The first game of 2021 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was a thriller, going back and forth all night on Tuesday until undermanned ALBA Berlin claimed a 95-91 victory over visiting TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in a rescheduled game from Round 5. 

Undermanned ALBA takes 95-91 thriller

The first game of 2021 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was a thriller, going back and forth all night on Tuesday until undermanned ALBA Berlin claimed a 95-91 victory over visiting TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in a rescheduled game from Round 5. Maodo Lo broke a 91-91 tie with a three-point play with 34 seconds left that decided it, lifting ALBA's record to 7-10 while dropping Baskonia to 8-9. ALBA, who only dressed 10 players due to five being injured, got a season-high 21 points from former Baskonia guard Jayson Granger. Maodo Lo added 19 points, Simone Fontecchio 15, Johannes Thiemann 14 and Jonas Mattisseck 12 as ALBA made 16 of 29 three-pointers, one shy of tying its club record in EuroLeague play. Baskonia got 18 points and 10 rebounds from Achille Polonara. Zoran Dragic added 17 points and Alec Peters 15, while Pierria Henry combined 10 points with 9 assists. ALBA used a 14-0 first-quarter burst to build several double-digit leads but Baskonia rallied to finish the first half with a 3-14 run to get back in the game. The process repeated itself in the third quarter, when a 12-point ALBA lead dwindled until Baskonia led by 77-82 with 6 minutes left, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.



Henry fed Tadas Sedekerskis twice and Ilimane Diop once and Rokas Giedraitis hit the game's first triple for a quick 3-9 Baskonia lead. Thiemann and Ben Lammers steadied the hosts, however, and then Mattisseck drilled a go-ahead triple. Granger added a jumper and a fastbreak layup sandwiched around Fontecchio's three-pointer to complete a 14-0 ALBA run to a 17-9 lead. Giedraitis and Polonara stopped Baskonia's slide from deep, but Luis Olinde and Tim Schneider matched them and Lo banked in a floater for the first double-digit lead, 25-15. Giedraitis bailed out Baskonia again from long distance as the first quarter ended 25-19. Fontecchio and Lo blasted triples early in the second quarter for a new high lead of 31-19. Tonye Jekiri scored twice inside, Luca Vildoza hit from deep and Youssoupha Fall dropped a layup as Baskonia recovered to within 33-28. Thiemann answered from deep – twice – to keep a 39-30 ALBA lead that became double digits again as he spun on the baseline for a reverse. Zoran Dragic and Polonara rescued Baskonia from deep as Fall started dominating inside at both ends before Peters and Henry scored their first points to cut the difference to 45-44 at halftime.

Catch up on ALBA Berlin vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz highlights from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 5th January 2021

ALBA Berlin vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz Highlights - Round 5 - 5th January 2021

After the break, Fontecchio reignited the hosts from deep before Mattissek turned 2 Baskonia turnovers into 5 points and a 53-45 ALBA lead. Mattissek, Granger and Granger kept it going from deep to make it 64-52. Henry's three-point play and Polonara's free throws gave way to Peters sinking a triple to cut the difference to 66-62. Lo's late three-pointer was answered by Baskonia's fourth three-point play of the quarter, from Peters, who then drilled from deep for a 74-72 score after 30 minutes. Polonara's put-back opened the fourth quarter and his triple gave Baskonia its first lead since the game's fourth minute. He also hit 2 free throws in a personal 7-0 run to a 74-79 Baskonia lead. Granger converted a three-point play to revive the hosts, but Polonara assisted Dragic for a triple and a 77-82 Baskonia lead. Lo soon matched him, however, to tie it up 82-82 with less than 5 minutes to play. Dragic's s go-ahead free throws were answered by Granger with a baseline jumper but Henry then stuck a triple to make it 84-87 for the visitors. Fontecchio kept the hosts close and Thiemman buried a triple to tie it 89-89 entering the next-to-last minute. Peters and Fontecchio traded two-pointers before Lo stole at one end and drove for an and-one layup at the other to reclaim a 94-91 lead for ALBA with 34 seconds left. Baskonia missed and Thiemann made 1 of 2 free throws with 6.8 seconds left to decide it for ALBA.

### Pivotal performer

ALBA point guard Jayson Granger, who spent the last three seasons with Baskonia, came into the game averaging 7.3 points and 4.2 assists this season. He met the moment with 21 points and 6 assists against his old team for a PIR of 22. His scoring and PIR were his best yet in an ALBA uniform.

### Stellar stats

ALBA came into the game as the only EuroLeague team shooting below 35% from three-point range (34.5%) but proceeded to make 16 of 29 shots from downtown for 55.2%. Seven players helped that happen, making at least one triple each, with Lo's 4-for-6 from downtown leading the way.

### Short-handed hosts

ALBA played without five injured players – Luke Sikma, Marcus Eriksson, Peyton Siva, Niels Giffey - and Lorenz Brenneke, and was missing head coach Aito Garcia Reneses, who tested positive for COVID-19 and was being replaced by Israel Gonzales. Siva, Sikma, Giffey and Eriksson, were the leading scorers for ALBA by average, combining for 39.5 points per game in the games they played this season. Their absences left ALBA with a 10-man lineup whose average age was 24 years old.

