LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard Nando De Colo added another record to his impressive career resume, becoming the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague all-time leader in free throws made on Thursday night. In ASVEL's 66-75 home loss against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, De Colo made 8 free throws on as many attempts, getting his career count to 1,135, passing the previous all-time leader Vassilis Spanoulis

De Colo became a free-throw making king

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne guard Nando De Colo added another record to his impressive career resume, becoming the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague all-time leader in free throws made on Thursday night.

In ASVEL's 66-75 home loss against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, De Colo made 8 free throws on as many attempts, getting his career count to 1,135, passing the previous all-time leader Vassilis Spanoulis who was sitting atop of the chart with 1,131 free throws made. The next best player on the all-time list is the reigning MVP Mike James of AS Monaco with 1,069.

De Colo accomplished this feat in his 312th career game, and now he is both the man with the most free throws made, and the best free-throw shooting percentage (93.0%) in EuroLeague this century.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The best free-throw shooter in Euroleague history is Mister Nando De Colo ! 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LDLCASVEL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LDLCASVEL</a> <a href="https://t.co/RdzK3nL7bu">pic.twitter.com/RdzK3nL7bu</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1874914537889202435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

De Colo, the three-time EuroLeague champ, is also the all-time leader in PIR with 5,256 index rating points, and ranks second all-time in scoring with 4,673 points.

De Colo is in fifth place all-time in steals (351), sixth all-time in two-point shots made (1,046), 10th all-time in assists (1,136), and 12th all-time with 482 career three-pointers made.

The 37-year old guard keeps re-writing EuroLeague history books.

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-01-02T19:00:00.000Z)

KK Crvena zvezda produced is third successive win in the EuroLeague and improved to 11-8, after center Joel Bolomboy paced the Serbian team with 16 points and 8 boards in a dramatic 73-75 success at Baskonia.

Joel Bolomboy propelled Crvena Zvezda to a crunch win at Baskonia

[Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) produced is third successive win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and improved to 11-8, after center [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) paced the Serbian team with 16 points and 8 boards in [a dramatic 73-75 success at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/resilient-crvena-zvezda-edges-out-baskonia-73-75/).

Bolomboy, who had missed 11 games through injury before he returned to action in mid-December, stepped up in Zvezda’s hour of need as he kept the Serbian team firmly on course to reach the postseason.

Having been dominated by Baskonia counterpart [Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/) early on, Bolomboy turned the table on his rival and dismantled the home team with a barrage of slam dunks and some intelligent plays at both ends of the court, ensuring Zvezda held its own in the paint.

In his postgame comments, Bolomboy was relieved that Zvezda came out on top after the visitors nearly spilled a 15-point lead in the second half and trailed 73-71 in the home stretch, before [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/) forced the final twist.  

“These are the games that matter the most because had we lost it, it would have been a different story,” Bolomboy said in a courtside postgame interview. “We’ve got to stay focused and execute better offensively when we’ve got a big lead.

“They have the crowd behind them and really good players who can score and thrive in game-time situations when the it’s on the line, so I am glad we walked away with the win.”

Canaan endured a torrid shooting night as he sank only 1 of 8 from deep but came up big when the chips were down, silencing the home fans with a pair of majestic layups which forced Baskonia into submission.

“I just tried to take what they give me,” Canaan pointed out. “Clearly I couldn’t make a three tonight, but I was fortunate to get the ball on the rim \[on those last two plays\]. Every game matters for us and as long as we continue to stay together and keep fighting, we can play with the best of them.” 

Zvezda head coach [Ioannis Sfairopoulos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/sfairopoulos-ioannis/?season=E2024) was aware a Baskonia fightback was imminent after the hosts trailed 28-42 at halftime, having shot 0 of 15 from long range in the opening two quarters. Still, the Greek tactician was delighted to see his team weather the storm after the hosts had turned the game around in the fourth.

“We expected Baskonia to react after falling behind,” he said. “We were still in control early in the second half but then they made some tough shots and got back into the game. In the end, we won the game thanks to good decisions at both ends of the court.”

