FC Bayern Munich set a club record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 74-68 on Friday to extend its winning streak to a best-ever four games. 

Bayern pushes win streak to four

FC Bayern Munich set a club record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 74-68 on Friday to extend its winning streak to a best-ever four games. Wade Baldwin led all scorers with 18 points while Vladimir Lucic collected 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists for Bayern, which improved to 4-1 in the standings for a share of first place. Bayern also got 10 points each from Jalen Reynolds and Nihad Dedovic. Olympiacos came into the game with a three-game winning streak of its own but could not make it four in a row despite Kostas Papanikolaou scoring 13 points, Charles Jenkins hitting for 12 points and Shaquielle McKissic hitting for 11 points. The visitors' record fell to 3-2.



Leon Radosevic got the scoring started with Dedovic then taking over for Bayern with 6 straight points for an 8-5 lead. Papanikolaou evened the game with a three-pointer but could only watch as Lucic and Baldwin hit back-to-back from the arc at 16-10. Reynolds added a pair of inside baskets for the hosts, who were leading 22-18 after 10 minutes. Jenkins opened the second quarter with a three-pointer to cut the gap tp 22-21. Bayern continued its strong play with Lucic leading a 7-1 spurt for a 31-22 lead. Olympiacos slowed down Bayern's offense and got triples from Jenkins and Sasha Vezenkov in trimming the gap to 33-32. Bayern's lead was 39-34 after hitting the final 4 points of the first half. 

FC Bayern Munich vs Olympiacos Piraeus Highlights - Round 5 - 23rd October, 2020

FC Bayern Munich vs Olympiacos Piraeus Game Highlights_852750.mp4

McKissic started hot in the second half with a three-pointer and monster dunk ahead of Georgios Printezis's basket to knot things at 41-41. Octavius Ellis converted a three-point play and Kostas Papanikolaou picked up 4 points as Olympiacos nosed ahead 49-50. Baldwin answered with 6 straight points off jumpers in helping Bayern lead 61-53 after 30 minutes. Bayern held Olympiacos without a basket for the final 6:13 minutes of the third quarter. Baldwin remained hot with 5 straight fourth-quarter points in pushing the cushion to 68-57. Olympiacos managed to get stops defensively and McKissic keyed the offense in a 4-11 surge to pull within 72-68 inside the final minute. After taking jumpers much of the game, Baldwin drove to the basket and was fouled, making 2 free throws with 34 seconds left for the final scoreline, 74-68.

### Bayern history

Bayern came into the contest with a three-game win streak in the EuroLeague for just a second time. Bayern's only previous stretch of three straight wins came in Rounds 11 to 13 in 2018-19. This victory meant a new club mark.

### Baldwin executes against former team

Wade Baldwin made his European debut with Olympiacos last season and played 24 games for the Greek powerhouse. The 24-year-old guard showed his former team just what they are missing as he collected 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

### Telling numbers

Bayern held Olympiacos to just 21.4% on three-pointers while also punishing Olympiacos for its mistakes with a 21-10 advantage in points off turnovers even though Olympiacos' 15 turnovers was just 1 more than what Bayern committed.

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FC Bayern Munich set a club record in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 74-68 on Friday to extend its winning streak to a best-ever four games. 

FC Bayern Munich v Olympiacos Piraeus (2020-10-23T18:30:00.000Z)

Valencia Basket erupted for 57 second-half points in an 82-94 come-from-behind victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday evening at Zalgirio Arena. 

Valencia ends Zalgiris's unbeaten run

Valencia Basket erupted for 57 second-half points in an 82-94 come-from-behind victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday evening at Zalgirio Arena. The result handed Zalgiris its first loss of the season as it fell to 4-0, while Valencia improved to 3-1. After trailing by 10 in the second quarter, Valencia used a 2-17 third-quarter run to turn the game on its head and never let up. Bojan Dubljevic and Vanja Marinkovic scored 16 points apiece for the winners, Nikola Kalinic added 14 points, Klemen Prepelic 13, Louis Labeyrie 12 and Sam Van Rossom dished 8 assists. For Zalgiris, Marius Grigonis and Augustine Rubit each scored 12 and Nigel Hayes and Joffrey Lauvergne had 11 points apiece.



Back-to-back three-pointers by Steve Vasturia and Grigonis helped the hosts race out to an 8-2 start. Marinkovic and Kalinic both connected from deep for Valencia to get within 11-10 before a Marinkovic layup gave the visitors their first lead, 14-16, midway through the first quarter. Lukas Lekavicius and Rokas Jokubaitis came off the bench to restore a Zalgiris advantage and Arturas Milaknis, with the team's 7th triple of the opening quarter, gave the hosts a 27-22 lead after 10 minutes. Hayes joined the three-point shootout to push the Zalgiris to 32-24, however, Derrick Williams got involved and quickly halved that Valencia deficit. Hayes heated up with a pair of jumpers and Rubit's bucket in the paint created a double-figure advantage, 43-33. Dubljevic's put-back cut into the deficit, but free throws from Grigonis left Zalgiris ahead 45-37 at the break.

