After nine consecutive losses over 17 years, AX Armani Exchange Milan downed Real Madrid 76-80 in the Spanish capital on Friday. 

Milan gets rare win in Madrid

After nine consecutive losses over 17 years, AX Armani Exchange Milan downed Real Madrid 76-80 in the Spanish capital on Friday. Milan had lost 14 consecutive games against Real before this season, but has now beaten Los Blancos twice and moves up to 10-7. Real drops to 12-6 and saw a six-game winning streak come to an end. Sergio Rodriguez led the winners with 17 points against his former team. Malcolm Delaney added 14 while Zach LeDay had 12 for Milan. Jaycee Carroll led Real with 20 points. Edy Tavares added 14 while Trey Thompkins had 13 for the hosts, which trailed 41-58 midway through the third quarter but got within 74-77 before free throws by Rodriguez and Delaney sealed the outcome in the final seconds.



Delaney got going Milan going with a driving layup and Kaleb Tarczewski hit a mid-range jumper for a 2-4 lead. Tavares dunked but Kevin Punter and Riccardo Moraschini boosted the guests' edge to 4-8. Alberto Abalde and Fabien Causeur each struck from downtown in an 8-0 run that gave Real its first lead, 12-8. LeDay joined the three-point shootout and Kyle Hines added a layup but Thompkins downed a couple of jumpers and Carlos Alocen scored off a steal for a 18-13 Real margin, which LeDay and Rodriguez cut to 18-17 after 10 minutes. Thompkins kept pacing Real early in the second quarter but Rodriguez, Luigi Datome and Michael Roll fueled a 0-8 run that made Milan regain the lead, 21-25. Carroll and Nicolas Laprovittola rescued Real and Gabriel Deck hit a triple for a 28-27 score. Datome answered from beyond the arc and Roll sank a jumper but Laprovittola helped Real tie it at 34-34. Datome and Rodriguez each hit a jumper but Tavares scored down low and Deck downed his second triple for a 39-39 tie at halftime.

Catch up on Real Madrid vs AX Armani Exchange Milan highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th January 2021

Real Madrid vs AX Armani Exchange Milan Highlights - Round 18 - 8th January, 2021

Delaney sank a three-pointer in a 0-9 run which saw Tarczewski add a jumper and a tip-in, giving Milan a 39-48 margin. Tavares rescued Real with an alley-oop slam but LeDay did better with a triple and Delaney followed a layup with a floater for a 41-55 Milan lead. Punter struck from downtown but Carroll and Alocen fueled a 6-0 run that gave Real hope at 47-58. Rodriguez buried one from beyond the arc but Carroll kept the hosts within 49-61 after 30 minutes. Hines and Carroll traded baskets early in the second quarter, and Jeff Brooks hit a jump hook for a 14-point Milan lead, 51-65. Real debutant Alex Tyus tried to change the game's momentum with an alley-oop slam, than Carroll added consecutive three-point plays and a bomb from downtown for a 62-67 score. Tyus hit a jumper but Delaney gave Milan fresh air, 64-70, with over 3 minutes left. LeDay sank a jumper and Rodriguez erased Tavares's dunk with a layup for a 66-74 Milan lead with 1:18 left. Tavares scored again and Thompkins hit a triple to get Real within 71-74. But Rodriguez sealed the outcome with a big three-pointer and a pair of free throws down the stretch.

### Pivotal performer

Malcolm Delaney was a consistent threat throughout the game, finishing the game with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 15.

### Game-changing moment

Milan broke the game open in the first 6 minutes of the second half. Delaney had 7 points in those minutes, Kaleb Tarczewski scored twice while Zach LeDay and Kevin Punter each buried a three-pointer to boost the guests' lead to 41-58. That 2-19 run made the difference, as Real never came back.

### Stellar stat

Milan shot the ball better from beyond the arc, hitting 8-of-17 three-pointers (47.1%). Real only made 8-of-26 shots from downtown (30.8%). The guests only allowed Real to get 5 offensive rebounds, almost half of its season average (9.4 orpg).

### Did you know?

Milan broke a really negative streak after Real had won the previous nine consecutive home games against the Italian powerhouse. Milan is now 2-16 against Real in the Spanish capital. Its only previous win in Madrid came on November 11, 2003, 61-62, in EuroCup (then-called ULEB Cup) action.

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After nine consecutive losses over 17 years, AX Armani Exchange Milan downed Real Madrid 76-80 in the Spanish capital on Friday. 


Real Madrid v AX Armani Exchange Milan (2021-01-08T20:00:00.000Z)

Joffrey Lauvergne produced the best performance of his career to power Zalgiris Kaunas to a 102-75 home win over Khimki Moscow Region on Friday night.

