Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv got back to the winning ways, leading from start to finish en route to beating ALBA Berlin 85-103 on Thursday night in the German capital. Maccabi registered its first road win of the season and improved to a 4-8 record, while ALBA dropped to a league-worst 2-10 record.

Maccabi runs past ALBA, 85-103

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv got back to winning ways, leading from start to finish en route to beating ALBA Berlin 85-103 on Thursday night in the German capital. Maccabi registered its first road win of the season and improved to 4-8, while ALBA dropped to a league-worst 2-10 record.

Maccabi opened the game with a 2-18 run and then pulled away for good at the end of the first half as Rokas Jokubaitis scored the first 8 points in the game on the way to a career-high 24 points plus 6 assists. Jaylen Hoard scored 18, David DeJulius had 14, while Will Rayman added 12 points in a winning effort. Matteo Spagnolo had 16 points for ALBA, Elias Rapieque scored 14 and Trevion Williams and Gabriele Procida contributed 10 apiece in a loss.

Game Videos

Jokubaitis scored the first 8 points of the game and Wenyen Gabriel blocked a pair of shots as Maccabi jumped to a 0-8 lead. Procida's dunk opened ALBA's account, but John DiBartolomeo and Hoard hit back-to-back three-pointers and Hoard scored two more baskets as the visitors extended the lead to 2-18. Ziga Samar and the newly-signed David McCormack gave ALBA life and a basket from Rapieque got ALBA within 14-25, but Hoard had a fastbreak dunk and DeJulius hit a buzzer-beating three to make it 16-32 after 10 minutes.

McCormack kept finding ways to score inside and the teams proceeded to trade baskets. Roman Sorkin had a layup on one side and a block on the other, but Malte Delow, Spagnolo and Procida got the hosts within 30-36. After Jasiel Rivero snapped an 8-0 run, Jokubaitis had a three-point play and DeJulius finished the half with 7 straight points, including a last-second three-pointer for a 36-52 halftime advantage.

Game News

Spagnolo and Procida got ALBA to a good second-half start, cutting it to 45-56. After baskets from Jokubaitis and Hoard, Jonas Mattiseck sank ALBA's first triple of the game and Procida made it 50-60. But Hoard answered with 5 points, including a triple, sparking a 2-15 run capped by a corner three from Rayman that opened a 52-75 lead.

The visitors took a 56-77 lead into the fourth quarter, which the two teams opened by trading triples. Rapieque sparked an 11-4 run that had ALBA within 78-90 with under 5 minutes to go, but Gabriel, Jokubaitis and Hoard sealed the outcome.

The Israeli champs register their first road win of the season

ALBA Berlin v Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (2024-11-28T19:00:00.000Z)

after a bit of time to reflect on a five-game road losing streak to start the season, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz answered the bell and took down Zalgiris Kaunas 70-83

Staring at a losing streak, Baskonia answered the bell for first road win

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/roster/bas/) looked done and dusted with a 16-point deficit in one of the toughest places to play. But after a bit of time to reflect on a five-game road losing streak to start the season, the Spanish side answered the bell and took down [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/). 

Baskonia reeled off 16 straight points spanning the third and fourth quarters to erase Zalgiris’s lead and ended up running away in the final minute for [a 70-83 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/baskonia-rallies-to-beat-zalgiris-70-83-for-first-road-win/) to improve to 5-7 - and 1-5 away from home.

“Going into halftime we knew we needed to come out with more energy, more physicality and more just coming out and being us: having fun playing the game. We knew Zalgiris was going to fight like they always do. We matched their energy,” said [Donta Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/donta-hall/011196/), who was all over the place with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. 

“I feel a lot of our games this season have been we go down a lot and we start fighting. Me personally, I never feel like the game is over, no matter what the score is. As long as there is time on the board,” added [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/), who tallied a team-high 17 points with 3 three-pointers and 5 rebounds. 

[Coach Pablo Laso](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/bas/laso-pablo/) praised two of his team’s unsung heroes - [Kamar Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kamar-baldwin/012597/) and [Trent Forrest](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/trent-forrest/013367/), who contributed 10 points and 6 assists; and 14 points respectively. 

“Kamar and Trent gave us a lot of intensity defensively. We got some steals and were able to run and we caught up quickly and we didn’t let them finish the game. That was important because we made them doubt themselves,” said the veteran coach. 

