KK Crvena zvezda got back to winning ways by downing Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 81-73 at Belgrade Arena on Friday night. With this win, Zvezda finished the first half of the regular season with a winning record, 9-8, while Maccabi dropped to 4-13.

Bolomboy, Yago lead Crvena Zvezda past Maccabi, 81-73

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade got back to winning ways by downing Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 81-73 at Belgrade Arena on Friday night. With this win, Zvezda finished the first half of the regular season with a winning record, 9-8, while Maccabi dropped to 4-13.

Zvezda led by 15 at halftime but Maccabi opened the second half with a 0-17 run. However, Joel Bolomboy and Yago Dos Santos carried the team after that, and with a little help from Rokas Giedraitis, Zvezda pulled away again. Bolomboy finished with 17 points and Yago paired 15 points with 7 assists in a victory. Roman Sorkin had 21 points and 9 rebounds, Levi Randolph scored 16, and Jaylen Hoard collected 14 points plus 11 rebounds in a loss.

Game Videos

Bolomboy opened the scoring with a pair of close-range baskets, but Sorkin scored 7 points, including a triple, then Hoard scored inside twice to open a 10-13 Maccabi lead. But Canaan hit his second triple to get Zvezda's offense moving, then Nedovic had a driving layup and a triple to make it 21-15 at the end of the first quarter.

Nedovic hit another three, and Yago had a driving layup as Zvezda needed 64 seconds to open a double-digit lead, 26-15. The baskets kept coming in threes, as Yago and Rayman traded triples, and Mitrovic had a three-point play before Randolph and Sorkin hit back-to-back threes to set a 34-28 score. But Canaan hit a triple before Petusev went on a run, scoring 8 points and ensuring it was 48-33 at halftime.

Game News

Maccabi dominated to start the second half, going on a 0-17 run. Blatt and Jokubaitis were orchestrating things, Sorkin and Hoard started the run before Randolph hit a triple. More baskets from Sorkin and Hoard put Maccabi in front 48-50 with 4:30 left in the third. But Bolomboy stopped the bleeding inside, Daum knocked down a corner triple as Zvezda answered with a 7-0 run of its own. Sorkin and Hoard scored some more, but Rokas Giedraitis beat the third-quarter buzzer with a triple to make it 60-54.

Baskets were few and far between in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. Maccabi got within 62-59, but Bolomboy scored from long range before Yago and Giedraitis connected from long range. A three-point play from Bolomboy and another triple from Yago opened a 76-62 lead. David DeJulius stopped the bleeding with a triple, but all Maccabi could do was cut into the deficit. Another DeJulius triple made it 79-70, but Zvezda grabbed two offensive rebounds, with Bolomboy's put-back restoring a double-digit margin and sealing the deal.

The hosts overcame a terrible start to the third quarter to grab its ninth win

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-12-20T19:30:00.000Z)

The final round of the first half of the EuroLeague Regular Season will also complete the last double-round week of the season. 

Game Center: Round 17

## Friday, December 20

### [Anadolu Efes Istanbul 86-77 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/ercan-osmani-leads-efes-past-partizan-86-77/)

Efes grabbed its third consecutive victory, and fourth straight at home, by topping Partizan 86-77 at the Basketball Development Center in Round 17 on Thursday. Efes improved to 10-7 in the standings while Partizan dropped to 7-10. Ercan Osmani paced the winners with a career-high 25 points. Rodrigue Beaubois scored 12 while Shane Larkin, Jordan Nwora and Darius Thompson each had 11 for the Efes. Thompson added 10 assists for a double-double. Tyrique Jones led Partizan with 23 points. Sterling Brown netted 15 while Duane Washington had 10 for the guests.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">💪 Senin sayende Anadolu Efesli!!! <br>Anadolu Efes 86 - 77 Partizan | Maç Sonucu<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/DjloQ0wjCu">pic.twitter.com/DjloQ0wjCu</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1870186824959742005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Zalgiris Kaunas 72-78 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/asvel-holds-off-zalgiris-72-78-continues-its-winning-streak/)

