Olympiacos BC, despite being without Sasha Vezenkov and Tyler Dorsey, notched its sixth straight win in the EuroLeague by beating Baskonia 92-69 in Round 11.

Olympiacos stays hot to roast Baskonia, 92-69

Olympiacos Piraeus extended its winning streak to six games by thrashing Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 92-69 at Peace and Friendship Stadium on Thursday night. Despite the absence of top scorer, Sasha Vezenkov due to injury, the hosts dominated from start to finish and outscored the guests in each of the four quarters. With this win, Olympiacos improved its record to 8-3, while Baskonia dropped to 4-7.

Evan Fournier led Olympiacos with 15 points – all of which were scored in the first half – and 9 assists. Nikola Milutinov recorded 14 points, with Nigel Williams-Goss and Alec Peters netting 12 each and Shaq McKissic adding 10. For the visitors, Markus Howard and Trent Forrest scored 12 each.

Game Videos

Donta Hall and Peters traded inside scores to start the game before Howard knocked down a long two-pointer for an early 2-4 lead. Yet, Fournier took over by scoring the next 8 points for Olympiacos to make it 10-4. Howard responded with 6 free throws and another jumper to put Baskonia ahead, 11-12. Hall and Williams-Goss exchanged buckets, then Forrest completed a three-point play to maintain a 13-17 lead. But Olympiacos responded with a 9-0 run, including a Milutinov hook basket off the bench. McKissic nailed a basket before slamming home a dunk in transition, and Fournier netted a layup to beat the first-quarter buzzer to take his tally to 12 points and give Olympiacos a 30-24 cushion after 10 minutes.

A three-point play from Williams-Goss was followed by a triple from Kostas Papanikolaou to extend the lead to double digits. Chima Moneke then went on to nail a buzzer-beating bucket that cut the difference to 36-27, but a basket from Peters and 5 points from Papanikolaou gave Olympiacos a 43-27 lead. Milutinov responded to back-to-back buckets from Ousmane Ndiaye with one of his own and 2 made free throws to restore a 47-31 margin. A three-point play from Forrest was followed by triples from Fournier, Luca Vildoza and Giannoulis Larentzakis for a 56-38 lead at halftime.

Game News

Forrest opened the second half with a bucket from inside before a triple from Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot trimmed the deficit to 58-43. Williams-Goss and Forrest traded baskets, then Peters and Nikolaos Rogkavopoulos exchanged inside scores, 62-49. Vildoza drilled a triple, and Milutinov responded to a put-back basket from Moneke with a slam to make it 69-51. Peters took his tally to 12 points with back-to-back baskets and extended Olympiacos’s lead to 73-53 heading into the closing quarter.

Tadas Sedekerskis and Williams-Goss scored a three-point play apiece, with Rogkavopoulos nailing a triple to cut the difference to 76-59. Milutinov and Moneke traded baskets from inside before Moustapha Fall and Williams-Goss scored two straight layups for an 82-63 cushion midway through the last quarter. Then, Baskonia fought back in its bid to trim the deficit, but another basket from Fall was followed by a corner three from Walkup and another triple from McKissic to make it 90-66, which practically put the game to bed.

The Reds thrived, despite being without the injured Sasha Vezenkov and Tyler Dorsey

Olympiacos Piraeus v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-11-21T19:15:00.000Z)

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ended a pair of losing streaks with a convincing 77-89 victory over archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in the Belgrade Derby. 

Partizan outshines Zvezda 77-89 in Belgrade derby

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ended a pair of losing streaks with a convincing 77-89 victory over archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in the Belgrade derby. After losing six straight EuroLeague games and eight in a row against Zvezda in all competitions, Partizan took charge with a strong second quarter and never trailed in the second half to improve to 3-8 on the season.

Carlik Jones paced the winners with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Isiaha Mike had his best game yet in a Partizan uniform with 13 points. Iffe Lundberg added 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Tyrique Jones scored 12. Filip Petrusev tallied 20 points and 8 rebounds for Zvezda, which fell to 5-6. Nemanja Nedovic netted 11 points and Rokas Giedraitis 10.

