A look at how Olympiacos’ win over Barcelona and this season’s elite pick and roll defenses reshaped the EuroLeague playoff picture.
#EuroLeague stats review, #Olympiacos pick and roll defense, #EuroLeague playoff race, #defensive efficiency EuroLeague, #ball screen coverage stats

EuroLeague analytics, offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, standings analysis, close games, Monaco, Hapoel, Fenerbahce, Virtus

Stats review: Elite pick and roll defense is powering this season’s contenders

Every single team in the playoff picture rose or slid in the standings this week in the clearest and most recent sign of just how competitive the league is at the moment. [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/) rose to second place, notching the lone head-to-head victory of the round over another team in the top six as the Reds secured [an 87-75 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tyrique-jones-brought-the-energy-on-both-ends-as-olympiacos-beat-barcelona/) over [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/) at Peace and Friendship Stadium.      

While [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), [Tyler Dorsey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyler-dorsey/009849/), and [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) were all bright spots offensively for the hosts, on defense Olympiacos held Barcelona’s ball handlers and roll men to just 8 total points in the pick-and-roll — Barca's lowest mark of the season.

The above table looks at the top teams in defensive efficiency, not just defending pick-and-roll ball handlers or roll men, but on all possessions created out of pick-and-rolls. It is no secret that pick-and-roll play is foundational to what most teams do on the offensive end in modern basketball, and with 45% of all half-court possessions being created out of pick-and-rolls in the EuroLeague this season, a defense’s ability to corral them is more significant than ever. 

With that in mind, it is not particularly surprising that this season’s top three teams in the standings fall within the top four in the list above. Olympiacos, [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/), and [Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/hapoel-ibi-tel-aviv/hta/) have all done a very good job getting stops when teams try to beat them with ball screens. 

How they get those stops tends to vary — sometimes wildly. While the end result is what matters in the table above, the process that goes into guarding pick-and-rolls is substantial.  In the first quarter of their win over Barcelona alone, Olympiacos used different levels of pressure, multiple types of hedges with its big men, iced a few actions toward the sideline, and played drop coverage on one occasion as it mixed things up en route to holding Barcelona to just 13 points in the opening period. Offenses are too sophisticated to be stymied by a single coverage. As a result, variety is not a strength as much as it is an imperative when it comes to how teams look to cover pick-and-rolls.

With so many moving parts involved in how teams defend ball screens, not only on the ball, but off it as well, it is worth noting this season’s standouts. Both Hapoel and Fenerbahce have excelled at slowing opposing ball handlers as the only two teams limiting opposing guards to fewer than 0.80 points per possession, while [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) has been this season’s top team defending roll men. Hapoel’s work closing out shooters off the ball has also been superlative, while Fenerbahce has allowed the fewest passes to finishers around the rim. [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/roster/prs/) has forced the highest volume of turnovers, while [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/) has allowed the lowest overall shot quality, as there’s even a great deal of variety among this season’s situational leaders. 

How a team guards ball screens goes a long way towards the outcome of games in the EuroLeague and the chess matches taking place have been as good as ever this season. 

Olympiacos, Fenerbahce, and Hapoel lead the EuroLeague in stopping the action that defines nearly half of all half court possessions.

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Look back at all the action from Round 25 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week! 

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 25

Age really is just a number for Kostas Sloukas, as the 36-year-old showed that he is still at the top of his game by taking home Round 25 MVP honors with a standout performance in Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s 78-79 road win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Round 25 MVP: Kostas Sloukas, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

Age really is just a number for [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), as the 36-year-old showed that he is still at the top of his game by taking home Round 25 MVP honors with a standout performance in Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s 78-79 road win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Sloukas finished the game with 26 points on 2-of-4 two-pointers, 4-of-5 three-pointers and 10-of-10 free throws, adding 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 6 fouls drawn for a PIR of 36, the highest of any winning player in Round 25. Sloukas, a four-time EuroLeague champion with three different teams and the 2024 Final Four MVP with Panathinaikos, earned MVP of the Round honors for the sixth time in his career.

[Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) had the highest index rating of this round with a PIR of 40, but Dubai Basketball registered a 95-92 road loss at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Kabengele had 24 points on 7-of-9 two-pointers, 2-of-2 three-pointers and 4-of-5 free throws, adding 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and 6 fouls drawn.

[Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/) of Olympiacos Piraeus and [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) of Zalgiris Kaunas each had a PIR of 29 in Round 25. Jones led Olympiacos to an 87-75 home win over FC Barcelona with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Francisco had 30 points on 11-of-11 free throws, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 6 fouls drawn in a 102-91 losing effort against Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

[Braian Angola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/braian-angola/010465/) of ASVEL, with a PIR of 28, completes the top individual performances in this round. Angola posted 20 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists and 9 fouls drawn in ASVEL’s defeat to Panathinaikos.

### Individual highs: Sylvain Francisco, Zalgiris, 30 points

Francisco was this round's top scorer with 30 points. Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos leads the scoring charts (19.43 PPG) over Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos (19.42 PPG).

Vezenkov led all rebounders in Round 25 by pulling down 11. His teammate Nikola Milutinov is the competition's best rebounder with 7.6 per night.

Thomas Heurtel of ASVEL was the only player to record double digits in assists this week, dishing 12. Codi Miller-McIntyre of Crvena Zvezda ranks first overall with 6.8 per night.

As many as seven players collected 3 steals apiece in Round 25. Alpha Diallo of AS Monaco leads the steals standings with 1.6 per night.

Mamadi Diakite of Baskonia, Walter Tavares of Real Madrid and Momo Faye of Paris Basketball each had 4 blocks in Round 25. Tavares is also atop the overall standings with 2.0 blocks per game.

Vezenkov (20 points, 11 rebounds) was the only player to register a double-double in this round.

