A decisive performance in a narrow home victory has earned Scottie Wilbekin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv the MVP honor for Round 1 of the new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season! Wilbekin scored 13 of his team's 15 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead free throws with 29 seconds left, as Maccabi outlasted FC Bayern Munich 69-68. He finished the game with 28 points, matching his career-high and outscoring any other Round 1 player, making 4 of 7 two-point shots, 4 of 6 threes and 8 of 8 free throws. With 3 assists, 3 steals and 6 fouls drawn, his performance index rating reached 32, the best among winning players in Round 1 and the second-best of his 141 EuroLeague career games. Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul had the week's highest PIR, 35, but despite his 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, the defending champs lost 82-69 at Real Madrid. Following Larkin came Nikola Mirotic, whose perfect shooting night for 22 points in less than 18 minutes anchored FC Barcelona's blowout 96-64 home win over ALBA Berlin. Three victorious players tied for fourth place in Round 1, all with PIRs of 24. Nicolo Melli combined 15 points with 6 rebounds as AX Armani Exchange Milan topped CSKA Moscow. Walter Tavares had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks as Real defeated Efes. And debutant Elie Okobo missed just 1 free throw among 23 points to lead LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne past Zalgiris Kaunas.

### Individual highs: Pierria Henry, Fenerbahce, 5 steals
All the top performers in Round 1 start out as league leaders in their individual categories. Wilbekin was the top scorer with 28 points. Tavares had the most rebounds with 12. Barcelona's Nicolas Laprovittola dished the most assists, with 7. Pierria Henry of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul stole 5 balls, high for the round. And Landry Nnoko of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz swatted 4 shots to lead all blockers. Besides Tavares, the only other double-double of the week belonged to Luke Sikma of ALBA with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Round 1 MVP: Scottie Wilbekin, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v FC Bayern Munich (2021-09-30T18:05:00.000Z)

It would be hard to ask for a better season start than what LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne did on Friday night, downing visiting Zalgiris Kaunas 88-76.

ASVEL was in control for the majority of the night, and after using a 9-0 run midway through the third quarter, ASVEL never allowed the visitors to come closer than 8 points again.

As important as avoiding any thought of a fourth-quarter drama, ASVEL also dominated inside, outrebounding the visitors 35-26, and played defense that held Zalgiris to just 45.9% on two-point shots.

"Good job, good teamwork in general," ASVEL head coach T.J. Parker said in the post-game press conference. "We brought the intensity in the second half."

In that teamwork, two players did stand out.

"Elie Okobo and Chris Jones are the top two choices to run the backcourt this year in ASVEL," Parker said after the victory. "I have full confidence in them."

And rightly so.

Scoring guard Okobo led the way, pouring in 23 points in 24 minutes. Just 22 days shy of his 24th birthday, Okobo shot a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor. Combo guard Jones, who made his EuroLeague debut with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv last season, ran the offense with 14 points and 6 assists, while setting the defensive tone with 3 steals, too.

Center Youssoupha Fall stood tall inside with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Add in the contributions from Kostas Antetokounmpo and Dylan Ostekowski, and it brings ASVEL's newcomers to a tally of 57 points in their season opener.

That's not to say that the newcomers were the only ones doing the damage. In the third quarter, Antoine Diot hit a pair of key triples and fed Antetokounmpo twice for monster dunks. Charles Kahudi scored 8 of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Such balance and many players shining in their roles will certainly make Parker happy. And ASVEL fans, finally back at the Astroballe in high numbers, will be newly optimistic and excited about the EuroLeague journey ahead.

It would be hard to ask better season start than what LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne did on Friday night, when the team's newcomers put up 57 points in an 88-76 win over visiting Zalgiris Kaunas.

ASVEL's newcomers met the moment

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Zalgiris Kaunas (2021-10-01T18:00:00.000Z)

elie-okobo-ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-eb21.jpg

On Thursday night, Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul met on a basketball court for the first time since their exciting Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs series last season. Real was the last team to beat Efes in the 2020-21 campaign, at WiZink Center, in Game 4 of this already legendary series. Efes took Game 5, traveled to Cologne, Germany, and beat CSKA Moscow and FC Barcelona to lift the trophy for the first time in club history.

Real had extra power compared to last season. First, over 4,000 of its fans were in attendance in what was the first EuroLeague home game the club has been able to admit fans to since 2020. Then its newcomers stepped up big, leading Los Blancos to an 82-69 victory against the defending champ. It was the first EuroLeague game with Real for Guerschon Yabusele, Adam Hanga, Thomas Heurtel and Nigel Williams-Goss.