Roared on by its fervent 19,000 fans in a jam-packed Belgrade Arena, Zvezda made a fast-paced start and raced into a 5-0 lead, but Partizan responded with a 2-10 run to turn the tables and nose ahead 7-10, with the visiting team’s 1,000 or so supporters also in full swing. Gritty and aggressive defense at both ends of the court made open looks hard to come by, as Partizan opened its account from downtown shooting 3 of 9 while Zvezda made 3 of 7 from two-point territory in the opening 5:40 minutes.

Offensive boards by both sides facilitated some hard-earned points in the paint before Petrusev sank one from deep to tie the score, 14-14. Partizan’s Isaac Bonga returned the favor to put the visitors back in front. However, some ice-cool shooting restored Zvezda’s lead, 18-17, in the final minute of the first quarter before Carlik Jones struck from mid-range at the other end. Just when it seemed Partizan would hold to its slender lead at the end of the opening period, Rokas Giedraitis buried a buzzer-beating three to send the home faithful into raptures and give Zvezda a 21-19 advantage.

The home team extended its lead to 25-21 early in the second after a huge Mike Daum dunk that had Zvezda fans roaring with delight while Tyrique Jones followed in his footsteps at the other end. Iffe Lundberg tied the score, 25-25 after yet another offensive rebound from Partizan but Zvezda was unfazed and the evergreen Milos Teodosic replied with a 4-point play, sinking a triple and the free throw as he drew a foul from a defender. Teodosic produced more magic in Zvezda’s next possession, floating in an audacious lay-up after Tyrique Jones had rocked the rim with a big dunk at the other end.

However, Partizan soon conjured a 1-10 run as Carlik Jones turned on the heat and Lundberg capped a fastbreak with a two-handed slam to give the visiting team a 32-37 edge and force Zvezda head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos to call a timeout. Tyrique Jones followed up with a huge dunk to stretch Partizan’s run to 1-12 and its lead to 32-39 before Petrusev stopped Zvezda’s rot, with the rivals trading baskets in a pulsating finish to the first half. Frank Ntilikina sank a deep three to put Partizan 37-45 ahead before Giedraitis sank a pair of free throws to reduce Zvezda’s halftime deficit to 39-45.

Partizan opened the third quarter in style as Mike dunked with aplomb and Bonga nailed a baseline triple to give the visitors their first double-digit lead of the night, 39-50. Lundberg followed up with a long two and moments later Mike buried a deep three, giving Partizan a 41-55 advantage. Zvezda struggled on offense as the hosts failed to cope with Partizan’s aggressive half-court pressure, but Nikola Kalinic then rekindled their hopes of a comeback with a wide-open three-pointer.

The raucous atmosphere in the gym reached fever pitch as Daum slashed Partizan’s lead to 46-55 but Carlik Jones replied with a pair of free throws and Mike then sank a delicious hook shot to keep the visiting team firmly in the driving seat, 46-59. Zvezda fought hard to stay in the game and the home fans were again galvanized when Isaiah Canaan made a three-point play and Petrusev followed suit as the hosts closed the gap to 55-63 at the end of the third quarter, setting the scene for a fascinating climax.

Tyrique Jones, who limped off in the third quarter, nicked a pair of steals – one of which he cashed in for a dunk – to open the fourth quarter. The big man scored again and hauled in a contested defensive rebound, which resulted in a Zvezda timeout at 57-69. Sterling Brown dealt Zvezda another blow with a three-pointer.

Petrusev and Nedovic kept the hosts in the game, but Partizan continued pounding away with a magical three-point play by Carlik Jones and 2 more free throws by Tyrique Jones. Zvezda was already playing against an extra opponent – the clock – as Mike made it 66-82 with 3 minutes to go. Zvezda never threw in the towel, the outcome was already clear and Partizan ran out the clock.

The victory snapped a six-game slide for Partizan 

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-11-21T19:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball star TJ Shorts had another stellar performance in Round 11, this time on the road at Anadolu Efes, which has further strengthened his case to win the EuroLeague's November MVP award.

TJ Shorts presented his November MVP credentials at Efes

If it wasn't already clear, it's time to talk about [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/). On Thursday night, [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/) topped [Anadolu Efes Istanbul 84-93](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tj-shorts-leads-paris-past-efes-for-seventh-straight-win-84-93/) to grab its seventh straight win, and Shorts had another sensational performance to further strengthen his case to take home the November MVP award.