One of the competition's most iconic players earned MVP of the Round honors for the sixth time in his career

Kostas Sloukas has been proving week in, week out since the start of the season that he is aging like a fine wine. On Friday night, the veteran guard delivered yet another masterclass, leading Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens to a 77-79 road win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Ageless Kostas Sloukas inspires Panathinaikos to victory on milestone night

[Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) has been proving week in, week out since the start of the season that he is aging like a fine wine. On Friday night, the veteran guard delivered yet another masterclass, leading [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) to a 77-79 road win at [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/).

Sloukas finished with a season-high 26 points – more than 30% of Panathinaikos’s total – after going 2-for-4 from inside the arc, 4-for-5 from three-point range and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Two of those 10 free throws saw him seal the outcome in the final seconds.

With [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) – this season's top scorer in the EuroLeague – sidelined by injury, Sloukas stepped up to fill the void, earning praise from head coach Ergin Ataman after carrying the team at LDLC Arena.

“Kostas is a winner,” Ataman said in the postgame press conference. “He knows that without Kendrick Nunn we have a problem on offense, and he brought his winning character to the game. He had good day, he feels good and he played his game. In these three seasons (that I'm here), we’ve had a lot of games like this with Kostas. It’s important that he’s in good shape, because he always brings his winning mentality to the court.”

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Round 25 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Sloukas narrowly missed what would have been his fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 9 assists. His standout performance came on the night of his 450th EuroLeague appearance, marking another milestone in his 16th season in the competition.

Coming off the bench four minutes into the first half, the Panathinaikos captain scored 7 of his team’s 15 points in the opening quarter before reaching double figures as the guests took a 29-35 lead into halftime.

Panathinaikos was solid defensively after the break, holding ASVEL without a field goal for the first six minutes of the second half. During that stretch, Sloukas dictated the tempo with 7 points and 3 assists in the third quarter. He then added 9 of Panathinaikos’s 24 points in the fourth period, guiding the Greens back to winning ways.

“I think that we basically had the control of the game,” Sloukas told EuroLeague TV afterward. “For us it was a must-win game after some bad results that we had. We’re talking about a marathon. The EuroLeague has many games and competitive games. The most important is to compete and play solid offense and defense. I think that today we did a pretty good job against a very athletic team that has talent.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kostas Sloukas, EMPHATIC ☘️🫡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Club1908?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Club1908</a> <a href="https://t.co/q4T3qjWdP1">pic.twitter.com/q4T3qjWdP1</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/2017362912508026911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Only [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) (468) has made more EuroLeague appearances than Sloukas, who is also the league’s all-time leader in minutes played. The two EuroLeague legends are set to face each other on Tuesday, when Panathinaikos hosts Real Madrid in the first game of the upcoming double-round week.

Despite being 36 years old, Sloukas has repeatedly turned back the clock this season, leading by example for a Panathinaikos team looking to climb the standings after a recent dip in form.

Game News

The veteran guard scored a season-high 26 points at ASVEL on Friday night

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2026-01-30T19:45:00.000Z)

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz showed its trademark character and played its best basketball when it mattered most, downing Zalgiris Kaunas 102-91 in Round 25 of the EuroLeague. Baskonia lost its first three home games of the season but has gone 8–1 since, with its only defeat coming against defending champions Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Baskonia’s depth, late defense powers 18–2 run to shut down Sylvain Francisco, Zalgiris

[Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) showed its trademark character and played its best basketball when it mattered most, downing [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) 102-91 in Round 25 of the EuroLeague. Baskonia lost its first three home games of the season but has gone 8–1 since, with its only defeat coming against defending champions Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

This time, Baskonia ran its offense through the right players at the right moments, getting multiple contributors involved throughout the game. Six Baskonia players scored at least 11 points. Zalgiris started strong, jumping out to a 2-10 lead and holding a 19-23 edge at the end of the first quarter. At that point, Baskonia had made just 6 of its 14 two-point attempts (42.9% 2FG).

Needing answers on offense, Baskonia turned to [Trent Forrest](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/trent-forrest/013367/), who steadied his team with a couple of timely baskets. [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/), back in the lineup after missing five games with an injury, immediately showcased his elite shooting, scoring nine quick points, including a floater that gave Baskonia a 46-45 lead.

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz-Zalgiris Kaunas | Round 25 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Zalgiris continued to rely on [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/), who had 11 points and a PIR of 15 at halftime. Francisco kept scoring throughout much of the second half, attacking the right side of the floor, knocking down three-pointers, and getting to the free-throw line frequently. For Baskonia, [Rodions Kurucs](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rodions-kurucs/005713/) stepped up with key baskets in the low post. Despite not practicing all week and clearly not being in peak physical condition, Kurucs proved decisive. After missing five of his first six shots, [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot/012080/) eventually found his rhythm, scoring six quick points late in the third quarter to give Baskonia a 75-71 lead.

Francisco continued his scoring run, reaching the 30-point mark midway through the fourth quarter to give Zalgiris an 84-89 advantage. Baskonia then called a timeout and finally found a way to slow him down, double-teaming him with Forrest and [Kobi Simmons](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kobi-simmons/014152/) whenever he touched the ball. With [Moses Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moses-wright/012878/) sidelined for the entire fourth quarter, Zalgiris struggled to find offensive answers when it mattered most. The visitors committed five turnovers in the fourth quarter, one more than they had in the rest of the game combined.

“Francisco had a hell of a game, but in the last four or five minutes our defense raised its level, and I’m happy about that,” Baskonia coach Paolo Galbiati said after the game. “I’m happy we showed our character. It was not an easy game because Zalgiris is a very good, well-coached team, and it’s not easy to beat them.”