“We want to take it one game at a time and not think too far ahead. We want to learn from our mistakes from the past and not make them again,” Sfairopoulos added, as Zvezda keeps showing the kind of grit and character missing last season when the Serbian side fell woefully short of getting into the postseason picture.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">⭐️ BO-LOM-BOY <br>M-V-P 🗣<br><br>📊 16 pts, 8/11 2FG, 8 reb;<br>PIR 19<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://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasPlayeroftheGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasPlayeroftheGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/X0wEgDN9IC">pic.twitter.com/X0wEgDN9IC</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1874941631494799542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Baskonia head coach [Pablo Laso](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/laso-pablo/) could only rue his team’s inconsistency as the Spanish outfit ultimately paid the price for a dreadful first-half performance.

“It was very tight and we fought until the end,” Laso said with a wry smile on his face. “We played with heart and were aggressive in the second half, but in the first we couldn’t make a shot. We have to decide which one of those two teams we want to be.”

Game News

The big man hit shined in his most impressive performance after returning from injury

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-01-02T19:30:00.000Z)

After a few sub-par performances by his lofty standards, Zach LeDay ensured Olimpia Milano beat LDLC ASVEL with a pair of clutch three-pointers.

Zach LeDay bounced back by stepping up late against ASVEL

Ever since [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) inspired [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/) to a [stunning win at FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-surprises-barcelona-at-palau-blaugrana-81-94/) in Round 15, his downturn in performances coincided with the Italian team losing three straight in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. But in Round 19, LeDay enjoyed a key role – particularly late – as Milan got back on track with [a 66-75 victory at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/mirotic-leday-help-milan-snap-losing-streak-with-win-at-asvel-66-75/).

With [Theo Maledon](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/theo-maledon/007027/) having reduced Milan’s lead to four points, 60-64, with 2:10 minutes to go, it seemed as though the game could go either way. Yet, LeDay did not leave any doubt by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers in quick succession to swell the lead to 60-70 – the first time it had gone to double digits all night – and effectively put the win on ice.

Now in his sixth season in the EuroLeague, LeDay has earned a reputation for his incredible consistency. That was put to the test in the last few games, with LeDay netting 6, 14 and 3 points in his last three games, respectively, in defeats to Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ([103-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nunns-39-points-leads-panathinaikos-past-milan-103-74/)), FC Bayern Munich ([78-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-grabs-long-awaited-road-win-at-milan-78-79/)) and Olympiacos Piraeus ([83-84](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-edges-milan-in-thriller-83-84/)). Those 14 points would typically be a decent number, but they were the joint second fewest he had netted since Round 7.

What’s more, in Milan’s loss against Olympiacos, LeDay was 1 for 5 from the field and didn’t attempt a single free throw. As such, his final numbers against ASVEL – 17 points on 4-of-6 two-pointers, 2-of-5 three-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws – were a marked improvement.

“I made a big mistake before the last game; I tried to let the game come to me, I didn’t just kill what was in front of me,” LeDay told EuroLeague TV after the game. “So I wanted to show that I learned a lesson.”

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward Zach LeDay spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Round 19 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Zach LeDay: 'I wanted to be there for my team'

Tiredness and knocks start to take their toll on players around this time of year, but LeDay is clear minded in what his approach needs to be, particularly at LDLC Arena on Thursday night.

“There’s a point in time where people talk about hitting the wall, but sh\*t, you’ve just got to run through that mother\*\*\*\*er,” he said. “Just do what you got to do, you know what I mean? I wanted to be there for my team and lock in and really focus on the little things today.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">European winning night ✨🤍❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaOlimpia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaOlimpia</a> <a href="https://t.co/gBNEVOkydl">pic.twitter.com/gBNEVOkydl</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1874927969938112690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This victory moved Milan up to ninth place in the standings, good for a spot in the play-in. LeDay and co. will be hoping that they can now string together some victories – as they did between Rounds 10 and 15 – and force their way into one of the six elusive playoff places.