Shorts was once again everywhere, finishing the game with 21 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 fouls drawn and a PIR of 26. On his way to his second double-double of the season, he delivered when it mattered most, scoring eight points in the final quarter and sealing the outcome with a highly-contested mid-range jumper over Derek Willis in the final minute.

It has been a fantastic month for Paris and Shorts. Despite its lack of experience at this level, Paris comes off back-to-back [road victories against FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/unstoppable-paris-rolls-over-barcelona-87-103/) and Efes in less than a week. Shorts has had a big impact all month long, too. In the last four games, which count for this month's MVP award, Shorts averages 19.8 points, 8.3 assists, 8.0 fouls drawn and a PIR of 25.3. Impressive stuff.

After hitting 1-of-14 three-pointers in the opening seven games, Shorts has buried 4 of his last 5 attempts (80.0%), fixing his only issue on the offensive end. After the game, Shorts said that his team's next-game mentality is one of the biggest keys to its remarkable season.

"Every time I step onto the basketball court, it's a blessing and I will never take that for granted," Shorts told EuroLeague in the post-game interview. "We are just taking it game by game. Nobody is thinking about this streak that we are on. We are just trying to continue to play good basketball, play the basketball that we like. And so far it's resulting in wins, and we are hoping to continue like this."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">7️⃣ in a row. This is what we do 🔫<br><br>Cette équipe est incroyable. Et elle en veut encore plus 😤<br><br>Grosse win en Turquie pour continuer d’enchaîner sur cette belle série européenne 💪<br><br>L’EuroLeague revient à la maison le 28 novembre avec la réception de Bologne 👀🤌 <a href="https://t.co/ynaUGpsSGX">pic.twitter.com/ynaUGpsSGX</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1859680481228489029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It's worth remembering that Shorts was the EuroCup MVP and EuroCup Finals MVP last season. He could add a EuroLeague MVP of the Month award to his trophy case by the end of November, but according to Shorts, the credit goes to a lot of people, not just him.

"My coaches put me in good positions. My teammates make my life easy," he added. "The big men that are screening for me, my shooters that are hitting shots, none of this is possible with the people who are around me. So obviously, you see me out there, but it's a testament to the whole team to just help me be me."

The Paris guard was on fire once again in Round 11, this time on the road at Efes

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Paris Basketball (2024-11-21T17:30:00.000Z)

Elie Okobo and Matthew Strazel impressed for AS Monaco Basket in Manuchar Markoishvili's first game as interim head coach as the principality side beat LDLC ASVEL 103-92 in Round 11 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

Okobo, Strazel inspire Monaco fightback against ASVEL, 103-92

The French League derby between AS Monaco and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne went the way of the principality club, which scored 65 second-half points to come away with a 103-92 victory in Round 11. Monaco, with Manuchar Markoishvili acting as interim head coach after the dismissal of Sasa Obradovic on Monday, improved to 7-4 while ASVEL fell to 3-8.

Elie Okobo finished with 27 points, his highest in 89 EuroLeague games for Monaco and the second-highest total of his EuroLeague career. Monaco also had Mike James (17 points), Jaron Blossomgame (14), Matthew Strazel (12), Alpha Diallo (12), and Jordan Loyd (10) score in double digits. For ASVEL, Theo Maledon scored 24 points, Mbaye Ndiaye added 18, Joffrey Lauvergne netted 12, and Nando De Colo had 10.

Although Monaco had the first few leads of the game, its 6-4 advantage proved to be the last time it would be ahead until the second half. A response by ASVEL inspired by Maledon, who continued his excellent form in this game, saw the visitors move 8-14 ahead before Ndiaye’s three-pointer made it 8-17 and Neal Sako scored inside to set an 8-19 score. Okobo then went on a one-man mission to breathe life into Monaco, scoring 10 of Monaco’s 12 points in the final 3:30 of the first quarter, but ASVEL still led 20-25 after 10 minutes.  