### Jonas and Johannes

Under the circumstances, ALBA needed to step up, and two players, in particular, did that with their best EuroLeague games in two seasons. Center Johannes Thiemann set career highs of 21 PIR and 3 three-pointers made, while guard Jonas Mattisseck shattered his previous highs with 12 points and 18 PIR.

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The first game of 2021 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was a thriller, going back and forth all night on Tuesday until undermanned ALBA Berlin claimed a 95-91 victory over visiting TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in a rescheduled game from Round 5. 

ALBA Berlin v TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2021-01-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul dominated the middle two quarters to turn the game into a rout in beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 81-59 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall on Tuesday evening. 

Fenerbahce eases past ASVEL

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul dominated the middle two quarters to turn the game into a rout in beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 81-59 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall on Tuesday evening. Jan Vesely and Marko Guduric led the way with 16 points each for the hosts as Fenerbahce improved its record to 7-10 with its second straight win. After trailing by 4 after 10 minutes, Fenerbahce outscored ASVEL by a combined 44-23 in the second and third quarters and never looked back. Nando De Colo and Melih Mahmutoglu added 12 points apiece for the winners. David Lighty paced the visitors with 11 points and Norris Cole had 10 as ASVEL dropped to 5-11 at the midway point of the regular season.top graph goes here 



It was all threes early as Allerik Freeman and Antoine Diot knocked down triples for the visitors and De Colo matched them both times. When Guduric connected from deep for his first three since his EuroLeague return, it also gave Fenerbahce's its first lead of the game, 9-6. Amine Noua, Lighty and Cole added to ASVEL's three-pointer tally in a 0-11 run to go in front 11-19. Dyshawn Pierre ended the Fenerbahce drought with a layup and Lorenzo Brown's put-back slam ended the first quarter at 15-19. Mahmutoglu heated up with a triple and a layup to close the gap to 22-23. Vesely's two-handed slam gave Fenerbahce a 26-24 lead midway through the second quarter. A three by Cole kept ASVEL close. Pierre scored twice in a 6-0 Fenerbahce spurt and a layup by De Colo gave the hosts a 38-32 halftime advantage.

Catch up on Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 30th December 2020

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Highlights - Round 17 - 30th December, 2020

The teams traded buckets early in the second half, with Ismael Bako finishing an alley-oop for an ASVEL highlight. A reverse layup by Vesely gave Fenerbahce a 46-38 advantage midway through the third quarter. Guduric stretched the difference to double figures with free throws and the margin continued to grow. Five different Fenerbahce players scored in an 11-2 run to finish the quarter, highlighted by a Jarrell Eddie triple, to make it 59-42 at the end of the third. Free throws by Lighty and a three by Diot prompted a quick Fenerbahce timeout, after which Vesley scored twice to keep the hosts comfortable ahead. Vesely fed De Colo for a layup that made it a 20-point game with 6 minutes remaining. The lead peaked at 79-56 on a Mahmutoglu triple with 1 minute remaining as Fenerbahce rolled to victory.

### Game-deciding run

ASVEL was barely hanging on late in the third quarter when Norris Cole drew the visitors within 48-40. Fenerbahce then stepped on the gas with a 13-2 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters. Five different Fenerbahce players scored – led by Melih Mahmutoglu with 4 points – and four dished assists as the hosts took the spirit out of ASVEL.

### ASVEL's hole in the middle

With star center Moustapha Fall out for ASVEL, Coach T.J. Parker's men struggled in the paint. Not only was ASVEL outrebounded 34-26, but the visitors shot 11 for 33 on two-pointers (33.3%). Both the number of twos and the shooting percentage tied club-lows for ASVEL in the EuroLeague.

### Telling numbers

In addition to Fenerbahce's work in the paint on defense, the home side made 29 of 46 twos (63.0%) and forced ASVEL into 21 turnovers.

Guduric-004004.jpg

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul dominated the middle two quarters to turn the game into a rout in beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 81-59 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall on Tuesday evening. 


Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2020-12-30T17:45:00.000Z)

CSKA Moscow survived an overtime thriller to beat AX Armani Exchange Milan 87-91 at Mediolanum Forum on Wednesday night. 

CSKA wins in OT to extends winning streak

CSKA Moscow survived an overtime thriller to beat AX Armani Exchange Milan 87-91 at Mediolanum Forum on Wednesday night. In a close game that saw several ties and no double-digit leads, the visitors relied on a former Milan player, Daniel Hackett, to seal a valuable win that extended their winning streak to 12 games and improved their record to 14-3 atop the standings. Milan lost its second home game in a row and dropped to 9-7. Nikola Milutinov led the winners with a monster double-double of 17 points and 19 rebounds to set a new Euroleague record for offensive rebounds with 16. Mike James and Johannes Voigtmann followed him with remarkable double-doubles, as the former recorded 20 points and 11 assists, and the latter tallied 13 points and 12 rebounds. Hackett scored 19 points. Milan was paced by Zach Leday, who had 21 points to lead four scorers in double-digits. Kevin Punter, Malcolm Delaney, Shavon Shields and Kyle Hines provided 17, 14, 13 and 11 points, respectively, in defeat.



