Anadolu Efes Istanbul broke its three-game losing streak in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season by downing FC Barcelona 86-79 at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on Tuesday.

Larkin leads Efes past Barcelona

Anadolu Efes Istanbul broke its three-game losing streak in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season by downing FC Barcelona 86-79 at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on Tuesday. Efes improved to 8-8 in the standings while Barcelona dropped to 11-5 and recorded back-to-back losses for the first time in this EuroLeague season. Shane Larkin led the winners with 23 points. Vasilije Micic had 17, Krunoslav Simon added 16 while Bryant Dunston got 12 for Efes. Nikola Mirotic led Barcelona with 18 points. The guests also got 15 points from Nick Calathes and 14 from Cory Higgins. Barcelona got its last lead, 43-45, right after the break, but Efes used a 12-0 run to take full control of the game, as Micic and Larkin held off the guests' comeback in the final 2 minutes.top graph goes here 



Artem Pustovyi got Barcelona going with an alley-oop slam and Mirotic followed a layup with a three-pointer for a 0-7 lead. Simon and Dunston stepped up for Efes, igniting a 10-2 run that Micic capped with a fastbreak layup for a 10-9 lead. Mirotic and Calathes fueled an 0-11 response for the visitors in which Alex Abrines followed a wild three-point play with a triple for 10-20 Barcelona margin. Anderson and Micic got help from Sertac Sanli and Larkin to bring Efes within 18-24 after 10 minutes. Rolands Smits buried a three-pointer early in the second quarter and Pierre Oriola added a backdoor layup for a 22-29 Barcelona lead. Rodrigue Beaubois hit an up-and-under jumper, Simon struck twice from beyond the arc and Larkin added an acrobatic driving layup that let Efes regain the lead at 32-31. Sanli and Mirotic traded layups, then a red-hot Simon boosted the Efes lead to 37-33. Larkin and Simon kept pacing Efes but Mirotic, Higgins and Smits helped Barcelona tie it, 43-43, at halftime. 

Catch up on Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs FC Barcelona highlights from Round 16 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 22nd December 2020

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs FC Barcelona Highlights - Round 16 - 22nd December, 2020

Micic and Larkin each scored around the basket after the break and Dunston dunked for a 49-45 Efes edge. Dunston dunked again and Micic struck from downtown to make it a double-digit game, 55-45, after a 12-0 run. Higgins scored in penetration but Larkin and Simon each buried a triple to break the game open, 61-47. Dunston dunked again and Moerman joined the three-point shootout but Adam Hanga and Oriola kept Barcelona within 68-54 after 30 minutes. Calathes hit a floater early in the fourth quarter before Larkin and Dunston restored a 72-56 Efes lead. Hanga and Calathes tried to ignite the guests' comeback, then Higgins and Mirotic each sank a triple to make it 75-67 with over 6 minutes left. Micic and Higgins exchanged driving layups, and Calathes improved that with a three-pointer for a 77-72 score. Micic kept pacing Efes with 4 quick points but Calathes and Mirotic kept Barcelona as close at 81-77 with 1:16 left. Larkin took over with a huge driving basket and sealed the outcome from the foul line.

### Pivotal performer

Larkin showed his best version in this game. He was simply unstoppable at times, making the difference in the game with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and as many as 9 fouls drawn for a season-high PIR of 37.

### Game-changing moment

Efes trailed 43-45 right after halftime but kept Barcelona scoreless for almost 5 minutes. Meanwhile, Larkin and Micic combined for 7 points and 3 assists in a 12-0 run in which Dunston dunked twice. By the time Micic fed Larkin for a bomb from downtown, Efes led 55-43 and never looked back.

### Stellar stat

Efes shot the ball much better inside the arc. Both teams took 38 two-point attempts but Efes hit 22 (57.9%) and Barcelona just 17 (44.7%). Efes had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.8 (19 assists, 5 turnovers) and Barcelona had a 1.15 ratio (15 assists, 13 turnovers).

### Did you know?

Larkin reached a PIR of 35 or better against Barcelona for the third time in his EuroLeague career. Previously, Larkin had a PIR of 43 against Barcelona (37 points, 3 shots missed) on March 8, 2019, and recorded a PIR of 35 (26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) al Palau Blaugrana on January 10, 2020.

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Anadolu Efes Istanbul broke its three-game losing streak in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season by downing FC Barcelona 86-79 at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall on Tuesday.


Anadolu Efes Istanbul v FC Barcelona (2020-12-22T17:30:00.000Z)

In an all-Russian showdown, CSKA Moscow confirmed its outstanding form by downing Zenit St Petersburg 83-65 at home in Megasport Arena on Friday. 

