Carsen Edwards dropped all 27 of his points in the final 17:07 minutes in a 94-80 Bayern victory over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

Carsen Edwards put on second-half show in win over Baskonia 

[Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) has put together some outstanding performances this season, but the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s [leading scorer](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/stats/expanded/?size=25&viewType=traditional&seasonCode=E2024&statisticMode=perGame&seasonMode=Single&sortDirection=descending&statistic=score) put together a second half for the ages to keep FC Bayern Munich perfect at home. 

Edwards dropped all 27 of his points in the final 17:07 minutes in a [94-80 Bayern victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-remains-perfect-at-home-after-94-80-win-over-baskonia/) over [Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/roster/bas/). Edwards had attempted only one two-pointer and one three-pointer in the first half but finished making 5 of 9 two-pointers and 4 of 8 triples to go with 5 of 5 free throws. 

Edwards was modest in talking about his performance after the game.

“I was just able to make some shots. Our team just put together some good looks for me and we got some stops and built some momentum,” he said. “I don’t want to say anything about the points. We just got the win so I am just happy about that.”

Carsen Edwards (27 points) Highlights vs. Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, 12/05/2024

Carsen Edwards scored 27 points against Baskonia

Others with the team did not shy away from speaking highly about the 26-year-old star, who has scored 20 or more points in six of his last seven games while making at least 1 three-pointer in 12 straight games and draining multiple three-pointers in 11 of his last 12 games.

“Carsen got hot in the second half - that was all we needed to finish the game,” said [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/), who himself collected 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. 

“He wasn’t there in the first half. He made up for it in the second half. He put on an unbelievable performance in the last 17 minutes,” added [Coach Gordon Herbert](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/herbert-gordon/). “He was amazing in the second half. I’m glad we started him and glad it worked out.”

Game Videos

Baskonia came out strong in the second half and Bayern’s offense failed to score for nearly 3 minutes and fell behind 44-52. That was when Edwards took over. 

He scored the team’s next three baskets with driving layups and then with the team still down 56-61, Edwards drained 2 three-pointers and a tough jumper off the glass for 8 points in Bayern’s 13-0 close to the third quarter. 

And Edwards opened the fourth with another three-pointer and just continued to put the ball in the basket. He surprised even his teammates with 15 seconds left in the game when he buried a three-pointer just inside the middle circle to finish off his outstanding night. 

Edwards has been wowing fans all season and he gave them another show against Baskonia. 

Game News

The league-leading scorer's amazing season added another chapter with his performance against Baskonia 

FC Bayern Munich v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-12-05T19:30:00.000Z)

A slump in form and a series of injuries saw FC Barcelona lose four games in a row, but Keven Punter, Jabari Parker and Justin Anderson nailed big buckets to seal an 86-88 come-from-behind win over Maccabi Tel Aviv 

'Hungrier' Barcelona refused to lose again

A slump in form and a series of injuries saw [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/) lose four games in a row, including a [tough 90-89 defeat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-wins-thriller-against-barcelona-90-89/) away at [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) to kick off the two-round week. Barcelona seemed as though it was in control of the game in Greece, but an extraordinary [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) netted a [career-high 29 points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/kendrick-nunn-fired-on-all-cylinders-on-a-career-night-against-barcelona/), including two midcourt buzzer-beaters to lead Panathinaikos to victory.

That loss dealt yet another blow in morale for the Barcelona players, who needed to find an answer that would allow the team to bounce back and potentially turn their season around. The Catalans started strong against [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2024-25) on Thursday night, but the hosts outscored them 28-15 in the second quarter to take a 44-37 cushion into the second half.

It got even worse after the break, with Maccabi going on a 9-0 run that extended its lead to 16 points. But Barcelona fought back, netted 27 points in 8 minutes in the third quarter and slashed the deficit to 66-64 heading into the fourth.

“I’m proud of our character and because we believed,” head coach [Joan Penarroya](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/bar/penarroya-joan/) said in the post-game press conference.

The duel turned into an exchange of blows, with [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/), [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) and [Justin Anderson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/justin-anderson/012795/) nailing big buckets to seal the 86-88 outcome.

“We were the hungrier team,” Anderson told EuroLeague TV. “The Panathinaikos loss that we just suffered was really gut-wrenching, hard for guys to sleep. It was a tough loss for us. The team was ready, we were ready to go out and maybe get our revenge a little bit.”

Parker and Punter netted 18 points each, with the former coming close to recording a double-double, as he picked up a season-high 9 rebounds.