Milutinov got CSKA going with a tip-in and a couple of dunks for an early 3-6 lead. The hosts answered with Punter and Luigi Datome hitting from outside, before LeDay's turnaround jumper made it 9-8 after 5 minutes. The hosts' lead vanished soon, though, as CSKA delivered 3 consecutive buckets in the paint for a 9-14 edge. Both squads started to rotate, which Milan used better when Hines and Leday combined for an 8-3 run that tied it at 17-17 after 10 minutes. While Milutinov kept dominating the offensive glass, the visitors could not transform it into real profit, as the score remained even for a while. Hackett then took over and Janis Strelnieks followed with a triple to make it 21-26. Free throws by Milutinov, Hackett and Voigtmann extended the margin to 25-31, which prompted Milan to switch to zone defense in an attempt to protect the rim and improve its defensive rebounding. Even though it worked fine in the beginning, James showed with an alley-oop assist and a long three that built a 27-36 margin. The hosts managed to prevent CSKA from escaping too early thanks to the duo of Sergio Rodriguez and Hines, who reduced the gap to 33-39 at halftime.

Catch up on AX Armani Exchange Milan vs CSKA Moscow Belgrade highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 30th December 2020

AX Armani Exchange Milan vs CSKA Moscow Highlights - Round 17 - 30th December, 2020

LeDay and Toko Shengelia challenged each other and swapped baskets right after the break. The latter then committed his fourth foul, and this seemed to awake Milan. LeDay scored the first triple of the night for the hosts, while Shields and Punter followed him with another each to tie the game at 48-48 midway through the third quarter. Milutinov and James replied quickly, but Punter remained hot and connected twice from long range to keep the balance. Datome capped the rally with a turnaround jumper to put the hosts in front, 55-53, although Voigtmann and James emerged from behind the arc for a 58-59 CSKA lead after 30 minutes. Both repeated soon after, the latter with a tough bank shot and the former with a corner three to keep CSKA ahead, 60-64. Milan gave Punter a rest and struggled on offense for a while until Delaney and Rodriguez joined together to bring the home team back on top, 67-66. James replied promptly with a bucket, right before the game turned into a free-throw competition. Milutinov got CSKA ahead 77-79 with 26 seconds left, but Delaney tied it with a tough jumper over him with just 11 seconds remaining. James and Hines had the chance to seal the win for each side but could score just one each to send the game to overtime.

James and LeDay exchanged free throws early in the extra time, but the visitors found a long jumper by Nikita Kurbanov and a triple from Hackett to amass a valuable 82-87 advantage with less than 3 minutes to go. Even though LeDay went to the line again, Hackett showed no mercy against his former team and came up big with another corner three right after a jump ball that established an almost definitive lead, 84-90, entering the last minute. He would later add a free throw that sealed the outcome to allow CSKA to celebrate its 12th win in a row.

### Clutch player

In a duel in which several players faced their former team, it was Daniel Hackett who deserved the spotlight thanks to an incredible run in overtime. He scored CSKA’s last 7 points, including key back-to-back three-pointers in the last 3 minutes, to confirm his team’s 12th victory in a row.

### Forgiveness from the line

Mike James and Kyle Hines had the opportunity to close the game before overtime, but both missed key shots from the line. James drew a foul from Malcolm Delaney with 2 seconds left and hit the first free throw, but then missed the second on purpose hoping to run out the clock. But his shot didn’t touch the rim. That gave Milan a chance to find a game-winning play, which ended up with Hines being fouled under the rim. Hines missed the first and scored the second, sending the game to overtime.

### What a birthday celebration

Nikola Milutinov set a new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague record by grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. The Serbian center was twice as happy as he did it on his 26th birthday.

### Stellar stat

Milutinov was not the only one to celebrate, as his team also set a EuroLeague record for offensive rebounds (30) and fell short of doing so in total rebounds. CSKA got 60, only behind the 62 boards Arka Gdynia pulled down on December 13, 2012, against another Italian opponent, Montepaschi Siena.

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CSKA Moscow survived an overtime thriller to beat AX Armani Exchange Milan 87-91 at Mediolanum Forum on Wednesday night. 


Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade defeated Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 74-71 in the Serbian capital on Wednesday in Coach Dejan Radonjic's first game back on the Zvezda bench. 

Zvezda holds off Greens in Radonjic debut

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade defeated Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 74-71 in the Serbian capital on Wednesday in Coach Dejan Radonjic's first game back on the Zvezda bench. Zvezda improved to 6-11 in the EuroLeague standings and moved in front of Panathinaikos, which dropped to 5-11. Zvezda led 22-13 after 10 minutes behind an unstoppable Corey Walden and boosted its margin to 48-37 at halftime. The hosts kept a 57-46 margin at the end of the third quarter, but Ioannis Papapetrou rallied Panathinaikos to tie the game, 68-68, in the final minute. Johnny O'Bryant, Walden and Dejan Davidovac were ice cold from the foul line, which allowed Zvezda to win the game. Walden paced the winners with 17 points, Quino Colom added 13 and Ognjen Dobric 11 for Zvezda. Panathinaikos got 20 points from Papapetrou and 16 from Nemanja Nedovic.



