FC Barcelona registered its fourth consecutive win by downing TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 71-72 at Buesa Arena on Friday. 

Barcelona rallies past Baskonia

FC Barcelona registered its fourth consecutive win by downing TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 71-72 at Buesa Arena on Friday. Baskonia led 71-61 with 3 minutes left but Barcelona improved its defense while Mirotic, Kyle Kuric, Davies and Abrines fueled a 0-12 run that put the guests ahead, 71-72. It all came down to the final play, when Alec Peters took on a mid-range shot which was blocked by Mirotic as the home team failed to score in the final four minutes. Mirotic led the winners with 18 points. Brandon Davies added 12 while Alex Abrines had 10 for Barcelona. Zoran Dragic led Baskonia with 15 points. Achille Polonara added 14, Youssoupha Fall had 11 and Tonye Jekiri 10. Barcelona improved to 5-1 while Baskonia dropped to 2-2.



Rolands Smits got Barcelona going with a jump hook but Rokas Giedraitis and Dragic gave Baskonia a 7-5 lead. Cory Higgins and Davies soon allowed Barcelona to get its first lead, 7-9. Mirotic came off the bench and scored three consecutive baskets to make Baskonia call timeout at 10-15. Luca Vildoza struck from downtown and Pierria Henry scored twice around the basket but Kuric and Leo Bolmaro restored a 17-20 Barcelona lead. A coast-to-coast layup by Dragic fixed the score at 19-20 after 10 minutes. Mirotic kept pacing the guests with a three-point play early in the second quarter. Henry and Nick Calathes traded driving baskets, and Jekiri scored down low for a 23-25 Baskonia deficit. Adam Hanga scored in transition and Pierre Oriola hit a jump hook that made it a six-point game, 23-29. Fall followed a tip-in with a dunk but Thomas Heurtel banked in a floater and Hanga added an alley-oop slam. Heurtel and Abrines downed three-pointers but Fall dunked again, getting help from Polonara and Henry to keep Baskonia within 37-39 at halftime. 

Catch up on TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs FC Barcelona highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs FC Barcelona Highlights - Round 6 - 30th October, 2020

Davies dunked off a steal before Dragic and Mirotic traded triples, and Davies beat the shot clock with a jumper that gave Barcelona a 40-46 edge. Vildoza buried a jumper and Dragic brought Baskonia closer and Fall netted a three-point play, but Mirotic stepped up with consecutive put-back baskets and Oriola added a layup for a 48-56 Barcelona lead. Jekiri, Dragic and Polonara cut that to 56-58 after 30 minutes, and Polonara followed a layup with a triple to give Baskonia a 61-58 lead early in the fourth quarter. Jekiri downed a mid-range jumper, Dragic added a layup and Polonara capped a huge 17-0 run with a huge put-back slam that made Barcelona stop the game at 69-58. Abrines rescued the guests with a three-pointer, getting help from Mirotic and Kuric to give Barcelona hope at 71-65. Davies scored in the paint and fed Kuric for a triple that made it a one-point game, 71-70, with 52.6 seconds left. Abrines dunked off a steal to complete Barcelona's comeback, 71-72. Baskonia had a chance to win the game but Henry missed around the basket and Mirotic blocked Peters's shot at the buzzer.

### Pivotal performer

Nikola Mirotic returned to action, coming off the bench to make the difference. He finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-10 two-point shots, adding 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and the game-sealing block down the stretch. A truly all-around performance.

### Game-changing moment

Baskonia led by 10 points with just over 3 minutes remaining and had the chance to extend that lead but Zoran Dragic was off the mark with his two-point attempt. 10 seconds later Mirotic sparked a comeback that would eventually end up with the away team triumphing as Baskonia failed to score again.

### Stellar stat

Both teams were close in every aspect of the game. Baskonia had 21 turnovers and Barcelona limited those to 18. Barcelona also had slightly better percentages from downtown (33.3%, Baskonia 27.8%) and especially from the foul line (80%, Baskonia 66.7%). Those small details made the difference down the stretch.

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FC Barcelona registered its fourth consecutive win by downing TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 71-72 at Buesa Arena on Friday. 


TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v FC Barcelona (2020-10-30T19:30:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas fought back from a double-digit deficit to collect a hard-fought 74-83 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Zalgiris rallies for win at ASVEL

Zalgiris Kaunas fought back from a double-digit deficit to collect a hard-fought 74-83 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Zalgiris held ASVEL to just 24 points in the second half after giving up 50 points in the first 20 minutes. Marius Grigonis scored 25 points for Zalgiris, which trailed by 13 points late in the second quarter and by 11 points midway through the third. Lukas Lekavicius added 13 points and Thomas Walkup totaled 11 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Lithuanian champs who lead the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a 5-1 record and are 4-0 on the road. ASVEL came into the game having not played since Round 2 due to several COVID-19 positive cases. The big first half was not enough as the club dropped to 0-3. Charles Kahudi scored 18 points, Guerschon Yabusele had 17 points, David Lighty 16, Paul Lacombe 10 and Moustapha Fall chipped in 7 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block for an index rating of 27.