ASVEL continued its charge up the standings with another road win as it held off Zalgiris 72-78 at Zalgirio Arena on Friday night. This win, which was ASVEL's third straight and fifth in the last six games, improved the team to 8-9, while Zalgiris dropped to 10-7, a win behind the league leaders. ASVEL led for the majority of the night and never allowed the hosts to get closer than 4 points in the fourth quarter. Melvin Ajinca and Theo Maledon each scored 17 points, Paris Lee netted 12 and Nando De Colo added 11 points. Sylvain Francisco poured in 22 points for the hosts, while Deividas Sirvydis scored 10.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">BACK TO BACK WINS ON THE ROAD 🔥🔥🔥<br><br>Les Villeurbannais réalisent un deuxième exploit cette semaine en allant s&#39;imposer dans l&#39;enfer de la Zalgirio Arena ! Quelle force de caractère, quel groupe, bravo les gars ! 💪<br><br>On les retrouve dimanche à la <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLC_Arena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LDLC_Arena</a> face à Paris ! <br>🎟… <a href="https://t.co/tKPirXbFWZ">pic.twitter.com/tKPirXbFWZ</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1870199877445267638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Virtus Segafredo Bologna 86-81 FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-battles-past-barcelona-86-81-in-first-home-game-under-ivanovic/)

Virtus finished the first half of the regular season on a high note by winning a back-and-forth battle 86-81 over Barcelona in the first home game under new coach Dusko Ivanovic. The fourth quarter featured 12 lead changes and four ties, with Virtus scoring the final six points for its second victory in three games under its new play-caller for a 4-13 record, including 2-7 at home. Isaia Cordinier had a night to remember with a career-high 24 points to go with 6 rebounds and 7 assists for a career-high 38 PIR. With Toko Shengelia missing for a second straight game, Ante Zizic stepped up inside and added 12 points and 11 rebounds, Matt Morgan scored 10 points and Alessandro Pajola tallied 9 points and 7 assists. Barcelona has now dropped six of the last eight games for a 9-8 record. Jabari Parker led the way with 21 points while Kevin Punter collected 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Willy Hernangomez chipped in 14 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Energia, carattere e passione: VINCE LA VIRTUS ⚡️ <a href="https://t.co/Z6czxF1JKa">pic.twitter.com/Z6czxF1JKa</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1870211390436454453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Olympiacos Piraeus 90-85 ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-digs-deep-to-edge-alba-90-85/)

Olympiacos scraped a labored 90-85 home win over ALBA and improved to 11-6 in the EuroLeague after a late rally allowed the Greek side to force the final twist, as the German outfit dropped to 3-14 despite a valiant effort. Evan Fournier paced Olympiacos with a game-high 23 points and big man Moustapha Fall added 18 for the Greek side, which completed a perfect double-round week with a second successive home win after beating Virtus on Wednesday. Sasha Vezenkov netted 17 points, including crucial free throws in the final minute, while Shaquielle McKissic chipped in with 10 for the hosts, who benefited from 14 offensive boards. At the other end, Matt Thomas led ALBA on 19 points while Yanni Wetzell and Trevion Williams posted 13 apiece for the visitors.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Final 🏀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> - ALBA B. 90-85 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</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://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYBER?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYBER</a> <a href="https://t.co/wSIAU21dJD">pic.twitter.com/wSIAU21dJD</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1870213960273932628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 81-73 Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bolomboy-yago-lead-crvena-zvezda-past-maccabi-81-73/)

Crvena Zvezda got back to winning ways by downing Maccabi 81-73 at Belgrade Arena on Friday night. With this win, Zvezda finished the first half of the regular season with a winning record, 9-8, while Maccabi dropped to 4-13. Zvezda led by 15 at halftime but Maccabi opened the second half with a 0-17 run. However, Joel Bolomboy and Yago Dos Santos carried the team after that, and with a little help from Rokas Giedraitis, Zvezda pulled away again. Bolomboy finished with 17 points and Yago paired 15 points with 7 assists in a victory. Roman Sorkin had 21 points and 9 rebounds, Levi Randolph scored 16, and Jaylen Hoard collected 14 points plus 11 rebounds in a loss.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="sr" dir="ltr">Важна победа црвено-белих у 17. колу <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> 🔴⚪️ <a href="https://t.co/nFiDzrNCrI">pic.twitter.com/nFiDzrNCrI</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1870222290958368778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 78-79 FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-grabs-long-awaited-road-win-at-milan-78-79/)

