Zach LeDay had a performance to remember in Round 7’s Rivalry Series game, posting a 29 PIR – the highest of any player on a winning team this week – to earn MVP of the Round honors after leading his EA7 Emporio Armani Milan team to a 99-90 derby victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

Round 7 MVP: Zach LeDay, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

[Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) had a performance to remember in Round 7’s Rivalry Series game, posting a 29 PIR – the highest of any player on a winning team this week – to earn MVP of the Round honors after leading his EA7 Emporio Armani Milan team to a 99-90 derby victory over Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

 

He scored a season-high 19 points, shooting 4 for 7 on two-pointers, 2 for 2 on triples, and 5 for 5 from the free-throw line, while he also had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 7 drawn fouls to his name. LeDay’s last MVP of the Round honor came in Round 10 of the 2018-19 season, almost six years ago.

 

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz’s [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) recorded a round-high 30 PIR as his team lost 67-65 at Paris Basketball. Moneke amassed 19 points on 4-of-6 two-pointers and 11-of-11 free throws, a season-high 12 rebounds, including 7 on the offensive end, 2 steals and 6 drawn fouls.  The third-best PIR in Round 7 belonged to Milan’s [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), who posted a 28 PIR. The 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP had 21-points, a season-best 13 rebounds, with 6 coming on the offensive glass, and 6 fouls drawn. [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) of Olympiacos Piraeus and [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) of Virtus round out the list of best performers in Round 7. Vezenkov finished with a 27 PIR as the Reds beat FC Barcelona after racking up 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while Shengelia amassed a season-high 25 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

### Individual highs: Toko Shengelia, Virtus, 25 points

Shengelia scored 25 points in Round 7, more than anyone else. FC Bayern Munich’s [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) remains the leading scorer in the EuroLeague with 19.6 points per game.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv’s [Will Rayman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/william-rayman/013381/) pulled down a round-high 14 rebounds. Injured Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade center [Joel Bolomboy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/joel-bolomboy/009035/) tops the rebounding charts with 9.0 boards per night.

Virtus guard [Matt Morgan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-morgan/012585/) led all players in assists in Round 7, dishing 10. Injured Maccabi guard [Tamir Blatt](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tamir-blatt/011193/) is averaging a league-high 9.0 assists per contest.

[Ognjen Jaramaz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ognjen-jaramaz/004058/) of Baskonia recorded a career-high 4 steals in this round, the most of any player. AS Monaco’s [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) and Bayern’s [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) share top spot in the steals charts with 1.7 per game.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul’s [Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) and Real Madrid’s [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) both made a round-high 3 blocks in Round 7. ALBA Berlin center [Khalifa Koumadje](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/khalifa-koumadje/010791/) is the season’s leader in blocks with 1.8 per night.

Three players had a double-double in Round 7: Morgan (11 points, 10 assists), Mirotic (21 points, 13 rebounds), and Moneke (19 points, 12 rebounds).

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our seventh winner in this season's EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge! Vuk Grujicic beat everyone else in Round 7 with a team 'KK Vuk', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 181.50.

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Round 7 winner

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have our seventh winner in this season's [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/)! Vuk Grujicic beat everyone else in Round 7 with a team 'KK Vuk', which had a Fantasy Challenge score of 181.50.

Oscar had the following lineup: Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan as team captain, then Olympiacos Piraeus' Sasha Vezenkov, Devin Booker of FC Bayern Munich, Elijah Bryant of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Wade Baldwin IV of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul as his starters, while Martin Hermannsson of ALBA Berlin was his sixth man. On the bench, Vuk had Bayern's Nick Weiler-Babb, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz duo of Sander Raieste and Ousmane Ndiaye. His team's head coach was Tomislav Mijatovic of Efes.

The prize for finishing first in Round 7 is a free VIP Euroleague TV Subscription for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Vuk!

Ognjen Vilotijevic and his team 'Yaretai' remains the leader of the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/) overall standings with 1,115.50 points.

Trades are now open for Round 8. Remember, four trades are allowed before each round. You can either trade up to four players, or a head coach and three players.

The first game in Round 8 tips off on Thursday, November 7, as Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade hosts ALBA Berlin at 19:00 CET. That game marks the next round's deadline.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become our next round winner!

EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager. 

Paris Basketball secured its third straight victory in the EuroLeague by beating Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 67-65 in Round 7, but this time it had to win in a different manner.

Paris learning and winning – even unusual games

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debutant Paris Basketball notched its third consecutive win on Friday night, but this time in a different fashion. 

At Adidas Arena, [Paris held off the visiting Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 67-65](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/paris-holds-off-a-misfiring-baskonia-67-65/) in a game where the two teams' offenses, to be generous, did not have their best night.

"It was a tough, very physical game, and we are luck we got this one," Paris head coach Tiago Splitter admitted to EuroLeague TV after the win. "It was a defensive game and we scored a little bit more than them."

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His team had netted at least 84 points in each of their previous four games, three of which were victories. But on Friday night, Paris managed just 67 points, a season low. However, Baskonia was stuck at 65.

"Stats are very clear," Pablo Laso said in a post-game interview. "We won almost every \[category\], our \[PIR\] is 20 points better. But we were 1 for 26 on three-pointers."

That is Baskonia's club-record low from three-point range. The only triple came from Markus Howard on the first possession of the third quarter after Baskonia had started 0 for 17 from long range. The visitors also missed their last 8 attempts.

"It is very difficult to win on a bad shooting night. We did a lot of good things, but we were not able to put the ball in the basket," Laso added.

Splitter, on the other hand, not only liked what he saw from his team but he also the constant improvement he is seeing from his team week in, week out.

"We are improving defensively," Splitter said. "We are able to change a coverage during the game and these guys are pretty smart and ready for whatever the coaches tell them."

And that's the way to pull out a win in the second leg of a double-round week, in a game that saw no player on either team score in double figures.

"This was probably the most physical battle we've had so far in the EuroLeague," big man Mikael Jantunen said after collecting 8 points and 8 rebounds for a team-high PIR of 16.

"I feel like this is a learning experience. We learn a lot as a group and we get better."

It certainly looks like that after the first month of action as Paris holds a 4-3 record along with four other teams.

Next up for the team from the French capital is a tilt with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, where Paris will be chasing its fourth win in a row.

Game News

Tiago Splitter's side improved to a 4-3 record by beating Baskonia in a low-scoring affair

Paris Basketball v Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (2024-11-01T19:45:00.000Z)

Oscar da Silva was one of several FC Bayern Basketball players who came off the bench to make a positive impact in a Round 7 win at LDLC ASVEL.

Oscar da Silva among Bayern’s strong weapons off the bench versus ASVEL 

FC Bayern Munich showed its depth on the road in Round 7 as [Oscar da Silva](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/oscar-da-silva/011244/) came up big as the top scorer in [a 71-84 win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-defeats-asvel-71-84-to-reel-off-fourth-straight-win/). The German forward was among the bench players who helped their team win their fourth straight game and second on the road this week.

Da Silva poured in a season-high 15 points to go with 3 rebounds as Bayern improved to a 5-2 record. The 26-year-old topped his previous best showing this season of 13 points against the other French team in the league, Paris Basketball, in Round 4.

Having returned to his native Munich after two seasons with FC Barcelona, he scored 10 points against ASVEL in Round 11 last season – one of three games in 2023-24 in which he scored 10 points.

But Da Silva was just one member of the bench mob who stepped up as Bayern was fighting through the double week. [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/) had 12 points and 18-year-old [Ivan Kharchenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/ivan-kharchenkov/012123/) poured in a career-high 10 points.

“A lot of guys came off the bench and gave us great energy and gave us great momentum,” said [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/), who led Bayern with 16 points.

While Bayern’s No. 1-ranked offense was close to its average of 89.0 points per game, Gordie Herbert’s team was impressive in giving up just 71 points, the first time it has held a team in the 70s so far this season.

“A really good performance by my team as far as battling, fighting,” the Bayern play-caller commented. “I thought the bench was outstanding tonight.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">💪💪💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeBallTogether?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeBallTogether</a> <a href="https://t.co/kszwlrrq47">pic.twitter.com/kszwlrrq47</a></p>&mdash; FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBBasketball/status/1852463480588116405?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bayern center [Johannes Voigtmann](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/johannes-voigtmann/007201/) also said the team was helped by the reserves.

