In a thrilling showdown that went down to the final second, Valencia Basket bounced back from recent losses by edging Anadolu Efes Istanbul 76-74 at La Fonteta on Thursday. 

Prepelic lifts Valencia past Efes

In a thrilling showdown that went down to the final second, Valencia Basket bounced back from recent losses by edging Anadolu Efes Istanbul 76-74 at La Fonteta on Thursday. Klemen Prepelic stole the show with a game-winning jumper right on the buzzer to end of a memorable back-and-forth battle. Valencia improved to 8-5 in the standings while Efes dropped to 7-6. Mike Tobey paced the winners with 21 points, while Derrick Williams added 14 for Valencia. Vasilije Micic and James Anderson led Efes with 16 points apiece. The guests also got 13 points from Shane Larkin and 12 from Chris Singleton. It all came down to the final plays. Larkin tied the game with 13.3 seconds left, then after a couple of non-shooting fouls, Valencia was able to find Prepelic, who buried a four-meter jumper at the buzzer.



Singleton's jumper and Larkin's driving layup gave Efes a 0-4 lead. Jaime Pradilla scored twice around the basket to tie, but Larkin sank back-to-back triples in a 0-8 run that boosted Efes's lead to 4-12. Bojan Dubljevic struck from downtown for Valencia before Micic scored in penetration and a red-hot Larkin made it 7-17. Tobey and Singleton exchanged tip-ins and Williams joined the three-point shootout for a 12-19 score. Nikola Kalinic and Prepelic brought Valencia within 19-23 after 10 minutes. Tobey stepped up early in the second quarter and Williams added a three-point play for a 25-25 tie. Tobey bettered Tibor Pleiss's tip-in with a triple and added an alley-oop slam for a 30-27 Valencia lead. Kalinic scored again but Micic and Bryant Dunston kept Efes within 32-31. Guillem Vives and Dubljevic stepped up for the hosts, and Sam Van Rossom struck from downtown but so did Singleton and Anderson to bring Efes within 40-38 at halftime.

Catch up on Valencia Basket vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul highlights from Round 13 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 10th December 2020

Valencia Basket vs Anadolu Efes Istanbul Highlights - Round 13 - 10th December, 2020

Vives scored down low soon after the break, however Micic and Anderson fueled a 0-6 run to a 42-44 Efes lead. Williams beat the shot clock with a corner triple but Anderson matched that with a fantastic dunk-and-free throw. Van Rossom answered with a reverse layup that Dubljevic followed with a three-pointer for a 50-49 Valencia lead. Williams dunked for the hosts, but Micic and Anderson gave Efes a new 52-54 edge. Rodrigue Beaubois added a jumper before dunks by Singleton and Micic put the guests in charge 54-60 after 30 minutes. Beaubois hit an up-and-under shot early in the fourth quarter before Tobey and Prepelic ignited an 8-0 run that Kalinic capped with a layup for a 62-62 tie. Anderson sank a step-back jumper that Martin Hermannsson matched with a driving layup. He got help from Tobey and Fernando San Emeterio to make Efes call timeout at 68-66. Hermansson fed Tobey for an alley-oop dunk but Singleton and Beaubois helped Efes tie it at 70-70 with 4 minutes left. Tobey scored around the basket and Williams buried a huge fallaway jumper for a 74-70 Valencia lead with 56.6 seconds remaining. Micic struck from beyond the arc to get Efes closer, then Larkin drew a foul with 13.3 seconds left. He made 1 of 2 free throws and Valencia called timeout with 4.3 seconds to go, which proved enough time for Prepelic to receive the inbounds pass, stop on a dime at the elbow, and shoot in the game-winner on the buzzer!

### Pivotal performer

Valencia would not have won without Tobey, who was unstoppable under the rims. He finished the game with 21 points on 9-of-10 two-point shooting, also hitting his sole shot attempt from downtown and adding 8 rebounds for a performance index rating of 27.

### Game-changing moment

With Efes down 74-73, Larkin drew a foul and split his free throws with 13.3 seconds to go. Efes had two fouls to give and used them to run the clock down to 4.3 seconds. Valencia called timeout and put the ball in Prepelic's hands. He took two dribbles, stopped and shot over Dogus Balbay to win the game right at the buzzer.

### Stellar stat

Valencia outrebounded Efes by 38-24, which was the biggest key to this game. Dubljevic and Tobey combined for 17 rebounds, while Dunston and Pleiss only combined for 5. Valencia also had 23 assists and Efes dished just 15.

### Did you know?

Valencia is 4-0 this season in games decided by less than 5 points, having also beaten LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 65-63, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 82-80 and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 86-90. Efes is now 2-3 in such games.

San-Emeterio-000518.jpg

In a thrilling showdown that went down to the final second, Valencia Basket bounced back from recent losses by edging Anadolu Efes Istanbul 76-74 at La Fonteta on Thursday. 