CSKA nabs 10th straight win

In an all-Russian showdown, CSKA Moscow confirmed its outstanding form by downing Zenit St Petersburg 83-65 at home in Megasport Arena on Friday. CSKA improved 12-3 with its 10th consecutive win. CSKA had not won 10 consecutive games in the same season since the 2014-15 campaign. Zenit dropped to 8-5 and is now 6-2 on the road. Mike James paced the winners with 20 points. Nikola Milutinov and Darrun Hilliard each added 13, Will Clyburn got 11 and Toko Shengelia 10 for CSKA. Milutinov added 13 rebounds for a double-double. Kevin Pangos led Zenit with 14 points. KC Rivers and Alex Poythress each added 12 while Will Thomas got 11 for the guests.CSKA led 24-17 after 10 minutes, boosting its margin to 45-31 at halftime and then again to 66-49 at the end of the third quarter to seal the outcome long before the final buzzer.



James and Hilliard got CSKA going but Thomas followed a jumper with a three-pointer for a 4-5 Zenit lead. Hilliard scored in penetration and struck from downtown in a 7-0 run that James capped with a layup. Mateusz Ponitka scored off a Zenit timeout and Pangos added a triple and a jumper to keep the guests within 15-12. James struck from way beyond the arc, getting help from Hilliard to restore a 21-14 CSKA lead. Pangos and Clyburn exchanged three-pointers to fix the score at 24-17 after 10 minutes. Rivers followed a floater with a triple early in the second quarter. Hilliard and a red-hot Rivers traded jumpers, then Janis Strelnieks buried a three-pointer for a 29-24 CSKA lead. Billy Baron found his first points and fed Poythress for a huge dunk. Clyburn and Nikita Kurbanov each hit triples and Milutinov buried a jumper to give CSKA fresh air at 37-30. Kurbanov and Shengelia stepped up for CSKA and James beat the halftime buzzer with a triple that boosted CSKA's margin to 45-31. 

Catch up on CSKA Moscow vs Zenit St Petersburg highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 18th December 2020

CSKA Moscow vs Zenit St Petersburg Highlights - Round 14 - 18th December, 2020

Thomas and James traded layups right after the break, then Rivers sank a three-pointer at 47-36. Pangos took over with a driving layup and Poythress scored three times around the basket but James and Shengelia kept CSKA in charge, 55-44. Johannes Voigtmann and Clyburn buried one triple apiece to break the game open, 61-44. Shengelia joined the three-point shootout but Baron brought Zenit a bit closer, 66-49, after 30 minutes. Voigtmann bettered Arturas Gudaitis's layup with a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Kurbanov soon added a layup that made it a 20-point game, 71-51. Andrey Zubkov followed a triple with a fastbreak layup but Shengelia and James gave Zenit no chance at 75-56. James found Milutinov for a dunk that sealed the outcome, 77-56, as Zenit did not recover in the final 4 minutes.



### Pivotal performer

He has been on fire in recent weeks and CSKA's game against Zenit was no exception. James had yet another outstanding performance, finishing the game with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn for a PIR of 32.

### Game-changing moment

A tip-in by Poythress brought Zenit as close as 32-30. It didn't last long, however, as Kurbanov and Milutinov ignited a 13-1 run that James capped with a spectacular stop-and-pop triple at the halftime buzzer. CSKA reached the break with a 45-31 lead and never looked back.

### Stellar stat

CSKA only allowed Zenit to pull down 3 offensive rebounds, a new club low. Zenit had always grabbed at least 6 offensive rebounds in any previous EuroLeague game. That allowed CSKA to outrebound its opponent by 34-25.

### Did you know?

CSKA remains undefeated against Zenit in Europe's top competition. CSKA had previously beaten Zenit twice last season, by 70-87 on the road Sibur Arena behind 16 points from James and 14 from Voigtmann; and again at home by 86-78 as James and Voigtmann led the way again with 27 and 13 points, respectively.

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In an all-Russian showdown, CSKA Moscow confirmed its outstanding form by downing Zenit St Petersburg 83-65 at home in Megasport Arena on Friday. 


CSKA Moscow v Zenit St Petersburg (2020-12-18T17:00:00.000Z)

In a battle between classic powerhouses that went to the final shot, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv registered its first win at Palau Blagrana in more than 15 years by topping host FC Barcelona 67-68 on Friday. 

Maccabi gets historical win in Barcelona

In a battle between classic powerhouses that went to the final shot, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv registered its first win at Palau Blagrana in more than 15 years by topping host FC Barcelona 67-68 on Friday. Othello Hunter stole the show with the go-ahead alley-oop slam with 13.2 seconds remaining. Maccabi improved to 6-9 in the standings while Barcelona dropped to 11-4 and is now in second place. Dragan Bender led the winners with 15 points. Tyler Dorsey added 14 while Elijah Bryant and Hunter each had 10 for Maccabi. Cory Higgins led Barcelona with 16 points, but missed the game's final shot seconds before the buzzer. Kyle Kuric and Nikola Mirotic each added 12 while Nick Calathes had 11 for the hosts, who were without center Brandon Davies due to a last-minute injury. Mirotic added 10 rebounds for a double-double.


