Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade finished its home campaign on a high with a 76-64 comeback victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. 

Rebounding best helps Zvezda down Maccabi

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade finished its home campaign on a high with a 76-64 comeback victory over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Maccabi recovered from a slow start to control most of the first half, establishing a couple of double-digits advantages before Zvezda battled back to make it 33-34 at the break. The home side dominated the third quarter and continued to control the game with fluent offense and determined defense in the latter stages. Jordan Loyd led the way with 21 points and Landry Nnoko had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Ognjen Dobric scored 13 points, Dejan Davidovac netted 11 and Marko Simonovic pulled down 11 rebounds in a new team record total of 48. Tyler Dorsey led Maccabi’s scoring with 14 points, Elijah Bryant added 12 and Ante Zizic 10.

Loyd’s mid-range jumper and Langston Hall’s three opened the scoring. Maccabi was held scoreless for 3 minutes before Zizic detonated an alley-oop. Omri Casspi added a battling close-range score and John DiBartolomeo hit from deep for Maccabi’s first lead, 6-7. Dobric, Scottie Wilbekin and Dragan Bender all hit triples and Bender also scored inside to complete a 0-8 run for a 9-15 lead. Simonovic rescued Zvezda from deep, but Bryant and Chris Jones helped make it 15-21 at the end of the first quarter. Oz Blayzer opened the second quarter with a long two and Jones made it a double-digit lead, 15-25, with a layup. Hall and Aleksa Uskokovic pulled Zvezda closer from mid-range, but Dorsey struck from deep to make it 21-28. Bryant and Zizic gave Maccabi another double-digit lead, but Nnoko and Uskokovic struck back. Dobric scored 4 straight to make it 29-32 before Zizic and Nnoko both scored off offensive rebounds. Loyd’s long two made it 33-34 at halftime.

Catch up on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv from Round 33 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, April 1 2021

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 33 - April 1, 2021

Nnoko opened the second half scoring to briefly give Zvezda the lead, before Jones and Bryant hit back for Maccabi. The home team then went on a 13-0 charge sparked by Nnoko and including three-point plays from Davidovac and Loyd. Davidovac drained a triple to make it 48-39. A three-point play from Zizic brought Maccabi closer, but Uskokovic hit from deep and Davidovac penetrated to beat the third-quarter buzzer for a 53-45 Zvezda lead. Loyd stretched the lead to double-digits before Dorsey rescued Maccabi from deep. Three-pointers from Davidovac and Loyd made it 61-48 before a three-point play from Bryant and a pair of three-pointers from Dorsey gave Maccabi hope, 63-57, with 4 minutes remaining. But Simonovic and Dobric hit back with triples and Nnoko added a tip-in to keep Zvezda safe, 71-61 with 2 minutes left. Maccabi’s offense stayed cold and the hosts cruised home.

### Zvezda sets rebounding record

A key to Zvezda’s victory was its total domination of the boards, winning the rebounding battle 48-26. That set a new club record in rebounding for the Serbian team, which had previously grabbed 47 rebounds on four occasions. Zvezda’s total of 34 defensive rebounds marked another club record in the competition.
### Zvezda from cold to hot in two-point range

Zvezda was badly off the mark from close range early in the game, making only 1 of 12 two-point attempts in the first quarter. But the rest of the game was a massive improvement, with Zvezda converting 16 of its remaining 21 two-point attempts to finish with a respectable total of 17-of-33 (51.5%).
### Offensive problems for Maccabi

Maccabi struggled for offensive fluency all night. The Israeli team committed 5 turnovers in the first 5 minutes and couldn’t find any rhythm, finishing the game with 13 assists and 14 turnovers. Maccabi’s shooting stats were poor, making 15-of-31 (48.4%) from two-point range and 9-of-31 (28%) threes.
### Next round

Maccabi plays a rearranged Round 30 game at home against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Sunday, April 4. Zvezda’s final game of the season comes at ALBA Berlin next Thursday, April 8.

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Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2021-04-01T18:45:00.000Z)

In a clash of two already-eliminated squads that needed overtime, Khimki Moscow Region prevailed 87-85 over visiting LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne at Arena Mytishchi on Wednesday night.

Khimki survives ASVEL rally to win in OT

In a clash of two already-eliminated squads that needed overtime, Khimki Moscow Region prevailed 87-85 over visiting LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne at Arena Mytishchi on Wednesday night. In its last home game of the season, Khimki managed to build a promising advantage, 50-35, right after halftime, but ASVEL rallied in the fourth quarter and William Howard sent the game to extra time with back-to-back threes. Key baskets by Alexey Shved and free throws by Jordan Mickey allowed the hosts to celebrate in the end. Khimki improved to 4-27, while the guests dropped to 12-19 after their fifth loss in a row. Shved paced the winners with 32 points - 25 after halftime - and 4 assists, while Jordan Mickey put on a terrific performance of 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists for a career-high PIR of 36. Sergey Karasev followed them and chipped in 10 points. Guerschon Yabusele recorded a monster double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds for a career-high PIR of 37, Moustapha Fall and 12 points, Amine Noua got 10 and 9 rebounds and Norris Cole had 10 and 9 assists in defeat. 

