AX Armani Exchange Milan held on late for a 69-72 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Thursday night at Sinan Erdem Arena.

Milan completes perfect Istanbul swing

AX Armani Exchange Milan held on late for a 69-72 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Thursday night at Sinan Erdem Arena. Milan won its second game in Istanbul in 48 hours after beating Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Tuesday to take its record to 9-5 on the season. Milan led by as many as 17 in the second quarter and trailed by as many as 6 in the fourth before Sergio Rodriguez led a 2-10 run over the game's final 4 minutes to secure the victory. Kevin Punter led the winners with 18 points on 4-for-4 three-point shooting, Shavon Shields scored 11, Malcolm Delaney 10 and Rodriguez dished 8 assists. Vasilije Micic paced Efes with 20 points and a career-high 8 rebounds plus 5 assists, Rodrigue Beaubois scored 13 and Bryant Dunston posted 11 points and 8 rebounds. The loss was Efes's third in a row and dropped its record to 7-8.



Dunston had a great start for Efes with a three-point play and 2 more free throws – plus 2 early fouls drawn from Kaleb Tarczewski. Beaubois then took over with a blocked shot, a jumper and a three-pointer for a 12-7 lead, after which Milan called timeout. Delaney and Beaubois exchanged threes before back-to-back triples by Shields and Luigi Datome gave Milan its first lead, 17-18. Micic briefly restored an Efes lead with a triple after which Jeff Brooks's layup evened things at 20-20 after 10 minutes. Shane Larkin got on the scoreboard with a three-pointer that tied the game at 24-24. Then Zach LeDay scored 5 points and Rodriguez dished a pair of assists in a 0-9 Milan run. LeDay soon added a three-point play for a double-digit lead, 26-36. The margin soared to 29-46 after a pair of threes by Kevin Punter – one of which was a four-point play – and another triple by Delaney. Krunoslav Simon's floater only drew Efes within 31-46 at the break.

Catch up on Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs AX Armani Exchange Milan highlights from Round 15 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 17th December 2020

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs AX Armani Exchange Milan Highlights - Round 14 - 17th December, 2020

Efes stepped up at the start of the third quarter behind Micic and Simon, who combined for the first 10 points in a 15-0 run. Adrien Moerman's hook shot tied the game at 46-46. Hines ended a nearly 5-minute-long scoring drought for Milan and also recorded a block on defense, but Dunston's steal and long pass to Simon for a layup tied it again. Micic drained a three for Efes's first lead of the half, 52-50, with a minute to go in the third quarter. A jumper by Datome evened it at 52-52 entering the fourth. Datome stringed another long jumper and Delaney added a floater as Milan regained control early in the quarter. Micic fought back with 7 straight points to make it 60-57. After Shields scored for Milan, Micic penetrated for his 9th point in 90 seconds. A three by Chris Singleton further stretched the Efes lead. Shields trimmed the deficit to 65-62 midway through the fourth quarter. Punter's deep three evened the game at 67-67 with 3 minutes remaining and Rodriguez's fastbreak layup put the visitors back on top. Punter scored again, but after the officials called Dunston for an offensive foul, an instant replay review overturned the call and Dunston made the resulting free throws with 1:36 left. It came down to the closing seconds when Micic missed and Milan escaped with a road win.

### Game-deciding flourish

In a game that saw the visitors go on a 4-16 surge in the second quarter and then saw the hosts use a 15-0 start to the third quarter to climb back, Milan's 10-2 close to the game decided the outcome. Sergio Rodriguez, scoreless to that point, scored twice around an assist to Kevin Punter for a game-tying three-pointer to highlight the run.

### Telling numbers

Efes made just 15 of 38 two-pointers (39.5%), which was its second-lowest of the season behind only Tuesday's 35.6% in a road loss at CSKA Moscow. Milan converted 19 of 37 twos (51.4%).

### Did you notice?

The victory was Milan's first-ever over Efes in Istanbul. Efes had won 14 home games in a row versus Milan dating back to their first meeting in December 2005. Six of those were by double figures. The closest Milan had ever come to beating Efes on the road was in January 2014, when Zoran Planinic banked in a three-quarters court prayer as time expired to claim a 61-60 victory.

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AX Armani Exchange Milan held on late for a 69-72 victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Thursday night at Sinan Erdem Arena.


Anadolu Efes Istanbul v AX Armani Exchange Milan (2020-12-17T17:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket got a valuable 85-96 win over Olympiacos Piraeus at the Peace and Friendship Stadium on Wednesday night, snapping a nine-game losing streak against the Reds. 

Valencia triumphs in Piraeus after 17 years

Valencia Basket got a valuable 85-96 win over Olympiacos Piraeus at the Peace and Friendship Stadium on Wednesday night, snapping a nine-game losing streak against the Reds. It was the second time that Valencia ever claimed a victory on that court; the first was in November 2003. The visitors, who improved to 9-5, took control of the game from the very beginning, built a double-digit lead early in the second quarter, enlarged it to 54-71 in the third and resisted all comeback attempts launched by the hosts in the fourth. Bojan Dubljevic paced the winners with 20 points and 9 boards in just 23 minutes. Derrick Williams contributed 16 in the same playing time, while Nikola Kalinic provided 14 and Klemen Prepeplic added 11. Olympiacos, which fell to 7-6, was led by Kostas Sloukas, who tallied 18 points and 7 assists. Shaqueille McKissic followed him with 16 points, Sasha Vezenkov had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Livio Jean-Charles scored 14 in defeat.