Mirotic got Barcelona going with a fallaway jumper and Calathes added a driving layup for a 4-1 lead. Bryant and Hunter each scored under the rim to put Maccabi ahead, 4-5. Bender followed a power layup with a jumper but Mirotic and Calathes kept the hosts within 8-9. Bender hit a running hook and Hunter added an alley-oop slam but Higgins brought Barcelona within 12-13. Omri Casspi scored down low and Ante Zizic added a jump hook that restored a 12-17 Maccabi lead after 10 minutes. Rolands Smits hit a close shot early in the second quarter and Kuric sank a triple that tied it at 17-17. Dorsey struck from downtown and Bender scored off an inbound pass but Kuric answered for a 22-22 tie. Bender kept pacing Maccabi, getting help from Bryant and Scottie Wilbekin to make the guests regain a 25-30 margin. Mirotic had 6 points in a 7-0 run that put Barcelona in charge, 32-30, at halftime. 

Catch up on FC Barcelona vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 18th December 2020

FC Barcelona vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 14 - 18th December, 2020

Smits, Wilbekin and Higgins each buried a three-pointer immediately after the break. Angelo Caloiaro scored twice down low in a 0-6 run that Bender capped with an alley-oop basket for a 38-39 Maccabi lead. Mirotic and Higgins fueled an 8-1 run highlighted by Calathes's one-handed runner, restoring a 46-42 Barcelona edge. Artem Pustovyi took over with an alley-oop and Higgins added a layup but Bryant and Dorsey made Maccabi regain a 52-53 lead. Alex Abrines put the hosts back ahead, 54-53, after 30 minutes. Dorsey bettered Higgins's driving layup with a three-point play early in the fourth quarter. Pustovyi and Hunter traded dunks, then Chris Jones floated one in for a 59-60 Maccabi lead with under 7 minutes left. Bryant found space for an uncontested layup but Calathes and Kuric each nailed a triple to provide another lead change, 65-63. Calathes downed a floater to cap an 8-0 run but Dorsey and Wilbekin gave Maccabi hope, 67-66, with 1:28 to go. Wilbekin found Hunter for a huge alley-oop slam, giving the guests a 67-68 lead with 13.2 seconds remaining. Higgins missed from beyond the arc in Barcelona's final possession.

### Pivotal performer

Hunter not only provided one of Maccabi's highlights this season with the game-winning alley-oop dunk and the key defensive stop, but did a little bit of everything to make sure his team won the game. He finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, a steal and 3 blocks.

### Game-changing moment

Barcelona led 67-63 with over 3 minutes left but Maccabi helds its opponent scoreless in crunch time. Meanwhile, Dorsey split free throws, Wilbekin buried a couple of attempts and Hunter detonated the alley-oop dunk to put Maccabi ahead, 67-68. Barcelona had a final chance to win the game but Hunter got the key defensive stop, taking Higgins one-on-one and making him take a tough shot which didn't go in.

### Stellar stats

Maccabi pulled down 14 offensive rebounds and held Barcelona to just 10. It also had 19 assists, 8 more than the hosts. Maccabi had 6 blocks and Barca only one. Those small details were decisive in a game that went down to the wire.

### Did you know?

Maccabi grabbed its first win at Palau Blaugrana in more than 15 years. Maccabi's last road win against Barcelona came on December 15, 2005, 78-88, behind 24 points from Tal Burstein. Barcelona had won its previous 10 home games against the Israeli powerhouse. After this, their 44th showdown, Barcelona now has a 27-17 winning record in their all-time series.

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In a battle between classic powerhouses that went to the final shot, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv registered its first win at Palau Blagrana in more than 15 years by topping host FC Barcelona 67-68 on Friday. 


FC Barcelona v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2020-12-18T20:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich registered its third consecutive home win by topping TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 77-66 at Audi Dome on Friday.

Reynolds powers Bayern past Baskonia

FC Bayern Munich registered its third consecutive home win by topping TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 77-66 at Audi Dome on Friday. Bayern improved 10-5 in the standings, good for a third-place tie with Real Madrid. Baskonia dropped to 6-8 and is now on a three-game losing streak. Jalen Reynolds led the winners with 21 points. Wade Baldwin added 17 points, Paul Zipser added 13 and Leon Radosevic 11 for Bayern. Baskonia got 13 points from Zoran Dragic, 12 from Alec Peters and 10 each from Achille Polonara and Rokas Giedraitis. Polonara added 11 rebounds for a double-double. Bayern led 18-15 after 10 minutes and extended its margin to 38-30 at halftime. Baskonia managed to get within 54-50 late in the third quarter but Zipser and Reynolds fueled an 11-0 run that allowed Bayern to stay away of trouble until the final buzzer.



