Name: Virtus Segafredo Bologna-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Virtus Segafredo Bologna-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v ALBA Berlin (2024-12-04T19:45:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket confirmed its supremacy in Group B by defeating the visiting Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 96-83 at La Fonteta on Wednesday night. The victory was the ninth in as many games for the Spaniard side, which is now two games ahead of second-placed Jerusalem, which slipped to 7-3. 

Valencia holds off Jerusalem to stay perfect, 96-83

Valencia Basket confirmed its supremacy in Group B by defeating the visiting Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem 96-83 at La Fonteta on Wednesday night. The victory was the ninth in as many games for the Spaniard side, which is now two games ahead of second-placed Jerusalem, which slipped to 7-3. 

Valencia set the foundations of another successful aftermath from the very beginning, scoring 8 triples in the first quarter, then punishing its opponent with a 20-0 spark in the second to blow the game open, 57-30. Despite several comeback attempts, Hapoel could never get closer than 10 points, allowing Valencia to celebrate a few minutes before the final whistle.

Chris Jones led the winners with 20 points on 5 triples. Jean Montero and Matt Costello followed with 13 apiece, while Brancou Badio and Semi Ojeleye provided 12 and 10, respectively. Khadeen Carrington chipped in 17 points in 22 minutes to pace Hapoel, while Chris Johnson contributed a double-double of 15 points and 12 boards. Jared Harper had 16 on his return to Valencia, and Yovel Zoosman finished with 13 in a losing effort.

Game Videos

The hosts showed deadly accuracy from long range from the very beginning, going for 5 three-pointers on just 7 attempts and from four different players. That allowed Valencia to build a solid margin, 19-10, midway through the first period, as Hapoel avoided a bigger punishment thanks to the duo of Harper and Johnson on offense. Ojeleye and Josep Puerto landed another two treys, but found Carrington in offense to reduce the margin to 25-23, with the American guard scoring 8 points in just 2 minutes. Valencia immediately stopped the game with a timeout, then Montero made a four-point play and provided another bucket soon after to elevate Valencia 33-26 at the end of the first quarter.

Despite Harper’s effort to sustain his team and prevent Valencia from pulling away, the home team quickly constructed a double-digit lead after Nate Sestina and Sergio de Larrea drilled back-to-back triples that increased the advantage to 43-30 after 14 minutes. Even though Hapoel called for an urgent timeout to stop the bleeding, a fast-break jumper and free throws by Amida Brimah and Montero saw the hosts' lead swell to 49-30. The run didn’t stop, as Valencia extended it to 20-0 and 57-30, as Hapoel remained scoreless for more than 5 minutes. Johnson was the one that broke the trend with 4 points in a row, boosting a 2-8 run to finish the first half with Valencia leading 59-38.

Game News

Carrington came out quite hot after the break, as he nailed three consecutive three-pointers and added an assist for Gabriel Chachashvili’s dunk that made it 62-49. Harper continued the rally with 5 points of his own to keep Hapoel’s momentum, good for a 66-56 score with still plenty of minutes to play. Despite having seen its difference being cut to less than a half, Valencia didn’t panic and even refused to use a timeout, as Badio and Sestina showed up to score from downtown once each and restore a safe margin. 74-58, for the hosts. Costello and Jones followed with an inside basket and a buzzer-beating trey to close the third period with the home team ruling 79-62.

Jaime Pradilla and Costello rebuilt a margin of 20+ points right after the game resumed, 83-62, but Hapoel kept fighting for its life and got within 83-73 with still 6 minutes remaining thanks to a 0-11 run in which Zoosman got 5 points. This time Valencia did stop the game, needing to regroup quickly to avoid any risk. Sestina converted an offensive rebound to help the hosts stay calm, and Badio provided a steal, a couple of free throws and a difficult layup to confirm the good vibes, 89-77, with 3 minutes to go. Jones hit from downtown soon after and Costello added a couple of free throws to put the game on ice entering the last 100 seconds.