Fernando San Emeterio contributed 6 points and Dubljevic added a layup to put the visitors in front, 5-8, in the early going. Olympiacos struggled on offense as it couldn’t find anyone other than Jean-Charles and Vasilis Charalampopoulos on the offensive end. That allowed Valencia to build a double-digit lead, 9-19, thanks to balanced scoring distribution. Sloukas and Vassilis Spanoulis came to the rescue from the line, but Kalinic and Williams responded from the same place to close the first quarter with a 16-25 visitors’ edge. Mike Tobey provided a three-point play and Martin Hermannsson drilled a three to help Valencia amass a 20-31 lead, which Dubljevic and Williams extended to 22-35 soon after. Vezenkov took over after the Reds called for an urgent timeout, sparking a reaction that Spanoulis fueled from deep and McKissic capped from the line to reduce the gap to 32-37. The visitors didn’t panic and counterattacked with Kalinic, who led his team’s offense to recover a comfortable margin, 34-45. Then Prepelic showed up, hitting a fast break three and adding 2 free throws to give the visitors a 39-52 advantage at halftime.

Catch up on Olympiacos Piraeus vs Valencia Basket highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 16th December 2020

Olympiacos Piraeus vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 14 - 16th December, 2020

Sloukas came up big after the break, pouring in a triple and feeding Jean-Charles inside to bring Olympiacos within 44-52. A technical foul called on Coach Georgios Bartzokas aborted the reaction, though, as Dubljevic followed with 7 points in a row to make it 46-62. The hosts found some momentum from behind the arc, but so did Valencia. Prepelic, Dubljevic and Williams drilled a three each to raise the difference to 54-71, but the Reds didn’t surrender. Hassan Martin and McKissic led an 11-3 run that kept Olympiacos alive, although Mike Tobey's tip-in helped Valencia retain a double-digit lead, 65-76, entering the last quarter. The defensive intensity increased on both ends as neither team managed to make any run and each basket was immediately responded to by the opponent. Williams banked in a tough shot and Kalinic followed with 4 points of his own to make it 76-90 with less than 3 minutes to play. The hosts found free throws by Vezenkov and a timely triple off an offensive rebound from Sloukas to try to stay into the game, 81-90. It ended up becoming the last attempt for Olympiacos, though, as Dubljevic and Hermannsson secured a couple of free throws each to seal the outcome in the last minute of the game.

### Excellent offense

Leading the competition in two-point shooting and assists, the visitors proved again to be one of the most efficient teams on offense. They had an impressive 65.7% on two-point shooting, 47.6% on three-pointers and dished 20 assists. Valencia was 6 for 6 on twos in the first 12 minutes of the game until Nikola Kalinic missed a basket in the second quarter.

### Pivotal performer

Bojan Dubljevic had an impressive performance against the Reds, not only because of being able to score 20 points on very good percentages, to grab 6 offensive rebounds and to register a PIR of 29, but for doing in in just 23 minutes on court.

### Did you know?

Valencia Basket had a 1-9 record against Olympiacos and was on a nine-game losing streak against the Greek powerhouse before this game. Valencia’s only victory in Piraeus before took place on November 13, 2003, when it defeated Olympiacos 69-77 behind 16 points from Dimos Dikoudis.

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Valencia Basket got a valuable 85-96 win over Olympiacos Piraeus at the Peace and Friendship Stadium on Wednesday night, snapping a nine-game losing streak against the Reds. 


Olympiacos Piraeus v Valencia Basket (2020-12-16T19:30:00.000Z)

In a thriller that came down to the last shot, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne snapped its three-game losing streak by topping Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 84-81 at the Astroballe on Wednesday. 

ASVEL sets club record in win

In a thriller that came down to the last shot, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne snapped its three-game losing streak by topping Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 84-81 at the Astroballe on Wednesday. In the process, ASVEL set a club record with 33 two-point shots. ASVEL improved to 4-9 in the standings, right behind Maccabi at 5-9. Norris Cole and Moustapha Fall led the winners with 15 points apiece. ASVEL also got 11 points from Amine Noua and 10 from David Lighty. Scottie Wilbekin paced Maccabi with 25 points, Elijah Bryant added 12 and Dragan Bender had 11 for the visitors. It all came down to the final minute, in which a three-point play by Angelo Caloiaro gave Maccabi a chance. Maccabi got a defensive stop, but Wilbekin missed a three-point shot from the corner in the final seconds.