Pierria Henry got Baskonia going with a three-pointer and Youssoupha Fall added a layup for a 0-5 lead. Tadas Sedekerskis matched Radosevic's triple with a layup-plus-foul. Baldwin took over with a coast-to-coast layup and fed JaJuan Johnson in a 7-0 run that Paul Zipser capped with a triple for a 10-8 Bayern edge. Dragic rescued Baskonia but Reynolds followed a jump hook with a dunk, Zipser sank a jumper and Nick Weiler-Babb added a reverse layup to boost the hosts' lead to 18-12, which Peters cut to 18-15 after 10 minutes. A red hot Reynolds made it a seven-point game, 22-15, early in the second quarter. Baldwin capped a 6-0 run with a jumper, as Fall answered with an alley-oop layup. Baldwin scored in penetration and found Radosevic for a jump hook that gave Bayern a 30-19 margin. Baldwin and Radosevic kept pacing the hosts, forcing Baskonia to stop the game at 38-23. Giedraitis and Polonara rescued the guests, and Luca Vildoza kept Baskonia within 38-30 at halftime. 

Catch up on FC Bayern Munich vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 18th December 2020

FC Bayern Munich vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz Highlights - Round 14 - 18th December, 2020

Baldwin hit a jumper and a three-pointer soon after the break but Vildoza and Dragic kept Baskonia within 45-35. Tonye Jekiri sank his trademark mid-range jumper, Johnson and Dragic traded layups, then D.J. Seeley downed a triple for a 50-39 Bayern lead. Giedraitis took over with a layup-plus-foul and a floater, getting help from Dragic and Peters to bring the guests as close as 55-50. Zipser struck from downtown for a 58-50 Bayern lead after 30 minutes. Weiler-Babb sank a fallaway jumper early in the fourth quarter and Reynolds hit a four-meter shot to restore a 62-50 Bayern margin. Zipser scored again to break the game open, 65-50, with under 6 minutes remaining. Henry and Peters tried to ignite Baskonia's comeback but Reynolds followed a dunk with a layup to seal the outcome, 69-55, with under 3 minutes left.

### Pivotal performer

Reynolds was a dominant force in the paint, scoring in many ways and also proving efficient on defense. He finished the game with 21 points, making 8 of 11 two-point shots and 5 of 6 free throws. He added 9 rebounds and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 29.

### Game-changing moment

Dragic got Baskonia within 54-50 late in the third quarter. Bayern found a go-to guy in Zipser, who buried a three-pointer on the third-quarter buzzer and added a jumper in an 11-0 run also powered by Baldwin and Reynolds. It was enough to seal the outcome, as Bayern's defense did the rest.

### Stellar stat

Two-point shots and turnovers were the key factors of the game. Bayern scored 25-of-51 two-point shots (49.0%) and limited Baskonia to just 15-of-42 (35.7%). Bayern picked up just 5 turnovers, a new club record.

### Did you know?

Bayern broke a three-game losing streak against Baskonia in European competitions. Bayern registered a 77-71 home win in their first meeting on October 25, 2018, and had always lost against Baskonia after that – until tonight.

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FC Bayern Munich registered its third consecutive home win by topping TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 77-66 at Audi Dome on Friday.


FC Bayern Munich v TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2020-12-18T18:30:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ended a perfect double week by coming back from a 15-point deficit to knock off Khimki Moscow Region 90-84. 

ASVEL comes back to defeat Khimki at home

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ended a perfect double week by coming back from a 15-point deficit to knock off Khimki Moscow Region 90-84. Guerschon Yabusele led the way with 20 points for ASVEL, which has won two straight games after a three-game losing streak to improve to 5-9. Norris Cole added 19 points and 4 assists while Moustapha Fall picked up 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and David Lighty chipped in 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Khimki saw Devin Booker score a career high 26 points in registering an index rating of 32 but it was not enough as the team dropped its seventh straight to fall to 2-13. Alexey Shved tallied 14 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss and Jonas Jerebko collected 10 points and 6 rebounds.



Booker opened the game with an alley-oop dunk and Fall hit ASVEL’s first basket. Booker added a three-pointer before Lighty gave the hosts their first lead 6-5. Shved also hit from long range and Vyacheslav Zaytsev hit from deep and converted an and-one while Booker followed with a three-point of his own as Khimki went up 15-21. The guests went on a 1-6 spurt to finish the second quarter including Shved’s triple just before the buzzer for a 20-29 advantage. Sergey Karasev’s triple to open the second quarter increased the gap to double figures 20-32. Amine Noua countered with a three-pointer of his own as ASVEL trailed 25-32. But the home side’s offense went dry for 4 minutes and Shved added another triple as the margin grew to 25-40. Allerik Freeman did hit from deep but Janis Timma connected on a triple at the other end and the margin was 34-47. Cole gave the hosts some momentum going into the locker room with a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 43-51 at the break.