Lauvergne inspires Zalgiris to thrash Khimki

Joffrey Lauvergne produced the best performance of his career to power Zalgiris Kaunas to a 102-75 home win over Khimki Moscow Region on Friday night. Lauvergne scored 29 points on 13-of-14 two-point shooting and hauled down 9 rebounds to give Zalgiris its sixth consecutive victory, improving to 11-7 while Khimki stays in last place at 2-16. Khimki initially competed well and used a 2-16 run to establish a 32-43 lead before half-time, but Zalgiris fought back after the break and took total control with 11-2 and 16-0 runs, winning the third quarter 39-13 to put the outcome beyond doubt. Lauvergne’s spectacular performance was complemented by 18 points and 8 assists for Marius Grigonis, and 14 points for Nigel Hayes. Khimki was paced by Alexey Shved with 22 points and 8 assists, while Devin Booker had 19 points and 7 rebounds.



Zalgiris focused its early efforts inside, scoring through Lauvergne, Grigonis and Arturas Milaknis, while Shved got Khimki moving with a three-pointer. Lauvergne and Booker traded alley-oops, making it 8-7 midway through the opening period. Shved twice dished for Sergey Karasev to score, but Lauvergne continued to dominate inside with 7 more points, stretching the lead to 17-11. Jordan Mickey’s triple was answered by Hayes before Shved scored 6 straight points including a four-point play. Augustine Rubit had the first quarter’s last word with a buzzer-beating dunk for a 22-20 lead. Martinas Geben started the second quarter scoring, but another Mickey threeball and Vyacheslav Zaytsev’s layup-and-one kept Khimki close, 28-27, despite 4 points from Hayes. An inside score from Grigonis was bettered by Shved from deep, and 4 straight points from Booker gave Khimki the lead, 30-34. Another Lauvergne alley-oop was answered by two more scores from Booker, and a deep three from Stefan Jovic made it 32-43 after a 2-16 run. Lukas Lekavicius got Zalgiris back on the board, before Lauvergne and Booker both scored twice inside to make it 39-48 at the break.

Catch up on Zalgiris Kaunas vs Khimki Moscow Region highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th January 2021

Zalgiris Kaunas vs Khimki Moscow Region Highlights - Round 18 - 8th January, 2021

Lauvergne opened the third quarter with another alley-oop, and Thomas Walkup penetrated to score before Grigonis struck from deep for a quickfire 7-0 run. Booker responded with a powerful dunk but Milaknis drove the baseline to layup and Lauvergne scored again to tie the game, 50-50. Jovic and Walkup exchanged deep strikes and Hayes sent Zalgiris back in front from beyond the arc. A three-point play from Lauvergne and a transition three from Grigonis made it 64-55, before two more scores from the unstoppable Lauvergne and free throws capped a 18-0 run, making it 74-55. Errick McCollum finally scored Khimki’s first field goal in nearly five minutes, before Lekavicius made it 78-61 after three quarters. McCollum and Mickey offered some resistance early in the fourth, but Grigonis twice struck from long-range to extend the lead beyond 20 points. A pair of dunks from Geben made it 96-72, and Walkup scored in transition before Rokas Jokubaitis took Zalgiris into triple figures from the foul line, and teenager Marek Blazevic completed the scoring with his first career field goal.

### Lauvergne approaches Scola record

With 13 of his 14 field goals converted, Joffrey Lauvergne registered the second-highest number of two-pointers with just one miss in EuroLeague history. Only Luis Scola has scored more two-pointers with a solitary missed shot, making 15-of-16 for Tau Ceramica against Benetton Basket in the 2005 playoffs.

### Great offensive numbers for Zalgiris

The home team had only made 1 of its 5 three-point attempts at half-time, but put that right by going 6-of-12 from beyond the arc after the break. Zalgiris also dished 25 assists, and converted 31 two-point shots – its highest since 2014.

### Zalgiris steps up on D

Another key to the outcome was a big improvement on defense after half-time from Zalgiris. Khimki scored 48 points in the first half but could only manage 27 after the break, being held scoreless for more than 4 minutes midway through the third quarter.

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Joffrey Lauvergne produced the best performance of his career to power Zalgiris Kaunas to a 102-75 home win over Khimki Moscow Region on Friday night.

Zalgiris Kaunas v Khimki Moscow Region (2021-01-08T18:00:00.000Z)

In a highly entertaining clash that came down to the final shot, Olympiacos Piraeus held off visiting FC Bayern Munich 84-82 on Friday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium.

Olympiacos takes dramatic win over Bayern

In a highly entertaining clash that came down to the final shot, Olympiacos Piraeus held off visiting FC Bayern Munich 84-82 on Friday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium. Olympiacos improved to 9-8 on the season, while Bayern dropped to 11-7. Neither team had a double-digit lead in the game, but both held leads of 9 points. Bayern used long-distance shooting from D.J. Seeley to open a 33-42 edge in the second quarter, while Vassilis Spanoulis sparked the Reds to a 72-63 margin in the fourth. Seeley rallied the visitors back to a tie, but Kostas Sloukas and Sasha Vezenkov took it to the hoop for big baskets down the stretch, before Olympiacos made one last defensive stand to pull out the victory. Sloukas paced the hosts with 24 points, 7 assists and 3 steals, and Vezenkov scored 13 points. Aaron Harrison and Octavius Ellis scored 11 apiece, and Spanoulis netted 10 in the win. Seeley finished with a career-high 26 points on 7-for-8 three-point shooting, and Jalen Reynolds had another big game for Bayern with 20 points on 9-for-11 two-point shooting.



