After waiting almost a week to get there, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade ambushed Real Madrid in the Spanish capital for a much-needed 77-79 road victory on Monday in a Round 19 game that had been rescheduled due to a snowstorm. 

Round 19 on Monday: Zvezda stuns host Real, 77-79

After waiting almost a week to get there, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade ambushed Real Madrid in the Spanish capital for a much-needed 77-79 road victory on Monday in a Round 19 game that had been rescheduled due to a snowstorm. Zvezda raised its record to 7-13 by breaking a four-game losing streak away from home, while Madrid fell to 13-7 and missed the chance to tie FC Barcelona in second place. Corey Walden scored 16 of his 18 points as Zvezda established consistent leads in the first half. Ognjen Dobric followed him with 13 points, while Duop Reath scored 10, but the big star for Zvezda was a defense that let no Real player surpass the 11 points that Rudy Fernandez scored off the bench. Nicolas Laprovittola, Gabriel Deck, Trey Thompkins and Jeffery Taylor each added 10 points for the hosts.



Walden hit a pair of jumpers and a fastbreak layup around Aleksa Radanov's scoop shot and Ognjen Kuzmic's put-back as Zvezda shot in front 5-11. Kuzmic downed another offensive rebound and Walden gave himself 10 points with a triple at 9-16. Through 6 minutes, only Walter Tavares and Laprovittola, whose second triple made it 14-16, had scored for Real. Branko Lazic and Deck for traded triples before Fabien Causeur finished a fastbreak for a 19-19 tie. Quino Colom's 4 points let Zvezda retain a 21-23 advantage after 10 minutes. Colom and Alberto Abalde exchanged baskets to open the second quarter before Alex Tyus and Thompkins gave the hosts the lead again, 29-25. Johnny O'Bryant answered with his first 5 points and Walden took back the lead at 31-32. The unstoppable Walden converted a four-point play next, but Fernandez got 3 of them back in one shot, then he and Jaycee Carroll forged a 40-40 tie. That was broken by a five-point Zvezda possession – Dobric's free throws and a triple from Duop Reath – inside the final minute to leave a 40-45 score at halftime.

Catch up on Real Madrid vs Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 18th January 2021

Real Madrid vs Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade Highlights - Round 19 - 18th January, 2021

Thompkins started the second-half scoring from downtown, but Radanov hit a floater, then fed Reath for a triple and a layup at 45-52. Taylor hit his first shot from the arc and then stole for a fastbreak layup at 50-52. Dobric and Marko Jagodic-Kuridza kept Zvezda ahead but Deck and Tavares inched Real within 58-60. Dobric hit his first triple then drew a foul in the third quarter's final second that turned into 3 points for a 58-66 Zvezda lead after 30 minutes. Almost 2 minutes passed in the fourth quarter before Dejan Davidovac added free throws for the game's first double-digit lead, 58-68. Another minute passed before Lazic stole and hit a layup and, after a timeout, Taylor knocked down a corner triple at 61-70. Fernandez hit a floater but Dobric beat the shot-clock on an inbounds play at 63-72 with 5 minutes left. Carroll and Fernandez blasted triples around Reath's foul-line jumper at 69-74. Lazic hit a floater that held up for a 69-76 Zvezda lead with less than 2 minutes still left. Taylor put back a Real miss at 71-76 after which the hosts forced a 24-second violation on Zvezda. With a minute left, Fernandez hit the floor and hurt his back on a loose ball, drawing an unsportsmanlike foul for which Thompkins hit 2 free throws and Real retained possession. Carroll missed the would-be game-tying triple before he and Walden exchanged free throws for a 75-78 score with 33 seconds left. Zvezda spent the whole shot clock before a turnover led to Laprovitolla being fouled and making both shots at 77-78 with 6.3 seconds left. Colom was fouled within a second and made only 1 of 2, leaving Real 5.6 seconds to overcome a 77-79 deficit. Carroll's game-tying baseline attempt was short, however, and the buzzer sounded, sending the victory back to Belgrade.

### Pivotal performers

Walden's 16 first-half points gave Zvezda the confidence it needed, while after the break, Dobric stood out with his blocks, assists and big shots in almost 18 minutes of play in the second half. He finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block for a team-high performance index rating of 21.

### The taming of Tavares

Real's tower of power Walter Tavares came into the game as the EuroLeague third-best performer in terms of average PIR and had a fine game with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks for a PIR of 15. But he didn't dominate as usual, in part because his former teammate, Ognjen Kuzmic, matched Tavares's rebounding and blocks for a PIR of 13, his second-best all season. Duop Reath spelled Kuzmic and hit 2 three-pointers on the way to a season-high 10 points while forcing Tavares to defend far from the basket for a few precious moments.

### Stellar stat

Apart from Zvezda being tied or ahead for all but about 4 minutes of the first half, the biggest stat was the visitors' interior defense, which held Real to 13-for-33 two-point shooting, or 39.4%. That was Real's worst two-point shooting on its home court in almost 10 years, since a 37.2% performance in the playoffs against Valencia Basket on April 7, 2011. What's more, those 13 two-pointers tied Real's lowest total at home since 2008.