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Un bombo muy especial. Nuestro MVP Kurucs acompañado de nuestro niño de <a href="https://twitter.com/OTEuroleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OTEuroleague</a> 💥 con un bonito recuerdo al final 🎽<br><br>¡Que suene alto! 🥁 <a href="https://t.co/f6gTGqPAqC">pic.twitter.com/f6gTGqPAqC</a></p>&mdash; Kosner Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/2017353918380937288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

That defensive effort allowed Baskonia to close the game on an 18-2 run. Kurucs, Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Simmons powered the surge, sealing the win in the penultimate minute. Luwawu-Cabarrot led the team with 19 points, Forrest added 17, and both Kurucs and Howard finished with 15. Baskonia made 22 of its 25 two-point shots (88%) over the final three quarters. Forrest went a perfect 7-for-7 inside the arc, while Kurucs converted all five of his two-point attempts.

“We are feeling great. It’s great to win at home in front of our fans,” Kurucs said. “It was a great team effort and great participation from all my teammates. I think we did everything the coach wanted and earned the win. We went to Kaunas and lost by a lot, so it feels great to get one back.”

Up next is a double-round week. Baskonia visits EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Tuesday, February 3, before hosting FC Barcelona on Friday, February 6. Zalgiris plays on the same dates, hosting AS Monaco on Tuesday and visiting Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday.

Six players scored in double figures as Coach Galbiati's team stayed strong at home

Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Zalgiris Kaunas (2026-01-30T19:30:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade improved to 15-10 and solidified its postseason position after a feisty 95-92 home win over Dubai Basketball, its fourth successive win in the EuroLeague and its first in four meetings with the Middle East franchise in all competitions.

Strong first quarter propels Crvena Zvezda to home win over Dubai

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) improved to 15-10 and solidified its postseason position after a feisty 95-92 home win over [Dubai Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/dubai-basketball/dub/), its fourth successive win in the EuroLeague and its first in four meetings with the Middle East franchise in all competitions.

Having suffered a pair of losses in the regional ABA League last season as well as an 86-102 setback in the reverse EuroLeague fixture earlier this term, Zvezda came back with a vengeance and romped into a 34-11 lead late in the first quarter.

The hosts couldn’t put a foot wrong as they dished out 10 assists and committed no turnovers in the opening period, having also shot 5-of-8 from deep to set the biggest first-quarter margin in the club’s history and a record tally in points scored in the opening 10 minutes.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Dubai Basketball | Round 25 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Trailing 34-14 after the first quarter and rocked by a number of Zvezda dunks, including a monster one from big man [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/), who returned to EuroLeague action for the first time since March 2025, Dubai looked dead and buried.

However, the visitors bounced back in the second as Zvezda’s offense came to a screeching halt while [Mfiondu Kabengele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mfiondu-kabengele/012796/) caused the home team all sorts of problems in the paint, while [McKinley Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mckinley-wright-iv/012606/) followed in his footsteps and ran the back court.

Zvezda led 44-41 at the interval and saw its lead slashed to 59-58 midway through the third quarter, but just when anxiety started to creep into the vocal home fans, [Jared Butler](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jared-butler/014163/) hit some tough shots from long range and the hosts were able to breathe again.

Leading 68-61 ahead of the fourth quarter, Zvezda also thrived on [Ebuka Izundu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ebuka-izundu/014029/)’s hard work in the paint and [Jordan Nwora](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-nwora/013363/)’s all-round proficiency to open up an 84-69 gap before Dubai nearly made a fight of it in the home straight.

Kabengele hit an audacious three-pointer on the final buzzer to close the gap to just three points, but in the end it didn’t matter as Zvezda celebrated its return to the Belgrade Arena for the first time [since a 90-89 win over Virtus Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zvezda-shows-steel-to-secure-slim-win-and-snap-streak-against-virtus/) on December 19.

Izundu, who won the player of the game accolade, was humble in his postgame comments. “I just tried to play hard for my team and protect the rim,” he said, having racked up 18 points and 8 boards on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor.

“It’s good to be back in the Arena with the fans as it helps a lot. I gave the team a lot of second-chance opportunities, the easy points, as that’s what I do. The team and the coach trust me so I tried to get some offensive rebounds to win possessions. We just need to keep going one game at a time to get where we need to be,” the big Nigerian added.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="sr" dir="ltr">Игра Звезда данас прави лом… ❤️🤍<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/UUYmVOr0vg">pic.twitter.com/UUYmVOr0vg</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/2017359464643404197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Butler and [Codi Miller-McIntyre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/codi-miller-mcintyre/009048/) chipped in with 16 points each, the latter also dishing out 7 assists to complement an efficient performance by Nwora, who scored a team-high 22 points for Zvezda. At the other end, Kabengele excelled with 24 points and 8 boards, [Dwayne Bacon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dwayne-bacon/011286/) scored 19 and Wright added 16.

“We found the rhythm late in the third quarter and early in the fourth. I am happy with the win and apart from inconsistency in the second quarter, we did well,” said the Zvezda head coach Sasa Obradovic. “I didn’t expect an easy win anyway and we move on from here. The first quarter was the best we’ve played all season, but complacency seems to have crept in as it usually does when you make such a good start.”

Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac stressed that his team looked less than a sum of its parts in the cauldron of Belgrade Arena, where 16,000 noisy fans put wind in the home team’s sails from start to finish.

“We had too many individual solutions on offense and made too many defensive mistakes,” he said. “Second chance points that we conceded cost us the win. Congratulations to Zvezda, they were stronger and more focused than us. We had some good minutes but in a road game you can’t afford not to do the dirty work. I expected a lot more from my team, especially on defense.”

The Serbian team et club records for points scored and largest first-quarter margin in the opening period of its slender win against Dubai 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Dubai Basketball (2026-01-30T19:00:00.000Z)

No Carsen Edwards, no Alessandro Pajola and no Alen Smailagic. It did not matter for Virtus Bologna, which went heavily depleted into Friday night’s matchup on the road against last season’s EuroLeague runner-up AS Monaco, only to come up with an 82-84 win.

