EA7 Emporio Armani Milan dug deep in the fourth quarter to subdue traditional Italian rival Virtus Segafredo Bologna, 99-90, in Round 7 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, helped by majestic performances from Zach LeDay and Nikola Mirotic. 

Nikola Mirotic, Zach LeDay stepped up as Milan overpowered Virtus 

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/roster/mil/?season=2024-25) dug deep in the fourth quarter to subdue traditional Italian rival [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/roster/vir/?season=2024-25), [99-90](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/milan-triumphs-in-rollercoaster-derby-ditalia-against-virtus-99-90/), in Round 7 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, helped by majestic performances from [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/) and [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/).

The duo carried Milan in crunch time, particularly 33-year-old Mirotic who finished the game on 21 points and 13 rebounds, hitting 12 points in the home straight when Virtus launched one last onslaught which the home side was able to repel.

LeDay netted 19 points and racked up 4 boards, shooting 6-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the line, providing muscle in the paint as well as a threat from deep as he made both of his 3-point attempts.

In his post-game comments, the American offered a peculiar analogy to Milan’s resilience and fighting spirit, which forced battling Virtus into submission.

Game Videos

“It’s a big win for us, we’ve been struggling and there’ve been a lot of things going on, but we stayed together, resilient like dogs,” LeDay said. “Like my mom says, you’ve got to let the dogs go hunt, so that’s what you’ve got do. Let the dogs go hunt and see what they bring back to you.

“We got the stops when we needed to, that’s really been the main thing for our team. Offensively we were good but the key was getting those stops.”

Apart from Mirotic and LeDay, Milan’s effort was also carried by [Stefano Tonut](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/stefano-tonut/006509/), who enjoyed an impeccable shooting night in scoring 14 points, as well as [Fabien Causeur ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/)who netted 18 to go with 6 boards. The versatile French guard acknowledged the win over Virtus could potentially be a turning point early in the season as Milan snapped a four-game skid.

“It was a tough month for us and we had some tough losses but today we stuck together and hit some tough shots,” [said Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/videos/fabien-causeur-we-found-the-right-solutions/?feedId=60dee8825eb4fd8da365da78&title=Latest%20videos). “I am very happy because this is a great group of guys and we found the right solutions at the right time. It’s a good sign for the rest of the season and I am pretty sure we’re going to keep getting better.”

Game News

Apart from missing several key players including sharpshooting guard [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/), Milan was also without its ill-stricken head coach Ettore Messina, whose stand-in assistant Mario Fioretti praised the team and wished his boss a speedy recovery. 

“We played a solid game but we made some defensive mistakes when Virtus came back very hard in the third quarter,” he said. “We fought throughout the game and offensive rebounding was the key tonight as our defensive level was not where we wanted it to be.

“Virtus is a very tough team and it’s not easy to play them. Messina is feeling a lot better today and we hope to have our leader back as soon as possible.”

Milan racked up a massive 15 offensive boards and 40 in total, against 24 collected by Virtus, with only 3 of those on the offensive end. The home team also sank 12 of 29 attempts from 3-point range while Virtus made 9 of 22, the hosts thus excelling in key departments to prevail in a rip-roaring contest that kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout. 

The home team’s power forwards came up big down the stretch to propel their team to victory

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v Virtus Segafredo Bologna (2024-10-31T19:30:00.000Z)

Everything clicked for Olympiacos Piraeus on the offensive end, with the hosts netting a season-high 95 points to demolish Barcelona’s defense.

'Humble' Olympiacos clicked on offense to thrash Barcelona

Ten teams had produced more points per game than [Olympiacos Piraeus ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2024-25)coming into the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 7 clash against [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/?season=2024-25). The Greek side’s defense may have averaged a league fourth-best 77.0 points conceded, but its offense produced just over 80 points (80.3) across the first six games of the season. Yet, on Thursday night [everything clicked for the Reds](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-cruises-past-barcelona-95-74/) on the offensive end, with the hosts netting a season-high 95 points to demolish Barcelona’s defense.

