Name: Top 10 Plays | RS Round 20 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Round 14 of the EuroCup saw Hapoel Tel Aviv BC score 18 points with the shot clock under 4 seconds while allowing just 4 during its 21-point win over Trento.

Stats review: Late-clock execution

Round 14 of the BKT EuroCup saw [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) gain some ground in the standings with only four rounds remaining in the 2024-25 regular season. Putting together a stellar shooting effort in a win over [Dolomiti Energia Trento](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dolomiti-energia-trento/trn/), the club displayed it offensive prowess by scoring steadily from the perimeter. Their execution was a factor in the final 21-point margin as well, as they scored 18 points with the shot clock under 4 seconds while allowing just 4.

Synergy defines short-clock opportunities as any possession occurring with 4 seconds or less on the shot or game clock. Those possessions make up right around 18% of all EuroCup plays, with teams typically falling with 12% and 24% depending on how quickly they get the ball up the floor or choose to use up the shot or game clock.

Historically, there is dramatically less variance in the frequency teams operate late in the clock as there is in the efficiency they score with when they do, and this season is no exception. On average, teams are scoring 0.82 points per short clock possession – well behind the 0.95 average for half-court possessions. With six teams scoring under 0.80 points per late-clock possession and several well below that mark, the challenges of making something out of nothing under time pressure is particularly real for a few teams this season. 

Perhaps no team in recent history has benefited as much from their late clock execution as Hapoel. As the table above suggests, they are not just good under time pressure, they’re spectacular. Their 0.99 points per possession scored with the shot clock under 4 seconds would rank fourth in half-court efficiency this season and is a big reason why Hapoel leads the EuroCup in overall efficiency heading into the final stretch of the season. Though the club does not grind the clock often, their shooting wavers little when they do.  With only one player ranked in the top 45 in individual late-clock scoring, their considerable success is the result of a true team effort.

[Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/wolves-twinsbet-vilnius/wol/) edges [Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/besiktas-fibabanka-istanbul/bes/) for second spot based largely on their shot selection. They have made late-clock three-point attempts at a serviceable 32% clip and have leaned into their guards' ability to make shots from deep with the clock winding down – Wolves and Hapoel are the only two teams that have attempted more three-pointers than two-pointers in short shot-clock situations this season.

The top individual short-clock scorer this season is [Aris Midea Thessaloniki](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/aris-midea-thessaloniki/ari/)'s [Vassilis Toliopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/vassilis-toliopoulos/004292/), who is averaging 3.8 points per game in these situations. Aris is one of several teams that has looked to grind the clock regularly this season, with [Bahcesehir College Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/bahcesehir-college-istanbul/bah/) and [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/) leading the way by playing deep into the clock almost 25% of the time. 

Bahcesehir has also been the best defensive unit in late-clock situations, allowing just 0.64 points per possession. [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) and Gran Canaria fall a bit off that pace but are still far better than average. No team in the EuroCup has forced late-clock possessions at an especially impressive rate, but Trento sits just ahead of a large pack of teams.

It will be interesting to see how the outlier level success of both Bahcesehir and Hapoel stands up to the rest of the season.

Some teams are really standing out as the shot clock winds down

The Turkish team has lost three games straight due to an alarming defensive collapse, allowing at least 93 points in each of those defeats. Last week’s defeat at Joventut saw only [Jonah Mathews](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jonah-mathews/011936/) (18 points) score in double digits, so there are concerns at both ends for coach Dusan Alimpijevic. Wolves has lost two of its last three and will aim to recover from last week’s shock defeat to previously winless Trefl, when 17 points and 8 assists from the consistent [Anthony Cowan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/anthony-cowan-jr/012003/) was not enough to prevent a 23-point thrashing.

GAME NOTES

\- Wolves dominated the middle two quarters 58-30 en route to a 93-78 victory over Besiktas in Round 6.

\- Wolves big man Marek Blazevic set career-highs with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first EuroCup double-double in Round 6 against Besiktas.

\- Wolves forward Matas Jogela scored a personal best 14 points in Round 6 against Besiktas.

\- Besiktas forward Conor Morgan scored a season-high 19 points against Wolves in Round 6.

\- These two teams split regular-season meetings last season.

\- Tre’Shawn Thurman was the Round 4 MVP last season after going for 31 points and 7 rebounds to amass a PIR of 37 in a 90-88 victory over Besiktas. The posts scored, PIR and 4 offensive rebounds are all personal bests.

\- Wolves guard Andrew Andrews and his Besiktas counterpart Derek Needham were teammates for the 2021-22 season and part of the following campaign at Frutti Extra Bursaspor. Playing under current Besiktas head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, they led Bursaspor to the 2022 EuroCup Final.

Game Videos

GAME FACTS

### Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul

 

**Streaks**

Derek Needham has made at least 1 triple in 34 straight games.

Dustin Sleva has made at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

Emanuel Terry has posted double-digit PIRs in four of his last five games.

Terry has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in six of his last seven games.

Jonah Mathews has made at least 1 three-point shot in each of his 12 games this season.

Mathews has scored 10 or more points in nine of his last 10 games.

Conor Morgan has made at least 1 three-point shot in 12 of his last 13 games.

Kelan Martin has made at least 1 three-pointer in eight of his last nine games.

Martin has recorded at least 1 steal in seven of his last eight games.

Yigit Arslan has made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 of his last 14 games.

 

**Player Records against Opponent**

Conor Morgan posted his career high in Index Rating with 36 for London Lions against Wolves Vilnius on november 28, 2023.