Luca Vildoza’s game-winner, unlikely heroes lift Virtus in thriller over Monaco

No [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/), no [Alessandro Pajola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alessandro-pajola/006739/) and no [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/). It did not matter for [Virtus Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/), which went heavily depleted into Friday night’s matchup on the road against last season’s EuroLeague runner-up [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/), only to come up with an 82-84 win.

And Virtus did so in one of the most dramatic finishes so far this season, as [Luca Vildoza](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luca-vildoza/007947/) drained a game-winning triple with 4.4 seconds to go. After a timeout, [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) had a chance to win it for Monaco, but his three-point shot was off the mark.

“Everybody in our locker room believes we can win every game,” said [Derrick Alston Jr.](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/derrick-alston-jr--/014005/), Virtus’s top scorer on the night with 19 points.

“Everybody went out there and contributed, which is amazing. We had guys to step up and play big, play big minutes, and have big possessions.”

AS Monaco-Virtus Bologna | Round 25 Highlights | 2025-26 EuroLeague

Apart from Alston and the hero of the night, Vildoza, who finished with 13 points, Virtus indeed had a series of contributors.

[Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/) netted 15 points, and veteran guard [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/) made some big plays down the stretch, collecting 7 points and 5 rebounds.

However, it is hard to argue that any of the contributions were bigger than those of [Nicola Akele](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicola-akele/011816/) and [Aliou Diarra](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aliou-diarra/014108/).

It could be easy to say that Diarra’s comeback from injury has been huge for Virtus, but his contribution was anything but expected. The big man did miss the last six games, however, and before Friday night he had never played more than 11 minutes in any game.

Akele, who also missed time with injury earlier this season, has had just one game in which he played more than 17 minutes. That is until Friday night, when he scored 11 points, pulled down 7 rebounds, and also dished 3 assists, all career-best marks. Meanwhile, Diarra had 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Those combined 13 boards, along with 8-for-11 two-point shooting from both of them, was as big as Vildoza’s game-winning triple.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Cuore 🤍🖤 <a href="https://t.co/tHrUzeeWiI">pic.twitter.com/tHrUzeeWiI</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Bologna (@VirtusBo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusBo/status/2017353589224603782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“This is a team victory,” coach Dusko Ivanovic stressed in an interview after the game. “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

The Virtus head coach continued, adding: “Our defense in the second half was so much better. On offense, we had very good patience, attacking for many seconds to find better options.”

Monaco was up by 10 points in the second quarter, and 53-44 early in the third before Akele and Diarra started dominating under Monaco’s rim. The visitors tied it at 62-62 in the final minute of the third quarter before opening the fourth with an 1-15 run to take a 66-77 lead. The hosts rallied, and [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) hit a tough three to give Monaco an 82-81 advantage.

However, in the final minute, Virtus pulled down two of its 11 offensive rebounds, then made a defensive stand, all of which allowed Vildoza to get in a position to shoot – and make – the game-winner.

“We stayed in (it),” Vildoza said. “We never left the game even though they were making tough shots. We kept fighting. “

After back-to-back home losses last week, and defeats in three of the last four games, this win ensures that Virtus remains in the playoff hunt, just two wins out of 10th place in the standings.

The Italian side remained alive in the race postseason basketball with a statement win in Round 25

AS Monaco v Virtus Bologna (2026-01-30T18:30:00.000Z)

Check out how your team performed in Round 25 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season.

Game Center: Round 25

## Friday, January 30

### [AS Monaco 82-84 Virtus Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/as-monaco-virtus-bologna/E2025/247/)

Virtus overcame the absences of Carsen Edwards and Alessandro Pajola to come back from a double-digit deficit and stun Monaco 82-84 on Friday night in the Principality. Virtus improved to 12-13 on the season, while Monaco lost its third straight game to drop to a 15-10 record. 

Virtus trailed by 10 points at the start of the third quarter, only to erase the deficit before the end of the period behind big men Nicola Akele and Aliou Diarra, before using a 1-15 run to open the fourth quarter and escape to a 66-77 lead. The home team rallied and took the lead on a three-pointer by Mike James, 82-81, but Luca Vildoza nailed a triple with 4 seconds left to give Virtus the win and a season sweep over Monaco. 

Derrick Alston paced Virtus with 19 points, Matt Morgan netted 15, while Vildoza finished with 13 points. Mike James led Monaco with 17 points and 9 assists, and Jaron Blossomgame scored 14 in defeat.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="pt" dir="ltr">MONACO 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗 🏁 <a href="https://t.co/4KS4iStE1g">pic.twitter.com/4KS4iStE1g</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Bologna (@VirtusBo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusBo/status/2017337156016931223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 95-92 Dubai Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-dubai-basketball/E2025/249/)

Crvena Zvezda made it four wins in a row with an ultimately comfortable 95-92 home defeat of Dubai. Sasa Obradovic's side set club records for points scored and largest first-quarter margin by romping to a 34-14 lead in the opening 10 minutes. Dubai fought back valiantly and slashed the deficit to 59-58 in the third quarter, but Zvezda had more firepower in the home stretch and prevailed to delight its noisy fans inside Belgrade Arena. Zvezda improved to 15-10 while Dubai dropped to 11-14.