A 20-0 run early in the second quarter helped the hosts keep the Israeli side under control

Valencia Basket v Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (2024-12-04T19:45:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin center David McCormack spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Virtus Bologna in Round 13 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

David McCormack: 'I play hard and I play with passion'

ALBA Berlin center David McCormack spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 13 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Olimpia Milano guard Fabien Causeur spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat KK Crvena zvezda in Round 13 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Fabien Causeur: 'We have to stay humble'

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan guard Fabien Causeur spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 13 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2024-12-04T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos BC forward Shaq McKissic spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat AS Monaco in Round 13 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Shaq McKissic: 'I appreciate Coach for allowing me to play through my mistakes'

Olympiacos Piraeus forward Shaq McKissic spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat AS Monaco in Round 13 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

AS Monaco v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-12-04T18:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin had to battle for 45 minutes to beat Virtus Bologna 88-90 in overtime in Round 13, improving its record to 3-10 in the process. In particular, ALBA's players with links to Italian basketball made sure their names were noticed at Virtus Segafredo Arena.

Procida, Spagnolo enjoyed homecoming win against Virtus

[ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/ber/) had to battle for 45 minutes to [beat Virtus Segafredo Bologna 88-90](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/alba-beats-virtus-in-ot-88-90/) in overtime in Round 13, improving its record to 3-10 in the process. In particular, ALBA's players with links to Italian basketball made sure their names were noticed at Virtus Segafredo Arena.

[Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/) started the game on fire, getting 9 quick points, including a show-stopping dunk that gave ALBA an early 11-19 lead. He kept pacing his team throughout the game, finishing it with 20 points on 6-of-8 two-pointers, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a PIR of 16. It was not a regular game for Procida, born in Como, barely 50 kilometers away from Milan and less than 300km away from Bologna.

Asked about being in Italy after the game, Procida confirmed that a lot of people came to see him play. "Everybody from my family: my aunt, my parents... everybody. It was just a game but I had a lot of friends and family here, so it was a special game," Procida said. "Coming back to Italy to play against a great team like Virtus, in this arena, with these crazy fans, was very good."

On the other hand, [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/) is from Brindisi, almost in the southern end of Italy. Spagnolo had an all-around performance and stepped up in key moments of the game, hitting 5-of-5 free throws in clutch time and missing the sixth attempt on purpose to run the game clock down. When the dust settled, Spagnolo had 10 points, a career-high 8 rebounds, 5 assists and a PIR of 16.

Gabriele Procida and Matteo Spagnolo each had a PIR of 16 of ALBA Berlin in an 88-90 overtime road win over Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Procida, Spagnolo step up in Italu

Procida and Spagnolo were not the only players with links to Italian basketball. [David McCormack](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/david-mc-cormack/013386/) started the 2024-25 EuroLeague season with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, seeing very limited playing time. In five previous games, one of them against ALBA, McCormack averaged 1.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and a PIR of -0.3. 

McCormack started against Virtus and proved to be a really solid addition, getting 16 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals and a block for a PIR of 24. McCormack's arrival, added to the fact that backcourt stars [Martin Hermannsson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/martin-hermannsson/008780/) and [Matt Thomas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matt-thomas/008967/) are back in action, made ALBA a solid team.

The American center stated that a quick adjustment helped him get good individual results right away. "You have to learn fast, you have to adjust fast. But one thing about my game is I play hard and I play with passion, and that translates to every team," McCormack said. "A lot has paid off, a lot of hard work. I'm thankful."

Hustle was there, too. ALBA finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds, a new club record. It had previously grabbed 19 offensive boards in a 67-71 home loss against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on October 8, 2021. As many as eight ALBA players grabbed at least 1 offensive board and ALBA outrebounded Virtus 42-54. Those 54 rebounds are a EuroLeague season high and the best mark in a game since the four-overtime instant classic between Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul. ALBA had never grabbed more than 46 rebounds in a EuroLeague game before.

It was a special night for the Italian duo, and both of them delivered in their home country


Despite being one of the elder statesmen in the EuroLeague, there was no way for the KK Crvena zvezda players to stop the 37-year-old Fabien Causeur in Round 13. Particularly when it came to pulling up for three-point shots.