Catch up on Zalgiris Kaunas vs Valencia Basket highlights from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 22nd October 2020

Zalgiris Kaunas vs Valencia Basket Highlights - Round 5 - 22nd October, 2020

Like in the first quarter, Kalinic and Marinkovic made early threes and this time Dubljevic joined them to draw Valencia to 49-48, which prompted a Zalgiris timeout. The stop changed little as a Dubljevic triple put Valencia ahead. Sam Van Rossom stepped up with a floater and Prepelic added 5 quick points to further extend the margin. Kalinic's basket-plus-foul completed a 2-17 run that made it 51-60. Rubit stepped up for Zalgiris, but Guillem Vives ended the third quarter with a jumper that made it 57-67. A deep three-pointer by Marinkovic 4 minutes into the fourth quarter gave Valencia its biggest lead, 59-75. Threes by Lekavicius and Milaknis gave Zalgiris hope at 70-80 with 3 minutes remaining, but Valencia, led by Labeyrie, continued to score with ease and marched to an impressive road win.

### Dominating the paint

The visitors played better in the paint by outrebounding Zalgiris 24-34. They also had 16 second-chance points, which were half as many as the hosts. Valencia made 22 of 30 two-pointers (73.3%), too. Those numbered combined with 14-for-32 three-point shooting (43.8%) and committing only 10 turnovers on the road were recipes for success.

### To live and die by the three

Zalgiris took charge early when it made its first 4 three-pointers and was shooting 7 for 9 from downtown after 10 minutes. However, the Lithuanian champs never found that stroke again and were 4 for 19 (21.0%) the rest of the way.

### Valencia record book

Valencia set a club record for assists in a road game with 25, which was 3 more than the club's previous best set last season at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. The team's 22-of-30 two-point shooting was the third most accurate. Of its two better games was a 73.9% effort last season in Kaunas.

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Valencia Basket erupted for 57 second-half points in an 82-94 come-from-behind victory over Zalgiris Kaunas on Thursday evening at Zalgirio Arena. 


Zalgiris Kaunas v Valencia Basket (2020-10-22T17:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens improved to 2-2 with an 82-68 victory over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the Greek capital. 

Nedovic fires Panathinaikos to victory over Fenerbahce

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens improved to 2-2 with an 82-68 victory over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the Greek capital. The home team never trailed after the opening minutes and had a couple of double-digit leads, securing the win with a 10-2 surge to close out the scoring. Nemanja Nedovic was the hero for the hosts, shooting 7 of 12 from long-range for 28 points. Keifer Sykes paired 11 points with 5 assists and Panathinaikos battled hard throughout the team to win the rebounding battle 38-29 with nine different players grabbing multiple boards. Lorenzo Brown led Fenerbahce with 17 points, while Ahmet Duverioglu added 15 for the team which has now lost three games in a row to drop to 2-3.



A couple of scores from Marcus Foster gave Panathinaikos an early lead in a low-scoring start. Nedovic netted his first three-pointer and a layup for a 12-7 lead. Sykes added to the advantage from deep, but Duverioglu came off the bench to spark Fenerbahce with a pair of jumpers before Nedovic beat the first-quarter buzzer with a deep three for a 22-13 advantage. Duverioglu scored twice early in the second quarter, but the game’s first free throws made it a double-digit lead, 27-17. Nando De Colo and Jarell Eddie struck from deep, but Zach Auguste fought hard to score inside. Free throws and a huge alley-oop slam from Georgios Papagiannis made it 37-25. Brown scored twice to pull it back to 37-30 at halftime.

Catch up on Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul highlights from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 22nd October 2020

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul Highlights - Round 5 - 22nd October, 2020

Brown continued his hot streak with a triple at the start of the third quarter, and a layup and one made it 41-40. Duverioglu briefly tied the game but Nedovic struck back from distance and a mid-range strike from Aaron White made it 48-43. Sykes nailed a pair of threes to take the lead up to 54-45. Melih Mahmutoglu made a pair of three-pointers, but White also struck from deep and Auguste dunked to make it 62-56 after three quarters. Nedovic opened the fourth quarter by scoring from deep and after defenses dominated the next few minutes, he sliced through to score again, 67-59. Eddie responded from beyond the arc for Fener, but Nedovic scored his fifth triple to protect the lead. Ben Bentil and Papagiannis scored from close range and Nedovic made another three-pointer for a 77-66 lead inside the final 3 minutes. Jan Vesely’s jumper made it closer, but Fenerbahce couldn’t generate any more offense and the home team eased to victory as Nedovic added yet another three-pointer.

### Teamwork does the job for Greens

Although Nemanja Nedovic was the clear player of the game, this was a real team effort from Panathinaikos. Ten different players grabbed at least 1 rebound, nine got on the scoresheet, eight dished assists and all 11 players used by coach Georgios Vovoras spent at least 13 minutes on the floor.