Jordan Nwora paced Zvezda on 22 points and Ebuke Izundu added 18, while the backcourt duo of Jared Butler and Codi Miller-McIntyre chipped in with 16 each as Zvezda relied on its usual suspects on offense. At the other end, Mfiondu Kabengele capped a monster individual performance with 24 points and 8 boards, Dwayne Bacon scored 19 and McKinley Wright netted 16.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fourth straight win in the EuroLeague ✅✅✅✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/GKgL0ZJYA0">pic.twitter.com/GKgL0ZJYA0</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/2017343204161450353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 102-91 Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/kosner-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-zalgiris-kaunas/E2025/248/)

Baskonia bounced back from its recent losses by downing Zalgiris 102-91 at Buesa Arena on Friday night. Baskonia improved to 9-16 after registering its eighth home win of the season. Meanwhile, Zalgiris dropped to 14-11 and lost the chance to win its third consecutive road game.

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot led six Baskonia players in double digits with 19 points on 10-of-10 free throws. Trent Forrest added 16 points on 7-of-7 two-pointers, Rodions Kurucs and Markus Howard each had 15, Kobi Simmons contributed 12 while Mamadi Dikaite got 11 for the winners. Sylvain Francisco led Zalgiris with 20 points. Dustin Sleva added 13, Moses Wright had 12 while Ignas Brazdeikis got 11 for the guests, which led 84-89 midway through the fourth quarter. Forrest, Kurucs and Luwawu-Cabarrot fueled an 18-2 final run which allowed Baskonia to celebrate a hard-fought victory. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Phenomenal finish for <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Baskonia</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/1f5fT5TIgW">pic.twitter.com/1f5fT5TIgW</a></p>&mdash; EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/2017348536300359686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 78-79 Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/E2025/250/)

Panathinaikos got back to winning ways by edging ASVEL 78-79 at LDLC Arena on Friday night. ASVEL started strong and opened the game with an 8-0 run, but Panathinaikos responded and took a 29-35 lead after a low-scoring first half. Inspired by an ageless Kostas Sloukas, who made his 450th EuroLeague appearance, the guests opened a double-digit lead midway through the fourth quarter and managed to see the game out despite ASVEL’s late comeback attempt.

Having grabbed its first road victory in three games, Panathinaikos improved its record to 15-10. Meanwhile, ASVEL suffered its sixth straight defeat, dropping to 6-19.

Sloukas led all scorers with a season-high 26 points. Jerian Grant netted 15 and Richaun Holmes paired his 11 points with 9 rebounds. Braian Angola scored a career-high 20 points, with Melvin Ajinca and Bastien Vautier bagging 14 each.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ROAD W IN LYON ☘️<a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LDLCASVEL</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paobcaktor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#paobcaktor</a> 78-79<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheGreens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheGreens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Club1908?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Club1908</a> <a href="https://t.co/3pqTm69Xnn">pic.twitter.com/3pqTm69Xnn</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/2017357970724532270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Thursday, January 29

### [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 79-62 Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2025/242/)

Fenerbahce took the Turkish Derby by thrashing Efes 79-62 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall. Fenerbahce improved 17-7 in the standings and is on a five-game home winning streak. Meanwhile, Efes dropped to 6-19 with its ninth consecutive loss, matching its longest losing streak in competition history back in 2014.

Fenerbahce led from start to finish, getting a 25-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and extended it to 61-39 after 30 minutes to cruise to a well-deserved victory. Talen Horton-Tucker led the winners with 22 points in 19 minutes. Nando De Colo added 12 points, Tarik Biberovic had 10 while Wade Baldwin dished 9 assists without any turnovers for Fenerbahce. Saben Lee paced Efes with 19 points. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Evimizde bir galibiyet daha! 💪<br><br>Tebrikler Fenerbahçe Beko! 👏<br><br>Maç Sonucu | Fenerbahçe Beko 🆚 Anadolu Efes: 79-62<br><br>Skor dağılımımız: Horton-Tucker 22, De Colo 12, Biberovic 10, Baldwin 8, Metecan 8, Jantunen 6, Melli 5, Onuralp 3, Bacot 3, Birch 2. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://t.co/jk4c3p3sSx">pic.twitter.com/jk4c3p3sSx</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/2016959354331681106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv 64-79 FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/hapoel-ibi-tel-aviv-fc-bayern-munich/E2025/243/)

Bayern collected a rare road victory while also causing a change at the top of the standings by surprising Hapoel with a 64-79 win. Bayern put together a 0-12 run in the third quarter to take control of the game and improve to 10-15 and 2-10 away from home.

Bayern has won five of its last seven games to slowly edge towards the playoff ranks. Isiaha Mike paced Bayern with 16 points while Andreas Obst had 13 points and Vladimir Lucic and Neno Dimitrijevic both chipped in 11. The loss dropped Hapoel to 16-8 with back-to-back losses and falling to second place, handing over the top spot to Fenerbahce. Vasilije Micic led the hosts with 13 points and 5 assists.  

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">𝐁𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐆 𝐖 😤<br><br>🗞️ <a href="https://t.co/ZJoXhXykzl">https://t.co/ZJoXhXykzl</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HTABAY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HTABAY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> (c) Magriso <a href="https://t.co/57PBofDCX2">pic.twitter.com/57PBofDCX2</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/2016982265323049353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Olympiacos Piraeus 87-75 FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/olympiacos-piraeus-fc-barcelona/E2025/244/)

Olympiacos recorded its eighth win in the last nine games by defeating Barcelona 87-85 at Peace and Friendship Stadium. The hosts kicked off the game with a 13-2 run before taking a 27-13 lead into the second quarter. Barcelona fought back and outscored Olympiacos 32-51 in the next two quarters. However, the hosts tightened up their defense and held the visitors to just 11 points in the fourth to clinch the victory thanks to a late 15-2 run.

