Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 17 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

EuroLeague pregame quotes hub: Round 17

## Friday, December 20

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (18:30 CET)

**Tomislav Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach**

"We are entering the preparations for the second part of our double game week of course against one of the teams that's playing in a high form in this part of the EuroLeague and their domestic league. We understand that a team that's coached by Mr. Obradovic who is super well-prepared for all possible tactical options, and we understand that we need to be at our absolute best physically, mentally, discipline wise and tactically in order to reach our goal which is to win the game. We will count as always on the wonderful support of our fans and in the synergy between our players, our bench and our wonderful fans, we are hoping to produce one more very important victory at home."

**Dan Oturu, Anadolu Efes Istanbul center**

"Partizan is a very good team. I think they've won the last five games in a row before this double game week. They just lost to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in their last game. We know they are going to be hungry to come and they are gonna fight hard and play very hard. We just have to come out with the right mindset of mentality to be able to come out with the victory tomorrow."

**Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach**

"Efes is a team with the phenomenal quality and they are well-covered in all positions. The fact that a player like Larkin can endure to play practically without points until the very end of the game, fully submit to the team and distribute 12 assists speaks volumes about their strength. Yesterday we had individual training with several players who were ill and are recovering from injuries. We travel to Istanbul without Lundberg, Nilikina and Marinković, who are currently unable to help the team and will remain in Belgrade for therapy. Regardless, that doesn't mean we go there thinking we can't win and have no chance. On the contrary, we believe in our abilities and will prepare for the game in the best possible way."

**Mitar Bosnjakovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade forward**

"Expectations are always high. After this tough loss, I think we need to rise up and come out of it as strong as possible. Our team spirit is always good and at a high level — that's what defines us. Whether we lose or win, we remain a team."

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (19:00 CET)

**Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach**

"ASVEL just won playing amazing in Belgrade, and we know very well how difficult it is to beat Partizan. ASVEL is killing all streaks. They won against Paris, they won against Partizan... They are playing with a lot of confidence, size, athleticism. Lauvergne, Maledon, De Colo... all players who can be starters or have a big role on any team in the EuroLeague. It's another game where we need to have mental discipline, tactical discipline; we need to execute, we need to know what to do. It's a game where we need once again to raise the bar of what we are doing."

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. FC Barcelona (20:00 CET)

**Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach**

"Barcelona is one of the best teams in the EuroLeague, definitely a candidate for the Final Four, but we have the goal of improving game after game. Every game we have to show more, especially in terms of energy and character."

**Marco Belinelli, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard**

"Important game against a strong team like Barcelona, ​​a team that comes from good performances like the last one it won at home against Fenerbahce. We know how tough it will be both from a tactical and physical point of view: it will be important to fight like we did in the last game, trying to limit our mistakes. We will have to play team basketball, both on offense and defense, ready to help each other until the end."

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. ALBA Berlin (20:15 CET)

**Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach**

"It is always tough to play back-to-back games. It will be a huge mistake if we underestimate our opponent just because of their place on the standings. We need to adjust our game, because ALBA plays faster even than Paris. That is proven by the numbers. We must play well on both ends. We have to follow our game plan, shoot the ball well, and establish our pace in order to get the win. We play harder than ALBA, and that’s something we should take advantage of. We must prove on the court that we have a better team than them. I have to repeat, though, that nothing is a foregone conclusion in the EuroLeague. It needs big effort to get the win, no matter who your opponent is."

**Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus forward**

"I do not really care so much about the MVP of the Round title. I only want the team to win. That’s the most important. To win, to improve ourselves, and to be ready at the right time. ALBA has had a certain basketball style all these years. Maybe they had a better roster in the previous years, but they still are a tough opponent. It’s forbidden for us to make the mistake of underestimating them. In my opinion, if we stay focused and follow the plan, we will get the win."

**Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach**

"Olympiacos is a team that has great EuroLeague championship potential. They have a lot of new players and needed a bit of time to find their rhythm and get into their rotation. But they have a very deep roster, identify themselves through an intense defense and have a great ball movement in offense. With Vezenkov, Olympiacos has one of the best players in the EuroLeague, who can make the difference at any time. When Olympiacos go on a run, it's super tough to stop them at home."

**Louis Olinde, ALBA Berlin forward**

"We are in a tough EuroLeague double week. We had the privilege of playing at home on Tuesday, but now we have to play away at Olympiacos. The most important thing for us will be to keep our focus 100 percent the whole game."

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)

**Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach**

"Maccabi is an important game, we have to show a reaction after the game against Efes. A very dangerous team, which is offensively oriented and plays in a special way on offense and can easily score points. We have to be concentrated, to follow the defensive structure and plan, and on offense to be smart and use the advantages, find their weaknesses and attack them in the right way."

**Joel Bolomboy, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade center**

"The standings show that they are at the bottom, but that doesn't matter in the EuroLeague; anyone can lose. They are a good team, they have quality players, they shoot well, they play pick and roll... When you hear and when you see on paper \[that Rivero is out and Gabriel is a game-time decision\], it seems good, it seems we have an advantage, but at the end of the day, it gives an opportunity for the Maccabi players to make a breakthrough, which usually happens. Whatever it is, we will see. We will be ready, focused on ourselves whoever plays for them. They lack players, so we have to be even more ready."

**Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach**

"We are looking forward to a great atmosphere, one of the best atmospheres in Europe. They are a great team. We are coming off a loss and we need to respond. We are missing some players, it's not easy for us, but we need to be really focused and keep our good body language, which we lost a little bit in the last game. But we need to react, mentally first of all; we need to be ready for a really aggressive game, controlling the boards. They have a few scorers, but their forwards are really dominant, so a lot of post-up situations. They have a lot of smart players and a great coach."

**John DiBartolomeo, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard**

"They have built a really strong team this year. We are familiar with Ioannis and Vasileios and the type of basketball they play. We expect to fight, they're a really defensively-orientated team, a very structured team, and they have a great roster from top to bottom with a lot of talent. It'll be a tough challenge for us in this environment, but we're looking forward to it."

**Levi Randolph, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward**

"For us, just to continue to get better. We want to hit first, withstand the runs, and build a full game. There are a lot of ups and downs in the game, and our goal is just to withstand those runs and do our best to come out with the win."

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. FC Bayern Munich (21:00 CET)

**Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach**

“We had one more day than usual to recover energy and understand if Leandro Bolmaro and Josh Nebo can help us in this game against Bayern. We were very happy after the Barcelona win and obviously we are not happy with what happened in Athens. But this is a very long, demanding and complex season, so we only have to look at this game in which we will face a team that has an excellent offense, balanced and well organized by Coach Herbert. We are also glad to see two special players again, Shabazz Napier and Johannes Voigtmann, who helped us win of two Italian championships."

## Thursday, December 19

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (18:45 CET)

**Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach**

"Every time, the second game in the double week is more dangerous and difficult. After the first game, we have some players with injury problems, so we won't have much of a chance to prepare special tactics for this game. We found our confidence, we played aggressive against Baskonia. It will be important to forget what happened in that game because Baskonia is a very dangerous team. They have incredible players on offense like Howard and Moneke, so we need to be ready to fight for one more victory that will be important to finish the first half of the regular season with 10 wins."

**Omer Yurtseven, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center**

"We need to come out aggressive, I think that's what it's going to take. I hope Kendrick starts off hot again, I think we all do, and then things will take care of themselves. Just being aggressive on defense and offense. We didn't let them score in the first five minutes \[against Milan\] so hopefully we can do that again."

### Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco (20:45 CET)

**Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach**

“AS Monaco are coming from playing very well against Bayern Munich and last week they beat Fenerbahce convincingly. They are in great form, they are playing really well and we know the quality of their players. Tomorrow's game is still a EuroLeague game that is always very demanding regardless of who the opponent is, but if we think about Monaco's form and the dynamic they are in, the game is very difficult. Monaco has a lot of points, but they also play at a good pace, they play very well as a team, they have many mechanisms acquired from previous years and, in addition, Spanoulis has given them a new look. In any case, we face this game with enthusiasm, trying to find the continuity that we have been lacking since the beginning of the season, but that we are looking hard for. Hopefully these two high-level games against Paris and Monaco will help us find the continuity we need."

**Alberto Abalde, Real Madrid forward**

“AS Monaco is a great team that has had a major change on the bench with the arrival of Spanoulis. They are a very difficult opponent to beat at all levels: in terms of players, talent, physique, style and level of play, which is very high... and we will have to do a great job to get a victory in front of our fans, which would be very important. We will try to make sure that their playmakers, especially the outside players, are not comfortable and that will require a good team effort to lower their averages, although we also have to focus on our own. I think that when we are strong and consistent in what we do we are a difficult team to beat and I think that is key to our growth."

**Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach**

"All I'm concerned about is training on Thursday and how we approach the game against Real. Everyone can dream, you can have big goals, which is our case, but we have to remain very humble and try to impose our identity as I would like. I've got a very good group of boys, who are always working harder and know what it means to aim high. We don't have time to train a lot, but we do a lot of tactical and video training. I've got a very receptive group, we want to progress and we have discussions about the way we want to play. All EuroLeague matches are tough, so that's obviously the case when we travel to Madrid."

**Terry Tarpey, AS Monaco guard**

"It all starts with the defense. We're confident, but we know that Real are a big team and we're going to give it everything we've got as a team, as we're doing so well at the moment. We're going to try and pass the ball around as much as we can. The fact that I'm playing again? It's thanks to my family, my teammates, they've always supported me, they used to tell me to play basketball and not think too much, so I'm happy to be able to give them a bit of happiness."

Pregame quotes hub: 'ASVEL is killing all streaks'

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)

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

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

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

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)

Here, you can find all the latest injury news surrounding all registered players in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

EuroLeague injury report: Round 17

Follow all the latest injury information for registered players in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, as reported by the clubs, and get your [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home?_ga=2.101462721.1199459303.1696273873-903329349.1669636775) teams up to date!

