Name: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne| RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Johannes Voigtmann and Shabazz Napier, two of FC Bayern Basketball's two summer additions, were among the star performers as the club opened SAP Garden with a famous win against Real Madrid in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

New Bayern stars thrilled by opening night win

A new arena, and two new stars… FC Bayern Munich enormously enjoyed its first night at the brand-new SAP Garden, [overcoming the mighty Real Madrid 97-89](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-munich-takes-opening-night-thriller-over-real-madrid-97-89/) in a game that was only decided in the last minute.

As well as the luxury of their new home, the German team's fans were equally thrilled by the contribution of two summer signings who made spectacular debuts to turn the dream victory into a memorable reality: [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) and [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/).

And from their post-game comments, the new star duo are also pretty happy to be there.

Game Videos

Big man Voigtmann started his Bayern career with a double-double, draining 19 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting and also grabbing 10 rebounds plus 4 assists.

The former Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, CSKA Moscow and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan center is entering his ninth season in the competition so there’s not too much he hasn’t already seen, but he admitted the nerves were jangling before tipoff on the occasion of his 250th EuroLeague appearance.

“This was a big game for us,” said the 32-year-old. “Not only the first game of the EuroLeague season but also in the new arena. Everybody was a bit nervous before the game because we’d never played here – we’d never even practiced here – but it was incredible.

“We were down after three quarters but we came back, and it was pretty emotional. That’s the way we want to play, that’s the way we want to fight, and it feels very good right now.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a performance by Jo in his 250th game in the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> 🤯<br><br>19 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 1 Steal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYRMB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYRMB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/aNRZOehy6A">pic.twitter.com/aNRZOehy6A</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1841948919019798982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Fellow newcomer Napier was the only other player who came close to matching Voigtmann’s impact on the game, with the guard posting a game-high 25 points by converting 4 of his 7 two-point attempts and an impressive 4 of 5 from long range.

And Napier, who last season represented both Milan and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, was equally enthusiastic about his new home: “It was amazing. Playing against one of the best teams in Europe, we fought to the end, and the fans did a hell of a job in pushing us to the end.

“Resilience \[was the key\]. A lot of us got tired, including myself, and at moments we had our heads down. But we stuck together, and the fans helped us win. We did an amazing job in the fourth quarter to push back and today was a great win.”

A great win it truly was, leaving Bayern fans optimistic that their team can challenge any team in Europe this season – especially if the new recruits maintain their spectacular early standards.

Game News

Johannes Voigtmann and Shabazz Napier starred on a special occasion against Real Madrid

FC Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (2024-10-03T18:45:00.000Z)

Tamir Blatt made up for the departures of Wade Baldwin and Lorenzo Brown by leading Maccabi Tel Aviv BC to a Round 1 victory against LDLC ASVEL to start the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

What Baldwin-Brown backcourt? Blatt has career night in opener

On Thursday night, [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) made Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv fans quickly forget about last season’s star backcourt of [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) and [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/). The playmaker couldn’t have tipped off the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season any better, enjoying a career night and home victory.

The 27-year-old point guard Blatt posted career highs of 21 points, 12 assists and 36 PIR in [Maccabi’s 89-82 win over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/report-maccabi-vs-asvel/). Blatt made 4-of-5 two-pointers, all 4 of his three-point attempts and his lone free throw, topping his previous best of 17 points for ALBA Berlin against FC Barcelona on December 1, 2022.

Tamir Blatt finished with 21 points, 12 points and a 36 PIR as Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 89-82 in Round 1 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Tamir Blatt's big night vs. ASVEL

Blatt, who also had 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 fouls drawn and just 2 turnovers in the game, eclipsed his previous high in assists of 9 versus EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on April 11, 2024, for Maccabi. And his best PIR before this game was 20 for ALBA against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on October 19, 2022.

“I feel great. I am really happy for the guys and for the team,” said Blatt, who is playing his second season back with a native Israeli club after two seasons in Germany with ALBA. “It was a great team effort and I’m happy we got the first win.”

About his strong performance, Blatt said: “It’s great to play well and I’m happy and the guys really helped me to get to my spots. The most important thing is that we got the win and we move forward.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TB&#39;s opening night 💪<br>(📸 Djordje Kostic) <a href="https://t.co/POdDEtbTPj">pic.twitter.com/POdDEtbTPj</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1841942000922460448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Blatt’s performance comes after he averaged 7.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 19 minutes over 38 games last season. But because Maccabi had point guards such as Baldwin and Brown, Blatt did not start a single game last season in the EuroLeague.