### Streak in Madrid

Zvezda has now beaten Real twice in a row in the Spanish capital, having also won on its last trip to WizInk Arena, on Dec. 1, 2017. In that game, Zvezda hit a club-record 17 three-pointers and took an 83-87 decision, its first victory on Real's court since the very first time they played. On that occastion, January 24, 1973, the visitors prevailed 74-77 behind 20 points each from Zoran Slavnic and Goran Rakocevic, who was the father of future Real player Igor Rakocevic, winner of three EuroLeague Top Scorer trophies.

Walden-2-009866.jpg

After waiting almost a week to get there, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade ambushed Real Madrid in the Spanish capital for a much-needed 77-79 road victory on Monday in a Round 19 game that had been rescheduled due to a snowstorm. 


Real Madrid v Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (2021-01-18T18:00:00.000Z)



Nemanja Nedovic scored 33 points and Georgios Papagiannis netted a career-high 18 as Panathinaikos OPAP Athens snapped a three-game losing streak with an 88-71 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Wednesday night at OAKA. Nedovic made 5 three-pointers and 6 assists and Papagiannis added 8 rebounds and 3 blocks for the Greens, who improved their record to 6-12 on the season. Dinos Mitouglou contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds to the winning effort, the first victory for Kostas Charalampidis as the club's interim head coach. Norris Cole paced the ASVEL attack with 15 points, David Lighty netted 13 and Moustapha Fall amassed 10 points and 9 rebounds. The loss dropped ASVEL to 5-13 on the season. The game was tied 42-42 late in the second quarter before a Nedovic three gave Panathinaikos the lead for good and the Greens' defense held ASVEL to just 29 points in the second half.



Cole made an instant impact with a steal and layup followed by a three-pointer all in the first minute. Lighty struck from deep to give ASVEL a 2-8 lead, but soon committed his second foul as Nedovic heated up with 5 straight points for the Greens. A three by Guerschon Yabusele prompted a Panathinaikos timeout at 7-15. The duo of Nedovic and Papagiannis led an 18-2 run that turned the game upside down. Papagiannis gave the hosts their first lead, 18-17, with an alley-oop slam and by the end of the run, the Greens led by 8. Ismael Bako and Allerick Freeman trimmed the gap to 25-21 after 10 minutes. Howard Sant-Roos had good minutes for the Greens early in the second quarter, though a three by Freeman kept ASVEL close, 30-26. Fall took charge for ASVEL with a put-back and a dish a cutting Cole to get the visitors within 2. Lighty tied it at 36-36 before the teams started to trade baskets. A three by Nedovic gave the home team a 45-42 advantage at the half.



Nedovic remained hot with a three to open the second half. Fall and Yabusele kept ASVEL close, however, Nedovic's fourth three of the night made it 55-48 midway through the third quarter and prompted an ASVEL timeout. Papagiannis and Mitouglou helped the Greens add to the lead despite the best efforts of Bako for ASVEL. A steal and layup by Mitouglou gave Panathinaikos a double-digit lead and a Nedovic layup made it 70-60 through three quarters. Derrick Walton Jr. converted a three-point play for ASVEL early in the fourth quarter to trim the gap to 7. The Greens replied with 11 straight points to take a commanding 83-65 lead with less than 4 minutes remaining. The lead peaked at 19 shortly after on a three by Mack as the hosts rolled to the win.


<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/G_P_06?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@G_P_06</a> goes UP for the Alley-Oop 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/ShFV5SVtSk">pic.twitter.com/ShFV5SVtSk</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1349436330984566788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </center>



**Star of the night**

Nemanja Nedovic did not set a career-high in scoring – he did that with a 39-point effort in Tel Aviv last month, but the star guard was just as impressive this time with all 33 of his points coming in the first three quarters. Nedovic scored 13 points with 4 assists in the first quarter alone and erupted for 15 third-quarter points to help his team to a double-digit lead. Nedovic's PIR of 40 was also the second-best of his career.

**Papagiannis's bests**

Georgios Papagiannis was at his best playing against another one of the league's biggest and best centers, Moustapha Fall. Papagiannis set career-highs in scoring (18 points) and PIR (28), while flirting with a double-double. He added 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks. He is now tied with Real Madrid's Walter Tavares for the league lead with 2.0 blocks per game.



**Telling numbers**

Panathinaikos outrebounded the visitors 41-32 and recorded twice as many assists – 23 to 10. Ultimately, the biggest difference was in shooting; the hosts outshot ASVEL on two-pointers (63.2% to 49.0%), threes (33.3% to 25%) and free throws (84.2% to 66.7%).

**What's next?**

Both teams play their Round 20 games on Friday night on the road. Panathinaikos travels to Turkey to take on Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. ASVEL will remain in the Greek capital to take on Olympiacos Piraeus. 

Game report: Nedovic, Papagiannis carry Greens to victory

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Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2021-01-13T19:00:00.000Z)

In a battle of long-time rivals, CSKA Moscow grabbed its seventh consecutive home win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season by downing Zalgiris Kaunas 83-73 at Megasport Arena on Wednesday.