### Kokoskov ejected early

Fenerbahce was forced into a temporary coaching change when Igor Kokoskov was ejected from the game before halftime after picking up two technical fouls. That left assistant coach Erdem Can in charge on the sidelines.

### Antetokounmpo brothers in the house

The game was played behind closed doors but there were some specially invited familiar faces in the stands in the form of famous brothers Giannis, Kostas and former Panathinaikos player Thanasis Antetokounmpo back in their native city.

### Night to forget for De Colo

Nando De Colo celebrated the birth of his third child a few days ago, but Fenerbahce’s star guard didn’t have much to enjoy on his return to the court. He scored just 5 points, making only 2 of his 8 field goal attempts, and committed a game-high 4 turnovers.

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens improved to 2-2 with an 82-68 victory over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the Greek capital. 


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Panathinaikos OPAP Athens v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2020-10-22T18:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade came back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to pull out a thrilling 86-84 overtime win over visiting CSKA Moscow on Thursday night in the Serbian capital. The win improved Zvezda's record to 2-2, while CSKA suffered its second consecutive loss and fell to 2-3 on the young season. CSKA led 35-49 early in the third quarter, but Zvezda locked down defensively and answered with an 11-2 run to get back in the game and forced the game to go down to the wire. Jordan Loyd shined for Zvezda, dropping a career-high and a EuroLeague season-high 31 points in less than 31 minutes on the floor. Corey Walden scored 12 points, Marko Jagodic-Kuridza collected 11 points and 6 rebounds, while Emanuel Terry debuted with 10 points in the victory. Daniel Hackett scored a career-high 29 points on 6-for-8 three-point shooting. Will Clyburn added 18 points and Mike James tallied 9 points and 8 assists in defeat.



Jagodic-Kuridza knocked down a triple to get the hosts going early, but CSKA answered with 7 consecutive points, including a put-back from Nikola Milutinov and a triple from Hackett, to take an early 5-9 lead. Langston Hall hit another long-range dagger for the hosts, but Nikita Kurbanov scored from the left corner to keep the visitors in front. A three-point play from Loyd and a three-pointer from Corey Walden tied it at 16-16 late in the first, but Johannes Voigtmann's layup helped CSKA to an 18-20 edge after 10 minutes. A pair of buckets by Clyburn inside kept the visitors in front early in the second. Loyd and Walden each drove for a layup for Zvezda, before Clyburn's triple opened a 24-31 advantage midway through the second quarter. Loyd was hot, hitting a triple-plus-foul, but Hackett answered with a corner three before a put-back from Clyburn made it 28-36. Loyd and Walden drove to the basket to keep Zvezda in touch, but Voigtmann scored 5 points in the final 2 minutes of the half to give CSKA a 35-43 halftime lead.

Catch up on Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs CSKA Moscow highlights from Round 5 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 22nd October 2020

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade vs CSKA Moscow Highlights - Round 5 - 22nd October, 2020

CSKA pulled away to a double-digit margin behind its defense and 6 points from Hackett and Toko Shengelia, with the latter knocking down a triple. Zvezda needed nearly 4 minutes to score in the third when Loyd drove for a layup. The hosts raised the level of energy and aggressiveness on defense, not allowing any points for the final 5:24 of the quarter. During that span, a triple from Walden and a put-back from Terry helped Zvezda rally to 46-51 going into the final quarter. Hackett ended CSKA's drought with a fastbreak layup, but Loyd drove to the hoop and Hall nailed a triple to get within 51-54. A triple from Duop Reath tied the score at 56-56, but Hackett hit a mid-range jumper and a triple to put CSKA back ahead. Hackett's fourth three-pointer made it 58-64 and after baskets from Jagoda-Kuridza and Loyd, James drove for his first field goal of the night before Hackett's fifth triple got CSKA up 64-70. But the hosts replied with a 7-0 run, as Dejan Davidovac had a triple and a put-back to give Zvezda a 71-70 edge. Hackett answered with a triple, but Loyd sent the game to overtime from the free-throw line.

Clyburn struck first in the extra session, but Taylor Rochestie and Terry connected for back-to-back alley-oop slams before Loyd's three-pointer made it 80-75. James scored 5 points to help tie it at 84-84, but Loyd drove for a layup in a crowd for what turned out to be the game-winning basket. James had two tries to tie it or win for CSKA, but Zvezda prevailed.

### Loyd wins scoring duel

This game featured three top scorers entering this round and Jordan Loyd finished with 31 points to extend his lead atop of the scoring chart with 23.8 points. Mike James scored 9 points to drop his average to 17.6 points and Will Clyburn scored 18 and now averages 19.2 for the season.

### End of a streak

Mike James entered the game with a 30-game streak of scoring in double figures and a streak of making at least one three-pointer in 25 consecutive games. Both of those ended on Thursday night. James came off the bench and did not score a field goal until 3:25 left in regulation. He finished with 9 points, shooting 0-for-4 from long range, but did dish a season-high 8 assists.