Olympiacos scored over 20 points and outscored the visitors in each of the four quarters (21-17, 23-19, 21-14, 30-24). Rigid defense limited the EuroLeague’s second-best offense (87.7) to just 74 points, 8 of which were scored in the last minute of the game when Olympiacos had practically finished it off. Yet, this time the hosts also delivered on offense, with various protagonists stepping up at different moments of the game to allow their team to dictate the tempo.

[Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/) scored 7 of Olympiacos’s 21 points in the first quarter and ended the game with 18 points. Olympiacos’s momentum shifter, [Shaquielle McKissic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shaquielle-mckissic/007853/), came off the bench to net 10 points in his first 5 minutes on the court. Then, [Tyler Dorsey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tyler-dorsey/009849/) came to the fore in the last 4 minutes of the second quarter, scoring 8 points including a buzzer-beating triple to secure a 44-36 lead at the break.

In the third quarter, it was [Evan Fournier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/evan-fournier/013380/)’s turn to take up the baton on offense, scoring 10 points to help Olympiacos pull away and take a 65-50 cushion into the closing quarter. Fournier recorded a game-high 19 points in just 16 minutes on the court, while Dorsey, who didn’t play a single minute in the [previous round against Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olympiacos-beats-real-madrid-79-69-in-rivalry-series-clash/), added 12 points.

Meanwhile, [Nikola Milutinov ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/)who received important playing time for the first time since recovering from injury, chipped in with 12 points and 8 rebounds, 6 of which were offensive boards.

With its wins over the two Spanish sides, Olympiacos bounced back after tough losses to [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-overcomes-early-deficit-to-overcome-olympiacos-91-89/), [FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/carsen-edwards-leads-bayern-past-olympiacos-84-80/) and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

“It was a hard week,” Vezenkov told EuroLeague TV after the game. “We lost two games in the EuroLeague, one from Panathinaikos \[in the league\]. We wanted to come back. We did that in the perfect way, but we’ve just started. We won \[against\] the team that’s first in the league. We are happy but humble. We’ll keep working and everything will be okay.”

Coming up next week is the highly-anticipated Greek derby, with Olympiacos visiting Panathinaikos in Round 8. It’s true that a derby is a different animal, but Olympiacos now has something to build on after completing a perfect two-round week at home.   

The Reds scored a season-high 95 points in the victory 

Olympiacos Piraeus v FC Barcelona (2024-10-31T19:15:00.000Z)

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan came out on top in a rip-roaring Derby d’Italia against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 7 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after a strong fourth quarter propelled the home team to a 99-90 win with veteran Nikola Mirotic stealing the show.

Milan triumphs in rollercoaster Derby d’Italia against Virtus, 99-90

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan came out on top in a rip-roaring Derby d’Italia against Virtus Segafredo Bologna in Round 7 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, after a strong fourth quarter propelled the home team to a 99-90 win with veteran Nikola Mirotic stealing the show.

The 33-year-old paced Milan with a tremendous double-double of 21 points and 13 boards, having netted 12 points in the home stretch when the home team turned the tide for good. Zach LeDay chipped in with 19 points, Fabien Causeur netted 18 and sharpshooting Stefano Tonut sank 14, making 5 of 6 shots from the floor and 4 of 5 from deep.

Virtus, which had turned a 40-23 deficit late in the first half into a 49-55 lead midway through the third quarter, leaned on Toko Shengelia who amassed a game-high 25 points and Marco Belinelli who poured in 21.

Milan snapped a four-game skid and improved to 2-5 while Virtus dropped to 1-6 after failing to register a second successive road win, following a 69-70 victory at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 5.

Few fans in a packed Unipol Forum gym would have expected the clash between Italy’s heavyweights to develop into a classic after a tepid first quarter, with Milan shooting 2 of 10 from downtown and Virtus 2 of 11 from two-point territory.

Milan carved out a 21-14 advantage on the back of second-chance points generated by 5 offensive boards and once the home team got going, three-pointers started raining in from all angles as Milan made 5 in a row after missing the opening 8. The lead soared thanks to quick movement of the ball and a barrage of fast breaks, but Virtus was able to conjure a 4-12 run by halftime which slashed its deficit to 44-35 at the interval.