Valencia Basket v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2020-12-10T20:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv fought hard to pull out a 63-67 road win at TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday night.

Maccabi defense holds off Baskonia

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv fought hard to pull out a 63-67 road win at TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday night. It is the first time Maccabi won back-to-back games, improving its record to 5-8 - just two wins back behind the eighth place in the standings, while Baskonia dropped to 6-6 on the season. Baskonia had a double-digit lead in the first half, but Maccabi quickly rallied and the teams traded blows the rest of the way. Neither team had a lead bigger than 5 points in the second half and Maccabi stepped up defensively, holding the hosts to just 9 points in the final quarter to protect its slim lead. Tyler Dorsey led Maccabi with 15 points, including game-clinching free throws with 15 seconds to go. Othello Hunter added 12 points and Chris Jones netted 10 in a winning effort. Achille Polonara was everywhere for Baskonia with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks and 2 steals. Youssoupha Fall collected 14 points plus 6 rebounds and Pierria Henry had 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in a losing effort.



Scottie Wilbekin opened the game with a triple, but the hosts scored the next 7 points with Tadas Sedekerskis hitting his first three of the season. Ante Zizic and Dragan Bender briefly got Maccabi going, tying the score at 9-9, but the hosts stormed ahead with a 9-0 run during which Polonara strung together 7 straight points, including a triple and a fastbreak alley-oop. Neither team scored for more than 3 minutes before Elijah Bryant hit a corner triple for Maccabi, but Tonye Jekiri's basket at the end of the first and Henry's floater to start the second opened a 22-12 margin. However, Maccabi answered with a run of 10 unanswered points, sparked by back-to-back triples from Dorsey and Yovel Zoosman. Also stepping up was Hunter with 6 points, offensive boards and delivering a big block as Maccabi went in front 24-28. Alec Peters scored a runner, but Hunter again scored inside and Dorsey nailed a right-corner triple to keep Maccabi in front. Henry scored 7 points late in the quarter for Baskonia, including a triple in the penultimate minute of the half, but the visitors went into halftime up 33-37.

Catch up on TD Systems Baskona Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv highlights from Round 13 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 10th December 2020

TD Systems Baskona Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 13 - 10th December, 2020

Baskonia had a better start to the third quarter with Fall, Zoran Dragic and Polonara scoring all the points in an 8-2 run to restore the hosts' lead, 41-40. The teams traded close-range baskets and Baskonia found free-throw the free throw line to extend the lead 48-44 midway through the third. But Angelo Caloiaro and Jones sunk back-to-back threes to get Maccabi back in front. Jones and Caloiaro also each added a close-range basket to help Maccabi take a 54-56 lead into the third quarter. Baskets were few and far between at the start of the fourth, with a put-back from Rokas Giedraitis on one end and a triple from Jones on the other the only baskets in the first 4 minutes. Hunter's layup on Wilbekin's assist made it 56-61. Peters and Polonara got Baskonia back within a single point, but a runner from Bryant and Dorsey's driving layup made it 60-65. Polonara hit a triple with 1:54 to go as it was clear the game will go down to the wire, but the hosts never scored again as Dorsey's free throws with 15 seconds left sealed the outcome.

### Key run

Maccabi's 2-16 run early in the second quarter did not decide the game, but it did turn a 10-point deficit into a 24-28 lead and it put Maccabi in control after a slow start.

### Key contributor

During that run, Othello Hunter scored 8 of his 12 points and also had 3 of his 4 offensive rebounds plus a blocked shot. He accumulated a PIR of 15 during that stretch, changing the outlook of the game.

### Bench rules

No Maccabi starter scored more than 5 points, which was how many points Scottie Wilbekin and Elijah Bryant each had in this game. But the visitors' bench stepped up, outscoring Baskonia's bench 49-13.

### Baskonia trio

Youssoupha Fall was a force in the paint for Baskonia in the first three quarters. He had 14 points on 4-for-4 two-point shooting, made 6 of 6 foul shots and pulled down 6 rebounds. But he committed his fourth personal foul with 2.1 seconds left in third quarter and never returned to the game. Baskonia had fantastic all-round efforts from Achille Polonara and Pierria Henry who combined for 26 points and 13 rebounds. Polonara had 5 blocks, Henry had 4 steals, but it was not enough for the hosts.

Dorsey-2-009849.jpg

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv fought hard to pull out a 63-67 road win at TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday night.


TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2020-12-10T20:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague Vlog: Edy Tavares, Real Madrid

Zenit St Petersburg used a huge third quarter and a big finish to beat Valencia Basket 72-85 in a rescheduled Round 4 game on Tuesday night. 