Hanga, Williams-Goss and Yabusele started the game along with Edy Tavares and Fabien Causeur. Hanga and Yaubsele combined for 8 points in a 12-0 opening run that gave Real the lead for good. When Heurtel came off the bench, he quickly made the difference, finding Tavares and Vincent Poirier for alley-oop dunks and becoming the first player on the floor to reach double digits.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Be like Jeff...<br><br>Never give up on a play!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/3zpDaa3pmX">pic.twitter.com/3zpDaa3pmX</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1443656004273590277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Heurtel had 10 points in the first quarter. At the end of it, Jeffery Taylor's tip-in gave Real a 32-15 margin. The hosts kept pushing early in the second and defense made the difference. Everyone contributed; Rudy Fernandez was scoreless and had a PIR of -3 at halftime, but his defensive contribution was huge. Real was +12 with him on the floor in the first half.

Real stopped Efes's ball circulation in the first half, powering the offensive glass to make the difference in the game. Efes reached halftime with 4 assists and 8 turnovers. It had 8 defensive rebounds and had allowed Real to pull down 10 offensive boards. Those extra possessions had a big impact on the game's outcome.

"It is horrible. Our concentration, our focus on the game, on the boards," Coach Ataman said at halftime. "It is horrible, this performance is horrible."

Real denied any Efes comeback attempts with strong defense. Tavares pulled down 7 of his 12 rebounds in the third quarter and at the end of it, Los Blancos had a 20-point lead. Efes only got closer once the outcome was clear.

Asked about the newcomers, Yabusele said everyone came to this team with a positive attitude: "We are just trying to help the team win some games and play the right way on offense and on defense," he said. "We just fit so well - we have a lot of potential in the team. We just know each other a little, but try to fit in just perfectly, just try to make fewer mistakes and try to win some games."

It was a new-look Real, with less run-and-gun basketball and more physicality than ever - Trey Thompkins and Anthony Randolph still have to join the team. Real was the last team to hold Efes under 70 points - it allowed 65 in an 8-point road win on December 29, 2020.

Real moves on to the next challenge; it faces Olympiacos Pireaus next week in a rematch of the 1995, 2013 and 2015 EuroLeague championship games. And it's new faces will have that much more of a connection with the team and their teammates by the time that game tips off.

With three new players in the starting lineup, Real Madrid showed a new look en route to defeating defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul on opening night.

New-look Real made statement by dumping the champs

Real Madrid v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2021-09-30T18:45:00.000Z)

Baskonia brings in even more character: Season Preview

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is known for its trademark character and should get even more of it from experienced signings like Wade Baldwin, Simone Fontecchio and Jayson Granger.

Scottie Wilbekin didn’t want to let his team down and he didn’t want to let the fans of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv down - after the club’s faithful were finally able to come out and pack the house at a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game. Wilbekin scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as a crowd of 11,192 at the Menora Mivtachim Arena pushed Maccabi to a come-from-behind 69-68 win over FC Bayern Munich in its season-opener.

"It feels great. I really didn’t want to lose the first game - with all the fans being here and the great start we had, probably because of the fans. I’m just happy we were able to pull through and get the win," said Wilbekin, who matched his career-high in scoring and was just one off his personal best in index rating with 32 against Bayern.

The boisterous supporters - anxious to finally scream their hearts out for their beloved Maccabi - helped Wilbekin and co. race out to a 17-point lead midway through the second quarter. That uncommon ringing in one’s ear really got Bayern coach Andrea Trinchieri emotional during the game.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">🔥 <a href="https://t.co/vds6tyYltJ">pic.twitter.com/vds6tyYltJ</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabitlvBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabitlvBC/status/1442421673966247938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"I have to say this was an amazing game. After two tough years, feeling a crowd like this is really a big thing," said the coach, who added: "Congratulations to Maccabi, to [Coach] Ioannis [Sfairopoulos] and to the crowd, because they were also a factor."

Bayern was able to slow down Maccabi - and lessen the roar of the fans over some 20 minutes spanning the second half of the second quarter and first parts of the final frame. The German side actually built up a 9-point lead with 6 minutes left in the game. But Maccabi’s defense fed off the energy of the crowd and allowed just 10 points in the fourth quarter, including just one three-pointer in the final 5 minutes.

"I’m very happy with how the fans came and supported us. A full gym after so long in the EuroLeague - it was a great feeling. And you saw in the last moments of the game with their voices how they helped the team to give more effort to get the win," Sfairopoulos said.

Of course it helps when you have someone like Wilbekin.

"He showed once again that he is the leader of this team," Sfairopoulos said of his scoring ace.

"We see it every day. Scottie is one of the best players in Europe, one of the best scorers in Europe. He can score on anybody, especially when he gets going," added Maccabi forward Derrick Williams. "We’re going to go as he goes. We all trust him to make the right plays, whether it’s shooting or passing."

Maccabi showed in its opening win a recipe that will get them some wins this season in the EuroLeague: a tough defense, an unstoppable scoring force in Scottie Wilbekin as well as an army of fans dressed in yellow who have been waiting for too long to push their team to wins.

Fueled by the energy of a sold-out arena for the first time in two seasons, Scottie Wilbekin led a late rally to lift Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv over FC Bayern Munich on Thursday night.