CSKA puts halt to Zalgiris streak

In a battle of long-time rivals, CSKA Moscow grabbed its seventh consecutive home win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season by downing Zalgiris Kaunas 83-73 at Megasport Arena on Wednesday. CSKA improved to 15-4 and is guaranteed to continue holding first place alone in the standings through the end of this double-round wee. Meanwhile, Zalgiris dropped to 11-8 and saw its six-game winning streak come to an end. Mike James led the winners with 21 points. Toko Shengelia added 18, Darrun Hilliard 17, Johannes Voigtmann 11 and Nikola Milutinov 10. Milutinov made his a double-double, with 14 rebounds, while Nikita Kurbanov dished a career-high 7 assists for CSKA. Zalgiris got 16 points from Marius Grigonis, 14 from Thomas Walkup and 11 each from Nigel Hayes and Lukas Lekavicius. CSKA led 18-11 after 10 minutes and boosted its margin to 45-32 at halftime. Zalgiris managed to get within 60-57 early in the fourth quarter but James and Hilliard stepped up to make sure that CSKA cruised to yet another home win.


Hilliard got CSKA going with a couple of jumpers while Milutinov added a dunk and a layup for an 8-0 lead. Arturas Milaknis and Hayes rescued Zalgiris with consecutive three-pointers before Shengelia and Milutinov restored a 12-6 CSKA edge. Walkup followed a jumper with a triple but James singlehandedly kept CSKA in charge, 16-11. Semen Antonov hit a mid-range jumper to fix the score at 18-11 after 10 minutes. Voigtmann dunked early in the second quarter and added a running hook and a bomb from downtown for a double-digit CSKA lead, 25-14. Joffrey Lauvergne stepped up with a tip-in and Lekavicius downed a jumper but Hilliard and Kurbanov kept CSKA ahead 29-18. James struck from downtown and Shengelia followed a second-chance layup with a three-pointer. Walkup hit a mid-range shot and Grigonis had 8 quick points, including a layup-plus-foul that kept Zalgiris within 39-30. Hilliard sank back-to-back triples, however, to boost CSKA's margin to 45-32 at halftime.

Catch up on CSKA Moscow vs Zalgiris Kaunas highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

CSKA Moscow vs Zalgiris Kaunas Highlights - Round 19 - 13th January, 2021

Shengelia re-emerged with a put-back layup and a dunk soon after the break. James bettered Milaknis's close basket with a corner triple that Walkup answered from downtown. He then added a layup to give Zalgiris hope at 52-39. Grigonis buried his second three-pointer, getting help from Augustine Rubit and Rokas Jokubaitis to bring the guests even closer, 58-50. Voigtmann sank a six-meter jumper but Lekavicius kept Zalgiris within 60-52 after 30 minutes. Hayes struck from beyond the arc early in the fourth quarter and Lekavicius added a floater to get Zalgiris within 60-57. CSKA did not panic, though, as Hilliard and James filled an 8-0 run that boosted its lead to 68-57. Lauvergne and Milutinov traded dunks before Grigonis downed his third triple for a 70-62 score with 5 minutes left. James scored in penetration, joining forces with Shengelia and Janis Strelnieks to seal the outcome, 80-67, as Zalgiris did not recover in the final 2 minutes.

### Pivotal performer

Milutinov, who received his MVP for December award before the game, registered his seventh double-double of the season, finishing the game with 10 points and 14 rebounds. He tied his own CSKA club record by pulling down 8 rebounds in the first quarter. Milutinov finished the game with a team-best PIR of 22.

### Game-changing moment

After Lekavicius hit a floater to get Zalgiris within 60-57 early in the fourth quarter, Hilliard matched that at the other end, igniting an 8-0 run highlighted by James's step-back three-pointer. Hilliard capped it with a three-point play that restored a 68-57 CSKA lead, enough to control the game in the final 6 minutes.

### Stellar stat

Rebounds made the difference in this game. CSKA outrebounded Zalgiris by 44-26. CSKA pulled down as many as 15 offensive rebounds, with Milutinov grabbing 5 of those. Zalgiris had 18 defensive rebounds but just 8 on the offensive end.

### Did you know?

CSKA remains undefeated against Zalgiris at home in EuroLeague action, 14 wins in as many home games. Zalgiris beat CSKA in Moscow in the former Soviet Union League and in the VTB League, but never in Europe's marquee competition. Zalgiris managed to force overtime in its previous two visits, losing 99-97 in the 2018-19 campaign and 85-82 last season on a last-second shot by James.

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In a battle of long-time rivals, CSKA Moscow grabbed its seventh consecutive home win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season by downing Zalgiris Kaunas 83-73 at Megasport Arena on Wednesday.


CSKA Moscow v Zalgiris Kaunas (2021-01-13T17:00:00.000Z)

Nemanja Nedovic scored 33 points and Georgios Papagiannis netted a career-high 18 as Panathinaikos OPAP Athens snapped a three-game losing streak with an 88-71 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Wednesday night at OAKA.

Nedovic, Papagiannis carry Greens to victory

Nemanja Nedovic scored 33 points and Georgios Papagiannis netted a career-high 18 as Panathinaikos OPAP Athens snapped a three-game losing streak with an 88-71 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Wednesday night at OAKA. Nedovic made 5 three-pointers and 6 assists and Papagiannis added 8 rebounds and 3 blocks for the Greens, who improved their record to 6-12 on the season. Dinos Mitouglou contributed 11 points and 9 rebounds to the winning effort, the first victory for Kostas Charalampidis as the club's interim head coach. Norris Cole paced the ASVEL attack with 15 points, David Lighty netted 13 and Moustapha Fall amassed 10 points and 9 rebounds. The loss dropped ASVEL to 5-13 on the season. The game was tied 42-42 late in the second quarter before a Nedovic three gave Panathinaikos the lead for good and the Greens' defense held ASVEL to just 29 points in the second half.



Cole made an instant impact with a steal and layup followed by a three-pointer all in the first minute. Lighty struck from deep to give ASVEL a 2-8 lead, but soon committed his second foul as Nedovic heated up with 5 straight points for the Greens. A three by Guerschon Yabusele prompted a Panathinaikos timeout at 7-15. The duo of Nedovic and Papagiannis led an 18-2 run that turned the game upside down. Papagiannis gave the hosts their first lead, 18-17, with an alley-oop slam and by the end of the run, the Greens led by 8. Ismael Bako and Allerick Freeman trimmed the gap to 25-21 after 10 minutes. Howard Sant-Roos had good minutes for the Greens early in the second quarter, though a three by Freeman kept ASVEL close, 30-26. Fall took charge for ASVEL with a put-back and a dish a cutting Cole to get the visitors within 2. Lighty tied it at 36-36 before the teams started to trade baskets. A three by Nedovic gave the home team a 45-42 advantage at the half.

Catch up on Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Highlights - Round 19 - 13th January, 2021

Nedovic remained hot with a three to open the second half. Fall and Yabusele kept ASVEL close, however, Nedovic's fourth three of the night made it 55-48 midway through the third quarter and prompted an ASVEL timeout. Papagiannis and Mitouglou helped the Greens add to the lead despite the best efforts of Bako for ASVEL. A steal and layup by Mitouglou gave Panathinaikos a double-digit lead and a Nedovic layup made it 70-60 through three quarters. Derrick Walton Jr. converted a three-point play for ASVEL early in the fourth quarter to trim the gap to 7. The Greens replied with 11 straight points to take a commanding 83-65 lead with less than 4 minutes remaining. The lead peaked at 19 shortly after on a three by Mack as the hosts rolled to the win.

### Star of the night

Nemanja Nedovic did not set a career-high in scoring – he did that with a 39-point effort in Tel Aviv last month, but the star guard was just as impressive this time with all 33 of his points coming in the first three quarters. Nedovic scored 13 points with 4 assists in the first quarter alone and erupted for 15 third-quarter points to help his team to a double-digit lead. Nedovic's PIR of 40 was also the second-best of his career.

### Papagiannis's bests

Georgios Papagiannis was at his best playing against another one of the league's biggest and best centers, Moustapha Fall. Papagiannis set career-highs in scoring (18 points) and PIR (28), while flirting with a double-double. He added 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks. He is now tied with Real Madrid's Walter Tavares for the league lead with 2.0 blocks per game.

### Telling numbers

Panathinaikos outrebounded the visitors 41-32 and recorded twice as many assists – 23 to 10. Ultimately, the biggest difference was in shooting; the hosts outshot ASVEL on two-pointers (63.2% to 49.0%), threes (33.3% to 25%) and free throws (84.2% to 66.7%).

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Nemanja Nedovic scored 33 points and Georgios Papagiannis netted a career-high 18 as Panathinaikos OPAP Athens snapped a three-game losing streak with an 88-71 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Wednesday night at OAKA.


Anadolu Efes Istanbul came back from double-digit deficits at home to defeat ALBA Berlin 84-76 on Tuesday in the first of two games this week for both teams. 

Efes rallies past ALBA, 84-76

Anadolu Efes Istanbul came back from double-digit deficits at home to defeat ALBA Berlin 84-76 on Tuesday in the first of two games this week for both teams. The victory lifted Efes to 10-9 while ALBA dropped to 7-12 with its fifth loss in six games. ALBA held Efes to only a three-pointer in the game's first 5 minutes then used an 18-26 second quarter to lead 36-44 at the half. However, Efes did even better with a 26-9 third quarter, including a 9-0 finishing run, to take control of the scoreboard the rest of the way. Vasilije Micic, Adrien Moerman and Shane Larkin paced Efes with 15 points each. Following them were Rodrigue Beaubois with 11 and James Anderson with 10. ALBA got 17 points from Jayson Granger, 14 from Ben Lammers and 11 from Maodo Lo, but no other visitors reached double digits.



A layup by Granger and a triple by Simone Fontecchio gave ALBA a 0-5 advantage. Larkin got Efes started from deep, but Johannes Thiemann and Lammers soon made it 3-10. Larkin and Moermann drilled triples as Efes took the lead, 11-10. Peyton Siva's first basket of 2021 was answered from the arc by Beaubois. Baskets by Lo and Lammers were offset by Moermann and Bryant Dunston for an 18-18 tie after 10 minutes. Lo stole and hit a triple before Louis Olinde tipped in a miss at 18-23 early in the second. Micic and Dogus Balbay rescued Efes with the next 6 points for a lead change at 24-23. Granger converted a steal, drilled a triple and swished a jumper as ALBA reclaimed a 24-32 advantage. Larkin responded from deep, but Granger matched him and popped a jumper, so that when Fontecchio scored inside, ALBA had a double-digit lead, 29-39. Malte Delow hit from the corner for ALBA and Lo drove for a layup before Beaubois scored twice for a 36-44 halftime score.



Catch up on Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs ALBA Berlin highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 12th January 2021

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs ALBA Berlin Highlights - Round 19 - 12th January, 2021

Moerman's back-to-back triples opened the third quarter with Efes surging within 42-44. Thiemann answered from deep, but Larkin and Micic both fed Dunston, who put Efes back in front, 51-49. Lammers scored twice around a tip-in from Anderson before Micic drilled a pair of triples at 59-53. A technical free throw from Beaubois and baseline jumper by Chris Singleton left Efes leading 62-53 after 30 minutes. Moerman had a pair of baskets early in the final quarter but Olinde and Siva scored 3 points each to make it 66-59. Another jumper by Singleton and a triple by Beaubois gave Efes a 71-59 lead. Singleton tacked on a triple that Lammers matched with 3 points the hard way. Granger reemerged with a corner triple at 74-64, but Micic and Dunston kept Efes rolling all the way to a double-digit victory at the finish.

### Pivotal performer

Adrien Moerman showed again why he was a key part of Efes's run to the championship game in 2019. He came off the bench for 15 points and 8 rebounds for a team-high PIR of 19. His 2 triples right after halftime started Efes's comeback from as many as 12 points behind late in the second quarter, and his pair of two-pointers early in the fourth quarter kept ALBA at bay.

### Key sequence

Efes worked after halftime to erase a 36-44 deficit and was tied 53-53 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Vasilije Micic hit a three-pointer for the lead and another entering the final minute before a technical free throw by Rodrigue Beaubois and a baseline jumper by Chris Singleton meant a 9-0 finish to a quarter that Efes won 26-9 for a 62-53 lead that was never truly threatened thereafter.

### Dominance by Efes

A season after needing overtime to win at home 106-105 against ALBA, Efes dominated the second half to run its record in their series this century to 11-1, including the last six victories. ALBA has never beaten Efes in Istanbul and its only victory in the series dates to 2004. Efes, meanwhile, raised its unbalanced home record to 4-6.

### Noteworthy

An ALBA roster depleted by injury got a career-high rebounding night by Johannes Thiemann, who pulled 8 boards. That was one better than his previous best, which he had also pulled against Efes back in Round 3.

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Anadolu Efes Istanbul came back from double-digit deficits at home to defeat ALBA Berlin 84-76 on Tuesday in the first of two games this week for both teams. 


Anadolu Efes Istanbul v ALBA Berlin (2021-01-12T17:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona won its seventh straight game against Khimki Moscow Region 75-87 on Tuesday night at Arena Mytishchi in the Russian capital. 

Barcelona dominates glass and Khimki

FC Barcelona won its seventh straight game against Khimki Moscow Region 75-87 on Tuesday night at Arena Mytishchi in the Russian capital. The visitors led by as many as 20 before Khimki closed the gap late. Barcelona dominated the glass 22-44, including 16 offensive rebounds in improving its record to 13-6. Cory Higgins and Kyle Kuric scored 18 points apiece to lead Barcelona, Rolands Smits added 12 points, Alex Abrines had 11, Pierre Oriola tallied 9 points and 10 rebounds and Nick Calathes scored 8 points and set a club record with 15 assists. Alexey Shved paced Khimki with 23 points and 6 assists, Devin Booker scored 13, Jordan Mickey 11 and Errick McCollum 10 as Khimki lost its 11th straight game to fall to 2-17.



Khimki jumped in front with threes by Egor Vialtsev, Shved and Booker on as many possessions. Smits and Abrines provided the Barcelona resistance before Higgins capped a 0-8 run with a layup for Barcelona's first lead, 9-10. Khimki regained in control through triples by Booker and Shved to make it 18-14. Kuric came off the bench and knocked down a three for Barcelona that tied it at 20-20 as Calathes racked up his 6th assist of the opening quarter. Kuric scored twice more to keep things even at 26-26 after 10 minutes. The Barca shooting guard started the second quarter with 2 more threes that pushed the visitors in front, 28-32. Dairis Bertans soon tied it at 34-34 with 3 free throws, but Higgins went coach to coast for a layup before feeding Calathes for a layup that put Barcelona back in control, 38-43, midway through the quarter. McCollum's step-through jumper kept Khimki close. Calathes notched his 10th assist on a Smits free throw and Smits's alley-oop slam lifted the visitors to a 48-54 halftime cushion.

Catch up on Khimki Moscow Region vs FC Barcelona highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 12th January 2021

Khimki Moscow Region vs FC Barcelona Highlights - Round 19 - 12th January, 2021

Barcelona added to the lead early in the second half and Higgins scored twice as the margin soared to 52-64. Calathes took a seat with 3 fouls, but Khimki could get no closer than 9 the rest of the quarter. A three by Higgins extended the difference to 14 before McCollum split free throws to end the third quarter at 60-73. The Barcelona defense held Khimki to just 2 points in the first 4 minutes of the fourth quarter as the visitors pulled away for good. The difference reached 20 after late threes by Abrines. A late flurry by Khimki made the final score more respectable, but the outcome was longer in doubt.

### Pivotal player

Nick Calathes was at his best setting up teammates all over the place to set a club record with 15 assists. Calathes delivered 6 helpers in the first quarter and had 10 by halftime. He broke his own record at the club after dishing 14 against AX Armani Exchange Milan last month. It marked the 18th time in EuroLeague history that a player has recorded at least 15 assists; Calathes has his name on six ofthose performancese.

### Stellar stat

Barcelona's thorough domination on the rebounds, 22-44, made a bigger impact than anything else. However, the visitors' defense also made a big difference by holding Khimki to 6-of-18 two-point shooting (33.3%) and 3-of-11 (27.3%) on threes in the second half when it was outscored 27-33.

### Three-point history

With his 5 three-pointers, Alexey Shved moved past Arturas Milaknis of Zalgiris Kaunas for ninth place in competition history with 395 career triples, though Milaknis will have a chance to catch him on Wednesday night when his team faces CSKA Moscow. Kyle Kuric's 4-for-4 shooting from behind the arc took his success rate for the season to 61.4%, which is on pace for the all-time single-season record. That record currently belongs to Pawel Wiekiera, who made 60% of his triples for Idea Slask in 2002-03. Kuric also moved past teammate Cory Higgins (45.4%) for second place among active players at 45.5%. The active leader is Zalgiris's Marius Grigonis at 46.2%.

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FC Barcelona won its seventh straight game against Khimki Moscow Region 75-87 on Tuesday night at Arena Mytishchi in the Russian capital. 


Khimki Moscow Region v FC Barcelona (2021-01-12T17:00:00.000Z)

AX Armani Exchange Milan blasted past Valencia Basket with a convincing 95-80 to solidify its position in the playoffs places and claim the head to head advantage between the teams. 

Inspired Datome leads Milan past Valencia

AX Armani Exchange Milan blasted past Valencia Basket with a convincing 95-80 to solidify its position in the playoffs places and claim the head to head advantage between the teams. The home side raced into a 54-36 half-time lead behind outstanding long-range shooting, and maintained that advantage throughout the third quarter. Valencia briefly pulled the deficit back to single digits in the final period, but Milan raced clear again to ease home. Luigi Datome rolled back the years to score a joint career-high 27 points on 6-of-8 three-point shooting. Malcolm Delaney added 17 points on 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, while Kevin Punter scored 14 and Zach LeDay had 13. Derrick Williams paced Valencia with 17 points and 5 steals, with Nikola Kalinic netting 15 and Klemen Prepelic scoring 12. Milan improves to 11-7, and Valencia is now 10-9.



After a quiet start, Riccardo Moraschini opened the scoring with a four-point play, answered by deep strikes from Joan Sastre and Mike Tobey. Williams gave Valencia its first lead 6-8, but 5 fast points from Delaney saw Milan hit back. Louis Labeyrie netted 5 consecutive points and Williams threw down a reverse alley-oop to keep Valencia close, 18-16. Martin Hermannsson and Kalinic sent the visitors ahead, but Datome had the last word of the first quarter, firing from deep for a 21-20 lead. Datome stayed hot with a three-point play and a three-pointer to make it 27-20. A pair of baskets from Kyle Hines followed by triples from Datome and Sergio Rodriguez stretched the lead to 37-22. Sam Van Rossom answered from deep for Valencia before Delaney hit another triple. The visitors rallied with transition scores from Fernando San Emeterio and Williams, but Michael Roll continued the three-point barrage to keep Milan clear. A three-point play by Williams was bettered by Delaney and LeDay, stretching the lead to 47-32. Punter went coast to coast to score, and LeDay beat the half-time buzzer from the corner for a 54-36 half-time lead.

Catch up on AX Armani Exchange Milan vs Valencia Basket highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

AX Armani Exchange Milan vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 19 - 12th January, 2021

LeDay then added the first score of the second half with a big slam, and a four-point play from Delaney made it 62-38. Kalinic and Williams battled for close-range conversions before Datome again struck from the corner, but Kalinic hit another triple and Tobey dunked to narrow the gap to 65-48. Datome reignited Milan with his fifth three-pointer, but Van Rossom responded from deep and Kalinic added 4 free throws. Williams made a three-pointer but Datome and Kaleb Tarczewski scored inside, before Kalinic and Roll traded two-pointers to finish the third quarter, 76-60. Klemen Prepelic opened the final period’s scoring from deep, and Labeyrie scored from close-range in a 0-9 run which cut the lead to 76-69. But Datome stepped up to bank in a floater, and Delaney’s three-pointer restored the double-digit lead, 81-69, with six minutes remaining. Punter added another three and Hines scored at the basket, before Punter’s driving layup stretched the lead to 88-73. Datome scored inside and added another triple to remove any remaining doubt, and Milan cruised home.

### Datome ties personal best

The key performer was Luigi Datome, whose 27 points equalled the highest of his 219-game EuroLeague career. It was only matched by his tally for Fenerbahce against Crvena Zvezda in March 2016. He also provided 6 rebounds for a PIR of 26, his joint second-best in the competition.

### Three-pointers make the difference

Milan blew the game open with its long-range shooting in the first half, making 10 of its 13 three-point attempts before the break, including 3-of-4 from Datome. Appropriately the first half ended with a corner three from Zach LeDay. Milan’s accuracy cooled after that but still finished with a strong 16-of-27 from long-range. Valencia, on the other hand, converted 9 of its 23 long-range strikes.

### Close encounter

Milan’s three-point accuracy really did make the difference, because the game was otherwise very closely matched. There was almost nothing between the teams in two-point shooting (63.3% vs 64.3%), rebounding (23 vs 21), assists (17 vs 20), steals (9 vs 8), and turnovers (16 each).

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AX Armani Exchange Milan blasted past Valencia Basket with a convincing 95-80 to solidify its position in the playoffs places and claim the head to head advantage between the teams. 


AX Armani Exchange Milan v Valencia Basket (2021-01-12T19:45:00.000Z)

In a battle of former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions that went to overtime, Olympiacos Piraeus confirmed its good form by downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 87-89 at Menora Mivtachim Arena on Tuesday.

Olympiacos edges Maccabi in OT

In a battle of former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions that went to overtime, Olympiacos Piraeus confirmed its good form by downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 87-89 at Menora Mivtachim Arena on Tuesday. Olympiacos improved to 10-8, registered its third consecutive win and its sixth road victory of the season. Meanwhile, Maccabi dropped to 8-11 and is 0-2 against Olympiacos this season. Kostas Sloukas shined for the winners with 21 points and 11 assists. Giannoulis Larentzakis added 13 points, Georgios Printezis had 12 and Shaquielle McKissic got 10 for Olympiacos. Scottie Wilbekin led Maccabi with 25 points. Elijah Bryant scored 15, Ante Zizic 12 and Othello Hunter 11. Sloukas hit free throws to force overtime, 73-73. Maccabi kept its chances open until the final seconds but Bryant's final midcourt shot hit the rim.



Bryant got Maccabi going with a driving basket and Zizic bettered Vasilis Charampopoulos's jumper with a three-point play for a 5-2 score. Wilbekin struck from beyond the arc and found Bryant for a jumper, but Printezis drew Olympiacos within 12-8. Wilbekin buried a step-back jumper and Angelo Caloiaro added a layup, but Printezis and Charalampopoulos brought the guests within 18-13 after 10 minutes. Bryant and Caloiaro each scored around the basket for a 22-14 Maccabi lead early in the second quarter. McKissic stepped up with a driving layup, but Bryant did better with a triple. McKissic kept pacing Olympiacos and Hassan Martin took over with an alley-oop layup, but Chris Jones and Zizic kept the hosts out of trouble, 32-24. Octavius Ellis tried to change things with a power layup and Sloukas hit a jumper but Wilbekin answered to make it 37-28. After Tyler Dorsey sank a three-pointer, Sloukas and Ellis got the visitors closer, 40-33, at halftime.

Catch up on Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs Olympiacos Piraeus highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs Olympiacos Piraeus Highlights - Round 19 - 12th January, 2021

Ellis dunked soon after the break, igniting a 0-7 run that Sloukas capped with a triple that tied it at 40-40. Zizic rescued Maccabi with a jump hook and a layup and Hunter added a huge put-back slam that gave the hosts fresh air at 48-42. Sloukas and McKissic combined for all the points in a 0-7 run that gave Olympiacos its first lead, 48-49. Bryant hit a floater and Dorsey added a reverse layup. They got help from Jones and Hunter to restore a 55-52 Maccabi edge after 30 minutes. Larentzakis, Martin and Sloukas each hit jumpers early in the fourth quarter for a 55-58 Olympiacos edge. Bryant made a one-handed floater that a red-hot Sloukas matched with a big basket, but Wilbekin and Jones helped Maccabi regain a 61-60 lead. Sloukas found Jean-Charles for an alley-oop layup and Sasha Vezenkov sank a triple for a 61-65 Olympiacos lead with 3 minutes to go. Jean-Charles dunked, but Wilbekin and Zizic got Maccabi within 66-67. Wilbekin buried a three-pointer and Hunter gave Maccabi a 71-67 edge in the final minute. Martin scored down low and Vezenkov tied the game at 71-71 with 24.5 seconds left. Dorsey and Wilbekin each split free throws that made it 73-71. Sloukas drew a foul with 2.9 seconds remaining. He made both attempts and Wilbekin missed from beyond midcourt at the end of regulation.

Caloiaro banked in an off-balance shot early in overtime but Printezis did better with a three-pointer and Sloukas gave the Reds a 75-78 lead. Wilbekin hit free throws and Jones added a floater to put Maccabi in charge, 79-78. Larentzakis followed foul shots with a critical three-pointer and Vezenkov also struck from downtown for an 81-86 Olympiacos lead with 52.2 seconds left. Hunter followed free throws with a slam to get Maccabi within 85-86. The hosts fouled Larentzakis, who made both attempts with 10.9 seconds left. Wilbekin was fouled while taking a midcourt shot but he missed his third attempt. Larentzakis returned to the foul line, split his attempts, and Bryant's buzzer-beating shot from way downtown rimmed out.

### Pivotal performer

Giannoulis Larentzakis finished the game with personal-bests of 13 points, 3 rebounds and a PIR of 17. He hit 2 of 4 three-pointers and 5 of 6 free throws. 8 of his 13 points came in overtime, allowing Olympiacos to return home with a win.

### Game-changing moment

A put-back basket by Othello Hunter gave Maccabi its last leads, 81-80. Larentzakis buried a three-pointer from the top of the key and Olympiacos got the ball back, finding Vezenkov wide open for another shot from beyond the arc. Olympiacos took an 81-86 lead with 52.2 seconds left and managed it well until the final buzzer.

### Stellar stat

The game came down to the details, and free throws were really important. Maccabi made 25 of 35 foul shots (71.4%), missing three critical attempts, two at the end of regulation and one late in overtime. Olympiacos buried 25 of 29 attempts (86.2%) and was solid from the foul line made the difference.

### Did you know?

Vassilis Spanoulis climbed to third place on the EuroLeague's all-time list of games played. He played his 342nd game, going past Juan Carlos Navarro (341). Paulius Jankunas leads the standings (359) and Felipe Reyes is second (353). Spanoulis, however, leads the EuroLeague in minutes played - 9,096 and counting.

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In a battle of former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions that went to overtime, Olympiacos Piraeus confirmed its good form by downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 87-89 at Menora Mivtachim Arena on Tuesday.


Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Olympiacos Piraeus (2021-01-12T19:05:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had its best offensive performance of the season as it extended its winning streak to four games by beating visiting TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 96-76 on Tuesday night.

Fenerbahce sets club assist record with Baskonia rout

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had its best offensive performance of the season as it extended its winning streak to four games by beating visiting TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 96-76 on Tuesday night. Both teams now hold 9-10 records, but Fenerbahce claimed the potential head-to-head tiebreaker with this 20-point win. Fenerbahce took the lead for good early and had its first double-digit margin after 10 minutes. Jan Vesely and Nando De Colo paced the hosts, but Baskonia fought to keep in touch in the first half. But Fenerbahce had a strong finish to the second quarter and a good defensive start of the third, increasing the margin to 60-44 and never looking back as it went on to set a club record with 29 assists. De Colo netted a season-high 27 points, Vesely had 17 and Lorenzo Brown scored 14 points in the victory. Alec Peters paced Baskonia with 15 points, while Zoran Dragic and Achille Polonara had 12 points apiece in a losing effort.


Tadas Sedekerskis and Polonara hit corner threes in the early going for Baskonia, but the hosts took control behind Vesely who dominated inside. Vesely had three dunks in Fenerbahce's first 10 points before three-pointers from Edgaras Ulanovas and Brown made it 20-11. Luca Vildoza knocked down a corner three for the visitors, but Vesely's three-point play and Jarell Eddie's late triple made it 28-18 after 10 minutes. A triple from Dyshawn Pierre extended the margin to 11 points, but Baskonia was not just going to go away. Peters hit a second-chance triple to cut it to 31-26, before Dragic scored 6 points, including a tip-in that helped cut the margin to 38-37. However, De Colo answered with a triple-plus-foul and Marko Guduric followed it with a transition three-pointer to make it 45-37. Henry and Polonara halved the deficit, but Guduric and Brown sank back-to-back threes in the final minute of the half, making it 51-41 at halftime.

Catch up on Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 12th January 2021

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz Highlights - Round 19 - 12th January, 2021

Polonara hit another triple, but that was the only Baskonia basket in the opening 5 minutes of the third quarter. On the other end, Ulanovas hit a long jumper before De Colo had a triple and a driving layup to open a 60-44 lead midway through the third. Eddie and Rokas Giedraitis traded triples, but Brown also connected from downtown before Pierre sank a three-point play that helped break the 20-point margin, 71-51. The hosts took a commanding 75-56 lead into the fourth quarter before Dragic gave Baskonia slim hope with a runner and a fastbreak layup. But De Colo nailed a long corner two and a transition three for an 82-60 advantage. Giedraitis knocked down a three-pointer, but De Colo and Duverioglu kept restoring the 20-point margin. Peters scored a triple and a layup before Arturs Kurucs had a three-point play that made it 88-73 in the penultimate minute. However, with an 18-point tiebreak margin in play, Fenerbahce answered with a quick 8-0 run with back-to-back triples from Guduric and Brown to make it a 23-point lead, the largest of the night, thus securing an important win.

### Double victory

Despite a big margin, there was plenty to play for until the very end. The visitors tried to get the deficit below 18 points, which was the margin of Baskonia's victory in Round 9 - and did get within 88-73, but an 8-0 run secured Fenerbahce the potential tiebreak advantage, too.

### Key performers

Two former EuroLeague MVPs played key roles for Fenerbahce on this night. Jan Vesely set the tone with a great start. He had 11 points in the first quarter and finished the game with 17 points as well as 4 assists. The one who shined in the last three quarters was Nando De Colo, who scored a season-high 27 points, making 7 of 9 two-point shots and 4 of 7 triples.

### Club record

Fenerbahce set a new club record with 29 assists, edging the previous mark of 28 set more than 10 years ago in a win over Cholet Basket. Seven different players had multiple assists in this game, led by a pair of swingmen; Marko Guduric had 6 assists and Dyshawn Pierre dished 5.

### Offensive click

Fenerbahce entered the game averaging a league-low 73.4 points per game. The team had not scored more than 86 points this season, nor hit more than 13 three-pointers in a game. But Coach Igor Kokoskov's men showed what kind of offense they are capable of playing, putting up 96 points and making 15 triples at 53.6%, another season-high, in this victory.

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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had its best offensive performance of the season as it extended its winning streak to four games by beating visiting TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 96-76 on Tuesday night.


Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2021-01-12T17:45:00.000Z)