Zenit holds off Valencia to remain perfect on the road

Zenit St Petersburg used a huge third quarter and a big finish to beat Valencia Basket 72-85 in a rescheduled Round 4 game on Tuesday night. Zenit improved to 7-3 and remained perfect on the road with six wins from as many games, while Valencia dropped to 7-5 on the season. No team led by double digits for the first 39 minutes, but Zenit took control in the third quarter when it turned a 6-point halftime deficit into a 5-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Though Valencia got within 72-75 late in the game, Zenit never relinquished the lead and finished the game on a 0-10 run. Kevin Pangos shined with 12 points and a club-record 12 assists. Austin Hollins paced the winners with 20 points, Will Thomas and Alex Poythress added 12 apiece and Mateusz Ponitka scored 10 in the victory. Bojan Dubljevc scored 18 for the hosts and Guillem Vives netted 10 in Valencia's second straight home loss.

Zenit's offense was the first to catch a rhythm with three-pointers from Thomas and Hollins that gave Zenit an early 6-12 advantage. The hosts struggled from the outside, but attacked the basket and dominated the offensive boards. Second-chance baskets from Dubljevic and Mike Tobey helped cut it to 12-16 after 10 minutes and Sam Van Rossom scored 5 points early in the second, including a three-point play to put Valencia in front 21-20. The teams traded close-range baskets with Dubljevic pacing Valencia. Fernando San Emeterio hit a triple and Van Rossom nailed a jumper to make it 33-26. Pangos had Zenit back on track with a three-pointer and a couple of highlight-reel assists, but not before Valencia's lead got to 8 points with a floater from Martin Hermannsson and the hosts went into halftime up 39-33.

Catch up on Valencia Basket vs Zenit St Petersburg highlights from Round 4 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th December 2020

Valencia Basket vs Zenit St Petersburg Highlights - Round 4 - 8th December, 2020

The pace picked up as both offenses got on a roll in the second half. Hollins started it with a triple and a runner before a dunk by Poythress put Zenit up 39-40. Dubljevic and Nikola Kalinic scored inside for the hosts, but Pangos had a three-point play. After Vives hit back-to-back threes for Valencia, Ponitka hit one from downtown for Zenit. Pangos fed Thomas for a dunk and Hollins nailed a triple to make it 53-55. Thomas and Dubljevic traded threes and Kalinic scored in the low post to make it 60-58. But Pangos made a triple before Arturas Gudaitis and Hollins scored fastbreak baskets to lead 60-65 after three quarters. K.C. Rivers, scoreless until that point, had a runner and an off-the-dribble triple to stretch the margin to 62-70 early in the fourth. San Emeterio with a floater and Tobey with a two-handed slam halved the deficit, but Ponitka's triple made it 66-75 entering the final 4 minutes. Valencia was not going away and hustle plays from Tobey and Kalinic cut into the deficit. Van Rossom's floater made it 72-75. But that's as close as the hosts got because Pangos made free throws and Rivers came up with a put-back layup, before a three from Hollins sealed the outcome.

### Key third quarter

Zenit scored 33 points in the first two quarters and then had 32 in the third quarter alone behind Kevin Pangos running the offense and Will Thomas, Mateusz Ponitka and Austin Hollins scoring from long range.

### Roles reversed

Entering this game, Valencia had the top offense with 83.4 points per game and Zenit had the lowest-scoring offense with 73.3. But Zenit went on to score a season-high 85 points on this night, while Valencia was held below 79 points for the first time since Round 2.

### Pangos shines

Kevin Pangos set a Zenit club record for assists with 12. The previous best for a Zenit player in a single game was 10 and Pangos had 11 assists before the end of the third quarter. Zenit also tied its single-game record with 24 two-point shots made.

### The last unbeaten

Zenit has a 6-0 road record and stands as the last undefeated team of any kind this season in the EuroLeague since there are no more teams with a perfect home record.

Pangos-2-006433.jpg

Zenit St Petersburg used a huge third quarter and a big finish to beat Valencia Basket 72-85 in a rescheduled Round 4 game on Tuesday night. 


Valencia Basket v Zenit St Petersburg (2020-12-08T20:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul got back to its winning ways with a hard-fought 72-68 win over visiting LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in a rescheduled Round 5 game on Tuesday night. 

Efes rallies late to edge ASVEL

Anadolu Efes Istanbul got back to its winning ways with a hard-fought 72-68 win over visiting LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in a rescheduled Round 5 game on Tuesday night. The win improved Efes's record to 7-5, while ASVEL dropped to 3-8 on the season. Efes seemed in control and led by 13 points early in the third quarter, but the visitors used their zone defense to disrupt Efes's rhythm and confidence in rallying with a 6-22 run to take a 50-53 lead early in the fourth. ASVEL also led 57-63 with less than 4 minutes left, but Efes stepped up defensively to answer with a 13-2 run to pull out the victory. Vasilije Micic had 22 points to pace Efes and Larkin scored 18 points. Bryant Dunston added 13 for the winners. David Lighty and William Howard scored 14 apiece for ASVEL, Amine Noua had 11 points, and Kevarrius Hayes delivered 8 rebounds and a club-record 6 blocks in defeat.