Lighty got ASVEL going with a layup off a steal, which Wilbekin bettered with a triple. Lighty hit a jumper and got help from Guerschon Yabusele and Allerik Freeman for an 8-6 ASVEL lead. Bryant scored down low and Wilbekin added a layup-plus-foul, but Fall answered with 7 quick points for a 15-11 score. Bender followed a dunk with a three-pointer but Yabusele, Freeman and Antoine Diot kept the hosts ahead, 23-16. Yabusele scored around the basket and Lighty downed a jumper, prompting Maccabi to call timeout at 27-18. Bender got the visitors closer, 30-24, after 10 minutes. Matt Strazel downed a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Othello Hunter and Ismael Bako traded baskets before John DiBartolomeo joined the three-point shootout to get within 6. Fall scored twice down low in an 8-0 run that made it 44-30. Hunter and Fall exchanged dunks and Bryant got the visitors to 46-34. Wilbekin and Ante Zizic brought Maccabi even closer, 50-41, at halftime.

Catch up on LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 16th December 2020

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 14 - 16th December, 2020

Yabusele buried a triple soon after the break and Fall scored again for a 55-42 ASVEL lead. Bryant downed a couple of jumpers in a 0-9 run that Wilbekin capped with a close basket for a 55-51 Maccabi deficit. Lacombe followed a backdoor layup with a jump hook, but Chris Jones and Bryant got Maccabi even closer, 59-56. Bako stepped up with a tip-in and got help from Noua and Cole to restore a 67-61 ASVEL lead, which Wilbekin cut to 67-64 with a buzzer-beating triple at the end of the third quarter. Cole hit a one-handed jumper, but Tyler Dorsey did better with a bomb from beyond the arc. Noua buried a couple of jumpers and a triple in a 9-0 run that Lighty capped with a layup for a 78-67 ASVEL lead. Lighty scored in penetration, but Wilbekin and Caloiaro brought Maccabi within 80-73 with over 3 minutes left. Wilbekin buried a three-pointer off an ASVEL timeout and fed Hunter for an alley-oop slam, but Cole hit a jumper and Noua dunked for an 84-78 lead with 1:07 left. Caloiaro answered with a three-point play and Maccabi got the ball back with 10.8 seconds remaining, but Wilbekin missed from downtown on the visitors' final possession.

### Pivotal performer

Fall returned to his best level as a dominant force in the paint. He finished the game with 15 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, 2 blocks and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 25. A truly all-around performance.

### Game-changing moment

ASVEL led 69-67 early in the fourth quarter, but found a go-to guy in Noua, who buried a jumper from the elbow, a big three-pointer from the top of the key and a close shot. Lighty soon scored around the basket to make Maccabi stop the game at 78-67. Maccabi got closer, but that run allowed ASVEL to win the game.

### Stellar stat

ASVEL hit 67.3% of its two-point shots, scoring 33 of 49 attempts for a club record. The previous best was 29 two-point shots made against ALBA Berlin both in 2004 and 2019. It is also the EuroLeague's best mark this season; Real Madrid had 30 against Panathinaikos on Tuesday. In contrast, Maccabi made 19 of 32 two-point shots (59.4%).

### Did you know?

This was ASVEL's first win against Maccabi in the 21st century. Maccabi had won their last three showdowns against ASVEL: 80-85 at the Astroballe on November 18, 2004, behind a career-high 33 points from Anthony Parker; 89-69 at home on January 13, 2005; and 93-62 at home on November 28, 2019. ASVEL's last win, 70-65, came on December 16, 1999.

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In a thriller that came down to the last shot, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne snapped its three-game losing streak by topping Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 84-81 at the Astroballe on Wednesday. 


Zenit St Petersburg snapped its three-game losing streak by defeating FC Bayern Munich 79-75 at Sibur Arena on Wednesday. 

Zenit rallies past Bayern

Zenit St Petersburg snapped its three-game losing streak by defeating FC Bayern Munich 79-75 at Sibur Arena on Wednesday. Zenit improved to 8-4 and registered its first home win since beating FC Barcelona in Round 2. Bayern dropped to 9-5. Billy Baron led the winners with 20 points. Zenit also got 13 points from Will Thomas and 12 from Arturas Gudaitis. Jalen Reynolds paced Bayern with 13 points, Wade Baldwin IV and D.J. Seeley each added 12 while Paul Zipser had 10 for the visitors, who were without top scorer Vladimir Lucic.



Leon Radosevic got Bayern going with a five-meter jumper and Nihad Dedovic added a three-pointer, but Gudaitis brought Zenit within 4-5. Seeley followed a driving layup with a wild three-point play to boost the lead to 4-10. Andrey Zubkov took over with an acrobatic basket, Austin Hollins and KC Rivers each struck from downtown and Kevin Pangos added a layup to help Zenit tie it at 14-14. Reynolds sank back-to-back jumpers, and Zan Sisko banked in a running shot for a 14-20 Bayern lead after 10 minutes. Baron buried a triple early in the second quarter. Reynolds followed a fallaway jumper with a two-handed slam, but Baron scored twice around the basket and Pangos hit a jumper to cause Bayern to stop the game at 23-26. Zipser struck twice from beyond the arc, but Gudaitis and Mateusz Ponitka brought Zenit within 29-34. Baldwin and JaJuan Johnson rescued the guests and Nick Weiler-Babb beat the halftime buzzer with a wild three-point play for a 35-43 Bayern lead at halftime.