Maccabi coach Oded Kattash had Blatt on the court for nearly 29 minutes against ASVEL. Blatt’s performance also gave Kattash less reason to play new point guard [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/) as the Lithuanian playmaker from FC Barcelona played 15 minutes, scoring 4 points and dishing 2 assists.

It was a tremendous start to the season for Blatt in a good Maccabi victory. Who were the team’s guards again last season?

The Israeli guard fired on all cylinders in Round 1

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-10-03T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas fans have a new hero to cheer for after Sylvain Francisco came to the fore late on during his debut, scoring key points in the fourth quarter to help beat FC Barcelona on the opening day of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Sylvain Francisco showed his clutch gene on Zalgiris debut

Drawing energy from the home crowd inside Zalgirio Arena, Zalgiris Kaunas hit the ground running in the first half, holding FC Barcelona to just 31 points and taking a 12-point lead into the halftime interval.

Following the break, the guests turned the game around and tied the score at 48-48 with 2:07 minutes left on the clock in the third quarter. From that point on, Barcelona made the contest a tight affair, with Jabari Parker bringing his squad within 57-54 midway through the closing quarter.

Sylvain Francisco had 19 points in 17:44 minutes on his Zalgiris Kaunas debut as his side beat FC Barcelona 74-67 in Round 1 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Barcelona could not deal with Sylvain Francisco

Then, it was [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/)’s time to shine. The Zalgiris guard came off the bench and carried the team on his shoulders, [leading the hosts to a 74-67 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-kaunas-powers-past-barcelona-74-67/). A step-back triple was followed by two baskets in traffic as he single-handedly extended Zalgiris’s lead to 64-56. The visitors fought back and scored four unanswered points, but Francisco came to the fore again, smoothly dribbling around and breaking Alex Abrines’s ankles before drilling a buzzer-beating triple with 2:17 remaining.

In the post-game interview, the Zalgiris summer signing credited a EuroLeague legend for his clutch three-pointer with less than 30 seconds to go that almost took the roof off Zalgirio Arena. “Shoutout to \[Olympiacos Piraeus great Vassilis\] Spanoulis, ‘cause that’s his move at the end of the day,” Francisco told EuroLeague TV.

Zalgiris Kaunas guard Sylvain Francisco channeled his inner Vassilis Spanoulis as his team beat FC Barcelona 74-67 in Round 1 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Sylvain Francisco: 'Shout out to Spanoulis, that's his move!'

Francisco finished the night with a game-high 19 points, 15 of which were scored in the last four and a half minutes. “I had to play my game and play for my team, too,” he added. “The third quarter was kind of messed up. I think I realized they were going to play defense on me and on every guy. So, I made sure I run the team first and then play for myself. And they let me do everything, so I was hot and I just took advantage.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Showed up in style, delivered in game. 😮‍💨 <a href="https://t.co/3DJiSQFLjL">pic.twitter.com/3DJiSQFLjL</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1841937545929883699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 27-year-old guard may have stood out on Thursday, but head coach Andrea Trinchieri stressed that the team’s effort on defense was what allowed the hosts to clinch the victory. “I believe that every player helped us to win the game,” the Zalgiris boss told EuroLeague TV. “Everybody saw Francisco doing Francisco stuff. \[He was\] very important, a game changer. But I would also underline the defense of [\[Laurynas\] Birutis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/laurynas-birutis/005504/), [Arnas \[Butkevicius\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) and [Matthew Mitchell](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-mitchell/012622/). We need each other. This is a team win.”

[Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/keenan-evans/011218/)’s departure in the summer may have been a blow for Zalgiris, but Francisco demonstrated on Thursday that the Lithuanian side may have well found a new clutch player who can step up in the final minutes. With its confidence sky-high after a season-opening victory over Barcelona, Zalgiris will travel to Greece next week to take on another EuroLeague powerhouse in Olympiacos Piraeus.

He put on a show in the closing stages to put Barcelona to bed at Zalgirio Arena

Zalgiris Kaunas v FC Barcelona (2024-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne| RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

FC Bayern Basketball secured a memorable 97-89 win over Real Madrid in the first EuroLeague game at SAP Garden in Round 1 of the 2024-25 season.

Bayern takes opening night thriller over Real Madrid, 97-89

In a thrilling contest of constant swings in momentum, FC Bayern Munich eventually overcame Real Madrid 97-89 to claim a famous victory from the first game at the spectacular new SAP Garden.

The first two quarters followed the same pattern, with Bayern starting strong but Real responding to keep it close at halftime. The script was flipped as the Spanish team surged clear with a 0-13 run after the break, but Bayern came back magnificently with its own 13-0 run to grab the win.

Johannes Voigtmann inspired Bayern with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, Shabazz Napier was the top scorer with 25 points and Carsen Edwards contributed 14. Facundo Campazzo led Real with 19 points and 9 assists, Dzanan Musa netted 18 points and Walter Tavares had 12 points and 9 boards in a losing effort.

Both teams focused their early efforts inside, with Tavares and Musa netting for Real while Vladimir Lucic and Devin Booker answered for the host. Andreas Obst scored 8 points in 90 seconds, including a pair of two three-pointers, making it 14-7. A flurry of threeballs from Voigtmann and Napier kept the host ahead, but Musa and Serge Ibaka both scored from close and long-range, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes incredibly beat the buzzer from mid-court to make it 26-29 after 10 minutes.

Napier scored five points straight early in the second, before Niels Giffey struck a corner three and Edwards had a layup-and-one to complete a 13-0 run for a 39-31 lead. Rathan-Mayes rescued Real with a three-point play, but Napier and Voigtmann again struck from deep, and Booker netted at the basket for the game’s first double-digit lead, 49-38. Sergio Llull’s three-pointer, Tavares’s dunk and Campazzo’s transition jumper pulled Real back, 50-49. Oscar da Silva’s free throws snapped a 0-9 run, and Gaby Deck’s tough layup made it 52-51 at the break.

Voigtmann’s basket at the rim opened the third quarter scoring, but triples from Alberto Abalde and Campazzo, along with a pair of inside strikes from Musa, sent Real ahead, 54-61. Tavares’s three-point play completed a 0-13 run to give the visitor a double-digit lead, before Napier’s fast-break layup ended Bayern’s five-minute scoring drought. Campazzo struck from deep but Booker boosted Bayern with a three-pointer and a showtime slam, 61-69, and Napier added a jumper and one to make it 64-73 with ten minutes remaining.

Da Silva and Edwards scored the first 5 points of the final period, before Rathan-Mayes reignited Real. But Voigtmann’s fourth triple of the night was followed by Niels Giffey from deep, tying it up at 75-75. Edwards scored four straight points and Napier hit his fourth three-pointer, giving the host an 82-77 lead midway through the period. Voigtmann stretched the advantage into double digits with another deep strike, completing a 13-0 run. Campazzo’s layup and Musa’s three-pointer gave Real hope, and Campazzo struck from deep to make it 90-87 inside the last minute. Campazzo’s free throws made it 90-89, but Lucic also held his nerve from the line to seal the win.

On a special night for the German side, it recorded a memorable victory

FC Bayern Munich-Real Madrid | RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade| RS Round 1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-10-03T18:30:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz secured an 88-82 win over KK Partizan in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Baskonia grinds down Partizan, 88-82, thanks to cohesive team effort

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz celebrated an impressive 88-82 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 1 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after coming from behind in an enthralling contest which lit up a packed Buesa Arena.

New arrival Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who joined Baskonia from French rival LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne during the offseason, came up big on his debut for the Spanish outfit as he earned the player of the game award after racking up 15 points, 4 boards, 2 assists and 1 block in a smooth all-round performance.

Sharpshooter Markus Howard netted a team-high 17 points for Baskonia, captain Tadas Sedekerskis added 14, Chima Moneke posted 13 and Trent Forrest chipped in with 10, including a clutch three-pointer off the glass in the fourth quarter which gave the home team the lead for good, 73-72.

At the other end, twin towers Tyrique Jones and Brandon Davies carried a new-look Partizan with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Vanja Marinkovic scored 11 points against his former club and Iffe Lundberg netted 10 for the visitors, who ran out of steam down the stretch after dominating the first half.

Ironclad defense saw Partizan engineer a 32-38 first-half lead, with Tyrique Jones proving a handful for Baskonia’s big men. Davis too enjoyed plain sailing on offense, with Partizan sinking five shots from downtown in the opening two quarters while stifling out Baskonia’s long-range artillery.  

Jones continued to torment his markers in the third, scoring 9 points in the opening five minutes with some lightning moves close to the rim, but Howard and Luwawu-Cabarrot found their range too at the other end as Baskonia slashed the deficit to 59-60 heading into the final 10 minutes of a rip-roaring matchup.

The home fans were in raptures when Luwawu-Cabarrot scored the final basket of the third period, rounding his marker before he took off and rocked the rim with a one-handed slam jam which could figure as a strong contender for one of the best dunks of the season.

With Jones slowly running out of steam, Davis took over the mantle for Partizan early in the fourth quarter, but one could sense the visitors would be forced into submission after Forrest made that audacious shot off the glass to turn the tide.

With their confidence high, Baskonia hit top gear in a frantic finish and made sure they gave head coach Pablo Laso a dream debut on an emotional homecoming to his boyhood club, where he featured as a player from 1984 to 1995.

Davies and Marinkovic kept Partizan barely afloat in the last two minutes with a couple of fine shots from deep, but it was too little too late as Howard kept his nerve from the foul line to seal Baskonia’s victory.

The home side trailed for much of the contest and then prevailed down the stretch with five players finishing in double digits

Maccabi Tel Aviv BC leaned on a strong fourth quarter to beat LDLC ASVEL 89-82 in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Maccabi comes from behind to beat ASVEL, 89-82

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv opened its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season in style with an 89-82 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, coming back from 10 points down in a game that featured 23 lead changes.

Tamir Blatt had career highs of 21 points, 12 assists and 37 PIR for Maccabi while Jaylen Hoard and Jordan Loyd both scored 15 points, while Jasiel Rivero added 11 points and 9 rebounds. Joffrey Lauvergne paced ASVEL with 17 points and Paris Lee tallied 12 points and 4 assists. 

Theo Maledon knocked down a three-pointer for ASVEL’s first points of the season and Loyd did the honors for Maccabi before Rivero gave the home side its first lead. That was the start of a breathtaking back and forth with 14 lead changes in the first quarter - Lauvergne pouring in 9 points for the guests and Rokas Jokubaitis scoring two straight baskets for Maccabi. ASVEL finished strong with the final nine points on a couple of three-point plays by Nando De Colo and Mbaye Ndiaye and a buzzer-beater triple from Edwin Jackson to lead 24-31 after 10 minutes.

ASVEL continued the surge in the second quarter and Jackson gave the French side a 10-point lead, 26-36. Blatt stepped up at the other end with two three-pointers and Roman Sorkin put Maccabi back ahead 43-42. Lauvergne and Hoard went at it in the paint against each other and the game went back and forth again with four lead changes to end the first half with ASVEL up 51-52 at the break.

Early in the second half, Lee and David Lighty hit triples and ASVEL was up 54-58. Maccabi had a strong spurt of 10-2 with Rivero book-ending the run with scores and a 64-60 cushion. A Lee triple pushed the guests back into the lead, 64-65. Two Tarik Black scores had ASVEL up 65-69, but the score was level 70-70 after three quarters.

Shaq Harrison tallied the first five points of the third quarter to give ASVEL a five-point lead. John DiBartolomeo trimmed the margin to 77-78 on a three-pointer for Maccabi. The defenses of both teams were finally getting consistent stops, though Lauvergne made it 77-82. Blatt and DiBartolomeo both hit triples at the other end and Maccabi was up 83-82 with 2 minutes to play. Blatt then hooked up on alley-oop dunks by Hoard on back-to-back possessions to make it 87-82 with 30 seconds to play to decide the game. 

The Israeli side went to another gear in the fourth quarter to win the game

In his first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with FC Bayern Munich, Shabazz Napier talks about his team's win against Real Madrid in Round 1, and the upcoming showdown against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in Round 2. 

Shabazz Napier: 'It was just a great team win'

Carlik gets it going with a inch-perfect pass and Tyrique flies though think air to flush it down the ri

Tyrique Jones with a monster alley-oop dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night 

Carlik gets it going with a inch-perfect pass and Tyrique flies though think air to flush it down the rim!

Tyrique Jones with a monster alley-oop dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night

AS Monaco Basket, with Mike James still working his way back to form post-surgery, steamrolled Olimpia Milano in Round 1 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Monaco ‘better than expected’ in demolition of Milan

In the lead-up to the season opener, the battle between AS Monaco and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was pitted as a clash between two recent Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVPs: [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), the current holder of the award, and the 2022 MVP, [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/).

Yet, the two star players ended up being more on the periphery as [Monaco overwhelmed Milan 93-80](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-runs-past-milan-in-opener-93-80/) to start its season on the right foot.

"I would say it was over my expectations, to be honest," claimed Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic. "It was a great team win, everybody contributed on a high level. The first part was good defensively, and the whole game we did a great job offensively."

James, in action for the first time since a procedure on his back over the summer, played 18:36 minutes and finished with 9 points and 5 assists, with all but two of those assists coming in the first half. James gave his teammates a nice boost, scoring his first bucket after only seven seconds and helping Monaco to a 21-halftime lead.

"It is different when Mike is there, the floor is larger with him, I would say," said Obradovic.

"Mike James is an X-Factor, always. He makes it easier for us, and we just play off of him," added [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/), the game’s top scorer with 20 points.