The 30-year-old hit a couple of clutch threes to all but wrap up the win

Nick Calathes made his AS Monaco debut against ALBA Berlin on Thursday in Round 19 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and everyone could see what head coach Vassilis Spanoulis expects from him.

Nick Calathes's return made Monaco even stronger 

[AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) kept first place in the standings with a [90-105 road win over ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2024-25/alba-berlin-as-monaco/E2024/164/#boxscore) in Round 19. [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) made his Monaco debut and everyone saw what head coach [Vassilis Spanoulis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/spanoulis-vassilis?season=E2024) expected from him.

Spanoulis and Calathes were Panathinaikos Athens teammates in the 2009-10 season as well as on the Greek national team. They also played against each other many times while Spanoulis was starring for Olympiacos Piraeus. The big question was how would Spanoulis integrate a veteran like Calathes into a backcourt that was working very well, led by [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/), [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) and [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/)?

The answer is simple: Calathes offers what he has always been good at: outstanding defense, court vision and vocal leadership. His numbers against ALBA were not spectacular but spoke volumes. Calathes only took one shot, which he missed, but he had 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 1 block for a PIR of 6 in less than 19 minutes. He was on the court when the game was decided.

Nick Calathes had 7 assists in his AS Monaco EuroLeague debut against ALBA Berlin. Here are the best ones.

Calathes returns in Berlin

After trailing 35-55 at halftime, ALBA managed to get within 86-92 on a put-back layup by [Gabriele Procida](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriele-procida/008384/). That's where Calathes provided silent leadership, dishing 4 assists in the last 4 minutes to make sure Monaco cruised to a comfortable victory. He found James for a three-pointer, collected a steal and allowed James to score again, fed [Jaron Blossomgame](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaron-blossomgame/011231/) for the game-clinching triple and still had time to find James again for an easy basket.

It is no surprise that Monaco's offensive flow was better with Calathes around. James finished the game with a season-high 23 points. [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) fired in 5 of 6 three-pointers on his way to 18 points, his highest-scoring mark this season. Blossomgame's 17 points matched his EuroLeague career high. Okobo and Loyd finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🦾 Il a fallu résister au comeback de Berlin pour décrocher cette belle victoire à l&#39;extérieur ⚡️<br><br>La <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> reste co-leader de l&#39;Euroleague ! 👑🇲🇨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DagheMunegu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DagheMunegu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/ujCcD8HUih">pic.twitter.com/ujCcD8HUih</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1874935779774099964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

James praised Spanoulis's adjustments after the game: "He hasn't really changed my game. I think that's just a little bit different pace that we play, with a little bit different plays, a little bit more off-screen plays, more plays to get me in movement instead of his \[Sasa Obradovic, Monaco's former head coach\] attacking in isolation all the time from the top. So it's just different," James said. 

"I think he's got different rules on defense, so that changed a lot for us. We are playing with confidence. We are trying to pick it up, he has done a great job."

Calathes is aware that he doesn't need to score to be a key piece in this team. He just needs to play excellent defense as always and put the ball in the right place. With so much scoring talent around him, his off-the-charts basketball IQ makes him shine even more.

'The Bald Eagle' is back in a key veteran role 


ALBA Berlin v AS Monaco (2025-01-02T19:00:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade completed a perfect tour of Spain in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a 73-75 victory at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to improve to 11-8

Resilient Crvena Zvezda edges out Baskonia, 73-75 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade completed a perfect tour of Spain in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with a 73-75 victory at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to improve to 11-8. The win came after Zvezda celebrated a 74-78 win at FC Barcelona in the previous round.

Joel Bolomboy paced Zvezda with 16 points and 8 rebounds, but it was Isaiah Canaan who emerged as the game-winner for the visitors after sinking a pair of crucial layups. Canaan finished with 15 points, despite making just 1 of 8 from downtown, while Rokas Giedraitis sank 12 points against his former club.