Fall got the guests going with 2 strong dunks and 3 assists to push ASVEL to an early 4-10 lead. Mickey accepted the challenge and poured in 5 points in a 10-3 run to give Khimki its first advantage, 14-13, midway through the first quarter. Shved extended the margin from the line, but Derrick Walton nailed a corner three and Noua provided another one to push the visitors ahead, 20-22, after 10 minutes. Mickey kept rocking inside, having scored more than a half of Khimki’s total points, for a 33-27 advantage. Even though Fall replied from inside twice to make it a one-possession game, nobody else joined in for the visitors. A quick 9-0 spurt capped by a corner three by Shved helped Khimki build a double-digit edge at halftime, 42-31. 

Catch up on Khimki Moscow Region vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 31 2021

Khimki Moscow Region vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Highlights - Round 32 - March 31, 2021

Shved came up big right after the break and extended the difference to 46-31. ASVEL needed almost 3 minutes to score a field goal, which allowed Khimki a comfortable margin even without displaying an efficient offense. Fall and Yabusele heated up to fuel the guests right before Cole showed up with a couple of jumpers that reduced the gap to single-digits, 54-46. Yabusele made it even tighter, but Shved took over with back-to-back triples and a pull-up jumper to cool Khimki, 62-50, after 30 minutes. Both teams got stuck on offense early in the last quarter until Walton drilled a three, Yabusele hit twice from the line and then assisted Noua for a dunk to make it 63-59. Things got even worse for the guests after a timeout, as Yabusele completed a three-point play and Noua provided 5 extra points that returned the lead to the visitors, 66-67, with 4 minutes remaining. Shved and Mickey came to the rescue and brought Khimki back in front, but Howard connected from downtown to get it all square, 70-70, entering the last minute. Sergey Monya seemed to have closed the game when he hit a three-pointer, but after Cole and Mickey traded free throws, Howard appeared again to send the game to overtime with a corner three with 1 second’ to go.

Yabusele took the reins for the visitors and made it 75-79, but missed 3 free throws in a row that gave Khimki an 82-81 lead behind a three by Shved and a short jumper by McCollum. That didn’t stop Yabusele, though, as he scored again from the line, then stole a key ball that gave ASVEL the opportunity of building a bigger gap. However, Noua missed a couple of free throws and Shved took advantage of it to put Khimki again in front, 84-83, with 28 second’ remaining. The game turned into a free-throw contest, as Mickey made 3 of 4 and ASVEL couldn’t get a shot on the last play 

### One half for each, and OT for both

Jordan Mickey and Alexey Shved combined for 60 points, becoming the key weapons for the hosts. The former scored 19 of his total 28 points in the first half, the latter got 20 of his 32 in the second. They joined together in overtime, combining for 8 of Khimki’s last 10 points.
### Key stat

LDLC ASVEL erased a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter and managed to take a 77-80 lead in overtime. But Derrick Walton missed 1 free throw, then Yabusele missed 3 in a row that allowed Khimki to avoid panicking. Two more mistakes from the line by Amine Noua ended up burying ASVEL’s hopes.
### Sweet farewell

Khimki Moscow Region played its last home game of the regular season, as it visits CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus in the next two rounds. Given that Khimki won’t pay the playoffs, this overtime was win was the best way to say goodbye to its fans.
### What’s next?

In Round 33, Khimki Moscow Region will stay in Russia to play crosstown rival CSKA Moscow on the road on Friday, April 2. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne will travel to Saint Petersburg to play against Zenit the same day.

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Khimki Moscow Region v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2021-03-31T17:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus handed Valencia Basket a 79-88 beatdown at La Fonteta on Wednesday. 

Olympiacos stops Valencia at La Fonteta

Olympiacos Piraeus handed Valencia Basket a 79-88 beatdown at La Fonteta on Wednesday. Olympiacos improved to 15-17 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings and dropped Valencia to 17-15. Valencia's playoff hopes suffered a critical blow with the loss. Sasha Vezenkov led the winners with 19 points, Georgios Printezis added 18, Octavius Ellis had 11 while Kostas Sloukas dished 11 assists for Olympiacos. Klemen Prepelic paced Valencia with 12 points, Fernando San Emeterio added 11 and Vanja Marinkovic and Joan Sastre each had 10 for the hosts. Olympiacos led 19-23 after 10 minutes, extended its margin to 31-44 at halftime and then again 41-74 at the end of the third quarter, more than enough to seal the outcome with plenty of time to spare. Valencia managed to get within 71-79, but Vezenkov and Vassilis Spanoulis made sure Olympiacos recorded a road win. 

