The first two-round week of 2025 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague takes flight on Tuesday, with Round 21 delivering a series of crucial clashes in the race for the playoffs. This is what we can look forward to.

Round 21 at a glance: January's two-round week is here

The first two-round week of 2025 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague takes flight on Tuesday, with Round 21 delivering a series of crucial clashes in the race for the playoffs. This is what we can look forward to.

## Tuesday, January 14

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:00 CET)

A pair of direct rivals just outside the top 10 will attempt to boost their playoff hopes as ASVEL (9-11) hosts Partizan (9-11). The French team again showed its quality by winning at Efes last time out and the brilliance of [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) (18.6 points and 4.4 assists per night) is continuing to give freedom to veteran [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/), who has double-digit PIRs in six straight games. Partizan has blown hot and cold in recent games but has been boosted by the return of [Iffe Lundberg](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/iffe-lundberg/010781/), with the Danish guard combining 16 points with 7 boards in last week’s loss at Panathinaikos. [ASVEL triumphed 79-82](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-stuns-partizan-for-first-road-win-79-82/) when the teams met in Belgrade in December behind 21 points from Maledon, so it will look to wrap up a head-to-head advantage on Tuesday.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: De Colo vs. Lundberg

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CET)

High-flying Olympiacos (14-6) will attempt to protect its position as league leader with a trip to inconsistent Baskonia (8-12). The hosts need to flip the script after losing three of its last four, while the Reds are aiming for a sixth straight win. Somehow stopping [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) will be a priority for Baskonia after the 2022-23 MVP recorded a remarkable 45 points in last week’s rout of Bayern, but that game also showed that Olympiacos is much more than a one-man team with seven different players registering double-digit PIRs. Pablo Laso’s injury-hit team will hope to receive more inspiration from forward [Nikos Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/), who has hit his best form of the season and recorded a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) in last week’s loss at Virtus.

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. ALBA Berlin (20:30 CET)

Surging Milan (11-9) will attempt to strengthen its position in the top 10 with a visit from an ALBA (3-17), which is looking for its first win of 2025. The German team gained a rare victory when the teams last met, triumphing [105-101 in an overtime thriller](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/undermanned-alba-showed-incredible-fight-to-beat-milan-in-ot-105-101/) behind 28 points from [Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/) in Round 9. So Ettore Messina’s men will look to regain the defensive strength that has been evident in its last two games, holding Maccabi and ASVEL to just 74 and 66 points respectively. The impressive Round 20 win over Maccabi was also an offensive masterclass, delivering a season-high 107 points behind [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) making a highly promising full return to form with 18 points.

### Paris Basketball vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)

In a vital showdown, faltering Paris (11-8) will be desperate to end its five-game losing streak with a visit from an Efes team (10-10) also looking to recover winning ways. Last week’s loss at Zvezda, 85-69, was another sign that opponents have worked out how to defend against Paris, which converted only 34.7% of field goals and dished just 10 assists. The inside power of [Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/), who had 13 points and 7 rebounds, could help to establish a physical edge against an Efes team that has lost three in a row. The Turkish team is struggling offensively with an average of just 75.7 points over those defeats and will ask [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) (9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game) to meet the threat of Hayes.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Hayes vs. Poirier

### Real Madrid vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:45 CET)

Red-hot Real (11-9) will look to keep on climbing the standings with a visit from struggling Maccabi (5-15). The Spanish team fell against Maccabi earlier this season, with the now-departed Saben Lee providing 19 points in [a 79-78 thriller in October](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/lee-lifts-maccabi-past-real-79-78/). But Real has significantly improved since then and is chasing a sixth straight win, with last week’s 64-83 triumph at Zalgiris showing that Chus Mateo’s men are finding their best at both ends of the floor. [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) is an early MVP of the month candidate with an average of 15.2 points during his team’s winning run, and Maccabi needs [Roman Sorkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/roman-sorkin/011219/) to stay hot after netting at least 16 points in four of the last five games.

## Wednesday, January 15

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (19:00 CET)

After losing four in a row, Zalgiris (10-10) will target a return to winning ways against fast-improving Virtus (6-14). The Lithuanian team’s offensive struggles were highly evident in last week’s loss to Real Madrid, when only [Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/) (17 points) scored in double digits, and Coach Andrea Trinchieri needs to instill more fluidity in a team that could only net 19 field goals in that game. The possible absence of [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) through injury is another challenge against a Virtus team that has claimed half of its wins for the season in the last four games. The Italian team will attempt to exploit Zalgiris’s frailties through the scoring power of [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/), who's averaged 12.3 points across those three victories.