“Today we showed that we have a deep team. We have guys that we can rely on, guys who have not played a lot yet so far. Ivan Kharchenkov had an amazing game,” added Voigtmann, who collected 9 points and 11 rebounds in the game.

That production off the bench was needed as [Carsen Edwards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/carsen-edwards/011987/) was held to just 8 points after having averaged 29.3 points over the last three games.

The German side is now in the midst of a four-game winning run

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v FC Bayern Munich (2024-11-01T19:00:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos BC came out on top at KK Crvena zvezda in Round 7, with Mathias Lessort proving his All-EuroLeague qualities and Kendrick Nunn seeing the Greens over the line.

Resilience saved the day for battling Panathinaikos

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens was forced to draw on its wealth of experience and depth in a titanic tussle against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade [to come out on top, 77-81, in an enthralling Round 7 matchup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-claws-out-big-win-at-crvena-zvezda-77-81/).

Zvezda was in the driving seat for 38 minutes, having carved out a commanding 44-30 lead late in the first half and then led by 14 again, 52-38, early in the second. However, Panathinaikos showed what champions are made of as the Greens managed to close in and turn the game around in the final 67 seconds, notching their third win in a row.

Five visiting players finished in double digits and although [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) was not one of them, the explosive center claimed player of the game honors with 9 points and as many boards.

Most of his baskets were trademark slam dunks which pumped up Panathinaikos and kept the visiting team’s challenge alive when Zvezda looked likely to snap its three-game losing skid, which became a four-game unwanted streak after [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) sealed the contest with a pair of free throws.

“I wasn’t at my best today but my teammates had my back and that’s how this team does it,” Lessort said in a post-game courtside interview. “It’s a big win for us because this is a tough environment to play in. We got the job done and we can go home now.”

Propelled by a galvanized [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/), who scored a game-high 20 points including 14 in a frantic five-minute spell in the second quarter, Zvezda shot the lights out from deep as the hosts nailed 15 of 30 from downtown but made only 12 of 26 from two-point range.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center Mathias Lessort spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 7 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Mathias Lessort: 'It was loud... until the end'

In contrast, Panathinaikos sank 23 of 39 from two-point territory and won the battle of the boards 36-26, as the visiting team’s physicality in the paint proved decisive when the chips were down. The Greens’ head coach Ergin Ataman praised his team’s resolve in the face of adversity.   

“We were down by 14 points in the second half but we came back defensively and as far as \[our\] offense is concerned, [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) managed very well alongside [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) and Kendrick Nunn,” said the Turkish tactician.

“Zvezda played very well, they scored 15 three-pointers on 50% shooting from downtown, but we played very smart in the last part of the game. Congratulations to the players, they showed great character in this kind of atmosphere.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We can hear the cheers all the way from Athens… <a href="https://t.co/1yFDpL0eio">https://t.co/1yFDpL0eio</a></p>&mdash; adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/adidasHoops/status/1852458725484720634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Panathinaikos forward [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) succinctly summed up the Greek outfit’s die-hard mentality. “That’s what great teams do,” he stated. “No matter how well we play at the end of the day, we need to win games – and we got an important one on the road.”

In Round 8 next week, Panathinaikos locks horns with eternal Greek rival Olympiacos Piraeus at home, having beaten the Reds on the road in the Greek League, 71-78, last Sunday. Zvezda will have a chance to get back to winning ways when it hosts ALBA Berlin, which is rooted to the bottom of the standings with a 1-6 record.  

Although they were not at their best, the Greens dug deep into their resources to get past Crvena Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-11-01T19:00:00.000Z)

Alen Smailagic stepped up in the fourth quarter to help Zalgiris Kaunas beat AS Monaco in Round 7 of the 2024-25 EuroLeague season.

 Alen Smailagic came up clutch to send Zalgiris top of the standings

Fans of [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/zal/?season=2024-25) will have a big smile on their faces heading into this weekend after what they saw their team do this week. 

[After beating Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bryant-dunston-game-winner-sees-zalgiris-down-crvena-zvezda-at-the-buzzer-86-84/) on a last-second shot by [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) on Wednesday, [Zalgiris downed AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-holds-off-monacos-comeback-63-62/) on Friday night to move into first place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings. 