The 0-16 run turned a 57-40 deficit into a 57-57 tie game and Baskonia eventually pushed the gap out to 61-68. The Spanish side fought off a strong stretch from Zalgiris’s [Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/) and got the win. 

It was a strong answer for Baskonia, which according to Hall was able to use the national team break from domestic league action to work on its game:

“Us coming off this break was like a sign of reality. We are on a five-game losing streak. We gotta figure something out here. We had good physical practices and this is what you get.”

Good practices during the national team break helped Baskonia lay foundation for big victory 

Zalgiris Kaunas v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-11-28T18:00:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade grabbed its second straight home victory by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 78-70 at Belgrade Arena in Round 12 of the 2024-25 Turkish EuroLeague season on Thursday night

Partizan powers past Olympiacos, 78-70

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade grabbed its second straight victory by defeating Olympiacos Piraeus 78-70 at Belgrade Arena in Round 12 on Thursday night. The hosts outscored the Reds 28-13 in the fourth quarter, where Brandon Davies stepped up big to seal the victory. With this win, Partizan improved to 4-8, while, Olympiacos saw its six-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 8-4.

Carlik Jones paced Partizan with 15 points, Iffe Lundberg recorded 13, Davies scored 12 and Vanja Marinkovic added 10. For Olympiacos, Fournier led all scorers with 16, Nikola Milutinov netted 13 and Alec Peters had 12 in a losing effort.

Olympiacos started strong, as Luca Vildoza opened the game with a buzzer-beating triple before Fournier nailed one of his own, with Moustapha Fall slamming home a dunk for an early 0-8 lead. Davies drilled a triple following a Partizan timeout, but Peters and Fall scored from inside to make it 3-12. Thomas Walkup and Isaac Bonga traded triples before the former and Fournier nailed one each from deep to extend Olympiacos’s lead to 8-21. Then, Lundberg netted an open layup and Marinkovic nailed a triple that trimmed the deficit to 16-25 after 10 minutes.

Lundberg and Milutinov exchanged buckets to open the second quarter before the latter netted inside after picking up an offensive rebound for an 18-29 lead. After Bonga sank another triple, a jumper from Frank Ntilikina brought Partizan within 23-29. Kostas Papanikolaou responded with a triple, but Balsa Koprivica nailed back-to-back slams and Carlik Jones scored inside to cut the difference to 31-33. A put-back dunk from Koprivica put Partizan in front for the first time before a couple of free throws from Lundberg allowed the hosts to take a 38-36 lead into the second half.

A buzzer-beating jumper from Vildoza was followed by a bucket from Carlik Jones before Fall and Vildoza completed a three-point play each to put Olympiacos ahead, 40-44. Then, Lundberg sank a corner triple, but Fournier netted a layup before setting up Peters for another three-point play, 43-49. Koprivica and Milutinov exchanged inside scores before Ntilikina sank a three-pointer to bring Partizan within 48-51. Olympiacos responded with a 0-6 run inspired by Peters, but nailed an open layup to cut the difference to 50-57 heading into the closing quarter.

Marinkovic opened the fourth with a triple, but Papanikolaou responded from deep to restore a 53-60 lead. Carlik Jones replied with 4 unanswered points. A triple from Davies and another one from Jones put Partizan back in front, 63-62. Partizan never looked back from that point as Lundberg and Davies drilled a midrange jumper each before a three-point dagger from Marinkovic gave Partizan a 70-63 lead. Then, Davies sank a step-back jumper, but a three-point play from Fournier cut the difference to 72-66. Tyrique Jones and Peters traded buckets in crunch time and a basket from Carlik Jones sealed it for Partizan.

 The home team dominated the fourth quarter to claim the win

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-11-28T19:30:00.000Z)

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz rallied from 16 points down to surprise Zalgiris Kaunas 70-83 and finally collect its first road victory of the season. 

Baskonia rallies to beat Zalgiris, 70-83, for first road win

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz rallied from 16 points down to surprise Zalgiris Kaunas 70-83 and finally collect its first road victory of the season. Baskonia went on a 0-16 run spanning the final two quarters to erase the big deficit and finished the game with the final 11 points to improve to 5-7 - and 1-5 away from home.