Catch up on LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Khimki Moscow Region highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 18th December 2020

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Khimki Moscow Region Highlights - Round 14 - 18th December, 2020

ASVEL came out of the locker room more aggressive and Yabusele hit a three-pointer and Lighty converted an and-one to pull within 55-56. Jerebko responded with baskets around a Booker triple in pushing the margin to 58-64. Lighty added another three-point play and Yabusele’s three-pointer put the hosts up 66-64 - forcing a Khimki timeout. ASVEL added three more free throws and the cushion was 69-64. Booker finally ended the 3-minute scoreless stretch with a three-point play but Yabusele was on target from long range and ASVEL led 72-67. Zaytsev managed to respond with a three-point play and the score was 72-70 after 30 minutes.

Stefan Jovic and Booker scored to tie the game and then Shved did the same with a three-pointer to even it at 77-77. Jordan Mickey had fouled out early in the fourth quarter and Cole hit a layup to push ASVEL back ahead. Cole then drew a fifth foul on Sheved with under 3 minutes left and hit two free throws and it was 81-77. A Charles Kahudi basket helped push the gap to 84-79 with less than 90 seconds to play. Kahudi added two free throws and Lighty finished off Khimki for good with a layup for an 88-83 lead with 18 seconds to play.

### Pivotal performer

Guerschon Yabusele was great all game for ASVEL with 20 points on 7-of-13 shots, including 4-of-8 three-pointers. He also had 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

### Foul problems neutralize Khimki

Khimki struggled with foul problems, especially to its stars as Alexey Shved fouled out under 3 minutes left in a tight battle. Jordan Mickey was fouled out after playing under 14 minutes.

### Telling numbers

Khimki’s foul trouble sent ASVEL to the line 27 times - with the home side making 22 of them (81.5%) while the guests were just 13-of-18 (72.2%) in a game decided by six points.

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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ended a perfect double week by coming back from a 15-point deficit to knock off Khimki Moscow Region 90-84. 


In a fascinating game of swings, Real Madrid had the last one to survive overtime for the second time this week with an 82-86 victory over host Olympiacos Piraeus on Friday. 

In OT again, Real outlasts the Reds

In a fascinating game of swings, Real Madrid had the last one to survive overtime for the second time this week with an 82-86 victory over host Olympiacos Piraeus on Friday. With its ninth win in 10 games, Real improved to 10-5, good for a piece of third place with FC Bayern Munich. Olympiacos fell to 7-7. Nicolas Laprovittola scored 8 of his 19 points in overtime and dished 6 assists to lead Real. Trey Thompkins added 15 points without a miss, Walter Tavares had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, while Sergio Llull scored 10 more for the winners. Olympiacos got 18 points each from Hassan Martin and Shaquielle McKissic while Kostas Sloukas was good for 11 points and 7 assists.



Livio Jean-Charles and Octavius Ellis scored at the rim to get the hosts going Laprovittola answered with the game's first triple and Gabriel Deck downed a fastbreak layup as Real pushed ahead but McKissic raced for a three-point play for a 9-9 tie. Laprovittola and Papanikolaou kept it that way with triples, leaving a 12-12 tie after 10 defensive-minded minutes. Free throws brought the score to 17-16 before Sasha Vezenkov's tip-in was matched by Thompkins scoring on a fastbreak. A floater by Vassilis Spanoulis and a put-back from Martin broke another tie to put the Reds up 23-19. Aaron Harrison kept it going and Ellis lifted the difference to 27-19. Fabien Causeur struck from deep, stole and assisted Thompkins on the break, then stole and fed Rudy Fernandez for a triple to suddenly propel Real into the lead, 27-28. Vezenkov and Llull traded triples, which took Real to the half with a minimum 30-31 edge.

Catch up on Olympiacos Piraeus vs Real Madrid highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 18th December 2020

Olympiacos Piraeus vs Real Madrid Highlights - Round 14 - 18th December, 2020

Anthony Randolph, Laprovittola and Causeur added the first 6 points of the third quarter to lift Real's lead to 30-37. Vassilis Spanoulis came to the Olympiacos's rescue with killer assists to Martin before Shaquielle McKissick drilled a triple to tie it up at 39-39. Spanoulis fed Martin a couple more times and scored himself to suddenly put Olympiacos ahead again, 48-41. Tavares stopped the bleeding for the visitors, but Jean-Charles answered with a triple. Jaycee Carroll did the same on his first touch of the game, and Thompkins followed him to finish the quarter 51-49. Carroll did it again to start the fourth by giving Real the lead, 51-52. Thompkins would add a triple after a huge block by Tavares and when Laprovittola followed, the lead had swung to 53-60 for Real. McKissic conjured another huge three-point play for Olympiacos that Kostas Sloukas followed with a triple at 59-60. Llull fed Tavares for a dunk and Sloukas reversed past Tavares at 61-62. Llull buried an open triple and McKissic drove for a layup before Carroll hit a jumper and Tavares dunked for 63-69 Real lead with 3 minutes left. Sloukas nailed a second-chance triple and Ellis hit 1 of 2 free throws at 67-69. Tavares registered his fifth block going into the final minute, but Real couldn't take advantage as Carroll's three-pointer left his hand a split-second after the 24-second shot expired, leaving 39.2 seconds on the clock. Sloukas went to the line 10 seconds later and tied it, 69-69, leading to overtime.