Micic and Guerschon Yabusele traded three-pointers before Dunston and Moustapha Fall exchanged dunks. Back-to-back threes from Charles Kahudi and Antoine Diot made it 9-12 midway through the first quarter. The scoring slowed down after a timeout, but Noua hit a triple for the visitors and nailed a step-back baseline jumper just before the buzzer to make it 13-19 after 10 minutes. However, Efes needed 100 seconds and a 6-0 run to tie the game with baskets from Tibor Pleiss and James Anderson. Noua and Yabusele had big dunks for the visitors, but Pleiss, Micic and Dunston fueled another Efes run. The hosts entered the final minute of the second quarter with a 10-point advantage before Fall and Noua cut it to 33-27 at halftime.

Catch up on Anadolu EFES Istanbul vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne highlights from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th December 2020

Anadolu EFES Istanbul vs LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Highlights - Round 5 - 8th December, 2020

Larkin got Efes going after the break by scoring a runner and a three-point play before he and Micic slalomed to the rim on back-to-back possessions to open a 44-31 decision. However, Yabusele knocked down a triple and Hayes delivered a pair of blocks, the latter of which led to a transition triple by Howard to cut the deficit to 44-39. A three from Diot got ASVEL within a single point, but Larkin scored a last-second three-point-play to make it 48-44 going into the fourth quarter. The visitors' charge continued as they used defensive traps deep in the Efes half of the court and then dropped into a zone defense that the hosts had no answers for. Noua hit a jumper and Diot fed Howard for a layup before Lighty knocked down a triple-plus foul to make it 50-53. Adrien Moerman had a tough runner and a badly needed triple for Efes, but 5 points from Howard, including a triple, made it 57-63 with 3:47 to go. However, Efes never stopped going inside and it paid off with Dunston powering in a baseline layup and Micic driving for a layup-plus-foul before Larkin took it to the rim to put Efes up 66-65 going into the final minute. On the other end, Efes did not allow a field goal in the final 4 minutes of the game and Larkin and Micic sealed the outcome from the foul line.

### Decisive run

ASVEL dominated with 15 offensive rebounds compared to 8 by Efes and held a 6-point lead with 4 minutes to go. But Efes got control of the boards by putting a big lineup of Dustin Bryant, Adrien Moerman and Chris Singleton together on the floor for the opportunity to attack in transition. It led to a 13-2 run that decided the game.

### Overcoming offense

Efes won despite making 2 triples on 9 attempts. This game marked only the fourth time this century Efes attempted fewer than 10 three-pointers. Efes also dished just 8 assists, its fewest since March 2016.

### Shot-blocking record

ASVEL's rookie big man Kevarrius Hayes entered this game with 3 blocked shots for the season, but he had that many in the third quarter alone. Hayes had his first block of the game in the first quarter, then deliver 3 in the third, and two more in the fourth to set the ASVEL club record. It was also the most by any player in a single game since Ekpe Udoh had 7 in February 2016.

### Milestone 1,500

Shane Larkin entered the game with 1,499 career points and reached the 1,500-point milestone with a driving layup late in the first quarter. Larkin needed 99 games to achieve this feat, as he is averaging 15.3 points per game for his career, fourth-best among the active players.

Larkin-007200.jpg


Anadolu Efes Istanbul got back to its winning ways with a hard-fought 72-68 win over visiting LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in a rescheduled Round 5 game on Tuesday night. 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2020-12-08T17:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus never trailed beating FC Barcelona 88-96 on Tuesday at Palau Blaugrana in a makeup game from Round 9. 

Reds roar in Barcelona

Olympiacos Piraeus never trailed beating FC Barcelona 88-96 on Tuesday at Palau Blaugrana in a makeup game from Round 9. The Reds snapped Barcelona's nine-game home-court winning streak dating back to last season in improving to 65 on the season. The visitors jumped out to a 0-12 start and led by as many as 15 in the first half. Barcelona rallied to tie it at 77-77, but Olympiacos roared back and was too strong down the stretch. Hassan Martin scored a personal-best 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to pace the winner. Shaquielle McKissic added 16 points, Kostas Sloukas tallied 15 points and 10 assists, Kostas Papanikolaou scored 11 and Sasha Vezenkov 10. Nikola Mirotic paced Barcelona with 16 points, Brandon Davies scored 15 and Adam Hanga 10 as Barcelona suffered its second loss in its last three games to drop to 9-3.



