More and more players are crossing the Atlantic from the NBA to European basketball, yet only a select few have the power to change a team’s destiny

Mid-season roster additions became inevitable for EuroLeague clubs. In many cases, teams looked to add role players or simply patch holes created by injuries or early-season miscalculations.

At times, however, clubs thought bigger. They monitored the fringes of NBA rosters, patiently waiting for training camps to conclude, hoping that a targeted player would fail to secure a guaranteed deal and become available on the market.

One of the most striking examples came in the 2023-24 season, when Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens waited until October 31 to sign Kendrick Nunn. The move proved transformative. Nunn quickly became a difference-maker, lifting the Greens to the 2024 EuroLeague title.

Today, Nunn is a bona fide EuroLeague star — the 2024-25 MVP and one of the league’s premier players.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1908270/nba-to-euroleague-mid-season-newcomers-who-can-change-the-game/).

NBA-to-EuroLeague mid-season newcomers who can change the game

Hapoel beats Zvezda on historic night to stay atop the standings

There was plenty at stake for both teams when Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv hosted Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Jerusalem’s Pais Arena on Tuesday night.

For Hapoel, not only was it a historic occasion, but it also provided an opportunity to start the last double-round week of the year by staying at the top of the standings.

And for Zvezda, it was a chance to snap a two-game losing run and immediately bounce back from the heartache of last week’s Serbian Derby defeat.

In the end, an incredibly close game – which saw neither team lead by more than 7 points at any stage – was settled in the final few possessions, when Chris Jones netted a pair of tough two-point baskets and Zvezda fired blanks at the other end. The final result left the Hapoel fans cheering an 84-78 victory that lifted its record to 12-4.

Along with Jones, another hero for the home team was Elijah Bryant, who added more spectacular numbers to an already stellar season by pouring in a personal best 28 points, including 6 of 11 three-pointers. Fittingly, Bryant scored the final points of the game from the foul line to ensure there was no Zvezda comeback, and his added contributions of 5 assists and 9 rebounds – while spending nearly 39 minutes on the floor – underlined his importance to the Hapoel cause.

Bryant, who is surely among the leading mid-season candidates for the league MVP award, was his usual humble self after the game, telling EuroLeague TV: “We came out and fought to the end. I just try to do whatever I can to help my team win, whether it’s score, assist or rebound.”

He did all three of those things on Tuesday, but victorious coach Dimitris Itoudis preferred to focus on his team’s collective efforts in holding Zvezda’s offense to just 7 points in the last 4 minutes.

“It was not easy, there were a lot of emotions for our first game in Israel,” said Itoudis. “I think, at the end, our hustle gave us the game. We had to change the mindset defensively and the hustle we gave was amazing. \[Jared\] Butler was hurting us with isos onto his dominant hand, but we were able to stop that.”

<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSVy2D5jGlS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSVy2D5jGlS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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From a wider perspective, Itoudis also reflected on his team’s proud position at the top of the EuroLeague standings, expressing his confidence that Hapoel is on the right path to becoming one of the leading teams on the continent.

“We’re in the process of building something good, and I think the fans and the media, everybody is witnessing that,” the two-time EuroLeague champion stated. “We’re trying to build camaraderie, team effort. The one thing we want to say to ourselves is that we never give up, and we also understand that we have qualities that others need to respect.”

Those qualities will certainly be both respected and tested later this week, when Itoudis takes his high-flying team to the place where he developed his reputation with a long spell as an assistant coach: Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. If Hapoel comes through that challenge with another win, there will be no doubting the team’s potential.

Game News

Zvezda, on the other hand, faces a run of games that could well define the remainder of its season. With three straight losses – and a 2-5 record on the road – the Serbian team will be under pressure when the double round resumes with a visit from Virtus Bologna on Friday.

Coach Sasa Obradovic overcame his obvious disappointment to remain phlegmatic after the latest loss, stating: “We made some tactical mistakes in crucial situations. It was the same as the Partizan game, and we need to learn how to manage these situations.