Aaron White and Shelvin Mack each struck from downtown to get Panathinaikos going. Ognjen Kuzmic stepped up for Zvezda, but Georgios Papagiannis took over with an alley-oop slam and Papapetrou added a fast break basket for a 4-10 score. Dobric hit a triple and got help from O'Bryant and Davidovac to put the hosts ahead, 13-10, after a 9-0 run. Nedovic downed a three-pointer, but Walden struck three times from beyond the arc for a 22-13 Zvezda lead, which Ben Bentil cut to 22-15 after 10 minutes. Marko Jagodic-Kuridza and Nedovic traded triples early in the second quarter. Aleksa Radanov scored in penetration and Dobric added a tip-in for a 29-18 Zvezda margin. Marcus Foster and Papagiannis tried to change things for Panathinaikos, but Colom and Dobric sank back-to-back three-pointers to boost the hosts' lead to 41-25. Papapetrou answered with a backdoor layup and found help from White, Nedovic and Bentil to bring Panathinaikos within 48-37 at halftime.

Catch up on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Panathinaikos OPAP Athens highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 30th December 2020

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Panathinaikos OPAP Athens Highlights - Round 17 - 30th December, 2020

Jagodic-Kuridza and Duop Reath boosted Zvezda's lead to 52-39 after the break. Reath kept pushing the hosts with a layup and a put-back slam, but Dinos Mitoglou and Leonidas Kaselakis gave the Greens hope, 57-46, after 30 minutes. Nedovic hit a mid-range jumper early in the fourth quarter and Howard Sant-Roos scored off a steal, which prompted Zvezda to call timeout at 57-50. Walden rescued the hosts with a driving layup and Colom bettered Nedovic's dunk with a bomb from downtown that gave Zvezda fresh air at 62-52. Papapetrou downed a pair of jumpers, but Colom and Jagodic-Kuridza kept their team out of trouble, 68-57, with over 3 minutes left. Papapetrou stayed on fire with a layup-plus-foul and a couple of three-pointers, the second one from way downtown to tie it at 68-68 with 53.2 seconds left. O'Bryant and Walden hit free throws, but Papapetrou downed another triple. Davidovac drew a foul with 4.4 seconds remaining and made both attempts. Panathinaikos did not get a final shot up in time.

### Pivotal performer

Quino Colom came off the bench and gave his team's offense a big boost. He finished the game with 13 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting and 4-of-5 on free throws, plus an assist and 3 fouls drawn - all in 14 minutes on the court.

### Game-changing moment

Ioannis Papapetrou had 9 points in a 0-11 run that allowed Panathinaikos to tie the game, 68-68, in the final minute. Johnny O'Bryant hit free throws and Ognjen Dobric collected a critical steal that sent Corey Walden to make it a two-possession game, 72-68. Davidovac sealed the outcome from the foul line.

### Stellar stat

Three-point shots and turnovers made the difference in this game. Zvezda hit 12 of 30 three-pointers (40.0%) and Panathinaikos only downed 8 of 29 (27.6%). Zvezda only had 10 turnovers and Panathinaikos got 15.

### Did you know?

Zvezda has beaten Panathinaikos in Belgrade five times from 2015 to 2020, but never by more than 6 points. Its only double-digit win against the Greens, 91-66, came on December 4, 1969.

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Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade defeated Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 74-71 in the Serbian capital on Wednesday in Coach Dejan Radonjic's first game back on the Zvezda bench. 


Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (2020-12-30T18:00:00.000Z)

Zenit St Petersburg put forward another strong defensive effort to defeat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 72-78 on Tuesday night at Menora Mivtachim Arena. 

Zenit holds on to win in Tel Aviv

Zenit St Petersburg put forward another strong defensive effort to defeat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 72-78 on Tuesday night at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Zenit improved to 7-2 on the road and 10-5 on the season. The winners took their first lead late in the second quarter and then surged ahead to lead by as many as 16 in the third. Maccabi rallied to get within 3 with a minute to go, but Zenit made its free throws to seal the victory. Alex Poythress came through with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, Mateusz Ponitka tallied 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and Kevin Pangos added 11 points and 6 assists for the winners. Scottie Wilbekin paced Maccabi in defeat with 18 points, Tyler Dorsey scored 13 and Ante Zizic and Elijah Bryant contributed 10 each as Maccabi fell to 7-10 and the midway points of the season, including 4-4 at home.