Fabien Causeur turned back the clock as Milan stayed red hot

Despite being one of the elder statesmen in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, there was no way for the [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) players to stop the 37-year-old [Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/) in Round 13. Particularly when it came to pulling up for three-point shots.

Causeur made history in [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/)’s [101-86 triumph over the Serbian side](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-breezes-past-zvezda-101-86-for-fourth-straight-win/) on Wednesday night by going 6 for 6 on triples – a club record for most threes made without a single miss.

“I made the first two so my confidence went on the top,” Causeur told EuroLeague TV after the game. “I got my flow during the game, found open shots from my teammates. I think [Nico Mannion](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/niccolo-mannion/011064/) found me 2-3 times. I’m here for that. I want to make them.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He is one. He looks like they are two tonight<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/HyPiJ04wPy">pic.twitter.com/HyPiJ04wPy</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1864419395079901522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Milan guard turned back the clock and ended the game with a season-high 20 points in just over 24 minutes on the court. Having made at least one three-point shot in seven of his last eight games, the two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion now needs just 9 points to reach 2,500 for his illustrious career.

More importantly, though, he inspired Milan to its fourth win in a row, bouncing back after a slow start to the 2024-25 campaign.

“We have a young team,” Causeur added. “We had a rough start \[to\] this season. We were 1-5, playing bad. We needed time. There were eight new players in the team. So, it takes time. And the EuroLeague is very hard, it’s a very tough schedule. Game after game after game… Now we start to play better, we have good confidence. We have to keep growing like this but stay humble at the same time.”

Assisted by [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), who netted a game-high 23 points marking the seventh time this season that he has scored over 20 points, as well as Mannion, who chipped in with a career-high 20 points, Causeur helped Milan keep its momentum going.

The Italian side is now scheduled to host LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Friday as it looks to extend its winning streak to five games. Winning runs may well lead to complacency, but in Causeur, Milan has a EuroLeague veteran who will ensure that his team can thrive through humility.

The EuroLeague veteran made 6 of 6 from deep to make club history

Aris Midea Thessaloniki-Umana Reyre Venice | Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Aris Midea Thessaloniki v Umana Reyer Venice (2024-12-04T18:00:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade | RS Round 13 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

ALBA Berlin returned to winning ways in the EuroLeague by edging Virtus Bologna 88-90 on the road in Round 13 on Wednesday. ALBA improved to 3-10 in the standings while Virtus dropped to 2-11 and is on a five-game losing streak. 

ALBA beats Virtus in OT, 88-90

ALBA Berlin returned to winning ways in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by edging Virtus Segafredo Bologna 88-90 on the road in Round 13 on Wednesday. ALBA improved to 3-10 in the standings while Virtus dropped to 2-11 and is on a five-game losing streak. 

Gabriele Procida led the winners with 20 points. David McCormack added 16 and 14 rebounds, Matt Thomas had 13 points while Matteo Spagnolo got 10, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for ALBA. Will Clyburn led Virtus with 23 points. Ante Zizic added 13 while Momo Diouf had 12 for the hosts.

McCormack got ALBA going with a power layup which Clyburn matched with a coast-to-coast basket. Zizic dunked, then Yanni Wetzell and Procida gave ALBA a 4-8 lead. Martin Hermannsson buried a close shot and erased Alessandro Pajola's layup with a step-back jumper. McCormack took over with a wild put-back slam, Clyburn banked in a fadeaway jumper and Procida's three-pointer boosted the guests' lead to 9-17. Isaia Cordinier stepped up with a driving layup, Pajola dunked and Clyburn's jumper kept Virtus within 13-19. Tim Schneider sank a corner triple, which McCormack followed with a tip-in to make it a double-digit game, 13-24. Diouf brought Virtus closer, 18-26, after 10 minutes.

Trevion Williams scored in transition early in the second quarter. Daniel Hackett and Thomas each struck from downtown, Matt Morgan answered with a backdoor layup and Achille Polonara got Virtus within 25-31. McCormack dunked again and Wetzell matched Diouf's layup with a floater that made the hosts call timeout at 27-35. Morgan took over with a driving layup, Procida scored around the basket and McCormack's dunk kept ALBA out of trouble, 29-39. McCormack kept pacing the guests with a put-back basket and Procida's three-point play boosted his team's lead to 29-44. Tim Schneider dunked, but so did Clyburn and Procida. Raykon Tucker hit a turnaround jumper, Clyburn struck from downtown and Zizic's layup fixed the halftime score at 38-48.