### Key record

For the fourth time in club history, Zvezda shot free throws without a miss. Zvezda was 17 for 17 from the free-throw line on the night, which turned out to be crucial in a tight overtime win. Two of those foul shots, by Jordan Loyd, sent the game into overtime with 35 seconds left in regulation.

### Defensive third quarter

CSKA opened the third quarter on a 0-6 run and did not allow a single basket for almost 4 minutes. Then, it was Zvezda that stepped up defensively, not allowing a single field goal over the final 7 and a half minutes of the quarter to cut the deficit with an 11-2 run.

### First impression

Zvezda center Emanuel Terry made his EuroLeague debut in this game and finished with 10 points. After a rough first half when he ended up on the wrong side of a pair of CSKA big plays, Terry came up big in overtime when he had back-to-back alley-oop slams, both assisted by Taylor Rochestie, who played his first game back in a Zvezda uniform.

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Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade came back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to pull out a thrilling 86-84 overtime win over visiting CSKA Moscow on Thursday night in the Serbian capital. 

 Zvezda rallies to stun CSKA in OT

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v CSKA Moscow (2020-10-22T18:45:00.000Z)

It is no secret that more and more Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars are growing beards these days. A lot of players and retired legends who did not sport beards just a few years ago are now proud of them, such as Arturas Milaknis, Juan Carlos Navarro and Fragiskos Alvertis. Others have made beards part of their trademark look, such as Gigi Datome, Vassilis Spanoulis, Sergio Rodriguez and Thomas Walkup, just to mention a few. The last player on that list grew out his beard long before he became a staple in the Zalgiris Kaunas lineup. Walkup started his beard in college when his small school, Stephen F. Austin State University, made it to the NCAA Tournament.

Walkup played for Stephen F. Austin, which calls its sports teams The Lumberjacks. In early November 2015, Walkup stopped shaving and Stephen F. Austin went on a 21-game winning streak, so he decided to let it grow for the rest of the season.

"And ever since then, it's kind of been a little bit of a good luck thing, not a superstition or anything. I just look like a baby with a shaved face," Walkup said. "So I grow it out and it just kind of helps with the grind of the season, I think."

The fact that Stephen F. Austin's teams are The Lumberjacks made his beard an even bigger story. There were many a poster or sign at their games with Walkup's face plastered over a lumberjack body.

"It wasn't just me, but a few of us had beards on the team and we all kind of let them just get out of control and definitely had a lumberjack look to them," he recalled. "It kind of turned into a joke once we got on the national stage." 

"It's kind of been a little bit of a good luck thing." 

Stephen F. Austin reached the NCAA Tournament and defeated heavy favorite West Virginia 70-56 in the first round. All of a sudden, Walkup and his bearded friends were all over the American press. And they didn't just talk about the beards: Walkup finished the game with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. The pressure never got to him as Walkup made 19 of 20 free throws. Afterward, the media spoke about how he changed his game to become an elite point forward, a role he has played in Zalgiris with great success.

"I think just how we won and we had upset West Virginia, so the level of the game maybe made the beard that much more exciting and gave it more notoriety just because the game was so big for us as a small school. The beard and the lumberjack just kind of created this perfect story," he explained.

The team's Cinderella story came to an end in the second round with a 75-76 loss to a University of Notre Dame squad that featured his current Zalgiris teammate Steve Vasturia and Panathinaikos OPAP Athens big man Zach Auguste.

"It was a heartbreaking loss, especially as a small school," Walkup said, "You don't find yourself in the second round of the NCAA Tournament very often. We had a chance to make history there. And I think that's what made it so heartbreaking."

That is the history of Walkup's beard, which has become part of his look and it's a style that he has come to love, even though at times he has toyed with its length.

"I shaved it down at some point. I don't think I was shooting the ball all that great. So I decided to shave it off a little bit... I think I'm just going to let it grow this season, though," he said.

Walkup has taken note of the many other great players in the EuroLeague with beards and even some who don't currently, but he things might look better if they grew one: "Milaknis is my favorite one, because of how full has come in! I'm jealous because mine doesn't grow that full or with that length, you know? So for sure he has my favorite beard in the EuroLeague. Spanoulis definitely has the roughest beard. It grows really high up on his face and really low on his neck. He definitely can grow a thick beard for sure. Sergio Rodriguez also has a good one.

"One of my favorites, though, probably the best one even though he is not in the EuroLeague this year, is Antanas Kavaliauskas. I have to give him a shoutout because he definitely has one of my favorite all-time beards. He was a couple of lockers down from me in the locker room and the guy puts a lot of work into his beard. I mean, a lot of work into his beard: he oils it up and brushes it the whole deal."

His choice as the clean-shaven player who would look best with some facial hair is also a former teammate: "Aaron White should grow out his red beard. He has a little scruff and he should grow out his red beard."

Milaknis and Walkup are joined by Joffrey Lauvergne, Augustine Rubit, Martinas Geben, Lukas Lekavicius and Patricio Garino to make seven Zalgiris players with beards. Paulius Jankunas, however, is always clean-shaven. Walkup admitted that he has tried to convince the team captain to grow a beard, but wasn't able to persuade him. 