“I think we wanted it a little bit more,” Parker admitted after the game. “Especially myself. I was tired of losing. That’s what it takes. Try to do as hard as you can while you’re here now.”

Anderson chipped in with a season-high 16 points, including an impossible buzzer-beating off-balance jumper to make it 84-87 with 01:35 left on the clock.

“We had a guy \[Nunn\] score three buzzer-beaters against us from halfcourt,” Anderson added after the clash. “We needed luck on our side and I was happy it was on our side finally this time.”

After snapping its four-game losing streak, Barcelona will look to build on its momentum starting next week, when the Catalan side hosts EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Luck may not be something that they can control, but should Barcelona show the same hunger against the Italian side, this could well be the start of a winning run. 

Kevin Punter, Jabari Parker and Justin Anderson made some big buckets to seal the victory over Maccabi

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v FC Barcelona (2024-12-05T19:05:00.000Z)

Zalgiris Kaunas bounced back in Round 14 by downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul 85-72 at home. All Zalgiris guards had a solid, decisive contribution in this game. 


Zalgiris's backcourt excels in Round 14 

[Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/roster/zal/) used an outstanding first half to get a solid lead and held on to it for the rest of the game, leading from start to finish to claim an [85-72 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-overpowers-efes-85-72/) over [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/). Things could not have started better for Zalgiris, as [Deividas Sirvydis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/deividas-sirvydis/007029/) completed a four-point play in his team's very first possession, barely 11 seconds into the game.

[Lonnie Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lonnie-walker-iv/013403/) took over after that with three consecutive bombs from downtown and an assist to Sirvydis for a layup. When Sirvydis hit another triple, Zalgiris already had a double-digit lead, 18-8, with all its points coming from its backcourt starts. Walker and Sirvydis ended up combining for the team's opening 23 points, helping Zalgiris to a 27-17 lead after 10 minutes.

Walker and Sirvydis went to the bench and Zalgiris kept running its offense the same way, finding new go-to guys in guards [Dovydas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dovydas-giedraitis/007513/) and [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/007975/). Both players had 7 quick points as Zalgiris broke the game open, 41-49, midway through the second quarter.

Efes never rallied within striking distance but managed to get as close as 69-63 with less than 6 minutes remaining. With the game on the line, Francisco made the difference with 9 points in the final 5 minutes, including a three-pointer that sealed the outcome, 80-69, in the next-to-last minute.

Deividas Sirvydis, Lonnie Walker, Dovydas Giedraitis and Sylvain Francisco all shined against Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Zalgiris guards make things happen

When the dust settled, Walker led the way with 18 points - 13 of them in a really strong first quarter. Francisco added 16 and Sirvydis 14. Giedraitis had an all-around performance with 4 points, a team-high 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Zalgiris showed great hustle, finishing the game with 17 offensive rebounds, 7 steals and 4 blocks. Efes had had 4 blocks, but was limited to 11 offensive boards and 4 steals.

After the game, Walker praised Francisco for his clutch performance.

"I'm just playing the right way. Cisco \[Sylvain Francisco\] stepped up and did what he is supposed to: carry the ball, made the right reads, was scoring, passing and doing everything;" Walker said after the game. "And our defensive effort really led our team to victory. I think they got it down to about 6 points and my teammates picked us up the last 3-4 minutes. We handled business and did what we were supposed to do."

"Lonnie \[Walker\] had a great first half, amazing, and he couldn't find his groove and his rhythm in the second half, they started being very physical and we need to find a way to play old school basketball fundamentals, how to get open. This is a learning lesson for him," Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri said. "Cisco gave us a lot, Alen \[Smailagic\] gave us a lot as a facilitator from the post, and we controlled their comeback. They had a very good team, a lot of talent, so it's a great win."

Zalgiris bounced back in Round 14 by downing Anadolu Efes at home with big contributions coming from its guards

Zalgiris's backcourt exceled against Efes

Zalgiris Kaunas v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-12-05T18:00:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul bounced back into winning ways by overcoming an early double-digit deficit to down Real Madrid, 70-82, in the Spanish capital

Fenerbahce blasts past Real, 70-82

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul bounced back into winning ways by overcoming an early double-digit deficit to down Real Madrid, 70-82, in the Spanish capital. The Turkish team improved to 10-4, while Real slipped to 6-8 after losing twice this week.