"We could have won, but this is a game of basketball. We go to the next one.”

For Zvezda, that next one could be crucial.

Coach Itoudis’s charges took a dramatic victory over Crvena Zvezda 

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-12-16T19:05:00.000Z)

Four players were unavailable but Xavi Pascual's team found the way to dominate in Paris 


Injury-plagued Barca keeps soaring with triumph in Paris 

It was a special night for FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Pascual. More than 15 years after leading Barça to the EuroLeague crown in Paris, Pascual returned to the French capital and guided his team to another big win.

In the 2010 Championship Game, Pascual and Barça bested Olympiacos Piraeus 86-68. Remarkably, the result on Tuesday was similar: Barça beat Paris Basketball 85-69.

It wasn't easy. Barca has been without playmakers [Juan Nunez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juan-nunez/010106/) and [Nico Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/) for a while, and the recently injured big men [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) and [Toko Shengelia ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/)did not travel to the French capital for this game. Nevertheless, Barça put together one of its best first halves of the season. The teams was aggressive on defense, effective on offense and dominated all aspects of the game.

Barca found a go-to guy in [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/), who scored 13 of his 19 points in the first quarter on perfect shooting. [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) came off the bench and did not miss a shot as he racked up 9 points in the first 10 minutes.

Paris Basketball-FC Barcelona | Round 16 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Clyburn kept rolling in the second quarter. His first missed shot was a desperation three deep from the right corner right at the halftime buzzer. He reached the break with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and 3-of-3 on free throws for a PIR of 24. By halftime, Barca had outrebounded Paris 22-13, forced the hosts into 9 turnovers and only allowed them to dish 5 assists.

"Indeed, we knew that we were missing guys and everybody had to pick up the slack in every way. So congrats to the guys. Everybody came out here and did their part today. And defensively, we were great, followed the coach's game plan," Clyburn said after the game. "We have a lot of talented guys on this team. And they helped me by being so talented. And I'm kind of in these situations where I'm open to shoot the ball. But congrats to the team today. There's never too much talent."

Without Vesely and Shengelia, Pascual changed his frontcourt rotation and [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/) had another strong game in the French capital. Last season, Hernangomez led Barca to a 79-90 road win in Paris with 23 points and 10 rebounds for a PIR of 30. This time, Hernangomez saw limited playing time due to foul trouble but still managed to get 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals for a PIR of 21 in 19 minutes. [Joel Parra](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-parra/007464/) helped at power forward with 11 points and 7 rebounds in over 30 minutes, and [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) was his usual self, leading all scorers with 21 points.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">𝟏𝟕 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢 𝟐𝟒 𝐝𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨́ a la primera part. <br><br>Lo de <a href="https://twitter.com/Da_Thrill21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Da_Thrill21</a> és... <a href="https://t.co/62kpdv5L1R">pic.twitter.com/62kpdv5L1R</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/2001036153772818915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

"It's something that we emphasize. They have been going to the offensive rebound especially really, really well. I think the first half, they only had 5 offensive rebounds, and we tried to minimize that. So it was a great game. We executed Xavi's plan... I'm proud of all my teammates," Hernangomez said. "We got this win here in Paris, which was really hard and now focus on the next one on Friday at home."

To wrap up a near-perfect night, [Nikola Kusturica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-kusturica/014128/) made his EuroLeague debut with Barça, becoming the youngest player to do so in club history with 16 years, seven months and 17 days, exactly the same age that [Luka Doncic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/euroleague/players/luka-doncic/005929/) had in his Real Madrid debut. [James Nnaji](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/es/euroleague/players/james-nnaji/010641/) had Barca's record with 17 years, three months and 13 days.

Barca is now on a four-game winning streak and hosts Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in Round 16 on Friday, December 19.