Monaco kept fighting through Strazel and Blossomgame, yet ASVEL continued to find ways to stay in front. In particular, it was the turn of the bigs to make an impact, with Lauvergne and Motiejunas making their presence felt. Okobo managed to tie the game at 34-34, and Motiejunas again at 36-36, but it was Pierric Poupet’s men who took a 38-40 lead into the break after scores by Lauvergne and Ndiaye.

The halftime interval did wonders for Monaco, which scored the first 10 points of the third quarter – 7 of which came from James – to go 48-40 up, the first time it had been ahead since early in the first. De Colo, Ndiaye and then Lauvergne brought ASVEL within 51-49, but Strazel, Diallo and Blossomgame punched right back, then Strazel took over. First he hit a three-pointer (60-53), then he stole the ball and drew a foul from Andre Roberson, which led to 2 made free throws. When he forced Shaq Harrison to commit an offensive foul, he pumped his chest and received a loud cheer from the crowd. Later, Okobo put his fingerprints on the quarter by scoring 7 points in the final 1:37 to make it 75-61. A three-pointer by Charles Kahudi at the end of the first quarter ensured it was 75-64 entering the final frame.

Okobo kept rolling in the fourth, scoring 10 of Monaco’s first 13 fourth-quarter points as the lead swelled to 85-69. Jordan Loyd’s triple to move the score to 92-74 set the hosts’ game-high lead, but David Lighty and Ndiaye drained back-to-back three-pointers to make things interesting at 92-82. Monaco managed to keep ASVEL at arm’s length the rest of the way, aided by Georgios Papagiannis and James, as Coach Markoishvili saw his team win 103-92 in his first game as interim head coach.

The two French guards shined bright against their former team

AS Monaco v LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2024-11-21T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball grabbed its seventh consecutive victory in the EuroLeague by downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul 84-93 in Round 11 on Thursday, with TJ Shorts posting a 21-point, 10-assist double-double.


TJ Shorts leads Paris past Efes for seventh straight win, 84-93

Paris Basketball grabbed its seventh consecutive victory and eighth overall by downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul 84-93 on the road in Round 11. Paris improved to 8-3 in the standings while Efes dropped to 6-5. 

TJ Shorts led the winners with 21 points and 10 assists. Collin Malcolm added 15, Mikael Jantunen had 13, and Tyson Ward and Kevarrius Hayes got 11 apiece. Vincent Poirier paced Efes with 15 points. Darius Thompson added 15, Rodrigue Beaubois scored 13, Elijah Bryant had 11, and Dan Oturu got 10. Bryant added 10 assists for a double-double.

Ward hit a jumper, than Yakuba Ouattara and Jantunen each added a three-pointer to give Paris an early 2-10 advantage. Ward capped a 0-9 run with his second bomb from downtown, then Oturu banked in a close shot for Efes. Malcolm took over with a fast-break dunk, Beaubois found his first points and Oturu soon brought Efes within 10-15. Paris's Nadir Hifi and Efes's Rolands Smits each joined the three-point shootout, before Poirier dunked and Bryant's driving layup got Efes as close as 17-18. Erkan Yilmaz bettered Hayes's layup with a triple, then Shorts restored a 20-22 Paris lead after 10 minutes.

Ward scored around the basket and Shorts's three-point play gave Paris fresh air at 20-27. Bryant beat the shot clock with a rainbow triple that Derek Willis followed with back-to-back layups to make it 27-29. Shorts answered from beyond the arc and Malcolm added a driving layup to extend the lead. Thompson stepped up with a fast-break layup and followed Poirier's floater with a three-point play to put Efes ahead, 35-34. Malcolm scored again and Bandja Sy buried a three-pointer for a 35-39 Paris lead. After Beaubois and Leopold Cavaliere exchanged baskets, Oturu scored in penetration. Shorts's jumper fixed the halftime score at 39-43.

Hayes and Shorts took over after the break and Outarra's put-back layup gave Paris a 39-48 lead. Poirier tried to change things for Efes. Jantunan hit a triple, but so did Beaubois and Bryant to bring Efes within 47-51. Hifi joined the three-point shootout, and Maodo Lo's layup caused Efes to call a timeout at 47-56. Cavaliere capped a 0-7 run with a backdoor layup that Ercan Osmani matched with a put-back basket. Malcolm hit a floater, Cavaliere scored again and Osmani's fast-break slam brought Efes within 53-62. Oturu scored off a steal and Thompson struck from downtown to get the hosts even closer, 58-64. Hayes boosted Paris's margin to 58-66 after 30 minutes.