That streak set the tone for the third quarter, with Virtus taking the game by the scruff of the neck as Shengelia and Belinelli led the visiting team’s charge, with their vociferous band of supporters in full swing in one of the gym’s upper tiers.

Shengelia’s buzzer-beating triple gave Virtus a 66-67 lead heading into the final 10 minutes and the game appeared set for a dramatic climax early in the fourth quarter with the rivals tied, 73-73. LeDay then completed a three-point play that paved the way for a 9-0 Milan run and gave the home side the lead for good, but it was Mirotic who made sure there was to be no final twist.

Virtus refused to roll over and kept coming at Milan as Shengelia and Belinelli fired on all cylinders, but Mirotic rifled in his own salvo at the other end, as the fascinating battle turned into a three-point slugfest. Ultimately, Milan had too much firepower and retained the bragging rights over Virtus, although the visiting team was still able to walk off the court with their heads high after making a strong effort against their perennial rival.

The home team prevailed after its talismanic power forward Nikola Mirotic scored 12 of his 21 points in the home stretch 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv downed Real Madrid 79-78 in come-from-behind fashion. Its hustle and focus in small details gave Saben Lee the chance to win the game at the buzzer, and he delivered. 


Hustle gave Maccabi the chance it needed

When [Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/roster/tel/?season=2024-25) downed [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2024-25) [79-78 in come-from-behind fashion ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/lee-lifts-maccabi-past-real-79-78/)on Thursday, it was the team's hustle and focus on small details that gave [Saben Lee](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/saben-lee/013389/) the chance to win the game at the buzzer... And he delivered. 

Maccabi outrebounded Real 43-28, including pulling down 18 offensive rebounds. Real finished the game with 19 defensive rebounds, which means Maccabi grabbed 48.6% of all rebounds under *Los Blancos*' rim, which is outstanding against one of the best defensive rebounding teams in recent years. Maccabi pulled down 25 defensive rebounds and only allowed its opponents 9 offensive boards. In other words, Maccabi grabbed 75.2% of all rebounds under its rim.

Those 18 offensive rebounds are the most against Real Madrid since [CSKA Moscow grabbed 19](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-cska-moscow/E2021/153/#boxscore) in a 71-65 road loss on December 23, 2021.

[Will Rayman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/william-rayman/013381/) was the perfect example of Maccabi's hustle. Rayman entered the game with 7 rebounds in 6 previous games. He finished the game against Real with 14 boards, becoming the first Maccabi player to reach double digits in that statistical category this season. He was also the first Maccabi player with that many rebounds since [Tarik Black ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-black/008991/)pulled down 15 in a [67-55 home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2019-20/maccabi-fox-tel-aviv-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2019/44/#boxscore) over [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/) on October 30, 2019.

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward Will Rayman grabbed 7 rebounds in 6 previous game. He finished the game against Real with 14 rebounds, becoming the first Maccabi player to reach double digits in that statistical category this season.

Rayman pulls down 14 rebounds!

"Basically, we started the game well. We were exhausted, we were tired. We came here after a tough loss and showed character again. We kept fighting and in the end were a little bit lucky, but sometimes you also need luck," Coach Oded Kattash said after the game. "I am so happy for the players, for their effort. I am really proud."

Three-pointers were another key to this game. Maccabi buried 11 of 20 attempts from downtown (55%) and limited Real to just 6-of-28 shooting from beyond the arc, a season-low 21.4%.

Real led 72-78 in the next-to-last minute. [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/) found [Jasiel Rivero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jasiel-rivero/011214/) twice, first for a three-pointer and then for a layup for a 77-78 score. When [Facu Campazzo ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/facundo-campazzo/005928/)missed at the other end, Maccabi had earned its chance to win the game and Lee delivered, taking [Gabriel Deck ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/gabriel-deck/009005/)one-on-one to hit a six-meter jumper with 0.1 seconds remaining. Maccabi worked really hard to put itself in that situation and picked the right player to win the game.

Will Rayman's finest EuroLeague game yet helped the Israeli champs defeat Real Madrid

Maccabi hustled and fought for the chance it needed to beat Real

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v Real Madrid (2024-10-31T19:05:00.000Z)

Five players scored in double figures as Anadolu Efes Istanbul defeated ALBA Berlin 70-86 to raise their record to 4-3 with three victories in the last four games. 