Despite missing Four players, Coach Xavi Pascual's team found ways to dominate in the French capital


Paris Basketball v FC Barcelona (2025-12-16T20:00:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket has done it again. Less than a month after edging past Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, the EuroLeague's hottest team at the time, and less than two weeks after outscoring Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on the road, Tuesday night saw the Spanish side pull off another impressive win on Greek soil.

Valencia’s bigs thrived from deep in road win at Olympiacos

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) has done it again. Less than a month after edging past Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, the EuroLeague's hottest team at the time, and less than two weeks after outscoring Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on the road, Tuesday night saw the Spanish side pull off another impressive win on Greek soil.

Pedro Martinez’s side downed [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) 92-99 by shooting the lights out on Tuesday night at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. In fact, Valencia nailed half of its 32 three-point attempts, including 6 made threes to turn the game around in the last quarter.

Olympiacos tried to beat Valencia at its own game, turning the first half into a back-and-forth affair, with the visitors securing a 47-49 lead at halftime. The hosts tightened up their defense and opened the second half with a 12-0 run thanks to 9 points from [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), who nailed back-to-back triples before completing a three-point play. [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) scored inside to give his team a 73-60 lead with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter. 

What came next left the home crowd in disbelief as Valencia fired on all cylinders from beyond the arc, netting as many as 39 points in just over 11 minutes to grab the victory.

Olympiacos Piraeus-Valencia Basket | Round 16 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Leading the charge were not Valencia’s explosive guards, but its two bigs: [Nate Reuvers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/reuvers-nathan/012738/) and [Matt Costello](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-costello/010444/), who combined for 35 points in the game. 

The former nailed 3 triples to end the game on a career-high 21 points in less than 19 minutes. Meanwhile, the latter drained 4 from deep to bag 14 points just a few days after netting 15 against Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

More importantly, they managed to stretch the floor, causing havoc to Olympiacos’s defense.

“We made 29 assists and only 13 turnovers, but I think the difference was that we shot great on three-pointers, especially our bigs, who opened the defense. Reuvers and Costello played great,” Martinez said in the post-game press conference.

A year after Paris Basketball sent shockwaves through the EuroLeague by going on an extraordinary 10-game winning streak, Valencia has been offering a similar, high-pace style of basketball that has captivated fans across Europe. 

The visitors found an extra gear in the closing stages, where Olympiacos collapsed on both ends of the floor, with Martinez explaining the benefits of his own philosophy.

“In basketball, tactics are very important but the most important is the mental situation,” he added. “For me, in the last quarter there are two important things. 

“One is that when we struggled to score, Olympiacos changed its mentality and maybe thought that the game was over. That’s not the reality, and at this point we scored all the shots we made because we were going up and they were going down. 

“But for me the second reason is that if you look at all our players, the one who plays the most minutes is [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/), who played 24. We try to make a fast rotation, something usual for us in all the games, and sometimes it permits us to arrive in a better physical condition in the last quarter.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🎉🧡<br>¡Así celebramos TODOS la victoria 11!<br><br>🏆 J16 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a><br>🔴 <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Olympiacos_BC</a> 92<br>🟠 <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 99<br>🤝 <a href="https://twitter.com/MGS_Seguros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MGS_Seguros</a> <a href="https://t.co/kjULGoDRps">pic.twitter.com/kjULGoDRps</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/2001039860656754863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Very few of Valencia’s made threes came off iso or hero-ball situations in the final seconds of a possession. The guests circulated the ball well, doing a great job of finding the open man. Their 29 assists on the night is a season high, as well as a joint club high and the second highest by any EuroLeague team this term.

“We just stuck with the game plan, we’re a run-and-gun team and once we got our opportunities, we started getting stops and things got a lot easier,” Reuvers told EuroLeague TV. “We just keep playing our style, dictating the pace, shooting threes; everyone is hitting shots, playing together. I love this team, I love the guys.”

And who doesn’t love watching Valencia. Having extended its winning streak to five games, Martinez’s men travel to Israel, where they’ll face an in-form Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv side that has won three in a row. But all the Spanish side needs is to play Valencia basketball, execute the plan and they will have nothing to worry about.

