Sportradar's Matt Kamalsky breaks down how Monaco and Hapoel lead a season defined by two-way dominance and efficiency trends

Stats review: Hapoel, Monaco, and the battle for efficiency

With just over two months of the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season in the books, several trends have taken hold to shape the EuroLeague landscape.  Some of them are obvious — like the parity among playoff contenders reflected by the nine teams with either 8 or 9 wins through Round 13, but some are a bit more subtle.

The graph above plots every team in the EuroLeague in terms of how far above or below average they have performed in offensive and defensive efficiency. Before diving into the specifics, there are several intriguing qualities of the shape of this graph, given the state of the league. As of today, league-wide offensive efficiency sits only a couple of dozen bounces short of last season’s record-breaking pace, but with 11 teams scoring over 1.00 points per possession — the long-standing gold standard for offensive success at this level — the quality of offensive play this season remains exceptionally high. While nearly a dozen teams are hovering right around the average for offensive efficiency this season clustered in the middle of this graph, that does not really do their performances justice.

It also puts the play of [Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/hapoel-ibi-tel-aviv/hta/) in perspective. In a season where numerous teams are scoring at a high level, Hapoel has put some distance between itself on the field, putting up numbers on par with those of the [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/) teams that were so dynamic in the years around the pandemic. As one of the five teams that has not just been better than average offensively, but defensively as well, Hapoel has gotten the job on both ends en route to a 10-win start that has it in sole possession of first place.

Perhaps the most interesting characteristic of this graph concerns the next eight teams behind Hapoel, as the top-nine teams in the standings are all among the 10 teams that have performed at an above-average level defensively this season. While this is a testament to their effort level and execution on that end, it is also indicative of how hard it is to gain a competitive advantage on the offensive end at this point in the league’s evolution. [Virtus Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/virtus-bologna/roster/vir/) has been the exception to that rule, looking like a different team offensively at Virtus Arena than it has during its 1-7 start on the road. 

The importance of defense this season aligns with the fact that [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/) has achieved the league’s best efficiency differential, edging Hapoel, as it has not only relished a bounce-back season from Mike James and shot a tremendous percentage around the rim, but solidified itself as a top-three defense as well. Monaco has had several big-time defensive efforts in a season where those types of nights have been hard to come by.

[Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/), [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/), and [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/) are the three other teams that have done above-average work on both ends, earning the next three best efficiency differentials as a result. [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/roster/red/) has been nearly just as effective on a per-possession basis and shares a similar prognosis looking forward with the reigning champions, [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/): the identity they have built defensively gives them significant upside if they can fall into a better rhythm offensively in the coming months. 

With two-thirds of the season to go, it will be interesting to see how these teams and trends hold up to the pressure cooker that is the modern EuroLeague.

FC Bayern Basketball overcame a sluggish first half to claim a convincing 83-62 home win over SYNTAINICS MBC on Sunday evening, maintaining its position atop the BBL standings. In front of 6,600 fans at a sold-out BMW Park, Bayern improved to 7-1 thanks to a dominant second-half surge led by Wenyen Gabriel, who posted a season-best double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Gabriel shines as Bayern pulls away late for German League win 

FC Bayern Basketball overcame a sluggish first half to claim a convincing 83-62 home win over SYNTAINICS MBC on Sunday evening, maintaining its position atop the BBL standings. In front of 6,600 fans at a sold-out BMW Park, Bayern improved to 7-1 thanks to a dominant second-half surge led by Wenyen Gabriel, who posted a season-best double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Andreas Obst added 15 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting and Spencer Dinwiddie tallied 12 points and 6 assists for the winners. For MBC, Marcus Foster led the way with 15 points, while Nelson Weidemann scored a career-high 21.

The hosts struggled early, trailing 27–30 at halftime after a low-scoring first half in which their offense stagnated and three-point shots repeatedly missed the mark. “We came into a half-court game and were very static,” admitted Bayern head coach Gordon Herbert. “Our ball movement was much better in the second half, and we put more pressure on the rim.”

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="no" dir="ltr">Big game <a href="https://twitter.com/WenyenGabriel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WenyenGabriel</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBMBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBMBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> | Foto: Kolb <a href="https://t.co/kZ0pPQyXO4">pic.twitter.com/kZ0pPQyXO4</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1997727310502596966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That improvement showed immediately after the break. Bayern turned up the energy and broke the game open with a decisive 18-0 run in the fourth quarter. Justinian Jessup sparked the turnaround with 3 triples, including a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter at 55-50. Gabriel then took over inside, scoring repeatedly on put-backs and free throws, while Dinwiddie added a key three-pointer. Obst sealed the win with three late triples as Bayern’s offense finally clicked.