Sloukas and Harrison knocked down triples in the early going for Olympiacos. Diego Flaccadori hit from long range for Bayern and Wade Baldwin IV scored a tough runner, but Georgios Printezis netted 7 points for the hosts, including a triple and a fastbreak layup, to open a 16-9 lead. Bayern quickly answered as a triple-plus-foul from Seeley and a three-pointer from Paul Zipser capped a 0-9 run that put the visitors in front. A baseline dunk from Reynolds helped Bayern to 19-22 after 10 minutes, and Reynolds hit a jumper early in the second. Vezenkov and Spanoulis fueled a 6-0 run that briefly had the Reds ahead. After Seeley and Sloukas each hit from long range, Seeley nailed two more threes to open a 28-35 lead. Vezenkov connected from long range for the hosts, but Baldwin's transition triple extended it to 33-42. The Reds found their way back, and Ellis scored 5 points including a monster dunk-plus-foul to tie it at 44-44, before Flaccadori's last-second fastbreak layup gave Bayern a 44-46 lead at halftime.

Catch up on Olympiacos Piraeus vs FC Bayern Munich highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th January 2021

Olympiacos Piraeus vs FC Bayern Munich Highlights - Round 18 - 8th January, 2021

Sloukas and Baldwin traded tough runners early in the third, before Harrison hit a second-chance triple for the hosts, 51-48. Baldwin answered with a three-point play, followed by Reynolds stringing together 8 points, including two jumpers and an alley-oop dunk, to restore Bayern's lead, 55-59. But Spanoulis fueled a response, driving for a basket and sparking a 9-0 run he capped himself with triple, giving the Reds the lead back. The hosts took a 64-61 lead into the fourth quarter, and back-to-back threes from Spanoulis and Vezenkov opened a 72-63 margin. Seeley hit his fifth triple, but Sloukas also made one from downtown to keep Olympiacos with a 9-point margin. But Seeley sank a jumper, James Gist a baseline jumper, and Seeley tied things back up at 77-77 with his sixth triple. Vezenkov snapped a 0-9 run with a three-point play and, after a fastbreak score from Reynolds, Sloukas netted a pair of baskets driving to the rim, to make it 84-79. However, Seeley knocked down another triple, and Bayern made a defensive stand to have 4.2 seconds for the final possession. However, after a timeout, Zipser's three-point attempt was off target.

### Clutch performer

With the game on the line, Olympiacos put the ball in the hands of Kostas Sloukas and the three-time EuroLeague champion delivered. He drove for a pair of key layups, turning a one-point lead into 84-79 in the final minute. Sloukas finished with 24 points, and made 3 of 4 three-point attempts, which makes him 8-for-11 from downtown in the last two games.

### Olympiacos finds key offensive boards

Bayern entered the game allowing the fewest offensive rebounds, 8.7 per game, then held Olympiacos without a single offensive board in the first half. But the hosts finished with 8 offensive boards, and had 5 in the fourth quarter alone, including a pair from Livio Jean-Charles late in the game to give the Reds a big boost down the stretch.

### Seeley's career-night

After joining Bayern before Round 13, D.J. Seeley averaged 6.4 points and made a total of 4 triples in five appearances before this game. In this contest, though, Seeley set a new club record by making 7 triples on 8 attempts, and scored a career-high 26 points, tied for fourth-most in Bayern history.

### Tiebreaker: Bayern

This was the first game of the second half of the regular season, which means these two teams have now played twice. And thanks to a 74-68 win in Munich in Round 5, Bayern holds the tiebreak advantage over Olympiacos.

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In a highly entertaining clash that came down to the final shot, Olympiacos Piraeus held off visiting FC Bayern Munich 84-82 on Friday night at Peace and Friendship Stadium.


Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Bayern Munich (2021-01-08T19:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul pulled out a valuable win at the Astroballe by beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 80-102 on Friday night. 

Efes showed no mercy against ASVEL

Anadolu Efes Istanbul pulled out a valuable win at the Astroballe by beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 80-102 on Friday night. The visitors started strong on a 7-18 opening run and amassed a 20-point halftime lead that was never jeopardized. Efes got its sixth win on the road this season to improve to 9-9, while ASVEL dropped to 5-12. The winners were paced by Vasilije Micic, who posted 23 points and 9 assists. James Anderson tallied a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Shane Larkin (16), Chris Singleton (16) and Bryant Dunston (14) also scored in double figures. Norris Cole recorded 22 points in 21 minutes for ASVEL, as Allerik Freeman and Charles Kahudi netted 11 points apiece on the losing side.