Nate Reuvers and Matt Costello combined for 35 points as the guests turned the game around in the fourth quarter

Olympiacos Piraeus v Valencia Basket (2025-12-16T19:15:00.000Z)

When EA7 Emporio Armani Milan announced ahead of Round 14 that Marko Guduric would spend time away from the team to rehab, the aim was clear: get him fully fit and ready to elevate the squad. On Tuesday night, that plan began to pay off.

Marko Guduric has his first big night for Milan in win over Real Madrid

When [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) announced ahead of Round 14 that [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) would spend time away from the team to rehab, the aim was clear: get him fully fit and ready to elevate the squad.

On Tuesday night, that plan began to pay off.

With several notable figures in attendance – including EuroLeague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga, Italy head coach Luca Banchi, and Milan President of Basketball Operations Ettore Messina, who was watching Milan in a EuroLeague game for the first time since stepping down as head coach – Guduric put on a clinic in his second game back as the Little Red Shoes secured an 89–82 win over [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) at Allianz Cloud. It was Milan’s first game at the venue since 2019.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Real Madrid | Round 16 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

The 30-year-old, who helped lead Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to the EuroLeague title last season, led Milan in PIR (21), points (22), rebounds (five), and assists (three, tied with [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/)) in just under 20 minutes. The win improved Milan’s record to 3–1 since Peppe Poeta took over as full-time head coach. Including the two games he coached as interim, Poeta is now 5–1, with Milan sitting at 9-7 on the season.

Notably, Poeta remains undefeated in EuroLeague play as Milan’s full-time head coach (3-0) when Guduric is in the lineup – another reason Milan will be cautious with its star guard’s workload.

“I’m just happy to be healthy, to be back, and to help my teammates in the way I know how,” Guduric told EuroLeague TV after the game. “Thanks to our medical team, the doctors, and physiotherapists — they helped me a lot. I’m just happy to be back.”

“It’s a huge win for us,” he added. “We just have to stay humble and keep our feet on the ground. It’s a long season.”

For Guduric, personal accolades aren’t the priority. His focus is on helping Milan secure a spot in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

“I just try to do whatever the team needs from me,” he said. “Sometimes it’s defense, sometimes it’s playmaking, sometimes it’s scoring. Like I said, I’m just happy to be healthy, and I hope to get into even better shape to help the team even more.”

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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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Another player working his way back from injury is [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/), who made just his fourth appearance of the season in Round 16. He finished with eight points, two assists, and one steal in just over 12 minutes. Poeta was pleased to see him back on the floor.

“Super happy for Lorenzo, he gave us a lot,” Poeta said in his EuroLeague TV interview. “He gave us what he can: IQ, control of the game, and tempo. He’s almost fully healthy now. He still needs to find his 100 percent form, but the effort he’s putting in and the way he showed up today is huge.”

Milan will remain at home for the second half of the double-round week, hosting Fenerbahce at Allianz Cloud on Thursday. Real Madrid, meanwhile, dropped to 9-7 and will look to bounce back when Paris Basketball visits the Spanish capital the same night.

The Serbian star did a bit of everything for the Little Red Shoes

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Real Madrid (2025-12-16T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens eked out a 77-81 win at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul thanks to a majestic performance from the 2025 EuroLeague MVP Kendrick Nunn

Kendrick Nunn steers Panathinaikos past champs

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens eked out a 77-81 win at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul thanks to a majestic performance from the 2025 EuroLeague MVP Kendrick Nunn, who produced a brilliant first half and a mature fourth quarter against the competition’s holders.

The Greens, who won their seventh EuroLeague title in 2024, got some measure of revenge on Fenerbahce for an 82-76 semifinal loss at last season’s Final Four, as Nunn scored 15 points in the first half and 10 in the fourth quarter.