But what made the biggest difference was Monaco’s offensive rebounding. The hosts had 12 offensive boards in the first two quarters, on 20 missed shots.

It prompted a halftime reaction from Milan coach Ettore Messina, who questioned his team’s heart. The visitors allowed just 3 offensive rebounds after the break, but the deficit proved to be too big to overcome.

"There are a lot of good things we showed in this game," said [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mam-jaiteh/002581/), who had 10 points and 7 rebounds. "There have been many changes on the team, but the mind is there, the atmosphere is good, and I have no doubt we are going to raise our team spirit and chemistry."

After one game, played without [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) and with James far from his best, Monaco certainly looks like it will have plenty to say this season.

Alpha Diallo was the team's surprise star on the night

AS Monaco v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-10-03T17:00:00.000Z)

See what Tamir Blatt of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv had to say after his team's win against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. He had a career-best performance with 21 points, 12 assists and a PIR of 36! 

Tamir Blatt: 'We are moving forward from here'

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz head coach Pablo Laso shares his thoughts after his team's win against KK Partizan in Round 1 of the EuroLeague Regular Season.

Pablo Laso: 'I know what it means to play here'

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz head coach Pablo Laso shares his thoughts after his team's win against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 1 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Tamir Blatt tosses it up for Jaylen Hoard to bring it down for the big alley-oop dunk.

Hoard hammers home the alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment

Panathinaikos BC had a happy return to Uber Arena, where it won its seventh continental crown last May. On Thursday night, the Greens downed ALBA Berlin 77-87 in Round 1 and showed they have the potential to be even better this season. 

Panathinaikos showed its impressive depth in Berlin 

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens had a happy return to Uber Arena, where it won its seventh continental crown last May. On Thursday night, [the Greens downed ALBA Berlin 77-87](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-bc-beats-alba-in-berlin-77-87/) in Round 1 and showed they have the potential to be even better this season.

Panathinaikos had five players score in double digits, with all of them being with the team last season. [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) led the way with 16 points. [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) added 14 and 8 rebounds, [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) had 11 points in his favorite city (he became a EuroBasket champion with Spain and a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague winner with the Greens at Uber Arena) while [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) and [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) each netted 10. Sloukas had 8 of those in the final five minutes to make sure he stopped ALBA's fourth-quarter comeback.

After the game, Nunn gave us one of the keys that could make the Greens better: the team is deeper, and that should pay off in the long run.

"It felt good, especially opening up here in Berlin. It felt really nice to be back in this arena. Most importantly we got the victory, so I'm happy," Nunn told the EuroLeague TV cameras. "It adds depth to our team. Like you were seeing today, we almost did a five in, five out type of sub, and we have the depth to keep guys fresh. That will help us throughout the season."

Indeed, the newcomers all delivered and showed they can be major contributors in the long run. [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) had 5 points, a steal and a block, being very active at both ends. [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) finished the game with 5 points and 5 assists. [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) had 8 points on 4-of-4 shots, 3 rebounds and a PIR of 10 in just over 14 minutes.

Lorenzo Brown, Omer Yurtseven and Cedi Osman combined for 18 points to lead Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens past ALBA Berlin in Round 1.

Newcomers gave Panathinaikos a boost in Round 1

Lessort believes that the fact that Panathinaikos is the reigning EuroLeague champion does not change things at all, as the Greens will have to go out there and fight for every victory.

"It is a whole new season. We don't start this season with any advantage from last season. We are starting from zero and have to prove ourselves again," Lessort said. "We have a lot of new players and never two seasons look the same. We cannot count on last season to carry on to this one. This is our season and we have everything to prove this year."

It is early in the season but head coach Ergin Ataman knows that its improved depth can be decisive in Panathinaikos's challenge to win a second consecutive EuroLeague title for the first time in club history.

"We have a good depth in our roster. We need to find a better focus on defense, because offensively, we have great potential. But sometimes on defense, the players on the court try to rest and this is not good because we need to find more fast-break points to break the game," Coach Ataman said. "OK, we can learn about this. We will work, it is the beginning of the season, so I have a lot of confidence for these guys."

Next week, Panathinaikos returns to OAKA to play its first EuroLeague game since the 2023 playoffs, on October 10 against FC Bayern Munich.

The Greens could be even better in 2024-25 than they were in 2023-24

ALBA Berlin v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-10-03T16:45:00.000Z)

What a block by Luwawu-Cabarrot! Motorola Magic Moment

Devin Booker drives to the basket and dunks it hard!

 Booker blasts off! Motorola Magic Moment 

Devin Booker drives to the basket and dunks it hard! 