In a thriller that went down to the final shot, Bayern grabbed its third road win of the season – and its first at Unipol Forum since December 2018 – by edging Milan 78-79 in Round 17 on Friday. Bayern improved to 11-6 in the standings while Milan dropped to 9-8. Carsen Edwards led the winners with 25 points. Devin Booker added 23 while Nick Weiler-Babb had 10 and 12 assists for Bayern. Nikola Mirotic paced Milan with 18 points. Zach LeDay added 14, Fabien Causeur had 13 while Josh Nebo and Neno Dimitrijevic each got 11 for the hosts.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">WIN! 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EA7BAY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EA7BAY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/0AlCYhHyBL">pic.twitter.com/0AlCYhHyBL</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1870227257933123922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

## Thursday, December 19

### [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens 104-69 Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nunn-shines-again-as-panathinaikos-demolishes-baskonia-104-69/)

Panathinaikos blew away visiting Baskonia in the Round 17 opener to improve to 10-7, while the Spanish side dropped to 7-10 after Kendrick Nunn paced the home team with 26 points and a career-high 9 assists. The game was marred by a serious injury to Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort, who landed awkwardly early in the second half and appeared to have injured his ankle. Lorenzo Brown added 18 points for Panathinaikos. At the other end, Chima Moneke scored 16 points for Baskonia.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paobcgr</a> make it two wins in two games in the double week! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/IOegDKtpmH">pic.twitter.com/IOegDKtpmH</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1869829878473994681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### [Real Madrid 94-72 AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-thrashes-first-place-monaco-94-72/)

Real Madrid rounded out a perfect double-round week by thrashing Monaco in the Spanish capital on Thursday. Real improved to 8-9 in the standings while Monaco dropped to 11-6. Dzanan Musa led the winners with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and Mario Hezonja added 13 points. Mike James paced Monaco with 19 points.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">🏁 FP: <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> 94 - 72 <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AsMonaco_Basket</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/UnicajaBanco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnicajaBanco</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZtZ4J6bPqj">pic.twitter.com/ZtZ4J6bPqj</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1869860350524567983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The game between Paris and Fenerbahce has been suspended

Game Center: ASVEL, Bayern win on the road; Virtus stuns Barcelona

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v FC Bayern Munich (2024-12-20T20:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v ALBA Berlin (2024-12-20T19:15:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v FC Barcelona (2024-12-20T19:00:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-12-20T18:00:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-12-20T17:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v AS Monaco (2024-12-19T19:45:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-12-19T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-12-19T17:45:00.000Z)

Olympiacos BC scraped a labored 90-85 home win over ALBA Berlin and improved to 11-6 in the EuroLeague after a late rally allowed the Greek side to force the final twist, as the German outfit dropped to 3-14 despite a valiant effort.

Olympiacos digs deep to edge ALBA, 90-85

Olympiacos Piraeus scraped a labored 90-85 home win over ALBA Berlin and improved to 11-6 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after a late rally allowed the Greek side to force the final twist, as the German outfit dropped to 3-14 despite a valiant effort.

Evan Fournier paced Olympiacos with a game-high 23 points and big man Moustapha Fall added 18 for the Greek side, which completed a perfect double-round week with a second successive home win after beating Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Wednesday.

Sasha Vezenkov netted 17 points, including crucial free throws in the final minute, while Shaq McKissic chipped in with 10 for the hosts, who benefited from 14 offensive boards. At the other end, Matt Thomas led ALBA on 19 points while Yanni Wetzell and Trevion Williams posted 13 apiece for the visitors.

The early stages suggested that Olympiacos was in for plain sailing as the home team raced into a 16-6 lead, with Fall steamrolling through ALBA’s paint time and again. The plucky visitors tore up that script, though, hitting back to nose ahead 26-28 early in the second quarter on the back of a 0-9 run.

Fall and McKissic then had the crowd on its feet with some spectacular plays which lit up the Peace and Friendship Stadium, but ALBA refused to roll over and Olympiacos took only a slender 44-41 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Vezenkov joined the scoring party in the third quarter and Fournier sank a couple of successive threes in the period’s closing stages to give the hosts their biggest lead of the night, 66-54, once again setting the stage for what should have been a walk in the park for Olympiacos in the final 10 minutes.

However, ALBA had other ideas. The visiting team drained a flurry of audacious three-pointers in the fourth quarter while Olympiacos choked from downtown at the other end, enabling the visiting team to surge ahead 82-85 as the atmosphere among the home fans went flat.

Fournier then showed his class and the resolve of a former NBA stalwart, as he nailed a pair of crucial shots to put Olympiacos back in front, while Vezenkov was ice-cool from the foul line to complete the clutch 8-0 run and secure the home team’s victory.