Crucially, he sank 4 successive free throws and TJ Shorts added another in an error-strewn finish, as Fenerbahce closed in to 75-76 with a 7-0 run but fell short in the home straight. Nunn, who led all scorers on a game-high 25 points, heaped praise on his high school buddy Talen Horton-Tucker, who paced Fenerbahce on 22 points.

“Hell of a player, that’s my brother,” Nunn said in his postgame comments. “It’s hard to stop him, but we got the victory and that’s the most important thing.”

Nunn, still nursing an ankle injury, shook off the knock and provided the much-needed long-range firepower as he sank a couple of clutch three-pointers, including one from almost the halfway line with a defender in his face. He added 4 assists and as many steals as the Green’s ended Fenerbahce’s 12-game winning streak in all competitions, improving to 10-6 while the Turkish side dropped to 9-6 in Europe’s premier club competition.

“It was a big game and I had to step up. I was undecided pregame whether I was going to play or not because of the ankle, but it was against the defending champs, so I had to come and get the victory tonight. It’s still hurting, but I’m a warrior,” Nunn added.

Cedi Osman contributed with 11 first-half points and big man Juancho Hernangomez made a telling impact with 9 points and 5 boards, as Panathinaikos forced a staggering 22 turnovers from Fenerbahce and picked up 13 offensive rebounds in a physical game. The defensive steel compensated for poor shooting, as the Greens made only 19-of-44 shots from inside and 7-of-21 from downtown, although the visitors were clinical from the foul line as they banked 22 of 25 free throws.  

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“It was a tough game in a tough environment against a great team,” said Hernangomez. “A great win for us and now we turn our focus to Thursday (at home to Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv). “We have a lot of talent on this team and my job is to get the stops and be aggressive.”  

Fenerbahce head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius conceded that his shorthanded unit was below par, with an 11-0 run at the start of the third quarter turning out to be a false dawn. For all his prowess when driving to the basket, Horton-Tucker was 0-of-4 from downtown and misfiring from long range ultimately cost Fenerbahce as the Turkish side fell short when the chips were down.

“We didn’t have it today, from the first minute,” said Jasikevicius. “We were a little bit short in the rotation, but in general, we slept through the first half completely. We just weren’t ourselves; we had too many turnovers and we made it easy for PAO. We lacked some freshness as it’s a tough and busy schedule, but it’s not an excuse.”

The Greens prevailed on the back of a rock-solid performance from their leader 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-12-16T17:45:00.000Z)

O’Shae Brissett threw down a dunk with 3.9 seconds left to give Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv a 95-97 win at Dubai Basketball in Round 16 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague

Maccabi shows character in handing Dubai first loss at Coca-Cola Arena

The biggest phrase Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv players and coach Oded Kattash used after its big road win over Dubai Basketball was that the team “showed character”. After failing to finish off games earlier in the season, the Israeli team finally delivered the knockout blow.

O’Shae Brissett threw down a dunk with 3.9 seconds left to give Maccabi a 95-97 win at Dubai Basketball to not only extend its season-best winning streak to three games, but also hand the hosts their first loss at Coca-Cola Arena.

It wasn’t easy, though, as Maccabi saw Dubai race back from 17 points down in the third quarter to tie the game midway through the final period and then get a four-point play by McKinley Wright with 27 seconds left to even things at 95-95. But Iffe Lundberg drove to the basket and as the Dubai defense collapsed on him he fed the ball to Brissett for an easy dunk - his only points of the game. Maccabi’s victory nearly turned into a defeat, but Wright’s long-range attempt was just off at the buzzer.

“It was a very good win for us, especially against a good team,” said Kattash, whose team improved to 6-10. “We knew it wouldn’t be easy to close the game. But we showed character and found a way to get a W. That is something that we were struggling to do earlier in the season, so I am really proud of the players.”

Jaylen Hoard led the way with 21 points, Roman Sorkin had 17 points, Lonnie Walker totaled 14 points before being ejected with 6 minutes to play and Lundberg finished with 13 points and 4 assists.