### ALBA Berlin

Will McDowell-White and Justin Bean are ruled out for ALBA's game at Olympiacos on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Gabriele Procida last played in Round 14.
- Will McDowell-White has not played since Round 8.
- [Justin Bean](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/justin-bean-out-three-months-with-broken-wrist/) is out until early February after breaking his wrist.

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul

All of Efes's players are available for its game against Partizan on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Shane Larkin returned to action in Round 15.

### AS Monaco

Furkan Korkmaz is available while Nick Calathes and Alpha Diallo are ruled out for Monaco's game at Real Madrid on Thursday, the club has confirmed.

- Furkan Korkmaz, who was a game-time decision in Rounds 15 and 16, did not feature. He last played in Round 8 but has travelled with the team to Madrid.
- [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nick-calathes-out-3-4-weeks-with-knee-injury/), who was a game-time decision in Round 16, did not feature. He has not yet played this season.
- [Alpha Diallo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-basket-loses-alpha-diallo-to-knee-injury/) is out for at least two weeks with a knee injury.

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Baskonia has not yet sent an injury report for its game at Panathinaikos on Thursday.

- [Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/timothe-luwawu-cabarrot-sidelined-with-calf-injury/), who last played in Round 11, is dealing with a calf injury, but no timetable has been set for his return.

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

Ognjen Dobric, Branko Lazic, Milos Teodosic and and John Brown are ruled out for Crvena Zvezda's game against Maccabi on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- [John Brown signed for Crvena Zvezda last week](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/crvena-zvezda-signs-defensive-ace-john-brown/) and he has been registered ahead of Round 16.
- Milos Teodosic and Branko Lazic were not available in Round 16. Teodosic also missed Round 15.
- [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/joel-bolomboy-hyperextends-knee-avoids-acl-tear/) hyperextended his knee and underwent conservative treatment. The center, who last played in Round 4, did play in the ABA League last weekend.

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

Leandro Bolmaro and Josh Nebo are game-time decisions for Milan's game against Bayern on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Leandro Bolmaro, Stefano Tonut and Giordano Bortolani did not play in Round 16.
- [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/josh-nebo-to-be-reevaluated-in-3-4-weeks/) (arm) has not played since Round 7.

### FC Barcelona

Barcelona has not yet sent an injury report for its game at Virtus on Friday.

- [New signing Raul Neto](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-brings-in-ex-nba-guard-raul-neto/) made his debut in Round 12, but he is out with a groin injury.
- [Chimezie Metu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-loses-chimezie-metu-for-6-8-weeks/) is out with a sprained knee.
- [Nico Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nico-laprovittola-to-undergo-knee-surgery/) is ruled out for the season due to an ACL and meniscus injury.

### FC Bayern Munich

Oscar da Silva is on the 12-man roster while Ivan Kharchenkov is left out and Vladimir Lucic is unavailable for Bayern's game at Milan on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Oscar da Silva did not play in Round 16.
- Bayern has been without Vladimir Lucic (muscle bruise) since Round 2.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

[Fenerbahce's game against Paris](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/paris-basketball-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-suspended/) on Thursday has been suspended due to a number of Paris players dealing with flu.

- Devon Hall returned to action in Round 16.
- Wade Baldwin left Fenerbahce's Round 16 game with an injury.
- [Arturs Zagars](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/arturs-zagars-fenerbahce-beko-foot-injury/) suffered a foot injury ahead of Round 15.
- [Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahces-dyshawn-pierre-sidelined-by-calf-injury/) suffered a calf injury in Round 12.
- [Scottie Wilbekin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-confirms-the-worst-scottie-wilbekin-has-torn-his-acl/) tore his ACL in Round 1 and is out with a long-term injury.

### LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne

ASVEL has not yet sent an injury report for its game at Zalgiris on Friday.

- Andre Roberson suffered a right ankle injury during a French League game last weekend and did not play in Round 16.
- [Edwin Jackson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/edwin-jackson-to-miss-six-weeks-with-hamstring-injury/) has been out since Round 7 with a hamstring injury, but he has rejoined group practices.
- [Charles Kahudi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/charles-kahudi-out-for-four-weeks-with-groin-injury/) is out until mid-January with a groin injury.

### Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

Wenyen Gabriel and Jasiel Rivero are ruled out for Maccabi's game at Crvena Zvezda on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Wenyen Gabriel left Maccabi's Round 16 game with a hand injury.
- [Jasiel Rivero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/maccabi-loses-jasiel-rivero-again-to-torn-hamstring/) is out until early-to-mid January with a torn hamstring.

### Olympiacos Piraeus

Keenan Evans and Moses Wright are ruled out for Olympiacos's game against ALBA on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Moustapha Fall returned to action in Round 16.
- [Nathan Mensah joined Olympiacos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-bc-signs-nathan-mensah/), but he has not yet been registered.
- [Moses Wright](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/moses-wright-out-for-the-season-with-health-issue/) is out for the season with a health issue.
- [Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-star-keenan-evans-out-long-term-after-knee-surgery/) remains sidelined after undergoing knee surgery. He has not yet been registered for the competition.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

Ioannis Papapetrou (sick) is questionable for Panathinaikos's game against Baskonia on Thursday, the club has confirmed.