The visitors started at full throttle fueled by the duo of Dunston and Singleton, who combined for 14 points to build an early 7-18 lead. Freeman showed up for ASVEL and scored the next 8 points for his team, including a pair of threes, but Efes remained in full control as Dunston and Singleton kept contributing and Micic joined in from the line to close the first period with a solid advantage, 15-29. Larkin and Rodrigue Beaubois added triples to open the second quarter, preceding an unsportsmanlike foul called on Matthew Strazel that Larkin and Micic turned into 4 points for a 20-point margin, 19-39. The hosts found some offensive rhythm thanks to Cole but couldn’t step up defensively as Anderson took over to help Efes keep a comfortable advantage, 34-54, at halftime.

Catch up on LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th January 2021

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul Highlights - Round 18 - 8th January, 2021

Back-to-back triples by Kahudi reduced the gap to 47-62 after the break, but Micic took the reins on offense to first assist Singleton and Dunston, then add a trey and a reverse layup to make it 50-71 midway through the third quarter. The hosts kept trying from outside, but each attempt at a rally was soon aborted by the all-round contribution from Micic. Five points in a row by Beaubois allowed Efes to enter the last period firmly in front, 59-82. A 7-0 run capped by a three-point play by Freeman brought ASVEL closer, but that was quickly answered by inside baskets from Sertac Sanli and a corner three by Larkin that made it 68-89 with 6 minutes to go. A three-pointer by Cole soon after became the last try for ASVEL, as a four-point play by Micic sparked a 0-9 run that made it 71-99 to put the game on ice.

### Key performer

Vasilije Micic was dominant on offense, scoring in double-figures for the sixth consecutive game and contributing to his team in several aspects. He provided 23 points, 9 assists and 5 steals, good for a career-high PIR of 35.

### Telling numbers

Anadolu Efes put on a terrific defensive effort, especially in the first half, to prevent ASVEL from getting comfortable. The Turkish team forced 13 turnovers - 10 in the first two periods - that turned into 25 points, making the difference.

### Six out of six

The visitors are now 6-0 against ASVEL in games this century, including a 72-68 home win in a rescheduled Round 5 game less than a month ago. This victory is also the sixth on the road for Efes this season.

### Did you know?

Anadolu Efes passed the 100-point mark for the second time this season but fell short of reaching the 105 points it scored against Khimki Moscow Region in Round 10. Both triple-digit offensive performances have come in road games, as Efes’ best scoring at home this season is 91.

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Anadolu Efes Istanbul pulled out a valuable win at the Astroballe by beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 80-102 on Friday night. 


LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2021-01-08T19:45:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv continued to edge closer to the playoff zone by running past ALBA Berlin 73-85 in the German capital. 

Maccabi claims another win in Berlin

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv continued to edge closer to the playoff zone by running past ALBA Berlin 73-85 in the German capital. Tyler Dorsey tallied 25 points for Maccabi, which has now won five of its last seven games in improving its record to 8-10 mark. Angelo Caloiaro collected 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for an index rating of 26 while Dragan Bender chipped in 13 points for the winners. ALBA has lost four of its last five games to fall to 7-11. Simone Fontecchio led the way with 15 points while Jayson Granger scored 13 points and tied his career-high with 11 assists. Johannes Thiemann added 11 points and Ben Lammers had 10 in defeat.



Thiemann’s layup started the scoring for the hosts with Elijah Bryant answering with a driving layup. After two Ante Zizic scores, Caloiaro’s free throws gave Maccabi its first lead, 7-8. Granger and Malte Delow both hit from deep in an 8-0 spurt to pull ahead 15-10. But Scottie Wilbekin, Dorsey, Bender and Chris Jones all nailed three-pointers in the final 3 minutes in a 2-14 run to give Maccabi a 17-24 lead after the first quarter. Jones added two baskets in a 0-10 start to the second quarter for a 17-34 lead before Louis Olinde’s layup finally ended the ALBA drought. Caloiaro added two more scores as the advantage grew to 19-40. Fontecchio responded with ALBA’s final 9 points to get the home side within 28-43 at the break.

Catch up on ALBA Berlin vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 7th January 2021

ALBA Berlin vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 18 - 7th January, 2021

Omri Casspi started the second half with a three-pointer for Maccabi to push the lead to 28-46, but Granger and Lammers took over with the former feeding three of Lammers’ four baskets and then assisting on Thiemann’s three-pointer in ALBA’s 11-2 run to get within 39-48. But Bender and Dorsey knocked down triples and the cushion was back to 17. Maodo Lo scored twice and Granger connected at the buzzer for ALBA, which trailed 49-63 after 30 minutes. Granger knocked down a three-pointer to bring ALBA within 54-65 early in the final frame only to see Dorsey complete a four-point play and then add a three-pointer for a 54-72 lead. Fontecchio answered with an and-one to help trim the gap to 13 points, but Bryant punched back with a three-point play of his own to go ahead 59-75. Dorsey knocked down another triple for a 64-80 lead. Bender added 3 free throws for the winners to give him at least 11 points in three of his last five games.