Sorkin noted some of the same things as his coach, saying: “I think we showed a lot of character after we led and they came back. A few weeks ago, maybe we would have broken down. But we showed character. We kept going.”

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Maccabi twice this season had solid leads in the fourth quarter but could not close the deal.

In Round 5, Maccabi was up by 13 points with under 5 minutes left but lost 94-95 to Olympiacos Piraeus. In Round 9, Maccabi had a 9-point lead with 8 minutes left against AS Monaco and then needed to score the final 6 points in regulation to force overtime, where it lost 107-112.

And then Maccabi fought back from 20 points down to actually take the lead in the fourth quarter at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, but ended up losing 84-75 in Round 10.

“I thought the team played well in spurts. I think we could have done a better job of staying consistent throughout the game. But we’ll take the win. I am really happy. It’s our third win in a row, so that’s good for our team, good for the momentum and the spirit of the team,” added Hoard.

Dubai could not use a career night by Wright, who set personal bests with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists and an index rating of 42. Justin Anderson added 18 points and Filip Petrusev 15 points - though only 4 of those came in the second half.

It was another nail-biter for Dubai after its last three games were decided by just 1 point - including two wins. Dubai dropped to 7-9, including a 6-1 record at its home arena - though the game was played without fans in the stands.

“Again, the game was decided by one possession. Again we fought back. We didn’t have enough power and energy to break the game,” Dubai coach Jurica Golemac said. “The crucial part was the third quarter when we started without energy, without aggressiveness, without intensity. They got confidence and took an advantage. We fought back and found the rhythm, but not enough to win the game.”

After Dubai led 52-51 through 20 minutes, the home side managed only 14 points in the third frame. Wright nearly delivered another magical victory after his game-winning basket with 0.5 seconds in an 89-88 home win last week.

But it wasn’t meant to be and Maccabi collected its character-building win.

Maccabi gave up 17-point lead, but extended win streak to three games

Dubai Basketball v Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (2025-12-16T16:00:00.000Z)

With Javier Gancedo unavailable this week, we welcome fantasy expert and friend of the pod Arale Weisberg aboard for episode No. 12 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast! Arale joins Frankie Sachs of EuroLeague.net, Sport 24's Vasiliki Karamouza to think through all the angles as they try to create the perfect fantasy teams for Rounds 16 and 17.  

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: It's Lonnie time! And more!

With Javier Gancedo unavailable this week, we welcome fantasy expert and friend of the pod Arale Weisberg aboard for episode No. 12 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast! Arale joins [Frankie Sachs](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FMrEuroleague&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C8f23c17ba6e24a938a4c08ddff3a0ce8%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638947346960894891%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qhPt96t3ngeIaZ%2FSU%2FA67vi5euxZ5OVn9QfMhhj343M%3D&reserved=0) of [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net), Sport 24's [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fkaramouza_vas&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C8f23c17ba6e24a938a4c08ddff3a0ce8%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638947346960937569%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=RuVg%2FRj%2BbH%2FiJbU%2BYkpXVo6vX%2B39lXvvomI9gNtMJLs%3D&reserved=0) to think through all the angles as they try to create the perfect fantasy teams for Rounds 16 and 17.  

They salute the outstanding recent play of Lonnie Walker, Kevin Punter and McKinley Wright and question whether Filip Petrusev, Nigel Williams-Goss and Nikola Milutinov are the right picks. The trio also agonize over the best coach to have in Round 16. They also discuss the latest EuroLeague news and how it could affect us in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge.

Frankie, Vasiliki and Arale all reveal their teams for Round 16 and react to questions sent in by Fantasy Podcast viewers in the “Get Featured, Get Rewarded” segment.

If you love the EuroLeague, you will love the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast.