"I'm jealous because mine doesn't grow that full or with that length." 

"I know at one point he had a mustache!" Walkup exclaimed. "I have tried to convince him to grow it out a little bit, but he says it doesn't come in great. But I think he has a good face for clean-shaven, for sure. And he doesn't look down on it."

Walkup said that although he makes an effort to shape his beard, he does not fuss over it too much, especially when he and his team are playing well: "If we are winning, you're keeping it, keeping it and letting it go, for sure."

In fact, he was clean-shaven before Zalgiris went on a six-game winning streak to reach the 2019 EuroLeague playoffs. During that streak, Walkup did not shave at all.

"I had it growing the whole time. I was clean-shaven at the start and when we played in Madrid, I had a full one!"

What would it take to get Walkup to go with a clean look all the time? He admitted that if he was struggling and "needed a change or something," he might shave, "but I look like I'm still in high school when I do that, so I try to avoid that," Walkup said. "Generally, if I am playing well, I will wear the same pair of shoes as long as they're still intact. Same socks, undershirt, everything." Walkup wrapped up with a sense of pride that beards have become such a stylish, trendy look: "If you look back 10-15 years ago, nobody really had beards, it was kind of such a rough look. And now, everybody does!"

Zalgiris Kaunas guard Thomas Walkup has sported a beard for nearly five years. In this conversation, he spoke about first growing it out and gave his thoughts on the best beards in the EuroLeague.

Thomas Walkup, Zalgiris: 'Spanoulis definitely has the roughest beard' 

Branko Lazic has long been one of the toughest perimeter defenders on the continent. Persistent and aggressive, with a never-say-die attitude, he has been harassing opposing Turkish Airlines EuroLeague guards for the better part of the last decade.

Though never a go-to, star scorer who puts up points in bunches, Lazic is a fan-favorite for a club that has made a rapid climb up the ranks of European basketball.

At 31 years old, Lazic is already a club legend, and for all the right reasons. Having just embarked on his 10th season with the Serbian powerhouse, Lazic has already set two major records. No player has played more games nor won more trophies in a Crvena Zvezda uniform than him. 

"My entire family supports Zvezda, and so have I since I was a kid." 

That's quite a status to hold in a club that celebrated its 75th birthday earlier this year. And it is quite special for Lazic, who is Zvezda through and through.

"I grew up as a Crvena Zvezda fan," Lazic says. "My entire family supports Zvezda, and so have I since I was a kid. I did have a dream as a boy to play for Zvezda, but to have it reach this point, that could not have been even in my wildest dreams."

Lazic started playing basketball in his western Serbia hometown of Ljubovija and was spotted at age 13 in a youth tournament. He soon came to Belgrade to join FMP Zeleznik, where he played in all the youth categories, including in Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament in 2007, and it is a club where he made his professional debut that same year.

He arrived to Crvena Zvezda ahead of the 2011-12 campaign as a 22-year old, and since has made more than 570 appearances in all competitions, including 143 in the EuroLeague ahead of team's Round 5 clash against CSKA Moscow. Lazic helped Zvezda win 14 trophies, including five Serbian League championships, four Adriatic League crowns and four Serbian Cup titles. 

"As a team captain you set examples, give advice, support, you try to carry and pull the team when it is not going our way." 

The 2013 Serbian Cup is the first trophy he won with Zvezda. In the 2013-14 the club made its EuroLeague debut, then reached the EuroCup semifinals where it lost against UNICS Kazan. The rise had clearly started, and the proud moments just kept happening for the club, and for Lazic.

"Every season carried something special", he says. "The first time we won the Adriatic League, in the 2014-15 season, I remember that game, the night after the game, the day after."

That is also the season Zvezda won a domestic triple crown, including its first Serbian League crown in 15 years. A year later, the climb continued as the team reached the EuroLeague Playoffs, clashing in front of the eyes of the entire basketball world in the best-of-five series against the eventual champion CSKA Moscow. Zvezda gave CSKA quite a battle despite getting swept, and Game 3 of that series took place in one of the world's greatest atmospheres that Belgrade's Stark Arena is famous for.

"In that moment, you do not think about the rest of the world watching, as much as you soak it all in," Lazic said. "That atmosphere, as the gym is filled two hours before the game, and the atmosphere for two hours during the game, and then still after the game ends. That is what is so memorable, what makes a feeling so distinct."

It is a feeling that has currently been put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, but something everyone is surely looking forward to, especially in Belgrade.

"As much as you are focused on the game, you draw the energy from the fans, from the arena, from their support," he added. "That is just an incredible feeling, which no matter how much I try to describe with words, it is impossible to understand until you feel and experience it personally."

However, Lazic learned that the joy of playing for your favorite team can get even bigger and better when he became a team captain in the 2017-18 season. 

"The feeling of responsibility is even bigger," Lazic says. "You represent the team. As a team captain you set examples, give advice, support, you try to carry and pull the team when it is not going our way, all of that. The fact that I am a Zvezda player is a great honor in itself, but also a responsibility and an obligation to do it the right way."