Chima Moneke scored 17 points to pace five Baskonia scorers in double figures with Donta Hall collecting 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks, Trent Forrest adding 14 points and Kamar Baldwin and Nikos Ragkovapoulos both chipping in 10 points. Zalgirs looked like it was flying high with 4 minutes left in the third quarter but crashed back to earth for a 7-5 record - including 5-2 at home. Lonnie Walker scored 9 of his 19 points in the closing minutes but they were not enough. Deividas Sirvydis contributed 14 points in the loss.

The game went back and forth in the opening minutes with six lead changes and two ties when Markus Howard started a 2-11 run over nearly 5 minutes to put Baskonia ahead 11-19. Zalgiris netted the final 6 points of the first quarter to end it down 17-19. 

Zalgiris inched closer with a Matt Mitchell free throw to close within 18-19. Ragkavopoulos snapped a more than 4-minute scoreless drought for Baskonia with a triple and Moneke added a three-pointer of his own to make it 20-25. The Zalgiris charge continued with a Walker three-pointer among his 7 points to pull ahead 31-28. Back-to-back triples from Sirvydis and Dovydas Giedraitis and a long ball from Alen Smailagic had Zalgiris up 42-33. And the gap was 42-35 at the break.

Baskonia tried to stay close and was down just 47-41. Laurynas Birtutis stepped up in the paint with 5 points and a block and Sirvydis knocked down a three-pointer as the cushion swelled to 57-41. The Zalgiris offense dried up for the next 4 minutes and Baskonia finished the third quarter with the final 11 points to trail just 57-52 after 30 minutes.

Moneke’s three and Forrest’s jumper started the final frame and increased the visitors' run to 0-16 to tie the game at 57-57. Smailagic ended Zalgiris’s nearly 6-minute scoreless drought. Baskonia, however, nosed ahead on a Moneke triple to lead 61-62. Baldwin and Rogkavopoulos both added three-pointers to put Baskonia up 61-68. Walker willed Zalgiris back into the game with 9 straight points to make it 70-72. Zalgiris could not hit another shot and Baskonia went 10 for 10 from the free throw line in the final 66 seconds. 

Baskonia came back from 16 down as Zalgiris collapsed in final 14 minutes 

Leaving a piece of his heart in both cities and teams, Gigi Datome looked back at his eight years between Fenerbahce Beko and Olimpia Milano.

Istanbul and Milan, Fenerbahce and Olimpia in Gigi Datome's words

In 2015, [Gigi Datome](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luigi-datome/ccd/) was eager to find himself more playing time in the NBA. He had crossed the Atlantic two years before to sign with the Detroit Pistons, but in late February 2015 – just before the trade deadline – he moved to the Boston Celtics. In Boston, Brad Stevens praised him as the team’s "best shooter" and it looked like he had found his rhythm with the Celtics.

His career in Europe hadn't seen him to go further than the Italian border, planting his roots from Sardinia all the way to the "Continent", as people from the island call the Peninsula. From then on, he gained experience between Siena and Scafati before bursting onto the scene in Rome.

He had never thought about playing in Turkiye, nor he had ever been in the country that lies in both Asia and Europe. While immersed in his endless thoughts about how to catch more attention in Boston, he thought about organizing a much-needed vacation there.

Four of his best friends and a marvelous city like Istanbul made for what should have been an unforgettable adventure, but something didn't go according to plan and the trip got canceled. However, fate had a way of intervening later in the most intricate and inexplicable ways. "You really wanted to go," they told him.

Read more [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1748187/gigi-datome-fenerbahce-istanbul-milano-euroleague-interview/).

Leaving a piece of his heart in both cities and teams, the Italian legend looked back at his eight years between Fenerbahce and Milan

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-11-29T17:45:00.000Z)

Right after his first practice with AS Monaco, Vassilis Spanoulis sat down to talk with Javier Gancedo of the Euroleague.net about a number of topics: his return to the EuroLeague, how important it was for him to get back to the EuroLeague in his own terms, and what led him to accept Monaco's offer in the middle of the season.

Vassilis Spanoulis exclusive interview: 'I missed the EuroLeague'

In the biggest news around the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this week, [Vassilis Spanoulis is back in the competition](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-basket-names-vassilis-spanoulis-as-head-coach/) – this time as a head coach – after signing a multi-year deal with [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/). 

Right after his first practice with the team, Spanoulis sat down to talk with Javier Gancedo of the [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) about a number of topics: his return to the EuroLeague, how important it was for him to get back to the EuroLeague in his own terms, and what led him to accept Monaco's offer in the middle of the season.