Despite missing five players, ASVEL didn’t look like a team out of rhythm as it scored the game’s first 7 points - including a Fall dunk and Amine Noua three-pointer. Zalgiris finally scored on a three-pointer from Walkup after nearly 3 minutes. Kahudi and Grigonis both had two baskets for their respective teams and Augustine Rubit made it 16-11 before ASVEL held the visitors scoreless for more than 2 minutes and used a 7-0 run to go up 23-11. The score was 23-13 after 10 minutes. An Arturas Milaknis triple to start the second quarter was matched by a triple from Kahudi. Martinas Geben came off the Zalgiris bench for 5 points and trimmed the gap to 26-23. ASVEL used the long ball to pull back ahead as Kahudi, Yabusele and Lacombe all hit from long range and a 10-0 surge made it 39-26. Lacombe added a layup after a pair of offensive rebounds and Kahudi drained a triple to keep the lead at 13. Lekavicius got a three-point play at the other end and Zalgiris trailed 50-41 at intermission.

Catch up on LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Zalgiris Kaunas highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs Zalgiris Kaunas Highlights - Round 6 - 29th October, 2020

Fall and Lighty both hit free throws early in the second half. Zalgiris worked hard to get back into the game, holding ASVEL to just one basket in a 2-8 spurt to get within 56-51. Zalgiris continued to keep the ASVEL offense in check and Grigonis scored the final 4 points to bring the visitors within 60-57 after 30 minutes. A Joffrey Lauvergne dunk after a Paulius Jankunas steal gave Zalgiris its first lead of the game at 60-61. Lighty finally got the hosts on the board with a long jumper after more than 3 minutes to regain the lead. Grigonis answered with a three-pointer and Rubit made it 62-66. ASVEL finally got some rhythm going offensively with a Kahudi basket and Yabusele three-pointer to nose back ahead 67-66. Lekavicius converted a three-point play and added a triple at the other end to surge ahead 67-72. A Geben triple increased the gap to 70-76 only to see Kahudi halve the deficit with a three-pointer with 81 seconds left. Grigonis came up with a huge three-point play with 56 seconds left and Walkup’s free throws with 14 seconds to play iced the game.

### ASVEL majorly short-handed in return

ASVEL was playing its first game since Round 2 on October 9 as 11 players tested positive for COVID-19. But the French team was still missing several key players: Norris Cole, Antoine Diot, Rihards Lomazs and William Howard all missed the game.

### Career night for Grigonis

Marius Grigonis was outstanding for Zalgiris, hitting 8 of 14 shots and 7 of 7 free throws for 25 points to go with 2 rebounds and 3 assists for an index rating of 27. Both his point total and PIR were personal bests for the Lithuanian guard.

### Telling numbers

Zalgiris turned the ball over only 10 times in the game and connected on 18 of 18 free throws. It was the second time this season that Zalgiris was 100% from the foul line after hitting all 13 free throws against Khimki Moscow Regions in Round 2.

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Zalgiris Kaunas fought back from a double-digit deficit to collect a hard-fought 74-83 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.


LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Zalgiris Kaunas (2020-10-29T17:00:00.000Z)

CSKA Moscow snapped a two-game losing streak by downing Valencia Basket 84-75 at Megasport Arena in the Russian capital on Thursday. 

CSKA tops Valencia to end slide

CSKA Moscow snapped a two-game losing streak by downing Valencia Basket 84-75 at Megasport Arena in the Russian capital on Thursday. The hosts built a double-digit lead in the second quarter boosted by Mike James, who had 15 points over that period, and resisted several comeback attempts by Valencia. Key three-point shots at the end of the third quarter and early in the fourth gave CSKA a definitive advantage that Will Clyburn confirmed in crunch time. The hosts improved their record to 3-3, while Valencia dropped to 3-2. James led CSKA with 17 points and 5 assists, followed by Clyburn, Darrun Hilliard, Johannes Voigtmann and Tornike Shengelia, who scored 15, 12, 11, and 10 respectively. Nikola Kalinic tallied 15 without missing a two-point attempt and Louis Labeyrie had 10 in defeat.



