Milan’s defensive improvement was key to the outcome. CSKA scored 29 first-quarter points, but only managed 1 point more than that – 30 – in the next two quarters. The Muscovites then didn’t score any points for nearly 6 minutes to bridge the third and fourth quarters, allowing the hosts to grab a lead that proved decisive.

Defensive improvement sparks home success

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

AX Armani Exchange Milan started the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season strong at home with a determined 84-74 victory over CSKA Moscow.

Milan rides defense to turn back CSKA

AX Armani Exchange Milan started the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season strong at home with a determined 84-74 victory over CSKA Moscow. The visitors raced into a double-digit lead, 19-29, in the first quarter, but Milan battled back with a 15-2 run in the second and kept on improving defensively to claim what became a relatively comfortable victory. Shavon Shields led the way with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, Sergio Rodriguez scored 17 and Nicolo Melli impressed on his re-debut with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Kyle Hines (13) and new signing Devon Hall (11) also scored in double-digits for the winning team. Iffe Lundberg led CSKA’s resistance with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, supported by Will Clyburn with 12 points and Nikita Kurbanov with 10.




New CSKA signing Alexey Shved scored a trademark triple with his team’s first possession. After a slow start, Gigi Datome and Melli struck from deep to give Milan its first lead, 8-7. Kurbanov answered with 5 straight points and Shved added a mid-range jumper in a 2-11 run that stretched the lead to 10-18. Kurbanov and Rodriguez exchanged triples, before Daniel Hackett’s turnaround jumper and Clyburn’s triple CSKA kept comfortable, 21-29 at the end of the first quarter. Hall and Hines were on target from two-point range, Jerian Grant added a triple and Rodriguez scored in transition as Milan battled back early in the second, forcing a timeout at 30-32. Hall tied it up from close range, and Melli sent the hosts ahead for the second time, 36-34, before adding free throws to complete a 15-2 run. Toko Shengelia and Shved got CSKA back on track before Hall and Clyburn both netted from downtown and Shved scored from close-range to give his team a 44-45 halftime lead



Dunks from Melli, Hines and Kurbanov kept it close early in the second half before Shields brought Milan fans to their feet with a big putback slam and immediately added a triple for a 55-53 edge. Hines added a transition slam and an unsportsmanlike foul against Johannes Voigtmann helped Milan stay ahead. Another score from Shields helped make it 62-59 as the defenses dominated the latter stages of the third quarter. Shields stayed hot with the opening score of the final quarter, before Rodriguez and Giampaolo Ricci sliced to the hoop to give Milan its biggest lead yet, 68-59. Lundberg finally got CSKA moving again, but free throws and a Rodriguez fastbreak score made it a double-digit game, 74-63, midway through the final quarter. With defenses still on top, Hackett’s three-pointer gave CSKA hope, but Rodriguez immediately answered with his own deep strike to seal the deal and then added another triple with the final shot of the game for a double-digit margin.

Copy 2 of Milan rides defense to turn back CSKA

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv opened its 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season with a thrilling 69-68 victory over FC Bayern Munich as Scottie Wilbekin shined in front of a sold-out home crowd with a career-best performance. The Maccabi star matched his career-high of 28 points in carrying his team back from a 9-point deficit in the final 6 minutes. Maccabi needed to shut down Bayern after playing a whirlwind first 15 minutes as the team built a 17-point lead to the pleasure of 11,192 fans at the Menora Mivtachim Arena. John DiBartolomeo added 8 points for the winners. DeShaun Thomas paced Bayern with 15 points, Corey Walden had 14, Othello Hunter 11 and Augustine Rubit chipped in 10 in the loss.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Like he has never been away!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/gk7jFNz4QF">pic.twitter.com/gk7jFNz4QF</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1443671161628397569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Rubit hit a turn-around jumper for Bayern’s first points of the season while James Nunnally answered with a three-pointer for the hosts’ first score. Wilbekin’s three free throws gave Maccabi its first lead at 8-5 and Keenan Evans converted a three-point play to put Maccabi up 13-8. After Walden sparked Bayern back ahead 13-14, DiBartolomeo and Wilbekin both hit from deep in a 9-2 run and Wilbekin’s jumper at the buzzer had Maccabi up 25-18 after 10 minutes. The Maccabi shooting continued in the second frame with DiBartolomeo and Wilbekin hitting from deep and Kam Taylor finished the 10-0 start to the quarter for a 35-18 lead. Thomas finally stopped the rut after nearly 5 minutes. That proved to be an initial momentum change as Zan Sisko hit a three-pointer in a 1-12 Bayern surge to pull within 38-32. Maccabi managed to go into the locker room ahead 40-32.