### Maccabi continues dominance over Germans

Maccabi coming to the German capital this century has meant a victory as the Israeli champion improved to 13-1 against ALBA since 2000, including a 7-0 record in Berlin. Maccabi has won the last four games and ALBA’s only win came in the 2014-15 Top 16 in Israel.

### Pivotal performer

Tyler Dorsey came off the Maccabi bench and hit 8 of 10 field-goal attempts, including 5 of 7 from long range to go with 4 of 6 free throws for 25 points - 1 off his career-high. He added 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 fouls drawn for a career-best 27 index rating.

### Telling numbers

ALBA connected on just 45.5% of its two-pointers and 28.6% of its three-pointers while Maccabi had 60.0% and 45.8%, respectively. ALBA also only had 10 players as the team remains short-handed, missing injured leaders Luke Sikma, Niels Giffey, Peyton Siva and Marcus Eriksson as well as Coach Aito Garcia Reneses, who has now missed ALBA’s last three games after testing positive for COVID-19.

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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv continued to edge closer to the playoff zone by running past ALBA Berlin 73-85 in the German capital. 


ALBA Berlin v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2021-01-07T19:00:00.000Z)

In their record 43rd Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game this century, TD System Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz stopped visiting CSKA Moscow 95-93 in a thriller that went down to the wire on Thursday. 

 Baskonia halts CSKA's streak in a thriller, 95-93

In their record 43rd Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game this century, TD System Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz stopped visiting CSKA Moscow 95-93 in a thriller that went down to the wire on Thursday. Baskonia lifted its record to 9-9 while ending CSKA's 12-game winning streak and dropping the visitors to 14-4. Baskonia led by 15 late in the first quarter and 12 after three, but CSKA rallied to go ahead 55-60 between those extremes and had a chance to win or tie until Mike James missed the game's last shot. Pierria Henry had 18 points and 10 assists to lead the winners, and Achille Polonara matched his scoring. Rokas Giedraitis added 17 points, Youssoupha Fall 16 and Luca Vildoza 12 for Baskonia, which posted its highest scoring total of the season. James had 20 points and 7 assists for CSKA, which played without injured stars Will Clyburn and Daniel Hackett. Joel Bolomboy, Janis Strelnieks and Tornike Shengelia -- Baskonia's long-time leader until switching this season to CSKA -- all had 13 points for the visitors.



Giedraitis and Darrun Hilliard traded triples to open the scoring. Hilliard added another before Fall, Henry, Polonara and Giedraitis all scored in close for an 11-6 Baskonia advantage. Tadas Sedekerskis hit from deep and Henry fed Giedraitis for a 17-8 lead. James and Fall traded baskets before the big man converted a three-point play, Sedekerskis and Giedraitis combined for 5 points before Polonara scored off feeds from Tonye Jekiri and Henry for 31-19 score after 10 minutes. Semen Antonov and Bolomboy put back 3 misses early in the second quarter and Janis Strelnieks buried a triple and a pull-up jumper as CSKA drew closer, 35-31. Triples from Giedraitis and Alec Peters soon reestablish a 41-31 Baskonia lead. Strelnieks kept it going but Henry's nifty layup and three-pointer sustained the lead at 46-38. Shengalia's jump-hook preceded James ending his relative silence with a cagey and-one three-pointer that turned into a five-play with a technical free throw 3 seconds before the half for CSKA to make it a whole new game, 46-45.

Catch up on TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs CSKA Moscow highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 7th January 2021

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs CSKA Moscow Highlights - Round 18 - 7th January, 2021

Bolomboy, Fall, Hilliard and Henry batted the lead back and forth to start the second half. Soon, James and Ivan Ukhov buried triples as CSKA pulled away to its biggest lead, 55-60. Fall dunked a miss and Vildoza buried a triple to quickly tie it, 60-60. James stepped back for a triple at 62-65 that Henry matched. Fall powered for a three-point play, Polonara drilled from the arc and Vildoza stole to feed Giedraitis at 73-67. Vildoza had even better in him, though, with a four-point play to close Baskonia's 19-2 third-quarter finish with a 79-67 lead. Nikita Kurbanov started the fourth quarter with a triple for CSKA before Bolomboy and Polonara had dueling alley-oop slams. James drilled from near half-court and Strelnieks from the corner as CSKA pulled within 82-78. Sedekerskis climbed off the bench for a corner triple at 85-80. Bolomboy combined a dunk, a tip-in and a block that set up Shengelia's put-back to cut the difference to 88-86. Polonara blasted a huge triple then but Antonov came on to match him for a 91-89 score entering the last 2 minutes. Peters and Shengelia exchanged inside baskets before Vildoza, with 14.2 seconds left, snatched an offensive rebound and made 1 of 2 free throws at 94-91. Strelnieks was fouled on a transition triple with 9.2 seconds left, but the sixth-most-accurate free throw shooter in EuroLeague history made only the first 2 of his 3 chances. Fall split a pair at the other end, making it 95-93 with 8.0 seconds left. CSKA inbounded to James, who got loose as Henry tried to steal, but couldn't make his fall-away jumper, leaving the victory in Vitoria-Gasteiz with Baskonia.