Valencia opened fire with a three by Labeyrie, but Shengelia was very active in the paint and responded quickly to score twice and give the hosts their first lead at 6-5. Neither team managed to find its offensive rhythm and even though CSKA was dominating the boards at that moment, Valencia took an 8-10 advantage after Sam Van Rossom hit a contested three. Kalinic and Derrick Williams combined later to extend the gap to 13-16, but a floater by Janis Strelnieks and a pair of free throws by Clyburn helped CSKA close the first quarter ahead 17-16. The streak didn’t end here for the hosts, as Semen Antonov and James struck from downtown and Voigtmann finished a fastbreak with a three-point play to build a 26-16 edge early in the second quarter. Valencia stopped it with a timeout and found an unexpected help from Jaime Pradilla, who scored 7 points, including a corner three, in a 0-11 run that brought the visitors within 28-27. Klemen Prepelic tied it from behind the arc, but Valencia couldn’t go further as James decided it was time for him to take charge. He erupted with 8 points, including a long three and a basket-plus-foul, in an 11-3 spurt that allowed CSKA to head the locker room leading 44-35.

Catch up on CSKA Moscow vs Valencia Basket highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

CSKA Moscow vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 6 - 29th October, 2020

Daniel Hackett extended the margin to double digits, 47-35, right after the break, but Bojan Dubljevic responded with 5 points in a row to keep CSKA in sight. Darrun Hilliard and Labeyrie traded baskets after that to make it 53-47 midway through the third quarter. Vives trimmed the deficit to 55-50 with an open three and that short difference remained steady for a while until Prepelic showed up with a jumper and Mike Tobey tapped in an offensive rebound to make it 59-58. A three-pointer by Voigtmann protected CSKA’s edge at the end of the third quarter, 62-58. Back-to-back triples by Hackett and Voigtmann gave some calm to the hosts early in the fourth and another bomb by Clyburn restored a double-digit home lead, 71-60. Kalinic came to the rescue with 5 consecutive points, but Nikola Milutinov, Clyburn and Voigtmann combined to establish a 77-67 margin for CSKA with 3 minutes remaining. With its back to the wall, Valencia did its best to keep its chances alive, pressing full-court and taking advantage of the free-throw line to add some points. As such, the visitors entered the last minute trailing 79-71, but a big three by Clyburn closed the doors and allowed the hosts to celebrate their third win of the season.

### Key runs

Valencia built short leads several times in the beginning, going 13-16 after nine minutes. A 15-0 run between the first and the second quarters turned the game upside down and allowed CSKA to take the reins. And when the visitors got within 59-58 at the end of the third, 4 consecutive three-pointers sparked a big 12-2 run that ended up suffocating Valencia.

### Bouncing back

Not only did CSKA manage to bounce back from a disappointing game last week, but so did Mike James did. The guard was held to just 9 points in Belgrade - the first time this season he didn’t score in double figures. But James showed up when needed as he scored 15 points in the second quarter off the bench to heat his team up with several three-point plays.

### Taking care of the ball pays off

CSKA Moscow averaged more than 16 turnovers per night before this game, which partially explained its losing record after five games. But, on this night, the hosts took care of the ball pretty well and committed just 6 turnovers. They also had 6 steals and 17 assists to the joy of their head coach.

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CSKA Moscow snapped a two-game losing streak by downing Valencia Basket 84-75 at Megasport Arena in the Russian capital on Thursday. 

CSKA Moscow v Valencia Basket (2020-10-29T17:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul did away with its three-game losing streak by downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 65-75 on the road on Thursday. 

 Fenerbahce bounces back in Tel Aviv

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul did away with its three-game losing streak by downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 65-75 on the road on Thursday. Fenerbahce improved to 3-3 in the standings while Maccabi dropped to 2-4. Ali Muhammed led the winners with 17 points, Nando De Colo added 13 while Jarell Eddie had 11 for Fenerbahce. Scottie Wilbekin paced Maccabi with 23 points, Ante Zizic posted 11 points and 10 rebounds and Chris Jones scored 10 for Maccabi, which led for the best parts of the opening three quarters. Dyshawn Pierre. Muhammed and De Colo made the difference down the stretch.



