answer for the 33-year-old, who grabbed an offensive rebound and dunked for the opening score of the game, then pulled down another shortly after before converting a layup. It looked like it was going to be a long night for the Little Red Shoes.

That feeling was amplified in the latter stages of the first quarter as Tavares and [Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/) combined to wreak havoc in the Milan paint. After helping Real Madrid go 12-3 ahead to start the game, Tavares was instrumental in his team holding a 24-9 advantage just over seven minutes into the contest.

When Real Madrid added mid-season signing [Bruno Fernando](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bruno-fernando/013667/) to a frontline that already contained Tavares, Garuba and [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/), it might have felt like overkill. Instead, it looks like a masterstroke as Tavares is now able to get plenty of rest when needed, freeing him up to have a devastating effect in the minutes he’s out on the court.

At halftime against Milan, with Real Madrid leading 54-41, Tavares had 10 points, 3 rebounds, all of which were on the offensive end, 1 assist, 1 block and a 13 PIR in seven and a half minutes. By the end of the night, the eight-year EuroLeague veteran posted 19 points on 8-of-8 two-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws, 7 rebounds, with 5 being on the offensive glass, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks and a 27 PIR. It was the type of Tavares performance that Real Madrid and EuroLeague fans have grown accustomed to seeing over the years.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🔝 <a href="https://twitter.com/waltertavares22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@waltertavares22</a> <br>👏 ¡Nuestro MVP del partido vs <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OlimpiaMI1936</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/autoheroespana?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@autoheroespana</a> <a href="https://t.co/txdX42SMUf">pic.twitter.com/txdX42SMUf</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1904657698701860904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What was notable about Tuesday night’s display is that it came after a similarly dominate outing against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne last time out, as Tavares amassed 23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and a 28 PIR [in an 81-70 triumph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tavares-leads-real-past-asvel-81-70/). The Cape Verdean has now finished with a PIR of 20 or more in back-to-back games for the first time since Games 2 and 3 of the 2024 playoffs, showing that he is hitting his stride at the business end of the season once again.

*Los Blancos* are now in the midst of a three-game winning streak and have jumped up to eighth in the standings, but the goal will be to keep rising further and try to achieve a top-six finish. Two tough road games in Serbia against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade are sandwiched between a home contest with Paris Basketball, but with Tavares playing at this level, Real Madrid will fancy its chances against anyone at the moment.

Game News

The towering center is playing his best basketball of the season

Real Madrid v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-03-25T19:45:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich held the number one offense in the league to just 2 free throws in the final 3 minutes to reel off a 2-11 close to the game and win 101-102 at FC Barcelona in a massive road victory in the battle for the playoffs. 

Bayern's defense stepped up when needed late

FC Bayern Munich’s defense has been questioned all season, but it showed against FC Barcelona that it can perform when it counts as the German champs finished the game in superb fashion for a crucial comeback win.

Bayern held the number one offense in the league to just 2 free throws in the final 3 minutes to reel off a 2-11 close to the game and win 101-102 at Barcelona in a massive road victory in the battle for the playoffs.

“A character win for us,” said Bayern head coach Gordon Herbert. “We had a great last 2 minutes of the game. We got some stops and the guys played tough and we got some big baskets going the other way. Defensively we struggled at times. They are a very good offensive team. But give our guys credit. They fought through stuff and stayed together.”

Game Videos

Bayern trailed by 11 points 94-83 with just over 5 minutes to play and it was still 99-91 when Herbert’s men stepped up their defense, which came into the game ranked 16th in the league in points allowed.

“We were very resilient in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter when it came down to it. Big-time players make big plays and we just stuck together at the end,” said Nick Weiler-Babb, who collected 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the win, which improved Bayern’s record to 18-13 and dropped Barcelona to 17-14.

The victory also came after Bayern had suffered a 112-89 loss last week at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

“A very big one for us. We lost a bad one in Baskonia so we had to bounce back. And this was a good way to do it,” added Weiler-Babb.