### Pivotal performers

The duel between Henry and James was memorable, but when the latter's shot missed at the finish, the former came away with the win. Henry had 18 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals for a 27 PIR, while James finished with 20 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 steal for a 25 PIR. They were that close and so was the final score. Great duel.

### Key sequence

CSKA recovered all of a 15-point deficit to take a 55-60 midway through the third quarter. Vildoza scored 9 points in the next 5 minutes, including a four-point play on the buzzer, as Baskonia finished the quarter with a 19-2 run to reestablish a double-digit lead, 79-67, that held up, although barely, until the end of the game.

### Fall won the battle of the boards

A week after he pulled 19 rebounds, including a EuroLeague-record 16 on offense, Baskonia was determined not to let MVP of December Nikola Milutinov of CSKA dominate the boards. The hosts won the rebounding battle 12-7 in the first quarter and held Milutinov to just 3 rebounds in his 13 minutes on the floor, eventually losing the team rebounding battle by just 35-36. The EuroLeague's biggest player, 2.21-meter Youssoupha Fall, was the big factor early in taking Milutinov out of the game early and finished with a team-high 9 rebounds. Fall has now scored 54 points in his last three games against CSKA.

### Did you know?

Until Thursday, Baskonia had won every game in which Alec Peters scored more than 15 points, and lost all those when he scored 15 of fewer. This time, however, his scoring was not needed. Peters had 6 points and Baskonia won anyway.

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In their record 43rd Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game this century, TD System Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz stopped visiting CSKA Moscow 95-93 in a thriller that went down to the wire on Thursday. 

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v CSKA Moscow (2021-01-07T20:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had to battle for all 40 minutes to down Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 71-73 in the Serbian capital on Thursday. 

Brown's game-winner lifts Fenerbahce past Zvezda

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had to battle for all 40 minutes to down Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 71-73 in the Serbian capital on Thursday. Fenerbahce improved to 8-10 and is now on a three-game winning streak. Zvezda dropped to 6-12 and lost the chance to win three consecutive EuroLeague home games for the first time since March 2018. Lorenzo Brown became the hero against his former team by hitting the game-winning floater off the baseline at the buzzer. Brown and DyShawn Pierre led the winners with 13 points apiece, Marko Guduric added 11 and Danilo Barthel and Jan Vesely each scored 10 for Fenerbahce. Johnny O'Bryant paced Zvezda with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Ognjen Dobric added 12 points, Dejan Davidovac 11 and Quino Colom 10. Zvezda led 66-59 late in the game, but Fenerbahce rallied and Brown won it as time expired.



Vesely got Fenerbahce going with a layup that Corey Walden bettered with a three-pointer for a 3-2 Zvezda lead. Barthel matched it with a layup-plus-foul, igniting a 0-7 run highlighted by Vesely's dunk. Davidovac and Dobric stepped up for the hosts, but Guduric and Nando De Colo gave Fenerbahce an 8-13 lead. Davidovac scored again and O'Bryant buried a triple to bring Zvezda within 13-15. Marko Jagodic-Kuridza took over with a tip-in and got help from Colom and O'Bryant to give Zvezda a 22-18 lead after 10 minutes. Brown scored in penetration early in the second quarter and found Pierre for a corner triple that caused the hosts to call timeout at 22-23. Aleksa Radanov answered from beyond the arc, but Vesely kept the guests in charge, 25-27. O'Bryant hit a jumper, then Walden and Dobric each sank a three-pointer to give Zvezda a 35-31 edge. Guduric answered from downtown and Barthel dunked, but Duop Reath hit a jump hook and Colom beat the halftime buzzer with a jumper for a 39-38 Zvezda lead.

Catch up on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 7th January 2021

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul Highlights - Round 18 - 7th January, 2021

Edgaras Ulanovas and Brown each sank a three-pointer right after the break for a 38-44 Fenerbahce margin. Colom rescued Zvezda with a layup-plus-foul and a no-look assist that allowed O'Bryant to tie it at 44-44. Jagodic-Kuridza soon completed the hosts' comeback, 47-46. Brown buried a step-back triple and Jarell Eddie added a jumper, but O'Bryant and Radanov kept Zvezda ahead, 53-51. Pierre hit a running hook to fix the score at 53-53 after 30 minutes. Guduric nailed a jumper early in the fourth quarter. Dobric answered with a three-point play and Davidovac added a layup in a 7-0 run that gave Zvezda fresh air at 60-57. Vesely and Pierre rescued the guests, but O'Bryant and Dobric kept their team in charge, 66-59. Barthel struck from beyond the arc and Brown added a three-point play. Guduric soon put Fenerbahce ahead, 68-69, with less than 3 minutes left. Davidovac buried a wide-open triple, Pierre hit free throws and Fenerbahce got the ball back in the final seconds. Brown had time to drive and hit a baseline floater at the buzzer to win the game.

### Pivotal performer

DyShawn Pierre did a little bit of everything to lead Fenerbahce to a win with an all-around performance. He finished the game with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 assists and 3 fouls drawn for a PIR of 19.

### Game-changing stretch

The game's momentum changed in the closing minutes of the game. Zvezda led 66-59 before Danilo Barthel buried a critical three-pointer, Lorenzo Brown took over with a three-point play and Marko Guduric added 4 quick points to give Fenerbahce a 68-69 edge. Brown won the game down the stretch, but it wouldn't have been possible without this comeback.

### Stellar stat

Two-point shots made the difference in this game. Fenerbahce made 22 of 40 shots inside the arc (55.0%) and Zvezda only buried 12 of 30 attempts (40.0%). None was more important, of course, than Brown's game-winner.

### Did you know?

It was Edgaras Ulanovas's 28th birthday. He celebrated it with a strong performance, scoring 7 points on 2-of-2 two-point shooting and 1-of-2 on threes for a PIR of 7 in just 14 minutes.

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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had to battle for all 40 minutes to down Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 71-73 in the Serbian capital on Thursday. 


Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2021-01-07T18:00:00.000Z)

Zenit St Petersburg continued its dominance on the road this season by beating Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 77-89 on Thursday at OAKA.

Zenit rolls to victory in Athens

Zenit St Petersburg continued its dominance on the road this season by beating Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 77-89 on Thursday at OAKA. Arturas Gudaitis scored a career-high 25 points as Zenit improved its record to 11-5, including 8-1 outside of Russia. Kevin Pangos added 18 points and 10 assists for his second double-double of the season, Will Thomas posted 10 points and 7 rebounds and Austin Hollins also scored 10 for the victors. Ioannis Papapetrou paced the Greens with 14 points and Dinos Mitoglou added 13 points and 7 rebounds. Panathinaikos, playing its first game under interim head coach Kostas Charalampidis, lost its third game in a row to fall to 5-12.



Gudaitis started strong for the visitors with a block on one end and a dunk on the other. Georgios Papagiannis played a key role in the Greens' attack, but Zenit looked to pull away as Pangos scored twice and a Gudaitis hook shot made it 7-13 midway through the opening quarter. A three-pointer by Thomas and a steal and slam from Hollins extended the margin, which reached double figures on Anton Pushkov's free throws, 9-20. Free throws by Nemanja Nedovic helped Panathinaikos settle down and end the quarter at 16-26. Billy Baron capped a 0-7 Zenit start to the second quarter with a triple that prompted a Panathinaikos timeout. Ben Bentil scored twice to revive the hosts and Nedovic followed with a triple. A Bentil slam made it 27-35 midway through the quarter. Pangos and Papapetrou traded threes before Shelvin Mack trimmed the deficit to 7. Gudaitis scored on consecutive possessions and added another slam in the final minute that lifted Zenit to a 35-47 halftime lead.

Catch up on Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Zenit St Petersburg highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 7th January 2021

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Zenit St Petersburg Highlights - Round 18 - 7th January, 2021

Thomas opened the second half with his second three of the night and Pangos soon added a three-point play. Papagiannis stepped up with a block and a jumper to keep Panathinaikos in the hunt, but a basket-plus-foul by Gudaitis and free throws by Thomas stretched the margin to 20. Another three-point play by the Zenit center gave him 1,000 career points, a career-high 21 for the game and a 41-62 lead. Free throws by Thomas and Hollins made it a 25-point game. Leonidas Kaselakis provided a spark for the Greens with 8 points to narrow the gap to 54-76 through three quarters. Panathinaikos held Zenit to just 2 points in the first 4 minutes of the fourth quarter while Eleftherios Bochoridis and Nedovic got the hosts within 63-78. A triple by Mitoglou made it 68-80. Gudaitis gave Zenit some breathing room with a three-point play, but a second Mitoglou three got Panathinaikos within 75-84 with 2 minutes remaining. However, the hosts could add only 2 more free throws after that and Zenit held on for the victory.

### Pivotal player

Kevin Pangos ran the Zenit attack brilliantly to amass 18 points and 10 assists. The point guard made all 7 of his two-point shots, collected 3 rebounds and only had 2 turnovers for a performance index rating of 25.

### Gudaitis's special night

On the same basket in the third quarter, Zenit center Arturas Gudaitis made personal history as he reached 1,000 career EuroLeague points and matched his career-high with 20 points. Gudaitis, who is in his seventh EuroLeague campaign with his third different club, finished the game with 25 points.