Efes picked up team play, stayed locked in to beat ALBA 

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/roster/ist/?season=2024-25) players met after their [home loss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/barcelona-beats-efes-to-stay-top-of-the-standings-88-97/) to [FC Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-barcelona/roster/bar/?season=2024-25) for a talk that helped the Turkish side finish the two-round week with a split thanks to improved team play. 

Five players scored in double figures as Efes defeated [ALBA Berlin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/alba-berlin/roster/ber/?season=2024-25) [70-86](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/efes-continue-domination-over-alba-with-bounce-back-win/) to raise their record to 4-3 with three victories in the last four games. 

“After our last game we had a talk as a team - just come together more and play as a team. Just stick to the game plan. And we were able to get the win,” said [Jordan Nwora](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jordan-nwora/013363/), who along with [Dan Oturu](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dan-oturu/012788/) led the way with 16 points each. 

“We stayed locked in - in all four quarters. Everybody who came in contributed. This is a team win,” said [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/), who collected 9 points and 8 assists for a team-high performance index rating of 23. 

Efes also had five players score at least 10 points in the loss to FC Barcelona on Tuesday but the team dished out only 16 assists. That number was 22 in the victory over ALBA.

“We are finding open shots. When you find open shots, it’s easier to knock them down. We have a lot of talent on this team. We just need to stay together and see where we can go,” Thompson said. 

ALBA’s defense came into the game ranked third in opposing teams’ two-point shooting percentage at just 48.8%. But Efes’s offense was number one in the league in two-point shooting at 64.9%. And Coach Tomislav Mijatovic’s men won that battle in the German capital.

“It was a very solid performance from start to finish. I’m happy we came out and showed mental toughness, physical toughness,” he said. “We found extra energy, extra spark and we played much much better than we did two days ago in Istanbul.”

Nwora is making his EuroLeague debut after spending the past four seasons in the NBA - including winning the NBA championship in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks. And the 26-year-old is still getting used to playing in Europe.

“We have new faces on this team, including myself. I’m still making the adjustment, transitioning to the EuroLeague. It’s a lot different than playing in the NBA. It’s great basketball. You just have to think a bit more. I’m learning new things every day,” said Nwora, who has scored in double figures in each of the last five games for Efes. 

“I think our team has a lot of talent and the potential to do great things this year. It’s just about putting all the pieces together.”

And playing as a team - as Efes did against ALBA. 

The victory was the Turkish club's third in its last four games

ALBA Berlin v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2024-10-31T19:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus ended its two-round week in dominant fashion by thrashing FC Barcelona 95-74 in Round 7 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. 

Olympiacos cruises past Barcelona, 95-74

Olympiacos Piraeus ended its two-round week in dominant fashion by thrashing FC Barcelona 95-74 in Round 7 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. The hosts outscored the league leader in each of the four quarters, pulling away in the third to end the visitors’ five-game winning streak. With this victory, Olympiacos improved its record to 4-3, while Barcelona dropped to 5-2.

Evan Fournier led all scorers with 19 points, followed by Sasha Vezenkov with 18. Tyler Dorsey and Nikola Milutinov netted 12 each, with Shaquielle McKissic adding 10. For the visiting side, Kevin Punter scored 18 points, Chimezie Metu had 12 and Willy Hernangomez bagged 11.

Punter and Milutinov exchanged buckets before the former netted a layup for a 2-4 Barcelona lead. Fournier opened his account in penetration, but Jabari Parker hit in transition before netting a midrange jumper to make it 4-8. Then, Vezenkov made 3 of 3 from the line, but 3 points from Juan Nunez allowed Barcelona to maintain a 7-11 lead. Yet, Olympiacos reacted, with 4 points from Vezenkov and a McKissic slam putting the hosts in front, 13-11. Then, Metu opened his account with a triple, but Moses Wright produced back-to-back dunks and McKissic took his tally to 6 points for a 21-17 lead after 10 minutes.