What makes his role even more special is that in Serbia, Lazic is recognized most places he goes.

"The team captain's responsibilities with this club come on and off the court," he says. "Serbia is a basketball country, and more than half of population is Zvezda fans. You have to set an example on the court, but also on the street or in a supermarket. In every single moment, you have to represent your club as a team captain."

In the first season of his captaincy, he broke a record for most games played in Zvezda uniform when he made his 430th appearance in February 2018. Interestingly, Lazic admits having contemplated continuing his career abroad before that season, but he never left Zvezda. The reason for staying, according to Lazic, was quite simple:

"Nothing could be measured with what I have here, and I am not suggesting in a monetary way. This atmosphere in and around the club, a place where they know you, where you feel nice, comfortable, relaxed. Zvezda is where I feel at home." 

"It was a joint effort to get us where we are today... a big family that built this house and raised it on a solid foundation." 

What makes it even more special is the climb he witnessed while wearing red-and-white jersey, from an also-ran Adriatic League club to a regular EuroLeague Playoffs contender whose roster features EuroLeague stars who love to come, and return, to play in Belgrade.

"Since 2011-12, when I first came, nothing was really suggesting that in a short period of time we will reach the heights that we reached. There were problems along the way, but management and us, the players, raised the level from season to season," Lazic said.

"It was a joint effort to get us where we are today, making a name for ourselves in Europe. It is all of us together, a big family that built this house and raised it on solid foundation."

And as much as the club and the fans love Lazic for all he has done for the club, the veteran guard might love Zvezda even more.

"Zvezda means a lot to me. It gave me all the nice moments. All the nice things I lived through in sport, they happened because of this club, because of the people in this club and fans of our club," he says. "There are many great memories that we enjoyed together in the past 10 years. As the song goes, Zvezda is everything to me, Zvezda is my life."

Team captain Branko Lazic, who has played more games and won more trophies with Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade than anyone else, has entered his 10th season with the club that he helped climb to where it pridefully sits today.

Branko Lazic, Crvena Zvezda: 'Zvezda is my life'

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz protected its home court, racing away in the second half to down visiting Khimki Moscow Region 77-60 at Fernando Buesa Arena on Friday night. 

Polonara shines, Baskonia downs Khimki

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz protected its home court, racing away in the second half to down visiting Khimki Moscow Region 77-60 at Fernando Buesa Arena on Friday night. Baskonia improved to 2-1, while Khimki dropped to 0-4. The teams traded blows in the first half, before Achille Polonara and Luca Vildoza put Baskonia up for good early in the third quarter, and the hosts closed out the game with a 15-4 run. Polonara shined with a career performance of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals, while Rokas Giedraitis also scored 20 points and had 4 steals. Vildoza scored 15 in the winning effort. Vyacheslav Zaytsev led Khimki with an all-round performance, collecting 17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Devin Booker had 16 points plus 12 rebounds, and Jonas Jerebko had 12 points and 9 rebounds playing all 40 minutes in a defeat.


Sergey Karasev and Egor Vialtsev both hit early three-pointers for the visitors, but Polonara go the hosts going before a transition triple from Giedraitis made it 15-14. A pair of baskets from Booker at the end of the first quarter made it 15-18, but Giedraitis and Polonara hit back-to-back threes at the start of the second. The teams exchanged blows and traded leads, with Zaytsev pulling the strings and Booker scoring more for the visitors, before Polonara nailed another triple for Baskonia. Tonye Jekiri helped the hosts open a 33-26 lead, but Zaytsev fueled a 0-10 run, hitting a triple himself and setting up Dairis Bertans for a corner three, to help Khimki take a 35-36 advantage into halftime. 

Catch up on TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Khimki Moscow Region highlights from Round 4 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 16th October 2020

TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs Khimki Moscow Region Highlights - Round 4 - 16th October, 2020

Baskonia stepped up on defense in the third quarter, while Vildoza and Giedraitis took it to the rim to open a 43-38 edge. Jerebko knocked down a triple, but Vildoza sparked a 7-0 run, capping it with a triple to make it 50-43. Bertans drove to the rim to snap the hosts' run, but Polonara's fastbreak dunk made it 54-47 after 30 minutes. Zaytsev hit a three-pointer early in the fourth, but Zoran Dragic scored on a fast break, Jekiri dunked and Polonara tipped in to open a 52-43 lead with 6 minutes left. Jerebko hit a corner three, but Vildoza answered right back with back-to-back three-pointers, and Dragic hit a step-back triple to make it 73-58 in the penultimate minute, sealing the deal.

### Career performance

Achille Polonara entered the game having never scored more than 10 points in a EuroLeague contest. He had 14 in the first quarter, and finished with 20 points, double his previous career-high. Polonara made 7 of 12 two-pointers, and 2 of 4 threes. He pulled down 10 rebounds for his first double-double, tied another career-best with 6 offensive boards, and set more new career-highs with 4 steals and 27 PIR.