Conor Morgan posted his career high in Points with 22 for London Lions against Wolves Vilnius on november 28, 2023.

Conor Morgan posted his career high in Free throws made with 7 for Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius on october 29, 2024.

Jonah Mathews posted his career high in 2-pointers made with 9 for Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul against Wolves Vilnius on october 24, 2023.

Conor Morgan posted his career high in 3-pointers made with 5 for London Lions against Wolves Vilnius on november 28, 2023.

 

**Team Record**

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul recorded its highest team 2-pointers made total in EuroCup play this century, 32, against Wolves Vilnius on october 24, 2023.

 

**Season Rankings**

Dustin Sleva is ranked fourth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Steals with 1,9 per game.

Emanuel Terry is ranked third among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 2-pointers % with 75,5% per game.

Yigit Arslan is ranked sixth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 3-pointers % with 49,1% per game.

Kelan Martin is ranked seventh among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 3-pointers % with 49% per game.

Dustin Sleva is ranked eighth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 3-pointers % with 48,4% per game.

Jonah Mathews is ranked ninth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Field goals made with 5,3 per game.

Emanuel Terry is ranked first among qualified EuroCup players this season in average True Shooting % with 74,4% per game.

Berk Ugurlu is ranked eighth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Assist-Turnover ratio with 328% per game.

 

**All-time Rankings**

Derek Needham is ranked fourth on the all-time EuroCup charts with 417 assists for his career.

Derek Needham is ranked third on the all-time EuroCup charts with 240 3-pointers made for his career.

Berk Ugurlu is ranked ninth on the all-time EuroCup charts with 262% assists-turnovers ratio % for his career.

 

 

### Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius

 

**Streaks**

Wolves guard Anthony Cowan has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 games.

Cowan has made at least 1 three-pointer in 19 of his last 20 games.

Cowan had PIRs of 12 or more in seven straight games.

Tra'Shawn Thurman has scored in double figures in seven straight games.

Thurman has had double-digit PIRs in six of his last seven games.

 

**Player Records against Opponent**

Kristupas Zemaitis posted his career high in Free throws made with 5 for Wolves Vilnius against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

Tre'Shawn Thurman posted his career high in Index Rating with 37 for Wolves Vilnius against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

Tre'Shawn Thurman posted his career high in Points with 31 for Wolves Vilnius against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

Tre'Shawn Thurman posted his career high in 2-pointers made with 8 for Wolves Vilnius against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

Tre'Shawn Thurman posted his career high in Offensive rebounds with 4 for Wolves Vilnius against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

Marek Blazevic posted his career high in Index Rating with 27 for Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on october 29, 2024.

Marek Blazevic posted his career high in Points with 16 for Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on october 29, 2024.

Marek Blazevic posted his career high in Total rebounds with 10 for Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on october 29, 2024.

Marek Blazevic posted his career high in Free throws made with 6 for Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on october 29, 2024.

Marek Blazevic posted his career high in Defensive rebounds with 7 for Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on october 29, 2024.

Matas Jogela posted his career high in Points with 14 for Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on october 29, 2024.

Matas Jogela posted his career high in Assists with 6 for Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul on october 29, 2024.

 

**Team Record**

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius individual single-game club record of 37 Index Rating was set by Tre'Shawn Thurman, against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius individual single-game club record of 31 Points was set by Tre'Shawn Thurman, against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius individual single-game club record of 8 2-pointers made was set by Tre'Shawn Thurman, against Besiktas Emlakjet Istanbul on october 24, 2023.

 

 

**Season Rankings**

Anthony Cowan Jr is ranked fourth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average index rating with 19,7 per game.

Anthony Cowan Jr is ranked fourth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average points with 16,5 per game.

Anthony Cowan Jr is ranked fourth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Assists with 5,4 per game.

Anthony Cowan Jr is ranked second among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Free Throws Made with 5,6 per game.

Andrew Andrews is ranked 10th among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Free Throws Made with 3,9 per game.

Marek Blazevic is ranked sixth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 2-pointers % with 74,6% per game.

Anthony Cowan Jr is ranked fourth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 3-pointers made with 2,5 per game.

Marek Blazevic is ranked second among qualified EuroCup players this season in average True Shooting % with 73,6% per game.

Kristupas Zemaitis is ranked sixth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Assist-Turnover ratio with 345% per game.

Game News

A pair of direct rivals who have badly lost their way look to bounce back as Besiktas (7-7) hosts Wolves (7-7) for a crucial Group A showdown. 

Game Notes and Facts: Besiktas vs. Wolves

Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul v Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (2025-01-14T17:00:00.000Z)

Last week’s loss at Bourg was a big setback for the Lithuanian team, which will look to recapture the magic of December’s overtime win at Valencia, propelled by 21 points and 6 assists from guard [Martynas Varnas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/martynas-varnas/005521/). The Spanish side appears to have overcome its midseason blip, winning by 38 against Turk Telekom last week as youngster [Sergio de Larrea](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/sergio-de-larrea/010750/) underlined his talent with 9 points and 9 assists. Valencia will not want to lose twice to the same team, so Lietkabelis will have to be at its very best.

GAME NOTES

\- Lietkabelis handed Valencia its first loss of the season in Round 6 with a 106-107 road win in what was the first meeting between these clubs.

\- Lietkabelis guard Oleksandr Kovliar scored a personal best 25 points and posted a PIR of 24 against Valencia in Round 6.

\- Lietkabelis guard Martynas Varnas posted career-bests with 21 points scored, 6 steals and  a PIR of 26 against Valencia in Round 6.