Olympiacos improved to a 16-8 record and Barcelona dropped to 16-9, but Jan Vesely’s buzzer-beating jumper to end the game gave the visitors the head-to-head tiebreak advantage following their 98-85 win back in early December. Sasha Vezenkov paired his 20 points with 11 rebounds and Tyler Dorsey scored 17, with Tyrique Jones netting 16 and picking up 8 rebounds in his best performance so far in a red-and-white jersey. Kevin Punter bagged a team-high 15 points for Barça, with Dario Brizuela and Will Clyburn scoring 14 each.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Final 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> - FC Barcelona 87-75 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYBAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYBAR</a> <a href="https://t.co/f6EaX7fapl">pic.twitter.com/f6EaX7fapl</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/2016984196103680217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 85-79 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2025/246/)

Milan snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 12-13, hauling itself back into the postseason picture on the back of 20 points from Zach LeDay who shined against his former club. LeDay netted 7 crucial points in the home stretch as Milan dished out 18 team assists and overcame a feisty third quarter when Quinn Ellis hit 2 of 4 successive three-pointers which gave Milan a 69-57 advantage ahead of the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Playing with a decimated back court, Partizan fought hard and having trailed 52-43 at halftime, the visitors slashed the deficit to 71-68 in the fourth but Milan had more in the tank when the chips were down.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LET’S GO GUYS!! ❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/uWqcLXe0S5">pic.twitter.com/uWqcLXe0S5</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/2016991228022214796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Valencia Basket 94-83 Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/valencia-basket-maccabi-rapyd-tel-aviv/E2025/245/)

Valencia outlasted Maccabi for a vital 94-83 home win. Maccabi launched an early 2-17 run to take a double-digit lead, and 10 points from TJ Leaf helped make it 44-50 at halftime. Valencia made a 7-0 start to the second half to go ahead, but Maccabi edged back in front, 66-68, heading into the final period. Jimmy Clark scored 8 fast points but Neal Sako allowed Valencia to respond as the lead regularly changed hands, before the hosts pulled away in the latter stages as Maccabi’s offense ran dry.

Jean Montero paced the winning team with 19 points, while Kam Taylor added 17 and Sako prowled the paint to the tune of 12 points and 8 rebounds. Omari Moore and Brancou Badio netted 12 points apiece. Leaf led Maccabi with 14 points, with Lundberg and Clark both scoring 12. Valencia improves to 16-9 while Maccabi’s postseason hopes take a blow as it drops to 10-15.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">VAMOOOOOOOOOOOS 🧡<br><br>🔥 ¡Que sí, <a href="https://twitter.com/RoigArena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoigArena</a>! <br>🔥 ¡Que sí, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FamiliaTaronja?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FamiliaTaronja</a>! <br><br>¡Que la de hoy la hemos conseguido entre todos! 🔥<br><br>🏆 J25 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a><br>🟠 <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@valenciabasket</a> 94<br>🟡 <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaccabiTLVBC</a> 83<br>📺 movistar deportes<br><br>Hui és que mai...<br>GRÀCIES! SEGUIM! 🧡 <a href="https://t.co/7cGQnvQGll">pic.twitter.com/7cGQnvQGll</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/2016990799498555751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Tuesday, January 27

### [Paris Basketball 98-92 Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2025-26/paris-basketball-real-madrid/E2025/241/)

Paris notched its first home win of 2026 by defeating Real Madrid 98-92. Despite Real Madrid grabbing its first lead since the first quarter with 1:41 to go thanks to an Andres Feliz three-pointer, Nadir Hifi immediately hit back before Jared Rhoden gave Paris some breathing room at 94-90. Free throws by Rhoden restored Paris’s four-point advantage (96-92) after a Mario Hezonja layup, and Leo Cavaliere put the icing on the win with a fastbreak layup in the final second. Paris improved to 8-16 with this victory, while Real Madrid – which came into the game riding a six-game winning streak – dropped to 16-9.

Hifi was Paris’s top scorer with 21 points, with Amath M’Baye adding 16, Rhoden notching 15, Justin Robinson contributing 12, and Cavaliere netting 11. Momo Faye also had 6 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Real Madrid was led in scoring by Trey Lyles, who had 21 points. Feliz, benefitting from extended minutes due to the injury of Theo Maledon, poured in a career-high 18 points, and Hezonja chipped in with 16. Edy Tavares posted 6 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks, too.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This one feels GOOOOOOOOOOOD <br>🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/401GvahIJT">pic.twitter.com/401GvahIJT</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/2016273945356366251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Six games are in the books from Tuesday and Thursday's fixtures

Game Center: Round 25 concludes with road wins for Virtus, PAO; Zvezda, Baskonia triumph at home

Valencia Basket v Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (2026-01-29T19:45:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2026-01-29T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Barcelona (2026-01-29T19:15:00.000Z)

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv v FC Bayern Munich (2026-01-29T19:05:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2026-01-29T17:45:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Real Madrid (2026-01-27T20:00:00.000Z)

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 25 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season.

Pregame quotes hub: Round 25

## Friday, January 30

### AS Monaco vs. Virtus Bologna (19:30 CET)

**Vassilis Spanoulis, Monaco head coach**

"We can't let up. We had a six-game winning streak, and now we've lost two in a row. In this league, you pay for any lapse in concentration. The guys know what it takes to win at the highest level. Bologna is one of the best teams in the Euroleague. They're an athletic team, very well coached, with excellent off-ball movement. We lost the first game, so we need to focus on this kind of game at a crucial time of the year."

**Nikola Mirotic, Monaco forward**

"This game is very important at this stage of the season. It's time for us to bounce back, especially at home. After two tough losses in the EuroLeague, we need to move forward. We've had time to analyze this game, watched a lot of video, and we're ready. When we share the ball, that's when we're at our strongest and when our individual qualities can be expressed best. It can't be perfect every time, the season is long, but now is the time to stick together, stay healthy, and build for the big moments that await us at the end of the season."

**Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus head coach**

"We face Monaco, really good team. It will be a tough game, especially without \[Carsen\] Edwards, \[Alessandro\] Pajola and \[Alen\] Smailagic, but we have the mentality to try to win this game."