“That was a high-level game. With a team like that, there were so many runs and so many momentum changes. I’m just happy to get through this game healthy and be able to win,” said Carsen Edwards, who scored 23 points including a layup to make it 101-100 with 39 seconds to play and setting up Vladimir Lucic’s game-deciding free throws with 17 seconds left.

“A big win for us. We have to keep chipping away and take it one game at a time. But this was a good one for us.”

Also to know that the defense can be there in big games when it matters most.

FC Bayern Munich has struggled all season on defense, but the unit shined late against Barcelona

FC Barcelona v FC Bayern Munich (2025-03-25T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich guard Nick Weiler-Babb spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat FC Barcelona in Round 31 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Nick Weiler-Babb: 'Big-time players make big plays'

Valencia Basket guard Jean Montero spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team defeated Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup Semifinals. 

Jean Montero: 'I'm just trying to do the best I can do'

Valencia Basket v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-03-25T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona-FC Bayern Munich | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Mike James came up big in crunch time to lead Monaco past Zalgiris

It didn’t seem like the best night for [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) at the beginning of the second quarter of the game that [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) was playing [against Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-survives-overtime-thriller-against-zalgiris-96-86/). Right after committing his second foul, he was called for a technical foul that sent him to the bench with his team trailing 21-28. Without James, Monaco fell even lower, amassing a 15-point deficit (27-42).

Thanks to a late reaction before the break, Monaco trailed just 44-48 at halftime, but the feelings were not very good for a team that played to secure a top seed in the playoffs.

“We didn’t play good in the first half, we received a lot of points”, Monaco head coach Vassilis Spanoulis regretted after the game. “And this is not our basketball, we received 48 points, and after halftime half we gave up 32, we had like two different faces.”

That duality was also represented by James, who despite scoring the first bucket of the second half and grabbing his 1,000th rebound of his EuroLeague career soon after, was having a small impact in the game until it went into the final moments.

Mike James (22 points) Highlights vs. Zalgiris Kaunas, 03/25/2025

Mike James shined for Monaco against Zalgiris

With Zalgiris still up 70-73 with less than 3 minutes remaining, James decided to take over Monaco’s offense, scoring 8 points in a row capped by a huge three that made it 78-78 entering the last minute. That was crucial for Monaco to force overtime, when [Daniel Theis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/daniel-theis/004132/) converted a couple of free throws to tie it 80-80 at the end of the fourth quarter.

When the game resumed, James needed just two possessions to show his greatness. He opened with a basket to put his team ahead with just 15 seconds played and later he came up big and drew a foul on [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) that turned into 3 free throws that set Monaco on the winning track for good, 85-80.

“We showed some heart today,” James stressed. “I mean, it was a do-or-die game for us. It is at the end of the season, so we are fighting for the playoffs and the home court. So, it was a big win for us. We got another one in two days, so \[now, it’s time to\] take a deep breath and calm down a little bit tonight and get ready for the game on Thursday.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trapped in Mike&#39;s web 🕷🕸<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/i5fcuNf0gO">pic.twitter.com/i5fcuNf0gO</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1904831202193715486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

James didn’t need to score more, as [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) showed up to finish the job in the next possessions, and finished with a game-high 22 points, with many of them coming in crunch time to decide a close game. Something his head coach also celebrated.

“It was our time to take a close game,” celebrated Spanoulis. “We missed four or five close games, we could have more wins, and now it’s our time to pick one. It’s great for our psychology, we showed big character down the stretch, we made good plays and we played our best defense in the overtime… Everybody stepped up in overtime.”

The guard scored 13 points in 5 minutes bridging the last quarter and the overtime

AS Monaco v Zalgiris Kaunas (2025-03-25T18:00:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard Carlik Jones spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat ALBA Berlin in Round 31 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.  

Carlik Jones: 'It's been a tough three games for us'

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v ALBA Berlin (2025-03-25T19:45:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Real Madrid-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade bounced back from three successive defeats in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with an 85-71 home win over ALBA Berlin to stay in contention for a top 10 finish 

Partizan beats ALBA, 85-71, to keep postseason hopes alive 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade bounced back from three successive defeats in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with an 85-71 home win over ALBA Berlin to stay in contention for a top 10 finish and hence a postseason spot in the continent’s premier competition.