The hosts dominated early to take a 20-10 lead in the first quarter, but Fenerbahce stormed back with 0-13 and 0-9 runs to lead at the break, and stayed ahead the rest of the way. Nigel Hayes-Davis was once again Fenerbahce’s inspiration, netting 33 points including 6 three-pointers. Wade Baldwin was the only other visiting player in double digits, with 10 points. Facundo Campazzo paced Real with 14 points and 6 assists, and Walter Tavares added 13.

A three-point play from Campazzo and a triple from Gabriel Deck gave Real an 8-2 lead, before Hayes-Davis finally scored Fenerbahce’s first field goal. Sergio Llull struck from deep and Mario Hezonja added a transition layup for a 14-6 margin. Hayes-Davis responded with a turnaround jumper but Serge Ibaka bettered it with a three. Bonzie Colson scored from mid-range but Llull hit a trademark rainbow three for a 20-12 lead after 10 minutes.

Nicolo Melli’s turnaround jumper opened the second quarter, before Arturs Zagars, Baldwin and Tarik Biberovic also scored from midrange. Hayes-Davis added a triple for Fener’s first lead, 20-23, before Llull’s layup snapped a 0-13 run. Khem Birch, Baldwin and Hayes-Davis hit tough jumpers, and Melli added a triple to make it 24-32 after a 0-9 run. Dzanan Musa scored off the glass, before Hayes-Davis and Campazzo drilled triples to give the visitor a 31-37 interval lead.

Biberovic started the second half with a deep strike, before inside scores from Deck and Tavares. Colson and Tavares traded turnaround jumpers, making it 41-45. Hayes-Davis sliced through the defense for a layup and then added a three-pointer for a double-digit lead, 41-52. Hezonja’s jumper and Andres Feliz’s transition layup stopped the bleeding, but Hayes-Davis scored again and Birch added a dunk for a 47-60 lead.

Hayes-Davis and Campazzo traded triples at the start of the final period, and Tavares made it 52-63 with a close-range finish. Baldwin protected a double-digit margin with consecutive baskets, but Tavares and Hezonja dunked to reignite Real, 58-67.  Baldwin stayed hot with another mid-range finish, and Hayes-Davis added a dagger from deep. Hezonja’s triple gave Real hope, but Marko Guduric’s deep strike inside the final minute sealed the victory.

The Turkish team shrugged off a sluggish start to claim a valuable road victory

Fenerbahce blasts past Real Madrid, 70-82

Real Madrid v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-12-05T19:45:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich remained perfect at home this season with a hard-fought 94-80 victory over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to snap a two-game losing streak

Bayern remains perfect at home after 94-80 win over Baskonia

FC Bayern Munich remained perfect at home this season with a hard-fought 94-80 victory over Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to snap a two-game losing streak. Bayern gained control of an otherwise tight game with a 16-0 run spanning the final two quarters to improve to 9-5 with a 7-0 mark at SAP Garden. Carsen Edwards was otherworldly in the second half with all 27 of his game-high points coming in the final two quarters. Andreas Obst and Devin Booker both added 18 points in the win.

Baskonia saw its modest two-game winning streak snapped in dropping to 6-8 including a 1-6 record away from home. Chima Moneke led the Spanish side with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Markus Howard had 19 points in the defeat, spoiling the return of Baskonia coach Pablo Laso to where he coached last season. 

There were lead changes on four straight scores with Booker scoring two baskets and Obst adding 5 points in an early 9-2 run to lead 14-8. Sander Raieste drained back-to-back triples to knot the game at 18-18. Johannes Voigtmann answered with a three-pointer of his own for Bayern only to see Moneke drain a long ball to put Baskonia up 21-23. The game was tied 23-23 after 10 minutes. 

Baskonia stepped up its defensive effort early in the second quarter and Moneke had 5 points and Nikos Rogkavopoulos added a triple in a 0-8 start for a 23-31 lead. Booker finally got Bayern on the board after nearly 3 minutes with a three-pointer and connected from deep on the next possession as well. The triples kept raining with Nick Weiler-Babb hitting twice from deep and Obst making his second for a 41-36 Bayern cushion. Baskonia answered with the next 4 points and went to halftime tied 44-44.

Moneke knocked down 2 three-pointers and Baskonia started the second half with the first 8 points for a 44-52 lead. Bayern went nearly 3 minutes without a score until Edwards picked up his first points of the game on a layup. That sparked the offense with Edwards adding 5 more points and a Voigtmann triple evened the game at 56-56. Edwards added 2 triples and a jumper off the glass for 15 points in the quarter and Bayern held a 69-61 lead after three quarters.