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:00 CET)

A major showdown is guaranteed as fifth meets fourth with in-form Zvezda (12-8) receiving a visit from Fenerbahce (12-7). Both teams are in good form, with Zvezda looking for a fifth straight win while the Turkish team has taken two in a row. Ioannis Sfairopoulos has already overcome Saras Jasikevicius this season, rolling to a 57-76 road victory in October behind a double-double from the outstanding [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) (18 points, 11 boards). He will be a major factor in this game after grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds in last week’s win over Paris, so Fenerbahce needs another big game from [Sertac Sanli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sertac-sanli/002968/) after he netted 18 points against ALBA last time out. Fener has won just one of its last four on the road, so it will need nerves of steel in an electric atmosphere.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Giedraitis vs. Hayes-Davis

### FC Bayern Munich vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)

Two teams targeting a return to winning ways go head to head with Bayern (11-9) welcoming Monaco (13-7). Bayern coach Gordie Herbert labeled last week’s performance in the pummeling at Olympiacos as “embarrassing” and will be looking for a major reaction as his team looks to end a three-game losing streak. The long-range shooting of [Andreas Obst](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andreas-obst/004508/) (2.7 triples per night) will be answered by Monaco’s [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/), who has hit multiple three-pointers in five consecutive games. But visiting Coach Vassilis Spanoulis will focus his attention on the defensive end after being frustrated by a below-par defense in last week’s 84-98 home loss to Barcelona, and this could be a physical grind between two teams determined to show more fight than in last week’s losses.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Napier vs. Strazel

### FC Barcelona vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CET)

Expect a big-time battle between historic rivals as fast-rising Barcelona (11-9) welcomes a red-hot Panathinaikos team (13-7) aiming for a sixth straight win. The reigning champs brushed aside injury problems to down Partizan last week, with excellence from the backcourt pairing of [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) (14 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists) and league-leading scorer [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) (25 points). Barca also delivered a strong performance to win on the road at Monaco behind a career-high 27 points from [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/), and Blaugrana coach Joan Penarroya will be confident that his players can find the defensive answers to slow down a Green machine that has blasted at least 96 points in four of the last five games. The Round 13 meeting between the teams was a 90-89 thriller taken by Panathinaikos; expect a similarly close finale on Wednesday.

Round 21 Head-to-Head: Brizuela vs. Nunn

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2025-01-14T19:00:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-01-14T19:30:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v ALBA Berlin (2025-01-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2025-01-14T19:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2025-01-14T19:45:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2025-01-15T18:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich v AS Monaco (2025-01-15T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-01-15T19:30:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2025-01-15T19:00:00.000Z)

Being able to score when the shot clock is winding down can make a world of difference in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Stats review: Finding success late in the shot clock

Round 20 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague saw [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) climb back above the playoff cut line with a road victory over an [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) team that was on top of the standings coming into the week. Building, losing, and regaining a 14-point lead that proved to be the final margin, it was likely the most impressive single-game effort of the season for coach [Joan Penarroya](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/penarroya-joan/?season=E2024)’s team as they look to bounce back from a 2-7 stretch to close 2024 and return to the Final Four after their streak of consecutive appearances was broken a year ago.

While there were several bright spots for Barca, the team's execution late in the shot clock was key to its ability to get separation from one of this season’s most dangerous offensive teams. The team scored 20 points over only 12 possessions with the clock winding down. Synergy defines short clock opportunities as any possession occurring with 4 seconds or less on the shot or game clock. Those possessions make up around 20% of all EuroLeague plays with teams typically falling with 15% and 25% depending on how consistently they grind the clock with a few outliers on both ends of the spectrum.

There is not as much variance in the frequency with which teams operate late in the clock as there is in the efficiency they score with when they do. On average teams score 0.84 points per short-clock possession — well behind the 0.98 average for half-court possessions that has contributed to this season’s near-record overall offensive efficiency numbers. With six teams scoring less than 0.80 points per late-clock possession, the challenges of making something out of nothing under time pressure is very real, and, at this level, tends to play out as more dribbling, fewer fouls, and an elevated percentage of rushed perimeter shots or contested attempts inside the arc.