Frankie and Vasiliki are joined by fantasy expert Arale Weisberg for this week’s episode

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Virtus Bologna (2025-12-19T19:45:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-12-19T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2025-12-19T19:15:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v FC Bayern Munich (2025-12-19T18:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-12-19T18:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Dubai Basketball (2025-12-19T17:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Paris Basketball (2025-12-18T19:45:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-12-18T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (2025-12-18T19:15:00.000Z)

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv v Valencia Basket (2025-12-18T19:05:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Virtus Bologna (2025-12-17T19:30:00.000Z)

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v AS Monaco (2025-12-17T19:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v FC Bayern Munich (2025-12-17T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

Javier Gancedo shares his recommendations for the coming week in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge

EuroLeague Fantasy tips, Rounds 16-17: Who should be in your fantasy lineup?

Welcome to the last EuroLeague double-round week of 2025! After Round 17, unlimited trades will be allowed for the third time this season, so it is a good time to try to be a bit more creative in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge and look for opportunities in the market to be more competitive in private leagues, the Trophy Cup and the overall standings. Before I make my recommendations for the coming week, let's see how my colleague Igor Petrinovic's choices were last week.

Igor recommended Matthew Strazel of AS Monaco after a couple of great games. He had 11.0 fantasy points and his fantasy managers earned 0.1 credits, so it was a good one. Momo Diouf of Virtus Bologna continued his streak of solid games. Against Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, he posted a PIR of 18 and pushed his value up 0.4 credits.

McKinley Wright was also an excellent choice. Not only did he make the game-winning shot to lift Dubai Basketball over FC Bayern Munich, but Wright had 30.8 fantasy points and earned 0.7 credits to the fantasy managers who had him. Mario Hezonja of Real Madrid also gained value, 0.3 credits, through his 19.8 fantasy points. Finally, Leo Bolmaro of EA7 Emporio Armani saw limited playing time and dropped -0.5 credits with a negative fantasy score of -0.9. That's four wins and a loss for Igor. Well done! He should probably write this column every week! But alas, you are stuck with me for now. Here are my recommendations for Rounds 16 and 17:

Tyrique Jones has averaged a PIR of 28.5 over the last two games

### Tyrique Jones, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (15.9 credits)

I know, [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) is an expensive player, but my recommendation is based on the fact that Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos is seeing less playing time. If you are looking for an alternative to "Milu", look no further. Jones has averaged 18.0 points and 9.8 rebounds for a PIR of 28.5 over the last two games.

 

### Will Clyburn, FC Barcelona (14.1 credits)

There are a few Barca players who have improved their numbers since Xavi Pascual became the team's head coach and [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) tops that list. Clyburn has been unstoppable in the last two games, getting 22 points and a PIR of 24 against Zvezda, and following that up with 28 points and a PIR of 33 against Olympiacos. His next game? Against run-and-gun Paris!

Justin Anderson, Azuolas Tubelis, Tyrique Jones, Johannes Voigtmann and Will Clyburn are featured in this week's article. 

EuroLeague Fantasy tips: Rounds 16-17

### Azuolas Tubelis, Zalgiris Kaunas (10.6 credits)

I guess no one saw this coming, but [Azuolas Tubelis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/azuolas-tubelis/008192/) has been one of the best power forwards in the EuroLeague this season. In his first campaign with Zalgiris, Tubelis has already had three games with a PIR of at least 23. His last one? 17 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and a PIR of 26 against Paris!

 

### Johannes Voigtmann, FC Bayern Munich (9.2 credits)

Okay, so you don't want to spend that much money in a center. I get it and have another choice for you. [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) has seen much more playing time lately and has made the most out of it, averaging 12.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and a PIR of 2.0 in the last two games. All for less than 10.0 credits!

 

### Justin Anderson, Dubai Basketball (7.4 credits)

Dubai has a lot of backcourt injuries, which means other players have seen extended playing time. All eyes are on Wright, but [Justin Anderson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/justin-anderson/012795/) has been sensational over the last three games, averaging 13.0 points on 7-of-8 two-point shooting and 7 of 13 on three-pointers, plus 5.0 rebounds for a PIR of 17.3. Sensational!