Catch up on Zenit St Petersburg vs FC Bayern Munich highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 16th December 2020

Zenit St Petersburg vs FC Bayern Munich Highlights - Round 14 - 16th December, 2020

Seeley sank a corner triple that made it a double-digit game right after the break. Johnson scored down low and Dedovic added a coast-to-coast layup that boosted the lead to 37-50. Gudaitis stepped up with a tip-in, Thomas added a layup and Baron sank a triple that gave Zenit hope at 44-52. After Dedovic answered from downtown, Baron and Johnson traded jumpers. Zipser scored for a 48-60 Bayern margin. Baron struck again from beyond the arc and Hollins buried an 18-meter prayer to get Zenit within 56-60 at the end of the third quarter. Hollins sank a triple early in the fourth quarter, but Radosevic and Baldwin gave Bayern fresh air at 59-64. Alex Poythress scored in the paint and Thomas sank a step-back jumper to get Zenit within 63-64. Seeley answered with a put-back layup that Poythress bettered with a three-point play for a 66-66 tie. Sisko and Pangos exchanged three-pointers, but Seeley gave Bayern a 69-71 edge with 3 minutes left. Ponitka answered from downtown to give Zenit its first lead of the night. Reynolds scored down low and Sisko added a tip-in, but Baron tied it from beyond the arc, 75-75. Thomas hit free throws and Poythress hit a jump hook that sealed the outcome, 79-75, with 36.6 seconds left.

### Pivotal performer

Thomas stepped up when his team needed him most, scoring 8 points in the final 14 minutes. He finished the game with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 5 fouls drawn for a game-high PIR of 25.

### Game-changing moment

Bayern led 72-75 late in the game but Baron buried a spectacular three-point shot, Thomas added free throws and Poythress hit a critical jump hook which allowed Zenit to win the game. The game came down to the final 2 minutes and that 7-0 run allowed the hosts to win it.

### Stellar stat
Both teams had very similar stats other than three-point shots. Zenit hit 11 of 23 shots from downtown (47.8%) and Bayern only made 6 of 14 attempts from beyond the arc (42.9%). That accuracy from downtown allowed Zenit to win the game.

### Did you know?

Zenit grabbed its first win against Bayern in EuroLeague action. The German powerhouse previously downed Zenit 77-69 at home in December 2019 and 68-77 at Sibur Arena in February 2020. Zenit snapped a four-game losing streak against Bayern, which also beat the Russian powerhouse twice in the 2017-18 7DAYS EuroCup Top 16.

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Zenit St Petersburg snapped its three-game losing streak by defeating FC Bayern Munich 79-75 at Sibur Arena on Wednesday. 


Zenit St Petersburg v FC Bayern Munich (2020-12-16T16:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona stayed stop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings by downing Khimki Moscow Region 87-74 at Palau Blaugrana on Wednesday. 

Mirotic leads Barcelona to home win

FC Barcelona stayed stop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings by downing Khimki Moscow Region 87-74 at Palau Blaugrana on Wednesday. Barcelona improved to 11-3 in the standings and remained undefeated against Khimki at home with its sixth consecutive win against the Russian powerhouse. Meanwhile, Khimki dropped to 2-12 and is now on a six-game losing streak. Nikola Mirotic led the winners with 24 points. Cory Higgins added 20 points, Alex Abrines 13 and Pierre Oriola 10 for Barcelona, while Nick Calathes dished 12 assists. Alexey Shved led Khimki with 22 points. The guests also got 13 each from Sergey Karasev and Jordan Mickey. Barcelona led 32-25 at the end of a high-scoring first quarter, boosting its margin to 51-41 at halftime and then again to 69-53 after 30 minutes, never looking back.



Higgins needed just 6 seconds to strike from downtown and Mirotic added a jump hook for a 5-2 lead. Abrines downed a triple and Mirotic added consecutive fastbreak layups, giving the hosts a 14-7 edge. Vyacheslav Zaytsev and Dairis Bertans each struck from beyond the arc for Khimki and Jordan Mickey added an alley-oop slam. Nonetheless, Mirotic and Oriola boosted Barcelona's lead to 24-15. Shved stepped up with a tip-in and a three-pointer, getting help from Karasev to get Khimki within 27-23. Rolands Smits and Adam Hanga restored a 32-25 Barcelona lead after 10 minutes. Mickey posted a three-point play and a jumper early in the second quarter and Shved hit a runner. Brandon Davies and Smits, however, kept the hosts ahead, 36-32. Shved fed Devin Booker for a huge alley-oop slam but Davies scored down low and Higgins added a three-point play at 41-36. Shved struck from way beyond the arc and Karasev sank a jumper, then Mirotic followed a floater with a jumper, getting help from Higgins and Abrines to make it 51-41 at halftime.