Herbert praised his team’s resilience and rebounding: “Our defense kept us in it, and Gabriel and Kratzer combined for 11 offensive rebounds, which made a big difference.”

Gabriel, who has battled through a difficult stretch, said the performance was a confidence boost: “We had a weak first half offensively, but we played harder and better together after the break. My teammates helped me a lot to reach my best game of the season.”

Bayern now turns its attention to a EuroLeague trip to Dubai.

The latest Bayern news

Hosts overcome first-half struggles to claim convincing home victory

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Rounds 14 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 14

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv extended its flawless start to the Israeli League season with a 76–68 home win over high-flying Hapoel HaEmek as Yam Madar played 22 minutes in his first action of the season 

Yam Madar returns as Hapoel wins again in Israeli League

[Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/hapoel-ibi-tel-aviv/hta/) extended its flawless start to the Israeli League season with a 76–68 home win over high-flying Hapoel HaEmek in Round 8, remaining the only team with a perfect record in the league. The showdown between two of the league’s hottest teams drew 4,032 fans, who saw the Reds move to 7–0 while HaEmek suffered just its second loss after a six-game winning streak.

[Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/) played 22 minutes in his first action of the season and led Hapoel with 14 points. [Collin Malcolm](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/collin-malcolm/012609/) added 13, [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/) 12 and [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) tallied 8 points and 7 rebounds. For HaEmek, Kyler Edwards paced all scorers with 17 points and Kadin Shedrick added 11 points in the losing effort.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">יופי הפועל 👹 <a href="https://t.co/kQ77Pg1EAD">pic.twitter.com/kQ77Pg1EAD</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1997385128046170437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The game opened nervously, with HaEmek striking first and jumping to a 1-5 lead before Dimitris Itoudis’s side answered with a 20-6 run to close the first quarter ahead by 10. The highlight of the period came when Madar checked in for the first time since his injury, greeted by huge applause before drilling a three-pointer and dishing an early assist. The hosts still took a 37–31 lead into halftime, but HaEmek had made it clear it would not go away.

That pattern continued after the break. Each time Hapoel pushed the gap back into double figures in the third, the visitors clawed it down again, trimming the deficit to 55-48 heading into the final 10 minutes. Early in the fourth, the Reds surged to their biggest lead at 69–55, but HaEmek produced a 0-9 run to cut the margin to just 5 and set up a tense finish.

In the end, Itoudis’s stars delivered. Blakeney and Ish Wainright combined for 5 crucial points to restore a double-digit cushion and close out the game, sealing an important win just days before Hapoel’s next EuroLeague clash with Virtus Bologna.

More Hapoel news

The guard played his first minutes of the season in the victory over HaEmek 

A career-high performance in a record-breaking team effort saw Elie Okobo of AS Monaco earn Round 14 MVP honors with a career-high PIR of 39.

Okobo led Monaco to a 125-104 home victory over Paris Basketball, breaking the competition's scoring record in a non-overtime game. He had a season-high 26 points on 4-of-4 two-pointers, 4-of-6 three-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws, adding 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 39. 

Round 14 MVP: Elie Okobo, AS Monaco

A career-high performance in a record-breaking team effort saw [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) of AS Monaco earn Round 14 MVP honors with a career-high PIR of 39.

Okobo led Monaco to a 125-104 home victory over Paris Basketball, breaking the competition's scoring record in a non-overtime game. He had a season-high 26 points on 4-of-4 two-pointers, 4-of-6 three-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws, adding 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 39. Okobo earned MVP of the Round honors for the fourth time in his career (once with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, three with his current team) and is the third Monaco player to take home this honor this season, after Nikola Mirotic (Round 2) and Mike James (Round 9).

[Duane Washington](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/duane-washington/013370/) of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade amassed a PIR of 31 in a 92-85 home win over FC Bayern Munich. He scored 22 points on 2-of-4 two-pointers, 5-of-6 three-pointers and 3-of-7 free throws, also getting 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal and 9 fouls drawn.

[Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) of Bayern reached a PIR of 29 against Partizan with 10 points, 18 rebounds (a new EuroLeague season high), 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 5 fouls drawn.

[Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/) of Valencia Basket, who amassed a PIR of 28, and [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) of Partizan, with a PIR of 27, complete the top individual performances in Round 14. Thompson recorded 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in Valencia's road win over Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, while Jones finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 fouls drawn as Partizan downed Bayern.

### Individual highs: Johannes Voigtmann, Bayern, 18 rebounds

Elie Okobo of Monaco had 26 points, the most of any player in Round 14. [Nadir Hifi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nadir-hifi/012640/) of Paris is the competition's top scorer with 20.4 points per game.