Spanoulis also talked about [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and his relationship with him, his coaching mentors and the tricky nature of the EuroLeague calendar. His first game will be against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the Greek capital, and his first home game will be against Olympiacos Piraeus, [the club that retired his jersey over a year ago](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/teammates-opponents-remembered-vassilis-spanoulis-on-olympiacos-bc-night-of-the-legend/). 

Don't miss the chance to hear Spanoulis's first thoughts as he opens a new chapter in his career.

Vassilis Spanoulis is back in the EuroLeague | Exclusive interview on coaching and Identity

The EuroLeague Basketball Legend will coach for the first time in Europe's premier club basketball competition

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v AS Monaco (2024-11-29T19:15:00.000Z)

AS Monaco v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-12-04T18:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has further strengthened by signing Yam Madar on a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Yam Madar seals his return to Hapoel Tel Aviv

[Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) continues to make noise in European basketball, with the club announcing the signing of [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/yam-madar/011052/) on a deal until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Madar (1.90 meters, 23 years old) returns to Hapoel after coming through the club's academy and playing in the first team between 2018 and 2021. 

The Israeli guard spent the first part of this season with [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, averaging 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in five games off the bench.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">עיר נשימתה עוצרת <a href="https://t.co/Vxd2zQZJ9B">pic.twitter.com/Vxd2zQZJ9B</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1862061120162296272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Madar has spent the last three seasons playing among the best of the best in the EuroLeague, having featured in the league for [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) (2022-23), [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) (2023-24) and most recently Bayern (2024-25).

During his rookie EuroLeague season with Partizan, Madar helped the team reach the playoffs and was [later rewarded with the EuroLeague's Rising Star award](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/yam-madar-is-the-2022-23-euroleague-rising-star-winner/) for his efforts throughout the campaign.

2023 RISING STAR I Yam Madar EuroLeague highlights

With Hapoel competing in the BKT EuroCup, this will be the 23-year-old's second year in the competition with Partizan in 2021-22. That season, he averaged 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists as Partizan made it to the eighthfinals.

The addition of Madar should strengthen Hapoel's odds of going far in this season's EuroCup, with the team having gone 5-3 so far in Group A, good for third place in the standings.

What's more, Madar reunites with [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-tel-aviv-appoints-dimitris-itoudis-two-time-euroleague-champ/), his former head coach at Fenerbahce, which should further help his integration into the team.

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

The talented guard has rejoined the Israeli club after more than three years away

Yam Madar leaves Bayern, seals return to Hapoel Tel Aviv

FC Barcelona (7-4) and Real Madrid (5-6) go head to head in El Clásico on Thursday night, but which team do the Euroleague.net experts – Geoff Gillingham, Javier Gancedo, Igor Petrinovic and Frankie Sachs – think will come out with the win?

Rivalry Series: Predicting the winner of Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Everybody knows about the significance of *El Clásico*, but the 37th edition of this legendary fixture between FC Barcelona (7-4) and Real Madrid (5-6) in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this century should bring plenty of intrigue. On the morning of game day, which team do the [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) experts think will come out on top?

[Geoff Gillingham](https://bsky.app/profile/geoffgillingham.bsky.social), [Javier Gancedo](https://x.com/ganchetto), [Igor Petrinovic](https://x.com/IgorPetrinovic) and [Frankie Sachs](https://x.com/MrEuroleague) have all predicted their winner in this Rivalry Series matchup.

**Geoff:** Over the last five years, Barcelona has dominated in regular-season matchups against Real Madrid (7-3 since 2019), but *Los Blancos* have twice come out on top against their archrivals at the Final Four in that time (2022, 2023). More recently, Chus Mateo's men are yet to win on the road this season and Barcelona has given up 100+ points in back-to-back games for the first time in EuroLeague history. Making a prediction in that context certainly makes things complicated, but I think Real Madrid will get back on track and stun the Palau Blaugrana crowd by coming away with the win, one day before Barcelona turns 125 years old.