In the extra period, Tavares dunked for a three-point play, but McKissic answered with his own slam before Laprovittola scored 4 points in a row to make it 71-76. McKissic got 3 back at the foul line and then Sloukas fed Martin for an alley-oop and go-ahead free throw at 77-76. Alberto Abalde assisted an open Thompkins for his third triple but Sloukas hit Martin for a dunk and then a reverse layup at 81-78. Llull was left open for the go-ahead triple with 35 seconds left while Olympiacos committed a turnover with 14 seconds left. Laprovittola didn't miss from the foul line down the stretch to preserve Real's second overtime win in three days.

### Pivotal performer

Walter Tavares registered a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds for Real to go with 5 often-spectacular blocked shots. If his intimidations counted, it would have been a triple-double. Tavares made 5 of 6 two-pointers and 3 of 4 free throws in 34 minutes for a PIR of 23.

### Key sequence

Olympiacos had surged ahead 48-41 thanks to Vassilis Spanoulis in the third quarter and it looked like Real might be tiring from its double-overtime win against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on Tuesday. Enter 37-year-old shooter Jaycee Carroll, who used his first touch of the game to hit a triple and soon added another to give Real the lead back at 51-52. The battle was joined from there and it was anyone's game, but not until Carroll turned it around. Also, his three-pointer in the final minute of the fourth quarter would have won it, but left his hand just as the shot-clock expired.

### Moving up the charts

By making 3 of his 5 triples, including the go-ahead final one with 35 seconds left in overtime, Sergio Llull took sole possession of third place in all-time EuroLeague charts for three-pointers made, with 474. That broke his tie at 471 with Milos Teodosic. Ahead of him now are Spanoulis (498) and Juan Carlos Navarro (623).

### Did you know?

Friday's overtime win marked just the third by Real at Peace and Friendship Stadium in its 15th visit there this century. The last one was on March 24, 2017, which was 12 years after the previous one, on January 20, 2005.

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In a fascinating game of swings, Real Madrid had the last one to survive overtime for the second time this week with an 82-86 victory over host Olympiacos Piraeus on Friday. 


Olympiacos Piraeus v Real Madrid (2020-12-18T19:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating Valencia Basket 76-73 at home but only after wasting a 12-point third quarter lead. 

Zvezda snaps losing streak with win over Valencia

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating Valencia Basket 76-73 at home but only after wasting a 12-point third quarter lead. Jordan Loyd led the way with 20 points, including nine points in the final 6 minutes, for Zvezda, which improved to 5-10 on the season. Johnny O’Bryant was the other main gun for Zvezda with 15 points as Zvezda has never lost to Valencia in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Louis Labeyrie and Klemen Prepelic both scored 15 points to lead Valencia, which had won five of its last seven games before falling to 9-6. Mike Tobey added 11 points in the loss.



Aleksa Uskokovic opened the scoring in the lane for the hosts with Labeyrie dunking home Valencia’s first points at the other end. A Labeyrie three-pointer put Valencia ahead for the first time at 4-7. Loyd answered from deep and Corey Walden’s three-point play put the hosts back ahead 10-9 while Labeyrie and Prepelic knocked down back-to-back triples and Valencia was up 14-18. Dejan Davidovac answered with six points for Zvezda, which trailed 20-22 after 10 minutes. After Walden hit the first four points of the second quarter, Martin Hermannsson scored for Valencia. The guests’ offense went cold for 3 minutes while Loyd had a triple and layup in a 9-0 run to open a 33-24 lead. Valencia was able to score with more consistency with Prepelic putting int eight points, including two long three-pointers to trim the margin to 42-36. O’Bryant answered from deep and the hosts were up 45-36 at the break. 

Catch up on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Valencia Basket highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 18th December 2020

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 14 - 18th December, 2020

Loyd’s three-pointer to open the second half gave Zvezda its biggest lead of 12 points at 48-36. Bojan Dubljevic scored his first points of the game to make it 48-40 and Guillem Vives trimmed it to 50-44. O’Bryant hit twice to keep Valencia at an arm’s length only to see Hermannsson drained a triple and Tobey had five straight points and Valencia was within 55-54. And Labeyrie nailed a three-pointer to knot the game 57-57 after 30 minutes. Duop Reath started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer for the hosts but Josep Puerto matched it at the other end. Valencia twice more answered Zvedza including Derrick Williams’ three-point play evening Jagodic-Kuridza’s three-pointer before Puerto’s free throws put Valencia back ahead 65-67. Loyd took over with nine straight points including a three-pointer and Davidovac’s jumper concluded an 11-4 surge to put Zvezda up 76-71 with 1:18 minutes left. Labeyrie added two free throws but the damage had been done.