Dragan Bender got Maccabi going with a three-pointer, which Zizic followed with a put-back layup for a 5-0 lead. Jan Vesely scored down low and De Colo hit a backdoor jumper to bring Fenerbahce within 7-4. Elijah Bryant downed a five-meter shot, igniting a 6-0 run which Wilbekin capped with a reverse layup to boost Maccabi's lead to 13-4. Ahmet Duverioglu rescued the guests with a layup-plus-foul and Eddie struck from downtown, but Wilbekin kept Maccabi in charge, 18-10. Muhammed came off the bench and buried back-to-back triples. Edgaras Ulanovas swished a jumper to bring Fenerbahce within 22-18 after 10 minutes. Jones downed a jumper early in the second quarter, but Muhammed and Melih Mahmutoglu each struck from beyond the arc. Eddie buried a turnaround jumper to give Fenerbahce its first lead, 24-26. Oz Blayzer joined the three-point shootout, starting a 7-0 run that Jones capped with a fastbreak layup that prompted the guests to stop the game at 31-26. De Colo and Vesely stepped up for Fenerbahce and Muhammed buried his fourth triple, but Zizic and Wilbekin kept Maccabi ahead, 38-35, at halftime.

Catch up on Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul extended highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul Extended Highlights - Round 6 - 29th October, 2020

Zizic and Lorenzo Brown exchanged baskets right after the break and Wilbekin restored a 42-37 Maccabi lead. Eddie downed a three-pointer and erased Wilbekin's triple with another shot from downtown. Bryant scored in penetration, but Brown tied it at 47-47. Jones hit a floater and Angelo Caloiaro dunked only to see De Colo and Johnny Hamilton give Fenerbahce the lead, 54-56, after 30 minutes. Muhammed and Mahmutoglou nailed back-to-back three-pointers early in the fourth quarter. Bryant answered from downtown, but Muhammed scored in penetration and Pierre followed a three-point play with a close basket for a 58-69 Fenerbahce lead with under 6 minutes left. Wilbekin tried to change things with 5 quick points, however, Vesely scored down low to make it 63-71. Zizic scored on a tip-in, but De Colo matched that with a jumper that sealed the outcome, 65-73, with a minute to go.

### Pivotal performer

Muhammed turned back the clock with a stellar performance, stepping up every time Fenerbahce needed him. He finished the game with 17 points, his most in the EuroLeague since the 2019 playoffs, on 5-of-6 three-point shooting, and a PIR of 15.

### Game-changing moment

Fenerbahce started the fourth quarter with a 54-56 lead and quickly found good shots from beyond the arc. Muhammed nailed his fifth from as many attempts and Mahmutoglou buried his second for a 54-62 score. Fenerbahce managed to keep control of the game from that moment until the final buzzer.

### Stellar stat

Three-point shots and free throws made the difference in this game. Fenerbahce downed 11 of 22 shots from downtown (50.0%), limiting Maccabi to just 5-of-26 three-point shooting (19.2%). Maccabi made 10 of 15 free throws (66.6%) and Fenerbahce was near-perfect from the foul line, 12 of 13 (92.3%).

### Did you know?

Maccabi pulled down 21 offensive rebounds, matching the second-best mark in club history. Maccabi had 22 offensive rebounds in a 90-83 win against Real Madrid on November 9, 2017, and previously had 21 in an 88-79 victory against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens on December 19, 2019.

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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul did away with its three-game losing streak by downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 65-75 on the road on Thursday. 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2020-10-29T19:05:00.000Z)

Real Madrid found its offensive rhythm to get back into winning ways with a 100-82 home triumph over FC Bayern Munich.

Carroll shines as Real races past Bayern

Real Madrid found its offensive rhythm to get back into winning ways with a 100-82 home triumph over FC Bayern Munich. Los Blancos came out strong to score 27 points in the first quarter and kept up a similar pace throughout, eventually outgunning a Bayern team that fought hard for the first three quarters before finally running out of steam. Real improved to 2-4, while Bayern dropped to 4-2. Jaycee Carroll led all scorers with 19 points, Trey Thompkins combined 16 points with 7 rebounds, Sergio Llull made 3 of 4 three-pointers in his total of 14 points, while Anthony Randolph scored 13 and Alberto Abalde added 10. Wade Baldwin paced Bayern with 18 points and Jalen Reynolds contributed 15 points and 7 rebounds.



Carroll and Randolph gave Real a fast start and Walter Tavares down low made it 8-2. Randolph struck from deep before Bayern lost its coach as Andrea Trinchieri picked up a double technical foul. Baldwin and Malcolm Thomas helped keep Bayern close, but Carroll made a pair of three-pointers for a 19-10 lead. Reynolds scored twice and Paul Zipser hit from deep, but Tavares and Abalde fixed the score at 27-17 after the first quarter. Nihad Dedovic’s long jumper opened the second-quarter scoring and Zipser netted from deep and inside, but Thompkins scored twice to protect the lead. Baldwin made an off-balance jumper plus a three-pointer before Nick Weiler-Babb’s three-point play and Thomas’s hook shot made it 35-36 after a 2-12 run. Fernandez’s triple sent Real back in front, only for Baldwin’s dunk and Lucic’s three-pointer to put Bayern on top again. But the half finished with a Llull corner three, making it 49-45 at the break.