Bayern continued its tough defense early in the second half. Thomas scored inside and Nick Weiler-Babb twice hit from long range in a 2-16 run to move ahead 42-48. The flow of the game slowed as much of the scoring for both teams came from the foul line. Wilbekin and Nunnally both made a pair of free throws to get Maccabi within 50-52. Rubit answered with a personal 0-6 spurt and it was 54-58 after 30 minutes. Bayern was not able to produce much offense in the fourth quarter with just 5 points in the first 4 minutes, but Maccabi failed to score at all and trailed 54-63. Wilbekin finally got the hosts on the board again with a three-pointer and Bayern coach Andrea Trinchieri immediately responded with a timeout. Wilbekin would not let his team lose with another three-pointer and then a three-point play to knot the game 65-65 with 3 minutes left. After Hunter missed free throws, Wilbekin kept going with a layup high off the glass for a Maccabi lead. Walden silenced the boisterous crowd with a big three-pointer to put Bayern back up 67-68. Wilbekin punched back with 2 free throws with 29 seconds remaining as Maccabi reclaimed the lead. Bayern missed two final attempts in the waning seconds as Maccabi sent its faithful home happy.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/scottiew_5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@scottiew_5</a> is doing a bit of everything out there!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/mJObcGiRwO">pic.twitter.com/mJObcGiRwO</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1443648323399921674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Scottie Wilbekin, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Ognjen Jaramaz, FC Bayern Munich

James Nunnally, Maccabi PLaytika Tel Aviv

Wilbekin's heroics lift Maccabi over Bayern

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

Real Madrid had a strong start to the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season by downing defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul 82-69 in Round 1 in the Spanish capital in front of 4,000 Real fans at WiZink Center on Thursday. Guerschon Yabusele and Thomas Heurtel led the winners with 15 points apiece. Edy Tavares added 13 points and 12 rebounds for Real. Shane Larkin scored 21 for Efes and EuroLeague newcomer Filip Petrusev added 17 in defeat. Adam Hanga, Heurtel and Jeffery Taylor led Real to a 32-15 lead after 10 minutes. A three-pointer by Alberto Abalde made it a 21-point game soon after that. Larkin and Bryant Dunston brought Efes within 50-35 at halftime, but little changed after the break as Real boosted its margin to 68-48 at the end of the third quarter and never looked back.

<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>

Fabien Causeur got Real going with a finger-roll floater. Hanga and Yabusele each struck from downtown in a 12-0 opening run. Larkin stepped up with a driving basket and a three-pointer and got help from Krunoslav Simon to bring Efes within 16-8. Petrusev bettered Tavares's dunk with a three-point play, but Heurtel downed back-to-back triples for a 24-13 score. Taylor took over with a fast break layup and followed Vincent Poirier's alley-oop slam with a buzzer-beating tip-in that boosted Real's lead to 32-15 after 10 minutes. Sergio Llull, Nigel Williams-Goss and Abalde each struck from beyond the arc to break the game open, 41-20, early in the second quarter. Dunston scored twice down low, Rodrigue Beaubois and Yabusele traded from beyond the arc and Tavares dunked again to make it 46-27. Heurtel fed Tavares for an alley-oop slam and added a floater, but Larkin and Vasilije Micic drew Efes within 50-35 at halftime.

Hanga dunked off a steal soon after the break, but Larkin and Micic each scored around the basket and then Chris Singleton struck from downtown to give Efes hope at 55-42. Tavares dunked again and Williams-Goss hit a triple that gave Real plenty of fresh air. Real found a new go-to guy in Yabusele, but Petrusev brought the visitors within 65-48. Tavares restored a 68-48 Real lead after 30 minutes. Micic and Larkin each struck from beyond the arc early in the fourth quarter, causing the hosts to stop the game at 71-54. Llull buried a fallaway jumper and soon added a couple of baskets in transition to seal the outcome long before the final buzzer.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🤩🔥 ¡Gran victoria frente al vigente campeón para arrancar la <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a>! <br>🆚 <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnadoluEfesSK</a> (82-69)<br><br>🙌 ¡EQUIPAZO! 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/n7Avxd8Sg9">pic.twitter.com/n7Avxd8Sg9</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1443676159410069514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Real downs Efes in season opener

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

Maccabi came into the game leading the all-time series with Bayern 5-3, but the Israeli powerhouse had lost the last three matchups. Maccabi’s last victory over Bayern had come on December 5, 2019.

Finally another Maccabi win

AX Armani Exchange Milan started the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season strong at home with a determined 84-74 victory over CSKA Moscow. The visitors raced into a double-digit lead, 19-29, in the first quarter, but Milan battled back with a 15-2 run in the second and kept on improving defensively to claim what became a relatively comfortable victory. Shavon Shields led the way with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, Sergio Rodriguez scored 17 and Nicolo Melli impressed on his re-debut with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Kyle Hines (13) and new signing Devon Hall (11) also scored in double-digits for the winning team. Iffe Lundberg led CSKA’s resistance with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, supported by Will Clyburn with 12 points and Nikita Kurbanov with 10.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a return! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/sH973pXCW0">pic.twitter.com/sH973pXCW0</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1443677028948004868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

New CSKA signing Alexey Shved scored a trademark triple with his team’s first possession. After a slow start, Gigi Datome and Melli struck from deep to give Milan its first lead, 8-7. Kurbanov answered with 5 straight points and Shved added a mid-range jumper in a 2-11 run that stretched the lead to 10-18. Kurbanov and Rodriguez exchanged triples, before Daniel Hackett’s turnaround jumper and Clyburn’s triple CSKA kept comfortable, 21-29 at the end of the first quarter. Hall and Hines were on target from two-point range, Jerian Grant added a triple and Rodriguez scored in transition as Milan battled back early in the second, forcing a timeout at 30-32. Hall tied it up from close range, and Melli sent the hosts ahead for the second time, 36-34, before adding free throws to complete a 15-2 run. Toko Shengelia and Shved got CSKA back on track before Hall and Clyburn both netted from downtown and Shved scored from close-range to give his team a 44-45 halftime lead.