\- Lietkabelis big man Dorde Gagic and Valenica guard Stefan Jovic have been teammates on the Serbian national team.

GAME FACTS

### 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys

 

**Streaks**

Georgios Kalaitzakis has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games.

Oleksandr Kovliar has posted a PIR in double figures in seven of his last eight games.

Kovliar has collected at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

Gabrielius Maldunas has collected at least 1 steal in six of his last seven games.

Dovis Bickauskis has had at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

Martynas Varnas has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games.

Varnas has made at least three-pointer in eight of his last nine games.

 

**Player Records against Opponent**

Martynas Varnas posted his career high in Index Rating with 26 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Martynas Varnas posted his career high in Points with 21 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Martynas Varnas posted his career high in Steals with 6 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Martynas Varnas posted his career high in 2-pointers made with 4 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Martynas Varnas posted his career high in Free throws made with 10 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Gabrielius Maldunas posted his career high in Total rebounds with 9 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Gabrielius Maldunas posted his career high in Time played with 31:53 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Oleksandr Kovliar posted his career high in Index Rating with 24 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Oleksandr Kovliar posted his career high in Points with 25 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Oleksandr Kovliar posted his career high in 2-pointers made with 7 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Oleksandr Kovliar posted his career high in Time played with 33:58 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Danielius Lavrinovicius posted his career high in Points with 12 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Danielius Lavrinovicius posted his career high in 3-pointers made with 4 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

Danielius Lavrinovicius posted his career high in Time played with 21:54 for 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

 

**Team Record**

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys recorded its highest team Points total in EuroCup play this season, 107, against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys individual single-game club record of 6 Steals was set by Martynas Varnas, against Valencia Basket on december 20, 2024.

 

**Season Rankings**

Georgios Kalaitzakis is ranked seventh among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Free Throws Made with 4,1 per game.

Grantas Vasiliauskas is ranked fourth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 2-pointers % with 75% per game.

 

 

### Valencia Basket

 

**Streaks**

Semi Ojeleye scored 10 or more points in 11 of his last 12 games.

Ojeleye has made at least 1 three-pointer in 12 straight games.

Ojeleye has made multiple triples in six of his last seven games.

Jean Montero has scored 11 or more points in five of his last six games.

Montero has made multiple three-pointers in six straight games.

Montero has collected at least 1 steal in seven of his last eight games.

Brancou Badio has made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 straight games.

Badio has had PIRs in double figures in seven straight games.

Josep Puerto has made at least 1 three-point shot in 11 of his last 12 games.

Nate Sestina has made at least 1 three-point shot in six straight games.

 

**Player Records against Opponent**

Xabi Lopez-Arostegui posted his career high in 2-pointers made with 4 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Xabi Lopez-Arostegui posted his career high in Free throws made with 12 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Chris Jones posted his career high in Total rebounds with 4 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Chris Jones posted his career high in Defensive rebounds with 4 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Jean Montero posted his career high in Steals with 5 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Jean Montero posted his career high in Time played with 26:36 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Ethan Happ posted his career high in Index Rating with 30 for Dreamland Gran Canaria against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on january 10, 2024.

Ethan Happ posted his career high in Points with 23 for Dreamland Gran Canaria against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on january 10, 2024.

Ethan Happ posted his career high in 2-pointers made with 10 for Dreamland Gran Canaria against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on january 10, 2024.

Ethan Happ posted his career high in Offensive rebounds with 6 for Dreamland Gran Canaria against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on november 1, 2023.

Semi Ojeleye posted his career high in Free throws made with 9 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Semi Ojeleye posted his career high in Offensive rebounds with 5 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Nathan Sestina posted his career high in 3-pointers made with 4 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Brancou Badio posted his career high in Time played with 24:25 for Valencia Basket against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

 

**Team Record**

Valencia Basket recorded its highest team Free throws made total in EuroCup play this century, 30, against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

Valencia Basket recorded its highest team Steals total in EuroCup play this season, 12, against 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on december 20, 2024.

 

**Season Rankings**

Jaime Pradilla is ranked ninth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Total Rebounds with 6,2 per game.

Nathan Reuvers is ranked seventh among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Offensive Rebounds with 2,3 per game.

Jaime Pradilla is ranked sixth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Defensive Rebounds with 4,4 per game.

Jean Montero is ranked sixth among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Assists with 5,3 per game.

Jean Montero is ranked first among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Steals with 2 per game.

Nathan Reuvers is ranked seventh among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Blocks with 1 per game.

Semi Ojeleye is ranked 10th among qualified EuroCup players this season in average 3-pointers made with 2,1 per game.

Stefan Jovic is ranked second among qualified EuroCup players this season in average Assist-Turnover ratio with 391% per game.

 

**All-time Rankings**

Xabi Lopez-Arostegui is ranked sixth on the all-time EuroCup charts with 90,32% free throws % for his career.

Stefan Jovic is ranked third on the all-time EuroCup charts with 285% assists-turnovers ratio % for his career.

With a playoff place guaranteed, Valencia (12-2) will look to secure top seed status with a trip to Lietakbelis (4-9), which might have to win all its remaining games to progress.

Game Notes and Facts: Lietkabelis vs. Valencia

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys v Valencia Basket (2025-01-14T17:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul strengthened its backcourt for the final part of the 2024-25 season with the addition of guard PJ Dozier who returns to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after making his debut last season playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

Efes adds PJ Dozier to its backcourt mix

Anadolu Efes Istanbul strengthened its backcourt with the addition of guard [PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/), the club announced on Sunday. Dozier (1.98 meters, 28 years old) returns to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after making his debut last season playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. He now and joins a team that made a coaching change last week when it [appointed Luca Banchi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-appoints-luca-banchi-as-head-coach/) as its head coach.