Catch up on FC Barcelona vs Khimki Moscow Region highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 16th December 2020

FC Barcelona vs Khimki Moscow Region Highlights - Round 14 - 16th December, 2020

Abrines and Karasev traded threes right after the break, then Booker and Zaytsev hit layups to give Khimki hope at 54-48. Mirotic rescued Barcelona with 4 quick points and Abrines fired in his third triple for a 61-51 score. Davies and Oriola stepped up before a layup by Mirotic fixed the score at 69-53 after 30 minutes. Kyle Kuric, Shved and Stefan Jovic each struck from beyond the arc early in the fourth quarter. Karasev scored off a steal to bring Khimki within single digits, 72-64, with over 6 minutes left. Barcelona found a go-to guy in Higgins, who had 7 points in a 9-0 run that sealed the outcome, 81-63, with 3 minutes remaining.

### Pivotal performer

Once again, Mirotic was highly effective on offense, helped on the boards, and made sure his team added another win. He finished the game with 24 points on 7-for-8 two-point, 2-for-3 three-point and 4-of-4 free-throw shooting, adding 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 7 fouls drawn for a PIR of 34.

### Game-changing moment

A three-pointer by Shved brought Khimki within 42-39 late in the first half. Mirotic stepped up with a floater and a jumper, igniting an 11-2 run that bridged the halves. Abrines capped the run with a bomb from downtown, giving Barcelona a 54-41 margin which the hosts handled well until the final buzzer.

### Stellar stat

Barcelona shot really well from beyond the arc and took great care of the ball. The hosts nailed 10 of 15 three-point shots (66.7%) while Khimki only make 11 of 36 (30.6%). Barcelona finished the game with 26 assists and only 13 turnovers.

### Did you know?

Shved played his 150th EuroLeague game on the night of his 32nd birthday. He just needed 150 games to score 2,470 points and dish 689 assists. No other player with 150 games or less matches Shved's achievements: Vasilije Micic had 639 assists in 137 games, and Keith Langford amassed 2,289 points in 143 showdowns.

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FC Barcelona stayed stop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings by downing Khimki Moscow Region 87-74 at Palau Blaugrana on Wednesday. 


FC Barcelona v Khimki Moscow Region (2020-12-16T18:00:00.000Z)

CSKA Moscow never trailed as it spanked Anadolu Efes Istanbul 100-65 on Tuesday night at Megasport Arena in the Russian capital.

CSKA torches Efes for 9th straight win

CSKA Moscow never trailed as it spanked Anadolu Efes Istanbul 100-65 on Tuesday night at Megasport Arena in the Russian capital. Will Clyburn led the way with 22 points as CSKA improved its league-best record to 11-3 with its ninth consecutive victory. Darrun Hilliard scored 16 points, Nikola Milutinov posted 12 points and 10 rebounds, Mike James tallied 11 points and 10 assists and Johannes Voigtmann contributed 7 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Vasilije Micic scored 14 points for Efes, which dropped its second straight game to fall to 7-7. Bryant Dunston added 13 points and 7 rebounds and Rodrigue Beaubois scored 10, but Shane Larkin was held to 4 points – his lowest output since the 2018-19 season.



Toko Shengelia fed Milutinov for a basket-plus-foul to open the scoring for CSKA before Tibor Pleiss's hook shot got Efes on the scoreboard. While the CSKA defense locked up the rim, James got to the foul line twice for 3 points and Shengelia drilled a three-pointer in a 10-0 run that made it 12-2 and prompted an Efes timeout. The visitors made a trio of substitutions and Dunston made an immediate with a put-back and a slam. Beaubois's triple drew the visitors within 5 before Clyburn put CSKA up 20-13 after 10 minutes. Janis Strelnieks and Krunoslav Simon traded threes to start the second quarter. The hosts pushed the margin to double figures three times, but Efes had an answer each time and a second-chance bucket by Dunston made it 30-23 midway through the second quarter. Micic's next basket cut the deficit to 5, however, CSKA called a timeout after which Clyburn responded with a three. Larkin started to find his groove and brought Efes within 36-32. Then James heated up at the other end with a pair of assists and a score in the paint in a 9-0 finish to the half as CSKA pushed the difference to 47-34.

Catch up on CSKA Moscow vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 15th December 2020

CSKA Moscow vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul Highlights - Round 14 - 15th December, 2020

The home team picked up where it left off as Hilliard and James knocked down three-pointers. More than 2 minutes passed before Micic scored Efes's first points of the half. A jumper by Hilliard took the CSKA lead into the 20s. Micic led the Efes resistance, but CSKA proved too strong. Ivan Uhkov's layup made it 68-45 and Clyburn's put the score at 74-49 at the end of the third quarter. Clyburn erupted for 9 points in the first 2 minutes of the fourth quarter as CSKA's lead continued to grow. A three by Ukhov saw the margin peak at 96-57 with 4 minutes remaining and Alexander Khomenko split the Efes defense for a layup that gave CSKA 100 points as the hosts celebrated a convincing victory.

### Game-deciding run

CSKA scored the final 9 points of the first half and the first 6 of the third quarter to storm ahead 53-34, a margin Efes was unable to recover from. Mike James fueled that run with 5 points and 3 assists.

### The numbers

CSKA dominated the game in part because it outrebounded Efes 46-29 and made 70.3% of its two-point shots. CSKA set season-highs in scoring, rebounds, two-pointers made (26), two-point shooting accuracy (70.3%), assists (23) and performance index rating (125).