Hayes scored down low early in the fourth quarter and erased Willis's one-handed slam with a close basket. Shorts added a driving layup that gave Paris a 12-point lead, 60-72. Thompson scored in penetration and Poirier dunked to keep Efes within 64-72. Shorts hit a mid-range jumper, Thompson hit a three-pointer but Malcolm single-handedly boosted his team's lead to 68-79. Bryant fed Poitier for an alley-oop dunk and added a three-point play. Shorts sank another jumper and Poirier's three-point play got Efes within 76-82 with 2 minutes left. Shorts sealed the outcome with his trademark mid-range jumper.

The French side continued its incredible momentum in its debut season in the competition

KK Crvena zvezda (5-5) and KK Partizan (2-8) go to battle in Round 11's Rivalry Series game, but which team do the Euroleague.net experts – Geoff Gillingham, Javier Gancedo, Igor Petrinovic and Frankie Sachs – think will come out on top?

Rivalry Series: Predicting the winner of Crvena Zvezda vs. Partizan

Basketball fans are in for a treat this Thursday night as [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/) (5-5) and [Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/par/) (2-8) go to battle in Round 11's Rivalry Series game. Ahead of the Belgrade derby, 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.

##### Remember, you can submit your vote via the poll at the bottom of the page.

**Geoff:** Derbies often throw up strange results. Partizan has lost six straight games in the EuroLeague and pressure is starting to mount on nine-time EuroLeague champion coach Zeljko Obradovic. Zvezda, on the other hand, fell to defeat last time out but is enjoying a much better season than its cross-city neighbors. Still, even though I have been pleasantly surprised by the emergence of Mitar Bosnjakovic and the improvement in Aleksej Pokusevski, I can’t see past Zvezda in this one. This feels like a game where Codi Miller-McIntyre, Filip Petrusev and Nikola Kalinic should shine, so I’m going with the red-and-white half of Belgrade in this one.

Geoff’s prediction: **Zvezda to win by 8 points, Miller-McIntyre to get his first double-double of the season.**

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Од рођења мог… 🔴⚪️<br><br>EuroLeague R11 | BC Crvena zvezda Meridianbet - BC Partizan 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://t.co/lFecm8yNx7">pic.twitter.com/lFecm8yNx7</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1859168116703461422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

**Igor:** Crvena Zvezda and Partizan have treated us to four fantastic games over the past two seasons, and despite Partizan's losing streak coming into this game, I believe we are in for another treat. Zvezda comes in as the favorite for several reasons, the main reason being it will have an overwhelming support of its fans. It has also performed better offensively and defensively than Partizan this season. Its players have more experience in Belgrade derbies, and Zvezda has won seven straight games in all competitions against Partizan. However, no Partizan player available for this contest has been part of those seven straight losses against Zvezda. Also, despite a 2-8 record, Partizan's seven defeats have come by 8 points or fewer. This game can really go any way, and I can see Partizan hitting its long-distance shots and stealing the win from its archrival. Partizan by 4.

Igor's prediction: **Partizan by 4.**

**Javi:** It is one of the most unpredictable games of the season, even though Zvezda seems to be in much better form and has three more wins in the standings. Zvezda has been without Joel Bolomboy for a while but has been able to adjust by giving Uros Plavsic and recently signed Filip Petrusev extended playing time. In that sense, Partizan has an advantage in the paint with Tyrique Jones and Brandon Davies. Most Partizan players have never experienced a Serbian derby in the EuroLeague and that gives Zvezda the edge, as players like Milos Teodosic, Nikola Kalinic and Luka Mitrovic know exactly to play in this particular game.