Maccabi got out to an excellent start with back-to-back threes by Wilbekin and Yovel Zoosman giving the hosts an 8-1 lead. Zenit recovered with Will Thomas and Pangos connecting from deep to trim the gap to 10-9. Wilbekin and Pangos continued to lead their respective offenses with the hosts maintaining a slim lead. Othello Hunter exited the game with an eye injury and would not return. After a monster alley-oop slam by Poythress got Zenit within 2, Chris Jones beat the first-quarter buzzer with a jumper to make it 22-18. Poythress and Andrey Zubkov scored early in the second quarter as Zenit tied it twice. Dorsey heated up for the hosts, but Zenit kept charging and a reverse layup by Ponitka gave the visitors their first lead, 31-32, with 4 minutes left in the half. Austin Hollins extended the margin to 4 before free throws by Zizic made it 35-37 at the break.

Catch up on Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs Zenit St Petersburg highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 29th December 2020

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs Zenit St Petersburg Highlights - Round 17 - 29th December, 2020

Arturas Gudaitis scored the first 2 baskets of the second half before Hollins buried a three-pointer to cap a 0-7 run, which prompted a Maccabi timeout. A three-pointer by Wilbekin was not enough to change the momentum as Thomas scored to give Zenit a double-digit lead, 38-48. Pangos twice drew offensive fouls from Bryant and Poythress scored inside to extend the margin to 13 and a slam-plus-foul by Poythress made it 46-62. John DiBartolomeo responded with a four-point play and Omri Casspi trimmed the deficit to 52-62 through three quarters. A pair of threes by Dorsey and a steal and layup by Wilbekin got Maccabi within 60-66. Zenit did not panic and the lead was back to double figures on a Ponitka floater with 6 minutes to play. Maccabi made another push with a three by DiBartolomeo and Wilbekin free throws to make it 67-73 with 3 minutes to play. A floater by Wilbekin got the hosts within 4 with 2 minutes remaining and a three-point play by Jones made it 72-75 with 1:05 on the clock. A free throw by Ponitka with 40 seconds remaining gave Zenit a two-possession lead. Wilbekin missed his next two shots and Thomas iced the game with free throws with 13 seconds left.

### Pivotal player

Not only did Mateusz Ponitka stuff the stat sheet with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, but the do-it-all swingman seemed to be involved in big plays all night. Ponitka's first basket of the game gave Zenit its first lead. He restored a double-digit lead in the fourth when Maccabi made its first rally. And Ponitka added 2 free throws in the final 2 minutes to help secure the outcome.

### Noteworthy plays

Kevin Pangos made two big plays in the third quarter that may go unnoticed in the box score, but were critical to keeping his team's momentum at the right time. In less than a minute of game time, Pangos planted his feet in front of Maccabi guard Elijah Bryant to draw offensive fouls. Those plays double as Maccabi turnovers and put both Bryant and Maccabi under pressure as Zenit maintained a comfortable lead.

### Telling numbers

The box score paints a clear picture of what Zenit did well: the visitors outrebounded Maccabi 26-36, held the hosts to just 50% shooting on two-pointers while making 63.9% and their 19 assists were 6 more than the hosts had.

Ponitka-004172.jpg

Zenit St Petersburg put forward another strong defensive effort to defeat Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 72-78 on Tuesday night at Menora Mivtachim Arena. 


Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Zenit St Petersburg (2020-12-29T19:05:00.000Z)

In one of the biggest comebacks in the competition so far this season, TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz took the battle between Spanish powerhouses in Round 17 by downing Valencia Basket 71-70 at Buesa Arena on Tuesday. 

Baskonia rallies past Valencia

In one of the biggest comebacks in the competition so far this season, TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz took the battle between Spanish powerhouses in Round 17 by downing Valencia Basket 71-70 at Buesa Arena on Tuesday. Baskonia grabbed its second consecutive victory and improved to 8-8 in the standings, while Valencia dropped to 10-7. Achille Polonara led the winners with 18 points, Rokas Giedraitis added 14 and Alec Peters and Luca Vildoza each scored 11 for Baskonia. Nikola Kalinic scored 16 points and Fernando San Emeterio added 11 for Valencia, which led 17-30 after 10 minutes and extended it to 23-40 soon after that. Baskonia managed to take the lead, 61-58, early in the fourth quarter and it was a back-and-forth battle from that moment. Martin Hermannsson hit free throws to fix the final score with 29 seconds left. Valencia didn't foul, Pierria Henry took a shot at the end of Baskonia's final possession, and Kalinic missed a 14-meter attempt at the buzzer.



Derrick Williams got Valencia going with a layup and Bojan Dubljevic added a triple, but Giedraitis kept Baskonia close. Williams and Dubljevic fueled an 0-9 run that Klemen Prepelic capped with a three-pointer that boosted Valencia's lead to 5-15. Williams followed an alley-oop slam with a bomb from downtown and Kalinic scored off a steal for a 9-22 Valencia margin. Mike Tobey joined the three-point shootout and Prepelic hit his second one, but Polonara and Peters kept Baskonia within 17-28. Hermannsson beat the first-quarter buzzer with a fallaway jumper and added a triple for a 17-33 Valencia lead. Polonara scored twice down low and added an alley-oop dunk that prompted the guests to stop the game at 23-33. Louis Labeyrie and San Emeterio combined for all the points in a 0-7 run but Vildoza, Polonara and Giedraitis got the hosts within 31-42. Prepelic scored in transition, Vildoza and Van Rossom traded triples, and Tadas Sedekerskis brought Baskonia even closer, 39-47, at halftime.