### CSKA's best vs Efes

This game was the 24th EuroLeague clash between these teams and CSKA now leads their head-to-head record 20-4. This victory was the most lopsided in that series, topping CSKA's 110-79 triumph in January 2017, in which Cory Higgins starred with 21 points.

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CSKA Moscow never trailed as it spanked Anadolu Efes Istanbul 100-65 on Tuesday night at Megasport Arena in the Russian capital.


CSKA Moscow v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2020-12-15T17:00:00.000Z)

Real Madrid survived a double-overtime thriller to edge Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 93-97 at OAKA on Tuesday night. 

Real needs 2OT to win in Athens

Real Madrid survived a double-overtime thriller to edge Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 93-97 at OAKA on Tuesday night. Real grabbed its third straight win – and 11th in a row against its Greek opponent – to improve to 9-5 on the season. Panathinaikos dropped its second in a row at home to fall to 4-9. Real led by as many as 14 in the second half before Nemanja Nedovic sparked a comeback. The Greens had the ball for the last shot at both the end of regulations and the first overtime period, but came away empty both times. Walter Tavares played a career-high 41 minutes and set a personal-best with a performance index rating of 36 after combining 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead the winners. Alberto Abalde was the hero of the overtimes with 15 points and 3 assists over the game's final 10 minutes; he finished with 19 points and 6 assists. Anthony Randolph added 18 points, Trey Thompkins scored 12 and Jaycee Carroll 11. Nedovic finished with 27 points for Panathinaikos, Ioannis Papapetrou tallied 18 points and 7 rebounds, Georgios Papagiannis scored 14 and Ben Bentil 13 in defeat.



Both teams missed on their first few times down the court before Abalde got Real on the scoreboard with a jumper. Papagiannis dunked twice and blocked a pair of shots as the Greens took the lead, 11-6. Abalde briefly tied the score with free throws, but Dinos Mitoglou's put-back got Panathinaikos back in front. A three by Randolph drew the visitors within 15-14 after 10 minutes. Tavares and Randolph scored the first baskets of the second quarter as Los Blancos went in front. A three by Thompkins stretched the lead to 17-23. Bentil's netted a three-point play and a basket in the post to bring the hosts within 22-23 midway through the second quarter. Fabien Causeur netter a pair of reverse layups to keep Real in front despite the continued effectiveness of Bentil. Papapetrou nailed a three-pointer to even the score at 29-29. Baskets by Tavares and Thompkins gave Real a 29-33 edge to take into the locker room at halftime.

Catch up on Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Real Madrid highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 15th December 2020

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Real Madrid Highlights - Round 14 - 15th December, 2020

Tavares scored on Real's first two possessions of the second half – including a three-point play. Randolph scored on the break and with a short jumper to cap a 2-10 start to the second half that prompted a Panathinaikos timeout at 31-43. Papagiannis tried to get the Greens going with a pair of jumpers, however, Randolph heated up and extended the lead. Threes by Papapetrou and Nedovic narrowed the gap to 10 and Bentil made it 48-56 at the end of the third quarter. The momentum remained with the hosts as Nedovic completed a three-point play and Mitoglou added a layup to narrow the gap to 55-58 early in the fourth. Nedovic connected from behind the arc to bring the Greens within 58-60. Carroll kept Real in front, though a free throw by Marcus Foster got the gap to 61-62. Jumpers by Randolph and Sergio Llull gave Real some breathing room, but Nedovic hit right back with a three-point play before Papapetrou's runner in the lane tied it at 66-66 with 3 minutes remaining. Nedovic free throws gave Panathinaikos its first lead since the first quarter. Real missed from downtown on five consecutive possessions, but managed to deny the hosts on defense and on the last of those missed threes, Sergio Lull's put-back tied the game at 68-68 with 14.1 seconds on the clock. Nedovic was unable to get a shot off on the final possession of regulation and the teams prepared for overtime.

Papagiannis won the opening tip and Papapetrou struck from downtown. Nedovic fed Papagiannis for an alley-oop slam and a 5-point lead. A three by Thompkins got Real within 75-74 with 2 minutes remaining. Abalde, who earlier in the overtime period drew Howard Sant-Roos's fifth foul, sank a jumper in the lane – and the three throw that came with it – to put Real ahead. Free throws by Nedovic tied it at 77-77 with 37 seconds on the clock. Abalde scored a tough contested layup with 20 seconds to put the visitors in front. That's when Eleftherios Bochoridis stepped up with 2 free throws to tie it before drawing an offensive foul from Llull. After Papapetrou missed a desperation three on the buzzer, the teams went into a second overtime.

Rudy Fernandez scored his first point of the game with a free throw a minute into the second overtime period. Tavares scored down low, but Nedovic tied it at 82-82 with his third triple of the game. Abalde hit back from downtown with 2:50 to go. After Papagiannis's alley-oop dunk, Abalde made a pair of free throws. Nedovic split foul shots at the other end to make it 85-87. Abalde found Thompkins for a layup and – after Nedovic missed from downtown - Gabriel Deck added free throws to give Real control at 85-91 with 1:11 on the clock. Papapetrou came to the rescue with a jumper in the lane, a steal and a free throw with 40.8 seconds left to get the hosts within 3. Abalde drained the clock and hit a short jumper for an 88-93 lead with 18.6 to go. The hosts struck quickly with a Papagiannis slam, but time became the enemy. Nedovic gave the Greens hope with a three that made it 93-95 with 3.1 seconds left, but Real got the ball to Abalde, who was fouled and iced the game from the line.