At the other end, Chima Moneke scored 18 points, Donta Hall netted 14 while Markus Howard and Trent Forrest chipped in with 10 each for Baskonia, which shot 0 of 15 from deep in the first half and dropped to 8-11 after a tough home loss.

Game Videos

The home team made a bright start and took an early 14-6 lead as Hall dominated the paint in the opening exchanges, but Zvezda hit back with a 0-10 run before getting firmly into the driver’s seat in the second quarter. Bolomboy took over as Baskonia had no reply for the Serbian outfit’s fast-paced offense, garnished with some spectacular slam-dunks, which propelled the visitors into a 28-42 halftime lead.  

Aggressive defense on the perimeter made it difficult for Baskonia to get any open looks from long range, with the hosts misfiring time and again as their backcourt struggled, particularly Howard.

Zvezda looked set for some plain sailing after engineering a 42-57 advantage in the third quarter, with Bolomboy bending the rim with yet another ferocious dunk, but Baskonia got a second win with a 10-0 run that set the scene for a tense final 10 minutes.

Baskonia closed the gap to 68-69 as Howard, who finished on 2 of 10 from downtown, hit a rare triple and the home team nosed ahead 73-71 in the home straight, as Zvezda’s offense was ground to a screeching halt. However, Canaan came up big down the stretch as he twice weaved his way through traffic to force the final twist, with Moneke falling short with a tough hook shot on the buzzer at the other end.

The Serbian team headed into 2025 with a gritty road win over a plucky rival 

Olympiacos BC had a huge second half to beat Zalgiris Kaunas, having trailed by 12 points at halftime before winning 85-92.

Olympiacos’s defense fueled second-half comeback at Zalgiris

Twenty minutes into Thursday’s game at Zalgirio Arena, everything indicated that 2025 would not start on a positive note for [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/). 

Boosted by the ever-buzzing home crowd, [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/) hit the ground running, with [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/) cooking on offense. The hosts fired on all cylinders, making 11 of 17 (64.7%) from beyond the arc, with Francisco going 5-for-6 from deep. The Zalgiris guard ended the first half on 20 points - just 2 points shy from his career high in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Zalgiris led 52-40 at halftime, but a visit to the locker room was enough for Olympiacos to regroup and change the chip on both ends.

"In the first half, they did whatever they wanted," game MVP [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) told EuroLeague TV after the game. "They scored 52 points. Yes, they scored tough shots, but we were not physical and didn’t open the game as we wanted to."

Olympiacos Piraeus forward Sasha Vezenkov spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 19 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Sasha Vezenkov: 'Second half was our best defense this year'

The Reds flipped the switch after the break, with Vezenkov netting 19 of his game-high 24 points in the last two quarters. Olympiacos may have outscored Zalgiris 33-52 after the break, but it was its defense that allowed the visitors to complete the comeback.

"I think that in the second half, we had our best defensive game so far this season," Vezenkov added. "We said that even if we’re losing by 12 points, we can win this game possession by possession. We played tough, put pressure on the two handlers that Zalgiris have and are really talented and I think we played a great second half to win the game."

In fact, Francisco scored just 2 points in the second half, where he went 1-for-2 from inside the rainbow and 0-for-4 from downtown. Olympiacos’s solid defense forced him to 3 second-half turnovers, with Zalgiris finishing the game with 19 errors.

"It really started with our defense in the second half and that gave us flow and rhythm on defense and that turned into flow and rhythm on offense," [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), who netted a season-high 13 points including a big triple on crunch time, told EuroLeague TV.

More importantly, Olympiacos made the most of Zalgiris’s mistakes by netting 33 points off turnovers. Physicality on the defensive end of the floor and a tactical switch by head coach Georgios Bartzokas allowed Olympiacos to extend its winning streak to four games.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bwinMVP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bwinMVP</a> of the game, Sasha Vezenkov! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://t.co/svIls6eCH8">pic.twitter.com/svIls6eCH8</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1874911789970063366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"The defense was completely different in the second half,” Bartzokas said in the post-game press conference. "\[We had\] more physicality. We changed some tactical things like \[introducing\] hedge-out instead of switching defense in every screen with the 4 and then they missed lots of shots. They made 3 triples in the second half and the last one was when the game was over."