Catch up on Real Madrid vs FC Bayern Munich highlights from Round 2 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 8th October 2020

Real Madrid vs FC Bayern Munich Highlights - Round 6 - 29th October, 2020

A putback dunk from Reynolds started the second-half scoring and Baldwin scored twice to cancel out Carroll for a 53-53 tie. Carroll scored again, Thompkins made a three-point play and so did Carroll, before Tavares threw down an alley-oop for a 65-57 lead. Thompkins drilled a three to make it 70-61 after three quarters. Abalde and Thompkins extended the lead early in the fourth and Usman Garuba bettered a close-range finish with a three-pointer for an 81-65 edge. Nedovic and Reynolds struck from deep for Bayern, but Fernandez hit a pair of deep rainbow threes to protect the margin. Zan Sisko was also on target from beyond the arc, but Llull beat the buzzer from deep for a 92-78 lead which sealed the outcome inside the final 2 minutes.

### Trinchieri lasts less than 4 minutes

Bayern lost its play-caller very early on when Coach Andrea Trinchieri was ejected from the game after 3 and a half minutes for a double technical foul as he disputed a call. His role was filled for the rest of the game by assistant coach Adriano Vertemati, who joined the club in the summer from Italian club Treviglio.

### Carroll and Randolph light it up

Real was a two-man team in the early stages with Jaycee Carroll and Anthony Randolph combining for 17 of the team’s opening 19 points. Carroll had barely been a factor for Real this season, playing a total of just 29 minutes before Thursday’s game. But he was named in the starting five and made up for missed time by blasting 10 points in the first 5 and a half minutes.

### Real finds its fluency

Real came into the game with an average of 15.4 assists per game, ranked 13th in the league, but significantly improved on that figure with 23 assists. Nine different players delivered assists, led by the duo of Facundo Campazzo and Nico Laprovittola with 6 apiece. Real also underlined its improved offensive fluidity by only committing 4 turnovers.

### Bayern crashes the boards

Bayern stayed in the game for a long time partly through outstanding offensive rebounding, grabbing 5 in the first quarter alone and finishing with a total of 16. Jalen Reynolds was particularly strong crashing the boards, grabbing 5 offensive rebounds including a putback dunk for the first score of the second half.

Real Madrid found its offensive rhythm to get back into winning ways with a 100-82 home triumph over FC Bayern Munich.


Real Madrid v FC Bayern Munich (2020-10-29T20:00:00.000Z)

Livio Jean-Charles, Olympiacos: 'We'll come back better'

When Sarunas Jasikevicius became Zalgiris Kaunas's head coach early in the 2015-16 season, not everybody expected he would so successful right away. One of the people who always knew he would be a great coach, however, was playmaker Nick Calathes.

The two were teammates for two years, in the 2009-10 and 2011-12 seasons with Panathinaikos Athens. They never faced each other in a game; Saras kept playing for a couple more seasons, but Calathes went on to win the 7DAYS EuroCup with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2013 and play in the NBA. They competed against each other when Jasikevicius was with Zalgiris and Calathes with Panathinaikos and this season they have reunited at FC Barcelona as player and coach. Calathes went from admiring Saras to disliking him only to become good friends after that and to now finally work together.

"The first time I heard about Saras, actually, was when he played for the Indiana Pacers. That's when I first heard about him. I used to watch NBA. I think I was in college then. So I saw him play a couple of games there," Calathes said. "And then obviously once I came to Athens my first year, I met him and, you know, I didn't obviously know him as a person back then. But, you know, I see this big name. I had no idea about European basketball, really, and they said that this guy has won everything in every country." 

"I wasn't a huge fan of him back when I was 20." 

Back then in late 2009, Jasikevicius had just become the first – and to date only – player to win the EuroLeague title with three different teams; he lifted the trophy with Barcelona in 2003, Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2004 and 2005 and Panathinaikos in 2009. Calathes was a newcomer, fresh out of college, arriving to the reigning EuroLeague champions and to a backcourt that featured Jasikevicius, Dimitris Diamantidis, Vassilis Spanoulis and Drew Nicholas. His first thoughts about Jasikevicius were not great.

"I met him, getting used to European basketball - being 20 years old, I didn't know what to expect. And he, obviously being older, one of the older guys just destroying me in practice every day, yelling and things like that. So I wasn't a huge fan of him back then when I was 20," Calathes said.

"Then I played with him my third year and we became great friends. I think he respected me more as a player. When I was 20, I don't think I would have liked myself either. I wouldn't have liked me as a player if I was one of the other guys, because I was the young kid who thought I knew everything," Calathes said. "But my third year, we became good friends, teammates... and there was a lot more friendship that year and ever since then."