McKissic completed a three-point play to start the second quarter, but Tomas Satoransky nailed one of his own and Dario Brizuela netted a layup to bring Barcelona within 25-22. Yet, Olympiacos reacted, with Alec Peters drilling a triple before Milutinov sank a step-back jumper to extend its lead to 30-22. Justin Anderson and Hernangomez scored from inside, but Tyler Dorsey sank a triple that was followed by a Walkup floater to make it 37-26. Barcelona fought back, with Punter netting 5 points and Parker nailing a corner triple to trim the deficit to 41-36. But Dorsey buried one of his own to beat the second-quarter buzzer for a 44-36 Olympiacos cushion at halftime.

The two teams went scoreless in the first 2 and a half minutes, before Vesely netted an off-balance jumper, 44-38. It took Olympiacos 4 and a half minutes to net its first field goal through Fournier before Metu cut the difference to 46-40. Then, 8 points from Fournier and a Vezenkov bucket restored a 56-42 lead for the hosts. Buckets from Dario Brizuela and Hernangomez sandwiched a Kostas Papanikolaou triple before a Vezenkov basket made it 61-46. Back-to-back Hernangomez baskets were followed by 2 free throws made by Nigel Williams-Goss for a 65-50 cushion after 30 minutes.

Neither side scored a field goal in the first 2 minutes of the closing quarter before a triple from Vezenkov extended Olympiacos’ lead to 70-50. Barcelona reacted, as Anderson completed a three-point play and Parker netted a layup to trim the deficit to 70-55. But a Fall bucket and a triple from Walkup allowed Olympiacos to maintain a 20-point lead. Vesely responded to another Walkup three-pointer with a jumper, but Dorsey and Fournier nailed one each from the perimeter to make it 85-60 and practically finished the game off.  

The Reds took the lead for good with an 11-0 run that bridged the first two quarters

Anadolu Efes Istanbul rebounded from its home loss to FC Barcelona earlier this week by easing past ALBA Berlin 70-86 for a third win in its last four games. 

Efes continue domination over ALBA with bounce-back win 

Anadolu Efes Istanbul rebounded from its home loss to FC Barcelona earlier this week by easing past ALBA Berlin 70-86 for a third win in its last four games. The Turkish side took control of the game with 2-14 run late in the second quarter as it improved to 4-3.

Jordan Nwora and Dan Oturu paced five Efes scorers in double digits with 16 points each. Rodrigue Beaubois scored 14 and Darius Thompson was pulling the strings with 9 points and 8 assists.

ALBA, which has now lost 17 of its 19 showdowns with Efes in the EuroLeague since the turn of the century, has lost four straight games for a 1-6 record. Martin Hermannsson was one of the few bright spots as he tied a career-high with 24 points and Trevion Williams added 16 points and 8 rebounds.

Efes opened the game with the first 6 points with ALBA coming back to make it 6-8. The combo of Nwora and Vincent Poirier had 8 points as Efes pushed the lead to 13-21. Dogus Ozdemiroglu knocked down a triple and the guests were ahead 17-25 with the score 19-25 after 10 minutes. 

Williams scored twice to try to keep ALBA close but Beaubois drained back-to-back three-pointers as the Efes cushion grew to 23-37. Another 3 points from Williams plus a Hermannsson triple had the hosts within 31-37. Efes punched back with a 2-14 run with 11 points coming from Oturu for a 33-51 lead, which was 35-51 at the break.

Efes twice pushed the advantage back to 18 points early in the second half and the gap was as large as 42-61. ALBA was able to score a bit more consistently and managed to make it 52-65 late in the third quarter, which ended with Efes up 52-68.

The advantage grew to 21 points as ALBA needed more than 2 minutes to score in the final frame. Hermannsson and Justin Bean both made triples to breathe a bit of hope into the game for the hosts, who were down 60-75 with 6 minutes left. But a pair of Beaubois three-pointers within 90 seconds had Efes up 63-83. And the German side could not get closer than 16 points the rest of the way.

The winners improved their all-time record against ALBA to 17-2

Efes continues domination over ALBA with bounce-back win 

In a thriller that went down to the last 0.1 seconds, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv edged Real Madrid 79-78 in Round 7 on Thursday. 


Lee lifts Maccabi past Real, 79-78! 