Dozier averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals last season in the EuroLeague with Partizan, starting in 22 of the 33 games he played. One of his best games came [against Efes in Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/87/#boxscore), when he posted 21 points on 4-for-7 three-point shooting, 5 assists and 3 steals.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">✍️ Başarılı oyuncu P.J. Dozier ile sezon sonuna kadar sözleşme imzaladık! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/ayqgdWib08">pic.twitter.com/ayqgdWib08</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1878480931192742308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Dozier last played with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA and made nine appearances in limited minutes this season. He totaled 7 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes with Minnesota. 

After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Dozier started his professional career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. He later played for the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings. Over seven seasons, Dozier racked up 145 NBA appearances despite injury problems, including an ACL injury suffered in December 2021. Well-know as a defensive specialist, Dozier has career averages of 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the NBA. During his career, he also played for Oklahoma City Blue, Maine Red Claws, Windy City Bulls and Iowa Wolves in the G-League.

More Anadolu Efes Istanbul news

Walter Tavares had an off night but that didn't slow Real's defense 


Real shows full defensive strength in Kaunas

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) arrived to Kaunas in good momentum and faced the last opponent that beat *Los Blancos* in the competition, [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/?season=2024-25), which registered [an 83-92 victory at Movistar Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-overpowers-real-in-madrid-83-92/) in Round 15. Zalgiris was able to do something very important to hamper Real's defense: put [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) into foul trouble.

Tavares was limited to less than 11 minutes on the floor, finishing with 2 points, 3 rebounds, no blocks and 4 fouls. Real turned this problem into an opportunity, as [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/), [Eli Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/eli-ndiaye/009213/) and [Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/) all stepped up, seeing minutes at center and making sure Real lived up to the same defensive standards as when Tavares dominates the paint to get a good-as-gold [64-83 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-defense-pounds-zalgiris-into-submission-64-83/) at Zalgirio Arena.

Ibaka and Garuba each had a bigger impact on the game that what stats show, fighting for every loose ball, getting deflections and making life impossible for Zalgiris's big men [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/), [Laurynas Birutis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/laurynas-birutis/005504/) and [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/). Ibaka finished the game with 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 fouls. He scored 9 of those points in a second quarter in which Real entered trailing 26-15 and finished leading 34-35. 

Serge Ibaka, Eli Ndiaye and Usman Garuba lead Real Madrid's defense at Zalgirio Arena and contributed on offense, too.

Ibaka, Ndiaye, Garuba make things happen in Kaunas

Garuba added 4 points and 2 rebounds. Even though Garuba, Tavares and Ibaka combined for 13 fouls committed, Real still went to the foul line more times (26) than Zalgiris (22), which says plenty about its overall intensity and rhythm. Ndiaye excelled in many aspects of the game, finishing the game with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals for a PIR of 16, which matched his career-high, in less than 14 minutes. 

Smailagic scored 7 of his 9 points for Zalgiris in the final 7 minutes, when his team trailed 46-68. Dunston and Birutis combined for 6 points and 1 rebounds as Real ended up outrebounding Zalgiris by 31-40. 

"Congratulations to Real. We were not able to play anything on offense. When at this level, you are not able to get open, it is very difficult to play," Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trincheri said. "We were very slow, and then we lost confidence, and they were better. They deserved to win."

After a good first quarter in which Zalgiris made 6 of 11 three-pointers and led 10-7 in rebounds, Real improved its defense and went on to dominate the game. In the last three quarters, Zalgiris was limited to 34 points on 9-of-21 two-point shooting (42.9% 2FG), 2-of-17 three-point shooting (11.8% 3FG) and 11 turnovers. The hosts missed [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/), who played less than 3 minutes due to a sprained ankle. All that allowed Real to seal the outcome and the potential tie-break advantage long before the final buzzer.

"We played very good defense after the first half, and we knew how to control the game. If we are defending their three-pointers and control the rebounds, these are key points against this team," Real head coach Chus Mateo said. "Once we start to play defense, we could run. Once we got the advantage we were able to read the game really well and control it until the end."

It is bad news for the rest of the competition; even without Tavares, Real shined on defense thanks to Garuba, Ibaka and Ndiaye. That is a frontline that could pay dividends in crunch time this season.

Real Madrid showed full defensive strength in Kaunas

Zalgiris Kaunas v Real Madrid (2025-01-10T18:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Marko Guduric of Fenerbahce drives past ALBA's Tim Schneider

Vincent Poirier of Efes rejects ASVEL's Melvin Ajinca at the rim

Andrejs Grazulis of Virtus dunks on Baskonia's Chima Moneke

Jaylen Hoard of Maccabi tries to shoot over Milan's Freddie Gillespie

Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos looks to pass against Partizan

Kevarrius Hayes of Paris emotes after dunking against Crvena Zvezda

Filip Petrusev of Crvena Zvezda faces off against Paris's T.J. Shorts

Luka Samanic of Baskonia puts Virtus's Isaia Cordinier on a poster

Lonnie Walker of Zalgiris collides with Real Madrid's Facu Campazzo 

Dario Brizuela of Barcelona completes a reverse layup despite the defense of Monaco's Georgios Papagiannis

Look back at all the action from Round 20 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 20

A record-breaking performance in a big home win allowed Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus to earn Round 20 MVP honors with a PIR of 52 – the highest PIR of any player this season and the sixth highest all-time. 

Round 20 MVP: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

A record-breaking performance in a big home win allowed [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos Piraeus to earn Round 20 MVP honors with a PIR of 52 – the highest PIR of any player this season and the sixth highest all-time. 

Vezenkov had a near-perfect performance to lead Olympiacos to a 112-69 home victory over FC Bayern Munich. He finished the game with a career-best 45 points, the third-best scoring mark in competition history. Nigel Hayes-Davis leads the all-time list with 50 points against ALBA Berlin in 2024, and Shane Larkin had 49 against Bayern in 2019. Vezenkov hit 10-of-10 two-pointers, 8-of-10 three-pointers and 1-of-1 free throws. He added 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 foul drawn. His PIR of 52 is the sixth-best figure in competition history. Tanoka Beard leads the board with a PIR of 63, followed by Jaka Lakovic and the late Dejan Milojevic with 55 each. Marko Popovic (54) and Larkin (53) are ahead of Vezenkov in this list. He has earned MVP of the Round honors for the 13th time in his career, ranking third in this list only behind Larkin (17 times) and Nando De Colo (16). It is his fourth MVP of the Round honor this season.

[Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens amassed a PIR of 33 in his team's 96-84 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Grant finished that game with 14 points on 5-of-5 two-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn. [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) reached a PIR of 26 in leading EA7 Emporio Armani Milan to a 74-107 road win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. In 19 minutes, LeDay had 17 points on 5-of-5 two-pointers and 7-of-7 free throws, 3 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn. [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) of FC Barcelona and [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, each with a PIR of 25, complete the list of the best individual performances in Round 20. Brizuela paced Barcelona in an 84-98 win at AS Monaco with 27 points on 6-of-8 three-point shooting, along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists, while Bolomboy led Zvezda in an 85-69 win over Paris Basketball with 8 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks.

### Individual highs: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos, 45 points

Sasha Vezenkov led all scorers in Round 20 with 45 points – a new career high and an Olympiacos record, beating the 36 points Marque Perry scored in an 89-83 win over Cibona Zagreb on January 6, 2005. [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) of Panathinaikos is the competition's top scorer with 21.2 points per game.

Crvena Zvezda’s Joel Bolomboy pulled down 15 rebounds, the most in this round. [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid leads the rankings with 7.9 rebounds per game, as Bolomboy (9.0 rpg.) does not qualify having appeared in nine out of 20 games this season due to injury.

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) of Monaco and Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos each dished 8 assists, more than anyone else in Round 20. [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ranks first overall with 7.8 assists per night.

Olympiacos’s [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) collected a round-high 5 steals against Bayern. [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) of Bayern ranks first overall (1.61 spg.), slightly ahead of Monaco’s [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) (1.57 spg.).

[Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) of Monaco had 4 blocks to lead this round's standings. He is also first overall, averaging 1.4 blocks per contest.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz’s [Nikos Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/) (13 points and 10 rebounds) was the only player to record a double-double in Round 20.

A memorable performance by the Reds' forward.

Round 20 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague had something for everyone. Check out round's best plays and see who had the best of them!

Top 10 Plays | RS Round 20 | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

 Round 20 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague had something for everyone. Check out round's best plays and see who had the best of them!

Round 20: Top 10 plays

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 20th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Panagiwths Avdelas beat everyone else in Round 20 with his team 'tameio BC', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 263.75.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 20 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 20th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Panagiwths Avdelas beat everyone else in Round 20 with his team 'tameio BC', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 263.75.

Panagiwths had the following starting lineup: Olympiacos Piraeus's Sasha Vezenkov as team captain, then Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Nigel Hayes-Davis and Marko Guduric of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as well as Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet. His sixth man was Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos. On the bench, Panagiwths had Sertac Sanli of Fenerbahce, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis of Panathinaikos, Dario Brizuela of FC Barcelona and Nikos Rogkavopoulos of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. His team's head coach was EA7 Emporio Armani Milan play-caller Ettore Messina.

The prize for finishing first in Round 20 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Panagiwths!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 3,482.49points.

Trades are now open for Round 21. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 21 tips off on Tuesday, January 14, as LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne hosts Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade at 20:00 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

Virtus Bologna showed more depth than some expected in Round 20 against Baskonia as Matt Morgan, Achille Polonara and Andrejs Grazulis stepped up to help overcome injuries to some of the team’s top stars.

Unexpected trio stepped up to help Virtus against Baskonia

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) showed more depth than some expected in Round 20 as [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/), [Achille Polonara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/) and [Andrejs Grazulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andrejs-grazulis/005738/) stepped up to help overcome injuries to some of the team’s top stars.

The trio combined for 45 points in [an important 76-74 home win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-wins-another-thriller-over-baskonia-prevails-76-74-at-home/) – a victory Virtus managed without injured superstars [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/), [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) and [Ante Zizic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ante-zizic/004554/).

“We are a resilient team, no matter who is in the lineup, who is on the court. We’re going to fight until the very end,” Morgan told EuroLeague TV afterward. “That’s the identity that we started to build and create for ourselves. We just have to keep doing that for the rest of the season. And good things will happen.”

The EuroLeague rookie poured in 17 points to tie his career high from Round 6 against FC Bayern Munich and set a new personal-best PIR of 21. Morgan came into the game averaging just 7.0 points, yet he scored 10 of those points in the third quarter when Virtus built a 15-point lead. That came after some advice from the injured Clyburn.

“He means a lot to me because he said to me at halftime I need to be more aggressive so in the third quarter I came out and did that,” said Morgan. “All my teammates have confidence in me to be myself. I did that in the third quarter and was able to get us a little bit of a lead.”