Johannes Voigtmann of Bayern led all rebounders by pulling down 18 boards. It is a new season high, too. [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) of Olympiacos Piraeus remains atop the rebounding charts with 8.0 per game.

[Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) of Anadolu Efes Istanbul dished 9 assists in this round. [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) of Zalgiris Kaunas is the leader in assists with 7.3 per night.

[Oshae Brissett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/o-shae-j-brissett/014127/) of Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv, [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) of Dubai Basketball, [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) of Virtus Bologna, and [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens each collected a round-high 4 steals this week. [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) of Monaco ranks first overall with 1.8 steals per game.

[Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/), also of Maccabi, had 4 blocks in Round 14. [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid leads the league this season with 2.0 blocks per game. On Thursday night, Tavares became the first player to reach the 500-block milestone in EuroLeague history.

Johannes Voigtmann (10 points, 18 rebounds) and Tyrique Jones (21 points, 10 rebounds) were the only players to record a double-double in Round 14.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 14 winner

EuroLeague fans, we have our 14th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Nenad Milosavljevic beat everyone else in Round 14 with his team Neša1, which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 228.45.

Nenad had the following lineup: AS Monaco's Elie Okobo as team captain, then Duane Washington of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Dan Oturu of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, Mouhamet Diouf of Virtus Bologna and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot of Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz as his starters. Armoni Brooks of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was his sixth man. Nenad's bench players were Partizan's Aleksej Pokusevski, Real Madrid's Alberto Abalde, Anadolu Efes Istanbul's Nick Weiler-Babb and Virtus's Derrick Alston Jr. Monaco play-caller Vassilis Spanoulis was Nenad's head coach.

The prize for finishing first in Round 14 is a VIP EuroLeague TV Subscription for the 2026-27 Season, and an automatic entry to a lottery to win two tickets to the 2027 Final Four.

Trades are now open for Round 15 of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/). Remember, four trades are allowed before each round until the end of the regular season. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game of Round 15, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, is scheduled to tip off on Thursday, December 11 at 20:05 CET. This marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner! To help with that, watch the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge podcast weekly on the [EuroLeague's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@euroleague) and on all audio platforms.

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

Luca Vildoza effectively played a cameo role for three quarters and then came up big in the home straight as Virtus Bologna eked out a 79-78 home win over EuroLeague newcomers Dubai Basketball, improving to 7-7 while the visitors dropped to 6-8 after a thrilling clash.

Luca Vildoza pickpockets Dubai as Virtus makes winning return to its arena 

[Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) effectively played a cameo role for three quarters and then came up big in the home straight as [Virtus Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) eked out a 79-78 home win over EuroLeague newcomers [Dubai Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/dubai-basketball/dub/), improving to 7-7 while the visitors dropped to 6-8 after a thrilling clash.

Vildoza sank a pair of pivotal three-pointers down the stretch, including the game-winning shot with 27 seconds left on the clock, before robbing [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) on Dubai’s final possession to send the Virtus Arena crowd into raptures.

It was a happy homecoming for Virtus, which had played its home games to this point at the nearby PalaDozza venue while its iconic gym was being refurbished. On Friday night, the fans could not have asked for a more fitting return.

A rollercoaster from start to finish kept everyone on the edge of their seats as the lead kept changing hands time and again, as Virtus trailed 2-7 early on and then threw away a 26-13 lead as Dubai turned the first half on its head to take a 39-44 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Virtus caught up after the break as the pendulum swung one way and then the other before Vildoza sank a dagger into Dubai’s hearts, hitting nothing but net from long range before he made the crucial steal with only a few seconds remaining.

Virtus Bologna-Dubai Basketball | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

The player of the game accolade went to top scorer [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/), who netted 17 of his 23 points in the first half for Virtus, in addition to racking up 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

“It was a big win for us. We kept chipping away as we stuck together after a couple of tough stretches,” the livewire guard said courtside. “We had some guys who stepped up and made big plays, and I’m just happy we got the win.”

Mobbed by his teammates after the heart-stopping matchup, Vildoza was simply delighted as he made his post-game comments after scoring 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting from downtown, as he chipped in with 5 assists and 4 steals. He was also overjoyed to get one over his former Olympiacos Piraeus teammate Petrusev, knocking the ball out of his hands in the dying moments to break Dubai’s hearts after the visitors had threatened to stage an upset.