- Ioannis Papapetrou did not play in Round 16.
- Marius Grigonis (lower back surgery) has not played since Round 4.

### Paris Basketball

[Paris's game against Fenerbahce](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/paris-basketball-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul-suspended/) on Thursday has been suspended due to a number of Paris players dealing with flu.

- Daulton Hommes has not played so far this season.

### Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Frank Ntilikina, Vanja Marinkovic and Iffe Lundberg are ruled out for Partizan's game against Efes on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Brandon Davies and Frank Ntilikina did not play in Round 16.
- Iffe Lundberg (foot) last played in Round 12.
- Mario Nakic (ankle) has not played since Round 7.

### Real Madrid

Real Madrid has not yet sent an injury report for its game against Monaco on Thursday.

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna

Toko Shengelia is ruled out for Virtus's game against Barcelona on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Toko Shengelia did not play in Round 16.

### Zalgiris Kaunas

All of Zalgiris's players are available for its game against ASVEL on Friday, the club has confirmed.

- Dovydas Giedraitis returned to action in Round 16.

Stay up to date with the latest information provided by the EuroLeague clubs

Injury report, Round 17: Nebo could return, three missing for Partizan

Dzanan Musa stood out and played a very strong game as Real Madrid won one of its biggest and most important games of the season, topping AS Monaco 94-72 at WiZink Center in Round 17. 

Now healthy, Dzanan Musa took Real Madrid to another level in Round 17

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) won one of its biggest and most important games of the season, [topping AS Monaco 94-72](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-thrashes-first-place-monaco-94-72/) at WiZink Center in Round 17. In an all-around team performance, [Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) stood out and played a very strong game.

Musa was active in the 23 minutes he spent on the floor, going past the 20-point mark for the first time this season. He finished the game with 22 points on 5-of-8 two-point shooting and 3-of-4 on three-pointers, plus 5 rebounds and a season-high 5 assists for a PIR of 26.

His performance went beyond numbers, however. Musa attacked the rim at every opportunity, finding easy points in transition and looking for backdoor layups. Of course, Musa was also deadly from beyond the arc and his overall activity paid off with a great performance in a must-win game for Real.

Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid had an all-around performance against AS Monaco: 22 points on 5 of 8 two-pointers and 3 of 4 three-pointers, 5 rebounds, a season-high 5 assists and a PIR of 26.

Musa has season-high 22 points against AS Monaco

"I had a difficult injury. It didn't seem like it, but just against Zalgiris, it was the first game that I didn't feel the pain, and I'm back with full confidence," Musa said after the game. "I am happy that I could do this for my team, that I could be back in my best form."

Musa missed four games due to injury, from Rounds 7 to 10. In the next four games after this injury, he averaged 8.0 points on 50% two-point shooting and 33.3% from deep, which led to a PIR average of 9.8. After that game that Musa mentioned, against Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 15, he has been his usual, dangerous self. Musa has boosted his numbers to 16.3 points on 12 of 16 two-point shooting (75%) and 4-of-9 on threes (44.4%) for a PIR of 19.0.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">🤍 ¡HALA MADRID! 🤍 <a href="https://t.co/s0bJFqrnZl">pic.twitter.com/s0bJFqrnZl</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1869869554970616134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Musa was full of confidence after the game, as his team has been able to beat the competition's leader, Paris Basketball and then Monaco, in consecutive games this week. Real now has an 8-9 record at the regular season's halfway mark.

"Even though the standings don't say so, I think we are one of the top three teams in the EuroLeague and we will show that, but we have to go step by step because this is a long season," Musa said. "The EuroLeague has never been better, so we've got to keep working. It's not easy, but I think that with our talent and our coaching staff, we can reach the playoffs and the Final Four."

Real Madrid guard Dzanan Musa spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat AS Monaco in Round 17 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Dzanan Musa: 'We are one of the top three teams in the EuroLeague'

Musa got plenty of help from Real's second unit. In less than 16 minutes, playmaker [Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) had 12 points, 4 assists and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 21, while missing just one shot. [Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/), also back after being sidelined for the better part of the season, had 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 17.

Everything points out to a good second half of the season for *Los Blancos* due to their depth and experience. Of course, time will tell.

Game News

After struggling following an injury, Los Blancos' swingman is back on track

Its second unit stepped up in Round 17. A great sign going forward. 


Real's depth stops Monaco 

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) showed its best version in Round 17, [downing AS Monaco 94-72](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-thrashes-first-place-monaco-94-72/) at home. After dropping to 6-9, Real had to face the competition's first-place team in consecutive games and in them [defeated Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/real-madrid-defeats-shorts-less-paris-85-96/) and then Monaco.

*Los Blancos* relied on great depth to win the game on a night in which star center [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) was limited to 2 points and a career-low PIR of -5. Coach [Chus Mateo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/mateo-chus/?season=E2024) did not worry, however, as his second unit stepped up throughout the game to lead Real to a good-as-gold victory.

Real's bench players combined for 51 points and 27 rebounds, and that allowed the hosts to outrebound Monaco 41-29. By comparison, Monaco's second unit only contributed 22 points and 18 rebounds.