Zizic dunked soon after the break. Procida buried a jumper which Polonara bettered with a three-pointer for a 43-51 Virtus deficit. Zizic scored twice in the paint but an outstanding McCormack single-handedly kept ALBA way ahead, 47-57. Clyburn stepped up with a backdoor layup that Spagnolo improved with a triple. Cordinier tried to change things with a three-point play, Williams dunked and Diouf kept Virtus within 54-63. Marco Belinelli nailed a catch-and-shoot triple, Malte Delow downed a five-meter jumper and Toko Shengelia made it a six-point game, 59-65. Thomas struck from downtown, then Thomas fixed the score at 61-68 after 30 minutes.

Thomas insisted from beyond the arc early in the fourth quarter. Belinelli downed a jumper and Diouf copied him in Virtus's next offense to make it a six-point game, 65-71. Samar banked in a scoop shot, Belinelli erased it with another jumper then Polonara and Zizic got Virtus within 69-73. Spagnolo beat the shot clock with a jumper, Belinelli sank a catch-and-shoot triple off an inbound pass and Zizic's jump hook kept Virtus within 73-75 with 1:42 left. Spagnolo made free throws, Clyburn buried an eight-meter triple and Williams's free throw gave ALBA a 76-78 edge with 44.1 seconds left. Clyburn scored in penetration but once Spagnolo did not score at the other end, he missed at the buzzer.

Thomas downed a fadeaway jumper early in overtime and Procida bettered Clyburn's driving layup with a bomb from downtown, good for an 80-83 ALBA lead. Clyburn kept pacing Virtus with a three-point play, Delow hit free throws and Schneider's jumper boosted ALBA's lead to 83-87 in the next-to-last minute. Cordinier downed a three-pointer, then Spagnolo hit foul shots for an 86-89 score with 18.9 seconds left. Diouf scored around the basket and Virtus turned the ball over with 5.9 seconds remaining. Clyburn missed from beyond the arc at the buzzer.

Procida, Spagnolo and McCormack led the visitors to their third victory

 Adrian Nelson goes up but Kur Kuath says not on my watch.

Kuath with the massive block on Nelson! Magic Moment of the Night

Adrian Nelson goes up but Kur Kuath says not on my watch.

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse v Veolia Towers Hamburg (2024-12-04T18:30:00.000Z)

Tim Schneider beats Ante Zizic's defense with a huge poster dunk!

Schneider's poster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

 Tim Schneider beats Ante Zizic's defense with a huge poster dunk!

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv-Joventut Badalona | Round 10 Highlights | 2024-25 BKT EuroCup   

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Joventut Badalona (2024-12-04T17:45:00.000Z)

Olimpia Milano extended its winning streak to four games by defeating KK Crvena zvezda 101-86 at Unipol Forum on Wednesday night. The hosts secured a double-digit lead in the first quarter and managed to maintain it for the majority of the game, outscoring Zvezda in each of the four quarters.

Milan breezes past Zvezda, 101-86, for fourth straight win

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan extended its winning streak to four games by defeating Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 101-86 at Unipol Forum on Wednesday night. The hosts secured a double-digit lead in the first quarter and managed to maintain it for the majority of the game, outscoring Zvezda in each of the four quarters. With this victory, Milan improved its record to 7-6, with the Serbian side dropping to 6-7.

Nikola Mirotic netted a game-high 23 points, with Niccolo Mannion and Fabien Causeur scoring 20 each. The latter did so by making a perfect 6 for 6 from deep - a club record for most threes made without a miss. Zach LeDay chipped in with 14 points and 7 rebounds. For the guests, Yago Dos Santos scored 17 points, Dejan Davidovac netted 12 and Isaiah Canaan added 14.