There was definitely a change, as Calathes earned a lot of respect by winning the EuroLeague title with Panathinaikos in 2011. He was his team's top scorer in Game 4 of the playoff series against Barcelona to reach the Final Four and in the EuroLeague semifinals, scored 17 points against Montepaschi Siena. When Jasikevicius returned before the start of the 2011-12 season, everything had changed. 

"I think his feel for the game is unique." 

"I remember he had a lot of injuries in 2012, but at the end of the season, he was playing his best basketball and had a great Final Four game" (19 points in 22 minutes in a semifinal loss against CSKA Moscow, J.G.), Calathes said. "It was always a battle in practices. You know, when I was 20, I wasn't expecting much to play. I'd try to get minutes but we had Diamantidis, Spanoulis, Saras and Drew Nicholas. There weren't enough spots, obviously, for everyone to get playing time. And there was me, I was the odd man out. But I thought that Coach Obradovic trusted me a lot. And then we played a lot together also the third year with a rotation of me, Saras and Diamantidis."

So when Jasikevicius took the step to become a head coach, Calathes knew he would do well. "I wasn't surprised. I knew. When you play with him for two years, you know his skill for the game and how he knew the game. The players that become coaches and have that feel for the game are always great coaches. He uses his IQ as a coach now just like he did as a player. So I think his feel for the game is unique. And that's why he's so good as a coach as well.

"What he did in Zalgiris was unbelievable. He built a system there that, when you played against them, you knew it was going to be a difficult game because they never made mistakes. They always did the right thing. And even with the budget that they have that, they were big names and played hard. You knew every game was going to be tough against them. And I think he built that culture that way and was successful."

One thing that everyone expected and is not happening is Jasikevicius getting as many technical fouls as he did as a player. Asked about it, Calathes made a good joke: "I think this is because his best friends are always the referees from back then. So I think that they know that they have given him enough technicals, they think he's had enough. So I think they let him off a couple of times here and there!" 

Most people say Jasikevicius got a lot from Zeljko Obradovic as a coach. Others say he is following Zmago Sagadin's footsteps, but Calathes can tell that paying close attention to small details is something that he learned from Obradovic and is seeing in Jasikevicius, too.

"That is one thing he asks players. In that way, he is like Obradovic, where he is very detailed and if you don't do the right thing, then he'll make sure you know about the attention to detail," Calathes explained. "He respects that tremendously and wants that from his players. And obviously, we need, as a team, to get better at that. We'll get better and better, I'm sure."

Jasikevicius has become the ultimate player's coach - someone who was wildly successful as a player and who understands perfectly what a player can go through during the season. The fact that Calathes and Jasikevicius are friends doesn't change anything: "For me, coach-player relationship is all business. Okay, I can tell him anything, but he's a coach that you could talk to him no matter what if you didn't know him. You can go up to him and ask questions. He's a player's coach, and I think it's good for the players that we have to be able to communicate with him." 

"He knows exactly how we feel as players." 

"We all know that he's been a player for however many years in Europe and he knows exactly how we feel as players. He understands there are situations that a coach that has never played the game before doesn't understand."

A lot of players want to become head coaches one day and Calathes is no exception. He believes Jasikevicius's example can inspire him when he stops playing basketball which, at age 31 and right at the prime of his career, is not anytime soon.

"You look at him and I think not just me, but any player, you see a guy that was very successful in Europe and has really built his resume for coaching as well as a player. As players who want to be coaches, we can learn a lot from him and how he transitioned from player to coach because it's different," Calathes said. "It's different when you're on the court. It's different when you're on the sidelines. And he's a guy that you can ask and see how he did it. And I think that for me, when my career is done, hopefully, I could be a coach one day. I get the opportunity to, it would be very nice."

Calathes and Jasikevicius were not able to win the EuroLeague as teammates in 2010 or 2012 and now they have another shot. If they are successful, Saras will join Armenak Alachachan, Lolo Sainz and Svetislav Pesic on the list of people who won the EuroLeague as player and coach. Other than Jasikevicius, only Dejan Bodiroga has won the EuroLeague title with Panathinaikos and Barcelona. Calathes hopes to join that list, too.

Nick Calathes's head coach at FC Barcelona, Sarunas Jasikevicius, was a star player and his teammate at Panathinaikos Athens when the latter made his EuroLeague debut in 2009. Their relationship had its share of ups and downs before they became friends and now the two look to lead Barcelona to EuroLeague glory.