The Edwards show continued in the fourth with a tough triple for a 72-61 cushion. Howard punched back with his first three-pointer after missing his first six shots from long range. He added 2 more tough triples and Baskonia was down 76-73. Obst replied with 2 threes of his own and a driving layup and Bayern led 86-75 with less than 3 minutes to go. Oscar da Silva ended all doubts with a three-pointer for an 89-77 lead with 81 seconds remaining. 

Carsen Edwards pours in all 27 of his points in the second half of the seventh straight home win

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade earned an impressive 91-73 home win over Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, stretching its winning streak to four games and improving to 6-8

Partizan overwhelms Panathinaikos, 91-73, to make it four in a row 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade earned an impressive 91-73 home win over Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, stretching its winning streak to four games and improving to 6-8, while the Greens slipped to 8-6 after a rip-roaring contest in the Belgrade Arena.

Carlik Jones paced Partizan with 18 points, Sterling Brown added 17 while Isaac Bonga chipped in with 13. Tyrique Jones racked up 12 points to go with 10 rebounds, as Partizan won the battle of the boards 34-26. At the other end, Kostas Sloukas led Panathinaikos on 15 points while Mathias Lessort and Juancho Hernangomez netted 13 each.

Roared on by a fervent 20,000 crowd, Partizan drew first blood through Isiaha Mike but Panathinaikos hit back instantly as Jerian Grant and Kendrick Nunn netted to give the visitors a 2-5 lead. A tight battle ensued with both teams playing aggressive defense before a huge dunk from Balsa Koprivica and 5 quickfire points from Carlik Jones turned the tide, giving Partizan an 11-5 advantage with the decibel level in the gym threatening to blow the roof off.

However, the reigning EuroLeague champion showed its resilience as Partizan’s former center Lessort made a three-point play and  Hernangomez hit 5 in a row before Sloukas also sank a deep three to put Panathinaikos in the driving seat, 13-18. The 200 or so visiting fans were in full swing in one of the gym’s upper tiers as the visiting team profited from a barrage of offensive boards, but Partizan responded superbly through Frank Ntilikina to tie the score at the end of the first quarter, 20-20.  

Sloukas nailed a three in the opening play of the second quarter and Carlik Jones replied moments later, setting the tone for a fascinating battle. Like a pair of heavyweight prize fighters trading blows in the center of a boxing ring, both teams gave as good as they got and were deadlocked 33-33 midway through the second period.

Both teams ramped up on defense and baskets became harder to come by, but Sloukas then nailed a layup followed by a long baseline two. Partizan soon responded with a majestic 11-0 run capped by three successive three-pointers from team captain Vanja Marinkovic.

The hosts led 44-37 at halftime on the back of 10 points from Carlik Jones, 9 from Marinkovic and 7 by Ntilikina, while Sloukas paced Panathinaikos with 10 and Grant added 9 at the other end. 

Nunn, who struggled in the first half and scored a mere 2 points, opened the third quarter with a long two, but Bonga and Carlik Jones replied with a vengeance, sinking back-to-back triples before Tyrique Jones tipped in an offensive board galvanizing Partizan to a 52-39 lead. The atmosphere in a jam-packed Belgrade Arena reached fever pitch but Panathinaikos bounced back with a Sloukas triple followed by a huge Lessort dunk, before Duane Washington made a three-point play at the other end.

Partizan was in the promised land again as Carlik Jones sank a triple followed by a pair of free throws from Washington, firing up a raucous home crowd, which was in raptures as the Serbia powerhouse galloped away into a 60-46 lead. The home team headed into the final 10 minutes 64-49 ahead, having turned the tide in the paint to rack up a total of 25 boards through the opening three quarters against 20 collected by Panathinaikos, with Tyrique Jones outmuscling Lessort.

Carlik Jones opened the fourth quarter with a delightful three off the dribble, sparking wild celebrations in the stands and forcing Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman to call an early timeout. 

It had little effect as Brandon Davies fired up the crowd with a slam-dunk which gave Partizan a 69-49 lead and although the visitors fought hard to get back into the game, a Bonga triple extended the advantage to 79-58 midway through the final period.

Seemingly out for the count, Panathinaikos then conjured a 0-9 run out of nowhere to slash the deficit before Washington stopped Partizan’s rot with a layup and Carlik Jones followed up with a triple and a mid-range jumper to make the score 86-67 with 2 minutes left on the clock.