[Alen Smailagic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/alen-smailagic/011051/) ended up having a telling role in the closing stages of his team's 63-62 win over Monaco, which improved the Lithuanian side to a 6-1 record on an off night for star guard Sylvain Francisco.

Monaco did a great job at stopping Francisco, who averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 assists, 6.0 fouls drawn and a PIR of 17.2 coming into Round 7. Coach Sasa Obradovic found a way to stop him as the Frenchman finished the game with 1 point on 0-of-9 shooting and more turnovers (6) than assists (4) for a PIR of -6.

The visitors rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie the game, 43-43, after 30 minutes, with Zalgiris in desperate need of a go-to guy. Up stepped Smailagic, who had played just 4 minutes to that point. Yet, the Serbian provided the answers his team needed to win the game.

Smailagic scored all of his 10 points in the fourth quarter. He buried a three-pointer on Zalgiris's first offensive set in the period before burying another one soon after to put Zalgiris in charge, 52-47. He then added a dunk in traffic and a layup that gave Zalgiris a 61-60 edge. [Jordan Loyd](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jordan-loyd/009754/) scored at the other end, but [Dovydas Giedraitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dovydas-giedraitis/007513/) stepped up with the go-ahead layup. [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) turned the ball over in the final seconds, and that's when a sellout crowd at Zalgirio Arena erupted in joy.

Alen Smailagic of Zalgiris Kaunas had 10 points against AS Monaco, all in the fourth quarter!

Smailagic steps up at the right time

"Probably it wasn't about tactics anymore because we were doing a lot of mistakes, mental mistakes, but we just kept fighting, that's it," Zalgiris forward [Arnas Butkevicius](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/arnas-butkevicius/002676/) said after the game. "It was probably a little bit of luck and a tough fight. We lost a lot of balls in the second half, a lot of mistakes and they were also scoring crazy shots. We are working hard and when you work hard, luck is on your side."

As in every physical game, Butkevicius stood out and played a critical role, too, leading Zalgiris with 13 points on 3-of-4 triples, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. On a night in which Francisco was off-target and Dunston left the game with an injury, Butkevicius provided the experience and leadership required.

Zalgiris ended up outrebounding Monaco 34-27 and limiting the guests to just 2-of-19 three-pointers (10.3%). It is Monaco's all-time low in three-point shots made and percentage in the competition. Monaco were limited to 25 points in the first half, also its lowest mark ever. Its previous low were 26 points in a 71-54 playoff loss against Olympiacos Piraeus in 2022. Smailagic believes his team's mentality make the difference.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We asked our fans to describe this double-round week in one word. 😮‍💨 <a href="https://t.co/aTNG8482GM">pic.twitter.com/aTNG8482GM</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1852479976471146988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We always say, 'Keep them under 70'. We had to have a good game to have a good defense," Smailagic said. "We just stuck to the plan, we were just having a dogfight. Every minute we were fighting, we were in the game. Even when they were scoring, we were still sticking together. 

"Even when stuff were not going our way, we were still being together, playing for each other, trying to pass the ball. Even after some loose balls, we were still staying together, still motivating all of our players to get better, to stay together and to try to win the game, as we did.

Being atop the standings is also a new situation for most Zalgiris players, including him.

"This is the first time for me to be at first place in the EuroLeague, so it feels good," he added. "But now, teams are going to be more focused, they are going to be ready for us. They know that we are a good team, maybe not on paper, but all of us are great people, great players, and we are going to stick together.

"And we have a hell of a good coach to who put us all together and showed us the way we should fight for each other and to play for each other."

By beating Monaco, the Lithuanian improved to a league-best 6-1 record

Zalgiris Kaunas v AS Monaco (2024-11-01T18:00:00.000Z)

Paris Basketball registered its third straight win in the EuroLeague, this time in a low-scoring affair, as it held off the visiting Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 67-65 on Friday night at Adidas Arena. Both teams hold a 4-3 record after the first month of the regular season.

Paris holds off a misfiring Baskonia, 67-65

Paris Basketball registered its third straight win in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, this time in a low-scoring affair, as it held off the visiting Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 67-65 on Friday night at Adidas Arena. Both teams hold a 4-3 record after the first month of the regular season.