[Facu Campazzo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/) came off the bench midway through the first quarter and made the difference with his court vision and shooting accuracy. In less than 16 minutes, he had 12 points, 4 assists and 5 fouls drawn for a PIR of 21, missing just one shot. 

Real Madrid big man Usman Garuba had 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 4 fouls drawn against AS Monaco.

Garuba plays key role against Monaco

[Usman Garuba](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/usman-garuba/007630/) also made the most of his 15 minutes on the court, getting 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 17. Garuba came off the bench to play center and also was seen alongside Serge Ibaka, who had 5 points and 4 rebounds.

[Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) came off the bench against Monaco for just the fifth time this season, providing instant offense and finishing the game with 13 points and 5 rebounds for a PIR of 15.

Real shot the ball well in the first half (57.9% 2FG, 54.5% 3FG) and outrebounded Monaco 25-12, also getting 14 first-half assists. That led to a 53-35 halftime lead and *Los Blancos* did not look back after that.

Game Videos

"We played against a team that only had 4-5 defeats, and it was difficult to face them because they got very, very good players. But we did a good job on defense. We know that if we play good on defense, if we do like we did today in one-on-one \[situations\] and rebounding like we did, we have the option to to win every game against whoever," Coach Mateo said after the game. "But we need to play with the same concentration that we showed today."

The second unit stepped up in Round 17, which is a great sign for Los Blancos going forward

Real Madrid's depth stopped Monaco 

Los Blancos led 53-35 at halftime and didn't look back 


Real thrashes first-place Monaco, 94-72! 

Real Madrid rounded a perfect double-round week by thrashing AS Monaco 94-72 in the Spanish capital in Round 17 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. Mario Hezonja added 13 points and Gabriel Deck and Facu Campazzo each had 12 for Real. Mike James paced Monaco with 19 points. Jordan Loyd scored 13, Donatas Motiejunas added 12 and Matthew Strazel had 10 for the visitors.

Musa got Real going with a put-back layup. Donatas Motiejunas scored in the paint and James added a three-point play for a 3-5 Monaco edge. Musa struck from downtown and got help from Deck to restore a Real lead. Walter Tavares erased James's floater with a dunk, and then Eli Ndiaye scored in transition for a 12-8 Real margin. Motiejunas sank his trademark jump hook and James erased Musa's layup with a jumper. Hezonja struck from beyond the arc and followed Campazzo's triple with a wild three-point play for a 23-14 Real lead. Afteer James buried a fallaway jumper, Ndiaye dunked and Campzzzo made it a double-digit game, 27-16. Jaron Blossomgame made a jump hook and Strazel sank an off-balance three-pointer to help Monaco get within 29-22 after 10 minutes. 

Usman Garuba took over with an alley-oop layup early in the second quarter. Alberto Abalde beat the shot clock with a highly-contested jumper, then Campazzo dished a magic assist to Hugo Gonzalez for a fastbreak layup that boosted Los Blancos' lead. Deck soon capped a 10-0 run that broke the game open, 39-22. Deck kept pushing Real with a backdoor layup. Jordan Loyd, Serge Ibaka and Vitto Brown each hit a three-pointer for a 44-29 score. Loyd added a fastbreak layup and Motiejunas made a triple that gave Monaco hope at 44-34. Abalde scored a stop-and-pop three-pointer and Ibaka dunked, which prompted the visitors to call a timeout at 49-35. Musa and Deck made it 53-35 at halftime. 

 

Campazzo ignited the crowd with a three-point play soon after the break. Motiejunas stepped up with a tip-in, Musa answered with a layup in transition and Campazzo scored off a steal to break the game open, 61-37. Motiejunas made a jump hook and Loyd followed it with a fastbreak layup. James got Monaco a bit closer, 61-43. Deck buried a fadeaway jumper and Andres Feliz added a three-point play that boosted Real's lead to 66-43. Hezonja took over with an alley-oop layup and Musa improved on Loyd's jumper with a three-point play. Abalde found space for a wide-open triple and got help from Garuba to give Real a 77-47 lead after three quarters.

Garuba scored around the basket early in the fourth quarter. James found Mam Jaiteh for an easy basket and connected with Petr Cornelie for a dunk. Strazel struck from beyond the arc and James's jumper got Monaco within 79-56. Furkan Korkmaz capped a 0-11 run with a fastbreak layup that prompted Real to call timeout at 79-58. Musa stepped up with a backdoor layup that James bettered with a huge three-pointer. After Musa answered from downtown, James swished a baseline jumper and Hezonja's backdoor layup created an 86-63 Real lead. Monaco never gave up, but Los Blancos had already cruised to a well-deserved win. 