It was effectively lights out for Panathinaikos and there was time for the jugular in the end as the Joneses produced a magic moment, with Carlik dishing out an alley-oop to Tyrique for a spectacular dunk that put the icing on the cake for Partizan.

The Serbian side dominated the reigning EuroLeague champion for its fourth successive win in front of a passionate home crowd 

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-12-05T19:30:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona snapped its four-game losing streak by edging Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 86-88 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on Thursday night

Barcelona rallies to down Maccabi, 86-88

FC Barcelona snapped its four-game losing streak by edging Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 86-88 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on Thursday night. The hosts were up by 16 (53-37) early in the third quarter, but Barcelona bounced back, outscored Maccabi 42-51 in the second half and clinched a hard-fought victory. The Catalans improved their record to 8-6, while Maccabi dropped to 4-10.

Kevin Punter and Jabari Parker paced Barcelona with 18 points each. Justin Anderson netted 16 and Willy Hernangomez chipped in with 11 points and 9 rebounds. Jaylen Hoard led all scorers with 20 points, with Tamir Blatt recording a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists. Levi Randolph scored 12 points in a losing effort.

Anderson opened the scoring with a basket inside before Punter nailed a contested triple for an early 1-5 lead. Maccabi responded with buckets from Hoard and Jasiel Rivero before William Rayman put the hosts ahead, 7-5. Yet, Parker took over with 4 points and an assist to find Anderson, who nailed one from the corner 7-12. Jan Vesely looked dominant in the paint, netting two baskets before Punter sank a midrange jumper that extended Barcelona’s lead to 11-18. Both defenses then tightened up, with Hernangomez and Jake Cohen exchanging baskets inside as Barcelona maintained a 16-22 cushion after 10 minutes.

Baskets from Punter and Juan Nunez were followed by a triple from Rokas Jokubaitis before 4 points from Parker allowed Barcelona to keep Maccabi at arm's length, 23-30. Blatt and Punter exchanged threes before John DiBartolomeo sank one of his own to bring the Israeli champs within 29-33. Back-to-back scores by Rivero put Maccabi ahead before layups from Randolph and Blatt in transition extended their run to 10-0. Vesely hit a long two-pointer to end Maccabi’s surge, but a Rivero basket inside and an alley-oop slam from Hoard gave Maccabi a 44-37 lead at the break.

Blatt opened the second half with a long triple before buckets from Randolph and Rivero in transition extended Maccabi’s lead to 51-37. Anderson netted a corner triple to end Maccabi’s momentum before scoring a put-back basket, 53-42. Two buckets from Hoard sandwiched a Punter triple before Blatt and Parker traded threes in an exchange of blows that allowed Maccabi to maintain its lead, 60-48. Yet, Barcelona responded with a 2-10 run inspired by Parker, who took his tally to 15 points. Then, Jokubaitis and Alex Abrines netted inside, with Barcelona cutting the difference to 66-64.

Buckets from Punter and Hernangomez were followed by a hard-fought basket from Roman Sorkin before Jokubaitis put Maccabi back in front against his former employer, 70-68. Punter and Blatt traded triples but 4 points from Willy and a jumper from Parker gave Barcelona a 73-77 cushion. Then, Randolph replied with a tough basket before triples from Nunez and David DeJulius saw Maccabi tie it at 82-82. Abrines nailed one of his own from deep before an impossible buzzer-beating off-balance jumper by Anderson gave Barcelona an 84-87 cushion. Then, Parker split free throws before Shayok brought Maccabi within 86-88. After defending well on Punter, the hosts had the last possession of regulation, but a turnover from Blatt sealed the outcome for Barcelona.

The Blaugrana put an end to their four-game losing streak with a hard-fought road win

Zalgiris Kaunas snapped its two-game losing streak by topping Anadolu Efes Istanbul 85-72 at home in Round 14 behind 18 points from Lonnie Walker IV. 

Zalgiris overpowers Efes, 85-72

Zalgiris Kaunas snapped its two-game losing streak by topping Anadolu Efes Istanbul 85-72 at home in Round 14 on Thursday. Zalgiris improved to 8-6 in the standings while Efes dropped to 7-7. 

Lonnie Walker paced the winners with 18 points. Sylvain Francisco added 16 and Deividas Sirvydis had 14 for Zalgiris. Elijah Bryant led Efes with 23 points and Darius Thompson added 10 for the visitors.