### Second-half defense

Baskonia visibly stepped up on defense at the start of the second half. After Khimki went 10-for-14 for two-pointers in the first two quarters, the hosts held them to 6-for-20 in the second half. Baskonia also forced 21 turnovers in this game.

### Zaytsev shines again

Vyacheslav Zaytsev was the main reason Khimki stayed in striking range for so long. He scored 17 points, dished 8 assists, had a career high 6 rebounds, and also delivered on the defensive ends with 2 blocks and steals apiece. His PIR 26 also tied his career-high. And that came just two days after he set a career high in scoring with 26 points in Wednesday’s loss at Real Madrid.

### Depleted Khimki

Khimki arrived at Baskonia with only 10 players, and coach Kurtinaitis could not use team captain Sergey Monia who got hurt during the warm up. On the other side, Alec Peters remained on Baskonia bench the entire game after picking up an ankle injury during a warm up.

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TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz protected its home court, racing away in the second half to down visiting Khimki Moscow Region 77-60 at Fernando Buesa Arena on Friday night. 


TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Khimki Moscow Region (2020-10-16T19:00:00.000Z)

AX Armani Exchange Milan stayed undefeated at home by downing Real Madrid 78-70 at Mediolanum Forum on Friday.

Rodriguez's career night lifts Milan past Real

AX Armani Exchange Milan stayed undefeated at home by downing Real Madrid 78-70 at Mediolanum Forum on Friday. Milan improved to 3-1 and broke a 14-game losing streak against Real, which dropped to 1-3. Sergio Rodriguez led the winners with 25 points, and Shavon Shields added 19. Trey Thompkins led Real with 15 points. Alberto Abalde scored 14, while Usman Garuba pulled down 11 rebounds for the guests. Real led by double digits at half-time and later used a 0-8 run to get within 66-65 in the final quarter, but Shields and Riccardo Moraschini both struck from downtown in crunch time, allowing Milan to successfully defend its home court.

Carlos Alocen got Real going with a mid-range jumper and Abalde added a three-pointer. Kyle Hines stepped up with a jumper and Malcolm Delaney followed that with a driving layup, but Abalde struck twice from downtown for a 4-11 Real lead. Rodriguez downed a stop-and-pop jumper and fed Moraschini for a dunk, but Thompkins downed back-to-back triples before a buzzer-beating layup by Kaleb Tarczewski fixed the score at 10-19 after 10 minutes. Sergio Llull followed a corner triple with a layup but Tarczewski dunked twice and Luigi Datome scored down low to make it 18-24. Thompkins buried a turnaround jumper and Walter Tavares added an alley-oop slam, before Jeffery Taylor improved Rodriguez's layup with a triple. Shields downed a jumper but Thompkins and Taylor got help from Nico Laprovittola to make the hosts call timeout at 24-38. Datome and Shields tried to change things for Milan and Rodriguez buried one from way downtown to bring Milan closer, 31-42, at halftime. 

Catch up on AX Armani Exchange Milan vs Real Madrid highlights from Round 4 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 16th October 2020

AX Armani Exchange Milan vs Real Madrid Highlights - Round 4 - 16th October, 2020

Hines scored down low right after the break, Shields nailed a triple and Rodriguez capped a 7-0 run with a reverse layup, before Facu Campazzo stepped up with a jumper. Moraschini and Abalde traded baskets and Rodriguez got the hosts within 44-46. Abalde scored again but a red-hot Rodriguez struck twice from beyond the arc to complete Milan's comeback, 50-49. Taylor and Laprovittola answered from downtown but Roll and Rodriguez kept their team as close as 54-55 after 30 minutes. Shields took over with a three-point play early in the fourth quarter, before Datome buried consecutive turnaround jumpers to make it 62-55 after a 10-0 run. Thompkins scored around the basket but an unstoppable Shields boosted his team's lead to 66-57. Thompkins and Campazzo fought back with consecutive triples, then Gabriel Deck dunked for a 66-65 Real deficit, after a 0-8 run. Rodriguez and Shields quickly answered, extending Milan's lead to 71-67, and Moraschini sealed the outcome with a corner triple.

### Pivotal performer

Sergio Rodriguez had to take extra responsibility against his former team after Malcolm Delaney left the game in the first quarter due to injury. He not disappoint anyone, finishing with 25 points on 4-of-5 two-pointers, 3-of-6 three-pointers and 8-of-8 free throws. He added 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 8 fouls drawn for a PIR of 37 – a new career-high!

### Game-changing moment

A three-pointer by Nico Laprovittola gave Real its last lead, 52-55, late in the third quarter. Then Michael Roll beat the third quarter buzzer with a jumper and right after that, Shields got a three-point play and Luigi Datome buried identical consecutive turnaround jumpers in a 10-0 run that gave Milan the lead for good. Three minutes of good defense and excellent offense allowed Milan to shift the game's momentum.