Nick Calathes, Barcelona: 'Saras is a player's coach'

FC Barcelona took the first clásico of this Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season by downing archrivals Real Madrid 79-72 at home on Friday. 

Barcelona dominates El Clásico

FC Barcelona took the first clásico of this Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season by downing archrivals Real Madrid 79-72 at home on Friday. Barcelona improved to 4-1 in the standings while Real dropped to 1-4. Kyle Kuric led the winners with 15 points. Brandon Davies added 14, Cory Higgins had 13 while Sergi Martinez pulled down 9 rebounds for Barcelona. Trey Thompkins led Real with 14 points while Alberto Abalde added 13. Barcelona led 18-14 after 10 minutes and boosted its margin to 48-27 at halftime. Real managed to get as close as 64-56 early in the fourth quarter but Martinez and Higgins stepped up in crunch time to keep Los Blancos out of reach until the final buzzer.



Rolands Smits got Barcelona with a one-handed alley-oop slam and Alex Abrines added a close jumper before Edy Tavares and Carlos Alocen gave Real its first lead, 4-5. Adam Hanga took over with an acrobatic layup and Davies followed a jump hook with a jumper for a 12-9 Barcelona edge. Abalde stitched together a jumper and a triple but Higgins, Kuric and Pierre Oriola kept the hosts ahead, 18-14, after 10 minutes. Kuric struck with a four-point play early in the second quarter. Gabriel Deck scored around the basket, Sergio Llull banked in an off-balance shot and Rudy Fernandez struck from downtown as Madrid got within 25-21. Kuric followed a layup with a jumper, igniting a 7-0 run in which Davies sank a five-meter shot that made it a double-digit game, 32-21. Usman Garuba stepped up with a put-back layup and a jumper for Madrid but Heurtel and Davies rescued Barcelona. Nick Calathes added a fastbreak layup that broke the game open, 41-25. Smits capped a 13-0 run with a bomb from beyond the arc that boosted the Barcelona lead to 46-25. A jumper by Higgins kept it that high, 48-27, at halftime. 

Catch up on FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid highlights from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 23rd October 2020

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid Highlights - Round 5 - 23rd October, 2020

Abrines scored in penetration soon after the break. Abalde sank a jumper and Tavares added a layup to bring Real within 50-31. Thompkins hit a put-back layup, getting help from Facu Campazzo and Jeffery Taylor to make Barcelona call timeout at 54-39. Abrines struck from beyond the arc but Thompkins and Garuba brought Real even closer, 57-43. Abalde scored again, Campazzo sank a three-pointer and Garuba added a layup for a 60-50 score. Kuric and Davies gave Barcelona some fresh air at 64-52 after 30 minutes. Thompkins scored down low early in the fourth quarter and Campazzo banked in a floater that made it a single-digit game, 64-56. Martinez downed a triple and Higgins followed that with a layup-plus-free throw and a jumper that seemed to seal the outcome, 72-58, with over 4 minutes left. Llull, however, had 5 points in a 0-7 run that gave Real hope, 72-65, with under 3 minutes to go. Davies dunked and Martinez scored in the paint to allow Barcelona to celebrating an important win.

### Pivotal performer

Martinez entered the game averaging 0.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in two previous EuroLeague appearances this season. He played 30 minutes and 7 seconds tonight, and finished it with 7 points and a game-high 9 rebounds for a PIR of 10. Martinez definitely was Barcelona's unexpected factor in this game.

### Game-changing moment

Real only found his usual scoring rhythm early in the second quarter. Campazzo found Deck for a layup, Llull buried a jumper and Fernandez added a triple to get their team within 25-21. That's when Kuric stepped up with back-to-back baskets and Davies downed a jumper from the high post for Barcelona's first double-digit lead, 32-31. Real's offense collapsed right after that and Barcelona kept a safe margin until the final buzzer.

### Stellar stat

An outstanding first half made the difference in this game. Barcelona hit 15-of-22 two-point shots (68.2%), limited Real to hit just 7-of-21 shots inside the arc (33.3%) and outrebounded Los Blancis by 19-10. The PIR difference at halftime, 59-14, said it all.

### Did you know?

Real had never registered four losses so early in any of its EuroLeague seasons this century. Last season, Real needed 19 games before suffering its fourth loss of the season. In the 2013-14 season, Madrid had its fourth loss in the 27th game of the season, Game 3 of the playoffs against Olympiacos Piraeus.

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FC Barcelona took the first clásico of this Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season by downing archrivals Real Madrid 79-72 at home on Friday. 

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2020-10-23T19:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv rallied to end to a three-game losing streak with an 87-89 overtime victory on the court of Khimki Moscow Region on Friday. 