Wilbekin, Maccabi feed off sold-out crowd for thrilling win

CSKA Moscow center Nikola Milutinov is set to be sidelined indefinitely due to a knee injury. Milutinov was injured barely 2 minutes into in his team's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season opener against AX Armani Exchange Milan and did not return to the court. Once the team returned to Moscow, Milutinov underwent examination at the GMS Clinic, which revealed partial damage to the internal lateral ligament of the left knee. He will undergo conservative therapy at the club's facilities. The timing of the player's return to the floor will be adjusted according to test results.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nikola Milutinov suffered a knee injury<br><br>Upon returning to Moscow the basketball player underwent examination at the GMS Clinic, which revealed partial damage to the internal lateral ligament of the left knee. <a href="https://t.co/TkenHAbiIG">pic.twitter.com/TkenHAbiIG</a></p>&mdash; CSKA Moscow (@cskabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/cskabasket/status/1443899259259064326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

CSKA: Milutinov, out with knee injury

AX Armani Exchange Milan v CSKA Moscow (2021-09-30T18:30:00.000Z)

ALBA promotes from within: Season Preview

ALBA promoted Israel Gonzalez to the head coaching spot, starting a new era in which Luke Sikma, Maodo Lo and Marcus Eriksson will lead an ever-growing influx of home-grown talents.

AS Monaco turned a lot of heads in its EuroLeague opener by relying on tenacious defense and a quartet of veterans to lead the way to victory over Panathinaikos.

Experience, defense helped Monaco to a magical opener

Counting on as many as nine Turkish Airlines Euroleague rookies on its roster, and having just two players back from last season, reigning 7DAYS EuroCup champion AS Monaco faced a tough challenge against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens in its the 2021-2022 season opener. But neither the lack of experience nor the lack of team chemistry stopped AS Monaco from making its Euroleague debut a forever-lasting memory.

"Before the game, we had huge excitement. We had to take the pressure under control, mentally," recognized AS Monaco head coach Zvezdan Mitrovic right after the game. And his team did, as Monaco started with a 5-0 run and never trailed for the rest of the game, claiming a convincing 75-63 win over the six-time Euroleague champions.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">✅ 𝖴𝗇𝖾 𝟣𝖾̀𝗋𝖾 𝗏𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗈𝗂𝗋𝖾 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝖾𝗇 <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>, 𝖽𝖾𝗌 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖻𝗅𝖾́𝗌, 𝗎𝗇 𝖼𝗈𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝖾𝗍 𝖽𝖾𝗌 𝗃𝗈𝗎𝖾𝗎𝗋𝗌 𝗋𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗌 🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/qv8AokJvyD">pic.twitter.com/qv8AokJvyD</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1443672965737066503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"In the game, my players played very smart, my staff did a great job analyzing Panathinaikos, especially on defense, even though we had not much time to prepare for the game. Maybe I feel surprised by how we won the game. I wouldn’t say easily, but this way," Mitrovic said.

On the court, the hosts found the right answers from Euroleague veterans like Mike James (31 years old, eight Euroleague seasons), Danilo Andjusic (30, four Euroleague seasons), Donatas Motiejunas (31, three Euroleague seasons) and Leo Westermann (29, 11 Euroleague seasons). The four combined for 46 out of Monaco's 75 points - and more than half (53) of the team's total PIR (89).

"We didn’t have stress, we didn’t feel nervous, because we have a team in which there are a bunch of players with a lot of experience playing at this level. We prepared ourselves to be ready to play at this level," Andjusic confessed after the win. The guard shined with an outstanding performance of a Euroleague career-high 17 points in just 14 minutes.

His great offensive contribution was not what Andjusic had in mind when asked about the key for the victory, though: “Even last season, when Monaco won the EuroCup, it was known as a great defensive team, so that’s what we try to do this season: to make easy points in transition coming from that defense and share the ball. I think the guys did a great job of that tonight and that’s our signature, what we want to do every game."

The numbers confirmed what Adjusic said, as Panathinaikos struggled offensively all game long and finished with 23-of-50 shooting on two-pointers (46%) and 4-of-20 on threes (20%).

"We had a lack of creation, not good passing, sometimes we were very static and unfortunately when we created open shots, we didn’t make them. We have to help ourselves on offense because on defense I have no complaints, but you have to play on both ends”, recognized Panathinaikos head coach Dimitris Pfitris.

Enjoying a 22-point difference midway through the fourth quarter, Monaco had the opportunity of celebrating a historic win much sooner than the sound of the final buzzer.

"We got a nice win over a big team and, you know, it’s always good to start the season with a win. We played well today, everybody can share the ball and it was a great team effort. That was a good win to have," former Panathinaikos player James added.

Andjusic went further and also revealed his optimism about the future: "Of course, it’s a big thing for everybody, for the club, and I’m glad that we got the win on opening night. We are a new team, all the team is new and we still need time to get to know each other, to get better, but we can achieve good things if we keep playing like this."

AS Monaco v Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (2021-09-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Zenit adds value to elite roster: Season Preview

After making it deep into the playoffs last year, Zenit St Petersburg starts fresh with the same goal and valuable pieces like Jordan Mickey and Jordan Loyd to help make it happen. 