LeDay opened the scoring with a floater before a layup from Giampaolo Ricci and a triple from Mannion gave Milan a 7-3 lead. A mid-range jumper from Codi Miller-McIntyre was followed by another Mannion three-pointer, before 6 unanswered points from Mirotic made it 16-5 for the hosts. Miller-McIntyre ended Milan’s 9-0 run with a layup, but Causeur nailed one from deep and then set up Mirotic for an easy basket inside to secure a 23-9 cushion. Yet, Zvezda responded, with Canaan sinking two straight triples that trimmed the deficit to 23-15 heading into the second quarter.

Freddie Gillespie completed a three-point play against his former team for his first Milan points. Canaan responded with a floater, but Causeur scored another triple to maintain a 29-17 lead. Two Gillespie baskets sandwiched another Canaan triple before Causeur and Dos Santos traded threes, 36-28. Then, Davidovac took over with 8 points, including two buckets from deep that cut the difference to 40-36. Yet, it kept raining triples at Unipol Forum, as Milan replied, with LeDay and Mannion netting one each to extend the lead back to double figures. Rokas Giedraitis and Filip Petrusev opened their accounts before a Miller-McIntyre layup brought Zvezda within 47-42. But Milan responded with a 6-0 run, including back-to-back baskets in transition from Shavon Shields and Mannion to restore a 53-42 lead at the break.

Five points from Mirotic were followed by a Mannion layup in transition and a LeDay basket inside for an 10-0 surge that allowed Milan to pull away, 63-44. Kalinic completed a three-point play to end Milan’s run, but Causeur responded with his fourth triple of the night, 66-47. Mitrovic scored inside, Branko Lazic drilled a corner triple and Dos Santos chipped in with a couple of free throws that trimmed the deficit to 70-54. Mannion and Dos Santos traded triples before a floater from the latter brought Zvezda within 73-61. Then, Mirotic nailed one from downtown to overtake Real Madrid legend Sergio Rodriguez and reached the eighth spot in the all-time scorers’ rankings, before Causeur’s fifth triple of the game restored a 79-65 Milan lead after 30 minutes.

Buckets from Mitrovic and Giedraitis kept Zvezda in the game, but Mirotic added 5 points to his tally to maintain an 84-71 cushion. A LeDay bucket inside was followed by a triple from Canaan before Shields, Mannion and Causeur scored back-to-back layups for a 92-76 lead with 04:50 left on the clock. Zvezda struggled to find open looks on offense and went scoreless for three and a half minutes, with Causeur netting yet another triple to make it 95-76 and finished the game off with 3 minutes remaining.

The hosts dominated from start to finish on Wednesday night

Olympiacos BC head coach Georgios Bartzokas got the better of his AS Monaco Basket counterpart Vassilis Spanoulis, who previously played under Bartzokas, in Round 13.

Bartzokas handed former protégé Spanoulis a lesson 

In an [80-89 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-sinks-monaco-80-89-handing-spanoulis-first-defeat/) over [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/), [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) head coach Georgios Bartzokas personified the saying that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks.

The 59-year-old tactician drew on his wealth of experience to prevail over former protégé Vassilis Spanoulis, a 42-year-old former legend of the Reds who won back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague titles with the team in 2012 and 2013 as a player.

The latter was under the guidance of Bartzokas, who then returned for a second stint with the club in 2020, when Spanoulis headed into his final year on the court before taking up a coaching career with Peristeri in 2022.

It was the first time the two faced off in Europe’s premier club competition and Bartzokas got the better of his old friend and finest soldier, having suffocated Monaco’s normally lethal offense.

The French team’s top performer and the EuroLeague’s all-time top scorer Mike James was confined to a mere 10 points and although he was able to dish out 12 assists, Olympiacos had too much firepower for Monaco thanks to its deep roster.

Bartzokas masterfully pulled all the strings, calling the shots with an uncanny instinct of playing to his team’s strengths while taking full advantage of Monaco’s weaknesses – namely a lack of size, as the visitors dominated the paint at both ends of the floor.

Bartzokas gave a fair account of how the game panned out in his post-game comments. “We led most of the game and knowing that Monaco are so aggressive offensively with the individual talent to play one-on-one, we controlled the defensive rebounding and exercised patience on offense,” he said in a courtside interview. “We created plenty of open looks, our offense was solid and in the second half our defense was solid, too.”