Paris led for the majority of the contest and struggled a bit offensively, but not as much as Baskonia, which shot a club-record low 1 for 26 from three-point range. Paris had no scorers in double figures, with TJ Shorts, Nadir Hifi and Tyson Ward each netting 9 points. Ward also had 7 rebounds while Mikael Jantunen collected 8 points and 8 rebounds. Chima Moneke shined for Baskonia with 19 points and 12 rebounds, Donta Hall recorded 11 points and 8 rebounds, and Markus Howard scored 10 points but on 1-for-11 three-point shooting.

Game Videos

Hall and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot each had a dunk in the early minutes of the game as teams played with pace but did not produce much on offense. Ward did hit a pair of triples for the hosts, making it 10-8, before a pair of close-range baskets from Hifi pushed it to 14-10. Hall had two more dunks which helped Baskonia tie the game at 14-14, but Collin Malcolm and Bandja Sy allowed Paris to hold an 18-16 edge after the first 10 minutes.

Kevarrius Hayes and Shorts scored inside before baskets from Yakuba Ouattara and Leon Kratzer extended it to 26-18. Back-to-back triples from Sy and Maodo Lo increased the margin to 33-22, but Khalifa Diop worked inside and Trento Forrest had a runner to cap a 0-7 run for the visitors. Moneke ruled on the offensive glass and had a three-point play after one of them to close the gap to 35-33, but a triple from Jantunen helped the hosts to head into the halftime break with a 38-35 lead.

Ward had a transition triple and Shorts a fast-break layup before Jantunen's triple made it 46-40. Baskonia's basket were coming inside or from the free-throw line, while back-to-back threes from Lo and Hifi opened a 54-44 margin. Kamar Baldwin and Moneke cut into the deficit, but Jantunen's second-chance basket made it 57-48 at the end of the third quarter.

Howard opened the fourth quarter with a triple, Baskonia's first and only triple, after 17 misses to open the game. Nikos Rogkavopoulos muscled his way to a basket inside, and Howard made a floater to cut to 61-56. But Malcolm hit a jumper before Lo banked a shot to give Paris a 65-57 lead. Moneke's basket kept hope alive for the visitors, but Shorts sealed the deal with a runner. Baskonia scored the final 5 points of the game, but it was too little too late for a comeback.

The visitors shot just 1 of 26 from three-point territory

Fenerbahçe Beko showed its incredible potential during its Round 7 triumph over KK Partizan, but also a few aspects it must improve in order to become a great team.

The sky is the limit for Fenerbahce – but there are still things to improve

Entering the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul was among many people’s picks to make next May’s Final Four. Not much has changed in that regard after seven rounds, but [Fenerbahce’s 89-72 win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/nigel-hayes-davis-leads-the-way-fenerbahce-downs-partizan-89-72/) showed plenty of the team’s strengths, as well as a few things Saras Jasikevicius will be looking to tighten up.

First, the good parts. Fenerbahce set a season high with 19 three-point makes, with [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) knocking down 5 and [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-hayes-davis/008962/) and [Devon Hall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/devon-hall/011205/) hitting 4 apiece. Those 19 triples are the joint third most Fenerbahce has hit in a EuroLeague game, which exemplifies the weaponry Coach Jasikevicius is able to call upon. Thanks to its three-point shooting against Partizan, the Turkish side was able to pull away and never look back.

Fenerbahce made several notable additions during the offseason, including [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/), [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) and [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/), and that resulted in expectations rising. It has not all been perfect to start the season, but wins over Olympiacos Piraeus, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and Partizan – four teams with recent playoff experience – cannot be overlooked.

Another positive aspect to Fenerbahce’s triumph over Partizan was the way in which it moved the ball, dishing a season-high 24 assists. The main orchestrator was Baldwin, who had a season-best 8 dimes and did a good job of getting everyone involved. [Marko Guduric](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/) also helped with the playmaking duties, notching 5 assists himself.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">📸 Galibiyetimizden kareler<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YellowLegacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YellowLegacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/JrHiaguTSP">pic.twitter.com/JrHiaguTSP</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1852461886341599538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

However, as Hayes-Davis told EuroLeague TV after the game, Fenerbahce allowed Partizan to generate hope at various points in the contest, despite being up by more than 20 points in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter. The 29-year-old, who was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team last season and had a game-high 24 points in Round 7, believes that he needs to be more switched on defensively speaking.