Having opened 2025 with a hard-fought road victory, Olympiacos will look to extend its unbeaten streak with a potential home win against FC Bayern Munich. One of the finest offenses in the league is set to visit the Reds next week, but in this second-half defensive effort against Zalgiris, Olympiacos has the blueprint that should be followed against the Germans.

The Reds contained a red-hot Francisco by tightening their defense to clinch fourth straight win

Zalgiris Kaunas v Olympiacos Piraeus (2025-01-02T18:00:00.000Z)

Nikola Mirotic and Zach LeDay were Olimpia Milano's two star performers as the Italian side ended its three-game losing run by beating LDLC ASVEL 66-75 in Round 19.

Mirotic, LeDay help Milan snap losing streak with win at ASVEL, 66-75

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan got back to winning ways in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague by downing LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 66-75, which saw the Italian side end its three-game losing streak and cause the French outfit to suffer a second straight defeat. Ettore Messina’s squad improved to 10-9 on the season, while Pierric Poupet’s men dropped to 8-11.

Nikola Mirotic and Zach LeDay combined to devastating effect for Milan, combining for 35 points – Mirotic had 18 and LeDay 17 – as ASVEL struggled to contain the two star forwards. They were also the visiting team’s leading rebounders, with Mirotic grabbing 8 boards and LeDay 6. ASVEL’s Nando De Colo, who surpassed Vassilis Spanoulis to become the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in made free throws by going a perfect 8 for 8 (De Colo now has 1,135 to Spanoulis’s 1,131), scored a game-high 22 points. Theo Maledon had 18 points, but committed 7 turnovers and fouled out in the fourth quarter. ASVEL’s other scorer in double digits was Andre Roberson with 12.

Roberson got the scoreboard moving with a step-back jumper from mid-range, but Milan soon got itself into a 6-9 lead thanks to 5 points from Mirotic. Maledon kept up his impressive form of late and moved to 7 first-quarter points by scoring 5 straight for ASVEL to tie the score at 11-11, though he had to receive some treatment and was held on the bench for the final 3:12 minutes of the opening frame. De Colo took over for ASVEL, also scoring 5 in a row, but Neno Dimitrijevic and Ousmane Diop both split free throws to ensure it was 19-19 after 10 minutes.

Diop got his own miss and scored a layup to give Milan an early advantage in the second period, then Maledon returned to the court with 8:10 minutes to go before the break. LeDay began to put his fingerprints on the contest with a pair of jump hooks, good for a 20-25 score, yet ASVEL kept fighting back through Maledon and made it a one-point game at 26-27. Milan was in front for the entire quarter after Diop’s opening score, but Mirotic ensured it was a four-point margin at the interval, 32-36, by scoring the visitors’ last 5 points of the half.

It seemed as though Milan was going to keep building on its momentum when Freddie Gillespie scored off a bullet pass from Mirotic, 32-38, which tied a game-high six-point lead for Messina’s troops. Roberson made a couple of baskets either side of a Paris Lee triple to reenergize the hosts, however, and Melvin Ajinca’s three-point play gave ASVEL the lead at 42-40. It was then the turn of De Colo to step up, with the veteran guard equaling and then surpassing Spanoulis for the most free throws made all-time, in an individual nine-point spurt that ensured it was a 51-46 score. Nico Mannion’s three-pointer off the glass and Armoni Brooks’s tip-in made it 51-51 after 30 minutes.