Javi's prediction: **Zvezda by double digits.**

**Frankie:** Partizan is just too good to lose seven in a row. The team is too talented to share the worst record in the league. And it’s a team that should only be getting better from week to week. Thus far, Zvezda deserves a ton of respect for the way it has started the season and for how Coach Sfairolpoulos has gotten the most out of his roster. Over time, though, talent should win out. If Frank Ntilikina had made a few clutch shots, we would be looking differently at Partizan. And he is nonetheless shooting well (43.8%) from downtown. Aleksej Pokusevski is on the rise. Teenager Mitar Bosnjakovic is finding his way. Isiaha Mike has joined the rotation. And while all eyes may be on Zvezda’s Codi Miller-McIntyre, I’d keep an eye on Carlik Jones.

Frankie's prediction: **Partizan pulls it out in a nailbiter to turn its season around.** 

The two archenemies go head to head in the Serbian capital on Thursday night (20:00 CET)

This Thursday night, KK Crvena zvezda and KK Partizan face off in the fifth edition of the EuroLeague's Belgrade derby.

Crvena Zvezda vs. Partizan: It's game day!

Get ready for another thrilling installment of the Belgrade derby as Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade hosts Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 11's Rivalry Series game this Thursday night.

Zvezda comes into this contest with a 5-5 record and has won two of its last three games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, while Partizan is riding a six-game losing streak and holds a 2-8 record.

To date, Zvezda and Partizan have two wins apiece in this derby in the EuroLeague – they went 1-1 in 2022-23 and 1-1 in 2023-24 – but who will move 3-2 ahead in this series?

The action gets underway at 20:00 CET on EuroLeague TV, so make sure that you have a couple of hours set aside tonight. And get some popcorn, too.

This Thursday night sees Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade go head to head in the Belgrade derby in Round 11 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The Belgrade derby tips off this Thursday night at 20:00 CET

Fenerbahce league remained undefeated on the road after shaking off a double-figure deficit in the fourth quarter at Virtus Segafredo Bologna to claim an 82-86 triumph. 

Fenerbahce found a way to win despite 'frustrated' Saras

It wasn’t how [coach Sarunas Jasikevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/jasikevicius-saras/?season=E2024) drew it up. But it counts just the same as a victory for [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/).

The team with the best record in the league remained undefeated on the road after shaking off a double-figure deficit in the fourth quarter at [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/) to claim an [82-86 triumph](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/fenerbahce-pulls-out-82-86-win-in-bologna/).

"Frustrated is not the correct word. It’s 10 times more," Jasikevicius said on EuroLeague TV after the game about his team’s performance. "I don’t even know what to say… I don’t understand anything about basketball."

Saras continued: "The way we played today, probably in the fourth quarter, the players stopped listening to me and that was probably when they played their best basketball. And that is probably how we are going to sum up the whole night."

Guduric, Hayes-Davis stepped up late in Bologna

There is no arguing that the fourth quarter is when Fenerbahce played its best basketball. In the final stanza, it outscored Virtus 21-30. Over the game’s final 5 minutes, it was 7-20. Of those 20 points, all but three of them were scored by two men: [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) and [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/).

With three star guards sidelined by injury, Fenerbahce was not itself and needed players to step up. [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) did so at times and finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. [Khem Birch](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/khem-birch/007182/) (8 points, 6 rebounds) made several key plays. And [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) (11 points) came through with 3 critical free throws late.

But the heroes were Guduric and Hayes-Davis. And even Coach Jasikevicius knew to credit them afterward.

"Probably Marko did everything exactly how I didn’t ask him to do," Saras said. "Probably that’s why we won today. Because he found a solution."

Those solutions included being aggressive in attacking the Virtus defense, whether getting to the rim, pulling up to shoot or finding Hayes-Davis for open looks. The result was Guduric's best game this season as he finished with 21 points on 4-of-7 three-point shooting, which were both season-highs.  

"Nigel has been playing at this level now for the whole season. With the issues we are having, Nigel is carrying us. He is playing at an MVP level," Jasikevicius continued.  

The issues are the injuries to Scottie Wilbekin, Wade Baldwin and Devon Hall. And the response has been Hayes-Davis scoring at least 18 points in six straight games – all of them Fenerbahce wins. He made 5 of 6 triples against Virtus to take his season-long average from deep up to 50% (32 for 64). Hayes-Davis finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds for a PIR of 25.   

While Fenerbahce shot 39.4% from downtown for the game, take Guduric and Hayes-Davis away and that number plummets to 20%.