[Shaq McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/), who was named player of the game after netting 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor and 3 of 3 from the foul line, was relieved after Olympiacos was able to snap a three-game winless streak at Monaco.

“They are a very tough team and I am very happy with how we stepped up and how we performed,” the American forward said. “They gave us their best shot in the first half and I can’t remember the last time we won here. That was on my mind, they had a good game plan, but we executed.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This win was dedicated to a very special man. To our doctor, Theofanis Tsavisis.<br><br>Happy B-Day, Doctor!<br><br> <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/yJXdqI5BOy">pic.twitter.com/yJXdqI5BOy</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1864410664439083458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Spanoulis, who sent shockwaves through Greek and European club basketball when he joined Olympiacos from perennial archrival [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) in 2010, criticized Monaco’s second-half performance.

Having engineered 16 team assists in the first half, the hosts managed just 6 in the second much to the dismay of Spanoulis, who won his first-ever EuroLeague title with Panathinaikos in 2009 before he defected to the bitter rival’s camp.

“We gave Olympiacos confidence in the first half and they kept it in the second, when they hit on big shot after another,” said Spanoulis. “We shared the ball in the first half but in the second we were selfish and overall we needed to play much better defense. Congratulations to Olympiacos.”

In Round 14, Olympiacos hosts surprise leader [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/), a EuroLeague debutant which is on a nine-game winning streak, while Monaco entertains struggling [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/ber/), with both games scheduled for Friday.

Experience made all the difference in a generational battle of two Greek coaches

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse was on the brink of reversing a nightmare first half against Hamburg Towers with some tough defense but was still lacking the offensive punch. Enter Hugo Benitez, the face of the franchise who turned the game around with a masterful final 15 minutes.

Hugo Benitez shined when Bourg needed him most 

[Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/roster/bou/) was on the brink of reversing a nightmare first half with some tough defense but was still lacking the offensive punch. Enter [Hugo Benitez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/hugo-benitez/010449/), the face of the franchise who turned the game around with a masterful final 15 minutes.

Benitez finished the game with a team-high 17 points to go with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in [Bourg’s 93-82 comeback win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bourg-rallies-from-14-points-down-to-beat-hamburg-93-82/) over [Veolia Towers Hamburg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/veolia-towers-hamburg/roster/ham/). The French team gave up 58 points in the first half and needed to rally back from 14 points down to grab its first BKT EuroCup win since November 6 for a 6-4 record after having lost four of its last five games. 

“I want us to remember the second half. The first half was not high-level basketball. And it’s not acceptable. We did a good job in the second half,” said Bourg head coach [Frederic Fauthoux](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/cosea-jl-bourg-en-bresse/bou/fauthoux-frederic/). 

Hugo Benitez shined vs. Hamburg when Bourg needed him most 

Hugo Benitez shined vs Hamburg when Bourg needed him most

Bourg still trailed 58-66 midway through the third quarter when Benitez began to take over. He scored three baskets in a 13-0 run to claim the lead 71-66. And Benitez added another score to give Bourg its first double-digit lead 80-70 with 6 minutes left in the game. 

Hamburg answered with the next 4 points but Benitez punched back with a three-pointer and then stole the ball before assisting on a [Jordan Usher](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jordan-usher/013265/) layup to make it 85-74. 

Hamburg was never able to get closer than 9 points the rest of the way 

“It’s all about the team. We showed a lot of character,” Benitez said. “We had a talk at halftime and showed our real team in the second half. The first half was terrible for us. They played really well. But afterwards, it was our rhythm. That is our team.” 

The performance was Benitez’s best of the season - topping the 11 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists he had in the Round 9 loss to Valencia Basket. 

The 23-year-old is really starting to shine more with the 2024 EuroCup runner-up.

The face of the franchise scored 11 of his 17 points in the final 15 minutes

Matteo Spagnolo sends the lob pass and David McCormack detonates the one-handed alley-oop slam!

McCormack's alley-oop dunk! Motorola Magic Moment 