**Luca Vildoza, Virtus guard**

"Especially at home Monaco plays really well, they have very physical players in defense and in offense they have very talented players. Playing against this team is really tough, in general EuroLeague away games are always really tough. Every game is important in this competition, we need to play until the end with energy and focus."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Dubai Basketball (20:00 CET)

\--

### Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:30 CET)

**Tomas Masiulis, Zalgiris head coach**

"They’ve won seven of their eleven victories at home. They have a lot of talent, both teams have changed, and just like against ASVEL, we’re expecting a completely different game. It will be a tough battle, but we’re ready to fight. \[Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot\] is impressive and among the top five scorers in the EuroLeague. He definitely deserves attention. We have to prevent him from catching the ball in positions where he can drive or take shots from his spots. This time we’ll have our best perimeter defenders available, so he’ll be a major focus. We’ll try to limit him. \[Baskonia's\] style is definitely the same – they want to shoot a lot of threes and run in transition. It’s the same as in the first round. The players have changed: Gytis \[Radzevicius\] wasn’t there, \[Markus\] Howard wasn’t there. Now they’re more injured than they were at the start of the season when we played them. The style is the same, but the personnel is different."

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:45 CET)

**Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach**

"First of all, my condolences for the people of PAOK who lost their lives. In Greece, all fans follow their teams all across Europe. My condolences to the PAOK family and to Greek sport as a whole.

"The game against Villeurbanne is certainly dangerous. They have two new players \[in Braian Angola and Paul Eboua\] and they’ve started well. In addition, at home they play to win until the very last second. They fight. As for us, unfortunately this season we’ve lost many games against teams that are low in the standings. Therefore, we want the big games against teams that are higher up. We lost in Munich and against Maccabi, who are low \[down in the standings\]. The game against Villeurbanne is important. Whether you play Villeurbanne or Real Madrid, a win carries the same weight. They have very dangerous scorers. \[Glynn\] Watson and especially \[Thomas\] Heurtel, when he’s in the game, he organizes well their big men, who are athletic. Defense is important, but offensively, without \[Kendrick\] Nunn, we need to find solutions. That will be the key. Not allowing them to run and score in transition."

**Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Panathinaikos forward**

"First of all, let’s talk about some events that have happened… the factory initially and the people who were lost, who were actually going to the same place we are going to now. Condolences to those families; it’s something tragic and heartbreaking, there are no words. Talking about it won’t change anything, but I wanted to say it because we are deeply shaken.

"Villeurbanne plays quite good basketball despite their position in the standings, and we will go for the win because there is no room for mistakes. They play at a high pace, they are athletic, and if we don’t limit the intensity they bring with toughness and self-sacrifice, we won’t get a good result. We are Panathinaikos, we know where we play and we have high goals. That doesn’t change whether we were winning before or not. We have to be ready for every challenge."

## Thursday, January 29

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (18:45 CET)

**Saras Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach**

"Efes is a very talented team. With \[Vincent\] Poirier’s return, they have become even stronger. Saben Lee has started to adapt to the team. The Istanbul derby is very important for us, and with the support of our fans, we will try to reflect our best performance on the court."

**Metecan Birsen, Fenerbahce forward**

"We will play an important game in front of our fans. Istanbul derbies have always been important. We want to maintain our winning habit and continue to improve our effectiveness on the court. We must stay true to our game plan and maintain full concentration both on defense and on offense."

**Pablo Laso, Efes head coach**

"Of course, it will be a difficult game. We're playing against the defending champions on the road, so it’ll be tough. Fenerbahce Beko is a powerhouse, both in Europe and Turkiye, and it’s a derby game. We know we have to play at our highest level if we want to compete against them. Despite the difficult situation, we will try to get a victory away from home. As I’ve said, we need to build step by step as a team and show it on the floor this Thursday."

**Rodrigue Beaubois, Efes guard**

"In our situation, there’s only one approach: take it one game at a time and give everything we have to get the win. On Thursday it’s a derby against the defending champions, so we know it’s going to be tough, and we have to be ready for it."

### Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:05 CET)

**Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach**

"EuroLeague games are unique, and sometimes less is more. We need to stay united and approach the game knowing we rely on each other and support one another. We analyzed the second half, the late shot-clock situations. We spent a significant amount of time working on these aspects and reviewing them in detail."

**Bar Timor, Hapoel guard**

"We’re very excited to host our One Team \[participants at the game\]. We’ve been in close contact with them, it’s a very special and inspiring project, and I’m happy they’re coming. It will be great to meet them. Our preparation has been good. No matter whether the schedule gives us more or less time, we always aim to be as ready as possible. We’re coming to win. The last two games weren’t good, but we’ll arrive prepared with the goal of winning."

**Niels Giffey, Bayern forward**

"The last game against \[Maccabi\] at the SAP Garden actually went quite well for us; we want to try to build on that. But of course it’s going to be very tough, because Hapoel is extremely strong."

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. FC Barcelona (20:15 CET)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach**

"In the first \[part of the regular season\], we played our worst game of the season in Barcelona, based on the analysis we conducted both at the time and after reviewing the game again. We were poor in every aspect of the game. It was probably the only game in which we never really came close to winning, where we didn’t truly compete. We did everything wrong. However, from that point on, our team showed significant improvement in all areas, something that is also reflected in the numbers. Of course, we expect to respond with a different style of play compared to what we showed there, one that includes all the fundamentals of basketball. In that game, we didn’t set screens, didn’t play with pace, lacked patience, gave them control of the ball, made poor shot selections and didn’t fight for rebounds. We had 18 defensive rebounds, while they grabbed 18 offensive rebounds. We need to do all the important things. Naturally, the EuroLeague shows that the same teams can meet again after one or two months under different conditions - form, availability and absences. Still, I believe that right now we are playing better, and with our fans behind us, it will be important to impose our tempo and get the win."