Guduric, though, wasn’t taking the credit.  

"I don’t know how we pulled this one out, but I am extremely happy for this win. Another road win. It’s huge in the EuroLeague. Big shot by Nigel in the end to close the game out," he said.

Not only did Guduric shine a light on Hayes-Davis, but he then focused on the late stops the team made: "In the fourth quarter we played much better defense. We changed the coverage, so that was a good thing for us. And then we just hit some shots."

In the end, it may have frustrated their coach not to win the way he wanted, but Fenerbahce did what championship teams do. They relied on their leaders. Made plays. And found a way to win.

That is why Fenerbahce sits atop the standings. And that is why the other championship contenders should take notice.  

Marko Guduric: 'I don’t know how we pulled this one out'

Though not in tip-top form, the league leaders remained unbeaten on the road 

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-11-20T19:30:00.000Z)

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to sting Virtus Segafredo Bologna 82-86 at Unipol Arena in Bologna for the team’s sixth straight win. 

Fenerbahce pulls out 82-86 win in Bologna

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to sting Virtus Segafredo Bologna 82-86 at Unipol Arena in Bologna for the team’s sixth straight win. Fenerbahce remained in first place and improved to 9-2 on the season, while Virtus lost its third in a row to fall to 2-9. The visitors finished the game on a 5-13 run.

Marko Guduric scored 9 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead Fenerbahce and Nigel Hayes-Davis netted 10 of his 19 in the final stanza, including the go-ahead triple. Bonzie Colson added 18 points and, like Hayes-Davis, collected 8 rebounds. Tarik Biberovic contributed 11. Virtus’s Toko Shengelia scored a game-high 23 points in defeat. Ante Zizic netted 18 points, Matt Morgan 14 and Isaia Cordinier 10.

Zizic thumped home a dunk to open the scoring before Colson got Fenerbahce on the scoreboard. The visitors feasted on the offensive glass with their first three baskets coming on second chances, including a Biberovic triple to make it 5-7. Shengelia heated up for the hosts and Zizic’s put back and free throws put Virtus ahead, 14-10, midway through the opening quarter. Hayes-Davis and Colson nailed threes in a 0-8 push as Fenerbahce pulled back in front. Zizic drew the hosts within1 before Guduric and Morgan traded threes to end the quarter at 22-23.

Morgan tied it early in the second quarter and Achille Polonara’s put-back gave the hosts a 29-27 edge. The game became more physical with Khem Birch playing a big role for the visitors. Points were few and far between before Colson netted a three to make it 31-32. Shengelia continued to wreak havoc as he banked in a basket. After a jumper by Biberovic, Will Clyburn scored to give Virtus a 38-37 halftime edge.

Zizic remained a force for Virtus as he tossed in a hook shot and later drew Sertac Sanli’s third foul and added a free throw, but Hayes-Davis’s third three of the night nosed Fenerbahce back on front. Zizic scored twice more to the delight of the crowd. A three-pointer by Shengelia and free throws by Zizic made it 50-44. Nicolo Melli and Birch were both called for unsportsmanlike fouls within a minute and a half of each other and Morgan capitalized with a three-pointer to establish the game’s first double-digit lead, 58-48. Colson and Guduric combined to score the next 6 points only to see Shengelia answer with a three-point play. Birch dunked to end the third quarter with Virtus ahead 61-56.

Biberovic and Morgan traded threes before Clyburn and Shengelia restored a double-digit margin. Virtus seemed to have an answer for every Fenerbahce score. Hayes-Davis drilled a three after a timeout to get within 75-69. Guduric twice got Fenerbahce within 4. And Biberovic tied it at 77-77 with 3 free throws with 2:18 remaining. Cordinier, who had been called for a technical foul and the foul on Biberovic, answered with a clutch triple. After a layup by Cordinier was knocked off the rim by Birch, Guduric came through with a three to give Fenerbahce an 80-81 lead with 29.4 seconds remaining. Morgan iced free throws at the other end to give Virtus the lead only to see Hayes-Davis sink a three over the outstretched arms of Shengelia. Alessandro Pajola missed the potential game-winner from the corner and Hayes-Davis grabbed the rebound and wrapped up the win from the foul line.

The league-leaders erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit 