Name: Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | RS Round 29 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Fenerbahce Beko joins Olympiacos BC as the only teams to have guaranteed a top-10 finish after beating LDLC ASVEL 92-82 in Round 29.

Fenerbahce seals postseason spot by downing ASVEL, 92-82

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has become the second team to book a spot in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague postseason after beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 92-82 in Round 29. Saras Jasikevicius’s men improved to 20-9 having won their fifth straight game at Ulker Sport and Event Hall, while Pierric Poupet’s ASVEL suffered a sixth straight defeat to fall to 11-17.

Wade Baldwin led Fenerbahce in scoring with 15 points, in addition to posting a team-high 6 assists. Bonzie Colson and Errick McCollum both chipped in with 10 points apiece. Impressively, nine of the 11 Fenerbahce players that stepped onto the floor netted at least 8 points. For ASVEL, Joffrey Lauvergne poured in a game-high 20 points and grabbed a game-best 9 rebounds. Nando De Colo recorded a 13-point, 11-assist double-double, with Andre Roberson adding 11 points and Neal Sako contributing 10 points.

Game Videos

Despite being without the injured Theo Maledon, ASVEL could lean on the play of Lauvergne early on as he scored 6 points to put ASVEL 11-8 up. The French big man was involved in all aspects of ASVEL’s play and drained a three-pointer to tie things up at 13-13. Melvin Ajinca and De Colo gave the visitors the lead, but a Baldwin triple restored Fenerbahce’s advantage, 21-19. Baldwin scored again and Jilson Bango dunked inside, while Nicolo Melli’s corner three ensured it was 30-23 after 10 minutes.

De Colo got ASVEL off to a good start in the second quarter with a three-point play, 30-26, but scores by Bango, Tarik Biberovic and Baldwin made it a double-digit ballgame at 36-26. Lauvergne, just as he did in the first quarter, took over by netting 8 points to move to 17 in the game as ASVEL cut the gap to one point, 38-37. McCollum and Bonzie Colson made it comfortable once again for Fenerbahce, 46-37, yet a strong finish to the second period by ASVEL saw the visitors go on a 7-3 run to trail 49-44 at the break, with De Colo having hit a buzzer-beating three to end the half.

Game News

McCollum scored 5 points out of the interval to double Fenerbahce’s lead to 54-44. It took more than three and a half minutes for ASVEL to finally put some points on the board, with Lauvergne making a pair of free throws before Roberson scored a layup, 56-48. When Nigel Hayes-Davis scored his first points of the night with a three in transition, Fenerbahce led 61-50. A three-pointer apiece by Roberson and Shaquielle Harrison helped ASVEL trim the gap to six points, 64-58, but Harrison ended up having to go back to the locker room after landing awkwardly as he contested a Baldwin three-point attempt. Then, Sanli’s put-back score and Hall’s triple were enough for Fenerbahce to take a 70-60 lead into the fourth quarter.

The ASVEL fightback was led by Paris Lee and Ben Bentil as they netted 5 points apiece, but Fenerbahce still held a 78-70 advantage. It was then the turn of David Lighty to show what he can do with a mid-range jumper and a three, but Hall and Hayes-Davis’s scores in between prevented ASVEL from getting close, 83-75. Nicolo Melli struck from distance and Hayes-Davis scored a layup to set a game-high 14-point lead, 90-76, and Fenerbahce saw out the final 2:43 minutes before coming away with a 92-82 victory.

The Turkish side joins Olympiacos Piraeus as the only teams to have guaranteed a top-10 finish

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-03-13T17:45:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne | RS Round 29 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

What a block by Isaiah Wong! Motorola Magic Moment

Zalgiris Kaunas v Paris Basketball (2025-03-13T18:00:00.000Z)

Howard flashes his passing for Diop dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

ALBA Berlin v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-03-13T19:00:00.000Z)

Williams dunks off a Clark dish! Motorola Magic Moment

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v AS Monaco (2025-03-13T19:05:00.000Z)

Sweet Howard assist for Hall hammer! Motorola Magic Moment

Butkevicius and Birutis shine for Zalgiris! Motorola Magic Moment

Williams opens the game in style! Motorola Magic Moment

Olinde with the massive chasedown block! Motorola Magic Moment

LeDay dunks with authority! Motorola Magic Moment

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-03-13T18:00:00.000Z)

Caruso with a very odd dunk! Motorola Magic Moment

De Colo beats the first-half buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment

Smailagic denies at the rim! Motorola Magic Moment

McCollum’s over-the-head assist! Motorola Magic Moment

Marcus Foster went to another level to keep Hapoel’s season alive

It might have been far from pretty, but [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) is in the BKT EuroCup Semifinals. Hapoel came out on top in [a hard-fought battle against Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-fights-off-turk-telekom-moves-into-semifinals/) on Wednesday, a 67-61 win in a low-scoring quarterfinal affair, which was rather uncharacteristic for the Israeli side's high-scoring offense.

And while the defense shined against Turk Telekom, not much worked for Hapoel’s offense in this game. It resulted in just 28 first-half points, a record low for Hapoel in any half of a EuroCup game. When Turk Telekom put together a 2-8 run in the first two minutes of the third quarter, Hapoel found itself down 30-34.

That’s when combo-guard [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-foster/010386/) came to the fore.

### Foster's 14 second-half points

No one can say that Foster is an unlikely source of production. After all, no Hapoel player had scored more points (233) and made more three-pointers (33) entering the quarterfinals. And when not much was going his team's way, Foster couldn't have chosen a better time to step up.

"At some point I got to get myself going, and I got going a little bit," Foster said in a EuroLeagueTV postgame interview.

"For me individually, I’m just trying to find a way to help my team in many ways."

Down 30-34, Foster knocked down one three, then another to fuel an 8-0 run. He added another triple, his fourth of the night, to help open a 43-37 lead.

But even though Hapoel extended the margin to 12 points in the fourth quarter, the job was far from done.

Foster scored 21 in quarterfinals win

Turk Telekom rallied and got within 61-58 in the penultimate minute. On the crucial ensuing possession, the ball went to Foster, who used a second effort to get to the rim and make a bucket to reopen a five-point advantage, which Hapoel knew how to protect.

"My coach, the fans and my teammates, they pushed me to a whole other level. I am happy to be part of this," said Foster, who was thrilled after finishing the game with a game-high 21 points and tying his career best by pulling down 8 rebounds.

### Unsung heroes

For all the heroics Foster displayed, however, Hapoel needed a true team effort to progress to the next round.

Coach Dimitris Itoudis revealed after the game that [Joe Ragland](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/joe-ragland/005181/) decided to play despite stomach problems, but that did not stop him from stringing together 6 points at the end of the third quarter to help Hapoel build a 52-45 lead.

In addition, the team captain [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) felt dizzy during the game after playing nearly 14 minutes in the first half.

"I could not use him in the second half," Itoudis confirmed.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">הפועל בחצי גמר היורוקאפ 👹👹👹 <a href="https://t.co/JxUK8yNqsc">pic.twitter.com/JxUK8yNqsc</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1899909273313784310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

So, seldom-used 24-year-old [Guy Palatin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/guy-palatin/013283/) played late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, while [Oz Blayzer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/oz-blayzer/009877/) played the first seven minutes of the fourth. With a significant defensive contribution from both of them, Hapoel held the visitors to just 5 points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to build a 61-49 lead, which it held on to until the end.

So, to no surprise, after the game, Itoudis stressed the team’s unity and trust in each other.

"We played all 12 players. That is why it is important to have all 12 players, and stay united," Itoudis explained.

### 'We've got more to do'

Not to be forgotten on a dramatic night were the several hundred of Hapoel fans who made a long trip to Bulgaria to support and help their favorite team as Hapoel overcame its struggles.

"We were sharp even when \[Turk Telekom\] made its runs", said Blayzer. "We knew that could happen and we stayed strong with the amazing support of the crowd. They made a difficult trip to come here and support us and they have a big role in this game."

So, for Hapoel, the journey continues past the quarterfinals for the first time in its three seasons since the club joined the competition. Next up, it’s the best team in the EuroCup, Valencia Basket, which will have home court advantage in a best-of-three series.

"This is what we came here for since the beginning of the season, to get to the finals and win," Foster pointed out. "We are right where we want to be, but we've got more to do."

When not much was going offensively for Hapoel, Marcus Foster could hardly find a better time to step up

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Turk Telekom Ankara (2025-03-12T17:00:00.000Z)

In the one-and-done BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals, Marko Simonovic led Bahcesehir College Istanbul in a come-from-behind 85-81 win over visiting Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.

Quarterfinals MVP: Marko Simonovic, Bahcesehir College Istanbul

In the one-and-done BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals, Marko Simonovic led Bahcesehir College Istanbul in a come-from-behind 85-81 win over visiting Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. The big man scored a career-high 20 points, making 4 of 6 two-pointers and his only three-point attempt, and sinking 9 of 10 free throws. Simonovic also pulled down 4 rebounds, including 3 on offense, had a career-high 3 steals and 1 assist. Simonovic accumulated a PIR of 27, which was the best of his career and the most of any player on a winning team in the quarterfinals.

Jerad Harper of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem had a PIR of 29, the highest of all players in the quarterfinals, albeit in an 89-92 loss against Dreamland Gran Canaria. Harper had 24 points, 5 assists and 11 drawn fouls. Two players had PIRs of 23: Gran Canaria’s Caleb Homesley and Zach Hankins of U-BT Cluj-Napoca. Homesley tallied 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 8 fouls drawn in a win over Jerusalem, while Hankins posted 12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in a 98-74 loss to Valencia Basket. Rounding out the list of the quarterfinals' top performers was Olivier Hanlan of Turk Telekom Ankara who had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists for a PIR of 22 in a 67-61 loss against Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv.

### Individual highs: Zach Hankins, Cluj, 13 rebounds

 

Harper led all players in the quarterfinals with 24 points and finishes his season as the EuroCup’s leading scorer with 23.2 points per game.

 

Hankins grabbed 13 rebounds, more than any other player in the four quarterfinal games. Kyle Alexander of Turk Telekom is the top rebounder with 7.1 per game.

 

Cluj’s Zavier Simpson dished 10 assists, the most in the quarterfinals. Simpson's maiden EuroCup campaign comes to an end with him leading the competition with 8.0 assists 8.0 per game.

 

Jerusalem’s Justin Smith led all players in the quarterfinals with 4 steals. Andrew Albicy leads the season-long steals charts with 2.1 per contest.

 

Kyle Alexander had a quarterfinal-high 4 blocks and finished the season as the EuroCup's top shot blocker, averaging 2.1 blocks.

 

There were two double-doubles in the quarterfinals, both by Cluj players: Hankins (12 points, 13 rebounds) and Simpson (12 points, 10 assists).

A career night in the most important game of the season earned Simonovic his first MVP of the Round award

Sasha Vezenkov and Kendrick Nunn, the two leading candidates to become the EuroLeague Regular Season MVP, go head to head when Olympiacos BC and Panathinaikos BC face off on Friday night.

Olympiacos vs. Panathinaikos: Will the real MVP please stand up?

Eminem asked “Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?” in his hit song “The Real Slim Shady” in 2000, but looking at the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, a similar question could be posed in the lead-up to Friday’s Greek derby: Will the real MVP please stand up?

This will be the 23rd time that [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) and [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) have locked horns in the EuroLeague this century, and most of the focus surrounding this clash of titans has surrounded the two teams’ MVP candidates, [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/).

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two of front runners for MVP 🏆 👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/SashaVe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SashaVe</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/nunnbetter_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nunnbetter_</a> have been on fire this season 🔥 <br><br>But who do the people of the Greek capital think should win the award? <br><br>We hit the streets to find out 🎙️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RivalrySeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RivalrySeries</a> I <a href="https://twitter.com/PaniniAmerica?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PaniniAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/bhvWL2cR0C">pic.twitter.com/bhvWL2cR0C</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1899517115431825428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Vezenkov, the 2022-23 EuroLeague MVP and this season’s MVP of the Month for January, has picked up where he left off when he was last in the EuroLeague, ranking first in PIR (24.5), second in scoring (20.1 PPG) and seventh in rebounds (6.3). His play on the court has been integral in Olympiacos becoming the first team to qualify for the postseason as the Reds boast a league-best 21-7 record.

Nunn, on the other hand, secured his first MVP of the Month award in February and is averaging a league-best 20.6 points per game. Particularly with fellow star [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) having gone down with a fibula fracture in Round 17, Nunn has taken his game to another level to guide Panathinaikos to an 18-10 record and third place in the league.

It would be normal for the two stars of Greece’s two giant clubs to be at each other’s throats, but instead there is a mutual appreciation and respect.

“He’s a great player and, most importantly, he’s a great person,” Nunn said of Vezenkov. “Just the little time of knowing him and just watching him play, what he does is amazing. He’s unique and nobody does it like he does, to be honest. He’s very effective without being ball dominant, which is pretty rare in basketball. Not a lot of guys can do it.”

Likewise, Vezenkov only had kind words to say about Panathinaikos’s electric scorer.

“I said it multiple times, he’s a great player and great person,” the Olympiacos star said of Nunn. “I won the award, too, but in February it was his turn. We have to focus and we know they’re coming for us on Friday. They won the \[Greek\] Cup, so we need this game.”

Olympiacos Piraeus forward Sasha Vezenkov spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 28 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Sasha Vezenkov: 'Kendrick Nunn is a great player and great person'

Olympiacos and Panathinaikos each come into Friday’s derby on winning streaks, with the Reds having won five straight games while the Greens have chained together four victories, and a big performance by Vezenkov or Nunn in a triumphant effort could go some way towards determining the Regular Season MVP.

There has been a celebratory atmosphere at Olympiacos of late, not only because of the team’s winning performances – coach Georgios Bartzokas’s men have won 12 of their last 13 games – but because of [the club celebrating its 100th anniversary](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/high-flying-olympiacos-celebrates-100th-birthday-with-eyes-set-on-the-prize/). Hopes are sky-high for the Reds this season, with Vezenkov and fellow star signing [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) determined to bring a fourth EuroLeague championship to Piraeus and end the club’s 12-year wait to wear Europe’s crown.

Nunn and Panathinaikos know what it takes to do just that, as they showed last year, and an eighth star is all that anyone is thinking about in Athens. First, though, the Greens know they can take another big step forward towards securing home-court advantage in the playoffs with a victory at SEF on Friday.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A big week ahead as focus shifts to the Greek Derby 🇬🇷 <br><br>And we brought out some legendary jerseys 🤩<br><br>Check out the thread below for them all ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/C6z40AQP32">pic.twitter.com/C6z40AQP32</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1899145366387282392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

To do that, Panathinaikos will need to put some demons to bed having lost seven straight EuroLeague games against Olympiacos. The last time the Greens downed the Reds was on February 5, 2021, as they came away with a 77-88 win at SEF. Both clubs were in transition at that time, but they enter this latest Greek derby as the two favorite teams to lift the EuroLeague title in May.

Not much separates the two teams, so the play of the two teams’ MVP candidates could go some way towards determining the final outcome. Will the real MVP please stand up?

Sasha Vezenkov and Kendrick Nunn go head to head at SEF

Olympiacos Piraeus v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-03-14T19:15:00.000Z)

Check out the best plays of the BKT EuroCup Quarterfinals which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, and see who made the best of them.