Brandon Davies paced Partizan on 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the floor, while Carlik Jones followed with 15 points and 9 assists. Isaac Bonga chipped in with 14 points and 6 boards for the hosts, who improved to 16-15. 

At the other end, Matt Thomas led ALBA with 16 points, Yanni Wetzell added 12 and Gabriele Procida netted 10 for the competition’s bottom team, which dropped to 5-26 despite putting on a brave performance at Belgrade Arena.

Last week’s 65-97 home debacle against Anadolu Efes Istanbul had clearly rattled Partizan, as the home team made a jittery start against ALBA and shot a mere 1 of 7 from the floor in the opening exchanges. The visitors, who are looking incomparably more aggressive on defense under new head coach Pedro Calles, took a jittery first quarter 13-14 before Partizan found its range from deep in the second and turned the tide for good.

With offensive boards keeping Partizan afloat in the opening 10 minutes, Davies and Bonga led the charge in the second quarter and the hosts engineered a 40-34 halftime lead as they were roared on by a fervent home crowd, which again turned up in droves hoping to put some wind into their team’s sails. 

Davies sank a pair of threes early in the third quarter which propelled Partizan into a 53-42 lead but following a barren spell at either end on offense, ALBA hit back with a barrage of triples to slash the deficit to 59-56 late in the period.

Bonga then sank a pair of free throws at the end of the third which instigated an 8-0 Partizan run which restored the home team’s 11-point lead, 67-56, which soon soared to 76-60 midway through the fourth as the home side pulled away.

ALBA fought hard to stay in the matchup but Partizan ultimately had too much firepower for the German side and will now head to a tough road game at Bayern Munich with restored confidence.  

“Defense is going to be the key as we have to contain Bayern’s lethal three-point shooting,” Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic told the postgame press conference, having already turned his attention to the upcoming blockbuster. “We’re in with a chance if we show the same energy level as we did tonight and having lots of our travelling fans will certainly be a massive boost.”

The Serbian team ended a three-game skid to rekindle its bid of making the knockout stages of the competition 

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-03-25T19:45:00.000Z)

Real Madrid managed to defeat Olimpia Milano 96-89 in a game it never trailed in, but there will be a sense of frustration for coach Chus Mateo and his men after failing to secure the tiebreaker, having lost by nine points in Italy earlier this season. 

Real Madrid downs Milan, 96-89, but fails to secure tiebreaker

Real Madrid managed to defeat EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 96-89 in a game it never trailed in, but there will be a sense of frustration for coach Chus Mateo and his men after failing to secure the tiebreaker, having lost by nine points in Italy earlier this season. As such, in the event that Real Madrid and Milan finish the season with the same regular-season record, it will be coach Ettore Messina’s squad that has the advantage. Both sides came into this contest with a 16-14 record, but *Los Blancos* have improved to 17-14 while Milan drops to 16-15. 

Dzanan Musa scored 21 points for Real Madrid, which also had Walter Tavares (19 points), Usman Garuba (11) and Facu Campazzo (11) net in double figures. Zach LeDay was Milan’s leading scorer with 15 points, followed by Nikola Mirotic with 14, and Shavon Shields and Fabien Causeur with 13 apiece.

Tavares showed in the early stages of the first quarter that it was going to be a long night, grabbing a couple of offensive rebounds and netting a pair of layups as Real Madrid went 7-3 ahead. Alberto Abalde struck from deep and Campazzo hit from mid-range as it became a 12-3 contest. Milan had a bit of a reaction thanks to a Nico Mannion floater and a pair of Mirotic free throws, 14-7, but Tavares and Usman Garuba then combined to devastating effect as *Los Blancos* opened a 24-9 advantage. Bruno Fernando later piled on the pain, before Musa’s three free throws ensured it was 31-16 after 10 minutes.

Despite a strong start to the second by Milan, with Guglielmo Caruso scoring three points and Neno Dimitrijevic two, a Musa three-pointer soon restored a comfortable lead at 34-21. Shavon Shields and Dimitrijevic reduced it to single digits at 34-25, but Sergio Llull poured in five points in quick succession as Real Madrid went 39-26 ahead. That gap largely remained until the halftime buzzer, with Coach Mateo’s side leading 54-41 at the break.

Scores by Campazzo and Tavares opened a 17-point lead at 58-41, Real Madrid’s biggest advantage of the night, but that seemed to spark a reaction from Milan. LeDay scored six points in a 9-0 Milan run as the visitors reduced the gap to eight points, 58-50. Garuba’s triple and Tavares’s layup put Los Blancos back up by 13, 63-50, but Mirotic then went on a tear by scoring nine straight points to make it 63-59. That was as close as Milan would get, as Campazzo and Hezonja helped swell the lead to 75-61. It was 78-63 heading into the fourth.

Real Madrid kept its foot on the gas and was coasting in the final frame, but once Coach Messina decided to take out most of his starters, perhaps with one eye on Thursday’s game against FC Barcelona, there were signs of a surprise fightback. Armoni Brooks scored three three-pointers in a hurry to make things interesting at 94-86, but with just over two minutes left, Milan needed something of a miracle. Freddie Gillespie ended up going 0 for 2 at the line with 1:13 to go, then Tavares’s put-back layup with four seconds remaining gave Real Madrid a 10-point advantage, 96-86, which was significant given Milan’s nine-point win over *Los Blancos* earlier this season. Yet, out of a timeout, Mirotic drained a three-pointer with the last shot of the game that reduced the deficit to seven points, 96-89, as Milan secured the head-to-head tiebreaker.

On what was a largely dominant night by the hosts, they will be frustrated to have not taken control of the head-to-head advantage

Valencia Basket-Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv | SF Game 1 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

FC Bayern Munich grabbed a massive road victory in its fight for the playoffs as it rallied to beat FC Barcelona 101-102

Bayern rallies for 101-102 victory in Barcelona 

FC Bayern Munich grabbed a massive road victory in its fight for the playoffs as it rallied to beat FC Barcelona 101-102. In a battle of teams tied in the standings going into the game, Bayern trailed by 8 points with 3 minutes left but its much-maligned defense held on in a 2-11 run to close the game - winning on Vladimir Lucic’s free throws with 17 seconds left. The last of 23 lead changes decided the game and gave Bayern an 18-13 record including a season sweep of Barcelona.

Carsen Edwards scored 23 points with 5 assists while Elias Harris had 17 points, Nick Weiler-Babb added 16 and Shabazz Napier chipped in 13 points for Bayern, which moved to 6-10 away from home. Andreas Obst was held to just 6 points after having drained a EuroLeague record 11 three-pointers for 34 points in the first meeting against Barcelona in November in Round 11.

Barcelona saw its three-game winning streak snapped to fall to 17-14 despite Jabari Parker pouring in 23 points, Kevin Punter scoring 20 points and Willy Hernangomez picking up 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

Parker had a good first shift with two baskets and an assist as Barcelona led 8-5 early on and a Hernangomez three-point play made it 11-7. Bayern scored the next 5 points to take the lead 11-12, the first of 13 lead changes over the next 5 minutes in a thrilling, high-scoring back-and-forth battle. Napier sank 2 threes in the final moments and Bayern led 28-30 after 10 minutes, which saw a total of 15 lead changes.

The game remained tight with three Chimezie Metu baskets keeping Barcelona close at 36-37. Bayern built the first significant lead with a 0-10 run over 2 minutes thanks to 2 triples from Edwards to lead 36-47. Parker stopped the rut and hit a three-pointer but Barcelona could not really cut into the deficit, trailing 45-56. Punter stepped up for Barcelona with 2 assists and back-to-back three-pointers in a 10-0 close to the first half to head into the break down just 55-56. The 56 points were the most points allowed by Barcelona at halftime of a EuroLeague home game.