LeDay split free throws to restore the lead to Milan at 51-52, then De Colo responded with a one-legged fadeaway jumper, 53-52. That proved to be the last time ASVEL led on the night. Mannion’s layup and Giampaolo Ricci’s deep two, which was downgraded from a three, saw Milan go 53-56 up, but Maledon tied things up at 56-56 with a triple. Then, Shavon Shields struck from three-point land, Mirotic grabbed Shields’s airball to score, and Ricci drained a three to put Milan in a comfortable position at 58-64. LeDay effectively put the win on ice with back-to-back three-point makes, which swelled the lead to 60-70 – the first time it had reached double digits on the night. Leandro Bolmaro went 1 for 2 to set a new game-high lead of 11 points, 60-71, before the final score ended up being 66-75.

The visiting team’s forward duo combined for 35 points on the night

AS Monaco remained atop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season standings by downing ALBA Berlin 90-105 in the German capital in Round 19 on Thursday

Monaco beats ALBA again, 90-105 

AS Monaco remained atop the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season standings by downing ALBA Berlin 90-105 in the German capital in Round 19 on Thursday. Monaco improved to 13-6 in the standings while ALBA dropped to 3-16. 

Mike James led the winners with 23 points and 7 assists. Matthew Strazel added 18 points. Jaron Blossomgame scored 17, Elie Okobo 13, Jordan Loyd 12 and Donatas Motiejunas 11. Matt Thomas and Yanni Wetzell paced ALBA with 17 points apiece. Tim Schneider and Matteo Spagnolo each added 13 for the hosts.

James attacked the baseline for a layup on the game’s opening possession before Thomas got ALBA on the scoreboard with a triple. David McCormack threw down a monster slam and Will McDowell-White drilled a triple as ALBA went in front 8-5. Vitto Brown and Strazel heated up as Monaco raced back in front. Strazel’s second three made it 10-15 midway through the opening quarter. Nick Calathes made his Monaco debut and promptly blocked Wetzell from behind. James went off for 8 straight points – including Calathes's first 2 assists of the season – to give Monaco a double-digit lead. Schneider ended the ALBA drought and Spagnolo added a jumper. Nevertheless, Monaco continued to roll as Blossomgame converted a three-point play on the break and the visitors finished the quarter up 21-30. 

Wetzell beat the shot clock with a layup early in the second quarter. Loyd erased that with a jumper that Okobo followed with a three-pointer for a 23-35 Monaco lead. Motiejunas stepped up with a put-back layup and Strazel's wild four-point play broke the game open, 23-41. Spagnolo swished consecutive mid-range jumpers and Elias Rapieque added a power layup, but Loyd and Brown kept Monaco comfortably ahead, 29-46. James buried a floater in traffic, Spagnolo and Okobo traded layups before McCormack's put-back basket brought ALBA within 33-50. Georgios Papagiannis took over with an alley-oop slam and a tip-in, boosting Monaco's lead to 35-55 at halftime. 

 

Schneider buried a corner triple soon after the break and Thomas bettered Motiejunas's layup with a four-point play to bring ALBA within 42-57. James found Blossomgame for a backdoor layup and Strazel improved on McCormack's put-back slam with a bomb from downtown for a 44-61 Monaco lead. Thomas struck twice from beyond the arc and got help from Schneider to give ALBA hope at 55-66. Okobo stepped up with a driving layup and matched Wetzell's dunk with free throws. Schneider kept pushing the hosts and Wetzell dunked again to make it a single-digit game, 71-70. After Loyd sank a three-pointer, Rapieque and Okobo traded layups. Wetzell scored in penetration for a 65-75 ALBA deficit. James and Loyd boosted the visitors' lead to 67-79 at the end of the third quarter.

Strazel nailed his fourth three-pointer early in the fourth quarter and banked in another one to boost Monaco's margin to 69-85. Motiejunas scored twice around the basket, Jonas Mattisseck answered from downtown and Malte Delow carried ALBA to within 73-89. Spagnolo scored in penetration and Mattisseck insisted from beyond the arc, causing Monaco to call timeout at 79-89. After Blossomgame buried a three-pointer, Procida answered with an alley-oop layup and Spagnolo sank a triple off the glass to bring ALBA as close as 84-92. Procida took over with a put-back layup that James bettered with a corner triple. Wetzell and Blossomgame traded free throws, James split attempts and Thomas got ALBA within 90-98 with 1:46 left. Blossomgame sealed the outcome with a bomb from downtown, as ALBA never recovered after that.