Sloukas downed a triple and Ellis added a three-point play to give Olympiacos its first lead, 5-6. Derrick Williams and Nikola Kalinic took over with back-to-back alley-oop slams and Tobey scored down low for a 12-9 Valencia lead. Vezenkov and Printezis each struck from downtown and Kosta Koufos hit a jumper in an 0-10 run that gave the Reds a 12-19 edge. Sam Van Rossom banked in a floater and Sastre buried a three-pointer, but Sloukas and Koufos kept the visitors ahead, 19-23, after 10 minutes. Shaquielle McKissic scored in transition early in the second quarter, but Sastre did better with his second triple. Koufos and Livio Jean-Charles each scored in the paint, fueling an 0-8 run that Vezenkov capped with a put-back layup that prompted Valencia to call timeout at 22-33. Giannoulis Larentzakis struck from beyond the arc, but Van Rossom and Kalinic brought the hosts within 26-36. Jean-Charles had a reverse dunk and a tip-in in an 0-6 run that broke the game open, 27-42. Vezenkov hit a floater, but Louis Labeyrie and Guillem Vives got Valencia within 31-44 at halftime. 

Catch up on Valencia Basket vs Olympiacos Piraeus from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 31 2021

Valencia Basket vs Olympiacos Piraeus Highlights - Round 32 - March 31, 2021

Printezis hit two of his trademark jump hooks soon after the break, before adding a triple for a 20-point Olympiacos margin. Sastre hit a jumper and Kalinic added a three-pointer, but Vezenkov and Ellis kept the Reds far ahead, 36-56. Printezis insisted from downtown and fed Vezenkov for a layup-plus-foul that boosted Olympiacos's lead to 36-62. Printezis and Ellis each scored in the low post to make it a 30-point game. Sloukas joined the three-point shootout and got help from Larentzakis to give the Reds a 41-74 margin after 30 minutes. San Emeterio, Labeyrie and Prepelic each hit a triple in a 13-0 run that brought the hosts closer, 54-74. Prepelic and San Emeterio kept pushing Valencia and Van Rossom struck from downtown to give his team hope, 62-76, midway through the fourth quarter. Vezenkov stepped up for Olympiacos, but Vanja Marinkovic found his first points and San Emeterio struck twice from beyond the arc to bring Valencia within single digits, 70-79. Vezenkov buried a three-pointer that sealed the outcome, 71-82, in the next-to-last minute 

### Pivotal performer

Georgios Printezis turned back the clock with a stellar performance, leading Olympiacos to a no-doubt-about-it victory. He finished the game with a season-high 18 points, including 3-for-4 shooting on three-pointers.
### Game-changing moment

After Joan Sastre struck from downtown to bring Valencia within 22-25, Kostas Sloukas and Livio Jean-Charles fueled an 0-8 run that Sasha Vezenkov capped with a put-back layup that made it a double-digit game, 22-33. Valencia called timeout but never recovered after that.
### Stellar stat

Olympiacos was effective inside the arc (61.3%) and from the free throw line (88.5%). Valencia only hit 33.8% of its two-point shots and also struggled from the foul line (61.1%). Olympiacos finished the game with 25 assists and just 9 turnovers.
### Did you know?

Despite the loss, Valencia broke a club record for most points in a quarter with 38. Its previous record was 37 points, also scored in a fourth quarter of a 94-90 home victory against Zenit St Petersburg on November 19, 2019.
### Next game

Both teams return to EuroLeague action later on this week - on Friday, April 2. Valencia visits ALBA Berlin, while Olympiacos plays on the road against Real Madrid in a rematch of the 1995, 2013 and 2017 EuroLeague Championship Games. 

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Valencia Basket v Olympiacos Piraeus (2021-03-31T19:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona missed the chance to seal first place after falling 99-94 in overtime to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a hugely entertaining game on Tuesday night. 

Maccabi upsets Barca in OT

FC Barcelona missed the chance to seal first place after falling 99-94 in overtime to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a hugely entertaining game on Tuesday night. Maccabi enjoyed the better of the first half leads and briefly held a double-digit advantage before Barca fought back to make it 39-38 at halftime. The home side stayed in front during the third quarter, but Barca refused to go away in a thrilling conclusion and forced overtime. The extra period was back and forth before free throws sealed it for Maccabi in the final seconds. Ante Zizic led Maccabi with a career-high 24 points and 8 rebounds, while Dragan Bender had 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks. Angelo Caloiaro (12), Omri Casspi (11), Elijah Bryant, Tyler Dorsey and Scottie Wilbekin (10 apiece) also scored in double digits for the Israeli champs. Nikola Mirotic paced Barca with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Cory Higgins poured in 20 points and Kyle Kuric and Brandon Davies both scored 12.

A triple from Caloiaro and a dunk from Bender gave Maccabi an early lead, but Mirotic got Barca moving with a corner three and a transition layup before Higgins tied it up at 7-7. Defenses got on top with no field goals for more than 3 minutes until Zizic unleashed a fierce slam and free throws extended Maccabi’s lead to 13-7. Kuric responded from deep, but Casspi scored twice and Dorsey beat the first-quarter buzzer to make it 19-14. Adam Hanga’s floater and Bender’s finish under the basket opened the second quarter, before Casspi’s triple was answered by two more driving scores from Hanga for a 26-20 Maccabi lead. A pair of layups from Caloiaro stretched the advantage to double-digits, 30-20. Kuric hit another triple, but Zizic netted twice inside to keep Maccabi ahead. Nick Calathes drove to score before feeding Higgins in transition, pulling Barca back to 34-29. Dorsey’s triple was answered by two scores apiece from Higgins and Pierre Oriola, making it 39-38 at the half. 

Catch up on Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs FC Barcelona from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 30 2021

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs FC Barcelona Highlights - Round 32 - March 30, 2021

Kuric’s triple briefly gave Barca the lead at the start of the second half, but Caloiaro, Zizic and Bender were all on target inside for Maccabi. Kuric hit a mid-range jumper to tie it, 47-47, before Wilbekin, Calathes and Bender all struck from deep as the fast scoring pace continued. Another pair of Zizic dunks kept Maccabi ahead, 57-52, but Higgins hit a three before Zizic stayed hot with two more close-range baskets. The scoring slowed before Davies and Casspi exchanged inside scores. It was 65-59 with 10 minutes left. Rolands Smits started the fourth quarter with a fierce reverse alley-oop dunk, but Dorsey and Bender responded for Maccabi. Consecutive scores from Mirotic pulled Barca to 69-67. Bryant hit back from long-range before Mirotic scored inside again and then added a three-pointer for a 72-72 tie. Davies netted twice to give Barca a slim lead and it stayed that way until Wilbekin tied it from the foul line, 76-76 with a minute to play. Zizic’s turnaround jumper sent Maccabi ahead, but Calathes drove to tie it again, 78-78, with 32 seconds on the clock. Chris Jones scored with a foul, but missed the free throw, and Higgins hit a mid-range shot with 4 seconds left to force overtime.

Wilbekin and Davies scored off the extra period’s opening possessions before Mirotic sent Barca ahead from the foul line. Davies added a put-back, but Bender’s three tied it, 86-86. Davies and Higgins converted free throws for an 86-90 Barca lead, but triples from Bryant and Dorsey made it 92-90 with a minute left. Mirotic forced another tie from the line, but Zizic battled hard for an offensive rebound and put-back to make it 94-92 with 30 seconds remaining. Higgins again rescued Barca by driving through to score, 94-94. A foot violation on Mirotic led to a technical foul shot for Wilbekin. Bryant added 2 more points from the line. Davies missed a three-point attempt to tie it and Oz Blayzer completed the job with 2 more free throws.

### Career night for Zizic

Ante Zizic was close to unstoppable in the third quarter, scoring 12 points in just over 7 minutes to keep his team in front. The center finished with a career-high 24 points and a PIR of 33, beating his previous personal bests of 20 points and 28 PIR for Darussafaka Istanbul in the 2017 playoffs series against Real Madrid.
### Milestone for Mirotic

Nikola Mirotic ended on the losing side, but the Barcelona forward reached a personal milestone of 2,000 points in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. His haul of 23 points sent him to 2,006 career points achieved in 150 games at an average of 13.4 points per game.
### Maccabi completes sweep over leader

Having already won a similarly exciting Round 15 game in Barcelona 67-68, Maccabi has now beaten the standings leader twice this season. Barca has lost five consecutive games in Tel Aviv, with its last win in Israel coming back in 2016.
### Next round

Maccabi heads to Serbia to take on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade on Thursday. Barca stays on the road for Round 33 with a trip to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Friday.

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FC Barcelona missed the chance to seal first place after falling 99-94 in overtime to Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a hugely entertaining game on Tuesday night. 


Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v FC Barcelona (2021-03-30T18:05:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul clinched a place in the EuroLeague Playoffs behind a huge second half to run past Real Madrid 83-108 on Tuesday night in the Spanish capital. 

Efes blows past Real and into playoffs

Anadolu Efes Istanbul clinched a place in the EuroLeague Playoffs behind a huge second half to run past Real Madrid 83-108 on Tuesday night in the Spanish capital. Efes improved its record to 21-11 and remained in third place in the standings, inching closer to securing a home-court advantage, while Real dropped to 18-14 on the season. The hosts led 42-41 at halftime, but Efes needed just a quarter and a half to score 56 points and open a 25-point lead midway through the fourth quarter en route to a resounding victory. Sertac Sanli finished as Efes's top scorer with 17 points in 18 minutes. Shane Larkin scored all of his 16 points in the final 11 minutes of the game and Krunoslav Simon scored 13 of his 15 points in the first quarter. Vasilije Micic finished with 13 points and 6 assists, Rodrigue Beaubois had 12 points, Chris Singleton 11 and Bryant Dunston 10. Trey Thompkins scored 19 for Real. Rudy Fernandez scored 13 in 16 minutes, while Usman Garuba had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Carlos Alocen had 11 and Walter Tavares finished with 10 points in a losing effort.

Simon opened the game on fire, first feeding Sanli inside and then taking over the scoring. Simon had 3 triples and a driving layup, scoring 11 quick points and opening an 11-18 lead midway through the quarter. However, Real settled in defensively with Jeffrey Taylor entering the game, while Alocen had a tough runner before Garuba knocked down a triple. The hosts did not allow a single basket in the last 3:30 of the quarter, while Tavares and Alocen knocked down jumpers to tie it at 20-20 after 10 minutes. The teams started slow on offense in the first 3 minutes of the second quarter before starting to trade blows. Thompkins and Nicola Laprovitola hit from downtown to put Real up 27-24, before Adrien Moerman and Alberto Abalde traded triples. Another three from Thompkins made it 35-31, but Beaubois answered with a corner three before Micic took it to the rim to restore an Efes advantage, 35-36. After Tavares and Tibor Pleiss exchanged close-range baskets, Fernandez and Sanli traded threes in the final minute of the half to make it 42-41 at halftime.

Catch up on Real Madrid vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 30 2021

Real Madrid vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul Highlights - Round 32 - March 30, 2021

Singleton opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, and after a close-range basket from Tavares, Efes went on a run. Micic, Singleton and Sanli each had a basket-plus-foul that put Efes in front 46-53, while forcing Tavares to the bench with 3 personal fouls. Alocen had a floater and Thompkins knocked down a baseline jumper, but Micic and Simon got to the free-throw line and Sanli knocked down a triple to build a 50-64 cushion midway through the third. Thompkins hit a three-pointer for the hosts before Garuba fought for a layup and Alocen drove the length of the floor. Garuba's triple cut it to 62-67 as Efes was held without a basket for the final 5 minutes of the quarter, but Larkin used technical fouls by Fernandez and Real head coach Pablo Laso to make 6 of 6 from the foul line in the final 11 seconds of the quarter and make it 64-76 going into the fourth. A Larkin triple in the opening minute of the final quarter pushed the lead to 66-81. Fernandez answered with a triple, but Larkin scored more points and Dunston had a fastbreak dunk to take the advantage to 69-89. Larkin and Fernandez traded triples, before a corner three from James Anderson established a 25-point advantage, 72-97. The margin reached 27 points as Efes closed out the game.

### Key run

Efes made an 8-23 run in the opening 6 minutes of the third quarter, which included consecutive three-point plays from Vasilije Micic, Chris Singleton and Sertac Sanli. Micic and Sanli combined for 18 points during the run that created a 50-64 lead with 3:58 to go in the third quarter.
### The most points allowed ever

Efes hit 14 three-pointers on 26 attempts in the game, including 8 of its final 10 attempts, in shooting 7-for-9 in the second half. It helped Efes score 67 second-half points, which is the most points Real has allowed in a single half of a EuroLeague game this century.
### Not in 16 years

Efes came just 2 points shy of matching a club single-game scoring record in this game, but these 108 points are the most Efes has scored in a game since scoring 110 against Olympiacos Piraeus in December 2004.
### Tavares out

In addition to picking up his third personal foul just 2 minutes into the third quarter, Real center Walter Tavares also suffered what appeared to be a hip injury and limped off the floor early in the third quarter and never went back into the game.
### Shaking things up

Vasilije Micic, who came into the game having started 28 of 30 games, came off the bench in this game while Shane Larkin, got his 12th start of the season in Madrid.
### Next up

Efes will be in action already on Thursday when it visits another playoff contender TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, while Real will host Olympiacos Piraeus on Friday.

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Real Madrid v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2021-03-30T17:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas did its part to remain alive in the race for the playoffs with a come-from-behind 96-86 victory at home over ALBA Berlin but still was eliminated later when TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz bested Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 82-97. 

Zalgiris eliminated despite win over ALBA

Zalgiris Kaunas did its part to remain alive in the race for the playoffs with a come-from-behind 96-86 victory at home over ALBA Berlin but still was eliminated later when TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz bested Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 82-97. Lukas Lekavicius scored a season-high 21 points on his 27th birthday for Zalgiris, which put together a 44-13 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to snap a four-game losing streak and improve its record to 16-16. Nigel Hayes and Thomas Walkup both scored 15 points and Karolis Lukosiunas and Martinas Geben chipped in 12 points each in the win. ALBA dropped to 11-21 as Marcus Eriksson scored just 2 of his 19 points in the second half. Peyton Siva had 16 points, Jayson Granger scored 15 and Niels Giffey finished with 10 points. 

Christ Koumadje started the game with an inside score and Luke Sikma followed with a three-pointer for the visitors before Walkup got Zalgiris on the board. Siva added a three-pointer and layup and Koumadje continued his good start with a block and another basket as ALBA raced ahead 5-12. Eriksson scored 5 points of his own as the ALBA gap grew to 9-17. Zalgiris countered with 5 points and then Patricio Garino hit 2 free throws for his first points of the season for the Lithuanian champs. Lekavicius drained a triple as Zalgiris got within 21-23 after 10 minutes. Lukosiunas's three-pointer early in the second quarter made it 24-25, but Eriksson remained hot with his second and third triples and a floater for a 26-33 advantage. Zalgiris was able to get close thanks to the long ball with triples from Hayes, Lekavicius and Walkup trimming the deficit to 39-41. Ben Lammers countered with a three-point play to start a 2-10 surge at the end of the first half to lead 41-51 at the break.

Catch up on Zalgiris Kaunas vs ALBA Berlin from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 30 2021

Zalgiris Kaunas vs ALBA Berlin Highlights - Round 32 - March 30, 2021

Joffrey Lauvergne opened the scoring in the second half, but ALBA was still up 10 points on Giffey's basket for a 45-55 lead. Zalgiris did a better job on defense and Rokas Jokubaitis's 5 points started a 17-3 run over 6 minutes that included a Hayes three-point play and a Lekavicius triple for a 62-58 cushion. Simone Fontecchio stopped the drought with a three-pointer, but Lukosiunas answered twice from long range and Zalgiris was up 68-61 after 30 minutes. The momentum continued in the final frame with Lekavicius opening it with a jumper before he and Walkup knocked down triples as the advantage swelled to 76-63. Siva connected from deep, but the Zalgiris bombers remained on fire with Walkup, Levavicius and Marius Grigonis all hitting three-pointers in a 13-2 run for an 89-68 lead with 5 minutes to play. Granger tried to give ALBA some hope with three triples and a long jumper for 11 points in a 5-13 run to pull within 94-81 with under 2 minutes to play. But ALBA would not get closer the rest of the way. 

### Bombs away for Zalgiris

Zalgiris was lights out from long range in connecting on 16 of 24 three-pointers. The 16 made triples were the third-most for Zalgiris in the EuroLeague - 3 fewer than the 19 the club made in February 2020 against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. And the 66.7% also ranks third; the club record is 72.2% against Peristeri in December 2000.
### No Grigonis or Lauvergne needed

The offensive spectacle was all the more impressive considering Marius Grigonis and Joffrey Lauvergne were held to just 6 and 4 points, respectively - both well below their season averages of 14.2 points and 10.9 points, respectively. Lukas Lekavicius scored a season-high 21 points, while Martinas Geben evened his career-best showing with 12 points and Karolis Lukosiunas totaled 12 points – 2 points fewer than he scored in a combined 52 minutes in his other 13 EuroLeague appearances this season.
### Telling numbers

Zalgiris forced 17 ALBA turnovers and turned them into 18 points compared to 7 points for ALBA from 11 Zalgiris turnovers. Zalgiris's reserves also outscored the starters 56-40.
### Next games

Zalgiris will head to Germany for its next game against FC Bayern Munich on Thursday, April 1. ALBA will play its penultimate game the next night when it hosts Valencia Basket.

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Zalgiris Kaunas v ALBA Berlin (2021-03-30T17:00:00.000Z)

CSKA Moscow became the second team to qualify for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs by downing Zenit St Petersburg 74-86 at Sibur Arena on Tuesday.

CSKA punches playoff ticket

CSKA Moscow became the second team to qualify for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs by downing Zenit St Petersburg 74-86 at Sibur Arena on Tuesday. CSKA improved to 21-10 and registered its third consecutive win. Meanwhile, Zenit dropped to 17-14 and slipped out of the playoff zone. Johannes Voigtmann led the winners with 21 points, Toko Shengelia added 14 and Daniel Hackett and Will Clyburn each scored 13 for CSKA. Billy Baron led Zenit with 24 points, Will Thomas scored 13 and Kevin Pangos 12 for the hosts. Michael Eric, Hackett and Voigtmann helped CSKA to an 18-22 lead after 10 minutes. CSKA extended its margin to 42-48 at halftime and then again to 50-61 late in the third quarter. Voigtmann and Shengelia made sure they kept CSKA way ahead until the final buzzer. 

Eric got CSKA going with a put-back layup and a jump hook in a 0-6 opening run. Thomas scored down low and Baron added a driving layup, but Shengelia and Hackett boosted the guests' lead to 4-11. Nikita Kurbanov erased Arturas Gudaitis's jump hook with a power layup and Eric scored again for a 6-15 CSKA lead. Baron struck twice from downtown and Thomas added another one to bring Zenit within 15-16. Voigtmann followed a layup with a triple, but Pangos answered from beyond the arc to keep the hosts within 18-22 after 10 minutes. Pangos hit a floater early in the second quarter. After Voigtmann and Baron traded three-pointers, Tarik Black scored in the paint to tie it at 25-25. Iffe Lundberg and Voigtmann rescued CSKA and Clyburn sank a corner triple that made it 29-32. Lundberg banked in a close shot and got help from Clyburn to restore a 32-37 CSKA lead. Andrey Zubkov struck from downtown and Austin Hollins added a high-flying tip-in, but Voigtmann and Kurbanov kept their team ahead, 40-46. Black and Shengelia traded baskets to fix the halftime score at 42-48. 

Catch up on Zenit St Petersburg vs CSKA Moscow from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 30 2021

Zenit St Petersburg vs CSKA Moscow Highlights - Round 32 - March 30, 2021

Baron buried a jumper soon after the break and Thomas added a reverse layup, but Hackett answered with back-to-back baskets for a 46-52 score. Eric took over with a put-back layup and Shengelia made it a double-digit game, 46-56. Hackett bettered Thomas's dunk with a triple. Ponitka and Pangos gave Zenit hope at 53-61. Black ignited the crowd with a show-stopping dunk and Thomas brought the hosts even closer, 57-61. Clyburn made it 57-63 after 30 minutes. Voigtmann scored in the paint early in the fourth quarter and Lundberg scored in penetration for a 10-point CSKA margin. Thomas dunked, but a red-hot Ponitka answered from beyond the arc to break the game open, 59-72. Lundberg beat the shot clock with a driving layup and Shengelia scored down low, but Baron and Pangos brought Zenit within 68-76 with 4 minutes left. Shengelia banked in an off-balance shot and buried a three-pointer that sealed the outcome, 70-81, as Zenit did not recover. 

### Pivotal performer

Johannes Voigtmann came off the bench and made the difference with an all-around scoring performance. He finished the game with 21 points on near-perfect shooting, hitting 3 two-point shots, 6 free throw attempts and only missing once from downtown (3 of 4). He added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 31.
### Game-changing moment

Zenit managed to get within 57-61 late in the third quarter. Will Clyburn hit a pair of free throws, Iffe Lundberg added a driving layup and Johannes Voigtmann followed a close basket with a three-pointer. CSKA boosted its margin to 59-72 and went on to control the game until the final buzzer.
### Stellar stat

Zenit made 6 of 17 three-point shots (35.3%) in the first half. Things changed after the break, however, as Zenit only buried 2 of 11 shots from downtown (18.2%). CSKA only had 8 turnovers and forced Zenit into 13.
### Did you know?

Zenit is 0-8 this season when allowing at least 80 points. CSKA became the first squad to score at least 80 points against Zenit twice.
### Next game

Both teams return to Turkish Airlines EuroLeague action on Friday, April 2. CSKA welcomes crosstown rival Khimki Moscow Region. Zenit hosts LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. 

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Zenit St Petersburg v CSKA Moscow (2021-03-30T17:00:00.000Z)

AX Armani Exchange Milan led from tip to buzzer in routing Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 72-93 on Tuesday at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in the Serbian capital.

Milan routs Zvezda to nab playoff berth

AX Armani Exchange Milan led from tip to buzzer in routing Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 72-93 on Tuesday at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in the Serbian capital. The victory lifted Milan's record to 20-12 and, coupled with Real Madrid's loss to Anadolu Efes Istanbul in a game that ended shortly after, secured it a spot in the EuroLeague Playoffs for the first time since 2014. Kevin Punter shined with 23 points against his former team to lead the Zvezda attack. Zach LeDay and Shavon Shields added 14 points each with the latter dishing 5 assists. Kyle Hines scored 11 and Sergio Rodriguez delivered 8 assists. Jordan Loyd led Zvezda with 22 points and Ognjen Dobric scored 14 as the team fell to 9-23 on the season. 

The game was physical at the start with a Hines layup representing the lone points in the first 2 minutes. The Zvezda attack remained cold, missing its first seven shots and calling a timeout before Loyd hit a mid-range jumper after nearly 5 minutes of action. By that point, Vladimir Micov had 4 points in Milan's 0-10 start. Once Zvezda got going, Loyd and co. were able to trade baskets with Milan. Luigi Datome's three-pointer gave the visitors a 12-22 advantage after 10 minutes. Datome opened the second quarter with another three and Kaleb Tarczewski's tip-in stretched the margin to 15. Dobric sandwiched a pair of triples around another by LeDay to keep Zvezda alive. A tip-in by Hines made it 23-34 midway through the quarter. Threes by Loyd and Marko Simonovic helped trim the deficit, but a deep three by Punter sent Milan in the locker room with a 36-47 halftime lead. 

Catch up on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs AX Armani Exchange Milan from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 30 2021

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs AX Armani Exchange Milan Highlights - Round 32 - March 30, 2021

Punter had free throws, a steal and a layup in a 0-6 start to the second half. Another jumper by Punter and a triple from Michael Roll gave the visitors a 20-point cushion. A three by Loyd was quickly met by back-to-back Milan triples by LeDay and Punter to make it 41-64. Shields heated up to make it a 25-point game and the third quarter finished with the visitors comfortably ahead 51-75. Punter's fifth three of the game took the margin to 56-83 and it peaked at 58-87 on a baseline jumper from Hines. With the game in hand, Milan turned to its reserves and cruised the rest of the way. 

### Pivotal player

Kevin Punter tied a career-best with 5-of-9 three-point shooting in amassing 23 points against his former team. His three-point barrage came after Punter missed his first 4 triples of the game. Punter scored 9 points in the third quarter as Milan turned an 11-point lead into a commanding 24-point lead.
### Telling stats

Milan committed just 1 turnover in the first three quarters and finished the game with 5 along with 25 assists. It also outrebounded Zvezda 25-32 and made 14 of 27 three-pointers (51.9%) led by Punter and Zach LeDay, who set a career-best with 4-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.
### Did you know?

The victory was Milan's first over Zvezda since 1989 and ended a six-game winning streak for Zvezda against Milan.
### What's next?

Both teams will be back in action on Thursday, April 1. Zvezda will host Israeli champion Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Milan will visit Panathinaikos OPAP Athens. 

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Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v AX Armani Exchange Milan (2021-03-30T17:00:00.000Z)

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz continued to push its candidacy for the playoffs with an 82-97 victory over host Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on Tuesday in the Greek capital.

Baskonia moves up with super shooting

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz continued to push its candidacy for the playoffs with an 82-97 victory over host Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on Tuesday in the Greek capital. Its fourth consecutive win and ninth in the last 10 games pushed Baskonia to 18-14, good for at least a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot at the end of Round 32. Panathinaikos, already eliminated from the playoffs race, fell to 10-20. A 2-14 Baskonia run bridging halftime broke the game open at 43-58, letting the visitors protect a big lead for the rest of the game. Rokas Giedraitis led Baskonia with 25 points, including 18 in the second half Achille Polonara hit his first 5 three-pointers en route to 22 points and 11 rebounds. Zoran Dragic added 22, as well, in 21 minutes off the bench. For Panathinaikos, Konstantinos Mitoglou had 22 points and 8 rebounds, while Howard Sant-Roos and Mario Hezonja added 14 each and Ben Bentil 11. 

Giedraits drove strong to open the scoring, but Sant-Roos and Mitoglou both answered from deep for the Greens. Polonara's triple was met by Motoglou's put-back and soon a dunk from Hezonja for a 10-7 Panathinaikos lead. Mitoglou kept it going before Polonara, Bochoridis, Peters and Mitoglou traded triples as Baskonia closed within 15-14. Polonara had a dunk in there and buried a third triple that Peters copied before Henry converted a three-point play for a 21-25 Baskonia lead after 10 minutes. Georgios Papagiannis dunked to start the second quarter but Zoran Dragic hit from deep and Polonara dunked on the break to force a Panathinaikos timeout at 23-30. Mitoglou dunked off a block by Bochoridis. Giedraitis hit free throws and a tip-in at 25-34. Free throws pushed the difference to 27-47, but Sant-Roos had 5 points in response and Mitoglou scored a fastbreak layup at 34-39. Dragic traded baskets with Mitoglou and Hezonja, then Ioannis Papapetrou from the arc got Panathinaikos within 41-44. Henry answered and Polonara reemerged with another triple to keep Baskonia up 41-49 at the half. 

Catch up on Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz from Round 32 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, March 30 2021

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz Highlights - Round 32 - March 30, 2021

Mitoglou and Giedraitis got their teams rolling after the break. Henry's jumper restored a double-digit lead, 43-53. Polonara added a three-point play and Tadas Sedekerskis a fastbreak layup to force a Panathinaikos timeout at 43-56. Sant-Roos came back with a pair of triples for Panathinaikos but Polonara had his fifth as the score reached 49-61. Giedraitis rained 2 more triples around those of Shelvin Mack and Bochoridis, on the third-quarter buzzer, when Baskonia led 59-72. Giedraitis was back with another pair of triples to stretch the lead to 63-80 early in the fourth quarter. Giedraitis just kept scoring and the lead ballooned to 71-91 with under 4 minutes, by which time the handwriting was on the wall. The win was going back to Vitoria-Gasteiz and Baskonia's playoff charge was still going strong. 

### Baskonia jumps up the standings

Baskonia's victory moved it directly from ninth to seventh place for the night, at least, tied at 18-14 with Real Madrid. Baskonia had beaten Real twice, so sits atop its Spanish rivals. A third Spanish team, Valencia (17-14) can join them in a three-way tie with a victory at home against Olympiacos Piraeus on Wednesday.
### Pivotal Performer

Big man Achille Polonara was Baskonia's main force for much of the game. He didn't miss a three-pointer until his sixth try late in the third quarter, by which time he already had 22 points and his team had the game in hand. He would finish with the same 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals for a career-high performance index rating of 33 while missing just 3 shots on the night.
### Key Sequence

Baskonia used a 2-14 run bridging halftime to turn a 41-44 game into a 43-58 scoreboard. The visitors' defense held Panathinaikos to just 2 points over 7 minutes into the middle of the third quarter, and the difference did not dip into single digits again.
### Stellar Stat

Baskonia's 5-for-5 three-point shooting in the first quarter pointed to where the night was headed. The visitors continued choosing shots wisely, hitting 11 of 15 triples through the end of the third quarter before adding another 3 in the fourth to finish 14 of 20 for the night. That was the team's highest total this season and best on the road in more than three years. Polonara made 5 triples, Giedraitis 4 and Dragic 3.
### Next Games

Both teams turn around to play the second half of this double-round week in just 48 hours. Baskonia goes home to face off with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 33 on Thursday, the same night that Panathinaikos welcomes a visit from AX Armani Exchange Milan.

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TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz continued to push its candidacy for the playoffs with an 82-97 victory over host Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on Tuesday in the Greek capital.


Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2021-03-30T18:00:00.000Z)