'Los Blancos' led 53-35 at halftime and didn't look back 


Real thrashes first-place Monaco, 94-72

Reigning champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens returned to winning ways with a pair of big wins in a double-round week, bouncing back from adversity in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on the back of majestic displays from its leader Kendrick Nunn. 
Following a 103-74 blowout of EA7 visiting Emporio Armani Milan on Tuesday, Panathinaikos romped to a 104-69 whitewash of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz with Nunn racking up 65 points over the two matchups


Vintage Kendrick Nunn caught fire to steer Panathinaikos again

Reigning EuroLeague champion [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) returned to winning ways with a pair of big wins in a double-round week, bouncing back from adversity in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on the back of majestic displays from its leader [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/).

Following a [103-74 blowout of EA7 visiting Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nunns-39-points-leads-panathinaikos-past-milan-103-74/) on Tuesday, Panathinaikos romped to a [104-69 whitewash of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nunn-shines-again-as-panathinaikos-demolishes-baskonia-104-69/) with Nunn racking up 65 points over the two matchups.

It was a stark change in fortunes for the guard, who had suffered a slump in form and was handed a one-game suspension for inappropriate conduct in his team’s [91-73 loss at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/partizan-overwhelms-panathinaikos-91-73-to-make-it-four-in-a-row/) in Round 14.

Having missed the [93-67 debacle at Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-beats-up-panathinaikos-93-67/) in the following round, Nunn came back with a vengeance to pour in [a career-high 39 points ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/kendrick-nunn-enjoyed-record-night-at-oaka/)against Milan before draining 26 against Baskonia, coupled with a career-high 9 assists and 4 steals.

Kendrick Nunn caught fire to steer Panathinaikos again

In every aspect, Nunn looked like the player who drove the Greens to their [seventh championship in Europe’s premier club competition](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/championship-game-live-real-madrid-vs-panathinaikos/) last season, facilitating the offense in the second half after shooting the lights out in the first.

Unfortunately, his second successive monster performance was overshadowed by [a serious injury](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/all-euroleague-center-mathias-lessort-leaves-game-with-leg-injury/) to the team’s other pillar, [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/).

Post-game comments from Lessort’s teammates and head coach [Ergin Ataman ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/ataman-ergin/?season=E2024)amounted to wishing the Panathinaikos big man a speedy recovery, as he was rushed to hospital for an MRI scan.

Profoundly shocked by the incident, Ataman was also struck to learn that a fan had suffered an apparent heart attack after seeing Lessort go down awkwardly and leave in anguish.  

“It was a very strange night and it’s difficult to talk about the fantastic basketball that we played,” Ataman said at the post-game press conference.  “Mathias suffered a very serious injury and I also want to thank Baskonia’s head coach Pablo Laso for agreeing to stop the game for 10 minutes after it happened.

“I was told that somebody \[among the fans\] suffered a heart attack. We are all hoping for good news about Mathias and we’re waiting for the doctors to say what kind of a fracture it is. That’s basketball and things like that can happen, but for the first time in my life I saw a fan get a heart attack over a player’s injury,” the Turkish tactician added with a grim look on his face.

The 29-year-old guard bounced back from a one-game suspension in a memorable double-week

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens blew away visiting Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 104-69 in Round 17 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and improved 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.

Nunn shines again as Panathinaikos demolishes Baskonia, 104-69

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens blew away visiting Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 104-69 in Round 17 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and improved 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, having to hop off the court in excruciating pain amid screams from both sets of players and fans.

“We have nothing to celebrate and it’s very bad luck for Mathias,” the home team’s head coach Ergin Ataman said in a courtside post-game interview. “It looks like he broke his leg and the whole team was in shock after that.”

Nunn added: “We’re praying the injury is not as serious as it looks. 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.”

Lorenzo Brown added 18 points for Panathinaikos, Juancho Hernangomez netted 10 and Lessort racked up 10 points to go with 6 boards before the gut-wrenching incident which saw hordes of home fans crying in anguish.

At the other end, Chima Moneke scored 16 points and Kamar Baldwin added 10 for Baskonia, which got trampled on from start to finish.

Having scored a career-high 39 points in Tuesday’s 103-74 home rout of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Nunn carried on right where he left off against the Italian side and poured 14 points in the first quarter of the matchup with Baskonia, with Panathinaikos romping into a 33-12 lead.

Baskonia regained some composure early in the second and slashed the deficit to 36-21 and then 48-35 in the closing stages of the first half, but Panathinaikos was still able to take a whopping lead, 53-35, into the locker room at halftime.

The game went flat for some time after Lessort’s injury early in the third quarter and was held up moments later after a fan had collapsed with Ataman saying in his post-game interview it appeared to be a stroke.

Both teams went through the motions for the remainder of the third quarter before Panathinaikos put its foot back on the gas in the fourth, engineering a 16-0 run late in the game for a 99-64 lead.

With both teams huddled together after the buzzer, Baskonia guard Markus Howard led a prayer for Lessort with home fans repeatedly chanting the big man’s name.   

“That’s my brother, it’s bad to see him down like that and I am at a loss for words,” Brown said as he barely held back the tears. “I hope he has a speedy recovery and it’s going to be tough for us to move on.”

The prolific guard followed up on his shooting spree from the previous round with another masterclass

The final round of the first half of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season will also complete the last double round week of the season. Here’s your overview to Thursday and Friday’s games in Round 17.

At a glance: The double-round fun continues!