### Pivotal player

Real Madrid trusted birthday boy Alberto Abalde down the stretch and he did not disappoint. Abalde went for 15 points and 3 assists in the two overtime periods alone. He scored the last 5 points of the first overtime to give Real the lead late. He sank a go-ahead three in the second overtime and scored the final 4 points to put the game away. The 25-year-old finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in compiling a career-high performance index rating of 24.

### Did you notice?

Real prevailed despite making just 6 of 33 three-pointers. Its 18.2% from behind the arc was the team's worst three-point shooting night since Game 1 of the 2018 playoffs, which it lost 95-67 against Panathinaikos in OAKA. Real made just 3 of 19 (15.8%) in that game. That was the Greens' last win over Real, which has now won 11 in a row versus Panathinaikos.

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Real Madrid survived a double-overtime thriller to edge Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 93-97 at OAKA on Tuesday night. 


Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v Real Madrid (2020-12-15T19:00:00.000Z)

ALBA Berlin rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to claim an 84-90 overtime victory over host Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade on Tuesday. 

 ALBA rallies for OT win in Belgrade

ALBA Berlin rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to claim an 84-90 overtime victory over host Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade on Tuesday. A low-scoring first quarter was won by Zvezda and the Serbian hosts briefly led by double-digits in the second quarter before ALBA responded to keep it close, 37-34, at halftime. Zvezda used strong defense to stretch the advantage as high as 55-41 in the third quarter, but long-range shooting brought ALBA back to force overtime and then dominate the extra period. Maodo Lo paced ALBA with 21 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting, and Peyton Siva added 19 points. Johannes Thiemann scored 13 points and Luka Sikma combined 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Jordan Loyd paced Zvezda with 21 points, while Ognjen Dobric had 13 and Johnny O'Bryant 12. ALBA has now won three games in a row to improve to 6-7, while Zvezda, 4-10, has lost five in a row.



Siva and Louis Olinde got ALBA an early lead before Branko Lazic ignited Zvezda with a corner three. Jayson Granger responded from deep and a pair of close-range scores from Thiemann made it 5-11. Sikma's layup was bettered by a pair of powerful scores from Marko Jagodic-Kuridza, and Aleksa Uskokovic struck from deep for a 14-13 Zvezda advantage. Dejan Davidovac and Tim Schneider exchanged close-range buckets, making it 16-15 after 10 minutes. Three-pointers from Corey Walden and Dobric stretched the Zvezda lead with an 8-0 run, but ALBA enjoyed a five-point burst from Niels Giffey to make it 24-20. Two scores from Duop Reath and 5 points from Dobric made it 33-22, but ALBA fought back with a 0-7 run thanks to 5 points from Lo. O'Bryant's battling score was matched by Lo before Schneider beat the half-time buzzer from deep, making it 37-34.

Catch up on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs ALBA Berlin highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 15th December 2020

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs ALBA Berlin Highlights - Round 14 - 15th December, 2020

Uskokovic opened the third quarter from long range and Zvezda moved further ahead with baskets by Reath and O'Bryant. After O'Bryant battled for a three-point play, Dobric drove inside at 52-41, to which Borisa Simanic added a corner three. Lo ended the 9-0 Zvezda run from long-range and Olinde added a layup in transition, before Loyd and Lo made it 57-48 after three quarters. Loyd restored the double-digit lead with a quickfire pair of triples, 64-50, but Siva and Lo struck from deep to keep ALBA hoping. O'Bryant's inside score was bettered by further three-balls from Lo and Siva, but Dobric settled Zvezda with his own triple, 69-62. Siva hit from deep once again, and Thiemann scored inside to make it 69-67. Siva penetrated inside to tie the game with 2 minutes left. Sikma's free throw briefly gave ALBA its first lead since the opening quarter, but Loyd sank 3 free throws at 74-72 with 90 seconds left. Loyd then hit a floater, but Giffey answered with a layup before Sikma drew a foul with 1.3 seconds left and made both foul shots to force overtime. The extra period opened with another score from Lo and free throws from Giffey. Loyd and Granger traded triples before Thiemann netted a long two and Sikma's layup made it 79-87. Loyd's triple gave Zvezda hope, but Thiemann dunked for 82-89 with a minute left to seal the deal.

### ALBA's third-quarter woes…

After finishing the first half strongly, ALBA could not get moving after the break. The German team only scored free throws in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter as Zvezda surged into a 14-point lead which looked like it could be decisive.

### …followed by fourth quarter fireworks

ALBA had initially struggled from long-range, making just 1 of its first 10 three-pointers. But Maodo Lo and Peyton Siva went on a scoring spree in the final quarter, changing the course of the game by netting 5 triples in the space of 3 minutes – two from Lo and three from Siva. That burst of scoring got ALBA right back in the game and set up the comeback.