As the table above shows, Barca has done a better job than anyone scoring late in the clock this season, edging Monaco by a fraction of a point.  While it might seem cliché, Barca does a good job staying cool under pressure. On the floor, that shows most often in the way it routinely makes the extra pass along the perimeter with only a few seconds on the clock — Barca rarely overthinks those swing passes.  The players also do not show much panic with the ball, picking matchups in some late-clock situations and rarely looking sped up doing so. The presence of [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) has helped with that; his efficiency hasn’t budged under pressure as he ranks among the league’s top-10 short-clock scorers, but Barca has gotten contributions from all over en route to the top spot here.

The same can be said for Monaco, which not only ranks near the top of the EuroLeague offensively with time running down, but defensively as well. Though that is somewhat unsurprising given its rise to the top of the standings this season, the route there might be. One would assume [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), who has routinely ranked among the most productive late-clock scorers in recent history, is lifting the club in those spots, but he ranks only fourth on the team in short-clock points this year as [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/), [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/), and [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) have all thrived to make Monaco so tough to stop under duress.

This season’s individual late clock scoring leader is [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) who not only has been prolific, but scored a tremendous 1.20 points per possession to help guide [LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne/asv/) to its lofty placement.  His ability to get downhill in a pinch to draw fouls stands out even more under time pressure.

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/) has operated late in the clock more than any team in the EuroLeague with 25% of their possessions coming under such circumstances while [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/) ranks on the other end of the spectrum at just 16%.  [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) has been the most efficient defensive unit with the shot clock under 4 seconds, but [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) has been perhaps the most impactful unit forcing teams to operate deep into the shot clock a top-ranked 27.5% of the time.

While it represents just a small slice of the game, poise under time pressure is one of a number of little things teams rely on to win on the margins in the EuroLeague.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul strengthened its backcourt for the final part of the 2024-25 season with the addition of guard PJ Dozier who returns to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after making his debut last season playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

Efes adds PJ Dozier to its backcourt mix

Anadolu Efes Istanbul strengthened its backcourt with the addition of guard [PJ Dozier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/perry-dozier-jr/012742/), the club announced on Sunday. Dozier (1.98 meters, 28 years old) returns to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after making his debut last season playing for Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. He now and joins a team that made a coaching change last week when it [appointed Luca Banchi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-appoints-luca-banchi-as-head-coach/) as its head coach.

Dozier averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals last season in the EuroLeague with Partizan, starting in 22 of the 33 games he played. One of his best games came [against Efes in Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/87/#boxscore), when he posted 21 points on 4-for-7 three-point shooting, 5 assists and 3 steals.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">✍️ Başarılı oyuncu P.J. Dozier ile sezon sonuna kadar sözleşme imzaladık! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/ayqgdWib08">pic.twitter.com/ayqgdWib08</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1878480931192742308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Dozier last played with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA and made nine appearances in limited minutes this season. He totaled 7 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes with Minnesota. 

After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Dozier started his professional career with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. He later played for the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings. Over seven seasons, Dozier racked up 145 NBA appearances despite injury problems, including an ACL injury suffered in December 2021. Well-know as a defensive specialist, Dozier has career averages of 5.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the NBA. During his career, he also played for Oklahoma City Blue, Maine Red Claws, Windy City Bulls and Iowa Wolves in the G-League.

More Anadolu Efes Istanbul news

Walter Tavares had an off night but that didn't slow Real's defense 


Real shows full defensive strength in Kaunas

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) arrived to Kaunas in good momentum and faced the last opponent that beat *Los Blancos* in the competition, [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/?season=2024-25), which registered [an 83-92 victory at Movistar Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-overpowers-real-in-madrid-83-92/) in Round 15. Zalgiris was able to do something very important to hamper Real's defense: put [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) into foul trouble.

Tavares was limited to less than 11 minutes on the floor, finishing with 2 points, 3 rebounds, no blocks and 4 fouls. Real turned this problem into an opportunity, as [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/serge-ibaka/003583/), [Eli Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/eli-ndiaye/009213/) and [Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/) all stepped up, seeing minutes at center and making sure Real lived up to the same defensive standards as when Tavares dominates the paint to get a good-as-gold [64-83 road win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-defense-pounds-zalgiris-into-submission-64-83/) at Zalgirio Arena.

Ibaka and Garuba each had a bigger impact on the game that what stats show, fighting for every loose ball, getting deflections and making life impossible for Zalgiris's big men [Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/), [Laurynas Birutis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/laurynas-birutis/005504/) and [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/). Ibaka finished the game with 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 fouls. He scored 9 of those points in a second quarter in which Real entered trailing 26-15 and finished leading 34-35. 