Maccabi outlasts Khimki in OT, 87-89

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv rallied to end to a three-game losing streak with an 87-89 overtime victory on the court of Khimki Moscow Region on Friday. Maccabi raised its record to 2-3 while Khimki continues looking for its first victory. Tyler Dorsey drilled 8 three-pointers on the way to 26 points for the winners, but Elijah Bryant hit back-to-back triples in overtime to give the visitors the final edge. Angelo Caloiaro had a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Ante Zizic scored 16, Scottie Wilbekin 12 and Bryant 10. Khimki star Alexey Shved made his season debut in style, with a double-double of 32 points and 11 assists. Greg Monroe followed with 15 points off the bench while Devin Booker had his own double-double, 14 points and 12 rebounds.



Shved assisted Booker twice and landed a corner shot as Khimki soared ahead 12-2 at the start. Zizic broke the spell and Wilbekin downed Maccabi's first triple to make it 14-9. Dorsey soon hit twice from the arc for a tie before Monroe's free throws supplied Khimki's 18-16 edge after one quarter. Janis Timma and Dorsey traded triples before Shved and Wilbekin took turns forcing ties and lead changes until 26-25. Zizic and Bryant shot Maccabi in front and combined on the fastbreak dunk to make it a 0-10 run and a 26-33 Maccabi lead. Evgeny Voronov reeled it back for Khimki with 5 points before halftime, trimming the difference to 33-36. 

Catch up on Khimki Moscow Region vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv highlights from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 23rd October 2020

Khimki Moscow Region vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 5 - 23rd October, 2020

Mickey and Booker restored a Khimki lead, 37-36, to start the third quarter before Wilbekin took it back from the arc. Mickey's back-to-back triples after 3 previous misses flipped the scoreboard to 43-41. Shved added 3 points to the difference but soon Dorsey drilled his fifth triple and added free throws for another lead change, 48-49. Shved's third three-pointer soon tied it, 53-53, but Dorsey beat the shot clock with another of his, then stole and fed Caloiaro for a fastbreak worth a 55-58 Maccabi lead after 30 minutes. Monroe's 4 consecutive layups, one of which came with an extra free throw, sent Khimki up again, 64-58, to open the fourth quarter. However, Dorsey's seventh triple and a put-back by Zizic suddenly had Maccabi in front, 64-65, with 5 minutes left. Booker and Zizic traded baskets before Shved buried another three-pointer to make it 69-68 for Khimki. Othello Hunter flipped the lead but Shved converted 3 free throws and when Timma blasted a corner shot, Khimki was up 75-70. Caloiaro and Shved traded triples twice, the former's second as unlikely as the latter's next one off of one leg to make it 81-76. Wilbekin's layup and a monster block by Hunter as Jonas Jerebko tried to dunk with 15 seconds left gave Maccabi it's chance. After a timeout, the visitors found Dorsey for his eighth triple to tie it 81-81 and force overtime. Booker's put-back opened OT but after 2 quiet minutes, Bryant blasted 2 triples to put Maccabi up 85-87 going into the final minute. A Khimki turnover led to Hunter making a free throw. Shved hit both of his at 87-88, but that's where the scoring stopped for the home team as the victory went back to Tel Aviv with Maccabi.



### Turning point

Maccabi was behind 81-76 with under 40 seconds left when Wilbekin waltzed in for a layup. After a timeout, Khimki's Jonas Jerebko broke loose for what looked like a game-sealing dunk with 16 seconds left until Othello Hunter came out of nowhere to block it. After another timeout, Maccabi set up Tyler for his eighth three-pointer, sending the game to OT and a new opportunity that the visitors did not waste.

### Dorsey drills 'em

Tyler Dorsey of Maccabi became just the 16th player in EuroLeague history to make 8 or more three-pointers, none bigger than the one that forced overtime at 81-81 with 10.5 seconds left in regulation. He finished with a career-high 26 points.

### Full strength

Khimki had a full roster for the first time this season as Alexey Shved and Greg Monroe made their debuts, while Janis Timma, Evgeny Voronov and Jordan Mickey were playing in just their second games thanks to a combination of injuries and COVID-19 cases.

### Shved's super return

Shved made his season debut playing as prolifically as ever. His 32 points, featuring 6 three-pointers, marked the fourth-best total of his career, while his 11 assists were also his fourth-best. In just his 141st game, Shved became the 25th EuroLeague player to reach 2,300 points and extended his incredible streak of double-digit scoring games to 75, which is 21 more than the late Alphonso Ford, in second place.

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Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv rallied to end to a three-game losing streak with an 87-89 overtime victory on the court of Khimki Moscow Region on Friday. 


Khimki Moscow Region v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2020-10-23T17:00:00.000Z)