### Uskokovic steps into the limelight

Aleksa Uskokovic enjoyed the best performance of his young EuroLeague career. In his third appearance, Zvezda's 21 year-old homegrown guard was introduced in the first quarter and played 17:30 minutes, scoring his first field goals of the competition to finish with 8 points along with 3 assists and 1 steal.

### Unhappy reunion for Obradovic

The narrow loss was an unhappy first EuroLeague game for Zvezda head coach Sasa Obradovic against his former club. Obradovic was in charge of ALBA for four years between 2012 and 2016, including two seasons in the EuroLeague.

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ALBA Berlin rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to claim an 84-90 overtime victory over host Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade on Tuesday. 


Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v ALBA Berlin (2020-12-15T18:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas snapped another losing streak as it outlasted dominated TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with a 92-73 victory on Tuesday. 

Zalgiris sharpshooters dominate Baskonia, 92-73

Zalgiris Kaunas snapped another losing streak as it outlasted dominated TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with a 92-73 victory on Tuesday. Zalgiris lifted its record to 7-7, ending its five-game home losing streak less than a week after ending an overall six-game skid. Baskonia fell to 6-7 with its second loss in succession. Arturas Milaknis made 5 of Zalgiris's 18 three-point shots to lead all scorers with 15 points. Lukas Lekavicius added 13, Joffrey Lauvergne 12, Nigel Hayes and Marius Grigonis 11 each. Baskonia got 14 points from Youssoupha Fall, 12 from Alec Peters and 10 each from Luca Vildoza and Zoran Dragic.top graph goes here 



Fall and Lauvergne traded short baskets before Achille Polonara and Hayes did the same from deep for a 5-5 tie. Fall kept scoring but 8 points from Grigonis put Zalgiris up 13-10. Lauvergne and Peters split 9 points before Milaknis struck from deep at 20-15. Tonye Jekiri and Rokas Giedraitis shot Baskonia closer, but after Jankunas and Dragic traded triples, Lekavicius hit a floater as Zalgiris led 25-22 after 10 minutes. Giedraitis tied it on the second quarter's first shot, but Hayes and Lekavicius, from deep, established a 33-27 lead for the hosts. Triples by Thomas Walkup and Milaknis would stretch the difference to double digits before Vildoza copied them to trim the difference to 44-36 at the half. 

Catch up on Zalgiris Kaunas vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz highlights from Round 14 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 15th December 2020

Zalgiris Kaunas vs TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz Highlights - Round 14 - 15th December, 2020

Polonara and Pierria Henry got Baskonia within 47-40 after the break, but Milaknis was ready with his fourth and fifth triples to make it 55-40. Grigonis hit Zalgiris's again from long range and Lekavicius downed 3 free throws to make it 61-44. Peters and Rokas Jokubaitis exchanged threes and Lauvergne dropped a hook for a game-high lead, until then, of 68-47 after three quarters. Lauvergne, Augustine Rubit and Jokubaitis upped the difference to 74-47 before Arturs Kurucs downed a triple and Henry dunked off a steal for the visitors. Hayes returned with a triple before Fall finished twice in close for 5 points at 79-57 with 5 minutes left. When Lekavicius finished a broken play with Zalgiris's 16th three-pointer the lead was back to 82-59 and there was not enough time for Baskonia to mount a comeback.

### Home woes cured

After five consecutive home losses, Zalgiris found the solution with defense and rebounding. Zalgiris had been giving up 83.8 points at home, second-worst in the league, before holding Baskonia to 73, with 17 of those coming in the final 5 minutes, with the game out of reach. The hosts also outrebounded the visitors 37-23 despite coming into the game averaging 5.4 per game fewer than Baskonia, which was outrebounding its opponents by 5.6 on average.

### Triple threats

In its 429th EuroLeague game this century, Zalgiris established its second-best three-point shooting performance by making an amazing 18 of 26 three-pointers. The club record is 19 recorded in a 96-91 loss at Anadolu Efes Istanbul back in February of this year, but before that Zalgiris had never hit more than 14. Milaknis made 5 of 7 to lead eight different Zalgiris players who scored from deep, including forward Karolis Lukosiunas, whose 2 late triples were his first points of the season. Every Zalgiris player who attempted a three-pointer made at least one. Zalgiris's 69.3% accuracy from downtown was the second-best in the EuroLeague season, trailing only LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne's 70.8% against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on December 1.

### Jankunas moves up

Paulius Jankunas of Zalgiris moved into third place all-time in career performance index rating. Jankunas needed a PIR of just 7 to move ahead of the great Dimitris Diamantidis (3,806), and already had 10 at halftime. He finished with a 15 PIR, his best in almost two years, based on 7 points and 6 rebounds, for a career total of 2,815. Next in Jankunas's sights is second-ranked Juan Carlos Navarro, with 3,890.

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Zalgiris Kaunas snapped another losing streak as it outlasted dominated TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with a 92-73 victory on Tuesday. 


Zalgiris Kaunas v TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2020-12-15T18:00:00.000Z)