“I am super happy as we fought a lot to get this win,” Vildoza said. “I know Filip as we played together for two years. That steal was a combination of luck and scouting, as I kind of guessed which way he was going to go. Step by step, I am feeling really good with the coaches and my teammates, I am showing up in every game and practice,” added the 30-year old Argentine, who joined Virtus from Olympiacos during the off-season.

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Head coach Dusko Ivanovic was pleased with the performance after Virtus bounced back from a poor second quarter, as [Derrick Alston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/derrick-alston-jr--/014005/) netted 11 points and [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/) added 10 for the home team, which had 11 steals and forced 13 turnovers from Dubai.

“We were ready for a tough game and only in the second quarter we played below par,” the Montenegrin tactician said. “The rest of the time we played good defense and patient offense as it’s so important that the players are confident and believe in each other,” he added.

Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac was in a sour mood after he saw victory slip away from his team’s grasp. “Congratulations to Virtus. If we had won it would have been deserved, too,” he said. “One missed rebound and one turnover brought the win to them.”

The visitors had five players in double figures, as [Justin Anderson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/justin-anderson/012795/) paced them on 16 points while [Aleksa Avramovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksa-avramovic/003983/) and [Kenan Kamenjas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kenan-kamenjas/008325/) added 13 apiece, the latter also racking up 6 rebounds. Dubai won the battle of the boards 39-30, but ultimately it was all in vain as Virtus had the last laugh in a fascinating battle.

Game News

The Argentine guard came up big in the home straight to settle a pulsating matchup in Bologna 


Virtus Bologna v Dubai Basketball (2025-12-05T19:30:00.000Z)

Will Clyburn and Dario Brizuela seem to like the Belgrade Arena floor. The FC Barcelona duo starred on Friday night, helping the Blaugrana to continue their dominance against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, at least when it comes to the games played in the Serbian capital.

Clyburn, Brizuela shine as Barça sinks Zvezda in Belgrade Arena déjà vu

[Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) and [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) seem to like the Belgrade Arena floor. The [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) duo starred on Friday night, helping the *Blaugrana* to continue their dominance against [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/), at least when it comes to the games played in the Serbian capital.

Barcelona beat Zvezda 79-89, registering its seventh consecutive road win over Belgrade’s red-and-white club, which has not beaten the Spanish side on its home floor since October 2017.

Heading into the game, it might have seemed like a perfect opportunity for Zvezda to bring an end to this streak after seven consecutive home wins – and having won nine of its last 11 games – saw it secure a share of the EuroLeague’s best record.

However, Zvezda ran into a Barcelona side ready to battle, play physical basketball and run in transition.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-FC Barcelona | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

“We wanted to come in and show who we are,” Clyburn said in his post-game interview with EuroLeague TV.

“Everybody showed up, everybody came to play. It didn’t matter if they were sitting on the bench for a while, they came in and did their part. Especially a guy like [Miles \[Norris\]](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/miles-norris/014134/) that’s been struggling a little bit, he came and gave us great minutes off the bench.”

Norris had 4 points but grabbed 5 rebounds, including 3 on the offensive end. Also, [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) posted 14 points and 6 assists on his return to Belgrade, while [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) netted 15 points, with both players making key buckets in the fourth quarter.

However, it was Clyburn and Brizuela who were making the shots when the visitors needed it most.

Other than the opening basket, Barcelona never trailed in the game, but it did have to fight off multiple rallies by the energetic home team.

The visitors opened an early 4-15 lead by repeatedly scoring fast-break baskets, but Zvezda tied it at 21-21 early in the second quarter. That’s when Clyburn stepped up, scoring 15 second-quarter points and netting 20 before halftime, shooting an identical 4 for 5 on both twos and threes in the first two quarters.

It led to Barcelona restoring its double-digit lead, taking a 39-46 edge into halftime and opening a 42-52 margin in the third quarter. Zvezda replied with a 10-0 run and the hosts had all the momentum, all while Clyburn had to sit on the bench with three personal fouls.

That’s when Brizuela stepped up.

He scored 9 straight points for the visitors to remain in front. When Zvezda made yet another push, roared on by a sell-out crowd, to get within 62-63 early in the fourth, Brizuela nailed an eight-meter triple to spark a 0-11 run. Barcelona went on to hold the hosts without a field goal for nearly 5 minutes, avoiding any further drama.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Quina victòria, Barça 💙❤ <a href="https://t.co/dtO5v18KtH">pic.twitter.com/dtO5v18KtH</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1997054731143827480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

When it comes to big and clutch performances on the Belgrade Arena floor, Clyburn and Brizuela have done it before.