Olympiacos came out on fire with different players scoring on each of its first four possessions while keeping the hosts scoreless. A Barcelona timeout changed little as Papanikolaou became the first man to score twice when he made a triple for a 0-12 lead. Mirotic finally got Barcelona going with a three from the corner only to see Charles Jenkins connect twice from downtown – both off of Sloukas assists – to give the Reds a 4-18 advantage. A second Papanikolaou triple gave Sloukas 5 assists and the team a 6-21 cushion. Kyle Kuric and Brandon Davies came off the bench to get the Barcelona attack going, but Martin matched them. Mirotic and Davies helped the hosts chip away at the deficit to get within 17-26 after 10 minutes. The teams traded shots early in the second quarter with Davies's put-back narrowing the gap to 26-32. Sergi Martinez scored twice and dished an assist in carrying the hosts to 38-40. McKissic and Martin teamed up to extend the margin back to 7, however, Mirotic scored twice and blocked a shot in the final minute of the half to send the teams into halftime with Olympiacos ahead 47-51.

Catch up on FC Barcelona vs Olympiacos Piraeus highlights from Round 9 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th December 2020

FC Barcelona vs Olympiacos Piraeus Highlights - Round 9 - 8th December 2020

Both teams cooled off at the break with a pair of Octavius Ellis free throws representing the only points scored in the first 3 minutes of the second half. The Reds heated up first with Sloukas restoring a double-digit lead before Papanikolaou's third three of the game made it 50-63. Alex Abrines scored 5 quick points to get Barcelona within 59-67 before Davies added another score on the offensive glass. Vezenkov hit back with a three and Sloukas added free throws to put the difference in double figures again, however, Leandro Bolmaro finishes the third quarter in style with a nifty floater to make it 63-72. Steals by Davies and Bolmaro on consecutive possessions had Barcelona within 71-74. McKissic atoned for his turnovers with a three-pointer, but Mirotic and Davies combined for the next 6 points to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter. The pressure only revived the Reds, who regained the lead through Marin before Aaron Harrison's three-point play made it 77-82. After a three by Abrines, Harrison came through again with a steal from Abrines, which became an unsportsmanlike foul when the latter dragged him down from behind. The resulting free throws and a McKissic triple gave the visitors an 82-89 lead with 2:20 to play. A pair of great defensive plays by Harrison and a jumper by Sloukas with 38 seconds remaining all but put the game on ice. However, Harrison missed twice from the line with 23 seconds left and Nick Calathes's layup made it 88-91 just 7 seconds later. Vezenkov secured the win from the line with 7.8 seconds on the clock.

### Welcome back Harrison

Aaron Harrison had not played in over a month, but his feel for the game was back with three key defensive plays late in the game. Barcelona trailed 82-84 and had the ball with Alex Abrines eyeing a potential go-ahead triple when Harrison poked the ball loose with 2 and a half minutes to play. He grabbed the ball and was fouled from behind – an unsportsmanlike foul – after which he made 2 free throws and Shaquielle McKissic added a clutch three-pointer. Harrison was not done yet as Barcelona continued to challenge and less than a minute later he drew an unsportsmanlike foul. On the hosts' next possession, Harrison was forced into a mismatch on Brandon Davies, but again came through by slapping the ball away into the hands of Sasha Vezenkov for a key steal that led to a Kostas Sloukas jumper and helped seal the victory.

### Pivotal player

Hassan Martin had his best game yet in an Olympiacos uniform with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. More than his numbers, the big man, who played 28:29 minutes, was a force inside with his never-ending energy wearing down the Barcelona big men who tried to stay with him.

### Telling numbers

Olympiacos enjoyed an outstanding shooting night against a tough Barcelona defense. The visitors made 25 of 42 two-point shots (61.0%) and 10 of 23 threes (43.5%). The Reds also turned 9 offensive rebounds into 14 points and scored 23 points off of Barcelona's 14 turnovers.

Olympiacos Piraeus never trailed beating FC Barcelona 88-96 on Tuesday at Palau Blaugrana in a makeup game from Round 9. 


shaquielle-mckissic-olympiacos-piraeus-eb20.jpg

FC Barcelona v Olympiacos Piraeus (2020-12-08T18:00:00.000Z)

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague players come from many places around the globe and most have been faced with high odds and forced to overcome many obstacles in their basketball journeys. Count Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Rodrigue Beaubois among them.

If it seems as though the 32-year-old scorer has been around for a long time, that's because he has. Beaubois has a dozen professional seasons under his belt, mostly at the elite level, including four in the NBA and now his sixth in the EuroLeague. The way Beaubois even got into basketball and later got his opportunity to play professional basketball is, at the least, improbable.

He was born and raised in Pointe-a-Pitre, the largest city in Guadeloupe, a French-governed archipelago in the Caribbean. Beaubois had a lot of energy as a kid and loved watching and playing soccer with his friends in the neighborhood. Soccer is the favorite sport on his island, so his mom found him a club to go and practice. But the 7-year Rodrigue saw something on TV that ended up changing his life.