Serge Ibaka, Eli Ndiaye and Usman Garuba lead Real Madrid's defense at Zalgirio Arena and contributed on offense, too.

Ibaka, Ndiaye, Garuba make things happen in Kaunas

Garuba added 4 points and 2 rebounds. Even though Garuba, Tavares and Ibaka combined for 13 fouls committed, Real still went to the foul line more times (26) than Zalgiris (22), which says plenty about its overall intensity and rhythm. Ndiaye excelled in many aspects of the game, finishing the game with 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals for a PIR of 16, which matched his career-high, in less than 14 minutes. 

Smailagic scored 7 of his 9 points for Zalgiris in the final 7 minutes, when his team trailed 46-68. Dunston and Birutis combined for 6 points and 1 rebounds as Real ended up outrebounding Zalgiris by 31-40. 

"Congratulations to Real. We were not able to play anything on offense. When at this level, you are not able to get open, it is very difficult to play," Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trincheri said. "We were very slow, and then we lost confidence, and they were better. They deserved to win."

Game Videos

After a good first quarter in which Zalgiris made 6 of 11 three-pointers and led 10-7 in rebounds, Real improved its defense and went on to dominate the game. In the last three quarters, Zalgiris was limited to 34 points on 9-of-21 two-point shooting (42.9% 2FG), 2-of-17 three-point shooting (11.8% 3FG) and 11 turnovers. The hosts missed [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/), who played less than 3 minutes due to a sprained ankle. All that allowed Real to seal the outcome and the potential tie-break advantage long before the final buzzer.

"We played very good defense after the first half, and we knew how to control the game. If we are defending their three-pointers and control the rebounds, these are key points against this team," Real head coach Chus Mateo said. "Once we start to play defense, we could run. Once we got the advantage we were able to read the game really well and control it until the end."

It is bad news for the rest of the competition; even without Tavares, Real shined on defense thanks to Garuba, Ibaka and Ndiaye. That is a frontline that could pay dividends in crunch time this season.

Game News

Real Madrid showed full defensive strength in Kaunas

Zalgiris Kaunas v Real Madrid (2025-01-10T18:00:00.000Z)

EuroLeague top photos of the week

Marko Guduric of Fenerbahce drives past ALBA's Tim Schneider

Vincent Poirier of Efes rejects ASVEL's Melvin Ajinca at the rim

Andrejs Grazulis of Virtus dunks on Baskonia's Chima Moneke

Jaylen Hoard of Maccabi tries to shoot over Milan's Freddie Gillespie

Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos looks to pass against Partizan

Kevarrius Hayes of Paris emotes after dunking against Crvena Zvezda

Filip Petrusev of Crvena Zvezda faces off against Paris's T.J. Shorts

Luka Samanic of Baskonia puts Virtus's Isaia Cordinier on a poster

Lonnie Walker of Zalgiris collides with Real Madrid's Facu Campazzo 

Dario Brizuela of Barcelona completes a reverse layup despite the defense of Monaco's Georgios Papagiannis

Look back at all the action from Round 20 of the regular season by checking out the best photos of the week!

Top 10 photos of the week: Round 20

A record-breaking performance in a big home win allowed Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus to earn Round 20 MVP honors with a PIR of 52 – the highest PIR of any player this season and the sixth highest all-time. 

Round 20 MVP: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

A record-breaking performance in a big home win allowed [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos Piraeus to earn Round 20 MVP honors with a PIR of 52 – the highest PIR of any player this season and the sixth highest all-time. 

Vezenkov had a near-perfect performance to lead Olympiacos to a 112-69 home victory over FC Bayern Munich. He finished the game with a career-best 45 points, the third-best scoring mark in competition history. Nigel Hayes-Davis leads the all-time list with 50 points against ALBA Berlin in 2024, and Shane Larkin had 49 against Bayern in 2019. Vezenkov hit 10-of-10 two-pointers, 8-of-10 three-pointers and 1-of-1 free throws. He added 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 foul drawn. His PIR of 52 is the sixth-best figure in competition history. Tanoka Beard leads the board with a PIR of 63, followed by Jaka Lakovic and the late Dejan Milojevic with 55 each. Marko Popovic (54) and Larkin (53) are ahead of Vezenkov in this list. He has earned MVP of the Round honors for the 13th time in his career, ranking third in this list only behind Larkin (17 times) and Nando De Colo (16). It is his fourth MVP of the Round honor this season.

[Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens amassed a PIR of 33 in his team's 96-84 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. Grant finished that game with 14 points on 5-of-5 two-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls drawn. [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) reached a PIR of 26 in leading EA7 Emporio Armani Milan to a 74-107 road win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. In 19 minutes, LeDay had 17 points on 5-of-5 two-pointers and 7-of-7 free throws, 3 assists, 2 steals and 6 fouls drawn. [Dario Brizuela](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dario-brizuela/009992/) of FC Barcelona and [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, each with a PIR of 25, complete the list of the best individual performances in Round 20. Brizuela paced Barcelona in an 84-98 win at AS Monaco with 27 points on 6-of-8 three-point shooting, along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists, while Bolomboy led Zvezda in an 85-69 win over Paris Basketball with 8 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks.

### Individual highs: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos, 45 points

Sasha Vezenkov led all scorers in Round 20 with 45 points – a new career high and an Olympiacos record, beating the 36 points Marque Perry scored in an 89-83 win over Cibona Zagreb on January 6, 2005. [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) of Panathinaikos is the competition's top scorer with 21.2 points per game.

Crvena Zvezda’s Joel Bolomboy pulled down 15 rebounds, the most in this round. [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real Madrid leads the rankings with 7.9 rebounds per game, as Bolomboy (9.0 rpg.) does not qualify having appeared in nine out of 20 games this season due to injury.

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) of Monaco and Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos each dished 8 assists, more than anyone else in Round 20. [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ranks first overall with 7.8 assists per night.

Olympiacos’s [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) collected a round-high 5 steals against Bayern. [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) of Bayern ranks first overall (1.61 spg.), slightly ahead of Monaco’s [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alpha-diallo/011226/) (1.57 spg.).

[Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) of Monaco had 4 blocks to lead this round's standings. He is also first overall, averaging 1.4 blocks per contest.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz’s [Nikos Rogkavopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikolaos-rogkavopoulos/011085/) (13 points and 10 rebounds) was the only player to record a double-double in Round 20.

A memorable performance by the Reds' forward.

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 20th winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Panagiwths Avdelas beat everyone else in Round 20 with his team 'tameio BC', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 263.75.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 20 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our 20th winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Panagiwths Avdelas beat everyone else in Round 20 with his team 'tameio BC', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 263.75.

Panagiwths had the following starting lineup: Olympiacos Piraeus's Sasha Vezenkov as team captain, then Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Nigel Hayes-Davis and Marko Guduric of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, as well as Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet. His sixth man was Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos. On the bench, Panagiwths had Sertac Sanli of Fenerbahce, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis of Panathinaikos, Dario Brizuela of FC Barcelona and Nikos Rogkavopoulos of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. His team's head coach was EA7 Emporio Armani Milan play-caller Ettore Messina.

The prize for finishing first in Round 20 is a free VIP Euroleague TV subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Panagiwths!

Marko Djukic and his team 'Kughat' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 3,482.49points.

Trades are now open for Round 21. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 21 tips off on Tuesday, January 14, as LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne hosts Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade at 20:00 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

Virtus Bologna showed more depth than some expected in Round 20 against Baskonia as Matt Morgan, Achille Polonara and Andrejs Grazulis stepped up to help overcome injuries to some of the team’s top stars.

Unexpected trio stepped up to help Virtus against Baskonia

[Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) showed more depth than some expected in Round 20 as [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/), [Achille Polonara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/achille-polonara/002084/) and [Andrejs Grazulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/andrejs-grazulis/005738/) stepped up to help overcome injuries to some of the team’s top stars.

The trio combined for 45 points in [an important 76-74 home win over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-wins-another-thriller-over-baskonia-prevails-76-74-at-home/) – a victory Virtus managed without injured superstars [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/), [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) and [Ante Zizic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ante-zizic/004554/).

“We are a resilient team, no matter who is in the lineup, who is on the court. We’re going to fight until the very end,” Morgan told EuroLeague TV afterward. “That’s the identity that we started to build and create for ourselves. We just have to keep doing that for the rest of the season. And good things will happen.”

The EuroLeague rookie poured in 17 points to tie his career high from Round 6 against FC Bayern Munich and set a new personal-best PIR of 21. Morgan came into the game averaging just 7.0 points, yet he scored 10 of those points in the third quarter when Virtus built a 15-point lead. That came after some advice from the injured Clyburn.

“He means a lot to me because he said to me at halftime I need to be more aggressive so in the third quarter I came out and did that,” said Morgan. “All my teammates have confidence in me to be myself. I did that in the third quarter and was able to get us a little bit of a lead.”