The hosts prevailed after the competition’s bottom team had threatened to stage a stunning upset 

Virtus Bologna finished the first half of the regular season on a high note by winning a back-and-forth battle 86-81 over FC Barcelona in the first home game under new coach Dusko Ivanovic. 

Virtus battles past Barcelona, 86-81, in first home game under Ivanovic 

Virtus Segafredo Bologna finished the first half of the regular season on a high note by winning a back-and-forth battle 86-81 over FC Barcelona in the first home game under new coach Dusko Ivanovic. The fourth quarter featured 12 lead changes and four ties, with Virtus scoring the final six points for its second victory in three games under its new play-caller for a 4-13 record, including 2-7 at home. 

Isaia Cordinier had a night to remember with a career-high 24 points to go with 6 rebounds and 7 assists for a career-high 38 PIR. With Toko Shengelia missing for a second straight game, Ante Zizic stepped up inside and added 12 points and 11 rebounds, Matt Morgan scored 10 points and Alessandro Pajola tallied 9 points and 7 assists. Barcelona has now dropped six of the last eight games for a 9-8 record. Jabari Parker led the way with 21 points while Kevin Punter collected 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Willy Hernangomez chipped in 14 points.

Barcelona struggled early from the field, going nearly 3 minutes without a score as Virtus went up 6-2, and it was 10-4 for the home side around the midway point of the opening quarter. After a timeout, Barcelona was able to score more consistently and cut the gap to 10-9. Cordinier had a great start and Barcelona could not get defensive stops, with Virtus leading 19-13. The surge continued and the hosts led 23-15 after 10 minutes. 

Barcelona held Virtus to just one basket in the first 4 minutes and a Parker triple made it 26-22. The hosts dominated the offensive glass with 11 offensive rebounds, 6 of them coming from Zizic, who had two put-back scores to keep Virtus up 32-24. A Hernangomez three-point play trimmed the deficit to 32-29 before Pajola finally hit Virtus’s first three-pointer after the team missed its first 13 shots from long range. A Punter triple had Barcelona down just 35-34 at the break.

Alex Abrines opened the second half with a triple to put Barcelona ahead, only to have Andrejs Grazulis and Cordinier hit threes and Will Clyburn to dunk to make it 43-37. Two more Virtus baskets made it 47-40. Parker and Punter combined for nine points as Barcelona would not let Virtus get away, pulling within 49-48. Virtus’s hot shooting continued with two three-pointers, but the guests evened the game, 60-60. And the score was tied 65-65 after 30 minutes.

The game remained close and went back and forth early in the final frame with seven lead changes in the first 5 minutes, with Barcelona going ahead 72-75. Cordinier continued his fantastic night with an assist and two free throws to put Virtus up 78-77. Four more lead changes followed, with Cordinier making three of four free throws as Virtus lead 83-81 with 27 seconds to go. Cordinier then forced Dario Brizuela into a traveling turnover with 13 seconds left, with Pajola making one free throw at the other end. The game was decided when Parker missed a jumper and Punter committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Clyburn in the waning seconds.

The Italian side moves to 2-1 under the Montenegrin head coach

LDLC ASVEL continued its charge up the standings with another road win as it held off Zalgiris Kaunas 72-78 at Zalgirio Arena on Friday night. This win, which was ASVEL's third straight and fifth in the last six games, improved the team to 8-9, while Zalgiris dropped to 10-7, a win behind the league leaders.

ASVEL holds off Zalgiris, 72-78, continues its winning streak

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne continued its charge up the standings with another road win as it held off Zalgiris Kaunas 72-78 at Zalgirio Arena on Friday night. This win, which was ASVEL's third straight and fifth in the last six games, improved the team to 8-9, while Zalgiris dropped to 10-7, a win behind the league leaders.

ASVEL led for the majority of the night and never allowed the hosts to get closer than 4 points in the fourth quarter. Melvin Ajinca and Theo Maledon each scored 17 points, Paris Lee netted 12 and Nando De Colo added 11 points. Sylvain Francisco poured in 22 points for the hosts, while Deividas Sirvydis scored 10.

Laurynas Birutis and Neal Sako traded dunks early in the game, after Maledon had a three-point play and before Francisco struck a three-pointer. Ajinca and Deividas Sirvydis traded three-pointers, then Maledon joined the three-point party and Andre Roberson had a three-point play to open a 10-16 lead. Dunston scored inside and had a jumper before delivering a big block on the defensive end, but Roberson and Nando De Colo made sure the visitors held a 16-21 advantage after 10 minutes.