Polonara knocked down 3 three-pointers en route to 15 points. The Italian veteran has shown this season that he can still produce with 13 points against Bayern in Round 6 and 17 points in Round 18 against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. But in the other 17 games, Polonara had totaled just 47 points for an average of 4.1 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Tutto quello che abbiamo. <a href="https://t.co/xMX0I9Spik">pic.twitter.com/xMX0I9Spik</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1877848533874737640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Grazulis, meanwhile, scored a total of 23 points in his first nine games of the season. The Latvian did pick up 12 points in the last round and then he scored 13 points against Baskonia – 10.5 points more than his average.

“That was a contribution of everybody today. We struggled with the roster a little bit – a lot of injuries but we stayed together. Today is the reward for a pretty good week of work,” said [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/), who tallied 16 points as one of Virtus’s few healthy leaders. “Winning today was really important and that is the way we need to play the rest of the season.”

Even if that means with big contributions from unexpected heroes.

Matt Morgan, Achille Polonara and Andrejs Grazulis combined for 45 points to overcome injury crisis

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-01-10T19:45:00.000Z)

KK Crvena zvezda has already surpassed last season's win tally after notching its fourth straight victory with an 85-69 triumph over Paris Basketball, giving the Serbians hope of making the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Crvena Zvezda showed once more that it means business this season 

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) boosted its hopes of getting into the business end of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season after [an 85-69 home win over the competition’s debutant Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/dominant-crvena-zvezda-subdues-paris-85-69/) lifted the Serbian team to 12-8 and kept it firmly in the postseason picture.

A fourth successive victory means that Zvezda has already surpassed last term’s 11-23 record with 14 rounds left in the regular season, suggesting the Serbian team could emerge as dark horses this time round with a genuine chance of making an impact in the knockout stages.

Against Paris, player of the game [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) embodied Zvezda’s newfound fighting spirit as he racked up 8 points and a staggering 15 boards, as the home team totaled 43 rebounds in a textbook defensive performance which stifled out Paris.

Apart from being trampled in the paint as they were undone by their own high-octane start, the visitors were reduced to 7 of 30 from deep and had nothing left in the tank down the stretch after racing into an early 0-9 lead. Zvezda sank 10 of 21 from downtown and restricted Paris to just 10 assists, giving the visiting team’s dynamo [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) preciously little room to operate.

“It was a tough start but we hung in there and we fought. This win took everybody,” Bolomboy said in his postgame comments. “A really good team effort by everyone as we were focused defensively. We’re in a good position but we are going to take it one game at a time as we still have a lot of room for improvement,” he added.

Head coach [Ioannis Sfairopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/sfairopoulos-ioannis/?season=E2024) echoed Bolomboy’s views, having warned his men against complacency after praising them for a blistering display which kept Zvezda’s fervent fans on their feet throughout the pulsating contest in the Belgrade Arena.

“Good defense was key to winning the game,” the Greek tactician told reporters at the postgame press conference. “We were not good tactically in the first quarter as we got caught by their rhythm, but once we calmed down we were able to turn things around. We must stay humble and keep working hard, taking it one game at a time.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ru" dir="ltr">Идемооооооооо 🔥🔥🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/sjgH35y95E">pic.twitter.com/sjgH35y95E</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1877826276876026052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Paris head coach [Tiago Splitter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/splitter-tiago/?season=E2024) now faces a formidable task of restoring confidence after a fifth successive loss. The skid followed a magnificent 10-0 run which had catapulted Paris to the top of the standings, as the EuroLeague newcomer made headlines around Europe.

However, it appears that Paris has been cut down to size and brought crashing down to earth, with a postseason berth looming as a tall order if Splitter doesn’t stop the rot soon. The Brazilian hinted that Paris may have become a victim of its own success but still lauded his men for a die-hard attitude, which had turned them into the season’s early surprise package in the first place. 

“We are not bothered by the hype,” he said. “Teams now know us better than before and prepare for us better. We had some bad luck and bad shooting nights down the stretch, but it’s part of the game and a matter of momentum. Tonight, Zvezda got its momentum in the second quarter and kept it throughout.

“We had a great momentum after 10 wins in a row and now we’re struggling, I am not going to lie about it. But I see the team fighting and not giving up at any time, hence I am proud of them. You are only broken once you lose that fight in you, but the team is not broken. We only lost a game.”

The Serbian team has already surpassed last season’s tally with its fourth win in a row 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Paris Basketball (2025-01-10T19:00:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL rallied and registered a 76-82 win over Anadolu Efes, which was ASVEL’s first this century over Efes on the road and the first in almost three decades, since 1997. 

Tarik Black, perfect Nando De Colo stepped up for streak-breaking ASVEL

[LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) traveled to Istanbul shorthanded and facing a team that changed its head coach. ASVEL was also on the wrong end of a 20-point swing after going up 24-33 in the second quarter but finding itself 57-46 behind in the third.

However, none of that stopped the French side from [rallying and registering a 76-82 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/defensive-minded-asvel-rallies-to-stun-efes-76-82/), sweeping [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) in the process.

“My guys have a big character,” ASVEL head coach [Pierric Poupet](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/poupet-pierric/?season=E2024) said as he praised his players. “They had a great effort, and showed the spirit they have been showing from the very beginning of the season. It’s all on them. I want to congratulate them on believing we can do it, from the first minute to the last.”