### Pivotal performer

Jordan Loyd was there all game for Zvezda as he collected 20 points including 4-of-8 three-pointers along with 6 assists as he tallied an index rating of 18. He carried his team over the line with the big second half of the fourth quarter.

### More struggles - including from foul line - for Dubljevic

Bojan Dubljevic came into the game as Valencia’s leading scorer with 11.6 points. But he was held to just 5 points on 2-of-7 field goal attempts and 1-of-4 free throws though he did have 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Dubljevic has been held to single digits scoring in three of the last four games. The big man also had converted 29-of-32 free throws on the season before missing three foul shots in this game.

### Telling numbers

Zvezda committed only 9 turnovers but more importantly connected on 67.6% 2-pointers - up from its average of 48.3% this season.

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Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating Valencia Basket 76-73 at home but only after wasting a 12-point third quarter lead. 


Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v Valencia Basket (2020-12-18T18:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas continued its positive trend in racing past Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 99-62 for its third straight victory.

Zalgiris grabs third straight win in blowout of Fenerbahce

Zalgiris Kaunas continued its positive trend in racing past Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 99-62 for its third straight victory. Augustine Rubit led the way with 18 points and 6 rebounds for Zalgiris, which gave up only 7 points in the first quarter and was never challenged in putting its six-game losing streak from earlier in the season behind it and improving to 8-7. Marius Grigonis picked up 12 points and 7 assists while Nigel Hayes, Arturas Milaknis and Martinas Geben all chipped in 11 points for the Lithuanian champion. Fenerbahce lost its three straight and seven of its last eight to fall to 5-10. Nando de Colo paced Fenerbahce with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, Jarell Eddie scored 12 points and Dyshawn Pierre had 10 in the loss.



Milaknis got the scoreboard going with a three-pointer while Fenerbahce needed more than 4 minutes to finally score from Edgaras Ulanovas. However, the hosts led only 5-0 as they hit just 2 of 9 shots in the early going. Thomas Walkup added a three-pointer and Joffrey Lauvergne tallied 5 straight points as the lead grew to 17-2. Pierre snapped the 12-0 run for Fenerbahce and Zalgiris's advantage grew to 21-4. Pierre knocked down a three-pointer only to see Lukas Lekavicius respond from deep and Zalgiris led 24-7 after 10 minutes. Lorenzo Brown and Eddie scored the first 4 points of the second quarter to cut the deficit to 24-11 and force a Zalgiris timeout. The home side responded in a big way with the next 11 points and a 16-2 run that featured three-pointers from Grigonis, Rubit and Hayes as well as a Rubit three-point play for a 40-13 cushion. De Colo scored 7 points as Fenerbahce’s main man in a 0-9 spurt to pull within 40-22. Rokas Jokubaitis and Milaknis hit back-to-back triples at the other end and Rubit had another and-one for a 51-31 advantage at the break.

Catch up on Zalgiris Kaunas vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 17th December 2020

Zalgiris Kaunas vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul Highlights - Round 14 - 17th December, 2020

Milaknis and Hayes opened the second half with three-pointers before Pierre scored for Fenerbahce. Lauvergne followed with a three-point play and Walkup hit the next triple as the margin grew to 65-33. Eddie got a three-pointer to fall, but the Zalgiris barrage continued as Grigonis, Lekavicius and Jokubaitis connected from deep for a 77-40 margin. Leo Westermann answered with a triple, but the lead was 81-47 after 30 minutes. After Geben scored first in the final frame, Eddie and Westermann hit triples and Pierre converted a three-point play and the gap was 83-56. Karolis Lukosiunas came off the bench and hit from long range. The difference was 89-56 with 5 minutes left. Melih Mahmutoglu had 5 points for the guests while Hayes knocked down yet another triple down the stretch. Marek Blazevic hit just one of two free throws with 12 seconds remaining to keep Zalgiris from getting to triple digits.

### Zalgiris set club record in assists legs

Zalgiris dished out 31 assists to set a club mark in the EuroLeague. The previous best was 29 which the team had accomplished three times, including twice last season. The 31 assists tied for seventh all-time in a single game in the competition; Real Madrid holds the record with 36 assists.

### More great three-point shooting

Just days after Zalgiris drained 18 of 26 triples in a 92-73 victory over TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Martin Schiller’s men knocked down 16 of 30 three-pointers against Fenerbahce.

### Telling numbers

Zalgiris's assists and three-pointers were major contributors to the win, but so was a 41-23 advantage in rebounds, including 13 offensive rebounds. Zalgiris also held Fenerbahce to just 7-of-25 three-point shooting (28.0%) and the visitors connected on just 5 of 12 free throws (41.7%).