Dunks from Melli, Hines and Kurbanov kept it close early in the second half before Shields brought Milan fans to their feet with a big putback slam and immediately added a triple for a 55-53 edge. Hines added a transition slam and an unsportsmanlike foul against Johannes Voigtmann helped Milan stay ahead. Another score from Shields helped make it 62-59 as the defenses dominated the latter stages of the third quarter. Shields stayed hot with the opening score of the final quarter, before Rodriguez and Giampaolo Ricci sliced to the hoop to give Milan its biggest lead yet, 68-59. Lundberg finally got CSKA moving again, but free throws and a Rodriguez fastbreak score made it a double-digit game, 74-63, midway through the final quarter. With defenses still on top, Hackett’s three-pointer gave CSKA hope, but Rodriguez immediately answered with his own deep strike to seal the deal and then added another triple with the final shot of the game for a double-digit margin.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/shields3uno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shields3uno</a> with that strong putback dunk 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/0izLitsk4L">pic.twitter.com/0izLitsk4L</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1443663531568730112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Milan rides defense to overcome CSKA

After missing the last four months of last season through injury, Nikola Milutinov started the new campaign in the worst possible way. The CSKA big man suffered an apparent knee injury just 2 minutes into the game, battling for a loose ball underneath the basket, and did not return.

Milutinov hurt again for CSKA

Milan guard Sergio Rodriguez reached a milestone as he made his 300th EuroLeague appearance. Only eight players have enjoyed more outings in the competition. His coach Ettore Messina was also celebrating, turning 62 years old on the day of this season opener.

Celebrations for Chacho and Coach

AS Monaco enjoyed a sweet Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut by beating visiting Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 75-63 in the season-opening game at Salle Gaston Medecin on Thursday evening. The hosts dominated from the very beginning, building a 22-15 advantage in the first quarter and never looking back. The margin increased little by little in the second half to a maximum of 22 points midway through the last quarter, which allowed Monaco to enjoy an early celebration with its fans despite a late 0-10 late run by the Greens. Danilo Andjusic had a career-high 17 points in just 14 minutes to lead five Monaco scorers in double digits. Mike James scored 11 points and Paris Lee, Donatas Motiejunas and Donta Hall had 10 apiece. Ioannis Papapetrou set the tone for Panathinaikos with 16 points and 6 rebounds, followed by Daryl Macon Jr. with 13 points in the losing effort.

James ignited the hosts in the early going with a dunk and a deep three-pointer for a 5-0 lead. Papapetrou took over for Panathinaikos, but Monaco found solutions from inside with Motiejunas for a 10-7 lead midway through the first quarter. James launched the hosts’ escape attempt, 15-7, with a powerful steal and slam. The visitors’ answer came soon from the hands of Papapetrou, Macon and Okaro White, who made it 15-14. However, 5 straight points by Andjusic and free throws by Alpha Diallo closed the first quarter with the home team up 22-15. Will Thomas built the first double-digit with a three right after the game resumed. Andjusic made it even better for the home side, 30-17, with a couple of free throws and a corner three. The Greens tried to fire back taking advantage of Papapetrou and Georgios Papagiannis’s experience, but no one else joined and Monaco needed not much to keep a safe margin. The offensive game of both teams slowed down from then on, as nobody managed to score a single field goal in the final 3 minutes of the half and Monaco went into the locker room ahead 38-28.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">He got highlight reel HIGH ⚡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qu5EtQM7T4">pic.twitter.com/Qu5EtQM7T4</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1443641725608734727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The teams traded baskets after the break. Ibrahima Faye, Lee and James combined to again punish Panathinaikos and amass a 48-33 advantage after 25 minutes. The visitors struggled on offense, unable to break the trend. Hall took advantage to score 6 points in a row and turn the red lights on the visitors’ control panel, 54-37, right before Jehyve Floyd showed up to help his team keep breathing at 56-44 entering the last quarter. Monaco suffocated Panathinaikos's attempt to come back with Leo Westermann and Andjusic running the show. Thomas restored a 17-point margin, 64-47, with a reverse jumper. The visitors tried to stop it with a timeout, but little changed. Another three-point dagger by James, two inside buckets by Motiejunas and a pair of free throws by Lee made it 73-51 with 5 minutes remaining, making clear that nothing could prevent the hosts from claiming their first EuroLeague win ever.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A first EVER win in The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague <br><br>What a way to start the season <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASMonaco_Basket</a> 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1443647705776066562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Monaco beats Panathinaikos in EuroLeague debut

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