Polonara knocked down 3 three-pointers en route to 15 points. The Italian veteran has shown this season that he can still produce with 13 points against Bayern in Round 6 and 17 points in Round 18 against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. But in the other 17 games, Polonara had totaled just 47 points for an average of 4.1 points.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Tutto quello che abbiamo. <a href="https://t.co/xMX0I9Spik">pic.twitter.com/xMX0I9Spik</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1877848533874737640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Grazulis, meanwhile, scored a total of 23 points in his first nine games of the season. The Latvian did pick up 12 points in the last round and then he scored 13 points against Baskonia – 10.5 points more than his average.

“That was a contribution of everybody today. We struggled with the roster a little bit – a lot of injuries but we stayed together. Today is the reward for a pretty good week of work,” said [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/), who tallied 16 points as one of Virtus’s few healthy leaders. “Winning today was really important and that is the way we need to play the rest of the season.”

Even if that means with big contributions from unexpected heroes.

Matt Morgan, Achille Polonara and Andrejs Grazulis combined for 45 points to overcome injury crisis

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2025-01-10T19:45:00.000Z)

KK Crvena zvezda has already surpassed last season's win tally after notching its fourth straight victory with an 85-69 triumph over Paris Basketball, giving the Serbians hope of making the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Crvena Zvezda showed once more that it means business this season 

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) boosted its hopes of getting into the business end of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season after [an 85-69 home win over the competition’s debutant Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/dominant-crvena-zvezda-subdues-paris-85-69/) lifted the Serbian team to 12-8 and kept it firmly in the postseason picture.

A fourth successive victory means that Zvezda has already surpassed last term’s 11-23 record with 14 rounds left in the regular season, suggesting the Serbian team could emerge as dark horses this time round with a genuine chance of making an impact in the knockout stages.

Against Paris, player of the game [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) embodied Zvezda’s newfound fighting spirit as he racked up 8 points and a staggering 15 boards, as the home team totaled 43 rebounds in a textbook defensive performance which stifled out Paris.

Apart from being trampled in the paint as they were undone by their own high-octane start, the visitors were reduced to 7 of 30 from deep and had nothing left in the tank down the stretch after racing into an early 0-9 lead. Zvezda sank 10 of 21 from downtown and restricted Paris to just 10 assists, giving the visiting team’s dynamo [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) preciously little room to operate.

“It was a tough start but we hung in there and we fought. This win took everybody,” Bolomboy said in his postgame comments. “A really good team effort by everyone as we were focused defensively. We’re in a good position but we are going to take it one game at a time as we still have a lot of room for improvement,” he added.

Head coach [Ioannis Sfairopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/sfairopoulos-ioannis/?season=E2024) echoed Bolomboy’s views, having warned his men against complacency after praising them for a blistering display which kept Zvezda’s fervent fans on their feet throughout the pulsating contest in the Belgrade Arena.

“Good defense was key to winning the game,” the Greek tactician told reporters at the postgame press conference. “We were not good tactically in the first quarter as we got caught by their rhythm, but once we calmed down we were able to turn things around. We must stay humble and keep working hard, taking it one game at a time.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ru" dir="ltr">Идемооооооооо 🔥🔥🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/sjgH35y95E">pic.twitter.com/sjgH35y95E</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1877826276876026052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Paris head coach [Tiago Splitter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/splitter-tiago/?season=E2024) now faces a formidable task of restoring confidence after a fifth successive loss. The skid followed a magnificent 10-0 run which had catapulted Paris to the top of the standings, as the EuroLeague newcomer made headlines around Europe.

However, it appears that Paris has been cut down to size and brought crashing down to earth, with a postseason berth looming as a tall order if Splitter doesn’t stop the rot soon. The Brazilian hinted that Paris may have become a victim of its own success but still lauded his men for a die-hard attitude, which had turned them into the season’s early surprise package in the first place. 

“We are not bothered by the hype,” he said. “Teams now know us better than before and prepare for us better. We had some bad luck and bad shooting nights down the stretch, but it’s part of the game and a matter of momentum. Tonight, Zvezda got its momentum in the second quarter and kept it throughout.

“We had a great momentum after 10 wins in a row and now we’re struggling, I am not going to lie about it. But I see the team fighting and not giving up at any time, hence I am proud of them. You are only broken once you lose that fight in you, but the team is not broken. We only lost a game.”

The Serbian team has already surpassed last season’s tally with its fourth win in a row 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Paris Basketball (2025-01-10T19:00:00.000Z)