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv edged Real Madrid 79-78 in a Round 7 thriller on Thursday after entering the fourth quarter down 9. Both teams now have 3-4 records in the standings. 

Saben Lee led the winners with 19 points, including the game-winning shot with 0.1 seconds remaining. Rokas Jokubaitis added 17 points and 7 assists, Roman Sorkin scored 13, Jasiel Rivero 10 and Will Rayman hauled in 14 rebounds for Maccabi. Mario Hezonja led Real with 18 points. Facu Campazzo scored 16 and dished 7 assists and Walter Tavares had 11 points for the visitors.

Sorkin got Maccabi going with a backdoor layup and Levi Randolph bettered Tavares's jump hook with a three-pointer for a 5-2 lead. Hezonja banked in a close shot and Tavares hit a jumper to give Real its first lead, 5-6. Jokubaitis fired in a step-back triple and Sorkin also struck from downtown to restore an 11-8 Maccabi edge. Hezonja dunked and improved Randolph's jumper with a three-pointer that tied it at 13-13. Sorkin insisted from beyond the arc. Jokubaitis and Campazzo traded baskets before Sergio Llull's three-pointer tied the game again, 18-18. After Rivero and the red-hot Llull traded triples, Hezonja dunked off a steal for a 21-23 Real lead after 10 minutes. 

Rivero buried a six-meter jumper early in the second quarter. Xavier Rathan-Mayes hit a turnaround shot that Lee bettered with a bomb from beyond the arc. Jake Cohen found his first points and Lee insisted from downtown for a 31-27 Maccabi lead. Jokubaitis buried a jumper off the dribble and improved on Tavares's dunk with a three-pointer that prompted Real to call timeout at 36-29. Campazzo rescued Real with a couple of fastbreak layups and a triple to tie it. Campazzo kept pacing Los Blancos with a driving layup and he followed Hezonja's coast-to-coast basket with a three-point play for a 36-43 Real lead at halftime.

 

Randolph hit a jumper soon after the break and Jaylen Hoard added a layup that got Maccabi within 40-43. After Alberto Abalde scored in penetration, Sorkin answered from downtown. Hezonja's close basket established a 43-47 Real lead. Campazzo found Gabriel Deck for a fastbreak layup that Will Rayman matched with a put-back basket. Sorkin scored around the basket and Lee tied it at 49-49. Abalde and Hezonja each stepped up with a three-pointer to give Real fresh air at 51-55. Deck took over with a wild three-point play and Tavares added a layup-plus-foul to make it 53-61. Abalde bettered Hoard's jumper with a three-point play that fixed the score at 55-64 after 30 minutes.

Campazzo fed Eli Ndiaye for a backdoor layup early in the fourth quarter. Randolph and Hoard stepped up for Maccabi and Lee made a jumper, which caused Real to call timeout at 62-66. Llull rescued Real, Jokubaitis buried a step-back jumper, then Tavares scored down low to boost his team's lead to 64-71 with over 4 minutes left. Lee got help from Jokubaitis to bring Maccabi within 69-72. Rathan-Mayes scored in penetration and Campazzo made it 70-76 with over 2 minutes remaining. Jokubaitis downed a jumper and Rivero improved on Deck's layup with a triple that got Maccabi within 75-78. After Rivero scored around the basket, Real called timeout at 77-78 with 35.8 seconds left. Campazzo missed a floater and Maccabi got the ball back with 12.7 seconds remaining. Lee took Deck one-on-one and buried the game winning shot with 0.1 remaining.

The Maccabi guard sank the game winner in the final second


Saben Lee lifts Maccabi past Real, 79-78

Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna, both of which have a 1-5 record, go head to head on Thursday night in the EuroLeague's latest Rivalry Series game.

Something has to give in Round 7’s Rivalry Series game

This season hasn’t exactly got off to the best of starts for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s two Italian clubs, [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/mil/?season=2024-25) and [Virtus Segafredo Bologna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/virtus-segafredo-bologna/vir/?season=2024-25). Both teams have a 1-5 record after six rounds and the picture already looks bleak, but the Derby d’Italia – the Rivalry Series game in Round 7 on Thursday night – offers the chance for one of these sides to start building some momentum.