The final round of the first half of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season will also complete the last double round week of the season. Here’s your overview to Thursday and Friday’s games in Round 17.

## Thursday, December 19

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (18:45 CET)

Two of Tuesday’s winners will attempt to complete a perfect week as Panathinaikos (9-7) welcomes Baskonia (7-9), who both teams looking for consistency. Get ready for a long-range shootout as Greens scoring star Kendrick Nunn tries to stay hot after netting an all-time competition record seven first quarter three-pointers in the rout against Milan, while Baskonia also offers an in-form deep threat after Markus Howard netted 28 points – including 6-of-9 from long-range – to inspire a Round 15 victory at Maccabi. That game also saw dynamic power forward Chima Moneke continue his excellent season with 17 points and 8 rebounds, and his personal battle with the always-electric Mathias Lessort – averaging 13.6 points and 7.1 boards per game – will be a bone-crunching highlight.

Round 17 Head-to-Head: Nunn vs. Howard

### Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco (20:45 CET)

After gaining good wins in Round 16, Real (7-9) and co-leader Monaco (11-5) go head-to-head in the Spanish capital. The Roca Team has won four of five games since Vassilis Spanoulis was appointed head coach, scoring at least 91 points in each of those victories. Most recently, Monaco’s collective passing ability shined as seven players dished multiple assists – including five apiece for Terry Tarpey and Matthew Strazel – in a team total of 28 to deliver victory over Bayern. Real ended a three-game losing run by triumphing at Paris on Tuesday, as Walter Tavares controlled the paint with his third double-double of the season. Monaco forces more turnovers than any other team in the league (14 per game), putting pressure on Real leader Facu Campazzo (7.6 assists, 2.0 turnovers per game).

Round 17 Head-to-Head: Tavares vs. Papagiannis

## Friday, December 20

### Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (18:30 CET)

Efes (9-7) will look for a second victory this week against a Partizan (7-9) looking to kickstart another winning run. The Serbian team saw a five-game winning streak ended by a home loss to ASVEL earlier on Tuesday, and will hope that Brandon Davies and Frank Ntilikina can recover from illness to make the trip to Turkiye. Visiting big man Tyrique Jones will attempt to damage his former club by continuing his strong form after averaging 15.8 points and 8 boards over the last four games. But he faces a tough task against his replacement in the paint for Efes, Dan Oturu, who paired 17 points with 6 rebounds to power his team’s impressive comeback win over Zvezda earlier in the week.

Round 17 Head-to-Head: Bryant vs. Washington

### Zalgiris Kaunas vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (19:00 CET)

Two teams heading in the right direction meet in Kaunas with Zalgiris (10-6) welcoming in-form ASVEL (7-9). Zalgiris has climbed into a share of third place by winning three straight, most recently easing past ALBA on Tuesday behind 16 points from Sylvain Francisco. ASVEL gained its first road win of the season by edging out Partizan earlier this week, led by 17 points and 9 boards from big man Joffrey Lauvergne, meaning the French team has won four of its last five. The game will feature an exciting backcourt duel between two of the competition’s most spectacular young players, with Zalgiris star Lonnie Walker (16.4 points per game) aiming to outgun Theo Maledon (18.8 ppg), who has passed 20 points in seven of the last eight games.

Round 17 Head-to-Head: Birutis vs. Lauvergne

### Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. FC Barcelona (20:00 CET)

After returning to top form by crushing Fenerbahce on Tuesday, Barcelona (9-7) will look to stay strong with a road trip to Virtus (3-13). Kevin Punter inspired the Spanish team earlier this week with 25 points, but coach Joan Penarroya will be more interested in seeing a repeat of Barca’s defensive efforts which limited Fener to just 63 points. Virtus succumbed at Olympiacos on Wednesday despite sharpshooting veteran Marco Belinelli returning to action with 20 points. The Italian team, which will hope to welcome back Toko Shengelia after injury, allows more offensive rebounds than any other team, so Barca will look to crash the glass through the in-form Justin Anderson, who has scored 15, 16 and 17 points in the last three games.

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. ALBA Berlin (20:15 CET)

Olympiacos (10-6) will look to cement its position in the top six with a visit from last-placed ALBA (3-13). The German team has only ever won once in Piraeus, and needs to somehow stop the unstoppable Sasha Vezenkov, who drained 27 points as the Reds overcame Virtus two days ago – the former EuroLeague MVP has recorded two straight double-doubles and averages 18.8 points per game. And if Vezenkov doesn’t get ALBA, Alec Peters is ready to step in after netting 12 points on 3-of-3 triples plus 8 rebounds last time out. To counter that duo, the visitor could use another strong game from Yanni Wetzell, who combined 15 points with 8 boards and 5 assists in the home loss to Zalgiris in Round 16.

### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)

Zvezda (8-8) and Maccabi (4-12) will meet in a familiar Belgrade environment for both teams as they look to rebound from losses earlier this week. Zvezda, which has won three of its last four at home, needs to cut out the mistakes which led to 21 turnovers in Wednesday’s loss at Efes, while hoping that top scorer Filip Petrusev stays hot after he netted 15 points in that game. Maccabi, on a four-game losing run, will be led from the backcourt by Rokas Jokubaitis, who had an impressive 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in Tuesday’s loss to Baskonia, but desperately needs to improve a leaky defense which has allowed at least 84 points in seven consecutive games.

### EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. FC Bayern Munich (21:00 CET)

After suffering heavy road losses earlier this week, direct rivals Milan (9-7) and Bayern (10-6) will look for an instant reaction to get back on track. The German team has a 2-6 record on the road this season, while Milan has been victorious in five straight at home. Both teams will be seeking defensive improvement after respectively allowing 103 and 93 points in Tuesday defeats. Competition scoring leader Carsen Edwards again led Bayern with 17 points in the loss at Monaco, while Milan’s equally free-scoring Nikola Mirotic maintained his outstanding form with 16 points in his team’s defeat in Athens. These are the top two scoring teams in the league, with Milan’s 87.4 points per game only bettered by Bayern’s 88.7, so it should be a high-scoring thriller.

Round 17 Head-to-Head: Mannion vs. Napier

The game between Paris and Fenerbahce has been suspended, meaning there are two games on Thursday and six on Friday

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

 

Streaks

 

Mathias Lessort has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 10 straight and 22 of his last 23 games.

 

Lessort has had a PIR of 10 or more in 24 of his last 25 games.

 

Kendrick Nunn has scored at least 10 points in 21 straight and 36 of his last 37 games.

 

Nunn has made at least 1 three-point shot in 21 straight games.

 

Nunn has had a double-digit PIR in 20 of his last 21 games.

 

Juancho Hernangomez has pulled down 5 rebounds or more in five of his last six games.

 

Kostas Sloukas has had at least 1 steal in eight straight games.

 

Sloukas has made 25 consecutive free throws.

 

 

Season rankings

 

 

Mathias Lessort ranks sixth in average index rating with 20.5 per game.

 

Kendrick Nunn ranks 10th in average index rating with 18.3 per game.

 

Lessort is tied for second in rebounding with 7.1 per game.

 

Lessort ranks fourth in offensive rebounding with 2.7 per game.

 

Lessort ranks fourth in two-point accuracy at 73.6%.

 

Nunn ranks second in scoring with 19.8 points per game.

 

Nunn leads the league in three-pointers made with 2.8 per game.

 

Panathinaikos leads the league in average PIR with 101.8 per game.

 

Panathinaikos ranks third in three-point shooting at 38.5%.

 

Panathinaikos allows 9.5 offensive rebounds, the third fewest in the league.

 

Panathinaikos allows a league-low 31.3 rebounds.

 

 

Records/Milestones

 

 

Kostas Sloukas ranks third all-time with 1,772 assists. Sergio Rodriguez is second with 1,874.

 

Sloukas is in fifth place all-time with 938 free throws made. Felipe Reyes is fourth with 967.

 

Sloukas is eighth all-time with 3,827 career points. Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is seventh with 3,834 and counting. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is sixth with 3,991 and counting.

 

Sloukas is ranked fourth all-time with 4,764 index rating points. Mike James of AS Monaco is third with 4,984 and counting.

 

Sloukas ranks 17th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 88.9%.

 

Marius Grigonis ranks eighth all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.6%.

 

Grigonis needs 4 steals to reach 100 for his career.

 

Jerian Grant is the all-time leader with a 3.0-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

### Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

 

Streaks

 

Chima Moneke has had a double-digit PIR in 10 straight games.

 

Moneke has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 14 of his last 15 games.

 

Nikos Rogkavopoulos has made at least 1 three-pointer in 11 of his last 12 games.

 

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has made 15 consecutive free throws.

 

Trent Forrest has made 12 consecutive free throws.

 

Donta Hall has accumulated a double-digit PIR in six of his last seven games.

 

Hall has had at least 1 block in four of his last five games.

 

Markus Howard has made multiple three-pointers and scored at least 13 points in four straight games.

 

Tadas Sedekerskis has had a PIR of 13 or more in four of his last five games.

 

 

Season rankings

 

 

Chima Moneke ranks eighth in average index rating with 18.8 per game.

 

Moneke is tied for eighth in rebounding with 6.2 per game.

 

Donta Hall is tied for third in blocks with 1.2 per game.

 

Tadas Sedekerskis ranks fifth in three-point accuracy at 52.0%.

 

Markus Howard is tied for eighth in three-pointers made with 2.4 per game.

 

Baskonia ranks second in rebounding with 36.3 per game.

 

Baskonia has limited its opponents to 80.1 points per game, which is third lowest in the league.

 

Baskonia has held opponents to a league-low 50.5% two-point shooting.

 

Baskonia allows a league-high 39.9% three-point shooting.

 

 

Records/Milestones

 

 

Markus Howard made 148 triples last season to set the all-time single-season record.

 

Donta Hall leads the all-time charts in two-point accuracy at 74.2%.

 

Tadas Sedekerskis ranks eighth all-time in two-point accuracy at 66.3%.

 

Ognjen Jaramaz needs 15 points to reach 500 for his career.