Just over a month ago, in this same venue, [Clyburn hit a game-winning three-pointer from the logo to sink Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-continues-to-haunt-partizan-as-will-clyburn-sticks-the-knife-in/). Meanwhile, Brizuela had one of his best EuroLeague performances in a road win over Zvezda in February 2024 when he netted a career-best 6 three-pointers in a 9-point win.

On Friday night, Brizuela spent just 14 minutes on the floor but scored 14 of his 17 points late in the third and in the fourth quarter, making 3-of-6 three-pointers. Clyburn finished with 22 points after a dominant first half.

When one stopped, the other continued, giving Barcelona a continuous offensive production.

On the other hand, Barcelona was steady on defense, forcing Zvezda into a number of tough shots, which pleased head coach Xavi Pascual.

“Defensively, we were on a good level the whole game,” Pascual pointed out. “In the second half we only had 6 turnovers and controlled defensive rebounds better.”

“We are on a good way, but there is a long way in front of us. We need at least one more month to build the level we want to achieve. But the most important is to be healthy.”

“We wanted to come in and show who we are,” Will Clyburn said after Barcelona's win over Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v FC Barcelona (2025-12-05T19:00:00.000Z)

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz protected its home court once again by defeating the visiting EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 88-78 on Friday night. This time, Buesa Arena served as a reunion point for old acquaintances, with Peppe Poeta returning to Vitoria as a coach to face his former teammate, Matteo Spagnolo.

Matteo Spagnolo shines in battle of old acquaintances at Buesa Arena

[Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) protected its home court once again by defeating the visiting [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) 88-78 on Friday night. This time, Buesa Arena served as a reunion point for old acquaintances, with [Peppe Poeta](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/poeta-giuseppe/) returning to Vitoria as a coach to face his former teammate, [Matteo Spagnolo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matteo-spagnolo/008173/).

Poeta spent part of the 2013-14 season plying his trade at Baskonia, where he featured in 10 EuroLeague games. Three years later he joined Auxilium Torino, winning the Italian Cup alongside his current Baskonia counterpart, Paolo Galbiati.

The Milan boss ended his playing career at Vanoli Cremona, where he had the opportunity to tutor an 18-year-old Spagnolo, who spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan there from Real Madrid. And on Friday night, it was the student who would deal a blow to his mentor’s morale.

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | Round 14 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Spagnolo hit the ground running in Round 14, going 3 for 4 from inside to record 8 points in the first quarter as Baskonia took a 23-20 lead into the second. He added 5 points to his tally before the break and stepped up on the defensive end in the third, with Baskonia holding Milan to just 12 points.

“For sure I felt pretty good throughout the game,” Spagnolo told EuroLeague TV. “The shots were falling. I feel that I am pretty happy with my performance, but mostly it’s a team win.”

The hosts went on to open a 70-54 lead heading into the fourth quarter, as Spagnolo ended the game on 18 points – his second-highest tally of the season. He also bagged 4 assists, as well as 3 steals on the other end in just under 27 minutes on the floor.

“Matteo is my boy,” Poeta said during the post-game press conference, his face lit up with a huge smile. “He played with me during the last year of my career. He's like a little brother to me. I'm happy for him, for his game \[tonight\]. He has a wonderful future ahead of him. He has to believe in himself and he can play more games like this. I'm sure of it.”

Boosted by the home crowd, Baskonia extended its winning streak at Buena Arena to seven games across all competitions, including five straight in the EuroLeague.

“We had to come and show up for our fans,” Spagnolo added. “We all feel like this is our home and we have to show up every time we come here.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Matteo ha vuelto a tocar el bombo… y esta vez sí que sí: ¡ritmo aprendido! 🔥🥁 <a href="https://t.co/zXx1icrCqJ">pic.twitter.com/zXx1icrCqJ</a></p>&mdash; Kosner Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1997059568237420687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Baskonia guard was helped by the ever-consistent [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/), who recorded his seventh 20-point night of the season. TLC went 3 for 5 from inside the arc and 4 for 9 from deep, finishing the game on 21 points. He pulled down 5 rebounds, too.

“We’ve proved that we are playing really good at home,” he told EuroLeague TV. “It’s tough \[for the opponent\] to come here and win, because we have the fans and we give our 100%. It’s home, so it feels good to be here and play here.”

The hosts managed 10 steals and forced Milan to as many as 17 turnovers, leading Poeta to admit that Baskonia's “energy didn’t allow us to compete as we would have liked to.”

That energy, engineered by the fans inside Buesa Arena and transmitted to the players on the floor, has allowed Baskonia to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. It remains to be seen whether Spagnolo and his teammates can carry that impetus into their road games.

The Italian guard pulled off a complete outing with 18 points, 4 assists and 3 steals against his former mentor

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-12-05T19:30:00.000Z)