Dunston, Francisco and Sirvydis put together a 7-0 run to give the hosts their first lead, 23-22, but Ajinca and Paris Lee hit back-to-back triples to restore ASVEL's lead, also sparking a 0-9 run. Alen Smailagic had a monster dunk, but Sako extended the margin to 27-37. De Colo's three-point play made it a 13-point game, but Francisco nailed two threes in succession to make it 36-43 at halftime.

Zalgiris opened the third quarter with an 11-2 run, with Butkevicius hitting a triple and Birutis and Edgaras Ulanovas scoring inside. ASVEL was without a field goal for nearly 6 minutes to open the quarter until Tarik Black scored inside. Butkevicius scored a fast-break layup and Brady Manek drained a triple, but Shaquille Harrison had a pair of layups and Ajinca hit a three-pointer to give ASVEL a 53-56 lead after 30 minutes.

Ajinca had a three-point play and Francisco scored in traffic. De Colo and Francisco traded triples, then De Colo and Manek exchanged long-range shots, 61-65. Maledon and Black got to the free-throw line to keep the hosts at bay, and after another three-pointer by Manek, Maledon's three and Roberson's dunk made it 66-76. Sirvydis hit a second-chance triple in the penultimate minute, but ASVEL made a pair of defensive stands and closed it out.

Pierric Poupet's men escape from Kaunas with their second road triumph this week

Ercan Osmani was integral as Anadolu Efes beat KK Partizan in Round 17 to record its fourth straight home win in the EuroLeague.

Ercan Osmani's hard work paid off against Partizan

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/) completed a perfect double-round week with [an 86-77 home victory over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/ercan-osmani-leads-efes-past-partizan-86-77/), with [Ercan Osmani](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ercan-osmani/012710/) continuing his impressive form by having a career-best performance.

Osmani started strong, getting 10 points in the opening 12 minutes. He stepped up big early in the third quarter with a three-pointer from the right wing and a huge one-handed slam. The 26-year-old, however, was just getting started.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward Ercan Osmani had a career-high 25 points on 6 of 7 two-pointers, 4 of 7 three-pointers and 1 of 2 free throws, adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 assists and 5 fouls drawn for a personal-best PIR of 29.

Osmani's career night against Partizan

He finished the game with a career-high 25 points, 10 more than his previous record against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on March 20, 2024. Osmani hit 6-of-7 two-pointers, 4-of-7 three-pointers and 1-of-2 free throws, adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 assists and 5 fouls drawn for a personal-best PIR of 29.

Partizan led 58-61 at the end of the third quarter behind an unstoppable [Tyrique Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyrique-jones/011981/), playing against Efes in Istanbul for the first time since leaving the club this past summer. Osmani had 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, playing a big role in his team's victory.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">💪 Bu kutlamayı sonuna kadar hak ettin! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/DkQTLwfrf8">pic.twitter.com/DkQTLwfrf8</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1870194916254458303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Rodrigue Beaubois](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rodrigue-beaubois/006590/) was equally outstanding, scoring all 12 of his points in the final 10 minutes on 4 bombs from beyond the arc. Osmani and Beaubois combined for 22 of Efes's 28 fourth-quarter points, and the hosts' defense did the rest down the stretch.

After the game, Osmani felt nothing but thankful to everyone around him. He was the most talked-about player, too.

"I have to thank my teammates because they believe in me," Osmani told EuroLeague TV. "First of all, I have to thank them because if they were not here, I wouldn't do those \[career-high numbers\], so I am felling great because I have really great teammates and I am lucky about that. Of course, it is a double week and I am feeling tired, but I needed to play today. Tomi \[Tomislav Mijatovic\] believes in me, so thank you!"

"Tonight, Ercan Osmani had a career game and carried us in the fourth quarter, making big shot after big shot, rebounds, getting to the basket," Efes star guard Shane Larkin said. "We have that kind of talent in this team, it's not going to be the same guy every night but that's what makes us dangerous."

"We were fully aware of Ercan's potential. We are very fortunate and very lucky that he fits superbly in our team. He is following the lead, playing with the system and his individual potential, which is huge, comes to play," Coach Mijatovic said. "Today, he really carried us in his shoulders in some parts of the game but he was an important piece of the whole puzzle."