Milan’s lone victory this season came in Round 2 as it defeated Paris Basketball at Unipol Forum ([79-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/olimpia-milano-grinds-out-tough-home-win-over-paris-basketball-79-74/)). Since then, the side from the world’s fashion capital has twice lost at home, which includes Zalgiris Kaunas’s memorable comeback from 27 points down to win [82-85](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/zalgiris-stages-huge-comeback-to-edge-milan-on-the-road-82-85/) in Round 4. Head coach Ettore Messina was not on the bench for Milan’s Round 6 loss at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ([88-83](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/forrest-baskonia-hold-off-milan-88-83/)), with assistant coach Mario Fioretti taking the reins, and he will be absent again on Thursday night due to sickness.

Virtus, meanwhile, has tasted victory in the EuroLeague more recently than its archenemy, downing Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade [69-70](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/virtus-gets-off-the-mark-with-hard-fought-win-at-partizan-69-70/) on the road in Round 5. Luca Banchi’s men rallied back from 16 points down at home to FC Bayern Munich in Round 6 to take an 80-79 lead in the final 2 minutes, but [Shabazz Napier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/shabazz-napier/011224/)’s dagger three-pointer with 5 seconds remaining proved pivotal as Virtus went on to win [84-87](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/napier-leads-bayern-past-virtus-84-87/). That was a bitter pill to swallow for those on the black-and-white side of Basket City, but a derby victory often has a habit of righting some wrongs.

In what is a repeat of the last four editions of the Italian League finals, Milan and Virtus will be particularly eager to get back on track in this Rivalry Series clash. One of the key men for Milan will be 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/), who has posted 22.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and a 24.7 PIR over the team’s last three EuroLeague games, while the return of [Josh Nebo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/josh-nebo/011199/) from injury is an added boost. Like Nebo, another summer recruit who should have a big impact on the contest is all-action forward [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/), although the absence of [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) due to injury will hinder Milan on the offensive end.

Coach Banchi will certainly be looking for ex-CSKA Moscow duo [Toko Shengelia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tornike-shengelia/001133/) and [Will Clyburn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/will-clyburn/004888/) – ranked 17th and 18th, respectively, in the all-time scoring charts – to step up to the plate. Shengelia is coming off an impressive showing against Bayern that saw him net 21 points, a season high, while Clyburn had 27 points – his most in a non-overtime game since October 22, 2021 – in Virtus’s only win of the campaign at Partizan. Swingman [Isaia Cordinier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/isaia-cordinier/009549/) is another who will be leaned on after enjoying a career year so far, scoring in double figures in each of his team’s first six games and averaging 15.0 points per night. While Milan will be without Shields, Virtus has had to make do without defensive pest [Alessandro Pajola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alessandro-pajola/006739/) for the last two games due to injury, and he is out once again Round 7, as is fellow guard [Daniel Hackett](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/daniel-hackett/001844/).

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Virtus comes into this game having beaten Milan three out of the four times they have met since the Bolognese club returned to the EuroLeague in 2022-23, but the Milanese outfit did emerge victorious the last time they met last April in the penultimate game of the 2024-25 season. Which one of these teams will move to two wins and which will find itself 1-6 after Thursday night? Tune in to EuroLeague TV from 20:30 CET to see which side comes out on top in this week’s Rivalry Series game.

Sed id volutpat purus, non fringilla turpis. Proin et dolor tortor. Maecenas ut aliquet arcu. Integer eu volutpat nisi, in luctus augue. Phasellus vel elit cursus, dignissim tortor in, pretium ante. Morbi varius at urna ultricies egestas. Suspendisse dui ligula, interdum non lectus eu, semper gravida nibh. Pellentesque bibendum lacus enim. Nulla aliquet, tortor at consectetur porttitor, est nisi hendrerit dolor, vitae ullamcorper diam arcu a arcu. Suspendisse eu vulputate sapien. Praesent ut elit nec nulla imperdiet placerat vel eu neque. Praesent porttitor felis non ante rutrum, sed tincidunt augue pulvinar. Morbi id urna in nunc dignissim luctus.

Both Milan and Virtus are languishing towards the bottom of the standings, but will the Derby d’Italia prove to be a springboard for one of the teams? 