Jaron Blossomgame stood out in crunch time to stop ALBA's comeback


Monaco beats ALBA again, 90-105

Olympiacos Piraeus extended its unbeaten run to four games by defeating Zalgiris Kaunas 85-92 at Zalgirio Arena on Thursday night

Olympiacos rallies to down Zalgiris, 85-92

Olympiacos Piraeus extended its unbeaten run to four games by defeating Zalgiris Kaunas 85-92 at Zalgirio Arena on Thursday night. The hosts fired on all cylinders before the break to take a 52-40 lead into the second half, where Olympiacos bounced back by tightening up its defense and outscoring Zalgiris 33-52 to turn the game around. With this win, the Reds improved their record to 13-6, with Zalgiris dropping to 10-9.

Sasha Vezenkov led all scorers with 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Shaquielle McKissic netted 17, Evan Fournier had 14 and Thomas Walkup bagged a season-high 13 points. Sylvain Francisco paced Zalgiris with 22 points, Deividas Sirvydis scored 12 and Bryant Dunston netted 10, with Lonnie Walker and Alen Smailagic adding 11 each.

Zalgiris started strong, with Walker and Dunston scoring inside before back-to-back triples from Francisco gave the hosts a 10-4 lead. Francisco netted his third three to take his tally to 12 early points, but Walkup scored twice in the paint to cut the difference to 18-10. Kostas Papanikolaou and Vezenkov netted from deep, but Edgaras Ulanovas responded with a four-point play to restore a 22-16 lead. Then, Walkup bagged his fourth bucket of the first quarter to make it 22-18 after 10 minutes.

Walker got Zalgiris going in the second quarter by scoring his team's first 6 points, including a four-point play to restore a 28-20 lead. Brady Manek and Francisco nailed back-to-back threes, but McKissic responded with one of his own, trimming the deficit to 34-28. McKissic took his tally to 9 points off the bench with a layup before an alley-oop dunk from Nikola Milutinov made it 36-32. Smailagic also opened his account from inside before drilling a triple that extended Zalgiris’s lead to 41-32. A Walker triple was followed by Fournier’s three-point play before a three from the Olympiacos forward slashed the difference to 44-40. Yet, Smailagic nailed a midrange jumper before triples from Sirvydis and Francisco restored a 52-40 lead at halftime, with Zalgiris’s point tally being tied for the third-highest scoring first half of any team in the league this season.

Dunston and Vezenkov traded scores inside twice to open the third quarter before a Walkup layup and a couple of free throws from the Olympiacos forward cut the difference to single digits, 56-48. Four unanswered points from Fall were followed by an open layup from Francisco, but Fournier netted a three and Vezenkov scored inside to bring the visitors within 60-58. Two buckets from Smailagic sandwiched a Fournier triple before Sirvydis made 2 of 3 from the line to make it 66-61. Then, Sirvydis nailed a tough triple, but Fournier scored a turnaround jumper that cut the difference to 71-67 heading into the closing quarter.

Olympiacos opened the fourth with a 0-13 surge, as Vezenkov and McKissic nailed a triple each and Milutinov added 4 points to his tally to put their team ahead for the first time, 71-80. Dunston pulled off a tough finish inside to end Olympiacos’s run before a triple from Arnas Butkevicius cut the difference to 76-80. After Vezenkov and Sirvydis traded buckets, a layup from McKissic and a triple from Walkup restored a 78-87 lead. Zalgiris didn’t give up, with Sirvydis scoring inside and Butkevicius drilling a triple that trimmed the deficit to 83-87 with 1:31 left on the clock. Ignas Brazdeikis didn’t manage to convert on either of the next two possessions and Vezenkov made free throws to seal the outcome. 

The Reds outscored the hosts 33-52 after the break to grab their fourth straight win