He enjoyed a starring role in an Efes win in Round 17


Ercan Osmani had a career-high 25 points to lead Anadolu Efes past KK Partizan 86-77 and notch the Turkish side's 10th win in the EuroLeague this season.

Ercan Osmani leads Efes past Partizan, 86-77

Anadolu Efes Istanbul grabbed its third consecutive victory, and fourth straight at home, by topping Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 86-77 at the Basketball Development Center in Round 17 on Thursday. Efes improved to 10-7 in the standings while Partizan dropped to 7-10. 

Ercan Osmani paced the winners with a career-high 25 points. Rodrigue Beaubois scored 12 while Shane Larkin, Jordan Nwora and Darius Thompson each had 11 for the Efes. Thompson added 10 assists for a double-double. Tyrique Jones led Partizan with 23 points. Sterling Brown netted 15 while Duane Washington had 10 for the guests.

Tyrique Jones got Partizan going with a two-handed slam and Isaac Bonga bettered Vincent Poirier's layup with a three-point play. Tyrique Jones dunked again, banked in a close shot and added a jump hook that boosted Partizan's lead to 2-11. Osmani struck from downtown and Poirier erased Carlik Jones's layup with an alley-oop slam. Brown followed a driving layup with a mid-range jumper, but Osmani banked in a close shot and Thompson's three-pointer kept Efes within 12-17. Carlik Jones scored again and Brown hit a triple. Efes found a go-to guy in Nwora, who struck from beyond the arc and added a two-handed slam for a 20-22 Efes lead. Marko Nakic hit a jump hook and Bonga added a buzzer-beating three-pointer for a 20-27 Partizan lead after 10 minutes. 

Tyrique Jones buried a jump hook early in the second quarter. Osmani struck from downtown and added a huge one-handed dunk that got Efes as close as 25-29. Dan Oturu hit a fadeaway jumper in a 9-0 run that Larkin capped with a driving layup. Washington rescued Partizan with a three-pointer, Larkin hit a jumper and Rolands Smits added a layup to complete Efes's comeback, 33-32. Washington scored in penetration and Aleksej Pokusevski dunked to give Partizan fresh air at 33-36. Brandon Davies buried an amazing fadeaway jumper that boosted the guests' lead to 33-38 at halftime.

Washington scored around the basket soon after the break. Nwora insisted from beyond the arc and Thompson added a triple in transition to make Partizan stop the game at 39-40. Brown joined the three-point shootout and Pokusevski took over with a driving layup. Poirier hit a mid-range jumper, Thompson struck from downtown and Osmani's alley-oop layup put Efes back in charge, 46-45. Washington scored twice in penetration, getting help from Tyrique Jones to restore a 46-51 Partizan lead. Larkin and Osmani both nailed triples either side of a Brown three-pointer for a 52-54 score. Tyrique Jones bettered Larkin's jumper with a layup-plus-foul, but Oturu dunked and Elijah Bryant's floater gave Efes a 58-57 lead. Tyrique Jones single-handedly made Partizan regain a 58-61 edge after 30 minutes.

Larkin took over with a wild driving layup early in the fourth quarter and Osmani added a floater for a 62-61 lead. Beaubois capped a 7-0 run with a triple, before Carlik Jones quickly answered with a jumper. Brown silenced the crowd with a coast-to-coast layup, but Beaubois buried another three-pointer for a 68-65 score. Osmani banked in a close shot and improved on Davies's dunk with a bomb from beyond the arc. Beaubois buried his third triple to boost the hosts' lead to 76-70 with 4 minutes left. Osmani scored around the basket and Beaubois struck from downtown. Davies joined the three-point shootout, and Tyrique Jones gave Partizan hope at 81-77. Thompson stepped up with a driving layup and Oturu's jumper sealed the outcome, 85-77, with 1:08 remaining.

He had a career-high 25 points to lead Efes to its 10th win


Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has issued a statement confirming that Wade Baldwin suffered a hamstring injury during his team's Round 16 defeat to FC Barcelona on Tuesday night.

Wade Baldwin out with hamstring injury

[Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) has issued a statement confirming that [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) suffered a hamstring injury during his team's [Round 16 defeat to FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/kevin-punter-shines-as-barcelona-steamrolls-fenerbahce-90-63/) on Tuesday night.

This is the second hamstring injury that Baldwin has had to deal with this season, having [previously sustained this injury back in Round 8](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/wade-baldwin-sidelined-with-hamstring-injury/) against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. He missed Rounds 9 through 11 with this injury.