Catch up on TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Valencia Basket highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 29th December 2020

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 17 - 29th December, 2020

Vildoza scored in penetration soon after the break, but Kalinic scored three times around the basket and added a triple for a 41-56 Valencia lead. Polonara and Tonye Jekiri stepped up with consecutive layups, igniting a 9-0 run that Peters capped with a bomb from downtown that made it 50-56. Hermannsson rescued Valencia with a layup, but Giedraitis matched it with a floater and Henry added an off-balance triple to make it 55-58 after 30 minutes. Peters and Giedraitis each struck from beyond the arc to complete Baskonia's comeback, 61-58, early in the fourth quarter. Peters insisted from downtown and Vildoza banked in a jumper, but San Emeterio and Prepelic drew Valencia within 66-64. Kalinic scored in the paint, Giedraitis and Van Rossom exchanged baskets and Polonara sank a three-pointer for a 71-68 Baskonia lead with 2 minutes left. Hermannsson hit free throws and Valencia got the ball back in the final seconds but Kalinic missed a midcourt shot at the buzzer.

### Pivotal performer

Achille Polonara was everywhere and contributed at both ends of the floor, coming off the bench to make the difference. He finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-11 two-point shooting plus 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks - matching his personal-best - for a PIR of 26.

### Game-changing moment

Valencia led 50-58 late in the third quarter, but Baskonia used an 11-0 run to steal the game's momentum. Rokas Giedraitis hit a floater, then Pierria Henry - completely off-balance, Alec Peters and Giedraitis each struck from downtown for a 61-58 lead, Baskonia's first since 2-1.

### Stellar stat

Baskonia outrebounded Valencia 40-34, pulling down 14 offensive rebounds. Valencia only managed to get half as many offensive boards. Five Baskonia players - Achille Polonara, Tonye Jekiri, Pierria Henry, Tadas Sedekerskis and Rokas Giedraitis - pulled down at least 5 rebounds apiece.

### Did you know?

Baskonia made 2 of 14 three-point shots before halftime (14.3%) and 6 of 18 (33.3%) after the break. At the same time, Valencia sank 7 of 14 three-pointers in the first half (50.0%), but just 1-of-17 (5.9%) after that.

Polonara-002084.jpg

In one of the biggest comebacks in the competition so far this season, TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz took the battle between Spanish powerhouses in Round 17 by downing Valencia Basket 71-70 at Buesa Arena on Tuesday. 


TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Valencia Basket (2020-12-29T20:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus ended 2020 with one of the club's best offensive performances this century, downing host Khimki Moscow Region 88-105 on Thursday night.

Olympiacos sinks host Khimki, 88-105

Olympiacos Piraeus ended 2020 with one of the club's best offensive performances this century, downing host Khimki Moscow Region 88-105 on Thursday night. Olympiacos snapped its three-game losing streak and improved to 8-8 on the season, while Khimki suffered its ninth consecutive loss and dropped to a league-worst 2-15 record. Olympiacos tied a club record with 16 three-pointers and matched its highest scoring total in a EuroLeague away game. The Reds took control late in the third quarter with a 0-13 run to open a 17-point lead early in the fourth and never looked back. Kostas Sloukas paced Olympiacos with 25 points on 5-for-7 three-point shooting, to which Sasha Vezenkov netted 19 points. Octavius Ellis collected 15 points and 8 rebounds, Aaron Harrison scored 12, and Hassan Martin had 11 points in the victory. Alexey Shved had 22 points and 9 assists for the hosts. Jordan Mickey added 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks, Egor Vialtsev also netted 17, while Devin Booker scored 10 in Khimki's losing effort.



Vyacheslav Zaytsev had a pair of dunks for Khimki but 2 triples from Georgios Printezis and another from Sloukas soon gave the visitors a 6-11 lead. Mickey scored 5 points to keep Khimki close before Harrison hit from deep and Martin scored twice in close for Olympiacos. Vialtsev knocked down a three and a long jumper to keep the score at 21-21. Sloukas, from long range. made it 23-26 after 10 minutes, but Vialtsev answered in kind to open the second quarter and Shved fired his in back-to-back-to-back to give the hosts 35-30 lead. After Olympiacos tied it, Vialtsev also downed back-to-back triples and Booker hit a bank shot to make it 43-35 for Khimki. Vezenkov, Vasilis Charalampopoulos and Vassilis Spanoulis all answered from deep for Olympiacos, then Vezenkov nailed his second one to give the visitors a 50-51 lead at halftime.