"Maybe a week before I was supposed to start practicing soccer, I saw an NBA game on TV," Beaubois remembered. "It was my first time seeing basketball on TV." 

"By watching basketball I started to be interested, and then by trying it, I loved it." 

Though he does not remember which teams were involved, Beaubois said he liked it right away. Coincidentally, a day or two later, his neighbor dropped by to ask if he was interested in trying to play basketball.

"He started a club for young kids," Beaubois said. "I was seven at the time and he asked me if I wanted to try. I tried it and I loved it. So ever since, I've been playing basketball."

That coincidence prevented the young Beaubois from starting one sport and led him to try another. It did not take long for him to fall in love with basketball: "By watching basketball I started to be interested, and then by trying it, I loved it," he said.

Beaubois learned the basics among his peers who never played, just like it was an initiation for him, too. In the coming years, he started competing, but for an entire decade, it was just playing youth leagues at home, where the competition was not all that great.

What Guadeloupe always had was talent and there is plenty of proof for it with several former EuroLeague players including Mickael Pietrus, Mickael Gelabale, Florent Pietrus and Jerome Moiso – the last three of whom all won the EuroCup - and current Boulogne Metropolitans 92 guard Davide Michineau, who all were either born or grew up there. That is pretty impressive for an island with a population of less than 400,000. 

"I am very proud that an island as small as Guadeloupe had this luxury," Beaubois beamed. "For an island that small, that's pretty amazing and pretty impressive. We had a lot of athletes from this little island that were able to become professionals, not only in basketball. But basketball is just one example."

However, being out of sight in a place not famous for basketball does make it very difficult to succeed. Beaubois was not even noticed until 2005 when he was 17 years old, and thanks to a basketball camp Mickael Pietrus organized on his home island.

"I think that one was the first edition of his camp and that's when pretty much everything started for me to be known a little bit more outside of Guadalupe," Beaubois explained.

His coach made some contacts with Cholet Basket in France. Beaubois said the club sent a person, who was on his way to French Guiana, to stop by Guadeloupe and see him play. They liked what they saw, but there was still some convincing for the then-17-year-old to do – at home. 

"In Guadalupe, I was practicing two, maybe three times a week maximum."

"I had to convince my parents because they wanted me to graduate from high school before doing anything. My parents were not so convinced that it was going to work out with sports", Beaubois smiled. After all, France was 6,700 kilometers away from home. "It was tough, but finally they accepted it."

When he arrived and joined Cholet's youth team is when the real shock struck:

"When I got there I was impressed by the level. It was guys 15 to 18 years old and everybody was already so strong. I was never strong, I am still not strong", Beaubois said. "Then it got even worse. I was very skinny, so when I first got there and I saw how physical everybody was, I was thinking: 'wow, how am I going to do this?'

"Even practicing. In Guadalupe, I was practicing two, maybe three times a week maximum. And I got to Cholet and it was practice every day, especially in the preseason when it was twice a day, and my body gave up. So I had injury after injury. The first three or four months I was injured… Slowly but surely I get used to it. My body get used to it and I was finally able to compete and play at that level."

He spent four years with Cholet, from 2005 to 2009, and his talent surfaced quickly. Beaubois could shoot, he had blazing speed and athleticism: the same traits he still possesses today. He played the first two years with the youth teams and then got his first real chances in the French League his third year there, before grabbing his opportunity in the 2008-09 campaign.

Averaging 10.0 points as he was turning 21 years of age in the French League, now suddenly all eyes were on him. After one full professional season, he was already drafted and in the NBA.

"Today I see how that was insane, it was pretty crazy", he said. "I left Guadalupe at 17, my fourth year with Cholet was my first full professional season. I played, and boom, I got drafted. I was happy, obviously extremely happy, but shocked. I was shocked and surprised that everything went so fast." 

"When you get so close to a title, the only thing left - is to win it."

Beaubois's four-year NBA career with Dallas was plagued by injuries.

"Clearly, my body wasn't ready", Beaubois said his jump to the NBA, only four years removed from playing in Guadeloupe. "I had a lot of unlucky injuries, but the experience was good."

There were many positives. He showcased a scoring ability that earned him the nickname "Roddy Buckets". He helped the team win the title in 2011 and gained experience – on and off the court – that helped him become a better player. Beaubois sounded like he would not change that experience for anything.

"I was in Dallas with a lot of great guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. It was amazing to be part of winning the title in 2011, and see players that that had such big careers like Dirk, Kidd or Shawn Marion, get together and make sacrifices to find a way to win the championship. And it was great to be part of it." 