Sirvydis got Zalgiris going with a wild four-point play and Walker improved on Vincent Poirier's alley-oop slam with a triple for a 7-2 lead. Bryant followed Thompson's layup with a bomb from downtown to tie it at 7-7, Walker struck twice from beyond the arc and fed Sirvydis for a fastbreak layup, which prompted Efes to call timeout at 15-7. Sirvydis soon hit a triple that made it a double-digit game, 18-8. Ercan Osmani joined the three-point shootout before Walker buried a mid-range shot. Thompson's layup gave Efes hope at 20-13. Walker kept pacing Zalgiris and Mike Mitchell hit a fadeaway jumper for a 25-15 Zalgiris lead. Bryant and Arnas Butkevicius traded free throws to fix the score at 27-17 after 10 minutes.

Dovydas Giedraitis scored around the basket early in the second quarter. Ridval Oncel answered with a layup that Butkevicius bettered with a corner triple for a 32-19 Zalgiris lead. Bryant Dunston took over with a put-back layup and Ignas Brazdeikis added a jumper in a 12-0 run that Francisco capped with a three-pointer, which caused Efes to stop the game at 41-19. Dan Oturu and Derek Willis stepped up for Efes, but Walker sank another jumper and Alen Smailagic's layup made it 45-24. Bryant swished a mid-range jumper and soon added a three-pointer to bring Efes closer. Brady Manek's three-pointer established a 48-30 Zalgiris cushion at halftime.  

Sirvydis took over with a backdoor layup soon after the break. Poirier answered with a three-point play and matched Giedraitis's running floater with a two-handed dunk. After Sirvydis beat the shot clock with a wild step-back triple, Bryant buried a jumper and added free throws to bring Efes closer, 57-39. Rodrigue Beaubois and Willis each struck from beyond the arc to give the visitors hope at 59-44. Francisco buried a fallaway jumper that Bryant erased with a floater. Thompson struck from downtown and Oturu added a hard-fought put-back layup to make it 63-53 through three quarters.

Beaubois bettered Edgaras Ulanovas's layup with a three-pointer that brought Efes within single digits, 65-56. Ulanovas kept pushing Zalgiris with a big basket in the low post, then Walker boosted the hosts' lead to 69-56. Bryant took over with a highly-contested jumper and Thompson struck from downtown, which prompted Zalgiris to call timeout at 69-61 with over 6 minutes left. Oturu scored down low, Laurynas Birutis dunked and Francisco gave Zalgiris fresh air at 73-63. After Willis sank a baseline jumper, Francisco buried a fadeaway shot. Bryant brought Efes within 75-67 with 2:28 left. Francisco stepped up in crunch time to seal the outcome, 80-69, in the next-to-last minute.

An outstanding first half put Zalgiris on the right track


Virtus Segafredo Bologna named Dusko Ivanovic as its new head coach on Thursday after agreeing to terms on a contract for the remainder of the season. 

Virtus appoints Dusko Ivanovic as head coach 

Virtus Segafredo Bologna named Dusko Ivanovic as its new head coach on Thursday after agreeing to terms on a contract for the remainder of the season. 

Ivanovic, 67, last coached Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, a team he led in four different stints. Over the years, Ivanovic helped Baskonia win the Spanish championship in 2002, 2010 and 2020, Spanish Cups in 2002, 2004 and 2009 and reach the EuroLeague Finals in 2001 and the EuroLeague Championship Game in 2005, losing against Virtus and Maccabi Tel Aviv, respectively.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐊𝐎 is our new 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 🤍🫡🖤<br>Welcome coach! <a href="https://t.co/fWY04VTNMN">pic.twitter.com/fWY04VTNMN</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1864724146208313529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ivanovic started his coaching career with Benetton Fribourg of Switzerland, and also coached Limoges CSP of France, FC Barcelona of Spain, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens of Greece, Khimki Moscow Region of Russia, Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul of Turkiye and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade of Serbia. 

In his first three years as a full-time head coach, Ivanovic led Fribourg to back-to-back Swiss League titles in 1998 and 1999 and lifted the French League and the Korac Cup trophies with Limoges in 2000. Ivanovic won another Spanish Cup with Barca in 2007, a Greek Cup with Panathinaikos in 2015, and the Serbian League and Cup double with Zvezda in 2023. 

As a player, Ivanovic helped Split win back-to-back EuroLeague championships in 1989 and 1990.

Ivanovic ranks fourth in all-time games coached in the EuroLeague with 398, only trailing Zeljko Obraovic (540), Ettore Messina (483) and Ergin Ataman (440). His coaching record is 220-178 (55.3%).

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He replaces Luca Banchi, who stepped down on Wednesday