Catch up on Khimki Moscow Region vs Olympiacos Piraeus highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 29th December 2020

Khimki Moscow Region vs Olympiacos Piraeus Highlights - Round 17 - 29th December, 2020

Charles Jenkins and Sloukas kept it going from downtown to start the third quarter for Olympiacos. Shved scored 6 close-range points for the hosts, but Ellis and Sloukas combined for 9 to open a 58-66 advantage. Stefan Jovic and Vialtsev returned fire from deep for Khimki, but were matched by Harrison in a 10-0 Olympiacos run to a 64-78 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Sloukas extended the margin to 17 with one shot before Mickey snapped Khimki's drought. Errick McCollum fed Booker for an alley-oop dunk, Vezenkov hit the visitors' 16th triple while Spanoulis and Harrison drove for three-point plays to make it 75-92 midway through the fourth. Sergey Monia had a three-pointer and Mickey delivered on both ends to help Khimki draw within 84-94, but that was as close as Olympiacos kept scoring until it had the victory in hand.

### Key run

The two teams traded blows for 25 minutes, with Khimki staying within 64-68 before Olympiacos scored the final 10 points of the third quarter thanks to 2 triples by Aaron Harrison. When Kostas Sloukas opened the fourth quarter with his fifth three-pointer in as many attempts, the difference opened to 64-81 and Khimki never recovered.

### Record-tying night

Olympiacos scored more than 100 points in a non-overtime game for the first time in just over seven years and tied the club record for the most points scored in a EuroLeague road game this century. The Reds also tied their club record with 16 three-pointers on 29 attempts, which came just a week after they had scored 15 triples in a road loss against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

### Shved's milestone

Alexey Shved opened his scoring for the night with a pair of free throws to reach the 2,500-point plateau for his EuroLeague career, something that just 15 players have accomplished before him. He has done it in 153 games. With 22 points in this contest, Shved now sits at 2,520 all-time for his career.

### Khimki legend shines

Khimki's second-longest tenured player, Egor Vialtsev, had made only one appearance since Round 4 and entered this game with 16 points on the season. But he was a big reason Khimki kept close for two and a half quarters as he made his first 6 field goals, including his first 5 three-point attempts. He finished with 17 points on 5-for-6 accuracy from long range, which were the second-most points he has scored in a EuroLeague game.

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Olympiacos Piraeus ended 2020 with one of the club's best offensive performances this century, downing host Khimki Moscow Region 88-105 on Thursday night.


Khimki Moscow Region v Olympiacos Piraeus (2020-12-29T17:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid outlasted host Anadolu Efes Istanbul to claim its sixth consecutive win with a hard-fought 65-73 decision on Tuesday night.

Real hangs tough to overcome Efes

Real Madrid outlasted host Anadolu Efes Istanbul to claim its sixth consecutive win with a hard-fought 65-73 decision on Tuesday night. Both defenses dominated a closely contested first half that ended with Efes leading 37-31. Real edged ahead in the third quarter and the game remained extremely close in the fourth until the visitors pulled away in the final minute behind a pair of three-pointers from Jaycee Carroll. Fabien Causeur paced Real with 15 points, while Trey Thompkins added 13 and Nicolas Laprovittola combined 10 points with 6 assists. Vasilije Micic was Efes's only double-digit scorer, netting 16 points.



Shane Larkin downed the game's first 5 points off a steal-and-score followed by a three-point play, while Thompkins netted Real's first basket with a layup. Krunoslav Simon and Bryant Dunston extended Efes's lead, but Causeur in transition and Thompkins from deep brought Real back, 9-8. Adrien Moerman and Causeur traded triples before Micic added a layup-and-one for Efes. Chris Singleton came off the bench to strike from deep for a 20-13 Efes lead, which is how it stayed until the end of the first quarter. Micic's floater opened the second quarter scoring, but Laprovittola responded with a mid-range strike and a deep three to reignite Real, 24-18. Sertac Sanli and Micic protected Efes's lead, but Laprovittola netted another triple to keep it close. Simon and Rudy Fernandez struck from long-range before Dunston stretched the Efes advantage to 34-26. Thompkins scored under the basket and Fernandez buried another triple, but free throws from Singleton and Micic made it 37-31 at the break. 

Catch up on Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs Real Madrid highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 29th December 2020

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs Real Madrid Highlights - Round 17 - 29th December, 2020

After Sanli and Abalde scored 4 points each early in the third quarter, a tip-in by Jeffery Taylor made it 41-39. Soon, Taylor netted from deep, Tavares scored at the rim and Sergio Llull landed a transition three-pointer for Real's first lead, 45-47. Thompkins added another triple to complete a 0-11 Real run that Rodrigue Beaubois ended from deep for Efes, then immediately added another to send his team back in front, although Laprovittola's free throws made it 51-52 for Real after three quarters. Beaubois and Thompkins traded triples before Moerman also hit from deep and Larkin dived inside to give Efes a 59-55 lead. Causeur and Fernandez answered with a three-pointer each to flip the lead again, 59-61. Causeur converted inside to complete a 0-8 Real run that Dunston ended with a sharp inside move and layup before Micic scored in penetration for a 63-63 tie with 90 seconds left. Causeur sent Real back in front and then Jaycee Carroll blasted a three-pointer made it 63-68. Moerman's floater was answered by another Carroll strike from beyond the arc, securing the outcome for Real with 17 seconds remaining.