Beaubois returned to Europe in 2014 and made his EuroLeague debut in the 2015-16 season with Strasbourg, which he helped reach the 2016 EuroCup Finals. After two seasons with Baskonia, Beaubois joined Efes in 2018.

As a cornerstone piece, Beaubois has used his title-winning experiences to help the club turn into a powerhouse and the EuroLeague contender that it is today. And Beaubois, just like the entire Efes organization, embraced the challenges and high expectations that followed the team after reaching the 2019 EuroLeague championship game.

"People know who we are. It's extremely hard, but we want more. When you get so close to a title, the only thing left - is to win it."

Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Rodrigue Beaubois takes us from his humble roots in the Caribbean archipelago Guadeloupe, leaving home as a teenager to play in France, and winning an NBA championship to becoming a cornerstone on a EuroLeague contender.

Rodrigue Beaubois, Efes: 'Everything went so fast'

AX Armani Exchange Milan continued its strong run of play in knocking off Khimki Moscow Region 93-102 for its fourth win in the last five games. 

Milan continues to roll with win at Khimki

AX Armani Exchange Milan continued its strong run of play in knocking off Khimki Moscow Region 93-102 for its fourth win in the last five games. This game was a makeup of their originally scheduled ROund 8 game. Shavon Shields scored a career-high 26 points while Zach Leday poured in 18 points in helping Milan improve to 7-4. Malcolm Delaney added 16 points and 7 assists and Kevin Punter chipped in 15 points in the victory. Khimki has now lost four straight games to drop to 2-10. Jonas Jerebko amassed 20 points with 7 rebounds, Errick McCollum tallied 18 points, Jordan Mickey had 17 points and Alexey Shved delivered a double-double of 13 points and 13 assists along with 5 rebounds in the loss.



Kaleb Tarczewski dunked home the first points of the game for Milan with Devin Booker answering at the other end. Shved’s three-pointer gave the hosts the lead for the first time at 5-4. Tarczewski continued his strong start with two more baskets and then a third in a 0-8 Milan run to take an 8-16 advantage. Jerebko’s triple snapped a nearly 3-minute scoreless drought but Shields and Luigi Datome hit from deep and the visitors were up 20-28 after 10 minutes. McCollum started the second quarter with a three-point play for the hosts, but Shields’s triple gave Milan its first double-digit lead and Kyle Hines’s dunk made it 23-35. The margin was 27-39 when Khimki worked to get Booker and Mickey more involved and the big man duo combined for 11 points in a 17-6 run to make it 44-45. Milan punched back with triples on three straight possessions - including 2 from Shields - and the gap was 44-54. But McCollum drained a triple just before the halftime buzzer and it was 47-54 at the break.

Catch up on Khimki Moscow Region vs AX Armani Exchange Milan highlights from Round 8 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th December 2020

Khimki Moscow Region vs AX Armani Exchange Milan Highlights - Round 8 - 8th December 2020

Jerebko opened the second half with a layup before Leday hit a three-pointer at the other end. Leday added 5 more points while Jerebko remained hot with 2 three-pointers to bring Khimki within 59-64. The margin was up to 59-68 after Punter’s free throws, but Shved also hit from deep and added a free throw to trim it to 63-68. Janis Timma added a triple for the hosts, who were within 68-72 after 30 minutes. Shields started the fourth quarter with a jumper and back-to-back three-pointers from Michael Roll pushed the cushion back to double digits, 70-80. Timma responded with a triple, but Delaney punched back with a three-pointer of his own and two straight Shields scores had the advantage at 75-87 with 6 minutes left. Leday added two more scores and the guests were still up 82-93 with less than 3 minutes to play. Mickey followed with back-to-back three-pointers and all of a sudden the difference was 88-93. Punter came up with a dagger corner three-pointer plus free throw and Delaney followed with a layup for an 88-99 lead inside the final minute.

### Milan's season-high 28 assists

Milan shared the ball well as it dished out 28 assists as a team - 10 more than its previous best this season when the Italian side collected 18 assists against ALBA Berlin. And Milan did it without playmaking ace Sergio Rodriguez. The 102 points scored was the club’s highest ever in a EuroLeague game without overtimes as the visitor.

### Pivotal performer

Shavon Shields was excellent all game for Milan as he scored a career-high 26 points; his previous best was 22 against Khimki for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in January 2020. Shields needed just 11 field attempts to do it - hitting all six of his two-pointers and making 4 of 5 three-pointers as well as both of his free throws. He added 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in picking up an index rating of 34 - also a career-best.

### Telling numbers

Milan drained 13 of 19 three-pointers (68.4%) while committing only 8 turnovers. Milan also made Khimki pay for its turnovers with a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers.

Shields-007831.jpg

AX Armani Exchange Milan continued its strong run of play in knocking off Khimki Moscow Region 93-102 for its fourth win in the last five games. 