**Nikola Milutinov, Olympiacos center**

"It was truly a tough loss in Barcelona. We played very badly in that game, but immediately after we started to improve and play much better. Barcelona is a very good team. They have many high-quality players who know how to play and how to win games. So it will be a big challenge for us to secure another win."

**Xavi Pascual, Barcelona head coach**

"This is just another game – but it’s one of the toughest venues in the competition, historically and especially this season. They’re a team that’s playing very well, they’ve won seven of their last eight games, and they’re very solid at home. Regardless of the result, we’ll keep fighting to stay near the top of the standings, at least for now. Honestly, I don’t look too much at the standings. But yes, it’s a very important opponent. What we do have to keep in mind – and this is something we need to start paying attention to – is that we won by 13 at home. That always has to be in the back of your mind. We’re going there to win, but now that we’re into head-to-head matchups, that’s something you always have to consider, whether you won or lost the previous game."

**Nico Laprovittola, Barcelona guard**

"We want to stay at the top of the standings, and it's a very important game. We have to be aware of how difficult it will be at their arena. We have to fight and get back to winning ways, dominating games. We prepared very well for the game we played against them at Palau \[Blaugrana\]. It was spectacular, but now, at their home, it will be very difficult."

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:30 CET)

**Peppe Poeta, Milan head coach**

"We're facing a team that's in excellent shape, having won its last two EuroLeague games, and is completely different from the one we faced in Belgrade, having changed coaches and many players. We'll have to be ready to play a physical game because they have the ability to go big, with Isaac Bonga at the 3 spot. Lately, the physicality and the ability of their point guards, \[Cam\] Payne and \[Nick\] Calathes, to create a lot for everybody, have been the keys to their wins. We're coming off a rough week, but that's precisely why we want to bounce back. To do that, we'll have to be physical and intense for 40 minutes."

**Zach LeDay, Milan forward**

"The EuroLeague is the highest level you can find in Europe, and sometimes just winning games isn't enough; you have to do it twice or three times. We're coming off two games where we were excellent for 35 minutes, and it wasn't enough. The lesson we learned is that we have to be excellent for 40 minutes, helping each other on both offense and defense against a Partizan team that's having a good run, is confident, and will come here prepared."

**Joan Penarroya, Partizan head coach**

"I expect a very difficult game. Milano had some issues last week, but they still have a great team with a lot of quality and strong individual players. If we want to compete, we’ll need to play at a very high level tomorrow. We’re missing a few important players, but that’s not an excuse, we have to play together, just like we did last week."

**Tonye Jekiri, Partizan center**

"We’ve had some injury issues, but we’re doing our best to deal with them. What’s really important for tomorrow is that we fight, play with pride, and bring that mindset from the very start of the game. Hopefully, that’s exactly what we’ll do."

### Valencia Basket vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (20:45 CET)

**Omari Moore, Valencia guard**

"We played Maccabi just over a month ago, on their court. It was a very tough game. They have a really talented squad and they were better than us that day. So tomorrow we want to come out with a good game plan, play with a lot of intensity and try to get the win. They have been very strong in recent games, especially at home. They've won a lot. But we want to focus on our offensive plan. I think the coaches have prepared a good plan against their defense and versatility, so I think we'll be fine if we stick to that. The energy of our fans really helps our team, so I'm very happy to know that they'll be there to support us."

**Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach**

"One of the best teams in the EuroLeague, especially at home. They really play in high tempo. We found a way to win when we played them \[at home\], but we can’t build on that. We have to be defensively focused all 40 minutes because it will be a really high-tempo game."

**Will Rayman, Maccabi forward**

"Valencia is a really good team. This is a really important game for us to win and be 2-0 against them. I am really happy to sign an extension and be here another three years. I love everything about this organization, and I am happy to keep going, keep winning games, and it starts against Valencia."

**Mario Santos, Maccabi center**

"We know it is a tough away game. Valencia plays at high-tempo, it is a really good team. We need to go and meet their energy, meet their flow, and bring our best."

## Tuesday, January 27

### Paris Basketball vs. Real Madrid (21:00 CET)

**Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach**

"We're up against a team that plays in a pretty unique way. They're not the only ones who play like that anymore, but we know that against these opponents we have to be very smart in how we play because, as has happened to us on other occasions, we can concede very high scores, although we also know that we can hit back ourselves. The main characteristic of Paris Basketball is their pace. They are by far the EuroLeague team that plays the most possessions, which will lead to a very high score, and that doesn't mean that their defense is bad, but rather that the pace of possession will be very high with many possessions, many shots, and surely a high score.

"For our part, we also have to focus on the fact that Paris is the highest-scoring team in the EuroLeague and also the highest-scoring team in the first seven seconds of possession. They are also very strong on offensive rebounds. They are also capable of forcing many turnovers with their aggressive full-court defense, so there are many points and areas of focus, and we will certainly have to be prepared. Despite bad moments, it is important that when the crunch time comes, we are in a position to win and have the strength and solidity necessary to win and take a very important game."

**Chuma Okeke, Real Madrid forward**

"Paris Basketball is a good team, a team that fights hard, very aggressive. I think they're a little different now than when we faced them in the first half of the season, but they're capable of beating any opponent on a good night. We're expecting a tough game, with Paris eager to win and, what's more, needing to win. I've never been there, but from what I've seen, Paris Basketball has a good arena, great fans, and we're in for a tough game. We need to focus on our game and grab the rebounds well because Paris is very good at offensive rebounding. We'll have to be alert in defense and get back quickly to defend because they run a lot and well, and it's important to match up with your man very quickly, even after scoring. We must avoid miscommunication because I think that could cost us the game. We have to try to repeat certain things that we tried in the game in Madrid that worked well for us."

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 25 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season