### Three-pointers make the difference

A big difference in three-point accuracy was one of the keys to Real's win. Efes made just 7 of 31 long-range attempts (22.6%), while Real hit 14 of 35 from deep (40%) including a pair of crucial ones from Jaycee Carroll in the last minute.

### Larkin starts hot but fades

Shane Larkin netted the first 5 points of the game but then missed 6 consecutive field goal attempts and didn't score again until 6 minutes remained. He ended up with just 7 points, missing all 6 of his three-point shots.

### Tavares contributes despite scoring problems

After registering double-doubles in his previous four games, Real's influential big man Walter Tavares was restricted to 4 points. But he still had a big impact, grabbing 9 rebounds and blocking 2 shots.

### Block party

Both teams protected their rims with intensity and the game yielded no less than 9 blocked shots. Efes had 4 from different players, while Rudy Fernandez and Walter Tavares made 2 blocks apiece in Real's total of 5.

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Real Madrid outlasted host Anadolu Efes Istanbul to claim its sixth consecutive win with a hard-fought 65-73 decision on Tuesday night.


Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Real Madrid (2020-12-29T17:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas overcame offensive struggles to extend its winning streak to five games by knocking off host ALBA Berlin 71-74 on Tuesday. 

Zalgiris beats ALBA away to extend streak

Zalgiris Kaunas overcame offensive struggles to extend its winning streak to five games by knocking off host ALBA Berlin 71-74 on Tuesday. Zalgiris hit just 5 three-pointers – none in the game's first 19 minutes – but scored enough when it counted as Nigel Hayes nailed 3 triples in scoring a team-high 18 points for to lift his team's record to 10-6. Joffrey Lauvergne picked up 16 points and 7 rebounds and Marius Grigonis scored 8 of his 12 points in the final 3 minutes for the winners. Simone Fonteccehio paced ALBA with 14 points while Niels Giffey, Tim Schneider and Luke Sikma all had 11 points. Sikma left the game with a leg injury with 9 minutes left and didn't return for ALBA, which suffered its third straight loss to fall to 6-10.



Grigonis opened the scoring for Zalgiris while Fontecchio did so for ALBA. Lauvergne and Sikma swapped 4 points each and Fontecchio's second score gave ALBA its first lead, 8-6. Both teams were playing hard-nosed defense, with Zalgiris going more than 6 minutes without a basket but still evening the score at 10-10 on Rokas Jokubaitis's free throws. ALBA managed to grab a 14-12 after 10 minutes. Jokubaitis's layup soon pushed Zalgiris back ahead 14-15 but Fontecchio hitting the game's first three-pointer to start a 10-0 ALBA run to a 25-17 lead. Lauvergne's tip-in stopped that surge only to see Giffey hit from deep and Maodo Lo's three-point play made it a double-digit ALBA advantage, 33-23. Lauvergne scored twice for Zalgiris and assisted Hayes's three-pointer – Zalgiris's first – on the way to a 37-31 score at intermission. 

Catch up on ALBA Berlin vs Zalgiris Kaunas highlights from Round 17 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 29th December 2020

ALBA Berlin vs Zalgiris Kaunas Highlights - Round 17 - 29th December, 2020

Hayes hit twice from downtown while scoring Zalgiris's first 8 points after the break to make it 41-39. Lauvergne threw down a pair of alley-oop dunks and Paulius Jankunas pushed Zalgiris ahead 43-46. Augustine Rubit added 2 baskets as Zalgiris stretched the difference to 48-54 after 30 minutes. Sikma opened the fourth-quarter scoring but Hayes followed with 5 points as the Zalgiris lead grew to 50-59. ALBA responded with 7 points including Schneider's three-pointer at 57-59. Grigonis scored back-to-back baskets before Giffey's put-back made it 65-67. Arturas Milaknis punched back with a three-pointer only to see Schneider convert an and-on basket before Grigonis calmly drained 2 of 2 foul shots with 13 seconds to play for a 68-72 Zalgiris lead. Schneider would not let ALBA die, hitting a corner triple to make it a one-point game, 71-72, with 4.7 seconds left. But Grigonis added 2 more free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining to ice the game.

### ALBA without sideline leader

ALBA dealt with a bout of COVID-19 cases early in the season and had to do without its head coach for this game as Aito Reneses Garcia tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. Israel Gonzalez was filling in for the veteran play-caller.

### Finally a road win

The two teams had faced off six times in the EuroLeague this century coming into the game, but each time the home team won. That is until Zalgiris got the job done on the road in the German capital.

### Telling numbers

Despite hitting just 5-of-15 three-pointers (33.3%), Zalgiris connected on 58.5% of its two-pointers while holding ALBA to just 47.9% from close range. Both teams committed 16 turnovers but Zalgiris turned them into 18 points compared to 12 for the hosts.

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Zalgiris Kaunas overcame offensive struggles to extend its winning streak to five games by knocking off host ALBA Berlin 71-74 on Tuesday. 


ALBA Berlin v Zalgiris Kaunas (2020-12-29T19:00:00.000Z)