### Stellar stats

Milan limited its turnovers to just 8 and Real had almost twice as many, 15. Milan shot much better inside the arc, hitting 22-of-45 two-point shots (48.9%). Real only made 11-of-27 two-point shots (40.7%).

### Did you know?

Sergio Llull became the seventh player to reach 3,000 points in EuroLeague history. He entered the game with 2,997 points and buried a corner triple early in the second quarter to reach that milestone. Llull joins a club that already includes Vassilis Spanoulis, Juan Carlos Navarro, Georgios Printezis, Nando De Colo, Paulius Jankunas and longtime teammate Felipe Reyes.

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AX Armani Exchange Milan stayed undefeated at home by downing Real Madrid 78-70 at Mediolanum Forum on Friday.


AX Armani Exchange Milan v Real Madrid (2020-10-16T18:45:00.000Z)

Aaron Harrison hit a long three-pointer at the buzzer to give Olympiacos Piraeus a thrilling 85-82 victory at home over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv for its third straight win. 

Olympiacos get Harrison heroics to defeat Maccabi

Aaron Harrison hit a long three-pointer at the buzzer to give Olympiacos Piraeus a thrilling 85-82 victory at home over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv for its third straight win. Harrison’s heroics came after Scottie Wilbekin’s three-pointer had tied the game with 7.6 seconds remaining. Harrison finished with 12 points and 3 assists with Hassan Martin collecting 16 points and 8 rebounds to lead Olympiacos, which improved to 3-1. Sasha Vezenkov chipped in 14 points and Vassilis Spanoulis scored 11 for the winners. Wilbekin led all scorers with 18 points while Othello Hunter picked up 15 points and 7 rebounds for Maccabi, which dropped to 1-3 after three consecutive losses. Elijah Bryant and Chris Jones both had 12 points in the loss and Oz Blayzer pitched in 10 points.


Neither team scored in the first 2 minutes until Octavius Ellis’ dunk for the hosts. Vezenkov and Kostas Papanikolaou followed with three-pointers, but Maccabi then kept Olympiacos scoreless for 3 minutes and Blayzer hit back-to-back triples in a 0-10 run to move Maccabi ahead, 8-14. Ellis answered with two scores while Tyler Dorsey picked up the final four points of the quarter and Maccabi led 15-22 after 10 minutes. Spanoulis got on the scoreboard with a three-pointer to open the second quarter and start a 9-2 spurt to even the game 24-24. Hunter was one of the few weapons working for Maccabi with two inside scores, but Spanoulis responded with a layup and an assist on a Charles Jenkins triple as Olympiacos built its biggest lead, 31-26. The gap was 38-31 after a three-pointer from Georgios Printezis and the hosts were leading 44-40 at the break.

Catch up on Olympiacos Piraeus vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv highlights from Round 4 of the 2020/21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, 16th October 2020

Olympiacos Piraeus vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv Highlights - Round 4 - 16th October, 2020

Olympiacos moved the ball well early in the second half and Vezenkov was the beneficiary twice with three-pointers for a 54-44 advantage. Maccabi got triples from Jones and Angelo Caloiaro, and Hunter trimmed the gap to 61-58. Martin was too much inside for Maccabi with two baskets, and a Kostas Sloukas three-pointer was matched by Jones’ next triple at the buzzer, and Olympiacos led just 69-66 after 30 minutes. Maccabi maintained the momentum with Wilbekin hitting four points, and Blayzer’s free throw put the guests up 71-72. After the lead switched hands twice, Spanoulis snapped a two-minute scoreless stretch with a layup as Olympiacos nosed ahead, 75-74. Wilbekin and Vezenkov swapped triples after which the latter hit free throws and Spanoulis converted another layup to make it 82-79. Blayzer missed from deep but Maccabi grabbed the offensive rebound and Jones was sent to the line with 11.2 seconds left. He missed both but Caloiaro corralled the rebound and passed out to Wilbekin, who sank a long three-pointer to tie the game 82-82 with 7.6 seconds to play. After Maccabi committed a foul, Olympiacos had the final shot and Harrison drained a long three-pointer over Bryant at the buzzer for the victory.

### Olympiacos ends Maccabi streak

With the win, Olympiacos evened its record against Maccabi since 2000 at 11-11. It also snapped Maccabi’s three-game winning streak in this matchup.

### Pivotal performer

Aaron Harrison was the hero at the end but Sasha Vezenkov had an outstanding game. He drained 4 three-pointers in scoring 14 points to go with 6 rebounds in 22 minutes of action. Vezenkov stepped up late with a three-pointer, 2 free throws and an offensive rebound in the final 3 minutes.

### Telling numbers

Olympiacos’ bench players outscored Maccabi’s 50-31, and Olympiacos scored 17 points off 14 Maccabi turnovers compared to 9 Maccabi points off 10 Olympiacos turnovers.

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Aaron Harrison hit a long three-pointer at the buzzer to give Olympiacos Piraeus a thrilling 85-82 victory at home over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv for its third straight win. 


Olympiacos Piraeus v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2020-10-16T18:00:00.000Z)