The win was ASVEL’s first this century over Efes on the road and the first such in almost three decades, since 1997. It’s just another in a line of several streaks ASVEL has already broken this season, including [a road win in the Serbian capital over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-stuns-partizan-for-first-road-win-79-82/) and first-ever consecutive road wins in successive games.

Leading a comeback in this win were one Turkish Airlines EuroLeague legend and one unlikely veteran.

De Colo, Black led ASVEL's second-half rally against Efes combining to score 27 points after halftime.

De Colo, Black led ASVEL's second-half rally against Efes

[Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) shined with 16 points on perfect shooting. De Colo, a three-time EuroLeague champ, former EuroLeague MVP and the competition’s second-best scorer all-time, was 4 for 4 on three-pointers, 1 for 1 on two-pointers and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line. He also dished 4 assists.

“We tried to respect what Coach wants and try to move the ball as much as we can and try to find an open shot,” De Colo said. “And when you play with confidence, it’s easier.”

Meanwhile, 33-year-old big man [Tarik Black](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-black/008991/), playing in his fifth EuroLeague season, had 15 points and 7 rebounds while playing 22:29 minutes, all season highs.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Tonton Tarik 🤝🖤<br><br>15 points<br>7 rebonds<br>19 d&#39;évaluation<br><br>Tout ça en 22 minutes, gros match de TB 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZrWwIjdfYU">pic.twitter.com/ZrWwIjdfYU</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1877824814250914105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Each played scored just 2 points in the first half but dominated in the second. De Colo netted three triples in the final 4:30 of the third quarter, while Black scored 9 points in the fourth. The ASVEL center not only scored 7 points in the last 5 minutes, but his three field goals were the only made shots from the floor in that span.

“I think the offensive rebounds played a huge role in it," said Black, who pulled down 3 offensive boards but a pair in the final 2 minutes of the contest.

“I think my teammates trusting me and finding me in certain positions. I think we battled hard in the second half to come back and persevere, and get a win. I just so happen to get the points tonight, but we all know it can be anybody’s night,” Black explained.

He got a chance because ASVEL’s frontcourt was depleted with the absences of [Joffrey Lauvergne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/joffrey-lauvergne/004194/), [Mbaye Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mbaye-ndiaye/012731/) and its team captain, forward [Charles Kahudi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/charles-kahudi/kir/).

“It is not easy to miss players, but we stayed together, and tonight we showed it,” De Colo commented. “We faced Efes as a team and never gave up, even down by 10.”

And while the duo dominated on offense, ASVEL as team stepped up defensively, not allowing a single field goal in the fourth quarter.

“We switched on every ball screen at the end, it disturbed them a little bit, especially their good ball-handlers: [\[Jordan\] Nwora](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-nwora/013363/), [Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/), [\[Elijah\] Bryant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elijah-bryant/009846/). That was the game plan, and today and it worked,” Poupet said.

Black is a strong believer of putting in the work that, in the end, pays dividends.

“Do whatever it takes to help the team win,” Black explained. “We are shorthanded, but we still believe we can produce wins. You have to work hard, play hard, come out to win. We got the outcome we wanted tonight, but it is the culture and the ethic of work that let the result be the result.”

That approach has led ASVEL to a 9-11 record, two wins behind sixth-placed [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/).

ASVEL beat Efes on the road for the first time this century, and was victorious away from Lyon for the third time in the last four road games

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-01-10T17:30:00.000Z)

Sasha Vezenkov scored a club-record 45 points, the third most in EuroLeague history, on a night that saw Olympiacos BC set a club-best 36 assists in a dominant 112-69 beatdown of FC Bayern Basketball.

Sasha Vezenkov historic performance came on special night for Olympiacos

When words may not be enough, numbers could help to describe [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/)’s extraordinary display on Friday night. 

Having pulled off an MVP performance at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, the [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) forward set numerous personal records to lead his team to [a 112-69 beatdown of FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sasha-vezenkov-makes-history-as-olympiacos-thrashes-bayern-112-69/). Let’s take a look at all the figures.

Vezenkov needed just three dibbles to net a career-high 45 points – the most any Olympiacos player has ever scored in a single game and the third most in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history. He also recorded a mind-boggling PIR of 52 – the best in club history and sixth best all-time in the competition. 

The Bulgaria international, who was greeted by "MVP" chants by the home crowd, went 10 for 10 from inside the arc to set both a career high and club record in two-pointers made. 

“I’d never dreamt to make history for this big club,” he told EuroLeague TV after the game. “I want to thank the fans. It’s really important for them. It’s 2025 – the 100-year \[anniversary\] of the club.”

Olympiacos Piraeus forward Sasha Vezenkov spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat FC Bayern Munich in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Sasha Vezenkov: 'I would never dream to make history for this big club'

Vezenkov may have missed his first three-point attempt but finished the game on 8 of 10 from deep, recording a career high in three-pointers made. 

“It’s one of those nights where you feel good,” he added. “I started by missing my first shot and then I found the space and my teammates did a great job at everything, starting from defense. I don’t want to talk about me. I’ll keep working. It’s just a regular night.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">52 PIR I 45 PTS I 10/10 2FG I 8/10 3FG I 1/1 FT I 7 REB I 2 AST and only three dribbles... 3 DRIBBLES 😳<br><br>HOW? 😱👏 <a href="https://t.co/onXrRmQqvv">pic.twitter.com/onXrRmQqvv</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1877848673603723755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yet, it was anything but a regular night for either Vezenkov or Olympiacos. The Reds saw [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/) and captain [Kostas Papanikolaou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-papanikolaou/001255/) miss out due to illness, with starting guard [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/) playing just over 5 minutes due to back injury. 

However, the next-man-up mentality instilled in the team by coach Georgios Bartzokas saw several players step up in what could be described as the epitome of team basketball. In fact, Olympiacos recorded as many as 36 assists, which is both a club record and the joint second-highest tally recorded by a team in the history of the competition.

“Everybody stepped up,” Vezenkov added. “We had two really important absences, Evan and Kostas. We dedicate the win to them. But as I said before, we have 15 players ready to play. \[Recording\] 36 assists is a really high number. This is our philosophy. We want to pass the ball – this is what Coach likes. Almost everybody is a great passer. We tried to share the ball. We didn’t play selfishly and we were capable of scoring 100 points.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ht" dir="ltr">MVP MVP MVP!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/JiWe14tIEd">pic.twitter.com/JiWe14tIEd</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1877834480955576497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With Walkup benched due to injury, [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) recorded season highs in both points (12) and assists (6). The absences of Fournier and Papanikolaou left a huge void in the small forward position that was effectively filled by [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/), who scored a season-best 15 points, and [Shaquielle McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/), who netted 16. 

“Of course, Sasha was amazing, but the whole team worked great for him and this number of 36 assists is fantastic in the EuroLeague nowadays,” Bartzokas told EuroLeague TV.

For the first time this season, Olympiacos doesn’t share top spot in the standings, currently boasting a league-best 14-6 record. A tough double-round week is coming, with a trip to Spain to visit [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) and red-hot [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/), but Friday’s team outing and Vezenkov’s extraordinary performance have sent a strong message to the rest of the top-four contenders.

To cap off a special night, Vezenkov took the game ball home as a memento.

The forward netted 45 points, with the Reds registering a club-record 36 assists against Bayern

Sasha Vezenkov’s historic performance came on special night for Olympiacos

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Bayern Munich (2025-01-10T19:15:00.000Z)

Virtus Bologna guard Matt Morgan spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 20 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Matt Morgan: 'We put up a great effort'

Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard Matt Morgan spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Virtus Segafredo Bologna-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

KK Crvena zvezda center Joel Bolomboy spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Paris Basketball in Round 20 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Joel Bolomboy: 'This win took everybody'

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade center Joel Bolomboy spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Paris Basketball in Round 20 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Paris Basketball | RS Round 20 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Virtus Bologna survived another major drama against Baskonia to continue its push up the lower ranks of the standings with a 76-74 win at home. Virtus wasted a 15-point lead but managed to fend off the Spanish side for the second time in the last six rounds in moving to 6-14. The Italian outfit also took its record to 4-2 under new head coach Dusko Ivanovic – the first win being the improbable 81-82 win over Baskonia in Spain in Round 15. 

Virtus wins another thriller over Baskonia, prevails 76-74 at home

Virtus Segafredo Bologna survived another major drama against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to continue its push up the lower ranks of the standings with a 76-74 win at home. Virtus wasted a 15-point lead but managed to fend off the Spanish side for the second time in the last six rounds in moving to 6-14. The Italian outfit also took its record to 4-2 under new head coach Dusko Ivanovic – the first win being the improbable 81-82 win over Baskonia in Spain in Round 15. 

Matt Morgan led the way with 17 points, Isaia Cordinier had 16 points, Achille Polonara 13 and Andrejs Grazulis chipped in 13 points. Baskonia dropped to 8-12, including 2-8 on the road and 2-5 in its last seven games. Luka Samanic shined in his second game with the team with 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Nikos Rogkavopoulos tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. 

Cordinier was Virtus’s main weapon early on with 7 points, including a three-pointer to pull the hosts even at 9-9. Baskonia could not get baskets to fall but made six free throws and pulled ahead 9-13. A triple from Ognjen Jaramaz pushed the guests ahead 12-18 and the score was 14-20 after 10 minutes. 

Donta Hall threw down two dunks to put Baskonia ahead by eight points, 18-26. Polonara tried to get Virtus back in front with two triples, but the guests answered with three-pointers both times to make it 24-32. The Baskonia offense dried up with just one basket in 3 minutes and Morgan had 5 points to trim the deficit to 33-34. Virtus still went into the break down 37-38. 

Morgan continued his hot play to start the second half with the first seven points and assisted on an Alessandro Pajola three-pointer as Virtus led 47-38. Baskonia needed more than 3 minutes to score and that didn’t stop the Virtus push with a put-back dunk and three-pointer from Grazulis and a Morgan three-point play for a 55-40 cushion. Baskonia punched back with a 2-12 run thanks to a four-point play from Rogkavopoulos, who also hit a triple at the buzzer, and the score was 59-54 after three quarters.

After two scores from Samanic made it a one-point game, Daniel Hackett knocked down a triple for Virtus’s first score of the final frame. Baskonia, however, was up 62-63 after a three-pointer and tip-in from Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. That was the first of six straight lead changes, with an unsportsmanlike foul on Luwawu-Cabarrot resulting in two Morgan free throws and a Polonara triple as Virtus was leading 71-67 with 3 minutes to play. A Cordinier layup had the advantage at 73-67. And the Frenchman buried a big triple with 77 seconds to play for a 76-70 cushion. After a Samanic layup, the officials reviewed a previous Virtus offense and ruled an unsportsmanlike foul on Grazulis, which Trent Forrest converted into two free throws. Forrest missed a chance to tie the game with 2.5 seconds left from the free-throw line and then Rogkavopoulos was just off target with a potential three-point winner at the buzzer.

The Italian side improves to 4-2 under new coach Dusko Ivanovic