Geoff’s prediction: **Real Madrid by 3-6 points.**

Rivalries | Ep.5 Spain | FC Barcelona - Real Madrid

**Igor:** In general, Barcelona has looked better than Real Madrid so far this season, but not last week when it got blown out in Munich. Meanwhile, *Los Blancos* struggled defensively in the first half against ALBA Berlin in Round 11 before pulling away to a double-digit win. However, I think Barcelona will bounce back this week and I feel this game means more to Barcelona than it does to Real. That might sound a bit strange. After all, Barcelona has a 7-4 record, which is two wins more than Real. But simply looking at their recent history, and *Los Blancos* winning the majority of important games between the two sides, I think this one is a must-win for Barcelona. I think they pull it out, getting the Real Madrid monkey off their back.

Igor's prediction: **Barcelona wins by 7.**

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🏀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐘!<br>🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a> <br>📆 20.45h<br>🏆 Round 12<br>📺 Movistar<br>📍 Palau Blaugrana<br>🔵🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForçaBarça</a> <a href="https://t.co/HbFRLcD3VU">pic.twitter.com/HbFRLcD3VU</a></p>&mdash; Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBbasket/status/1862043759447601422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**Javi:** In general, *El Clásico* is one of the hardest games to predict in world sports, as Real and Barca know everything about each other and more often than not, small details can make a huge difference. In particular, this game has not come at the best time for either of the teams: Real is looking for its first road win in this EuroLeague season, while Barcelona lost its last two showdowns. This past summer saw the *Azulgrana* sign Youssoupha Fall and Justin Anderson, two players to use against Real Madrid stars Walter Tavares and Facu Campazzo, respectively. It also plays at home and the atmosphere at Palau Blaugrana will be electric. On the other hand, Real has a core of players that have been together in many games like this, plus Dzanan Musa is back and *Los Blancos* have not won a EuroLeague Clásico at Palau since 2018. That's why I am going for the unexpected: Real breaks its road losing streak with a stunning performance against its archrival.

Javi's prediction: **Real wins by 7.**

Barcelona - Real Madrid Tactical Breakdown by ‪@HeatCheck‬

**Frankie:** If the playoffs began today, two things are true. First, it would be pretty odd because it’s still November. Second, it would be pretty odd because both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid would be in the Play-In Showdown. Which is another way to say, both teams really need this win. Barcelona is coming off back-to-back blowout losses, including at home to Paris Basketball. Real is winless on the road this season. That detail alone should be enough to feel confident in Barcelona, which is also welcoming Raul Neto into the rotation this week. If you asked me to pick this game in September, I would have said Real hands down as the team with more talent and chemistry. If you had asked me two weeks ago, I would have said Barcelona hands down as the team getting the most of its talent. Today? This game could go either way. My gut says stick with Barcelona. We have not seen the best of real yet this season and I don’t think it will happen in *El Clásico*.

Frankie's prediction: **Barcelona bangs out a comfortable victory.**

The latest instalment of sport's most famous matchup takes place this Thursday night (20:45 CET)

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2024-11-28T19:45:00.000Z)

The 37th edition of El Clásico this century in the EuroLeague will see Kevin Punter come up against Real Madrid for the first time in an FC Barcelona jersey, but he certainly has experience of playing in high-pressure derbies.

Kevin Punter gears up for his first Clásico: ‘I understand what’s at stake’

The 37th edition of *El Clásico* this century in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will see [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) come up against [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/) for the first time in an [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/) jersey, but he certainly has experience of playing in high-pressure derbies.

Punter, who got to experience the Belgrade derby during his three years as a [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) player, is looking forward to what awaits Barcelona on Thursday night (20:45 CET), one day before the *Azulgrana* celebrate their 125th anniversary.

“It’s a lot of pride, it’s a lot of bragging rights,” Punter said in a feature interview. “Those derby games are not just regular games, everybody knows that. But the most important thing is obviously to win.”

Joan Penarroya’s men come into *El Clásico* after suffering back-to-back defeats to Paris Basketball and FC Bayern Munich, which resulted in Barcelona giving up 100 or more points in consecutive games for the first time in EuroLeague history. The good thing for Barcelona is that in Punter, it has a player who knows what to expect in a game the magnitude of *El Clásico*.

“I played in real, real crazy derbies, so I understand exactly what’s at stake,” he added. “Understanding who you’re playing against and how those games work. It takes experience to play in those games. I pretty much did the same thing last year when I was with Partizan, so I understand how those games go.”

Ahead of his first Clásico as an FC Barcelona player, Kevin Punter spoke about what he expects heading into this game against Real Madrid.

He is averaging team highs of 15.8 points and a 16.2 PIR this season