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Zalgiris Kaunas continued its positive trend in racing past Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 99-62 for its third straight victory.


Zalgiris Kaunas v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2020-12-17T18:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens bounced back from a painful double-overtime loss against Real Madrid 48 hours before by defeating visiting ALBA Berlin 92-69 at OAKA on Thursday night.

 Greens finish strong to top ALBA

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens bounced back from a painful double-overtime loss against Real Madrid 48 hours before by defeating visiting ALBA Berlin 92-69 at OAKA on Thursday night. The Greens, who improved to 5-9, built a 25-18 lead after 10 minutes and never trailed after that, as a 16-0 run in the last 4 minutes of the game collapsed ALBA’s last comeback attempt. Ioannis Papapetrou led all scorers with 22 points, followed by Nemanja Nedovic and Howard Sant-Roos, who provided 13 apiece. Georgios Papagiannis posted 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks for the winners. ALBA, which saw a four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 7-7, was paced by Niels Giffey with 13 points. Peyton Siva tallied 11 points and 6 assists and Luke Sikma added 11 points in defeat.



Even though Sikma dominated inside with two baskets in the early going, the hosts adjusted their defense soon after and took a 14-6 edge on a 9-0 run boosted by the duo of Papagiannis and Papapetrou. The visitors recovered their offensive rhythm right after the timeout, as Giffey provided a couple of buckets, Jonas Mattiseck hit a three and Maodo Lo joined from mid-range to reduce the gap to 17-15. Lo continued punishing from outside and made it 19-18, but Papapetrou and Aaron White connected on back-to-back triples to help Panathinaikos build a 25-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. Dinos Mitoglou and Papapetrou continued the run by dunking twice to make it 29-18. ALBA didn’t panic. As soon as they evened the rebounding battle, the visitors found their poise on offense. Siva nailed a three, Sikma contributed a three-point play and Tim Schneider hit from deep to get within 31-29. Papapetrou aborted the rally with a timely basket, followed by free throws by Leonidas Kaselakis and Papagiannis that restored a safe margin, 37-29, for the hosts. The latter provided two more from the line to close the first half with the Greens in front, 39-32.

Catch up on Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs ALBA Berlin highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 17th December 2020

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs ALBA Berlin Highlights - Round 14 - 17th December, 2020

ALBA switched to zone defense right after the break, but the hosts broke it in style with 3 triples in a row to extend the lead to 48-35. Sikma showed up to carry the visitors, but he found little help from his teammates and the Greens only needed a couple of buckets by Sant-Roos to keep a double-digit margin, 52-41, midway through the third quarter. Back-to-back threes by Nedovic enlarged it to 60-45, beginning a shootout from deep between the squads. Louis Olinde and Lo provided a three-pointer each for ALBA and Kaselakis and Nedovic responded to make it 66-52 entering the last quarter. Giffey opened fire with another three and then Mattisseck and Siva joined from deep to prevent Panathinaikos from escaping. The three-point rain didn’t finish yet, as Giffey connected twice from downtown to bring ALBA within 74-67 with 5 minutes to play. However, that would be the closest ALBA would get, as free throws by Nedovic and White gave the hosts some room to open the door to what became a 16-0 run over the last 4 minutes, in which Papaetrou made back-to-back three-pointers and a couple of free throws.

### Panathinaikos got big from deep

Even though the hosts were unable to score any three-pointers in the second quarter, they had a great shooting performance from deep the rest of the game, especially in key moments. Seven threes in the third quarter were good enough to keep ALBA under control and back-to-back bombs from Ioannis Papapetrou late in the fourth sealed the outcome.

### ALBA shot well, too

The visitors trailed after Papapetrou set an early 7-6 lead for Panathinaikos, but never surrendered despite being down 66-52 entering the fourth quarter. Five three-pointers in a row - 3 of them from Neils Giffey - tightened it to 74-67 with less than 5 minutes to play.

### Tired? Who’s tired?

Both teams came from overtime games 48 hours before. The hosts lost against Real Madrid after two extra periods, while ALBA defeated Crvena Zvezda after 45 minutes. Surprisingly, the team that finished stronger was the one who had played more, as Panathinaikos signed off 16 points in four minutes to close the game. ALBA got 0 in the same span.

### Pivotal performers

Ioannis Papapetrou and Georgios Papagiannis were the perfect combo for Panathinaikos in this game, providing solid contributions to help the hosts keep a good balance, both in offense and defense. The former posted 22 points and 4 assists and the latter had 12 points and 4 blocks.



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Panathinaikos OPAP Athens bounced back from a painful double-overtime loss against Real Madrid 48 hours before by defeating visiting ALBA Berlin 92-69 at OAKA on Thursday night.


Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v ALBA Berlin (2020-12-17T19:00:00.000Z)