Khimki Moscow Region v AX Armani Exchange Milan (2020-12-08T15:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich got back into winning ways by holding off Khimki Moscow Region 80-77 in an entertaining encounter at the Audi Dome. 

Bayern edges Khimki at the finish

FC Bayern Munich got back into winning ways by holding off Khimki Moscow Region 80-77 in an entertaining encounter at the Audi Dome. Khimki raced into a double-digit lead with a 4-20 run to bridge the first and second quarters, but Bayern roared back with a 15-0 run to go ahead at half-time, 43-40. Both teams enjoyed runs in the third period, which ended 64-64. Neither team could control a low-scoring fourth quarter, with free throws proving pivotal in the end. Wade Baldwin IV paced the winning team with 19 points and 5 assists, while Paul Zipser added 18 points, Vladimir Lucic had 10 and Jalen Reynolds combined 8 points and 9 rebounds. Alexey Shved top scored for Khimki with 18 points, also adding 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Greg Monroe scored 12 of his 18 points in the second quarter, and Janis Timma netted 10 in defeat. Bayern bounces back from two losses to improve to 8-4, while Khimki stays in last place at 2-9.



Bayern raced ahead through Baldwin from deep and Leon Radosevic with a long two. Devin Booker got Khimki on the scoreboard with 5 points, but Zipser better that with a triple and a three-point play for an 11-5 lead. Shved struck from long-range, Vyacheslav Zaytsev threw down a fastbreak slam and Jonas Jerebko scored under the basket for Khimki’s first lead, 11-12. Reynolds ended the 0-7 run with a jump hook, but Khimki stayed hot with Shved and Stefan Jovic shooting threeballs before Timma dunked to end the first quarter 15-22. Monroe opened the second quarter with a trio of close-range scores, including a three-point play for a 17-29 lead. Timma extended the margin from deep, before Zipser’s threeball and Reynolds’ jump hook got Bayern moving. Baldwin twice drove through to make it a single-digit game, 26-33, but Monroe added another pair of scores including his second three-point play. Bayern went inside for three baskets before Baldwin’s steal and slam was followed by Zipser’s layup to tie the game, 38-38. Nihad Dedovic struck from deep and Lucic exploded an alley-oop to complete a 15-0 run, but Khimki got back on track with Jerebko’s dunk, making it 43-40 at the break. 

Catch up on FC Bayern Munich vs Khimki Moscow Region highlights from Round 12 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 4th December 2020

FC Bayern Munich vs Khimki Moscow Region Highlights - Round 12 - 4th December, 2020

The start of the third quarter was a shoot-out as Zipser, Baldwin, Lucic, Shved and Jovic all struck from deep. Jordan Mickey added a pair of close-range baskets and Shved drilled another three before driving inside to score, sending his team ahead 54-60 after a 0-10 run. Dedovic rescued Bayern from mid-range, but Shved stayed hot with a classy scoop shot. Radosevic’s layup and Zan Sisko’s triple tied it, and Dedovic added a layup for a 7-0 run, but Booker’s turnaround jumper made it 64-64 after three quarters. Timma opened the final period with a three and it remained scoreless for nearly four minutes before Zipser penetrated to score. Monroe’s jump hook was answered by Reynolds’ dunk, but Timma’s layup made it 68-71. Baldwin tied it before fouling out and Lucic briefly sent Bayern up with a triple, but Mickey’s free throws made it 76-77 with two minutes left. Nick Weiler-Babb made foul shots, 78-77, and then grabbed an offensive board to seal it from the line as Monroe couldn’t force overtime on the final buzzer.

### Rare offensive board proves pivotal

Both teams protected their glass with a combined total of just 8 offensive rebounds all night. One of those, however, was crucial: with Bayern leading by 1 point in the final few seconds, Zan Sisko missed a three-pointer but Nick Weiler-Babb grabbed the offensive board. He was fouled and netted both from the free throw line to seal the win.

### Close contest across the board

The two teams were incredibly well-matched statistically: Bayern scored 30 field goals against Khimki’s 29; both teams went 11-of-14 from the foul line, Bayern had 30 rebounds against Khimki’s 31, and both teams dished 19 assists.

### Khimki blows cold, hot and cold

Khimki only netted two baskets in the first five minutes, before enjoying an offensive explosion to score 27 points in just 7:21 and take a 15-point lead. But then the offense went cold again, only scoring another eight points in eight minutes before half-time.

### Jovic back in business

Khimki’s Stefan Jovic made his first appearance of the season after recovering from injury, and the point guard made a decent impression against his former team by recording 6 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Zipser-005056.jpg

FC Bayern Munich got back into winning ways by holding off Khimki Moscow Region 80-77 in an entertaining encounter at the Audi Dome. 


FC Bayern Munich v Khimki Moscow Region (2020-12-04T19:30:00.000Z)