“We’ve got to take the good with the bad,” Hayes-Davis said. “Coach was talking about we’ve got to run faster, we’ve got to push the ball more – we did a good job of that. More importantly, we have to do better defensively, starting with me.

“In this game, I felt like I was being targeted on defense. It’s not a good feeling, I don’t like it, and it looks bad when your team’s best player and leader is getting blown by for layups, so I really need to take the challenge of playing both sides. We got up 20 and let the score go down, got up again and let the score go down, so in order to take a step from good to great team, we have to be consistent on both ends of the ball, starting with me.”

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward Nigel Hayes-Davis spoke to EuroLeague TV after his team beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 7 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Nigel Hayes-Davis: ‘We have to be consistent on both ends, starting with me’

Fenerbahce boasts a 5-2 record through the first seven games, good for the joint second-best mark in the EuroLeague, but it has already played five games at home and lost two of those. 

Still, Coach Jasikevicius’s men face LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in France next time out before hosting FC Bayern Munich – another 5-2 team – and travelling to take on the 6-1 Zalgiris Kaunas – the team atop the standings – in the next double-round week in Rounds 9 and 10. 

Fenerbahce has blown hot and cold at times this season, but the sky really is the limit when the team is locked in.

Saras Jasikevicius’s squad downed Partizan in Round 7

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2024-11-01T17:45:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos BC recorded its third straight victory in the EuroLeague by beating KK Crvena zvezda 77-81 on the road in Round 7.

Panathinaikos claws out big win at Crvena Zvezda, 77-81

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens improved to 5-2 in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague after a brave second-half fightback in the cauldron of Aleksandar Nikolic Hall gave the competition’s reigning champion a 77-81 road win at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

A smooth team effort saw five visiting players finish in double digits, paced by Kendrick Nunn, who scored 13 points. Lorenzo Brown and Juancho Hernangomez added 12 each, Jerian Grant netted 11 and Kostas Sloukas chipped in with 10 for the visitors.

Zvezda, which slipped to 3-4 after a fourth successive defeat following the opening three wins, was led by Isaiah Canaan, who racked up a game-high 20 points by shooting 6 of 7 from deep and 7 of 8 in total from the floor. Nikola Kalinic scored 13 points for the hosts and Yago Dos Santos added 11.

Zvezda led from the start until the last few minutes, when Panathinaikos forced the final twist and prevailed thanks to some second-chance points and ice-cool free-throw shooting, silencing a fervent home crowd which carried the home team throughout the absorbing contest.

Kalinic led the way for Zvezda early on, scoring 8 points in the first quarter as the home side carved out a 15-10 advantage, but the visitors were able to tie the game at 18-18 come the end of the period despite shooting 0 of 6 from deep as they collected 5 offensive rebounds.

Then came Canaan like a whirlwind, overwhelming Panathinaikos with a flurry of three-pointers as rampant Zvezda went on a 15-0 run to open up a 44-30 lead late shortly before halftime, with the atmosphere in the stands reaching fever pitch. Canaan netted 14 points in just 5:30 minutes on the court in the second quarter, but Panathinaikos responded with a late 2-8 run which slashed Zvezda’s advantage to 46-38 at halftime.

Zvezda, which made 8-of-16 shots from downtown in the first half, continued to torment the visitors from long range and again romped away to 52-38 early in the third before Panathinaikos finally beefed up its defense. That, in turn, engineered a 2-13 run which slashed the visiting team’s deficit to 58-55 ahead of the final 10 minutes.

Canaan nailed another couple of three-pointers in the fourth quarter but his heroic effort was undone by the EuroLeague champion’s depth, as Panathinaikos held firm and turned the tide in the final stretch.

A Filip Petrusev triple gave Zvezda a 77-75 lead with 67 seconds left on the clock, then Nunn scored from a second-chance situation and Brown sank a pair of free throws to put the visitors in front. Milos Teodosic missed a tough triple at the other end of the floor in Zvezda’s final possession before Nunn sealed the Greens’ victory with another pair of free throws.

The reigning EuroLeague champ trailed for the lion’s share of the contest before flipping the script in the last few minutes