### Telling numbers

The biggest difference between the teams was in their two-point shooting. Zenit made 23 of 33 twos (69.7%) while holding the home side to 20 of 42 (47.6%). Zenit was also excellent on its free throws, making 22 of 25 (88%).

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Zenit St Petersburg continued its dominance on the road this season by beating Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 77-89 on Thursday at OAKA.


Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v Zenit St Petersburg (2021-01-07T19:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona snapped its three-game losing streak by beating Valencia Basket 89-72 at Palau Blaugrana on Thursday.

Barcelona bounces back against Valencia

FC Barcelona snapped its three-game losing streak by beating Valencia Basket 89-72 at Palau Blaugrana on Thursday. Barcelona improved to 12-6 in the standings, while Valencia dropped to 10-8. Alex Abrines led the winners with 16 points, Cory Higgins and Adam Hanga each scored 13 and Rolands Smits and Sergi Martinez got 10 apiece for Barcelona. Louis Labeyrie paced Valencia with 17 points, Mike Tobey posted 14 points and 10 rebounds and Joan Sastre had 13 points for the visitors. Barcelona led 18-12 after 10 minutes and extended it to 32-16 soon after that. Labeyrie, Nikola Kalinic and Tobey rallied Valencia to within 38-33 at halftime. Smits and Pierre Oriola helped Barcelona restore a 67-54 margin after 30 minutes and the hosts never looked back.



Higgins got Barcelona going with a floater, but Sastre followed a layup with a triple in a 0-7 run that Tobey capped with a backdoor basket. Higgins dunked off a steal and fed Hanga for a three-pointer. Higgins followed a three-pointer with a layup and got help from Smits, Martinez and Leo Westermann for an 18-10 Barcelona lead, which Martin Hermannsson cut to 18-12 after 10 minutes. Hermannsson and Labeyrie brought Valencia a bit closer, 20-16, early in the second quarter. It didn't last long, however, as Martinez scored twice around the basket and Abrines nailed back-to-back three-pointers in a 12-0 run highlighted by Hanga's dunk. Labeyrie sank consecutive triples, but so did Hanga for a 38-22 score. Labeyrie insisted from beyond the arc and Tobey added a dunk-and-foul in a 0-11 run which Prepelic capped with a buzzer-beating layup off a great inbound play to bring Valencia within 38-33 at halftime.

Catch up on FC Barcelona vs Valencia Basket highlights from Round 18 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 7th January 2021

FC Barcelona vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 18 - 7th January, 2021

Kalinic followed a put-back basket with a driving layup soon after the break, but Nick Calathes made it 43-37. Derrick Williams erased Pierre Oriola's layup with a huge alley-oop dunk, but Higgins hit a jumper for a 47-39 score. Smits and Oriola soon allowed the hosts to restore a double-digit margin, 52-41. Sastre downed a floater and fed Labeyrie for a jumper, but Smits kept Barcelona fully in charge, 60-47. Sam Van Rossom and Sastre each hit a three-pointer. Oriola and Abrines boosted the hosts' margin to 67-54 after 30 minutes. Abrines and Oriola kept pushing Barcelona early in the fourth quarter and Martinez added a layup that broke the game open, 72-54. Abrines downed a three-pointer and Higgins scored again, but Prepelic brought Valencia within 77-63 with 6 minutes left. Valencia never gave up but Barcelona was on its way to a well-deserved win.

### Pivotal performer

Nick Calathes had a strong all-around performance and just missed a triple-double. He finished the game with 8 points, 7 rebounds - all on the defensive end - and 7 assists, also drawing 3 fouls for a PIR of 15.

### Game-changing moment

Barcelona found its rhythm early in the second quarter, turning defensive stops into easy baskets. Sergi Martinez scored twice down low, Alex Abrines buried consecutive three-pointers and Adam Hanga found space for an uncontested dunk. All of a sudden, Barcelona led 32-16 and even though Valencia returned to the game, the hosts never trailed after that.

### Stellar stats

Barcelona committed only 6 turnovers - a season-low and the club's lowest number since October 2018. Valencia had twice as many, finishing the game with 12 turnovers. Barcelona made 11 of 19 three-point shots (57.9%) and Valencia buried 10 of 25 (40.0%).

### Did you know?

Barcelona remains undefeated against Valencia at Palau Blaugrana in EuroLeague action - three victories in as many games. Barcelona is now 5-1 against Valencia in Europe's marquee competition. Valencia's only win, 81-76, came at La Fonenta on January 16, 2018. Bojan Dubljevic, who missed the game tonight, led the way in that game with 19 points.

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FC Barcelona snapped its three-game losing streak by beating Valencia Basket 89-72 at Palau Blaugrana on Thursday.


FC Barcelona v Valencia Basket (2021-01-07T20:00:00.000Z)