The start of the second half got back to the seesaw with 6 more lead changes in the opening 3+ minutes and back-to-back triples from Edwards made it 63-67. Barcelona punched back with the next 8 points to reclaim the lead 71-67. The mood at the Palau Blaugrana was dampened about midway through the third quarter when Metu went down injured without any contact and had to be helped off the court. It was 73-68 when Bayern’s sharpshooter Obst finally hit his first three-pointer with 2 minutes left in the quarter. Obst added a second triple and Bayern was down just 77-76 after 30 minutes.

Barcelona opened the final frame with back-to-back three-pointers to move the lead to 83-76. The second triple was the first basket from Dario Brizuela, who had Barcelona’s next 5 points to make it 88-81. Bayern’s high-octane offense started to stall and Barcelona went ahead 94-83 with 5 minutes to go. It was 99-91 with 3 minutes left, but the visitors would not go away with Weiler-Babb’s jumper followed by an Edwards layup to make it 101-100. After Brizuela’s miss,  Lucic made 2 free throws with 17 seconds to go ahead 101-102. Bayern grabbed the win when Punter’s three-pointer at the buzzer was off-target.

FC Bayern Munich took a major step forward in its fight to reach the playoffs by sweeping its season series with Barcelona

Hayes-Davis wins it! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Paris Basketball (2025-03-25T17:45:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ended its seven-game losing slide by beating Turkish Airlines EuroLeague leader Olympiacos Piraeus 81-70 on Tuesday night at LDLC Arena

ASVEL overpowers Olympiacos, 81-70

 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ended its seven-game losing slide by beating Turkish Airlines EuroLeague leader Olympiacos Piraeus 81-70 on Tuesday night at LDLC Arena. The hosts’ defense held the Reds to a season-low 70 points, with guards Theo Maledon and Nando De Colo leading the charge on the other end. ASVEL improved its record to 12-19, while Olympiacos registered its second loss in a row and dropped to 22-9.

Maledon paced ASVEL with 23 points and De Colo netted 18, of which 10 came in the last 4 minutes. For Olympiacos, Evan Fournier and Sasha Vezenkov scored 25 points each, with the latter completing a double-double by picking up 10 rebounds.

Fournier got Olympiacos going with 5 straight points, but baskets from Shaquille Harrison, Andre Roberson and Neal Sako were followed by a transition three from David Lighty, who gave ASVEL a 9-5 lead. Vezenkov responded with 7 points in a row that put the guests ahead, 11-14. Melvin Ajinca answered with a triple, but Vezenkov added 2 points to his tally for a 14-16 edge after 10 minutes.

Maledon opened the second quarter with 5 consecutive points, but Nigel Williams-Goss tied it at 19-19 from deep. ASVEL went on a 7-0 run inspired by Maledon and Lighty for a 26-19 lead. Maledon and Fournier traded triples before a dunk by Saben Lee brought Olympiacos within 31-29. Buckets from Lee and Fournier were followed by a three from Vezenkov, who gave his team a 37-39 lead at halftime.

Roberson and Kostas Papanikolaou exchanged triples before baskets from Maledon, Sako and Harrison put AVEL back in front, 46-42. Vezenkov netted 4 straight points, but Ajinca nailed an off-balance triple to restore a 51-46 lead. After Shaquielle McKissic netted a circus basket, Paris Lee and De Colo made a couple of free throws each for a 58-52 cushion heading into the closing quarter.

Olympiacos opened the fourth with a 0-7 surge, including triples by Vezenkov and Fournier, but Maledon and Roberson nailed back-to-back baskets to put ASVEL ahead, 62-60. Fournier and De Colo exchanged scores inside before a triple by the latter gave the hosts a 70-65 lead. Maledon netted a hard-fought layup and Lighty drilled a jumper to maintain a 74-68 cushion. After Williams-Goss scored inside, a three-point dagger by De Colo on the other end put the game to bed.

Maledon, De Colo helped ASVEL end a seven-game losing streak