"Fenerbahce Beko Men's Basketball Team player Wade Baldwin IV suffered an injury in his hamstring area during the Barcelona game played on Tuesday, December 17," Fenerbahce said on Friday.

"Following our athlete's check-ups at Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital, a second-stage muscle injury was detected and treatment was started. We wish Wade Baldwin IV a speedy recovery and hope he joins our team as soon as possible."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Wade Baldwin IV’nin sağlık durumu hakkında bilgilendirme<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/e8Je4iNXO1">https://t.co/e8Je4iNXO1</a> <a href="https://t.co/fhcJlNwPnu">pic.twitter.com/fhcJlNwPnu</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1870142000961360023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In his first season as a Fenerbahce player, and sixth Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season overall, Baldwin has averaged 10.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 13 appearances in the 2024-25 campaign.

No timetable for his return has been stated by Fenerbahce.

More Fenerbahce News

It occurred during Fenerbahce's Round 16 loss at Barcelona

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens’s All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort was reportedly taken to the hospital during Thursday’s game against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz after suffering an apparent ankle injury early in the third quarter

All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort leaves game with leg injury

[Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/)’s All-EuroLeague center [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) successfully underwent surgery on the fractured fibula he suffered during the team's game against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday, the club confirmed on Friday.

Lessort came down badly on his left ankle after tipping a steal away and could be heard screaming from pain immediately after. He later hopped on one leg as he made his way off the court.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mathias Lessort IG story with his son on the way to the hospital. Ergin Ataman said the he has probably broken his leg. Pending evaluation. <a href="https://t.co/NI6beWKNO7">pic.twitter.com/NI6beWKNO7</a></p>&mdash; Vasiliki Karamouza (@karamouza_vas) <a href="https://twitter.com/karamouza_vas/status/1869831770348368223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Immediately after the game, Baskonia guard [Markus Howard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/markus-howard/011948/) huddled with players from both teams and led a prayer for Lessort.

Before the injury, Lessort was shining for the Greens with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 16 minutes. For the season, his second in Athens, Lessort has averaged 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He was second in the league in rebounds and sixth in average PIR (20.5).

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bigger than Basketball ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/markushoward11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@markushoward11</a> joins the <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paobcgr</a> squad to pray and show support for Lessort 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/lsEYUywcP7">pic.twitter.com/lsEYUywcP7</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1869831289743810714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We’re praying the injury is not as serious as it looks," Panathinaikos guard [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) said after the game. "We just need everybody to keep him in our prayers. He’s our brother and we are going to have his back, that’s for sure."

Head coach Ergin Ataman added: "We have nothing to celebrate and it’s very bad luck for Mathias. It looks like he broke his leg and the whole team was in shock after that."

"That’s my brother, it’s bad to see him down like that and I am at a loss for words," Panathinaikos playmaker Lorenzo Brown said. "I hope he has a speedy recovery and it’s going to be tough for us to move on."

Over the past few seasons, Lessort has cemented himself as one of the best big men in Europe. He was an All-EuroCup First Team selection in 2021 as he helped AS Monaco win the EuroCup. Two years later he was an All-EuroLeague First Teamer with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and last season he helped Panathinaikos win the EuroLeague while retaining his spot among the competition’s top five players. He also captured a silver medal with the French national team last summer at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Several of his former teams had wished Lessort well long before the final buzzer sounded Thursday in Athens.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sending best wishes to Mathias Lessort who left the court with an injury against Baskonia 🙏<br><br>Injuries are never easy to deal with, but we know you will return stronger than ever 🤍 <a href="https://t.co/o8giqnnkzw">pic.twitter.com/o8giqnnkzw</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket EN (@asmonaco_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/asmonaco_en/status/1869820334834323575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Get well soon, Mathias! 🙏🏻 <a href="https://t.co/jNzmCzl7PW">pic.twitter.com/jNzmCzl7PW</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1869824182617563581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Your black-white Family loves you!🖤🤍 <a href="https://twitter.com/ThiasLsf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiasLsf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKPartizan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKPartizan</a> <a href="https://t.co/AvYwym7viX">pic.twitter.com/AvYwym7viX</a></p>&mdash; KK Partizan Mozzart Bet (@PartizanBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/PartizanBC/status/1869827635339243690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🙏🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/ThiasLsf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiasLsf</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1869828225498743071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The star big man went down in agony early in the third quarter